Communication of Information

Code:

MCI0015

Acronym:

CI

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Social Science

Instance: 2009/2010 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Informatics Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Information Science

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MCI	19	Plano de estudos oficial	1	-	6	60	162

Teaching language

Portuguese

Objectives

Main Objectives:

1. To introduce students to the sciences of Communication and to the theory of the Media, supplying a useful conceptual and formative basis for their functionality.

2. To provide a comprhension of the most relevant theoretical models of Communication (for instance, Semiotics and the Processing school) and the practical understanding of the technical and professional application of some of its structuralizing concepts.

3. To develop basic skills on strategy, positioning, planning and evaluation of Communication and its framing in specialized areas and professional activities.

4. To develop specific briefing skills in the context of the management of information.


Skills and Learning Outcomes:

After the successful completion of this course unit, students should be able to:

1. Define and to distinguish the principal schools and scientific models of Communication, differentiating the notions of information, meaning, communication and persuasion, and interpret some of its applications in the spheres and professional activities of Communication;

2. Identify, describe and list the technical and professional extents of Institutional Communication and the phases of it’s “life cycle”, applying it to practical situations, scientific concepts and tools for strategic planning;

3. Recognize the social, economical and cultural role of brands and their place in the marketing communication context , dominating concepts, dimensions and basic techniques for it’s creation, management and application;

4. Know and apply a basic set of knowledge and specific techniques for communication of information, through the eyes of a “Manager of Information”, namely in the areas of the “strategy of the message”, of briefing, of the publication of textual contents and of the organization of speech.

5. Question common places and ideas about communication, and about speech and the Media.

Program

I. Communication, it’s Sciences and Models
The schools and the models maths/processing, semiotics/semiological and pragmatic.

II. Communication and Brands
What is a brand? Semiotics and Branding. Development, management and application of a brand. The corporative identity in organizations.
"Superbrand" – cases.

III. Institutional Communication and it’s “life cycle”
Objectives and strategic positioning, target-groups, strategy of the message, the cycle of the management of Communication, the blend of communication.

IV. Communication, it’s Power and Professions
Professional powers of Institutional Communication, organizational realities and the “market of communication”.

VI. Communication and Public Space
Rhetoric and Communication. Society, information and communication: historical synthesis of the Media and of the public space.

Presentation and discussion of group practical assignments.

Mandatory literature

Fiske, John; Introdução ao estudo da comunicação. ISBN: 972-41-1133-4
Público; Livro de estilo. ISBN: 972-8892-37-3
CASTRO, João Pinto; Comunicação de Marketing, Edições Sílabo, 2007
Miller, Jon; O negócio das Marcas. ISBN: 978-972-8955-92-2

Complementary Bibliography

Barthes, Roland; A aventura semiológica
MENESES, João Paulo; Tudo o que se Passa na TSF… Para um “Livro de Estilo”, Jornal de Notícias, 2003
FIDALGO, António; Manual de Semiótica, UBI, 2005
BRETON, Philippe et PROULX, Serge; A Explosão da Comunicação, Bizâncio, 1997
Klein, Naomi; No Logo. ISBN: 972-708-673-X
Caetano, Joaquim; Gestão da comunicação. ISBN: 978-972-589-146-9
Traquina, Nelson; Jornalismo. ISBN: 978-972-589-180-3
Mcluhan, Marshall 1911-1980; Compreender os meios de comunicação. ISBN: 978-989-641-029-2
Baudrillard, Jean; O crime perfeito. ISBN: 972-708-328-5
Caetano, Joaquim; Marketing & Internet
O'DOWD, Catherine; MCGOVERN, Gerry; NORTON, Rob; Como Escrever para a Web, Edições Centro Atlântico, 2002. ISBN: 9789728426491
Carreira, Filipe; Marketing Digital na versão 2.0 , Sílabo, 2009. ISBN: 978-972-618-531-4

Teaching methods and learning activities

The professor will plan specific sessions to foreign students (Erasmus programme) on the main contents of the course unit and supervise the individual research and practical group work.

keywords

Humanities > Philosophy > Semiotics
Social sciences > Communication sciences > Business communication
Social sciences > Communication sciences > Public relations
Social sciences > Communication sciences > Journalism
Humanities > language sciences > Linguistics
Social sciences > Communication sciences > Graphic communication

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Description	Type	Time (hours)	Weight (%)	End date
Attendance (estimated)	Participação presencial	48,00
Written Test	Exame	2,00
Personal Work Assignment & Presentation	Trabalho escrito	8,00		2009-12-07
Practical Group Work	Trabalho laboratorial	56,00		2010-01-04
	Total:	-	0,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Description	Type	Time (hours)	End date
Personal Reserch	Estudo autónomo	48
	Total:	48,00

Eligibility for exams

Students have to reach a minimum grade of 6 out of 20 in the continuous assessment component.

Calculation formula of final grade

Final Grade= 0.5CA + 0.5 FE
CA - Continuous Assessment
FE- Final Exam

Examinations or Special Assignments

1. Exam (Normal season, Recurso (resit) season or Working-student season) if applicable. It is worth 50% of the Final Grade.
2. Individual research to be presented in class (10 min.) on a subject matter to be agreed with the professor. It is worth 20% of the Continuous Assessment grade (10% of the Final Grade).
3. Execution of a group practical assignment on a subject matter to be agreed with the professor. It is worth 80% of the Continuous Assessment Grade (40% of the Final Grade).

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

Working-students have to attend an exam a the special of exams. However, they have to complete the continuous assessment component.

Classification improvement

Students may improve their grades by attending recurso (resit) exam.

Observations

Main Bibliography of the Course Unit, in English:

FISKE, John, Introduction to Communication Studies (Studies in Culture & Communication),Routledge.

MCLUHAN, Marshall, Understanding Media, Routledge.

CHANDLER, Daniel, Semiotics: The Basics, Routledge.

MILLER, Jon & MUIR, David, The Business of Brands, Wiley.