Communications and Media - Freshmen

Course #: DMNS 1002

Course Description

Mathematics for Communication and Media is a rigorous mathematics course designed for communication and media majors. This course is designed to provide the students with a solid understanding of topics such as probability, voting theory, statistics, and finance that can aid them in understanding the 21st-century world and applying this knowledge to their future careers.

Course Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Analyze information objectives using logic and set theory,
• Use inductive and deductive reasoning, especially as applied to mathematical patterns and application problems,
• Differentiate between various loans and investments,
• Apply probability and statistics to make decisions,
• Describe the relative benefits and shortcomings of the voting methods to determine a winner of various elections,
• Analyze the fair division and apportionment methods mathematically.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course #: MDIA 1211

Course Description:

This course introduces the skills and knowledge needed to be effective storytellers and to develop impactful narratives in a culturally relevant manner.  The key historical, economic, technical and cultural developments are examined to gain an understanding of the evolution of English writing for media. The fundamentals of writing clarity, an eye for criticality, an awareness of audience as well as the importance of a proper structure, and format are key elements of the course.  This course will introduce students to the basic skills and knowledge needed to write for newspapers, magazines as well as for a range of digital media. The skills and knowledge developed in this course will be useful for all the production courses, but especially Media Production (Text) and Specialised Media Labs (Text).

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

• Describe a brief history of media in English and relate it to the Central Asian context.
• Identify key rules of writing for publication
• Discuss the various forms of writing used in mainstream media
• Identify the key components of professional interviewing techniques
• Demonstrate, through practical exercises, the basic differences in writing for different short and longform formats, including print, sound and screen.
• Describe how writing for media is evolving in digital environments.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course #: MDIA 1211

Course Description

The goal of this media foundation course is to develop the skills required to be informed consumers and producers of media and information and to use media as a tool for active citizenry. It examines ways to differentiate facts from opinion and to analyse and evaluate media texts. The different forms and functions of media in shaping and reflecting textual, visual, audio, and digital cultures are explored as well as the ways in which different forms of media can convey different messages to specific types of audiences. Through case studies, the importance of developing a critical and ethical approach to media production and dissemination of information is emphasized.

Course Learning Outcomes

On the completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Evaluate the credibility, accuracy, and reliability of information
• Engage critically with diverse media cultures and environments
• Examine the ways in which different forms of media impact content and audience
• Recognise viewpoints embedded in, or omitted from, media messages
• Analyse the interplay between media messages, individuals and communities
• Discern the ethical issues regarding the access and use of various forms of media as well as the proprietary content and software
• Convert their ideas into ethically considered content

Course Assessment and Grading:

Course #: HUSS 1015

TBA

Course #: HUSS 1016

TBA

Course #: HUSS 1017

TBA

Course #: HUSS 2042

Course Description

This course is an introduction to sociological analysis with a focus on practical aspects of individual and collective life that sociological research helps us understand better. It introduces basic sociological categories such as social action, role, expectation, identity, institution, etc. We will discuss major approaches in sociology and will try to use their perspectives in dealing with everyday concerns such as bringing up children, managing an enterprise, committing to a political cause, engaging in economic activities, adapting to a world of globalization and digitalization. We will explore how sociology helps us address pressing issues of inequality, intolerance, criminality, violence, and climate change. The course is designed to involve students actively in producing sociologically informed projects that will be relevant for their future careers.

Course Learning Outcomes

At the end of the course, the students should be able to:

• Develop sociological imagination and grasp the regularities in individual and collective activities, understand the concepts of social order, social change, and human agency;
• Analyze how individuals are shaped through basic social interaction on a microlevel in families, peer groups, and organizations;
• Explain what is meant by the social institution, analyze how institutions affect everyday interactions;
• Understand the main trends and the pressing issues in the development of large complex societies, discuss the problems of inequality and criminality from the perspectives of macrosociological theories;
• identify the main methods of collecting data in sociological research and determine which is most appropriate for specific kinds of research questions;
• Organize collective work in project teams with members of different cultural and educational backgrounds, give and receive critical feedback among peers ethically and respectfully.

Course Assessments and Grading

Course #: HUSS 1080

Course description

The purpose of physical education is to strengthen health, develop the physical and mental abilities of students. Physical exercises and sports games is the way to a powerful and functional body, clear mind and strong spirit. The course is both practical and theoretical, it covers basic concepts of anatomy and physiology as well as health and safety requirements.

Course learning outcomes

At the end of the course students will be able to:

• perform a range of physical activities
• understand health and safety requirements for a range of physical activities
• describe the role and progress of sport in Central Asia
• chose an appropriate physical activities program for their age and gender
• identify tiredness and its symptoms to control the body during athletic exercises
• describe the technique of running for a long and a short distance and jumping
• accomplish running for a short and a long distance and jumping according to all necessary norms
• describe the rules of a range of sports games
• participate in a range of sports games according to their rules and techniques

The course will be graded with PASS/FAIL.