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

In the diverse terrain of popular culture, youth find the resources and means for identity formation, social relations, and pleasure, as well as develop a range of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes. To make learning meaningful and relevant to the lives of students, you need to understand the ways popular cultural texts (entertainment media, computer-based, and mobile) form the cultural capital of youth and give meaning to their lived experiences. You also need to develop new knowledges and skills of textual analysis that will enable them to critique, select, and use various cultural texts for specific pedagogical purposes and learning contexts. This unit has an emphasis on new contexts and new knowledge and has particular significance for teacher-librarianship as it provides you with the opportunity to engage with contemporary texts that capture the experiences, knowledge, and desires of youth, which invariably impact on their cultural, economic, social, political, and ethical lives.

Aims

The aim of the unit is to provide:

1.opportunities to gain new knowledge in the substantive fields of youth culture and popular texts and their implications for curriculum, resourcing, library/ information services, and pedagogical practices;
2. opportunites to consider new contexts (informal and formal) through which learning can occur in the lives of young people as they engage with popular culture;
3. development of your capacities for critical thinking and independent research through a process of 'supported autonomy';
4. enhanced skills and knowledge development through narrative, genre and textual analysis and engagement with new and older media drawn from the 'cultural flows' of globalisation and popular culture.

Objectives

On successful completion of the unit, you should be able to:

1. Understand the role of popular culture in constructing textual and social worlds for youth, which are significant for identity formation and social relations; GC: A, B, D
2. Draw on a range of relevant theoretical tools and perspectives in order to examine popular cultural texts for youth in critical and creative ways; GC: A, B, C, D, E
3. Develop a critically informed and research-based understanding of selected cultural texts and practices relevant for youth; GC: A, B, C, D
4. Contextualise and apply the acquired knowledge and skills of the unit to a particular professional context; GC: A, B, C, D
5. Adopt a self-reflexive approach to pedagogical/professional practices with a view to transformation. GC: A, B, C, D, F

Content

This unit includes the following topics to encompass a broad array of both global and local cultural practices and texts (film, television, music, video games, online and mobile media) suitable for children and young people from preschool to post-secondary.
Topics cover:
1. key concepts, issues, and emerging trends relevant to popular culture and youth;
2. theoretical and conceptual tools for applying to the analysis of texts and contexts; and
3. self-reflexive activities to enhance existing knowledge, skills and learning.
Your learning will be enhanced by weekly reading as specified in the unit materials, and through online forums and contributions with your colleagues and lecturer.

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

The approach taken in the course materials will encourage learning through participation (through forums, chats, online collaboration etc.) with emphasis on reflective learning, independent study, flexibility, and collaborative interaction. A number of live Elluminate sessions will take place via Blackboard during which you can ask questions and receive feedback. Assessment for the unit will build on both the discipline-specific nature of the subject through the application of theoretical tools in the examination of texts, the flexibility of choice built into the assignment task, and the development of critical, creative, and analytical thinking throughout the formative and summative stages of the assessment. A series of relevant case studies of popular cultural texts, practices and issues will inform teaching and learning approaches. The unit will draw upon your varied backgrounds which will be valued as significant resources in addition to the set readings and other materials.

Assessment

Two items of assessment from the following broad tasks; detailed information about each task will be provided under 'Assessment' on the unit's online teaching site.

Formative assessment:
Support and feedback will be provided via email lists and student-initiated correspondence with the lecturer in the stages leading up to completion.
Summative assessment:Students will be provided with formative assessment throughout the duration of the unit in the form of feedback on forums discussion topics and via live Elluminate sessions. There will be two opportunities for summative assessment as students complete the two assignments outlined below.

Assessment name: Critique (written)
Description: Report: Preparation of a short article or commentary targeting a professional journal.
Length: 2000 words
Relates to objectives: 1, 3 & 5
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: Mid-Semester

Assessment name: Portfolio
Description: Students complete a series of responses to academic publications, popular media and other students' persepctives about a specific youth and popular culture topic.
Length: Approximately 3000 words.
Relates to objectives: 2, 3 & 4
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: External
Group or individual: Group with Individual Component
Due date: End-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

There is no set textbook for this Unit. Weekly readings will be provided in the Unit CMD materials, available through Blackboard. Links to online video clips, documentaries and other resources will also be provided. Each week a podcast lecture will be uploaded to Blackboard that will address key concepts and readings. This will be complemented with occassional video clips demonstrating online materials and resources.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with the general conduct of this unit. Workplace health and safety protocols in relation to computer use will apply.

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: 14-Jan-2013