50105 Communication and Information Environments

Handbook description

The subject examines the communication and information environments in which Australians live. It takes a strongly empirical approach, and introduces different ways of approaching and analysing the available evidence. It takes a broad and inclusive approach to the definition of communication and information, and identifies three distinct aspects for inquiry: the political economy of production (how are communication and information products produced, in what organisational and economic contexts, and for what purposes); the social history of media and communication (using an historical lens to explore the evolving character of our communication and information environments); and issues in contemporary communication and information environments (a deeper look at some current controversies in the field of communication and information). The Australian situation is placed in its international context, and with reference to the changing roles of digital technologies, public and private sector production/distribution and the role of governments.

Subject objectives/outcomes

On completion of this subject students are expected to be able to:

1. analyse the major issues that arise in the study of communication and information environments using the key concepts of the field;
2. relate major issues in communication and information environments to their own life experiences;
3. use print and electronic resources critically;
4. research and write a reflective report and an essay
5. be able to negotiate the plurality and diversity of both the theoretical perspectives studied and the ways their teachers and peers engage differently with the subject.

Contribution to graduate profile

This subject primarily contributes to the students' professional capacity to research communication and information environments to gain a general appreciation of the communication and information environment in which they operate key concepts used to analyse and explain the workings of these environments. In addition, it contributes to the students' intellectual capabilities in analysis and comprehension, and their personal capacity to read critically research, ability to evaluate electronic resources and write for different genres.

Teaching and learning strategies

This subject will comprise a set of lectures and interactive discussions which systematically introduce the subject matter of the subject and give an explication of the main concepts needed to understand and analyse contemporary communication and information environments. There will be thirteen weekly tutorials in which a variety of learning activities occur, including small and large group discussions, based on previous reading and online discussion, hypotheticals, debates and specific skills workshops, such as essay-writing workshops.

You will have the opportunity to shape your learning in Part Three of the program by selecting from a series of podcasts and interactive discussions ("town meetings") on issues of convergence in contemporary communication and information environments. Each podcast and town meeting will be associated with a set of readings and background information.

Content

The subject first examines the political economy of contemporary communication and information environments (how is their production and circulation explained; how are communication and information products produced, in what organisational and economic contexts, and for what purposes?). It then looks briefly at the historical background to modern forms of communication and information to explore how these modern contexts evolved. Lastly the subject deals with some current controversies and issues in the field of communication and information and introduces some conceptual apparatuses useful for analysing them. The Australian situation is placed in its international context, and in reference to the changing roles of digital technologies, public and private sector production/distribution and the role of governments.

Assessment

Assignment 1: Critical reflective report of personal communications and information environment

• relate major issues in communication and information environments to their own life experiences;
• use print and electronic resources critically;
• research and write a reflective report

Assignment 2: Review of major issues in communication and information environments

• analyse the major issues that arise in the study of communication and information environments using the key concepts of the field;
• use print and electronic resources critically;
• be able to negotiate the plurality and diversity of both the theoretical perspectives studied and the ways their teachers and peers engage differently with the subject.

Assignment 3: Essay

• analyse major issues that arise in the study of communication and information environments using the key concepts of the field;
• use print and electronic resources critically;
• research and write an essay

Minimum requirements

Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.

Attendance is particularly important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas. Students who attend fewer than ten classes are advised that their final work will not be assessed and that they are likely to fail the subject.

Recommended text(s)

There is a Textbook and eReadings for this subject.
A week-by-week reading list will be distributed in the first tutorial and also posted on UTSOnline.

Textbook:

Hirst, M. & Harrison, J., 2007, Communication and new media: from broadcast to narrowcast, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic.

Indicative references

General Further Readings:

The reference list below is indicative of the texts we will be using in the subject. UTS Library provides access to readings and texts useful for this subject via a links to items in Closed Reserve and eReadings. You may find it useful to explore some of these texts when working on your assignments. You are also encouraged to use the library's subject guides to help you identify other material that may help you.

Supplemental texts that are useful for background reading and for assignment completion include:

Bennett, T., Grossberg, L. & Morris, M. (eds) 2005, New keywords: a revised vocabulary of culture and society, Blackwell, Malden, MA

Briggs, A. & Burke, P. 2005, A social history of the media: from Gutenberg to the internet, 2nd edn, Polity Press, Cambridge, UK.

Bryant, J. & Zillmann, D. (eds) 2002, Media effects : advances in theory and research, 2nd edn,Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Mahwah, N.J. [print & electronic versions available via Library]

Crowley, D & P. Heyer (eds), 2007, Communication in history: technology, culture, society, 5th edn, Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA.

Cunningham, S. & Turner, G. (eds) 2006, The media and communications in Australia, Allen and Unwin, Crows Nest, NSW.

Flew, T. 2005, New media : an introduction, 2nd edn, Oxford University Press, South Melbourne, Vic.

Headrick, D.R. 2000, When information came of age: technologies of knowledge in the age of reason and revolution, 1700-1850, Oxford University Press, Oxford ; New York.

Lievrouw, L.A. & Livingstone, S. (eds) 2006, Handbook of new media: social shaping and social consequences of ICTs, Updated Student edn,Sage, London, Thousand Oaks & New Dehli.

Lister, M., Dovey, J., Giddings, S., Grant, I. & Kelly, K. 2003, New media: a critical introduction, Routledge, London and New York.

Marvin, C. 1988, When old technologies were new: thinking about electric communication in the late nineteenth century, Oxford University Press, New York. [print & electronic versions available via Library]

Peters, J.D. 1999, Speaking into the air: a history of the idea of communication, University of Chicago Press, Chicago and London.

Webster, F. 1996, Theories of the information society, Routledge, London.

Webster, F. 2006, 'The information society revisited', in L.A. Lievrouw & S. Livingstone (eds), Handbook of new media: social shaping and social consequences of ICTs, Updated Student edn, Sage, London, Thousand Oaks & New Dehli, pp. 443-457.

Other resources

UTS Online

In this subject UTSOnline is used at Level 3 for communicating information and for facilitating moderated as well as un-moderated discussions. Keep in mind that UTSOnline is a dynamic tool and that you should keep an eye on the Announcements page and key areas of the site at least twice a week.

UTSOnline will be used to support your studies as follows:

• announcements about this subject will be posted by the subject co-ordinator or tutorial leader
• providing electronic copies of the subject outline, selected subject documents including reading lists on themes addressed throughout the semester
• providing links to other digital resources, learning tools and websites, as required
• sending and receiving emails between tutorial leaders, lecturers and students
• moderated discussion forums answering questions about assessments and subject requirements within 3 working days of posting
• unmoderated forums for you to talk with other students about your studies and share resources or ideas (un-moderated).

The subject coordinator and tutorial leaders will respond to questions on the discussion boards specifically set up for questions about assignments. However they will not necessarily respond to comments and discussion on other discussion boards, including self-help discussion boards set up so you can discuss your assignments with other students. You are encouraged to use the discussion board facility to talk with other students as you wish.

Information about UTSOnline is available at:

http://www.iml.uts.edu.au/utsonline/student/accessing/index.html

ENDNOTE

You will also find it useful to familiarise yourself with EndNote, a software package that can assist you to collect, store and organise your references. References can be entered into EndNote manually, or they can be found in databases and library catalogues and downloaded into EndNote using Filters. You can then transfer references from EndNote into a Microsoft Word document such as a research paper or thesis. Staff and students of UTS can download a free copy of EndNote over the internet, or purchase a copy on CD-ROM from a UTS Library Enquiries Desk for $20.

Further information about EndNote and details about forthcoming workshops can be found on the library website: http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/ information/ endnote. It also provides a useful interactive tutorial that demonstrates some of the features of EndNote that can help you manage your references.