MDIA 1002 - Key Concepts in Media

North Terrace Campus - Semester 1 - 2024

This course explores why digital media is being seen as creatively, socially, and politically transformative. What is 'collective intelligence' and how is it empowered by digital tools? How are 'amateur' media makers impacting on mainstream media practices? This course explores the important questions being asked about new digital technologies and encourages critical, reflexive thinking about social media sites. It addresses the links between earlier communication forms and media institutions, through to contemporary digital and mobile technologies. Using online concept videos, large group seminars, and small group tutorials, Key Concepts functions as an introduction to the Bachelor of Media degree and the Media Major in the Bachelor of Arts. This course orientates students to the key ideas they will develop through their studies such as forms of media interactivity and methods of media analysis, and selected theories and debates about media's historical role in shaping social, cultural, economic, and political relations.

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Course Details

Course Code	MDIA 1002
Course	Key Concepts in Media
Coordinating Unit	Media
Term	Semester 1
Level	Undergraduate
Location/s	North Terrace Campus
Units	3
Contact	Up to 3 hours per week
Available for Study Abroad and Exchange	Y
Incompatible	MDIA 1014OL
Assessment	Online test, Digital media analysis, Major essay, Participation.

Course Staff

Course Coordinator: Dr Jessica Ford

In 2022, the course coordinator will be Dr Saira Ali

Course Timetable

The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from Course Planner.

Course Learning Outcomes

Demonstrate understanding of key issues affecting the contemporary media industry
Conduct critical media analyses to examine technical, institutional and cultural arrangements through which media are created, distributed and consumed in contemporary societies globally
Produce insightful discursive and semiotic analysis of texts, visual and audiovisual media content
Manage individual and collaborative work, especially through effective use of time and communication (both face-to-face and via different media)
Put into practice essential principles for professional conduct of work at university and in the media industry
Produce effective written and oral communication to the standard expected at university and in the media industry using different digital platforms
Develop research skills required to solve complex problems and creative challenges
Get to know what university life and study are like, including familiarity with the different study plans available to Bachelor of Media students

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attribute(s) specified below:

University Graduate Attribute	Course Learning Outcome(s)
Attribute 1: Deep discipline knowledge and intellectual breadth Graduates have comprehensive knowledge and understanding of their subject area, the ability to engage with different traditions of thought, and the ability to apply their knowledge in practice including in multi-disciplinary or multi-professional contexts.	1,2,3,7
Attribute 2: Creative and critical thinking, and problem solving Graduates are effective problems-solvers, able to apply critical, creative and evidence-based thinking to conceive innovative responses to future challenges.	1,2,3,7
Attribute 3: Teamwork and communication skills Graduates convey ideas and information effectively to a range of audiences for a variety of purposes and contribute in a positive and collaborative manner to achieving common goals.	4, 5, 8
Attribute 4: Professionalism and leadership readiness Graduates engage in professional behaviour and have the potential to be entrepreneurial and take leadership roles in their chosen occupations or careers and communities.	4,5,6,7,8
Attribute 5: Intercultural and ethical competency Graduates are responsible and effective global citizens whose personal values and practices are consistent with their roles as responsible members of society.	1,2,3,4,5,6.7.8
Attribute 8: Self-awareness and emotional intelligence Graduates are self-aware and reflective; they are flexible and resilient and have the capacity to accept and give constructive feedback; they act with integrity and take responsibility for their actions.	4,5,6,8

Learning Resources
Required Resources

There is no textbook or course reader for this course. Weekly readings (weeks 1-12) are available on MyUni for download and/or printing, and should be completed each week prior to watching the mini-lectures and attending the tutuorials. Students are encouraged to take notes on the readings, as these will be useful during tutorial activities.

Recommended Resources
Students may wish to purchase a media studies textbook to support their learning across their degree, BUT this is NOT essential. The following textbooks are recommended, but there are many more available:

NOTE: All these books are available for loan through the Barr Smith Library collection.
- Branston, Gill and Stafford, Roy 2010, The Media Student’s Book, 5th ed., London: Routledge. [UK text]
- Chalkley, T 2011. Communication, new media and everyday life, South Melbourne, Vic, Oxford University Press. [Australian text]
- Cunningham, Stuart and Turner, Graeme 2014, The Media and Communications in Australia, 4th ed., Crows Nest, NSW: Allen and Unwin [Australian text]
- Hartley, J. & Burgess, Jean , eds. 2013. A companion to new media dynamics, Chichester, England : Wiley-Blackwell
- Hodkinson, Paul 2011, Media, Culture and Society: An introduction, London, Sage.
- Lindgren, Simon 2017, Digital Media & Society. London, Sage.
- Miller, T. & Kraidy, Marwan M 2016. Global media studies, Malden, Massachusetts, Polity
- Pavlik, John P. and McIntosh, Shawn 2011, Converging Media: a New Introduction to Mass Communication, 2nd ed., New York: Oxford University Press [US text]
- Turow, Joseph 2011, Media Today, 4th ed., New York: Routledge [US text; Barr Smith only has 3rd ed.]
Online Learning

This course makes extensive use of MyUni and some external websites. All assignments are submitted via MyUni using a combination of PowerPoint, online tests, and TurnItIn. Students are encouraged to utilise the Microsoft Office package, free to download for all enrolled students via the University of Adelaide software catalogue. All course readings are linked directly from the MyUni site.

Learning & Teaching Modes

Lectures for this course divided into mini-lecture videos, which are made available at the beginning of each week via the courses MyUni page. These are often complimented by other video as suggested extension material. Students should watch all the week's videos prior to attending their on-campus seminars and tutorials (or equivalent, in the case of campus closure), as knowledge of the material covered by the mini-lecture videos is assumed - you will need to view these in order to participate fully in seminar and tutorial activities.

Large group seminars do not run every week - be sure to check course information to confirm which weeks you need to attend seminars.

Tutorial classes are held in a computer lab in order to facilitate students’ access to online resources and completion of assignments.

If you are studying remotely or are unable to attend in-person tutorials on a weekly basis, please change your enrolment to MDIA1014OL Key Concepts in Media Studies Online, running in semester 2 for 2022.

Readings and other resources are provided online. Assignments and course participation involve a mixture of individual and collaborative work in class and online.

Workload

The information below is provided as a guide to assist students in engaging appropriately with the course requirements.

Concept videos - ~1hr per week x 12 weeks	12 hours per semester
Tutorials - 1 hour per week x 10 weeks	10 hours per semester
Seminars - 1 hour per week x 5 weeks	5 hours per semester
3 hours reading per week x 12 weeks	36 hours per semester
Additional research and assignment preparation during semester	92 hours per semester
TOTAL WORKLOAD	155 hours per semester

Learning Activities Summary

This is an introductory course designed to provide foundational understanding of key concepts, frameworks and theories in media studies. The course examines the development and use of media and communication in society and introduces essential concepts to the study of the social, political, cultural, economic, and technological role of media and communication. This course will prepare students for more advanced study.

Topics may include:

Technology (new/digital media)

Convergence and Remediation

Mobility and portability

Platformisation

Visual communication

User generated content and unsocial media

Information Disorder

Specific Course Requirements

There are no specific course requirements.

The University's policy on Assessment for Coursework Programs is based on the following four principles:

Assessment must encourage and reinforce learning.
Assessment must enable robust and fair judgements about student performance.
Assessment practices must be fair and equitable to students and give them the opportunity to demonstrate what they have learned.
Assessment must maintain academic standards.

Assessment Summary


	Name	Type	Overall Value	Workload	Submission Mode
Assignment 1	Multiple-choice test x2	Diagnostic	10% x2	Approximately 6-18 hours	Online, via MyUni
Assignment 2	Digital media analysis	Online Project	30%	1200 words total (or equivalent) (approx’ 18-24 hours work)	Online, via MyUni
Assignment 3	Essay	Research assignment	40%	2000 words total, plus additional preparatory reading and research (approx’ 72-80 hours work)	Online, via TurnItIn on MyUni
Assignment 4	Participation	Engagement	10%	Based on work completed throughout the semester	Tutor Moderated
Note - Students must attempt all written assessments, and attend 80% of tutorials, in order to be eligible to pass the course

Assessment Detail

2 x Multiple Choice Quizzes (20%): These tests will be based on course readings, and will assess your understanding of the material covered in those readings. They will be available online through the MyUni website.

Digital media analysis (30%): equivalent to 1200 words. This asessment will be submitted through MyUni as a narrated powerpoint and will be an analysis of an app or website. The assignment will allow students to demonstrate their understanding and application of key course concepts.

Essay (40%): 2500 words. This essay will be due at the end of semester and will be submitted through MyUni and Turnitin. Students answer to one of 5 questions that will be made available through the course guide and MyUni website. This assignment allows students to develop in depth understanding of an area of the course content that is of particular interest to them.

Participation: 10% Each student will be assessed on their participation in tutorials on a weekly basis. Participation will be graded on whether students have engaged with the readings and lecture materials for the week, as well as engagement with their peers during class discussions and activities. Attendance at tutorials is compulsory.

Submission

Assignments are submitted via the MyUni course site. Feedback is provided through test responses, rubrics, comments in assignment text and in class.

Course Grading

Grades for your performance in this course will be awarded in accordance with the following scheme:

M10 (Coursework Mark Scheme)
Grade	Mark	Description
FNS		Fail No Submission
F	1-49	Fail
P	50-64	Pass
C	65-74	Credit
D	75-84	Distinction
HD	85-100	High Distinction
CN		Continuing
NFE		No Formal Examination
RP		Result Pending

Further details of the grades/results can be obtained from Examinations.

Grade Descriptors are available which provide a general guide to the standard of work that is expected at each grade level. More information at Assessment for Coursework Programs.

NOTE: Students who achieve an overall course mark of between 45% and 49% overall (i.e. a Fail mark within 5% of a Pass mark of 50%) will be offered an opportunity to resubmit a revised version of Assignment 3 (see above). The deadline for resubmission will be one week from notification of the overall course mark. The maximum overall course mark possible following resubmission will be 50%.

Final results for this course will be made available through Access Adelaide.

Student Feedback
The University places a high priority on approaches to learning and teaching that enhance the student experience. Feedback is sought from students in a variety of ways including on-going engagement with staff, the use of online discussion boards and the use of Student Experience of Learning and Teaching (SELT) surveys as well as GOS surveys and Program reviews.

SELTs are an important source of information to inform individual teaching practice, decisions about teaching duties, and course and program curriculum design. They enable the University to assess how effectively its learning environments and teaching practices facilitate student engagement and learning outcomes. Under the current SELT Policy (http://www.adelaide.edu.au/policies/101/) course SELTs are mandated and must be conducted at the conclusion of each term/semester/trimester for every course offering. Feedback on issues raised through course SELT surveys is made available to enrolled students through various resources (e.g. MyUni). In addition aggregated course SELT data is available.
In response to student feedback, we regularly update course readings, in-class activities, and have made the following changes:
1. Continual revision of course topics, to ensure the course meets the objective of providing a broad introduction to media
2. Revise the types and topics of written assessment,
3. Provide detailed advice and feedback on assessment criteria and expectations,
4. Refine online mini-lectures to make the most of online content delivery,
5. Kept on doing what students have liked: practical activities in tutorials, enthusiastic staff, and diverse and engaging content
We hope these changes will make this course better every year, but please provide your honest evaluation at the end of the course. We always pay careful attention to your evaluation and look for way to act on your advice and comments.
Student Support
Policies & Guidelines
This section contains links to relevant assessment-related policies and guidelines - all university policies.
Fraud Awareness

Students are reminded that in order to maintain the academic integrity of all programs and courses, the university has a zero-tolerance approach to students offering money or significant value goods or services to any staff member who is involved in their teaching or assessment. Students offering lecturers or tutors or professional staff anything more than a small token of appreciation is totally unacceptable, in any circumstances. Staff members are obliged to report all such incidents to their supervisor/manager, who will refer them for action under the university's student’s disciplinary procedures.

The University of Adelaide is committed to regular reviews of the courses and programs it offers to students. The University of Adelaide therefore reserves the right to discontinue or vary programs and courses without notice. Please read the important information contained in the disclaimer.

Authorised by:	Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Vice-President (Academic)
Maintained by:	Course Outlines Administrator