[Air-L] Textbook Suggestion Needed

[Christian Nelson]

Hi Ted (and the group),
Your comments ring true for me. I think students really do want  
linearity. At the same time, I've seen research by sociologists that  
found that students don't read textbooks as much as they read articles  
in a reader. That suggests that a non-linear textbook has two strikes  
against it in students' eyes. It also suggests that the best thing to  
give students is a reader that is organized in some linear fashion.
Cheers,
Christian

On May 18, 2009, at 11:23 AM, Ted Coopman wrote:

> Thanks,
>
> I actually used this book for a class I taught as a grad student at  
> the U of
> WA - I thought it was great and appreciated the non-linear approach  
> because
> new media is basically non-linear - my undergrad students hated it.  
> I have
> found most students desire having a textbook that is laid out in  
> easy to
> follow format with definitive statements (x means y). Perhaps it is  
> all the
> testing they get in high school.
>
> Had a similar issue with Carey [Carey, J. W. (2009). Communication as
> Culture (revised edition)] in a comm and culture class I just taught.
>
> Is it depressing?  - yes - is it worth trying to shove it down their
> throats? Usually not.
>
> -TED
>
> On Sun, May 17, 2009 at 12:08 PM, Jacqueline Vickery
> <jvickery183 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I would suggest New Media: A Critical Introduction edited by Martin  
>> Lister<http://www.amazon.com/New-Media-Introduction-Martin-Lister/dp/0415223776 
>> > .
>> One of my professors used it in a grad class I took last year and I  
>> really
>> enjoyed the book and still references it often.
>>
>> --
>> Jacqueline Vickery
>> Co-Coordinating Editor, FlowTV.org
>> Department of Radio-Television-Film
>> University of Texas - Austin
>> http://www.jvickery.com/
>>
>>
>>
>> On Sat, May 16, 2009 at 5:42 AM, <Celina.Raffl at sbg.ac.at> wrote:
>>
>>> I would like to recommend "Internet and Society: Social Theory in  
>>> the
>>> Information Age" (Routledge) by Christian Fuchs (2008).
>>>
>>>> From the introduction:
>>>
>>> The Internet is ubiquitous in everyday life. […] How has this system
>>> transformed our lives and our society? What are the positive  
>>> effects? What
>>> are the negative ones? Which opportunities and risks for the  
>>> development of
>>> society and social systems are there? This book tries to  
>>> contribute in
>>> helping people to find their own answers to such questions.
>>> Its main goal is to work out a theoretical understanding of the
>>> relationship of Internet and society.
>>>
>>> For further information visit: http://fuchs.icts.sbg.ac.at/i&s.html
>>>
>>> :: Celina
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht-----
>>> Von: air-l-bounces at listserv.aoir.org im Auftrag von Ted Coopman
>>> Gesendet: Sa 5/16/2009 02:23
>>> An: air-l at listserv.aoir.org
>>> Betreff: [Air-L] Textbook Suggestion Needed
>>>
>>> All,
>>>
>>> I am teaching an upper division Internet Communication (theory)  
>>> course
>>> online in the fall and am interested in suggestions for a basic
>>> textbook/reader.
>>>
>>> In the past I have used Thurlow, C., Lengel, L., & Tomic, A. (2004).
>>> Computer-mediated communication: Social interaction and the  
>>> internet.
>>> London: Sage. My students did not like it very much (typical), but  
>>> the
>>> main
>>> issue now is that it is dated. This is same issue with Castells'  
>>> Internet
>>> Galaxy.
>>>
>>> I have considered going with journal articles, but I generally  
>>> like to
>>> have
>>> a foundation text as well that lays out the basics; history,  
>>> culture, CMC,
>>> basic theory, etc.
>>>
>>> I teach at a California State University campus with a slighty older
>>> student
>>> population who may not have the best skills but do have plenty of  
>>> life
>>> experience. Straight forward language and pragmatics are a plus.
>>>
>>> Ideally any text would be broad and include both social scientific  
>>> and
>>> cultural perspectives.
>>>
>>> Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
>>>
>>> Thanks,
>>>
>>> -TED
>>> --
>>> Ted M. Coopman Ph.D.
>>> Lecturer
>>> Department of Communication Studies
>>> Department of Television, Radio, Film, & Theatre
>>> San Jose State University
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>>
>>
>
>
> -- 
> Ted M. Coopman Ph.D.
> Lecturer
> Department of Communication Studies
> Department of Television, Radio, Film, & Theatre
> San Jose State Universit
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