“Brent Hale is a great instructor. He is always organized, well spoken, lets students voice their opinions, and is able to strike interesting conversations.”
Student course evaluation (C216)
I seek to educate the next generation of media and communication professionals, helping them become confident, competent, and well-prepared for the industries they enter, while fostering learning environments that encourage students to think critically and empathetically about the world around them.
Courses Taught
Course syllabi are available and may be shared upon request.
Careers and Skills in Communication
COM 110
University of Southern Mississippi
This foundational course examines the skills needed to communicate knowledgeably and effectively in contemporary society and serves as an introduction to the School of Media and Communication. This class will introduce you to communication faculty, research, and the major areas of study, highlights possible careers you could pursue with a communication degree, and presents ways you can become involved in media production, teams, and organizations.
Digital and Social Media
COM 310
University of Southern Mississippi
This course is an examination of the theoretical, economic, and cultural impact of digital and social media. Students also develop their own online portfolio in which they establish their branded professional presence. The course will help you understand how social media is used for communication, particularly how communications practitioners use social media to attract and engage audiences. Topics covered include the distinctions between communication mediated by technology versus face-to-face interaction, the history of social media, netiquette (online etiquette), establishing a brand, and characteristics of various social media platforms.
Research Methods in Communication Studies
CMS 310
University of Southern Mississippi
This course introduces students to qualitative and quantitative social science research methods, including methodological concepts, design, and statistics. This course fulfills the General Education writing-intensive requirement by encouraging students to think critically and creatively, writing class papers founded in communication research methodologies.
Professional Communication
CMS 320
University of Southern Mississippi
This course is designed for students to develop skills in communication settings related to the world of work, including communication through technology, making presentations, interacting with others, forming relationships, and group problem solving. The course also fulfills USM’s General Education speaking-intensive requirement and addresses the relevant student learning outcome: “Students will use appropriate strategies to speak effectively in professional, social, or personal contexts.”
Communication Theory and Research
COM 600
University of Southern Mississippi
This graduate course provides a survey of major theories and research traditions in the field of communication, including traditional theories upon which the field has developed and contemporary theories through which the field is currently advancing. Additionally, this class will introduce students to fundamental theoretical principles, including the role of theory in guiding communication research, the necessity of theoretical consistency across studies, and the philosophical assumptions underlying different forms of theory.
Social Scientific Perspectives on Gender in Media
MSCH-C216
Indiana University
This course presents an overview of research related to the representations of women in the media and within media industries. Through the semester, students discuss the social and economic origins of women in media, as well as how depictions of women in media impact viewers’ sex role socialization and expectations, body image concerns, and contributions to gender inequality. We look at how women are portrayed in social media, entertainment television, movies, magazines, music, and video games from a social scientific perspective. By the end of the semester, students have a good understanding of media literacy, making students more critical consumers and producers of media.
Media
MSCH-C101
Indiana University
Designed as an overview of media topics covered by the Media School, this course has five objectives. First, students are informed about the media field at large and provided an understanding of media issues as they might apply to academia, business, advocacy, or other applied fields that students might be interested in pursuing. Second, students develop an entry-level understanding of the approaches and methods used for creating and distributing media content. Third, students consider major actors and institutions of public communication and their relationships to society. Fourth, students develop argumentation and critical thinking skills, with an eye toward evaluating and applying evidence to build an argument. Fifth, students acquire tools to be informed media consumers and contributors to the public discussion of media.
Media Life
TEL-T101
Indiana University
This course is designed to introduce students to media concepts, including the various relationships between media production, content, and effects. In particular, students consider what it means to live a “media life.” What does it mean for us to be continuously immersed in media throughout the day? How might a “media life” result in positive and/or negative psychological and behavioral outcomes? Through the course, students discuss the numerous possible effects of media, including social media, entertainment television, movies, magazines, music, and video games, on individuals and society. By the end of the semester, students understand that media is inextricable from our society, providing blueprints for how we might think and relate to others.
Selected Course Evaluations
“Brent was approachable, kind, and very knowledgeable about the course material. He made class fun and engaging, while managing to still teach us a wide range of materials. He carefully approached difficult topics and was considerate to multiple viewpoints and backgrounds.”
“Nice, very knowledgeable, and made somewhat boring topics interesting.”
“I absolutely loved this course and how Brent taught it. I think that every college student should have the kinds of conversations we had in C216 or be required to take a course with tough topics like these. We consume media all day, every day, and in ways that we don’t even realize. We should work to understand how our perception of the world is influenced by subconscious processing of media. I think the first step to change is eliminating ignorance… Thank you so much for such a wonderful class. It had a huge impact on my college experience and I couldn’t imagine a better class to compliment my last semester at IU.”
“Honestly he was such a great professor. One of my favorites. He delivered the information very effectively while not making it boring. He was always getting us to have discussions and really thinking about what we were talking about. I think I learned more from him class than any other class. 10/10 professor.”
“One of the best professors I have had in any class during my time at USM. Very well-organized, fair in grading and explaining why you receive the grade you did, considerate and accommodating of student needs, regularly involved student's in lectures/discussions, and made the class more enjoyable.”
“Available, knowledgeable, good with differing perspectives than his own.”
“I thoroughly enjoyed Brent’s class. As a male instructor giving lectures about representations of women in the media, I thought he was thorough, descriptive, and very engaging. He cares about the material and finds it interesting, and that enthusiasm transferred to me as a student. I would highly recommend Brent as an instructor, possibly in any course.”
“Dr. Hale is an awesome professor and he is super open to any questions whether you ask them during or after class. He helped get me back on course when I transferred into the class after my first two weeks. He is super nice and incredibly easy to talk to and responds to emails very quickly. He even became my advisor and helped get me on the right track to become a communication studies major. He is my favorite professor at USM.”