Fall 2004
TEL 317: Children and Media

Instructor: Dr. J. Alison Bryant

Course Description:
This course is designed to give students an introduction to the
symbiotic relationship between children and the media.  The major
issues to be covered are: children’s use of media (as an audience)
and media’s use of children (as consumers); how children’s media is
created and disseminated; the media’s potentially positive and
negative effects on children; and the role pf parents, the industry,
and advocacy/policy groups in creating and monitoring children’s
programming. The course will cover these issues through a series of
mini-topics, each of which will be discussed with regard to
theoretical and research agendas as well as more “practical” issues
for parents, policymakers, and the industry.  In addition, students
will be involved in a service-learning group project with one of
several local children and media groups.

Course meeting:
MW 11:15-12:30
RTV 245

Prerequisites
T205 or consent of instructor.

Required Texts:
Calvert, S. (1999). Children’s Journey Through the Information Age.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
Van Evra, J. (1998). Television and Child Development. (2nd
Edition). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Additional readings available through Oncourse.

Course Format:
Large Lecture (76 students) with in-class discussion.  The course
assignments include 2 exams, a paper, and a group project.  This is
a service-learning course.

Requirements the course will meet:
Counts toward COAS Media and Society area of emphasis. Counts toward
the COAS Social & Historical Studies requirement.