Units

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Sample subject outline - 6 Week Teaching Period - 3 2013

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

Rationale

This unit provides you with a conceptual understanding of media audiences within industry and academic contexts. In addition, the unit introduces you to a range of practical skills that may be applied when undertaking audience research. A knowledge of and ability to research audiences is essential to a detailed and comprehensive understanding of the media. The ability to undertake quantitative and qualitative research into various audience groupings, the use of associated analytical tools and the ability to critically analyse academic and industry based audience research are important skills for undertaking both postgraduate research in Media & Communication and those seeking employment in media industries.

Aims

This unit aims to:
- provide you with an understanding of the nature of media audiences and how audiences understand media texts.
- provide you with an understanding of how audience research is undertaken and applied by media industries and media researchers.
- provide you with foundational skills in conducting and applying audience research.

Objectives

On completion of this unit you should be able to:
1. Critique the key theories used to understand media audiences in an academic and industry context;
2. Undertake and critically evaluate audience research projects;
3. Implement material from lectures, tutorials and readings in order to solve problems;
4. Construct informed, independent responses to these problems succinctly and within relatively short time-frames;
5. Structure material in written, graphical and oral forms.

Content

This unit addresses content such as:
- Introduction to audiences
- Quantitative audience research
- Quantitative audience research case study: Television ratings
- Qualitative audience research
- Industry applications of qualitative audience research
- Conducting an audience research project

Approaches to Teaching and Learning

Classes will consist of lectures and tutorials/workshops. A series of tutorial exercises and questions will be set each week which you will address in class. These questions and activities will also form of the basis of the major assessment items.

Assessment

LATE ASSIGNMENTS
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 the Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information see the Blackboard site for this unit.

Assessment name: Examination
Description: (Formative and summative)
You will complete a short essay exam based on the unit content provided in Week One. There will be three questions and you will be expected to write 1000 words for each question (3000 words in total).
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 4, 5
Weight: 40%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

Assessment name: Audience Research Project
Description: (Formative and summative)
In a maximum of 3000 words, you are to conduct a qualitative study of household media use, and examine the ways in which 'old' and 'new' media are integrated into the household members' media consumption habits.
Relates to objectives: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
Weight: 60%
Internal or external: Internal
Group or individual: Individual
Due date: TBA

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

Due to the intensive nature of delivery, resource materials will be developed progressively.

Risk assessment statement

There are no out of the ordinary risks associated with 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: 29-Oct-2012