AUDIENCES AND USERS IN MEDIA AND COMMUNICATION - 2020/1

Module Overview

This module examines the critical role played by audiences and users in contemporary media-saturated societies. It traces key developments in audience research by focusing on the theme of ‘transformations’ – tracing changes in media environments, audience practices and key debates, disagreements and shifting priorities in the 6 decade long history of audience research. The module considers the cultural, social and economic significance of ‘the audience’ and explores how the concept of the audience has shifted over time. It makes use of international case studies from print to broadcast to digital and mobile technologies and introduces students to a wide variety of methods of audience research. It incorporates the newer, related field of media and digital literacies and emphasizes the continuing relevance of audiences in a changing media environment.

Module provider

Sociology

Module Leader

WEIDHASE Nathalie (Sociology)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 5

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Semester 1

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

None

Module content

Indicative content includes:

• Audiences and users in media and communication


• The long history of audiences: From passivity to activity Television and active audiences


• Key voices in the field


• New media and the challenge of changing audiences


• DIY Audience Research


• A transformative decade for transforming audiences


• Mobiles, gaming and the Internet of Things: Where next for audiences?


• Still a very Western field?


• Why study audiences?

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

N/A

Assessment Strategy

The summative assessment for this module consists of:

An essay of 2000 words and a written exam. The essay will be a 2000 word submission developing answers to designated essay questions, outlining and making critical use of relevant audience research literature, theories and methods. This will involve the application of the relevant lecture content in the module. The exam will assess students’ knowledge and critical analysis of key theories, arguments, paradigms and projects within the field.

Formative assessment and feedback

Students will be given feedback during class discussions, and will be given the opportunity for feedback on a plan for their summative essay

Module aims

• Provide an introduction to a range of theoretical approaches to the study of media audiences and users in the context of
  transforming media environments
• Enable students to critically evaluate and analyse audience research methods, concepts, theories and the relevance of
  audience analysis.
  
• Provide students with the theoretical and methodological tools with which to design and conduct their own audience
  research projects.

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to: enable students to engage critically with the module content and reading, encouraging active participation and independent thinking.

The learning and teaching methods include:

• 11 x 2 hour weekly sessions, integrating lecture, discussion and group activities consisting of 1 hour of interactive lecturing in each session and 1 hour of class discussion and activities in total each week.


• 1 x 2 hour workshop on designing audience research projects

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: SOC2087

Other information

None

Programmes this module appears in

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2020/1 academic year.