COMS305-26S1 (C) Semester One 2026

Communicating Social Change

30 points

Details:
Start Date: Monday, 16 February 2026
End Date: Sunday, 21 June 2026
Withdrawal Dates
Last Day to withdraw from this course:
  • Without financial penalty (full fee refund): Sunday, 1 March 2026
  • Without academic penalty (including no fee refund): Sunday, 10 May 2026

Description

This course analyses the role of the media in social change and question whether media can, in fact, produce consensus within society, and if those changes are controllable by the artist/writer/producer, the audience, or the state. It does this by exploring theoretical underpinnings of societal shifts through the framework of the media as an important institution in society and in the construction of social reality. The course will invite students to further understand the role of the media in power relations by analysing such notions and processes as ideology, hegemony, representations, and media ethics. This course includes group work and requires active in-class engagement. This is not a distance course. This course has a strongly practical focus that requires active in-class engagement. This course requires students to create and share work with others, in order to learn from and support each other.

Learning Outcomes

University Graduate Attributes

This course will provide students with an opportunity to develop the Graduate Attributes specified below:

Critically competent in a core academic discipline of their award

Students know and can critically evaluate and, where applicable, apply this knowledge to topics/issues within their majoring subject.

Employable, innovative and enterprising

Students will develop key skills and attributes sought by employers that can be used in a range of applications.

Globally aware

Students will comprehend the influence of global conditions on their discipline and will be competent in engaging with global and multi-cultural contexts.

Prerequisites

Any 30 points at 200 level from COMS, or
any 60 points at 200 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

Timetable 2026

Students must attend one activity from each section.

Lecture A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Monday 10:00 - 12:00 Elsie Locke 104A
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 26 Apr
4 May - 31 May
Lecture B
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 14:00 - 16:00 Elsie Locke 104A
16 Feb - 29 Mar
20 Apr - 24 May

Examinations, Quizzes and Formal Tests

Test A
Activity Day Time Location Weeks
01 Wednesday 14:00 - 16:00 Elsie Locke 104A
25 May - 31 May

Course Administrator

Linda Jean Kenix

Assessment

Assessment Due Date Percentage  Description
Maker's Space Creation & Share 2.5% Fri 21 Feb: Creation and Monday 24 Feb: up to 1 minute share
Portfolio Tasks 15% 3 at 5% each. Select Wednesdays at 11.59pm
Mentoring Reflection 5% Wed 21 May by 11.59pm
In-class Team Quizzes 15% 3 at 5% each. Unnanounced on Fridays during entire Semester
In-Class "What if" mini essays 15% 3 at 5% each. Unnanounced on Thursdays during entire Semester
In-class team debates 10% 4 at 2.5% each. Planned during Semester on Mondays
Individual Tutorial with Professor Week 4 and 5
Team presentation plan 01 May 2025 2.5% Wednesday 2 March 2025, week 7 by 11.59pm
In-Class Team Presentation 16 May 2025 20% Friday 16 May 2025, Week 10
In-Class test 30 May 2025 15% Friday 30 May 2025, Week 12

Indicative Fees

Domestic fee $1,896.00

International fee $8,525.00

* All fees are inclusive of NZ GST or any equivalent overseas tax, and do not include any programme level discount or additional course-related expenses.

For further information see Language, Social and Political Sciences .

All COMS305 Occurrences

  • COMS305-26S1 (C) Semester One 2026
  • COMS305-26S2 (C) Semester Two 2026 - Not Offered
Previous year