Students

MMCC3046 – Social Media

2020 – Session 1, Weekday attendance, North Ryde

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Clementine Vanderkwast
Catharine Lumby
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
130cp at 1000 level or above
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will offer students an understanding of the key role social media now plays in media practice and culture. The ways in which social media impact and influence public debate will be explored. The unit will involve students in integrating existing and emerging online platforms and technologies into media practice. Students will analyse the way media organisations, corporations and individuals utilise social media to produce narratives and participate in public discourse. They will also examine the way social and online media have opened up new possibilities for building audiences and communities using a wide variety of social media platform and practices.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: synthesize a range of theories related to digital media, visual studies and social media studies.
  • ULO2: apply disciplinary theories to evaluate the various uses of visual framing and networked images in social media.
  • ULO3: evaluate the ontological, epistemological and ethical differences between how networked computers, humans, and institutions experience perception, knowledge and action.
  • ULO4: deploy the walk-through method to illustrate and unpack the visible and invisible governing structures of a social media platform, application, or practice.
  • ULO5: analyse and apply the theme, question, object, lens, method, presentation approach to assessing case studies in global social media culture.

Assessment Tasks

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.

Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students

General Assessment Information

 

  • Assessments must be submitted via TurnItin. No paper or emailed submissions will be accepted. 
  • Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (including weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests

  • You will need to supply appropriate documentation to your unit convenor for any missed tutorial or lack of pre-tutorial materials (if less than three consecutive days). You will need to apply for Special Consideration to cover any absences more than three consecutive days.

  • MQ Policy: Academic Honesty

  •  MMCCS Session Re-mark Application 

Delivery and Resources

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.

Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

Delivery of unit

This unit will be delivered  in a format of one 60 minute lecture, with one 60 minute tutorial per week.

Lectures

Lectures begin Week 1, and are held on Tuesdays from 10-11 am.  For current updates, classrooms and times please consult the MQU Timetable You do not need to physically attend lectures, but you are responsible for having listened prior to your tutorial time.   PDF notes for lectures will be posted to iLearn after each class. Lecture portions of the class will be video recorded for review purposes only. See Echo block on iLearn for more information.  

Tutorials:

Tutorials begin Week 1. Times are as scheduled, and you must attend your allotted group. Tutorials will involve guided inquiry, production tasks, writing workshops, small group activities and discussions. Tutorials are not recorded. Important advice re tutorial attendance: Students are advised that although we will not be taking attendance in tutorials, your assessments will require you to be familiar with a range of scholarly techniques you probably have not encountered before in your time at Macquarie. These techniques will be taught to you during tutorial time, which means attending  tutorials is a crucial for those who wish to pass this class. In addition to attending tutorials, you will be expecting to be making headway on your assessment projects. To ensure this is happening, we will periodically ask you to upload written materials (class notes, brainstorming, screenshots from research) to demonstrate your engagement in this unit. This material will not be marked, but will be referenced in the case of students requesting last minute assistance or disputing marks. 

Reading

All required readings are available online via the Leganto system, as are most of the recommended readings. Each week on iLearn, you'll also receive links to case studies discussed during lecture, or in tutorials. 

Laptop Policy

Please DO bring your own devices for use in class (laptops or tablets + mobile phones). The library has laptops and iPads available for lending if you don't have your own. http://www.mq.edu.au/about/campus-services-and-facilities/library/facilities/computer- facilities and there are other computer labs on campus. Please also bring a pen or pencil and paper to class.  

Other Technology Matters

Students are expected to make use of everyday information technologies to complete their assignments (i.e. Personal Computers, mobile Phones, freely available editing software and online publishing platforms). As this is not a production unit, students should not contact the department's technical staff for equipment or support. Feel free to challenge yourself but work within your technical abilities.  

School Break

Students are advised that we will NOT physically meet in class the following weeks this semester:

  • Week of 13 April—school break
  • Week of 20 April—school break

 

Unit Schedule

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update

The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status

The lecture schedule below is from  AY 2019, but should give an idea of topics covered for 2020, albeit in different order, and with some substitutions, per student interests. 

  • Week 1: Seeing Ideology: from belief to brands
  • Week 2: Seeing Social Images: From selfies to selves
  • Week 3: Seeing Platforms: Tools, Places, Ways of Being
  • Week 4: Seeing Code: Connection, Connectivity, Capital
  • Week 5: Seeing Selves, Seeing Users
  • Week 6: Seeing the Real, the True, the Authentic
  • Week 7: Seeing Your Research Project
  • Week 8: Seeing the Viral: From Memes to Justice
  • Week 9: Seeing  Promotion: Attention Economies & Internet Fame
  • Week 10: Seeing Panic, Seeing Risk
  • Week 11: Seeing  Weaponization: From Bots to Cancel Culture
  • Week 12: Seeing Change?
  • Week 13: Wrapping Up

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct​

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.