Dr. Smith teaches and supervises students in the overlapping fields of communication studies, internet studies, and design. A selection of past course descriptions and syllabi are provided here.
Brock University
- Data & Society (COMM 4P35)
- Undergraduate course in Communication, Popular Culture & Film
- Winter 2017 Syllabus
- Topics examined in this course include open data, big data, social media and algorithms (from original course description).
- Information Technology: Policies and Issues (COMM 3P91)
- Undergraduate course in Communication, Popular Culture & Film
- Winter 2017 Syllabus
- This course examines “historical perspectives on information policy, including impact of deregulation and emerging digital technologies. Topics may include privacy, security, copyright, intellectual property, open source software, Internet regulation and universal access” (from original course description).
- Social Media (COMM 2P91)
- Undergraduate course in Communication, Popular Culture & Film
- Fall 2016 Syllabus
- Topics examined in this course include critical theory in a Social Media context, changing perceptions of reader narrative, and Social Media compared with other electronic textuality (from original course description).
- The Information Society (COMM 2P26)
- Undergraduate course in Communication, Popular Culture & Film
- Winter 2016, Fall 2016 Syllabus
- This course explores the “relation between information technology and social and political practices since the 19th century. Historical development of information technologies, role of technology in society, critical theory of technology and concepts of control” (from original course description).
- Contemporary Approaches in Communication Research: User Experience Research (COMM 4V57)
- Undergraduate course in Communication, Popular Culture & Film
- Fall 2015 Syllabus
- The 2015 special topics theme was User Experience Research.
- Computer-Mediated Communication (COMM 2P90)
- Undergraduate course in Communication, Popular Culture & Film
- Fall 2015 Syllabus
- This course explores the “nature of computer-mediated communication (CMC) and its role in social, educational and interpersonal contexts. Introduction to technology and methodologies essential to explore the potential of CMC” (Original course description).
University of Toronto
- Community Informatics (INF2167H)
- Master’s course at the Faculty of Information
- Fall 2013
- “This course will provide a student with an overview and introduction to the emerging field of Community Informatics (CI) which is concerned with the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) to enable and empower local communities. The course will present CI in its larger theoretical, technical, social, economic and policy contexts and will link the discussion into current examples and on-going developments in the Canadian, OECD and Developing World contexts. Among the topics which will be covered are CI and Community Networking in Canada and globally, CI research and CI practice, CI and the Digital Divide, CI and Effective Use of ICTs, CI in the context of on-going development and research in Information Systems, and current research areas in CI” (Original course description).
- Pro-Seminar in Knowledge Media Design (KMD 1002)
- Graduate level course at the Knowledge Media Design Institute (now housed in the Faculty of Information)
- Winter 2011 (with instructor of record John Danahy), 2012 (with instructor of record Peter Pennefather) & 2013
- “This course is a theme-based Pro-seminar course for KMD Collaborative Program students combining lectures, public seminars, and participation in online discussions. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Credit on their transcript rather than a specific grade. If students outside of the KMD Collaborative Program would like to take the course, they require special permission from the course Instructor” (Original course description).