CMST 301 Final exam

Digital Media & Society
CMST 301 – Final Exam
Name of Instructor:
Attention student: Before starting this examination, read this cover sheet. Type your name and date
below and submit your completed exam to your Assignments Folder in your CMST 301 LEO classroom.
Thank you.
Student Name:
Student ID:
Date:
DISTANCE EDUCATION FINAL EXAMINATION
EXAM INSTRUCTIONS
1. Time limit: 1-Week
2. Type directly in this exam (don’t forget to save your work).
3. You must answer 4 of the 8 essay questions. Should you answer more than 4, only the first 4 will be
graded. Begin each essay on a separate page. Each essay is worth 25 points for a total of 100 points
for exam. You may delete any essay topic you are not using.
4. The exam is worth 20% of your final grade. Be sure you organize your response covering all the
aspects of the question.
4. Each essay response is required to be at least 500 words in length. Essay responses that are shorter
will receive deductions based on how many words under (the farther from the designated length,
the higher the deduction). Between 400-499 words, you will lose 5 points, under 400 words, you will
lose 10 points. Direct quotes do not count toward the word total. Please keep direct quotes to a
minimum. Your response should be at least 90% original thought. Also, I am expecting to see
analysis and the synthesis of ideas in your essays (not just a manipulation of direct quotes with your
words spliced in between).
5. USING PROFESSIONAL OR SCHOLARLY SOURCES
Please do not use unprofessional sources such as Wikipedia, About.com, Answers.com,
Dictionary.com, How.com, or anything remotely similar. Examples of scholarly sources include: our
course content (e.g. Read & Watch resources), textbooks, journal articles, trade magazines, and
conference proceedings. UMUC has a top-notch, extensive online library. You can find many
scholarly sources there. Note: “Personal communications (e.g. Twitter Posts, Blogs, and YouTube
Videos)” are not considered professional or scholarly sources.
Include at least TWO in-essay citation in EACH essay and a reference list at the end of each essay.
Note: Please include the proper APA citation of your source (in the body of each essay) and
reference(s) (at the end of each essay). UMUC has a very good online APA guide:
http://www.umuc.edu/library/libhow/apa_examples.cfm
6. Format: Open Books and Open Notes.
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7. This exam is **not** a group project. Your answers should be yours alone.
8. Please spell-check your work.
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ESSAY QUESTIONS
1. How has the Internet altered the way in which newspapers present news? How are print newspapers
responding to the decline of subscribers and the rise of online readers? Support your discussion with
reliable sources.
2. How has Digital Media influenced (or changed) the field of education? Include a historical (before and
after the digital media) and global perspective (include discussion of the US and at least two additional
countries). Include whether the change has been positive, negative, or both. Support your discussion
with reliable data.
3. How has “fake news” come to exist and spread so rapidly? Why do you think this happens? How is
“fake news” harmful? What are the long- and short-term effects and consequences of being a consumer
of “fake news”? How does it affect each of us? How can we, as consumers and sharers of news, learn to
identify potential “fake news” stories? Support your discussion with reliable sources.
4. Define fair use and give examples of the four factors considered in deciding whether the use of
another’s copyrighted work is legal (a. the purpose and character of the use: b. the nature of the
copyrighted work; c. the amount of the portions used; and, d. the effect of the use upon the potential
market). Why is the issue of fair use described as a “flash point” for digital media? Support your
discussion with reliable sources.
5. How has Digital Media influenced (or changed) children of this generation? How are their lives
different than ours? Include a historical (before and after the digital media) and global perspective
(include discussion of the US and at least two additional countries). Include whether the change has
been positive, negative, or both. Support your discussion with reliable sources.
6. How has Digital Media influenced (or changed) the field of e-commerce? Include a historical (before
and after the digital media) and global perspective (include discussion of the US and at least two
additional countries). Support your discussion with reliable sources.
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7. How has Digital Media influenced (or changed) the culture? Include a historical (before and after the
digital media) and global perspective (include discussion of the US and at least two additional countries).
Include whether the change has been positive, negative, or both. Support your discussion with reliable
data. Support your discussion with reliable sources.
8. Discuss how social media was used in the 2016 U.S. Presidential Election in terms of communicating
with voters, fundraising, and campaign organizing. Discuss how databases of political information can be
used to help voters make decisions on candidates and issues. Support your discussion with reliable
sources.
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