Unit Information Form (UIF) UIF0708

The UIF provides essential information to students, staff teams and others on a particular unit. Please
refer to the University’s Guidance notes on Unit Information Forms before completing the details
below

SECTION 1 - Changes made to Section 1 of the UIF will require Faculty level approval. If substantial
changes to Units/Courses are required, consult with Sub Dean (Quality Enhancement) for advice

Unit Name Online: Industry and/or Community?

Unit Code

Level M

Credit Value 15

Location of Delivery Park Square

This unit will build on the critical skills you will have developed in
the first part of the course to ensure that you can evaluate and
critique developments in online media. You will focus on current
and emerging trends (eg. Web 2.0, the semantic web, web as
Summary/Overview platform etc.) and, through participation in an online community,
you will form your own ideas about the social, economic, cultural
and political relationships between established media industries,
new media startups and emerging community-based activities.

• To expose you to emerging research-informed trends in

new media
• To develop your skills in interacting with a diverse and
distributed online community
Aims • To build on your existing critical skills to ensure that you
can synthesis new strategies and approaches to analyzing
new media

Core Learning Outcomes

Assessment Criteria
Learning Outcomes
To achieve the learning outcome you must
On completion of this unit you should be able to:
demonstrate the ability to:

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 Participate, as an effective contributor, in an
online community
1
As a fully independent learner, assimilate and
2 critique future trends in new media as they
emerge.
Contribute innovative and imaginative ideas
within a professional new media context
3
Apply general approaches to media analysis to
4 new media
5
Engage productively within a distributed online
community and work with others to generate and
share innovative and conceptually sound ideas
that build the community.
Identify the political, social, cultural, economic and
ethical issues presented by new media
developments and to propose solutions
Understand the drivers and constraints within a
new media professional environment and to drive
the organisation forward accounting for these
factors
Identify conceptual links across a range of media
theories and their application to novel media
products and services
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SECTION 2 - Any changes made to Section 2 of the UIF will normally require Faculty level approval

Period of delivery Spring Term

Must have studied Interface Design for the Web or the equivalent
Pre-requisites/Restrictions
Activity Notional Learning Hours
Lectures
Seminars/tutorials 15
Lab/Field work
Workshops
Student Activity
Rehearsals
Assessment 5
(10 notional learning hours = 1 credit)
e-learning 65
Self-directed study 65
Group work
Other (specify)
Total 150
The primary vehicle for learning will be a distributed online
community based around this unit. You will evaluate currently
available online networking and collaboration tools and then
deploy your online presence using suitable sites. Whilst centred
on this unit you will be encouraged to build productive links with
other online communities with similar interests. We will meet
together at the start of the unit for series of short intensive
Approach to Learning seminars to prime the community and ensure that you are clear
about what is required. The boundaries between physical and
online learning spaces will be blurred through the use of
ubiquitous online presence, back channels and distributed
interaction. Throughout the unit you will be expected to explore
and evaluate any emerging trends that impact on the area and to
read background material. The teaching staff will be full
participants in the community throughout.
Skills Development
Communication
To help with the development of this you will

Participate in an online community

Information Literacy
To help with the development of this you will:-

Acquire Web 2.0 production and distribution skills

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:-

Evaluate blogs and news sites that report on new media trends

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:-

Be required to challenge the accepted norms within new media

and submit your own new ideas to critical review by your peers
in an online community.

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 Your contribution to the online community will be assessed. This
will be based on the level of regular engagement with the
community, the quality of your contributions and your
constructive engagement with the contributions of others. You
Assessment Strategy
will be expected to direct the community to examples of practice
that illustrate your contribution. You will also be required to
submit an essay that reflects on the overall success of the
community and your contribution to it.

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 Learning Outcomes Submission week
Assessment Description of Assessment Weight Assessed
No (assignments) or
Method* Method %
1 2 3 4 5 6 length (exam)
1 OT Contribution to Online 70 X X X X 27
Community
2 OT Essay 30 X X 30

*The following codes for assessment methods apply:-

AR artefact PC practical
CB computer-based PF performance
CS case study PL placement
DI dissertation or project PO portfolio
EX exam PR presentation
GR group report RE individual report
IT in-unit test OR oral
LR literature review OT other

SECTION 3 - Once initial approval of the unit has been given, the Unit Co-ordinator may make
changes to this section, following appropriate consultation

Outline Teaching Schedule

The initial seminars will survey current trends in new media and discuss the characteristics of online
communities. As a group, you will agree the foundations for the community and kick start it. Once established,
the teaching staff will seed the community with issues and questions (eg. Web 2.0, the semantic web,
mashups, web as platform, aggregation, Web 2.0 startups and VC, metaverses, UGC, ownership and control
viral campaigns etc.)

Recommended Resources

Essential

http://www.techcrunch.com/
http://technorati.com/

Background

Jones B.L., Web 2.0 Heroes: Interviews with 20 Web 2.0 Influencers, John Wiley, 2008

Tapscott D., Williams A., Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything, Atlantic Books, 2007

Surowiecki, J., The Wisdom of Crowds: Why the Many Are Smarter Than the Few, Abacus, 2005

Chester J., Digital Destiny: New Media and the Future of Democracy, The New Press, 2008

Antoniou G, Harmelen F., A Semantic Web Primer, MIT Press, 2008

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SECTION 4 – Administrative Information

Faculty CATS

Field Postgraduate Media

Department/School/Division MAD

Unit Co-ordinator Peter Dean

Version Number 1

Body approving this version FTQSC

Date of University approval of this

version (dd/mm/yyyy)

Shared Units – Indicate below all courses which include this Unit in their diet
MA Media, Culture and Technology
MA Mass Communications

Form completed by:

Name: …………Peter Dean…………………………….. Date: …………22 April 2008…………

Authorisation on behalf of the Faculty Teaching Quality and Standards Committee (FTQSC)

Chair: ………………………………………………………… Date: …..…………………………………….

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Unit Updates
Date
Nature of Update FTQSC Minute Ref:
(dd/mm/yyyy)

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