Students

MMCC8016 – Media-Communications Strategies and Campaigns

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
Lauren Gorfinkel
lauren.gorfinkel@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MMediaComm
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
The objective of this unit is to develop practical media communications skills, including: strategy writing, budgeting and professional presentation. The unit offers real-life case studies as well as a possibility of pitching ideas to client organisations.

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: analyse key theories and concepts in the field of media and communication.
  • ULO2: evaluate effectiveness of various media and communication strategies and campaigns.
  • ULO3: communicate the problems of planning campaigns which are ethical, sustainable, and cross cultural.
  • ULO4: apply advanced communication and analytical skills, including the ability to critique, write and present clear and persuasive arguments individually and as a group.

General Assessment Information

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.

If 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
Industry Workshop 40% No Weeks 3-10, during class
Communications Strategy Pitch 30% No 13:00-15:00 19/10/2021
Communications Strategy Report 30% Yes 23:59 22/10/2021

Industry Workshop

Assessment Type 1: Facilitation
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: Weeks 3-10, during class
Weighting: 40%

 

Students will work in groups to complete this assessment task. Each group will run a workshop aimed at developing knowledge and skills amongst participants around a particular area of strategic communications. Student performance will be assessed in terms of preparation, understanding of the topic, teamwork, facilitation and leadership skills and the ability to motivate participants. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • analyse key theories and concepts in the field of media and communication.
  • communicate the problems of planning campaigns which are ethical, sustainable, and cross cultural.
  • apply advanced communication and analytical skills, including the ability to critique, write and present clear and persuasive arguments individually and as a group.

Communications Strategy Pitch

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 13:00-15:00 19/10/2021
Weighting: 30%

 

Your consultancy will present a PR strategy to your client. Your goal is to convince your client that the strategy you have put together will solve the communication challenges they are currently facing and your team will provide the best possible results for them. All team members are expected to have a speaking role and members should work together to ensure smooth and logical links between each speaker. Each student will receive an individual mark for their presentation. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • analyse key theories and concepts in the field of media and communication.
  • evaluate effectiveness of various media and communication strategies and campaigns.
  • communicate the problems of planning campaigns which are ethical, sustainable, and cross cultural.
  • apply advanced communication and analytical skills, including the ability to critique, write and present clear and persuasive arguments individually and as a group.

Communications Strategy Report

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 35 hours
Due: 23:59 22/10/2021
Weighting: 30%
This is a hurdle assessment task (see assessment policy for more information on hurdle assessment tasks)

 

The assessment requires you to work in a small group as a communications consultancy to develop a comprehensive communications plan (PR strategy) for your client. Each student will be responsible for a component of the report. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • analyse key theories and concepts in the field of media and communication.
  • evaluate effectiveness of various media and communication strategies and campaigns.
  • communicate the problems of planning campaigns which are ethical, sustainable, and cross cultural.
  • apply advanced communication and analytical skills, including the ability to critique, write and present clear and persuasive arguments individually and as a group.

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

Seminar

Seminars begin in week 2. 

The first hour will consist of lectures, which may be delivered in an interview format with industry experts. The questions are carefully selected to guide you on important considerations that can be applied to your assessment tasks as well as provide key insights into the industry. Recordings will be made available after the lecture. 

The second hour will consist of student-led industry-style workshops. 

Student presentations will be held in Week 11.

Readings

Readings, including recommended chapters, articles, books, and other resources will be available electronically on iLearn under the Leganto tab. 

Out-of-class commitment

Apart from actively attending the seminars, to excel in this unit it is expected that you will dedicate time outside of class to prepare for seminars and assessments. This includes time spent:

  • collaborating with your team members face-to-face (if applicable) and/or via collaborative online tools
  • conducting research e.g. into case studies, into the target public, social listening, into your organisation, competitors, tools and tactics 
  • engaging with set and extra readings (e.g. academic texts, trade media, online articles) 
  • formatting and design of assessment materials (e.g. presentation slides, pitch decks, report, worksheets for workshop participants) 

Professional Presentation Tools

Some extra support in the use of industry-standard tools (e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud programs like InDesign) will be available for students in this unit which you may be able to use to develop a professional report, pitch deck, and other collateral.

As students come to this unit with different skill sets we would most appreciate you being open to sharing your relevant skills and resources with your classmates. You may decide to have different team members focus on spending time advancing skills in different programs according to your roles in the project which may, in turn, help to enhance your group's overall presentation.

Feedback in this Unit

Feedback in this unit to individuals, groups, and the class/cohort may be made available in multiple forms, including:

  • Q&A sessions in lectures and tutorials (please don't hesitate to raise your hand, speak up, or ask questions in the chat function for online classes)
  • Via email (please don't hesitate to ask any questions via email as they arise)
  • Individual/group Zoom or face-to-face consultations (please email the convenor for a consultation)
  • Peer-to-peer feedback during tutorials and group sessions
  • Announcements on iLearn
  • Videos on ilearn
  • Within Turnitin - see textbox, comments on the actual submission, and the mark-up on rubric for submitted assessments  

Samples of past assessments, as well as detailed marking rubrics for all assessment tasks, will be made available on iLearn.

Please don't hesitate to request feedback as you need it.

Emails

Generally, student emails will be replied to within 48 business hours. Students should not expect emails to be returned on weekends and after hours. If you are having trouble contacting your client, please inform your tutor. 

Students should ensure that they can receive emails sent to their MQ email addresses.

Technology Required

This unit will make extensive use of iLearn https://ilearn.mq.edu.au/. Required readings, comprehensive information on assessment tasks and important announcements will be posted to iLearn. Make sure you check iLearn and your Macquarie University email account regularly during this unit.

For technical support go to: http://mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/informatics/help

For student quick guides on the use of iLearn go to: http://mq.edu.au/iLearn/student_info/guides.htm

Unit Schedule

Week 1 – No classes

MODULE 1 – FUNDAMENTALS

Week 2 (3 August) – Introduction to Strategic Communication and the Unit / Establishing your Agencies, Teamwork, Your Clients 

Week 3 (10 August) – Planning and Research for Communications Campaigns

Week 4 (17 August) – Beginning with the End in Mind: Setting Goals and Objectives 

Week 5 (24 August) – Professional Writing and Pitching: Report Design and Pitch Decks

MODULE 2 – CASE STUDIES IN ETHICAL ENGAGEMENT & COMMUNICATIONS FOR SOCIAL GOOD

Week 6 (31 August) – Not-for-Profit Campaigns: Case Studies in Supporting a Cause

Week 7 (7 September) – Corporate Campaigns: Case Studies in Corporate Social Responsibility

MID-SEMESTER BREAK

Week 8 (28 September) – Multicultural Campaigns: Case Studies in Communicating Across Cultures and Languages

MODULE 3 – INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 

Week 9 (5 October) – PR Specialities: Case studies in Niche Areas of PR

Week 10 (12 October) – Cutting-Edge Campaigns: The Future of the Communications Industry  

ENDING WITH A BANG!

Week 11 (19 October) – Campaign Presentations and Feedback on the Unit

REPORTS ALSO DUE

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 2021.02 of the Handbook