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Introduction: The following answers are provided by a medical professor who is responsible for designing medical college assignments and evaluations.

1. For each of the learning objectives, provide an analysis of how the course supported each objective.

Objective 1: Create a logical written argument about values and popular culture which includes scholarly research.
The course provided a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between popular culture and values. Students were introduced to the ways in which different forms of popular culture (e.g., movies, music, advertising, social media) communicate values, and how audiences interpret and respond to these messages. Through the course readings, students developed skills in analyzing and synthesizing scholarly research to support a logical written argument about values and popular culture.

Objective 2: Analyze an artifact of popular culture from multiple perspectives.
The course equipped students with tools for analyzing popular culture artifacts from multiple perspectives. Throughout the course, students examined popular culture artifacts (e.g., television shows, advertisements, music videos) through various lenses, including cultural, historical, political, and economic. This allowed students to critically analyze the messages and meanings conveyed by these artifacts, and to recognize how different audiences may interpret them differently.

2. Explain how the material learned in this course, based upon the objectives, will be applicable to professional application.
The ability to analyze and critique popular culture artifacts is highly applicable in today’s world, where we are constantly bombarded by media messages. In the medical field, it is essential to be able to recognize how certain popular culture messages may contribute to unhealthy behaviors, as well as to recognize how media can be a tool for promoting healthy behaviors. A deep understanding of values and how they are communicated through popular culture will also be crucial for leading discussions on important social and cultural issues with patients, colleagues, and the public.

3. What surprised you about the course?
As a medical professor, I was surprised by the course’s emphasis on the importance of popular culture analysis in fields beyond the arts and humanities. I had not previously considered the utility of analyzing popular culture artifacts in medical contexts, but the course made a convincing argument for the relevance of this kind of analysis in developing effective health communication strategies.

4. Reviewing the course objectives and description, what do you wish you could have learned more about?
As someone who is new to the field of popular culture studies, I would have appreciated more exposure to different theoretical frameworks and methods for analyzing popular culture. While the course did touch on different approaches, I would have liked to delve deeper into the nuances of different methodologies.

5. What is your perspective on how popular culture is affecting society and you, personally?
Popular culture is an incredibly powerful tool for shaping attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors. As a society, we are deeply impacted by the messages we receive through popular culture artifacts, and it is essential that we engage with these messages critically. On a personal level, I try to be mindful of how the popular culture artifacts I consume may be impacting my own thoughts and behaviors, and always try to approach these artifacts with a critical eye.

6. In your opinion, what will be the next pop culture hit?
It is difficult to predict what the next pop culture hit will be, as this is largely influenced by factors beyond our control, such as changing cultural and social attitudes, economic conditions, and technological advances. However, given the current political and social climate, it is possible that media messages around diversity, inclusion, and social justice will become more prominent in popular culture representations.