Working in a Digital World

This course provides students with an understanding of how the digital world is engineered, and exposes them to a range of tools commonly used by knowledge workers. Students will learn to critically evaluate systems from both a technical and human point of view.

15 points

COSC 110, COSC101

Media Audiences

How does our media consumption shape our opinions, actions, identities and lives? How do audiences influence the production and circulation of media? How do we create our own media presence online, and act as an audience for each other? This course examines the relationship between audiences and media. We discuss theory and research that represents audiences as passive consumers of media products, active decoders of media texts, producers of our own representations online, and participants in interactive media production. The course looks at a broad range of media forms and content to reflect and build on your own experiences of being media audience members. "Media Audiences" will encourage you to reflect on your own relationship with media, and to consider the broader contexts that shape your listening, viewing, reading, and interaction. This course has on-campus and distance options. It has a one hour lecture and a two-hour workshop each week. The course includes group work in classes and for assessments, and requires active in-class engagement. You will advance core skills in reading and carrying out research, with reflection, collaborative work, networking, creativity, writing and presentation.

15 points

Any 15 points at 100 level from COMS or CULT, or any 60 points at 100 level from the Schedule V of the BA.

CULT201

Communicating with Data and Digital Media

This course introduces data communication techniques and topics, and will provide students with a toolkit to analyse and evaluate the use of data and digital platforms in a range of contexts, including data-driven social research and communication. We focus on the preparation and visualisation of tabular and social network data, writing and evaluating web content in relation to data practices, and critical topics such as privacy and the datafication of everyday life.

15 points

Any 60 points at 100-level.

Social Media

This course contains practical work in the community and groupwork. The course prepares students to do public communication in a rapidly changing media environment. The first half of the course explores how a range of social media platforms work and how professional communicators are attempting to use it. Topics include networks, online community, social media analytics and social media campaigns. In the second half of the course students apply these ideas in small-group projects for a community organisation or company. This course is available only to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Communication.

15 points

15 points COMS or 60 points BC Schedule V. Subject to approval by the Head of Department.

COMS222, COMS207