Students

LING248 – Social Networking and Cyberlanguage

2013 – S1 Day

General Information

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Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Tutor
Christine Joyce
Contact via christine.joyce@mq.edu.au
Unit Convenor
Jennifer Peck
Contact via jennifer.peck@mq.edu.au
Credit points Credit points
3
Prerequisites Prerequisites
12cp
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description
In this leading-edge unit we examine and use social media and explore how language and social practices are changing in the contemporary computer-driven world. Issues surrounding online identity will be explored as well as the challenges of linguistic change for education and business practices. Some issues that we discuss are how women and men communicate online, and how online language may vary according to age, ethnicity or context. The unit explores the collaborative processes involved in contemporary education and media. Some issues that we will consider are: - Do we know who we are 'talking to' these days? - What are the ethical issues involved in using new media: what can you say or do in a text message? - Are young people losing the ability to talk face-to-face? You can apply your knowledge of other units in linguistics in this unit, but no previous knowledge of linguistics is necessary or expected. The unit will connect with other areas of your University study and your life experience. You will find that the unit is relevant to business and marketing, to media and communications, to education and psychology, as well as to linguistics.

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:

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Due
Quiz 1 15% Friday 12 Apr 5pm
Group presentation 30% from week 9
Quiz 2 20% Friday 24 May 5pm
Examination 35% During final exam period

Quiz 1

Due: Friday 12 Apr 5pm
Weighting: 15%

Questions on lecture materials and readings


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement

Group presentation

Due: from week 9
Weighting: 30%

10 Presentation

10 Audience engagement

10 Written summary of article presented


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices

Quiz 2

Due: Friday 24 May 5pm
Weighting: 20%

Questions on Lecture material and readings


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Examination

Due: During final exam period
Weighting: 35%

Analysis of online data and discussion of a contemporary issue in related to online media and langage


On successful completion you will be able to:
  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Delivery and Resources

 

  • There is one 2-hour lecture per week in this unit, for which you are required to read one article per week in advance. You are welcome to participate during the lecture time, and to engage with the issues raised. I welcome students’ contributions and ideas, and I realise that in the area of online communication, students have much to share.
  • Recording of lectures on Echo 360 will be available on iLearn.
  • Students attend one 1-hour tutorial per week (no tutorials in first week of classes). 80% tutorial attendance is required.
  • Tutorials are held in computer lab, and students participate online (especially on NING social site) and face-to-face in tutorials.
  • NING online social site. There is an online site for this unit and students are encouraged to participate on the site and to blog and post forum comments. (Marks are not given for discussion site contributions.)
  • Students are expected to participate in tutorial discussions and to share their thoughts and experiences of online communication and practices.
  • In order to participate effectively in tutorials you will need to demonstrate that you have done the weekly set reading and followed the lectures (No readings weeks 1 & 2).
  • Most readings for weekly readings available through e-reserve - check iLearn for details.
  • You will need to access the internet during the unit.
  • There is no textbook for this unit.
  • WHAT HAS CHANGED?
  • Assessment tasks have changed in this Unit this year. 2 iLearn quizzes encourage student engagement with the teaching materials, and provide timely feedback on progress. There is now a final exam in the Unit.
  • Lecture schedule includes innovative topic related to online community engagement.

Unit Schedule

TOPICS TO BE COVERED IN LECTURES:

WEEK 1: Introduction to the unit: Topics, assessment, participation onlne and in class

WEEK 2: Online communication: An overview

WEEK 3: Cyberlanguage: Linguistic innovation and change

WEEK 4: Media representations of CMC: Blogs that contest the ‘Whatever’ syndrome 

WEEK 5: How can I get a comment? Blogging and posting: How do you get people to respond?

WEEK 6: PUBLIC HOLIDAY MON 1 APRIL, NO CLASSES ON MONDAY, NO LECTURES THIS WEEK

WEEK 7: Participatory Culture and Social Literacy

WEEK 8: Creepy Tree House: The impact of the moderator in online communities

WEEK 9: Analysing online practices: Theories 1)

WEEK 10: The relevance of gender in cybertalk

WEEK 11: Online practices and identities: Theories 2)

WEEK 12: Who is speaking? Analysing online data

WEEK 13: Impacts of technology and language change AND Exam information and revision

There are no set readings for weeks 1 and 2.

Learning and Teaching Activities

Lecture

One 2-hour lecture per week

Tutorial

One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)

Online participation

Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site

Tutorial presentations

Engagement in others' presentations

Reading

Critical reading of academic and popular media publications

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central. Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Honesty Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/academic_honesty/policy.html

Assessment Policy  http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/assessment/policy.html

Grading Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grading/policy.html

Grade Appeal Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/gradeappeal/policy.html

Grievance Management Policy http://mq.edu.au/policy/docs/grievance_management/policy.html

Special Consideration Policy http://www.mq.edu.au/policy/docs/special_consideration/policy.html

In addition, a number of other policies can be found in the Learning and Teaching Category of Policy Central.

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of Academic Student Support Services. Details of these services can be accessed at: http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

UniWISE provides:

  • Online learning resources and academic skills workshops http://www.students.mq.edu.au/support/learning_skills/
  • Personal assistance with your learning & study related questions.
  • The Learning Help Desk is located in the Library foyer (level 2).
  • Online and on-campus orientation events run by Mentors@Macquarie.

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

Details of these services can be accessed at http://www.student.mq.edu.au/ses/.

IT Help

If you wish to receive IT help, we would be glad to assist you at http://informatics.mq.edu.au/help/

When using the university's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students and it outlines what can be done.

Graduate Capabilities

Capable of Professional and Personal Judgement and Initiative

We want our graduates to have emotional intelligence and sound interpersonal skills and to demonstrate discernment and common sense in their professional and personal judgement. They will exercise initiative as needed. They will be capable of risk assessment, and be able to handle ambiguity and complexity, enabling them to be adaptable in diverse and changing environments.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Group presentation
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations

Commitment to Continuous Learning

Our graduates will have enquiring minds and a literate curiosity which will lead them to pursue knowledge for its own sake. They will continue to pursue learning in their careers and as they participate in the world. They will be capable of reflecting on their experiences and relationships with others and the environment, learning from them, and growing - personally, professionally and socially.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Quiz 2
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations
  • Critical reading of academic and popular media publications

Discipline Specific Knowledge and Skills

Our graduates will take with them the intellectual development, depth and breadth of knowledge, scholarly understanding, and specific subject content in their chosen fields to make them competent and confident in their subject or profession. They will be able to demonstrate, where relevant, professional technical competence and meet professional standards. They will be able to articulate the structure of knowledge of their discipline, be able to adapt discipline-specific knowledge to novel situations, and be able to contribute from their discipline to inter-disciplinary solutions to problems.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Quiz 2
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations
  • Critical reading of academic and popular media publications

Critical, Analytical and Integrative Thinking

We want our graduates to be capable of reasoning, questioning and analysing, and to integrate and synthesise learning and knowledge from a range of sources and environments; to be able to critique constraints, assumptions and limitations; to be able to think independently and systemically in relation to scholarly activity, in the workplace, and in the world. We want them to have a level of scientific and information technology literacy.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Quiz 2
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations
  • Critical reading of academic and popular media publications

Problem Solving and Research Capability

Our graduates should be capable of researching; of analysing, and interpreting and assessing data and information in various forms; of drawing connections across fields of knowledge; and they should be able to relate their knowledge to complex situations at work or in the world, in order to diagnose and solve problems. We want them to have the confidence to take the initiative in doing so, within an awareness of their own limitations.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Quiz 2
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations
  • Critical reading of academic and popular media publications

Creative and Innovative

Our graduates will also be capable of creative thinking and of creating knowledge. They will be imaginative and open to experience and capable of innovation at work and in the community. We want them to be engaged in applying their critical, creative thinking.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment task

  • Group presentation

Learning and teaching activity

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations

Effective Communication

We want to develop in our students the ability to communicate and convey their views in forms effective with different audiences. We want our graduates to take with them the capability to read, listen, question, gather and evaluate information resources in a variety of formats, assess, write clearly, speak effectively, and to use visual communication and communication technologies as appropriate.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Knowledge of linguistic innovation and change resulting from online communication and internet
  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations

Engaged and Ethical Local and Global citizens

As local citizens our graduates will be aware of indigenous perspectives and of the nation's historical context. They will be engaged with the challenges of contemporary society and with knowledge and ideas. We want our graduates to have respect for diversity, to be open-minded, sensitive to others and inclusive, and to be open to other cultures and perspectives: they should have a level of cultural literacy. Our graduates should be aware of disadvantage and social justice, and be willing to participate to help create a wiser and better society.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Analysis of academic journal articles and written and oral presentation of findings. Advanced ability in critical assessment of media and popular discussions of new technologies and online social networking
  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Quiz 2
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations
  • Critical reading of academic and popular media publications

Socially and Environmentally Active and Responsible

We want our graduates to be aware of and have respect for self and others; to be able to work with others as a leader and a team player; to have a sense of connectedness with others and country; and to have a sense of mutual obligation. Our graduates should be informed and active participants in moving society towards sustainability.

This graduate capability is supported by:

Learning outcomes

  • Participation in and engagement of others in debates related to online communication and new social practices
  • Analysis and application of blogging strategies and relevance to online community engagement
  • Strategic analysis of online representations of identity

Assessment tasks

  • Quiz 1
  • Group presentation
  • Quiz 2
  • Examination

Learning and teaching activities

  • One 2-hour lecture per week
  • One 1-hour tutorial per week (from week 2)
  • Blogging, posting and chatting on NING online social site
  • Engagement in others' presentations