MEDIA 314 : Social Media

Arts

2024 Semester Two (1245) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Addresses issues related to the use of social media and considers in particular the influence of new media corporations such as Facebook, as well as platforms like Twitter, SnapChat, Tinder and YouTube. Explores our cultural practices and social rituals in relation to these peer-to-peer, one-to-many media technologies, and examines this revolution in the media landscape.

Course Overview

The rapid growth in social media since Facebook became public in 2006 has lead to significant changes in media ownership and broadcasting; interpersonal communication; journalism and publishing; politics and activism; marketing and promotion; conceptions of public and private; and the relation between online and offline. The course explores the rise of platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Discord, SnapChat, Tumblr, Tinder, Grinder, Pinterest, YouTube, TikTok and others to examine this important social and technological phenomenon.

We will consider the political economy of social media to look at the changing face of the media landscape as well as the important role social media play in the age of “Info-capitalism” and developments in the shape of capitalism more broadly. The course also explores the ways in which social media have become increasingly central to all aspects of everyday communication raising questions about networks, friendships, surveillance, data ownership, free labour, celebrity and branding.

The course is both theoretical and historical, and aims to enable certain practical skills in the use of social media for purposes of social and political advocacy.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: 30 points at Stage II in Communication or Media and Screen Studies Restriction: COMMS 204, MEDIA 214

Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: People and Place
Capability 2: Sustainability
Capability 3: Knowledge and Practice
Capability 4: Critical Thinking
Capability 5: Solution Seeking
Capability 6: Communication
Capability 7: Collaboration
Capability 8: Ethics and Professionalism
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Arts

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand and analyse the important role of participatory culture (Capability 1, 3 and 6)
  2. Explain the culture behind the social media revolution (Capability 3, 4 and 8)
  3. Evaluate the role attention plays in the current economy (Capability 2, 3, 4 and 8)
  4. Develop critical awareness of the affordances of the different platforms (Capability 3, 4 and 5)
  5. Develop knowledge of important issues around surveillance and data ownership (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 8)
  6. Develop a critical understanding of micro-celebrity and self-branding (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 5)
  7. Demonstrate knowledge of the ways social media are used in interpersonal relations (Capability 1, 3, 4, 6 and 7)
  8. Be able to plan social marketing campaigns (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 8)
  9. Identify, explain and evaluate the complex role of users and user generated content (Capability 1, 3, 4 and 7)
  10. Demonstrate an understanding of of the ways social media may be used to address issues specific to Aotearoa New Zealand (Capability 1, 2, 5 and 8)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Project proposal 20% Individual Coursework
Critical essay 30% Individual Coursework
Project portfolio 50% Individual Coursework

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15-point course. The University of Auckland imagines that students spend 10 hours per week on a 15-point course.

For this course, you can expect 2 hours of lectures and a 1-hour tutorial each week of semester. The rest of the time you have available should be spent reading, viewing, thinking, making notes about the content, and working on the assessment. 

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required (but not compulsory) at scheduled activities including tutorials to complete components of the course.

Lectures will be available as recordings. Other learning activities including tutorials will not be available as recordings.

The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.

Learning 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.

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.

None. Students broadly had a positive response to the 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 for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.

Class Representatives

Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.

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 course assessment continues to meet the principles of the University’s assessment policy. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator/director, 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 students may be asked to submit 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. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.

Published on 14/11/2023 02:57 p.m.