Media Futures and New Technologies (MECM30004)

This subject examines the pressures of technological change on contemporary media institutions and communications practices. Students will be introduced to key debates about media convergence, the relationship between technological change and media practices, and the shift from mass communication to networked communication. A range of case studies drawn from different media sectors including photography, the music industry, television, cinema, and the Internet will be complemented by examination of emerging practices such as video games, digital art and surveillance. Students completing the subject will be able to develop a critical understanding of the forces affecting how new technology is adopted, and will be able to identify the major pressures shaping the media-communications industries in the future.

Intended learning outcomes

On successful completion of this subject, students should have:

• the ability to understand the nexus between broader theories of technological change and the transformation of media and communications industries;
• the ability to recognise and explain the differences between analogue and digital media with reference to specific case studies;
• gained a detailed understanding of the key issues new media technologies raise for contemporary media institutions and communications practices;
• developed the capacity for high level analysis and conceptual sophistication in order to critically assess the future for different media sectors using approaches drawn from media and communication studies; and
• be able to effectively communicate their ideas in both written and oral forms, contribute to group discussions, and engage with the views expressed by other students whose disciplinary and cultural backgrounds may differ.

Generic skills

At the completion of this subject, student should gain the following generic skills:

• be able to identify appropriate analytical frameworks to effectively communicate their ideas in both written and oral forms;
• be able to contribute to group discussion, and to engage with the views expressed by other students; and
• be able to organise their personal study to reflect on their own learning processes and to complete assessment tasks in a timely manner.