Course syllabus

 

SEMESTER 1, 2020

15 points

 

Well-being always comes first We all go through tough times during the semester, or see our friends struggling. There is lots of help out there - for more information, look at this Canvas page, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

 

Boost your BA Degree and prepare  for the world of work with our CAREER elective courses!! Available now for Semester 2, 2020 FIND OUT MORE

 

COMMS 100 Online Teaching Protocol: Please read carefully

Comms 100 Online Teaching information.pdf

 

COURSE CONVENOR
Dr. Jenny Stümer
Email: jenny.stuemer@auckland.ac.nz
Semester 1 office hour: Tuesdays 11-12
Office: Room 526, Human Sciences Building (201E)

 

GRADUATE TEACHING ASSISTANTS (TUTORS):

Amy Taylor (head tutor): atay811@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Laura Bunting: lbun626@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Jonathan Buckman: jbuc436@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Grace Watson: gwat400@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Erin Rogatski: erog844@aucklanduni.ac.nz

 

GET IN TOUCH DURING YOUR NORMAL TUTORIAL HOURS VIA ZOOM

Sign up for a Zoom Q and A session here

Find out your schedule and who your tutor is: Tutorial Schedule COMMS 100 Semester 1_2020 .pdf

 

 

TUAKANA MENTOR

Kura Turuwhenua: ktur869@aucklanduni.c.nz

For information about Tuākana click here.

Tuākana Online hub: https://sites.google.com/aucklanduni.ac.nz/tuakanaarts2020/contact-us

 

Class reps:

Noureen Koorimannil Vallyamannil: nkoo642@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Fravash Irani: fravash983@gmail.com

 

COURSE DELIVERY FORMAT AND TIMETABLE
2 hours of lectures and 1 hour of tutorial
Lectures: Wednesdays 3-5 pm, Room 098 in the Owen G. Glenn Building
Tutorials: check Student Services OnlineLinks to an external site. for details (tutorials begin in Week 1) 

(Timetable and room details can be viewed on Student Services OnlineLinks to an external site.)

PLEASE NOTE THAT TUTORIALS WILL BE TAUGHT CONSECUTIVELY AFTER THE LECTURE (This means tutorials start on Thursday and end on Wednesday (rather than Monday - Friday). If your tutorial is scheduled on Thursdays or Fridays your first Tutorial will be in week 1 after the lecture. If your tutorial is scheduled on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, your first tutorial will be early in week 2 before the second lecture.

 

COURSE DESCRIPTION          

Media and communication are big business, and digital media are especially consuming presences in our daily lives. But to what extent do they shape our beliefs, behaviours and politics? Do we live in a more informed and transparent society thanks to the proliferation of digital media, or do we live in a polarized and divided culture as a result? When our everyday lives are digitally recorded and saved, do we enjoy new forms of free expression, are we subjected to new forms of governance and control, or is it some combination of the two?

We will explore the past, present and future of media and communication. In particular, this course highlights the radical changes brought about by the development and diffusion of new media technologies and their interconnection to race, class and gender. It explores the impact these changes have had upon media and communication industries, the content they produce and the audiences and users they serve. We will consider approaches to media texts as well as cultural and technological contexts (including smart technology, A.I. and algorithmic cultures). We will look at information (including social media and news) as well as popular media in order to make sense of media and communication technology in the context of politics and culture.

The course is designed for anyone with an interest in media and communication, regardless of whether you have previously studied these subjects. Key concepts are introduced via case studies, placing special emphasis on a range of current controversies.

The University of Auckland's expectation is that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course, including time in class and personal study. Students should manage their academic workload and other commitments accordingly. Deadlines for coursework are set by course convenors and will be advertised in course material. You should submit your work on time. Late assignments without a pre-approved extension will be penalised by loss of marks (1 mark/point per day).

In some circumstances you may seek an extension but you will need to personally negotiated with your Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) before the assignment is due. Extensions must be approved in writing (e.g. via email) by your GTA or lecturer. You should write "Extension approved by [GTA's name]" at the top of your assignment.

There should be a good reason for seeking an extension (e.g. illness, family emergency, etc.) and it will be up to your tutor or the lecturer to determine whether your situation warrants more time for the assignment. In general, we can only help you, if we know what is going on, so please come and talk to us.

An assignment submitted after the marked assignments have been returned to students, but before the end of the teaching semester will not be marked. However, it may be used for consideration of final marks. It is better to hand in a late assignment by the end of the teaching semester (Friday 5 June) than no assignment at all.

 

SUBMISSION OF COURSEWORK
All coursework will be submitted online via Canvas (uploading to Canvas will also submit the work to Turnitin.com).

Please do not submit directly to Turnitin but always go through Canvas. See individual assignments for submission requirements and deadlines. We cannot accept and will not mark work submitted in hard copy.

 

FINAL EXAM
You must sit the final exam in order to pass this course. You will be given guidance on the exam and how to prepare in the final lecture of the course. It's essential you attend this exam preparation lecture. Exam timetables are published nearer the time. You will need to visit Student Services Online to get this information. Information about exam regulations, what to do if you are late for or miss and exam, how to apply for aegrotat or compassionate consideration etc. can all be found at the Examinations website.

 

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
This University (and the staff teaching this course) take any form of academic dishonesty (e.g. plagiarism) extremely seriously and it is compulsory for all incoming students to complete a short academic integrity module — see here for details [NB It is essential that you read this : ignorance of the requirements will not be considered a defence in cases of academic misconduct].

 

LECTURE RECORDINGS
While we will post lecture recordings on Canvas, this is never a substitute for lecture attendance. We cannot guarantee that the recording technology will work smoothly each week or that recordings will be made available before the relevant tutorial (at which you will be required to discuss issues raised in the lecture). We may also edit material out for copyright reasons. International research has shown that students learn more effectively by using recordings to supplement in-class learning e.g. for clarifying or revising specific material, rather than relying on them as an alternative to attendance. We expect to see you in class each week!