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Understanding Media & Communications (MECM90039)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 25On Campus (Parkville)
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject provides students with foundational case studies and conceptual frameworks for understanding the history of media technologies, institutions, practices, and products. Students will develop a critical understanding of the issues and debates surrounding the complex transformation of media spaces and practices from the broadcast era to the contemporary digital communications landscape. Students will explore the impact of digital technologies on the production, distribution, and consumption of mediated communications with an emphasis on the dynamic consequences of these shifts for global communications and networked publics. Students will develop academic skills of critical thinking to engage with and evaluate literature, and to write argumentatively.
Intended learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this subject should be able to:
- Demonstrate an awareness and critical understanding of key theoretical and historical approaches to the study of media and communications in globally networked digital cultures
- Apply analytic approaches to the understanding of different media texts, industries, and practices
- Clearly communicate different perspectives, arguments, and approaches to understanding media and communications through the use of academic conventions and scholarly standards including: identifying appropriate resources in the preparation of a research essay; critically reading and engaging with scholarly literature; marshalling logic and evidence in the construction of an argument; engaging in communal scholarship through participation in class discussion; developing a range of critical and reflective writing skills
Generic skills
Upon successful completion of this subject, graduates should be able to:
- reflect on their own use of media and relate this to broader theoretical issues;
- critically analyse the role of contemporary communications lanscape;
- prepare and present their ideas in both verbal and written mode at an intermediate level and in conformity to conventions of academic presentation; and
- participate in discussion and group activities and be sensitive to the participation of others
Upon successful completion of this subject, graduates should develop the following generic skills:
- be able to reflect on their own use of media and relate this to broader theoretical issues;
- be able to critically analyse the role of contemporary communications lanscape;
- be able to prepare and present their ideas in both verbal and written mode at an intermediate level and in conformity to conventions of academic presentation; and
- be able to participate in discussion and group activities and be sensitive to the participation of others
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Critical reading/Reflective Readers Report (LO2)
| Week 6 | 20% |
Presentation: Critical Case Study (LO1)
| Week 6 | 20% |
Blog Post on LMS (LO3)
| Week 4 | 20% |
Argumentative critical research essay (LO3)
| Week 12 | 40% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Principal coordinator Ingrid Volkmer Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 1 x 1 hour Lecture and 1 x 2 hour seminar, taught weekly Total time commitment 340 hours Pre teaching requirements 36 Teaching period 26 February 2018 to 27 May 2018 Last self-enrol date 9 March 2018 Census date 31 March 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 4 May 2018 Assessment period ends 22 June 2018 Semester 1 contact information
- Semester 2
Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours Total time commitment 340 hours Teaching period 23 July 2018 to 21 October 2018 Last self-enrol date 3 August 2018 Census date 31 August 2018 Last date to withdraw without fail 21 September 2018 Assessment period ends 16 November 2018
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Links to additional information
Last updated: 3 November 2022