Schedule of Topics
This is an outline of the schedule for this semester. Since our class is hybrid this semester, with us only scheduled to meet one day a week, the schedule is organized by columns into sections you’ll do on your own outside of class (ONLINE) and what we’ll discuss and do when we meet (CLASS MEETING).
| Week 1 M 8/24 W 8/26 | ONLINE Lecture 1 Introduction Introduce yourself on Slack Examine the Syllabus and Course site Read Media Economics document | CLASS MEETING History of innovation: -Democratization of media tools -Media economics -FaceGoogleZon | 1) Introduction discussion Slack 2) Quiz 1: Syllabus 3) Quiz 2: Media Econ due Wednesday 8/26 |
| Week 2 M 8/31 W 9/2 | Read: Developing the Entrepreneurial Mindset https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/developing-entrepreneurial-mindset/ Read: Ideation https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/ideation-2/ | -Entrepreneurship and Innovation http://innovation.cindyroyal.net/presentations/intro.pdf -Brainstorm ideas in groups -How to “ideate” | Slack Assignment 1: Brainstorming about an idea in Zoom breakout rooms |
| Week 3 M 9/7 W 9/9 | Monday, September 7 is Labor Day – no class meeting A look at NAB’s Innovation Challenge –SWOT analysis -Read: Customer Discovery (Especially Conducting Market Research; and Creating User Personas) https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/customer-discovery/ –Empathy interview example | -No “synchronous” meeting this week. -Virtual Class Meeting: Business Models; SWOT Analyses -Business models -Niche audiences -Empathy interviews -Work remotely on your empathy interview and empathy map | Slack Assignment 2a: Find, share and summarize a business model; Slack Assignment 2b: Conduct and share an empathy interview and create an empathy map due Wednesday, Sept. 9 |
| Week 4 M 9/14 W 9/16 | Read Intrapreneurship: https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/whats-an-intrapreneur-and-how-do-i-become-one/ Watch Evan Smith video on nonprofit funding sources and niches from 21:50 to 38:00. https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=6&v=WKjnNFrc6Gw&t=21m50s | -Look at some empathy maps and interviews Intrapreneurship Non-profit models and news startups; Being revenue-agnostic: Memberships, ads, foundations, gifts, sponsors, events -A tour of Texas Tribune financials -Intrapreneurship -Idea profile due Sunday night | Idea profile due Sunday, Sept. 20 |
| Week 5 M 9/21 W 9/23 | Funding: (Friday, October 2, deadline to apply to graduate!) Read: Startup Funding (this is several chapters on different funding sources – please glance at them all) https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/part/startup-funding/ Watch: Angel vs. Venture capital https://youtu.be/Pnvg1Jgh_dk *Quiz 2: Startup funding sources* | Funding sources -Angel funding; venture capital; crowdfunding; shareholders; foundations; grants; loans; philanthropy, “Triple F’s” | Quiz 3: Funding models (business plans, nonprofits, venture capital) |
| Week 6 M 9/28 W 9/30 | View Jobs in digital media Read these Freelancer perspectives Watch Tara Haelle interview about freelancing Optional: Texas State photo lecturer Anna Mazurek has a brilliant, but long, presentation on freelancing | -No “synchronous” meeting this week. -Virtual Class Meeting: Freelancing and consulting: -The gig economy and taking advantage of opportunities -Read the interviewers with 2 freelancers: Videographer Dave Forstate; Comedy writer Lillian Stone | No assignment: Virtual lecture on freelance |
| Week 7 M 10/5 W 10/7 | Pitching group project ideas Open lab to work on portfolio | We will argue about/sort group project ideas and try to organize into groups | Group Idea pitch on Slack, due Sunday, Oct. 4 Senior portfolio due Sunday, Oct. 11 |
| Week 8 M 10/12 W 10/14 | Lean Canvas and Business Plans Read this Texas Tech student’s actual hand-drawn Business Plan: https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/from-the-field-refining-our-business-plan-was-the-key-to-attracting-our-first-investor/ Read Writing a Business Plan https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/from-the-field-writing-a-business-plan-budget/ Read: Lean Canvas https://danielpandza.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/running-lean.pdf#page=37 | Business Plans and Lean Canvas -Organize in groups, apply Lean Canvas to group projects | Senior portfolio critique due Sunday, Oct. 18 |
| Week 9 M 10/19 W 10/21 | Diversity Read: Tech’s Diversity Pipeline Problem Starts in College https://money.cnn.com/2011/11/09/technology/diversity_college_degrees/ Read: The 5 Why’s of Diversity in Tech https://medium.com/teaching-media-entrepreneurship/the-five-whys-for-diversity-in-a-startup-f6c41cf753fa#.8xfbfif8k Read: The Workpace That Susan Fowler Wrought https://www.theringer.com/tech/2018/2/21/17029442/susan-fowler-memo-tech-industry-one-year-later | Innovation challenges -Cost: Competition; Regulation; Reach -Diversity in tech https://informationisbeautiful.net/visualizations/diversity-in-tech/ https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/07/12/12-ways-diversity-makes-a-difference-in-tech/#50ebf0012bc6 https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/5268-women-entrepreneur-challenges.html http://mediashift.org/2017/12/digital-media-degree-attracting-female-students/ | Slack Assignment 3: #slack Diversity channel post: Propose strategies/solutions to the lack of diversity in tech |
| Week 10 M 10/26 W 10/28 | Prototyping in proto.io and Adobe XD Wednesday, open lab to work on app prototype | -No “synchronous” meeting this week. -Virtual Class Meeting: View App Prototype virtual tutorials and work on your apps Use Proto.io, Adobe XD (students can install Adobe XD for free) or Figma (student free option) | App prototypes due Sunday, Oct. 25 |
| Week 11 M 11/2 W 11/4 | No readings or homework | -No “synchronous” meeting this week. -Virtual Class Meeting: Present your Group Projects on Zoom during our class meeting time (10 Minutes max) | Group research report due Sunday, Nov. 1; Presentations Monday & Wednesday |
| Week 12 M 11/9 W 11/11 | Marketing your venture Read: Marketing your Idea to Audiences https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/marketing-your-venture-to-audiences/ | -No “synchronous” meeting this week. -Virtual Class Meeting: Marketing your idea -Advertising (especially targeted advertising) -Social media, influencers, free media, in-kind | |
| Week 13 M 11/16 W 11/18 | Product management -Digital products -Data interactives -Special reports -Multimedia Entrepreneurship abroad -Local tools, global reach -Transitory tools (Imagine in San Marcos; edit in Malaysia) Read: Project Management (written by Dr. Cindy Royal) https://press.rebus.community/media-innovation-and-entrepreneurship/chapter/product-management/ Watch: Dr. Royal talks Project Management https://youtu.be/ES5S1dYhIdE | -Digital products -Data interactives -Special reports -Multimedia https://www.werockyourweb.com/management/projects/ Entrepreneurship abroad -Local tools, global reach -Transitory tools (Imagine in San Marcos; edit in Malaysia) | Slack Assignment 4a: #slack Product: Identify an existing project manager or identify a need for one, with a summary; Slack Assignment 4b: Discuss the history and background of product management & note some favorite “products” |
| Week 14 M 11/23 | Thanksgiving is Thursday, November 26 (No class Monday) Monday open lab to work on final project websites | ||
| Week 15 M 11/30 W 12/2 | Thursday, 12/3, last day of classes Open Lab: Final project website and senior portfolio Due Tuesday, December 8 | ||
| Final Exam W 12/9 8-10:30a | Final Exam Period (no final exam) Wednesday, 12/9, 8-10:30 a.m. | Final project websites and Final senior portfolios due Tuesday, 12/8 |
