Film and Engineering at the Crossroads (ENGR90040)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5Online
Please refer to the return to campus page for more information on these delivery modes and students who can enrol in each mode based on their location.
Overview
| Availability | Semester 1 - Online |
|---|---|
| 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
| 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 1 - Online
Principal coordinator Claudia Sandberg Mode of delivery Online Contact hours 2 hours screenings, 1.5 hours lecture and seminar per week Total time commitment 200 hours Teaching period 1 March 2021 to 30 May 2021 Last self-enrol date 12 March 2021 Census date 31 March 2021 Last date to withdraw without fail 7 May 2021 Assessment period ends 25 June 2021 Semester 1 contact information
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
- 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.
Please note Single Subject Studies via Community Access Program is not available to student visa holders or applicants
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
Last updated: 3 November 2022