The purpose of tutorials is for students to discuss the weekly topics and readings to enrich their understanding. All students are required to engage in tutorial discussion. This means arriving at tutorials having completed set readings and being prepared to discuss issues arising.

The format of tutorials is based around student-led discussions and activities. Your responses to your peers will form the basis of your engagement mark.

Assessment criteria:

• Engagement with the readings
• Engagement with lecture material
• Ability to relate key theoretical ideas to previous readings and/or independent research
• Willingness to contribute to class discussion by asking relevant questions, answering other students questions, treating other students with respect and behaving appropriately (e.g. not talking whilst tutor or other students talking)

Attendance is not the same as engagement. Students receive no marks for simply attending tutorials.

Students will undertake a timed multiple-choice quiz administered via iLearn. The content of the quiz will relate to readings, lectures, and tutorial discussions undertaken thus far in the unit, including the week 5 material. The quiz will be taken individually and will require students to be up-to-date on MAS240 material, including lectures and readings.

This assignment should be completed in a timely fashion and the quiz will close automatically at the stated deadline. Late attempts will only be allowed if accompanied by a medical certificate or other evidence of disruption to studies.

Assessment criteria

• Number of multiple-choice questions answered correctly

Students will undertake a 2nd timed multiple-choice quiz administered via iLearn. The content of the quiz will relate to readings, lectures, and tutorial discussions undertaken thus far in the unit, including the week 9 material. The quiz will be taken individually and will require students to be up-to-date on MAS240 material, including lectures and readings.

This assignment should be completed in a timely fashion and the quiz will close automatically at the stated deadline. Late attempts will only be allowed if accompanied by a medical certificate or other evidence of disruption to studies.

Assessment criteria

• Number of multiple-choice questions answered correctly

Students are required to submit a 2000 word essay on a topic of their choosing exploring a specific new media technology/platform/practice.

Students should select a new media technology/platform/practice and construct an academic argument around it. It needs to be a specific argument, that tells the reader something about the relationship between this new media technology/platform/practice and society more generally. Don't just give a technological description or history. For example the argument: 'Facebook has facilitated new forms of protest' would be a good topic, whereas a broad history of Facebook's technological development would fail.

The essay should do the following (it does not have to be in this order):

• Briefly describe the historical development of your new media technology/platform/practice in relation to your overall argument (Do not go into unnecessary detail, 1 paragraph should be enough for most technologies)
• Articulate a sophisticated academic argument about this new media technology/platform/practice
• Critically analyse the cultures that surround the technology/platform/practice and explain why they are important or significant
• Examine any conflicts and tensions that surround the technology/platform/practice
• State why it is important to understand this new media technology/platform/practice in this way

Essays must use at least one article from the reader, and at least two from your own research.

Essays will be submitted, marked and returned electronically via iLearn.

Assessment Criteria

• Understanding of new media technology: Do you demonstrate a sophisticated academic understanding of key contexts of, and cultures surrounding, chosen new media technology

• Argument: Was all academic work used directly relevant and appropriate to argument and engaged with in a sophisticated manner.

• Engagement with appropriate academic material: Do you present a sophisticated integration of the case-study with relevant theory. Have you identified and made use of appropriate resources beyond those provided in the unit reader? (You must use at least one article from the reader, and at least two from your own research)

• Referencing: Do you correctly reference appropriate academic sources with no formatting errors; have you built on enough sources

• Style and presentation: Is your essay clearly written and presented

Students are required to plan and develop a Website. Websites are due to be presented in your timetabled workshop session in week 13: This means that your Website must be completed PRIOR to that class. You will not be given any class time in week 13 to complete your Websites and will be penalized as a late submission. Presenting your website just means showing the tutor it has uploaded and functions correctly, it does not mean talking about it in front of the whole class.

You may choose the topic of your Website, for example, you may build an online CV or a fan site for your favourite band or video game. All Websites must satisfy the following criteria:

• Minimum of four (4) pages including a home page
• Home page must be saved as index.html
• Original content
• Any borrowed content or code should be visibly referenced using a separate references page (which will not count towards the mandatory minimum four pages)
• A single CSS document linked to by all HTML documents
• Websites should draw on skills developed during the unit
• Websites should use current approaches to design as taught in the unit. Table-based design is not permitted and will incur significant penalties
• Web sites should use current and valid HTML code
• Images should be resized and optimized for the Web
• Individual pages should utilize titles using the <title></title> tag

Assessment Criteria:

• Functionality:  Does it work as intended
• Technical Proficiency: Does it demonstrate a strong knowledge of the techniques taught
• Design: Does the layout, use of images, colour scheme, fonts, etc. make it an intuitive and easy site to use
• Content: Is it all original (or correctly referenced borrowed content); is it polished and appropriate to the chosen topic