University News

WIU Welcomes Computer-Mediated Communication Minor

July 29, 2015

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MACOMB, IL - Western Illinois University's Department of Communication is launching a new computer-mediated minor for students this fall. The communication courses in the minor will be taught by faculty whose work on communication technology has won recent recognition for excellence from the National Communication Association (NCA).

The computer-mediated communication (CMC) minor is offered on both the Quad Cities and Macomb campuses.

WIU's program focuses on understanding the communication processes behind social network platforms, websites and other online communication mediums. The minor also has flexible options allowing students to pick up computer science and design skills.

"WIU's CMC minor provides a unique opportunity in the region for students to get a solid understanding of how and why people engage with communication technology, as well as pick up some computer science and graphic communication skills," said Associate Professor of Communication Bree McEwan. "WIU students have the opportunity to graduate with a solid foundation for understanding CMC processes. This education can be applied to online presence, Internet brands, social media campaigns and more."

Students do not have to have a particular interest in the field of technology to benefit from the computer-mediated communication minor. Assistant Professor Christopher Carpenter is one of the faculty members who will teach courses in the CMC minor.

"The CMC minor would be useful to anyone who envisions working for a business or non-profit organization when they graduate. Also, given the increasingly prominent role that communication technology will have in our everyday lives, it is probably a useful minor for any student who wants to live in the 21st century," Carpenter stated.

Carpenter and McEwan's work will be honored in November at the NCA conference. Carpenter and McEwan will each present papers at the NCA's Human Communication and Technology Division's (HCTD) Top Paper Panel with co-authors from Ohio State University.

Carpenter's paper, "Measuring the Construct of Warranting Value and Testing Warranting Theory," is co-authored with Dave DeAndrea. The paper focuses on how people determine whether information they see on the Internet can be trusted.

"I just read a news report about a Tennessee woman who started counterfeiting money because she read on the Internet that it was now legal to do so. Clearly we have a long way to go in understanding how people assess the validity of what they read online," Carpenter said.

McEwan's paper, "Why Communication Technologies Matter: Developing a Scale to Assess the Perceived Social Affordances of Communication Channels," is co-authored with Jesse Fox of Ohio State. McEwan will also present a paper titled "Communication Competence: The Future of Digital Literacy" on the Communication and the Future Top Paper Panel.

"Both WIU projects on the HCTD Top Paper panel provide an opportunity to refine the field of communication and technology by providing better quality measures for researchers. The affordances project represents an ongoing collaboration with my colleague at Ohio State to further our understanding of how technology influences interpersonal relationships," McEwan stated.

Carpenter and McEwan will also have additional presentations regarding networks, social influence and big data. Other professors from both the WIU Quad Cities and Macomb campuses will also speak at the NCA conference. Matt Saltzberg, a Master of Fine Arts theatre student from Macomb, will present "Top Papers in Theatre, Film, and New Multi-Media." Assistant Professor Josh Averbeck will present "Regulatory Focus and Persuasive Sleep Messages," and Associate Professor Ilon Lauer will present "The Acute Argument: Acuity in Vico's Minor Work." Assistant Professor Lance Brendan Young and Professor Department Chair Peter Jorgenson will also present on numerous panels at the conference.

"We're excited that our work is being recognized by the broader community of communication scholars at the very moment we're are initiating the new CMC minor. Hopefully the flexibility of the minor, as well as the recognition that Dr. Carpenter and I are receiving, will make WIU a destination school for students interested in communication technology," McEwan said.

For more information about the CMC minor, visit wiu.edu/cofac/communication/cmc_minor.php.

Posted By: Erika D Davis (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing