Unit Guide

General Information

Unit convenor and teaching staff	Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit Convenor Jane Simon jane.simon@mq.edu.au Contact via jane.simon@mq.edu.au 10HA 165K by appointment
Credit points	Credit points 3
Prerequisites	Prerequisites 12cp at 100 level or above
Corequisites	Corequisites
Co-badged status	Co-badged status
Unit description	Unit description This unit examines the practice of photography across diverse cultural contexts and media platforms. It will introduce critical debates about the practice of photography and a number of key themes in the history of photography. The unit will consider a range of genres, texts and practices including snapshots and online photo sharing, family albums, fashion photography, photography as art and photojournalism. The unit will include the following topics: street photography and ethics; the photograph as evidence and instrument of organisation; domestic photography and amateurism; photography and otherness; and the place of photography in contemporary digital media cultures.

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:

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.
Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

General Assessment Information

Assessment standards

Assessment standards in this unit align with the University's grade descriptors, available at: https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policies/assessment

Late submission / Special Consideration

Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved:

a penalty for lateness will apply – two (2) marks out of 100 will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and
no assignment will be accepted more than seven (7) days (including weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, online participation.

MMCCS Re-marking

Any request for an assessment re-mark by a student during session must be processed via the MMCCS in-Session re-mark application.

MMCCS Session Re-mark Application http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

If a student requests a re-mark after session, this falls under the University’s Grade Appeal policy and is processed through Faculty. For more information see: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/ my-study-program/appeals

Assessment Tasks

Name	Weighting	Hurdle	Due
Engagement	20%	No	Ongoing, Week 2-12
Online Quiz	25%	No	11:59 pm, Sunday 8 Sept
Final Essay	45%	No	11:59pm, Monday 29th October
Reading Summaries	10%	No	Weeks 2-8, 11-13

Engagement

Due: Ongoing, Week 2-12
Weighting: 20%

You are expected to actively engage, contribute and discuss ideas in all tutorials as well as the online exhibition review forum. During the semester all students are required to actively engage with photo media and photographic theory by:

- listening to the weekly lecture and completing the weekly readings before each tutorial

- bringing relevant examples of photos to tutorials and contributing discussion questions (each student will be designated a specific week & topic where they are expected to provide a photographic example and a discussion question for the group to consider - this activity is worth 5% and contributes to your overall engagement mark worth 20%).

- participating in class discussion and activities

- engaging with your classmates during tutorial discussion and group activities

- visiting a photographic exhibition during the semester

- posting a short review of the exhibition online and engaging with your classmates' reviews by providing feedback to each other online.

A list of current local photographic exhibitions will be posted on ilearn. Each student will be asked to post a short response (300-400 words) to the exhibition they have seen in Week 7 and to read and give feedback on reviews written by other students in their tutorial group via the iLearn Forum. You must submit this post and engage with your classmates' reviews on iLearn before 11pm Sunday 15th September. Responses posted after this date will not contribute to your engagement mark. The forum will be open from 9am Monday 9th September. This assessment is worth 5% and contributes to your overall engagement mark (worth 20%).

You must notify your tutor as soon as possible if you believe you may be absent from tutorials at any stage and you should provide your tutor with evidence of a medical or personal emergency.

Marking Criteria

Preparation for class and active engagement across the semester (by contributing to large and small group discussions and participating in class activities, including the online exhibition review forum)
Ability to engage with key concepts and themes covered in readings and lectures across the semester (your engagement grade is not about simply attending class - you need to demonstrate your understanding of the weekly lecture and readings). You receive no marks for attendance, only for engagement and participation.

A rubric for grading your engagement is posted on iLearn and will be discussed in class during the first tutorial in Week 2.

Examples of exhibition reviews and appropriate forum feedback will be circulated ahead of the Week 7 exhibition review activity. Examples of relevant photographs and discussion questions will be provided in the first lecture. Ongoing feedback and examples of what constitutes active engagement in tuorials will be discussed in lectures and tutorials. Examples of active angagement in tutorials include (but are not limited to) responding to and asking relevant questions in relation to the readings and lecture content, contributing to group work, providing examples that link to the weekly topic, contributing to discussion and giving feedback to peers.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.
Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Online Quiz

Due: 11:59 pm, Sunday 8 Sept
Weighting: 25%

This is an open book multiple choice test that will be accessed via iLearn. The test will require students to answer a series of multiple choice questions relating to the key readings from Weeks 1- 6. The test will open on Friday 6th September at 5pm and close on Sunday 8th September at 11:59pm. The correct answers to the test will be made available after the test has closed.

This test is designed to provide early feedback for students. Key concepts covered in the Week 1-6 readings will inform subsequent topics in the unit. Therefore the test will give students the opportunity to consider which concepts and ideas they have understood, as well as identify areas for improvement in understanding.

Marking criteria

understanding of key concepts in photographic theory as covered in Week 1-6
evidence of reading set texts from Week 1-6

A rubric for grading the online quiz is posted on iLearn. There is an example short practice quiz available on iLearn to take ahead of the assessed quiz.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.

Final Essay

Due: 11:59pm, Monday 29th October
Weighting: 45%

2000 word research essay. Essay topic, marking rubrics and detailed instructions will be distributed in class and posted on iLearn. This essay is due on Monday the 29th of October at 11:59pm.

Marking Criteria

Understanding and critical engagement with key readings in the unit
Comparison and analysis of key concepts in the unit
Critical analysis of relevant photographs
Independent research within the discipline
Use of research and reading to support the argument
Organisation of argument including clear addressing of the question
Clarity of communication
Accurate and appropriate referencing

Examples of essay outlines, essay introductions, conclusions and useful examples will be discussed in classes throughtout the semester. Students also have the opportunity to discuss their own essay plans with their tutor in Week 9.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Reading Summaries

Due: Weeks 2-8, 11-13
Weighting: 10%

You must submit a short (200 word) reflective summary of the set weekly readings for each week between Weeks 2-6 , Week 8 and Weeks 10-13. There will be no set readings for Week 7 (exhibition visit & review week), and Week 9 (essay planning week). Each summary must be posted to the blog on iLearn by 11am on Thursday of the required weeks, just before classes in which the reading will be discussed. Students must submit ten summaries over this period.

The aim of these summaries is to encourage careful preparation for tutorial classes. As the purpose of summaries is to ensure that students are prepared for tutorials, summaries will not be accepted late, without documented medical or personal difficulties. Summaries will be submitted online via iLearn. Each summary is worth 1% of the overall grade.

Marking criteria

timely completion of summaries on designated text
evidence of reading designated texts

A rubric for grading your Reading Summaries is posted on iLearn and will be discussed in class during the first tutorial in Week 2.

Examples of reading summaries will be provided during the lecture in Week One.

On successful completion you will be able to:

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Delivery and Resources

CLASSES

Lectures begin in Week 1. Tutorials begin in Week 2.

Please consult the MQ timetable website for up to date timetabling of lectures and tutorials:

https://timetables.mq.edu.au/2019/

Tutorials:

Please note, you must attend the tutorial you are enrolled in. If you wish to change your tutorial time you can do so via e-student. Your tutor/lecturer will not be able to change your tutorial enrolment.

Tutorials begin in Week Two.

ATTENDANCE

This unit has a one hour lecture and a one hour tutorial every week. Lectures are recorded and available through iLearn, however students are strongly encouraged to attend lectures. Lectures are often interactive and some material shown in lectures can't be recorded through Echo360. Tutorial attendance is compulsory. Students are required to prepare for tutorials by having attended or listened to the lecture and having done the week’s readings and prepared questions and notes. It is expected that students dedicate some of their study time to attending photographic exhibitions, looking at photographic collections in libraries, archives and online galleries. If you miss tutorials without medical certification or other evidence of disruption this will impact on your 'Engagement' mark for the unit.

Outside of class attendance students should expect to spend approximately seven hours each week reading, preparing for tutorials and researching and planning for assignments.

REQUIRED READING

Required readings are available online through the MQ Library website. To access readings you need to click on the "Unit Readings" tab on the library's home page.

RECOMMENDED READING

There is a list of further recommended reading for each topic - please refer to iLearn.

TECHNOLOGIES USED AND REQUIRED

Lectures will be recorded and available on iLearn. Details on readings, assessments and links to relevant material will be available on ilearn. Students are expected to regularly check iLearn and their MQ email addresses for announcements.

FEEDBACK

During the semester you will receive feedback in many forms. Sometimes this feedback will be verbal and informal and will come from your tutor such as during tutorials or lectures when you offer up ideas or questions. At times your tutor and lecturer will also offer more general feedback about the group's progress during tutorials. At other times feedback will be more formal, in the case of written feedback on your final essay or the posted correct responses to the questions in the online quiz.

You will also receive valuable feedback from your peers through the semester. This will take the form of written comments on the exhibition review forum on ilearn and through responses to the 'lead the discussion' assessment during tutorials.

Unit Schedule

Week One: Photographs, practices, contexts

Week Two: Photographic Seeing

Week Three: Photo-journalism & documentary photography

Week Four: Street photography

Week Five: Photography, identity & the self portrait .

Week Six: Evidence, race, crime

Week Seven: Exhibition visit and review

SEMESTER BREAK

Week Eight: Photography, landscape, place

Week Nine: Final Essay planning and consultations

Week Ten: Photography and belonging: Sadness

Week Eleven: Family photography

Week Twelve: Photography and travel

Week Thirteen: Overview

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Academic Appeals Policy
Academic Integrity Policy
Academic Progression Policy
Assessment Policy
Fitness to Practice Procedure
Grade Appeal Policy
Complaint Management Procedure for Students and Members of the Public
Special Consideration Policy (Note: The Special Consideration Policy is effective from 4 December 2017 and replaces the Disruption to Studies Policy.)

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

If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/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

MMCCS website: http://mmccs.mq.edu.au

MMCCS Session Re-mark Application: http://www.mq.edu.au/pubstatic/public/download/?id=167914

Information is correct at the time of publication.

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 improve your marks and take control of your study.

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.

Graduate Capabilities

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

Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Assessment tasks

Engagement
Final Essay

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

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.

Assessment tasks

Engagement
Final Essay

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 outcome

Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

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

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.

Assessment tasks

Engagement
Online Quiz
Final Essay
Reading Summaries

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

Identify key themes, ideas and concepts in theories of photography.
Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.

Assessment tasks

Engagement
Online Quiz
Final Essay
Reading Summaries

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

Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Research independently in the discipline, including identifying and using appropriate articles in academic journals.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.

Assessment tasks

Engagement
Final Essay

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

Distinguish between and critically evaluate theoretical positions on photographic practices and texts.
Analyse and critically evaluate photographs according to themes, genres, and forms.
Communicate ideas in a range of genres including short reviews, online forums, class discussions and research essays.
Communicate ideas verbally, and facilitate and participate in group discussion.

Assessment tasks

Engagement
Final Essay
Reading Summaries

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 outcome

Evidence engagement with and reflection on contemporary photographic media.

Changes from Previous Offering

The order of weekly topics has been changed, a new topic on travel photography has been added and readings have been updated.