Units

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Sample subject outline - Semester 2 2013

Note: Subject outlines often change before the semester begins. Below is a sample outline.

Rationale

Knowledge of media and 'media literacy' are increasingly important as life skills and vocational credentials, which also become important to 'non-media' professions.

This unit adopts the principle that developing media production skills will both embellish individual competencies and materially assist with getting a clear understanding of media by - engaging learners with media practitioners in learning exercises.

Introductory practical exercises in media skills and publishing will be provided, to simulate the experience of working in the media, while also reflecting on the social implications of such production work.

Aims

This unit aims to:
1. Provide you with an overview of the way that media operates, placed in general social context.
2. Provide you with introductory practice in media production skills, working towards a showpiece product illustrating certain general characteristics of media.
3. Assist you towards writing and publishing at a standard of professional competence.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to;
1. Analyse media practice and production from a practitioner perspective in a range of settings in recognition of the increasing importance of media in society.
2. Demonstrate through foundational practice how a variety of media tools and forms such as: audio news, social media, or written features, can be used to meet communication needs.
3. Demonstrate conceptual understanding and capacity to use a variety of communication tools in the production of a media artefact.

Content

Students will learn:
1. Identification and exploration of a range of media outlets for which content can be produced.
2. How to engage with media practitioners in the resolution of challenges that media producers face, such as, identify audiences, resolving ethical issues, and choosing appropriate platforms.
3. How to use media production tools to produce content of various kinds for publication.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

A program of learning sessions will include: seminars and workshops in company with media practitioners, e.g. to view and review news, and production workshops for making and publishing media products, e.g. reports, reviews, commentary, interviews or features.

Assessment

An assignment submitted after the due date without an approved extension will not be marked. If you are unable to complete your assignment on time, you should submit on time whatever work you have done.

Faculty Assessment Information
To access complete Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information please refer to the Blackboard site for this unit.FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT
You will receive formative feedback on your progress in this unit during tutorials and discussions throughout the semester. Weight 0%

SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT
You will be awarded a final grade on a 1 to 7 point scale.

Assessment name: Report
Description: Formative and Summative)
This is a written report of 1500 words outlining lines of argument drawn from an event in the seminar program, expounding on a topic of concern to professionals, and forming conclusions.
Relates to objectives: 1
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid Semester

Assessment name: Presentation (Oral or Group)
Description: (Summative)
Produce a product in media format, e.g. extended feature article for print, video report or multi-platform. Present the product in a group situation, and discuss the implications of the exercise in relation to communication principals, emerging issues in the relationship between media and society such as citizen journalism, media law and regulation. Each student will also hand in their individual portfolio of work that they have developed over the course of the unit.

Criteria for assessment:
* Competently manage production tools, to make an expressive and intelligible product
* Competently describe the production process and inherent concerns such as communication principles underlying the production
* Demonstrate ability to construct a discriminating critique of the production process in terms of its objectives, the producer's options, and outcomes
Relates to objectives: 2, 3
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: Late Semester

Academic Honesty

QUT is committed to maintaining high academic standards to protect the value of its qualifications. To assist you in assuring the academic integrity of your assessment you are encouraged to make use of the support materials and services available to help you consider and check your assessment items. Important information about the university's approach to academic integrity of assessment is on your unit Blackboard site.

A breach of academic integrity is regarded as Student Misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties.

Resource materials

No Required Text
Unit readings will be listed on the Blackboard site and a selection of readings will be made available on the Course Materials Database (CMDB).

Recommended References
Beckett Charlie (2008), SuperMedia: Saving journalism so it can save the world, Oxford, Blackwell.

DeVito JA (2003), Human Communication: The basic course (9th edition), Boston, Pearson.

Fahs C (2008), How to Do Everything with YouTube, Sydney, McGraw Hill; pp152-74.

Foust JC (2009), Online Journalism: Principles and practices of news for the web, Scottsdale Ariz., Holcomb Hathaway.

McAdams M (2005), Flash Journalism: How to create multimedia news packages, Sydney, Focal - Elsevier; 3-21; 3-21, 59-72, 73-87.

Zavoina SC and JH Davidson (2002), Digital Photojournalism, Sydney, Allyn and Bacon; 59-72.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out-of-the-ordinary risks for this unit.

Disclaimer - Offer of some units is subject to viability, and information in these Unit Outlines is subject to change prior to commencement of semester.

Last modified: 28-Mar-2013