Unit rationale, description and aim
Contemporary workplaces rely on a sophisticated understanding of social media. Social media can help with professional interaction, be used to disseminate news and information, and assist with decision making. A critical awareness of how different types of social media function is imperative. This unit explores online media platforms and provides students with the opportunity to gain practical and critical skills for effective creation and insightful analysis within this environment. Constructing content for delivery on social media platforms and communicating with diverse audiences using these platforms are key activities for media and communication professionals and important for anyone communicating with the public. This unit explores the ways in which social media platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have revolutionised the media communication landscape. Students consider the implications of these changes and learn to use social media for professional communication. The aim of Social Media Communication is to provide students with the means to become critical content users and producers across a range of significant social media platforms.
Campus offering
No unit offerings are currently available for this unit.Learning outcomes
To successfully complete this unit you will be able to demonstrate you have achieved the learning outcomes (LO) detailed in the below table.
Each outcome is informed by a number of graduate capabilities (GC) to ensure your work in this, and every unit, is part of a larger goal of graduating from ACU with the attributes of insight, empathy, imagination and impact.
Explore the graduate capabilities.
Explain theories, principles, and concepts relatin...
Learning Outcome 01
Analyse the role and impact of social media on cul...
Learning Outcome 02
Investigate perspectives on social media cultures
Learning Outcome 03
Create and organise content for publication on soc...
Learning Outcome 04
Apply ethical perspectives in the analysis and cre...
Learning Outcome 05
Content
Topics may include:
- Social media platforms and emerging notions of digital participation.
- Critical thinking and evaluation of social media.
- Communities of practice and information bubbles.
- Monitoring performance and response.
- Government platforms and considerations:
- Inclusive communication and accessibility.
- Consumerism and influencers.
- Social media activism.
- Trolling, disinformation, gaslighting: contested social media.
- Multi-modal communication: words and images.
- Research techniques and information gathering for communicating on social media.
- Indigenous social media.
Assessment strategy and rationale
Assessments have been developed to meet the unit learning outcomes and develop graduate attributes consistent with University assessment requirements.
Students are encouraged in assessment one to locate and analyse how a particular social media platform operates in terms of creation, payment, audience reach and level of interaction. This will require students to think analytically about social media from a variety of perspectives.
The second assessment requires students to engage with some of the emerging theoretical approaches to social media. This will leverage the learning from the first assessment but here the student will focus on a particular theoretical aspect of how social media works in an investigation of a social media presence or campaign. This will build analytic and research capacity in the student . It will also help prepare them how to think strategically and ethically when engaged in the third assessment.
In the third assessment, students can practice creating and curating content for a number of social media platforms. This assessment will include a short reflection which will build on the analysis conducted in assessment 2.
Overview of assessments
SOCIAL MEDIA INVESTIGATION Investigate and criti...
SOCIAL MEDIA INVESTIGATION
Investigate and critique social media, examining its dynamics of creation and reception.
20%
ANALYTIC TASK Analyse a case study of a particul...
ANALYTIC TASK
Analyse a case study of a particular social media site or event.
40%
PRACTICAL TASK Create and curate content for a n...
PRACTICAL TASK
Create and curate content for a number of social media platforms
40%
Learning and teaching strategy and rationale
This unit immerses students in active learning by facilitating the development of an understanding of communicative strategies within real-world contexts. The unit engages students in inquiry-based learning, a research-based strategy that actively involves students in the exploration of the content, issues, and the role of communication. Students in this unit will develop skills in applying a range of communication theories to case studies. Students will also participate in active learning through the creation of social media campaigns and strategies.