COMMS 302 : Visual Communication

Arts

2021 Semester One (1213) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Provides students the tools for communicating with various kinds of visual images and objects. These may include brands, logos, graphics, photographs, advertisements, promos, paintings, cartoons, maps, architecture and architectural diagrams. Students will interrogate their culturally specific visual competencies and refine their skills in visual literacy while addressing issues of textuality, identity, ethnicity, nation, class, gender, and communicative inter-relationships more generally.

Course Overview

Visual culture is not just part of our everyday lives, it is our everyday lives. This course introduces students to the practices, technologies and knowledges through which visual imagery is constructed. It aims to provide students with the tools for analysing and communicating with various kinds of visual images and objects. These may include brands, logos, informational graphics, photographs, advertisements, promos, paintings, cartoons, comics, emoji, films, maps, architecture and architectural diagrams. 
 
The course begins with the physiology of seeing and the way our brains process visual images. We then move on to examine the different theories of visual communication (gestalt, constructivist, ecological, semiotics and cognitive theory) and principles of visual composition. We also consider how important seeing is for truth and knowledge and why and how we get pleasure from seeing. The second half of the course looks at different "regimes" of the image: painting and photography, film and television, comics, digital images and advertising. 
 
Overall, the course encourages students to interrogate their culturally specific visual competencies and refine their skills in visual literacy while addressing issues of visual textuality and composition, identity, ethnicity, nation, class, gender and communicative interrelationships more generally. 
 
Course goals 
  • Gain an understanding of the physiological and cognitive aspects of seeing
  •  Learn theories scholars have developed to explain visual communication 
  • Learn to analyse and critique visual messages 
  • Develop skills in producing visual messages

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: ARTHIST 115 and 30 points from BA courses, or 15 points from COMMS 200-208 and 15 points from BA courses

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Gain an understanding of the physiological and cognitive aspects of seeing. (Capability 1.2)
  2. Learn theories scholars have developed to explain visual communication. (Capability 1.1 and 2.1)
  3. Learn to analyse and critique visual messages. (Capability 2.2, 3.1 and 4.2)
  4. Develop skills in producing visual messages. (Capability 2.3, 3.2, 4.2 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Quizzes 40% Individual Coursework
Presentation 20% Group Coursework
Project 40% Individual Coursework

Next offered

2021

Module


Week 1
What we see: Elements of visual communication

Week 2
How we see: Sensory theories of visual communication

Week 3
How we see: Perceptual theories of communication

Week 4
Why we see: Image or Imagination

Week 5
Why we see: Visual pleasure

Week 6
Why we see what we see: Principles of composition

Multiple-choice test on Weeks 1-6.

Week 7
Still images: Painting and photography

Week 8
Moving images: Film and television

Week 9
Narrative images: Comics

Week 10
Selling the Visual: Advertising, brands and logos

Week 11
Digital images:

Week 12
A society of the spectacle

Multiple-choice test on Weeks 7-12.

Final Project.

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures, a 1 hour tutorial, 3 hours of reading and thinking about the content and 4 hours of work on assignments and/or test preparation.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience or Online

This course is offered in two delivery modes:

Campus Experience

Attendance is expected at scheduled activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events including group discussions.
Attendance on campus is not required for the tests.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Online

Attendance is expected at scheduled online activities including tutorials to receive credit for components of the course.
The course will include live online events including tutorials and these will be recorded.
Attendance on campus is not required for the tests.
Where possible, study material will be released progressively throughout the course.
This course runs to the University semester/quarter timetable and all the associated completion dates and deadlines will apply.

Student Feedback

At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.

Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.

Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.

Digital Resources

Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).

Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.

Lectures are not recorded for this course.

Academic Integrity

The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed against online source material using computerised detection mechanisms.

Inclusive Learning

All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.

Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz

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 https://canvas.auckland.ac.nz/courses/33894, which has links to various support services in the University and the wider community.

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.

This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.

Learning Continuity

In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.

Student Charter and Responsibilities

The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.

Disclaimer

Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.

In this course you may be asked to submit your coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. The final decision on the completion mode for a test or examination, and remote invigilation arrangements where applicable, will be advised to students at least 10 days prior to the scheduled date of the assessment, or in the case of an examination when the examination timetable is published.

Published on 06/01/2021 09:23 a.m.