Course Topics
The curricular concept of this course aims to provide an introduction to essential approaches to media studies, including: 1. Studies of media and communication as an interdisciplinary endeavor 2. Types and characteristics of media and lines of their evolution 3. Models of communication and approaches to the passage from oral to written language 4. The development of mass media, from printing to broadcasting, and their social impact 5. Societal dimensions and the transformative capacities of Information & Communication Technologies (ICTs) and Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC) 6. Media competence in general as well as with regard to inter-cultural and professional contexts

Propaedeutic courses
none

Teaching format
Frontal lectures as well as accompanied group exercises, discussions, common reading and elaboration of individual assignments

Educational objectives
Knowledge and understanding Students will have developed their own individual project practice and will be able to: - understanding the social, cultural, economic and environmental dimensions of projects and contexts Applying knowledge and understanding Students will be able to: - develop projects and practices suitable for addressing complex challenges. Making judgments Students will be able to: - compare and evaluate concepts, practices and projects in their various contexts - judging independently and critically: the contribution of a project to local and regional economic cycles and to increasing solidarity relations Communication skills Students will be able to: - show how the social, ecological and economic aspects of sustainability interact in their projects Learning skills Students will be able to: - work independently to learn according to different situations and in a personal way through reading and studying

Additional educational objectives and learning outcomes
The course encourages students to explore foundational and emerging perspectives in media and communication through interdisciplinary inquiry. Learners will engage with diverse theoretical and practical approaches to better understand the evolving role of media in society and reflect on its broader implications.

Assessment
The course evaluation is based on a balanced combination of continuous coursework and a final examination. Students are required to read selected academic texts and prepare introductory presentations on key approaches, models, and findings, which contribute 50% to the final grade. In parallel, each student must complete a major assignment analyzing the media coverage of specific cases related to a shared thematic focus, also weighted at 50%. The findings of the media coverage analysis are presented in class to allow for peer and instructor feedback. Finally, they need to be submitted as a written report a week before the final examination. The final examination is a brief oral examination based on the student’s achievements. For not attending students: Not attending students are those not regularly present in class and not delivering all required assignments during the time span of the course. They have to study completely on their own on the basis of a list of essential literature (that will be published in the MS TEAMS domain of the course as well) in order to prepare themselves to an extensive written final examination that will provide the final mark.

Evaluation criteria
For this course the appraisal of the students’ performance will be carried out under careful application of the following criteria: - mastery of language for expressing course related contents (also under consideration of the fact that the teaching language might not be the students mother tongue) - ability to work in a team and use individual faculties successfully in interactive processes - consistency in the elaboration of written reports - clarity in the preparation of oral presentations - capability to summarize, evaluate, and establish relationships between topics - ability to reflect about different standpoints, perspectives and preferences and discuss these issues critically, appropriate and mindful - distinctness in answering questions about the results of the assignments, especially the final one, and explicitness in displaying the outcome of the students work. Criteria relevant for the assessment of not-attending students are: - distinctness in answering the questions of the extensive written examination correct and complete - ability to summarize, evaluate, and establish relationships between topics - ability to reflect about different standpoints, perspectives and preferences and discuss these issues critically, appropriate and mindful.