CURRENT ISSUES IN DIGITAL SOCIETIES - 2023/4
Module code: SOC1045
Module Overview
The module will examine different case studies of new
media developments in relation to media technologies,
media organisations, media participation and the
relationship between media production and consumption.
The module will critically evaluate different approaches to
contemporary issues in media and communication, and
examine the strengths and weaknesses of these different
approaches.
Module provider
Sociology
Module Leader
MUIR Robyn (Sociology)
Number of Credits: 15
ECTS Credits: 7.5
Framework: FHEQ Level 4
Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A
Overall student workload
Independent Learning Hours: 106
Lecture Hours: 11
Seminar Hours: 11
Guided Learning: 11
Captured Content: 11
Module Availability
Semester 2
Prerequisites / Co-requisites
None
Module content
Indicative content includes:
- Key approaches to convergence, participation, interactivity and identity
- The relationship between production and consumption in the convergences of mass and new media
- The reconfiguration of technologies, organisations and users/participants in empirical case studies of emerging mediated practices.
Assessment pattern
Assessment type | Unit of assessment | Weighting |
---|---|---|
Coursework | Employability Exercise | 30 |
Coursework | Case Study Exercise | 70 |
Alternative Assessment
Alternative resits are available for both components
Assessment Strategy
The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their subject specific knowledge and cognitive/analytic skills (LO 1-5) and to hone their employability skills.
The summative assessment for this module consists of:
An employability exercise (30%)
A case study assignment (70%)
Module aims
- Provide a broad overview of key debates about the relationships between mass media, new media, their convergences and
emerging practices - Introduce theoretical approaches to recent developments in media culture, including notions of convergence, developing
understandings of the relationship between production and consumption, questions of participation and interactivity - Apply theoretical and analytical approaches to empirical examples of contemporary media practice including, for
example, online participatory cultures, social networking, and transformations in the development and use of established
forms of media such as television and newspapers
Learning outcomes
Attributes Developed | ||
001 | Demonstrate an understanding of a range of contemporary developments in the world of media and communication and of their potential socio-cultural significance | KC |
002 | Evaluate different theoretical arguments about recent media developments, including those relating to convergence (and divergence), media participation and media interactivity. | KC |
003 | Articulate and discuss the relationship between different approaches to 21st century media | KC |
004 | Critically discuss different approaches to new media with respect to empirical examples and case studies | KC |
005 | Demonstrate the acquisition and development of essay writing skills | PT |
Attributes Developed
C - Cognitive/analytical
K - Subject knowledge
T - Transferable skills
P - Professional/Practical skills
Methods of Teaching / Learning
The learning and teaching strategy is designed to:
Each 2 hour session is designed to foster understanding of key developments in contemporary Media and Communication Studies through lectures and group learning activities. Lectures focus upon providing a core background, enthusing students about the significance and importance of the topics and arguments and enabling the understanding of core concepts and examples. Seminars enable students to develop greater depth of understanding through practical exercises and discussions centred on reading and connecting to key concepts from the lecture.
The learning and teaching methods include:
11 x 2 hour sessions consisting of lectures, discussion, group work and learning activities.
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.
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: SOC1045
Other information
None
Programmes this module appears in
Programme | Semester | Classification | Qualifying conditions |
---|---|---|---|
Media and Communication BSc (Hons) | 2 | Compulsory | A weighted aggregate mark of 40% is required to pass the module |
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 2023/4 academic year.