Monash University Handbook 2010 Undergraduate - Unit

Synopsis

This unit addresses the key issues of: media audiences and audience activity;the relations between media, citizenship and community; and the impact of new communication technologies. Most importantly, it makes available to you the techniques and theoretical frameworks for researching and analyzing audience activity and interactivity. It also helps you learn how these frameworks can be deployed in research design. The unit is organized in three blocks: ways of being an audience, ways of theorizing audiences, and ways of researching audiences.

Objectives

On successful completion of this unit students will be able to:
1) demonstrate a basic grasp of the social conditions, material practices, products and outcomes of various media; 2) demonstrate an awareness of the connections between communications technologies and the formation of audiences, citizens and communities; 3) utilise the understandings in Objectives 1 and 2 to describe and analyse historical, current and likely future trends in audience formations; 4) identify and evaluate a range of theoretical approaches to understanding audiences; 5)demonstrate basic knowledge of some audience research techniques, issues and choices; and 6) utilize the understandings in Objectives 4 and 5 to design a basic research project.

Assessment

Participation in online discussion group (500 words): 10%
Research design proposal (2000 words): 50%
Exam (2 hours): 40%

Chief examiner(s)

Sue Yell

Contact hours

2 hours (1 x 2 hour seminar) per week

This unit applies to the following area(s) of study

Communications

Prerequisites

COM1010 and COM1020 or equivalents

Prohibitions

GSC3402, GSC3423, COM3423