Students

MMCC8046 – Social Media

2021 – Session 2, Special circumstances

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff
Terri Senft
terri.senft@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MMediaComm or MCrInd or MIC
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit will offer students an advanced understanding of the key role social media now plays in professional media practice and the way it is reshaping public debate and media business models. It will involve students in integrating emerging online platforms and technologies into media practice, including news gathering, feature and current affairs production, and opinion writing. Students will analyse the way mainstream media organisations are utilising social media to produce and augment media production and enlist media users in producing content. They will also examine the way social and online media have opened up new possibilities for media producers to bypass traditional media organisations and attract large audiences using blogs, Twitter and Youtube.

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: apply media theory and concepts to the study of social media.
  • ULO2: research, analyse and evaluate the relationships between individual users of social media platforms, and larger cultural, social, legal, economic, corporate, state and industry factors that inform and shape that use.
  • ULO3: evaluate the increasingly important role that branding and celebrity plays in shaping expressions of identity (individual, group, corporate, national, activist, etc. in the contemporary landscape, and analyse various types social media presence in terms of branding and fame theory.).
  • ULO4: analyse the challenges (logistical, legal, ethical) of applying classic research, design, communication, advocacy and/or public relations strategies to social media environments.

General Assessment Information

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT CHANGE IN LATE SUBMISSION POLICIES Please note that the University and the Faculty of Arts have launched a new assessment policy effective as of 1 July 2021. This new policy particularly affects LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS. The Faculty policy in relation to late assessment submissions is as follows: Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, etc. To be very clear:  

    • Unless you have applied for special consideration and had your application approved, for each day your assignment is late, 10 marks will be deducted. For example, if you submit your assignment 7 days late, 70 marks will be deducted, which means you will fail that assignment.
    • If your assignment is more than 7 days late (including weekends), you will get 0 for your assignment. These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due date.

f you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Illustrated Glossary Entry 50% No 23:59 10/09/2021
Video presentation 50% No Monday 01/11/2021

Illustrated Glossary Entry

Assessment Type 1: Qualitative analysis task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: 23:59 10/09/2021
Weighting: 50%

In class, you will receive a list of concepts we have covered to date. For this task, you will be expected to create a visual glossary entry that engages with ONE concept from this list. To do this, you will create a document where you: - define your concept using your own words and illustrated with a captioned image; - theorise that concept, using a scholarly quote from a class reading, illustrated with a captioned image; - complicate that concept, introducing an example of your choice, illustrated with a captioned image.

Refer to iLearn for further information.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • apply media theory and concepts to the study of social media.
  • research, analyse and evaluate the relationships between individual users of social media platforms, and larger cultural, social, legal, economic, corporate, state and industry factors that inform and shape that use.

Video presentation

Assessment Type 1: Media presentation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 50 hours
Due: Monday 01/11/2021
Weighting: 50%

The purpose of this task is to assess your capacity to practically engage with social media theory, by way of a social media-friendly format, a short video. For this task, you will be expected to create a video of no more than 3-5 minutes.

Refer to iLearn for further information.
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the increasingly important role that branding and celebrity plays in shaping expressions of identity (individual, group, corporate, national, activist, etc. in the contemporary landscape, and analyse various types social media presence in terms of branding and fame theory.).
  • analyse the challenges (logistical, legal, ethical) of applying classic research, design, communication, advocacy and/or public relations strategies to social media environments.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Start of classes and tutorials 

  • Classes begin Week 2 

Delivery of unit

This unit will be delivered as two-hour interactive seminar. It will combine lecture-style material with guided inquiry, production tasks, writing workshops, small group activities and discussions.

 For current updates, classrooms and times please consult the MQU Timetables website: http://www.timetables.mq.edu.au

Lecture portions and interactive portions of the class will be recorded for review purposes only. See Echo block on iLearn for filmed weekly lectures. Discussions and activities will be available via archived Zoom recording link.

Attendance Policy

Students are expected to attend all seminars this semester. They may opt for either in-person attendance where feasible, or remote delivery via Zoom. No part of this class is optional: all lectures, workshops, and peer-review sessions deliver content and are a central component of meeting the learning outcomes in this unit. Although attendance is not formally graded, students who elect to not attend class will miss out on unit content and learning activities, and do so at their own risk. 

Readings and Other Media

Please consult the iLearn site for weekly readings and media   

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.  

Feedback

Feedback in this unit is available in multiple forms: 

  • For points of relevance to the whole class, informal feedback will be given through the ‘announcement’ function in iLearn.
  • For individual student questions related to unit activities, electronic communication will be used.
  • For in-person consultations, students will be able to book electronic appointments with Terri.
  • For assessment feedback, students will receive numerical scores corresponding to a detailed rubric, attached to assignments marked in  Turnitin. 

Unit Schedule

Please see our current planned weekly schedule at the link below. https://share.bublup.com/ui/landing_page?item_id=001-i-f0f1bff1-587f-40f1-bfd4-01077f67ca19

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

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

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/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.

Unit information based on version 2021.01R of the Handbook