Students

MMCC3055 – Mobile Cultures

2025 – Session 2, In person-scheduled-weekday, North Ryde

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor
Rowan Tulloch
rowan.tulloch@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
tba
Tutor
Bhanuraj Kashyap
bhanuraj.kashyap@mq.edu.au
Contact via email
n/a
n/a
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 consider practices and experiences of mobility, focusing on contemporary technologies and cultures. Mobile and ubiquitous media technologies, particularly mobile phones, and the cultural practices and meanings around their development and use, will be a particular focus of discussion. What cultural assumptions underpin the development of mobile technologies and apps, and the platforms they draw on. What forms of identity, understandings of the body, and ways of using these technologies, are offered to those using mobile technologies, and how might these be changing? What are the cultural meanings of the way data flows from mobile technologies to users' peers, professionals, governments and corporations. How do these flows of data enhance or undermine justice, shape bodies and relationships.

This consideration of technologies of mobility, and the identities linked to them, will be framed within broader considerations of the cultural consequences of media; "travelling ideas"; and movements of people, migrants, tourist and refugees.

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: evaluate the cultural, political and social issues and debates surrounding the use of mobile technologies.
  • ULO2: analyse the various ways in which mobile technologies shape and construct cultural practices, drawing on media and cultural studies theories.
  • ULO3: analyse the impact of mobile technologies on individual identities and bodies, as well as cultural identity.
  • ULO4: effectively communicate arguments around the various ways mobile technologies interact with and transform communities, identities and everyday practices

General Assessment Information

General Assessment Information

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.

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Case-study analysis of a cultural practice or media form linked to mobility 35% No 18/09/2025
Reflective summaries 30% No (a) Weekly Tues 11pm (weeks 2-11); (b) 6/11/2025
Proposal for an initiative or innovation around mobilities 35% No 30/10/2025

Case-study analysis of a cultural practice or media form linked to mobility

Assessment Type 1: Case study/analysis
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 18/09/2025
Weighting: 35%

 

Students are required to submit a case study analysis of a cultural practice or media form linked to mobility. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the cultural, political and social issues and debates surrounding the use of mobile technologies.
  • analyse the various ways in which mobile technologies shape and construct cultural practices, drawing on media and cultural studies theories.
  • analyse the impact of mobile technologies on individual identities and bodies, as well as cultural identity.
  • effectively communicate arguments around the various ways mobile technologies interact with and transform communities, identities and everyday practices

Reflective summaries

Assessment Type 1: Reflective Writing
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: (a) Weekly Tues 11pm (weeks 2-11); (b) 6/11/2025
Weighting: 30%

 

This assessment comprises (a) a brief summary of key readings for each week, submitted online before class (b) reflective notes on the student's contributions to peer learning and discussion submitted after class.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the cultural, political and social issues and debates surrounding the use of mobile technologies.

Proposal for an initiative or innovation around mobilities

Assessment Type 1: Project
Indicative Time on Task 2: 40 hours
Due: 30/10/2025
Weighting: 35%

 

In this assessment students will propose an initiative or innovation relating to cultural practices or media forms linked to mobility. The proposal will be presented in one of a range of online media forms. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the cultural, political and social issues and debates surrounding the use of mobile technologies.
  • analyse the various ways in which mobile technologies shape and construct cultural practices, drawing on media and cultural studies theories.
  • analyse the impact of mobile technologies on individual identities and bodies, as well as cultural identity.
  • effectively communicate arguments around the various ways mobile technologies interact with and transform communities, identities and everyday practices

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

Lectures will be pre-recorded and available on ECHO360.  There will be both live, face to face tutorials and live online zoom tutorials. Tutorials will begin in Week 2. All readings will be available online via Leganto.

Unit Schedule

Topics for 2025 include migration, family life and mobile phones; self-tracking, quantification and mobile health; mobile technology, surveillance and transparency; gamification and urban spaces; youth culture; dating apps; disability and inclusive mobile technology; mobile phones, intimacy and safety; food delivery workers and platform capitalism; mobile media, development and post-colonialism; surveillance and tracking of non-human animals.

Tutorials for this unit will begin in Week 2.

More details in the ilearn site

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 connect.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Academic Integrity

At Macquarie, we believe academic integrity – honesty, respect, trust, responsibility, fairness and courage – is at the core of learning, teaching and research. We recognise that meeting the expectations required to complete your assessments can be challenging. So, we offer you a range of resources and services to help you reach your potential, including free online writing and maths support, academic skills development and wellbeing consultations.

Student Support

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

Academic Success

Academic Success provides resources to develop your English language proficiency, academic writing, and communication skills.

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

Student Services and Support

Macquarie University offers a range of Student Support Services including:

Student Enquiries

Got a question? Ask us via the Service Connect Portal, or contact Service Connect.

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.

Changes from Previous Offering

Lectures will be pre-recorded and available online.

Changes since First Published

Date Description
16/07/2025 Correcting a typo in deadline dates

Unit information based on version 2025.03 of the Handbook