SELECT AN EDITION:
9th EDITION   10th EDITION   11th EDITION


Viewing Hints

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET THE MOST OF USING THE SITE

Viewing Hints
SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET THE MOST OF USING THE SITE

Viewing Hints

SUGGESTIONS ON HOW TO GET THE MOST OF USING THE SITE

 
 
Updated for the 11th Edition

If you are having trouble viewing any part of the site, there is also a troubleshooting page, though we recommend being familiar with this page first.

What you should expect to see

The update of the site in 2022 for the 11th Edition is built on a major upgrade of the site for the 10th Edition in 2018, which included a change to "responsive" technology that adjusts the site to the size of your device. This means that the site should fill the screen horizontally and only require vertical scrolling. Because of the responsive design, the site may appear differently when viewed on different devices, or even on the same device if you change the size of the browser window or (in the case of phones and tablets) rotate the device between portrait and landscape orientation). This is normal. The important thing is that you should not have to scroll or zoom to have the site fill the width of your screen.

Site Features

This page provides tips to help you make the best use of the site. You can also read more about changes in the 11th Edition of the text.

Selecting Your Edition

You can choose to view resources for the latest edition of the text (11th, 2022), as well as the 10th Edition (2018) and 9th Edition (2014)—and switch between them if needed. Simply use the Edition Selector at the top of every page. The 11th edition is the "default." If you have cookies enabled in your browser, it will remember the last edition selection you made.

Finding Information about Theories and Section Introductions

The heart of the site is the Theory Resources section, which provides links to an array of material, some from the Instructors Manual and other designed specifically for the website. You can view resources by type or by theory (which includes section introductions) in alphabetical order from the drop-down list. In View by Theory, once you have selected a theory, you can navigate forward and backward in the Table of Contents.

To find resources by text order, you may find it quicker to use the Table of Contents page, with links to Theory Resources.

You can also use the Theory List, which provides a list of all theories covered in the selected edition, as well as archived chapters from previous editions. The Theory List can be sorted by theory name or theorist. Clicking on a linked title will either take you to Theory Resources, or open an Archive document. In addition, when sorted by Theory name, you will see "Quick Links" below the chapter title that will take you directly to the Chapter Outline, Self-Help Quiz, or Conversation Video, whichever of these is available for that chapter.

There is an Archive of theories that no longer appear as full chapters in the selected edition. These are PDF documents of the chapter from the last edition in which the theory appeared, linked from the Theory List or from the Archive button in Theory Resources (View by Type).

Self-Help Quizzes have been a popular feature for students and have been updated for the 11th edition. Each chapter features 30 true/false and multiple choice questions, and incorrect answer choices will provide feedback to students.


Resources for Instructors include:

PowerPoint® files for each chapter. These were added to the site for the 9th edition and updated for the 10th and 11th editions (a detailed log of changes is available in Theory Resources).

The Text Compare button provides a listing of nearly 200 theories covered by A First Look and/or ten of the other leading texts in communication theory. The table is updated as needed to cover the most recent editions of the included texts.

For more on resources available to instructors see the Instructor Information page.

Technical Notes

Accessing the Site on Different Devices

The site is designed to be viewable on most devices. The only restriction at this time is that Theory Resources cannot be viewed on the smallest phones and mobile devices when held in portrait orientation. It may work when rotated to landscape orientation. Keep in mind that the responsive technology used on afirstlook.com means that the same page on two devices can look very different, since layout is dynamic, adjusting to the screen size of your device (the "viewport").

Browser Compatibility

Always use the latest browser version your computer will support. The default browser settings should work, but if there are any problems with page display make sure that JavaScript capability is enabled. Pop-up window support should not be needed.

Browser Caching

Most browsers try to be helpful by caching (storing) copies of pages, but on dynamic sites like afirstlook.com this can create problems. Chrome and Firefox are particularly tenacious. At minimum, try refreshing the browser when you think it is stuck on old content, including images. See more about dealing with this issue on the Troubleshooting page.

Best practice is to bring up the site by entering the home page URL (www.afirstlook.com) in the address bar (rather than a search box) or using the home or other page in your Favorites list. Using search engines, while helpful to our search engine rankings, can bring up cached pages rather than the live site, which may not contain any recent changes.

Videos

The Conversation Videos, with text authors interviewing theorists, are available directly on the site or our You Tube channel. The video viewer was enlarged during the 10th Edition upgrade to take advantage of the larger space available (you can view them full screen as well).

Note: videos may not play well on some public Wi-Fi networks. (You will notice the same problem with You Tube and most other videos—the problem has to do with restricted bandwidth on some of these networks, and not the First Look site).

Browser Resolution, Text Size and Accessibility

The site is designed for use on a variety of devices. It may be helpful to use phones and tablets in landscape orientation to maximize the width available.

It you use the zoom feature in a web browser, the view will shift from the largest available for your device down to the design for small phones. This provides an Accessibility option for users with vision impairment.

Printing

When you see a printer icon on pages within the First Look site, it will print only the core content on that page, eliminating all of the navigation and other surrounding page elements, and printing the entire contents of a scrolling window.

Back to top

updated June 23, 2022

 
 
 
Updated for the 11th Edition

If you are having trouble viewing any part of the site, there is also a troubleshooting page, though we recommend being familiar with this page first.

What you should expect to see

The update of the site in 2022 for the 11th Edition is built on a major upgrade of the site for the 10th Edition in 2018, which included a change to "responsive" technology that adjusts the site to the size of your device. This means that the site should fill the screen horizontally and only require vertical scrolling. Because of the responsive design, the site may appear differently when viewed on different devices, or even on the same device if you change the size of the browser window or (in the case of phones and tablets) rotate the device between portrait and landscape orientation). This is normal. The important thing is that you should not have to scroll or zoom to have the site fill the width of your screen.

Site Features

This page provides tips to help you make the best use of the site. You can also read more about changes in the 11th Edition of the text.

Selecting Your Edition

You can choose to view resources for the latest edition of the text (11th, 2022), as well as the 10th Edition (2018) and 9th Edition (2014)—and switch between them if needed. Simply use the Edition Selector at the top of every page. The 11th edition is the "default." If you have cookies enabled in your browser, it will remember the last edition selection you made.

Finding Information about Theories and Section Introductions

The heart of the site is the Theory Resources section, which provides links to an array of material, some from the Instructors Manual and other designed specifically for the website. You can view resources by type or by theory (which includes section introductions) in alphabetical order from the drop-down list. In View by Theory, once you have selected a theory, you can navigate forward and backward in the Table of Contents.

To find resources by text order, you may find it quicker to use the Table of Contents page, with links to Theory Resources.

You can also use the Theory List, which provides a list of all theories covered in the selected edition, as well as archived chapters from previous editions. The Theory List can be sorted by theory name or theorist. Clicking on a linked title will either take you to Theory Resources, or open an Archive document. In addition, when sorted by Theory name, you will see "Quick Links" below the chapter title that will take you directly to the Chapter Outline, Self-Help Quiz, or Conversation Video, whichever of these is available for that chapter.

There is an Archive of theories that no longer appear as full chapters in the selected edition. These are PDF documents of the chapter from the last edition in which the theory appeared, linked from the Theory List or from the Archive button in Theory Resources (View by Type).

Self-Help Quizzes have been a popular feature for students and have been updated for the 11th edition. Each chapter features 30 true/false and multiple choice questions, and incorrect answer choices will provide feedback to students.


Resources for Instructors include:

PowerPoint® files for each chapter. These were added to the site for the 9th edition and updated for the 10th and 11th editions (a detailed log of changes is available in Theory Resources).

The Text Compare button provides a listing of nearly 200 theories covered by A First Look and/or ten of the other leading texts in communication theory. The table is updated as needed to cover the most recent editions of the included texts.

For more on resources available to instructors see the Instructor Information page.

Technical Notes

Accessing the Site on Different Devices

The site is designed to be viewable on most devices. The only restriction at this time is that Theory Resources cannot be viewed on the smallest phones and mobile devices when held in portrait orientation. It may work when rotated to landscape orientation. Keep in mind that the responsive technology used on afirstlook.com means that the same page on two devices can look very different, since layout is dynamic, adjusting to the screen size of your device (the "viewport").

Browser Compatibility

Always use the latest browser version your computer will support. The default browser settings should work, but if there are any problems with page display make sure that JavaScript capability is enabled. Pop-up window support should not be needed.

Browser Caching

Most browsers try to be helpful by caching (storing) copies of pages, but on dynamic sites like afirstlook.com this can create problems. Chrome and Firefox are particularly tenacious. At minimum, try refreshing the browser when you think it is stuck on old content, including images. See more about dealing with this issue on the Troubleshooting page.

Best practice is to bring up the site by entering the home page URL (www.afirstlook.com) in the address bar (rather than a search box) or using the home or other page in your Favorites list. Using search engines, while helpful to our search engine rankings, can bring up cached pages rather than the live site, which may not contain any recent changes.

Videos

The Conversation Videos, with text authors interviewing theorists, are available directly on the site or our You Tube channel. The video viewer was enlarged during the 10th Edition upgrade to take advantage of the larger space available (you can view them full screen as well).

Note: videos may not play well on some public Wi-Fi networks. (You will notice the same problem with You Tube and most other videos—the problem has to do with restricted bandwidth on some of these networks, and not the First Look site).

Browser Resolution, Text Size and Accessibility

The site is designed for use on a variety of devices. It may be helpful to use phones and tablets in landscape orientation to maximize the width available.

It you use the zoom feature in a web browser, the view will shift from the largest available for your device down to the design for small phones. This provides an Accessibility option for users with vision impairment.

Printing

When you see a printer icon on pages within the First Look site, it will print only the core content on that page, eliminating all of the navigation and other surrounding page elements, and printing the entire contents of a scrolling window.

Back to top

updated June 23, 2022

 
 
 
Updated for the 11th Edition

If you are having trouble viewing any part of the site, there is also a troubleshooting page, though we recommend being familiar with this page first.

What you should expect to see

The update of the site in 2022 for the 11th Edition is built on a major upgrade of the site for the 10th Edition in 2018, which included a change to "responsive" technology that adjusts the site to the size of your device. This means that the site should fill the screen horizontally and only require vertical scrolling. Because of the responsive design, the site may appear differently when viewed on different devices, or even on the same device if you change the size of the browser window or (in the case of phones and tablets) rotate the device between portrait and landscape orientation). This is normal. The important thing is that you should not have to scroll or zoom to have the site fill the width of your screen.

Site Features

This page provides tips to help you make the best use of the site. You can also read more about changes in the 11th Edition of the text.

Selecting Your Edition

You can choose to view resources for the latest edition of the text (11th, 2022), as well as the 10th Edition (2018) and 9th Edition (2014)—and switch between them if needed. Simply use the Edition Selector at the top of every page. The 11th edition is the "default." If you have cookies enabled in your browser, it will remember the last edition selection you made.

Finding Information about Theories and Section Introductions

The heart of the site is the Theory Resources section, which provides links to an array of material, some from the Instructors Manual and other designed specifically for the website. You can view resources by type or by theory (which includes section introductions) in alphabetical order from the drop-down list. In View by Theory, once you have selected a theory, you can navigate forward and backward in the Table of Contents.

To find resources by text order, you may find it quicker to use the Table of Contents page, with links to Theory Resources.

You can also use the Theory List, which provides a list of all theories covered in the selected edition, as well as archived chapters from previous editions. The Theory List can be sorted by theory name or theorist. Clicking on a linked title will either take you to Theory Resources, or open an Archive document. In addition, when sorted by Theory name, you will see "Quick Links" below the chapter title that will take you directly to the Chapter Outline, Self-Help Quiz, or Conversation Video, whichever of these is available for that chapter.

There is an Archive of theories that no longer appear as full chapters in the selected edition. These are PDF documents of the chapter from the last edition in which the theory appeared, linked from the Theory List or from the Archive button in Theory Resources (View by Type).

Self-Help Quizzes have been a popular feature for students and have been updated for the 11th edition. Each chapter features 30 true/false and multiple choice questions, and incorrect answer choices will provide feedback to students.


Resources for Instructors include:

PowerPoint® files for each chapter. These were added to the site for the 9th edition and updated for the 10th and 11th editions (a detailed log of changes is available in Theory Resources).

The Text Compare button provides a listing of nearly 200 theories covered by A First Look and/or ten of the other leading texts in communication theory. The table is updated as needed to cover the most recent editions of the included texts.

For more on resources available to instructors see the Instructor Information page.

Technical Notes

Accessing the Site on Different Devices

The site is designed to be viewable on most devices. The only restriction at this time is that Theory Resources cannot be viewed on the smallest phones and mobile devices when held in portrait orientation. It may work when rotated to landscape orientation. Keep in mind that the responsive technology used on afirstlook.com means that the same page on two devices can look very different, since layout is dynamic, adjusting to the screen size of your device (the "viewport").

Browser Compatibility

Always use the latest browser version your computer will support. The default browser settings should work, but if there are any problems with page display make sure that JavaScript capability is enabled. Pop-up window support should not be needed.

Browser Caching

Most browsers try to be helpful by caching (storing) copies of pages, but on dynamic sites like afirstlook.com this can create problems. Chrome and Firefox are particularly tenacious. At minimum, try refreshing the browser when you think it is stuck on old content, including images. See more about dealing with this issue on the Troubleshooting page.

Best practice is to bring up the site by entering the home page URL (www.afirstlook.com) in the address bar (rather than a search box) or using the home or other page in your Favorites list. Using search engines, while helpful to our search engine rankings, can bring up cached pages rather than the live site, which may not contain any recent changes.

Videos

The Conversation Videos, with text authors interviewing theorists, are available directly on the site or our You Tube channel. The video viewer was enlarged during the 10th Edition upgrade to take advantage of the larger space available (you can view them full screen as well).

Note: videos may not play well on some public Wi-Fi networks. (You will notice the same problem with You Tube and most other videos—the problem has to do with restricted bandwidth on some of these networks, and not the First Look site).

Browser Resolution, Text Size and Accessibility

The site is designed for use on a variety of devices. It may be helpful to use phones and tablets in landscape orientation to maximize the width available.

It you use the zoom feature in a web browser, the view will shift from the largest available for your device down to the design for small phones. This provides an Accessibility option for users with vision impairment.

Printing

When you see a printer icon on pages within the First Look site, it will print only the core content on that page, eliminating all of the navigation and other surrounding page elements, and printing the entire contents of a scrolling window.

Back to top

updated June 23, 2022

 

Copyright © Em Griffin 2024 | Web design by Graphic Impact