| Semester 1, 2021 Online | |
| Short Description: | Understanding Media |
| Units : | 1 |
| Faculty or Section : | Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts |
| School or Department : | School of Humanities & Communication |
| Student contribution band : | 2021 Grandfather Funding Cl 1 |
| ASCED code : | 100799 - Communication and Media Studie |
| Grading basis : | Graded |
Staffing
Examiner:
Requisites
Enrolment is not permitted in MSD1000 if CMS1012 has been previously completed.
Rationale
The media has never been more central to the way most of us live our lives. Our working lives can occur through email, Zoom, or LinkedIn; our personal lives through smartphones, Facebook, or Instagram; and our leisure through Hollywood, Netflix, or PlayStations. In this course, students will be introduced to how the media work and begin to develop a critical literacy and knowledge of how the media shapes meanings and values in society, offering an important starting point for preparing them for work and life in a society structured through media.
Synopsis
This course offers a foundational scholarly context for the study of media. Students explore a range of media texts, forms, and systems and survey key concepts and debates about the media. By developing media literacy, students will critically engage with the media and develop skills and knowledge that will complement study in any area that works within or uses media, both at university or as part of their employment.
Objectives
On successful completion of this course students should be able to:
- discuss a diverse range of media;
- identify different ways of thinking about media and media audiences;
- use and clearly communicate key disciplinary terms in appropriate ways;
- ethically apply select concepts and approaches to media analysis.
Topics
| Description | Weighting(%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | The media | 25.00 |
| 2. | Media studies | 25.00 |
| 3. | Media audiences | 25.00 |
| 4. | Analysing media | 25.00 |
Text and materials required to be purchased or accessed
ALL textbooks and materials available to be purchased can be sourced from (unless otherwise stated). (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/textbooks/?year=2021&sem=01&subject1=MSD1000)
Please for alternative purchase options from USQ Bookshop. (https://omnia.usq.edu.au/info/contact/)
Reference materials
Student workload expectations
| Activity | Hours |
|---|---|
| Directed Study | 39.00 |
| Independent Study | 126.00 |
Assessment details
| Description | Marks out of | Wtg (%) | Due Date | Objectives Assessed | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDIA JOURNAL | 100 | 35 | 24 Mar 2021 | 1,2 | |
| QUIZ | 100 | 20 | 21 Apr 2021 | 1,2,3 | |
| ESSAY | 100 | 45 | 26 May 2021 | 1,3,4 |
Important assessment information
-
Attendance requirements:
There are no attendance requirements for this course. However, it is the students’ responsibility to study all material provided to them or required to be accessed by them to maximise their chance of meeting the objectives of the course and to be informed of course-related activities and administration. -
Requirements for students to complete each assessment item satisfactorily:
To satisfactorily complete an individual assessment item a student must achieve at least 50% of the marks for that item. Depending upon the requirements in Statement 4 below, students may not have to satisfactorily complete each assessment item to receive a passing grade in this course. -
Penalties for late submission of required work:
Students should refer to the Assessment Procedure (point 4.2.4) -
Requirements for student to be awarded a passing grade in the course:
To be assured of receiving a passing grade a student must achieve at least 50% of the total weighted marks available for the course. -
Method used to combine assessment results to attain final grade:
The final grades for students will be assigned on the basis of the aggregate of the weighted marks obtained for each of the summative items for the course. -
Examination information:
There is no examination in this course. -
Examination period when Deferred/Supplementary examinations will be held:
There is no examination in this course, there will be no deferred or supplementary examinations. -
University Student Policies:
Students should read the USQ policies: Definitions, Assessment and Student Academic Misconduct to avoid actions which might contravene University policies and practices. These policies can be found at .
Assessment notes
-
Referencing in assignments must comply with the Harvard (AGPS) referencing system. This system should be used by students to format details of the information sources they have cited in their work. The Harvard (APGS) style to be used is defined by the USQ library’s referencing guide. This guide can be found at .
Evaluation and benchmarking
In meeting the University’s aims to establish quality learning and teaching for all programs, this course monitors and ensures quality assurance and improvements in at least two ways. This course:
1. conforms to the USQ Policy on Evaluation of Teaching, Courses and Programs to ensure ongoing monitoring and systematic improvement.
2. forms part of the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Communication and Media and is benchmarked against the internal USQ accreditation/reaccreditation processes which include (i) stringent standards in the independent accreditation of its academic programs, (ii) close integration between business and academic planning, and (iii) regular and rigorous review.