| Abstract |
The distribution of courses and subjects that is reflected in the\n curriculum for the Communication Degree at University Loyola Andalucia\n (Spain) has been designed in order to improve student learning in every\n academic year. Regarding this vision, there are two relevant subjects\n that are quite connected with each other: Theory of communication, which\n belongs to the first year, and Public opinion that belongs to the last\n year -the fourth-. On the one hand, the main objectives of Theory of\n communication refer to enabling students to identify the principal\n communication and mass media theories and to understand the role of\n media and communication in the current society. On the other hand,\n Public opinion is focused on giving tools for analysing the purpose of\n public opinion in the social and political landscape, but also aims to\n motivate students to turn into communication strategists who knows how\n to create powerful messages that motivate opinion. In sum, both subjects\n deal with the idea of "asymmetry in the distribution of power" or\n "asymmetry agentivity" as a cross curriculum concept inside the syllabus\n framework.\n "Asymmetry agentivity" has been popularly related to dictatorship\n structures, but it is also revealed in democratic societies nowadays.\n For that reason, Theory of communication means the first stage in\n student\'s development in which undergraduates become knowledgeable of\n social structures, human culture, mass media theories and political\n power. However, regarding Public opinion, students are expected to\n acquire in depth knowledge at the end of the course about political\n models, citizen behaviours and social organization. Following this\n approach, the main objective of this research is to assess the students\n learning outcomes in order to find out whether or not undergraduates\n have improved their knowledge of "asymmetry in the distribution of\n power" and other related issues like, for example, privileged access to\n information, elitist theory or individual rights, among other\n perspectives. The methodology of this study is based on projecting a\n movie during the class and passing out a quantitative questionnaire\n later. The selected film is In Time and the quantitative questionnaire\n is set up by ten closed-end questions designed to connect the plot of\n the film with theoretical knowledge. The main results show there are\n statistically significant differences between first-years students\n learning outcomes and last-year students learning outcomes.\n Paradoxically, first-year undergraduates have achieved better results in\n the questionnaire. |
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