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Film and Engineering at the Crossroads (ENGR90040)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 2
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 2 |
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Fees | Look up fees |
This subject is based on cultural studies concepts and theories to explore the discipline of engineering linked to film art. There will be weekly film screenings that include mainstream productions, art cinema and documentaries that guides class discussions on critical moments, ground-breaking innovations and important personalities in the field of engineering. We will focus on questions such as: How did films shape the idea of what engineering is, assist in creating awareness for (female) engineers, evoke controversy and stimulate debate? Which ethical questions are aligned to scientific and technological progress and how do films from different historical eras and different parts of the world deal with them? What are current challenges for the field? Film and Engineering at the Crossroads gives you the chance to reflect and rethink your own responsibilities and potentials as engineer in our current social, cultural and political environment.
Topics include:
- The Artist-Engineer and the Power of Integrative Thinking
- The Public Perception of the Engineer: Obsession with Precision and Control?
- Gender and Engineering: Machinery of Dominance
- The British in India: Engineering as Colonial Practice
- Engineering in the Age of Modernisation and the Birth of the Moving Image
- Engineering and Warfare
- The Cold War Space Race
- Scepticism of Progress and the Sci-Fi Genre
- Digital Cinema: Filmmaking is Engineering
Intended learning outcomes
On completion of this subject, students will be able to:
- Identify theories in social science and cultural studies and locate their relevance, impact and relation to the field of engineering
- critically approach film as artwork and analyse its narrative and aesthetic features
- analyse the social, political and cultural environment in which the engineer and engineering operates
- discuss the achievements of important engineers and their portrayal in documentaries and feature films
- reflect on the role, responsibilities and potentials of the engineer as part of the wider community
Generic skills
- Develop public speaking skills
- Possess skills of critical thinking and analysis
- Develop research and writing skills
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
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Oral presentation (15 minutes)
| During the teaching period | 20% |
Article Analysis
| Week 7 | 30% |
Video Essay Proposal (500 words)
| Week 10 | 10% |
Video Essay Script (500 words)
| Week 12 | 10% |
Video Essay (5 Minutes)
| Week 15 | 30% |
Additional details
Students must attend 80% of lectures to pass the subject
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 2
Principal coordinator Claudia Sandberg Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 2 hours screenings, 1.5 hours lecture and seminar per week Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 3 August 2020 to 1 November 2020 Last self-enrol date 14 August 2020 Census date 21 September 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 16 October 2020 Assessment period ends 27 November 2020 Semester 2 contact information
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
There are no specifically prescribed or recommended texts for this subject.
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022