Peer Review

What Is Culture?

Material Detail page

Reviewed:: Jul 6, 2010 by Business

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Ratings

Overall Rating:

Content Quality:

Effectiveness:

Ease of Use:

Overview:: "What is Culture" is one of seven modules found within the course, Issues in Culture and Society. Other modules include Mass Media, Media Culture, Consumer Culture, Advertising Literacy and Internet Literacy. Each module contains presentations (supplemented with audio lecture), a written version of the lecture that is accompanied with readings, and assignments. Module 3 defines culture, discusses the role of mass media in forming U.S. culture, illustrates how mass culture can influence our ideas of what is right and what is wrong, and argues that the new mass media culture can even shape the way we think, feel, and act.
Type of Material:: Online Course
Recommended Uses:: Social studies or marketing class at the college level. This module is excellent for self-learning and stands on its own without the need for a professor. An instructor could easily use this as a class resource. The website includes an ample reading list with the accessible articles. In addition, an instructor could assign some of the assignments or have students view the presentations prior to class to supplment the class discussion.
Technical Requirements:: Internet Explorer or Firefox Adobe Acrobat Reader Apple QuickTime Speakers (to hear audio presentations)
Identify Major Learning Goals:: To define culture and its new role in socialization via the media in the twenty-first century in the U.S. The overall site provides users with a number of quality presentations relating to the topics of culture, media and literacy. More specifically the learning goals (for the "What is Culture" module), as stated, by the author are: Learn just what we mean by "culture"; Understand the role of mass communication in forming a "Common Culture";Understand how culture liberates and limits the individual; Understand how culture defines, divides, and unites us; And understand the difference between the dominant culture and sub-cultures.
Target Student Population:: College students - lower and upper. Courses: Principles of Marketing, Consumer Behavior and Advertising.
Prerequisite Knowledge or Skills:: Some familiarity with U.S mass media helpful in interpreting the examples.

Content Quality

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Strengths:: Excellent holistic approach to describing the effects of mass media on culture, especially for generation X. The learning approach, as opposed to being linear, presents the material using a divergent thinking style. This allows the creator to communicate the message via video, presentations, links, script, etc. The viewer can click different links to explore the many illustrations of the concepts. The presentation in Module 3 ties together all of the materials, focusing overall on the transmission of culture in generation X. The website offers clear and accurate explanations of the topics and presents them in an easily digestible and interesting format. The reading materials are both academic and engaging for students. Students can view and understand this material without previous instructions. In general, there is a lot of well-organized information available to students.
Concerns:: To keep on track the viewer should start with the presentation. Otherwise it is possible to get lost in the many links. Limited ability to use in the actual in-class lecture, however, an instructor could use this to help inform their own lectures/assignments.

Potential Effectiveness as a Teaching Tool

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Strengths:: The instructor carefully lists the learning objectives for each module and then delivers. Relationships between concepts are discussed and explained. Assignments and readings are already listed for students to use. Module 3 is very effective. Taking a creative approach to understanding culture, the many interactive links convincingly bring home the major points in the presentation. These links center around a description of the "new" culture for generation X, a topic for which it is difficult to gain an upper hand in understanding because this new culture is still being defined. Provides major insights by linking many cultural values to mass media.
Concerns:: A business instructor, in some cases, will need to tailor the materials, assignments, and readings to be more in-line with business course curricula. Due to the creative nature of the material, many points are subject to argument. However, this does not diminish the excellent ability of the module to help one to gain insights into the world of mass media influences on culture in 21st century America.

Ease of Use for Both Students and Faculty

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Strengths:: The website is well organized, engaging, fun, visually appealing and informative. Once one explores the site for a few minutes, it is easy to use. By clicking back to an earlier module, the viewer can follow detailed instructions on how to proceed if any difficulties are met.
Concerns:: None

Other Issues and Comments:: It is possible to access many other modules other than Module 3 in the floating side bar. This allows the viewer to access the material designed for a whole college course if additional related material is required.
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