Important Academic Dates

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

Learning Outcomes

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

• ULO1: analyse how media and communication is shaped by and shapes social, cultural, historical, political and economic processes.
• ULO2: evaluate and distinguish between foundational frameworks and approaches to media audiences, technologies, industries, and practices.
• ULO3: prepare independent academic research in the field.
• ULO4: communicate disciplinary knowledge using appropriate academic discourses.
• ULO5: analyse contemporary ethical implications of media and communications representations.

General Assessment Information

Feedback

Feedback on assessments and student learning and performance will be provided in a range of ways. Students will receive formal individual feedback on their performance in assessments in the form of general comments, rubric, and in-text comments attached to assignments marked in Turnitin. They may receive further individual feedback from unit staff in email communication and personal consultations. Marks are made available in the Gradebook function in iLearn.

Late Submission and Special Consideration

Students with a pre-existing disability/health condition or prolonged adverse circumstances may be eligible for ongoing assistance and support. Such support is governed by other policies and may be sought and coordinated through Campus Wellbeing and Support Services.

The Faculty policy in relation to late assessment submissions is as follows:

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, a 5% penalty (of the total possible mark) will be applied each day a written assessment is not submitted, up until the 7th day (including weekends). After the 7th day, a mark of ‘0’ (zero) will be awarded even if the assessment is submitted. Submission time for all written assessments is set at 11.55pm. A 1-hour grace period is provided to students who experience a technical issue. This late penalty will apply to written reports and recordings only. Late submission of time sensitive tasks (such as tests/exams, performance assessments/presentations, scheduled practical assessments/labs will be addressed by the unit convenor in a Special consideration application.

To be very clear:

• Unless you have applied for special consideration and had your application approved, for each day your assignment is late, 5 marks will be deducted. For example, if you submit your assignment 7 days late, 35 marks will be deducted, which means you will likely 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

This unit is delivered through live 'in person' lectures that are also streamed if you are enrolled in the online (external) mode.  All lectures are recorded and will be available to all students on iLearn. There are both on-campus tutorials and online tutorials for this unit (at various times from Monday to Thursday). You will need to enrol in both the lecture and a tutorial. For specific class times, please see the timetable. Tutorials for this unit begin in Week One.

Unit readings will be made available through the university library and can be accessed online via Leganto. A link to Leganto will be available on the unit's iLearn space. A working internet connection is critical to successfully complete this unit, as well as participate in this unit's classes.

Module 1: Foundational Frameworks: Media Theories and Concepts

Week 1: Thinking about media: from Alphabet to AI 

Week 2: Media and Technology

Week 3: Media and the Public Sphere

Week 4: Media, Platform Society and Participatory Culture

Module 2: Who (and how) do you think you are? Media, Online Selves and Datafication

Week 5: Media and Micro-celebrity (poster assessment due this week)

Week 6: Media and Surveillance Capitalism (quiz one)

Week 7: Media, Datafication and the Quantified Self

Module 3: Making Media: Industries, Audiences & Issues 

Week 8: Media and Decolonisation

Week 9: Media and the Audience

Week 10: Media and Ecology (quiz two this week) 

Coda: Academic literacy development

Week 11: Essay Writing Workshop (quiz two)

Week 12: No Classes (Major essay due this week)