SPORT 203 : Sport, Media and Marketing

Education and Social Work

2023 Semester One (1233) (15 POINTS)

Course Prescription

Explores the roles and consequences of media representations of sport and physicality. Develops knowledge of the discourses that influence how sport, the body, and health are understood. Develops skills in marketing communications used to promote sport and physical wellbeing. Investigates issues emerging from the use of social media by sporting organisations, groups and individuals.

Course Overview

The course is designed to provide you with a theoretical and practical base from which to understand and better appreciate the media sport nexus. You will also have the opportunity to undertake independent research and create media content relevant to sport or physical education contexts. You do not have to be a sports fan or a competing athlete to do the course but you must be prepared to view mediated sport to deepen your understanding. You may want to attend live sporting events as well. You will learn how to write a sports column and will design your final research project around your own sporting/cultural knowledge or passions.

Course Requirements

No pre-requisites or restrictions

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
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will be able to:
  1. Understand key issues in sports media coverage of sport (Capability 2.1, 2.2, 4.1 and 6.1)
  2. Research and propose appropriate responses to a current issue in mediated sport, which may be useful to a sport, recreation or health organisation (Capability 1.2, 2.1, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 4.1, 5.1 and 6.2)
  3. Demonstrate the ability to produce effective media and/or marketing communications (Capability 1.1, 2.3, 3.1, 4.1, 5.1 and 5.2)

Assessments

Assessment Type Percentage Classification
Weekly quizzes 20% Individual Coursework
Column 35% Individual Coursework
Project 45% Group & Individual Coursework
Assessment Type Learning Outcome Addressed
1 2 3
Weekly quizzes
Column
Project
To pass this course, students must submit all assessments and achieve at least 50% for the overall course. 

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 face-t0-face interaction involving: 1) up 24 hours of lectures, divided between viewing pre-recorded material and in-class engagement, and 2) a weekly  1 hour tutorial. You are expected to commit 100-150 hours outside class, involving reading and thinking about the content, and working on assignments. You may wish to attend a live sports event to analyse and to better understand how sports  broadcasting is produced.

Delivery Mode

Campus Experience

Attendance is required 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 course will  likely include live online events, such as a discussion with sports broadcasters and/or sports journalists.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable delivery.

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.

Each week's learning resources will be a mix of required readings (included in the weekly quiz) and optional extension reading material that may be useful for your other assignments. Some weeks will include short videos that are required viewing for tutorials.

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.

The lectures in this course are c0-taught with COMMS 303, with separate SPORT 203 tutorials. The tutorials are scheduled in the city, close to the lecture time. Students reported enjoying the content and presentation of lecture materials and appreciated the ability to discuss and clarify lecture and reading content in the tutorials. On the basis of feedback from the 2022 cohort, one lecture topic has been replaced. Students also appreciated the opportunity to workshop their column and final project ideas in tutorials, and the  in-depth feedback on assignments, with one stating: "The feedback on assignments was great--best feedback I have received throughout uni and this is my fourth year".

To address the identified gap in baseline knowledge of media terminology between SPORT 203 and COMMS 303 students, the 2023 offering will continue to focus the first two  tutorials on understanding basic terminology and sports media concepts. Depending on numbers, SPORT 203 students may have the opportunity to experience live interviews at a sports event.  

Except for word count, the assignment content and focus is the same for SPORT 203 and COMMS 203

Other Information

The tutorial and lectures are offered on the City campus. In consultation with previous SPORT 203 students, the lecture and tutorial are offered on the same day.

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.

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

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.