Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 2, 2024 (22/07/2024 - 18/11/2024)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Communication & Arts School
In this course, students will explore digital cultures in an international and comparative context through analysing examples of digital cultures from around the world. Students are encouraged to develop a comprehensive understanding of the global geography, economy and aesthetics of digital platforms, visual culture and social media.
This course seeks to provide a comprehensive exploration of international digital cultures in a comparative and international context. Students are encouraged to explore the parallel evolution of digital cultures across the world, and to critically evaluate the significance of cultural differences in the domains of digital platforms, visual culture and social media.
Course requirements
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
COMU3005
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Tutor
Mr Hrishikesh Arvikar
Dr Giang Nguyen-Thu
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
Whilst every effort is made to place students in their preferred activity, it is not always possible for a student to be enrolled in their tutorial of choice. If you require assistance, please ensure that you email timetabling.commarts@enquire.uq.edu.au from your UQ student email with:
- Your name
- Your student ID
- The course code
- A list of three tutorial preferences (in order of preference)
- Reason for the change – e.g. timetable clash, elite athlete status, SAP
Teaching staff do not have access to change tutorials or help with timetables; all timetabling changes must be processed through the Timetabling Team.
Aims and outcomes
- To ensure that students complete their Media and Digital Cultures major with a thorough understanding of the international context of digital cultures.
- To facilitate students' integration of skills and knowledge gained in prior Media and Digital Cultures courses with the empirical study of global digital cultures.
- To help students make connections between key concepts in global media scholarship and critical debates on everyday digital cultures in different parts of the world.
- To support a detailed exploration of the cultural dynamics of the digital and the significance of cultural diversity in everyday life and the global system.
- To assist students to further develop the ability to think critically, conduct research, collaborate productively and develop analytical skills.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Identify and discuss key characteristics of global digital cultures.
LO2.
Illustrate a comprehensive understanding of the cultural context of digital practices.
LO3.
Explicate contemporary digital culture within a comparative global framework.
LO4.
Develop an international, historical and political perspective on global media and digital cultures.
LO5.
Anticipate future developments in the global digital economy.
LO6.
Work effectively in teams to develop collaborative research and presentation skills using online tools.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participation/ Student contribution |
Assessment 1: Online Debate
|
25% |
26/08/2024 - 30/08/2024
Three online debates will be made available in Blackboard in Week 6. You will be required to make two postings to each debate over the course of the week, by no later than 4pm Friday. |
| Presentation |
Assessment 2: Online Presentation
|
35% |
Week 10
In tutorial sessions |
| Essay/ Critique | Assessment 3: Research Essay | 40% 2500 words |
14/10/2024 4:00 pm |
Assessment details
Assessment 1: Online Debate
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Written
- Category
- Participation/ Student contribution
- Weight
- 25%
- Due date
26/08/2024 - 30/08/2024
Three online debates will be made available in Blackboard in Week 6. You will be required to make two postings to each debate over the course of the week, by no later than 4pm Friday.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04
Task description
Three online debates will be made available in Blackboard. You will be required to make two postings to each debate over the course of the week. In the first post, you will set out your own response to the debate question. In the second post, you must respond, respectfully, to at least one post by another student. The debate questions will be broad and allow for multiple points of view and a range of examples and applications. NB: Your posts should clearly include your name as enrolled.
Effective responses will require engagement with the subject matter of the course, but this is not a test. For assessment purposes, you will be marked upon the basis of: 1) your understanding and critical analysis of the debate question, 2) your capacity to apply, demonstrate and/or critique core concepts from weeks 1-4 of the course. 3) your ability to link debates on global cultures to contemporary examples/issues in the digital era, and 4) your capacity to understand, evaluate and respond to different points of view from your peer group.
AI/MT use:
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Assessment 2: Online Presentation
- Team or group-based
- Online
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance, Oral, Product/ Artefact/ Multimedia
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 35%
- Due date
Week 10
In tutorial sessions
- Other conditions
- Time limited.
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L06
Task description
Working in groups established by class tutors at the beginning of the course, students will work together to prepare an audio-visual presentation that provides an overview of digital culture in one major region of the world. This presentation should be:
- 20 minutes in length
- Combine video, images, speech and text
- Observe fair use provisions for copyright materials
- Clearly demonstrate, and credit all members of the group in specific roles (for example, presenting, editing, research, graphics).
The presentation will be made using the Zoom platform in the Week 10 tutorials. Groups should familiarise themselves with the chat, gallery view and screen sharing functions that will enable them to make an effective presentation in the Zoom platform. A portion of tutorial time each week will be dedicated to the research, planning and preparation for the final presentations.
The Zoom presentation will include a Q&A session with the entire class. Aptitude in the Q&A session will be part of the assessment, and constitute 5% of the available 35% mark for this assessment. Students who fail to attend the presentations of other groups in their class will forfeit their Q&A marks.
The following world regions may be chosen for this assignment:
- Africa (or sub-region)
- Asia (or sub-region)
- Australasia
- Europe (or sub-region)
- South America
The tone of the presentation should be informative, although it must include critical questioning and original commentary. The focus should be upon the region in question, although this may include, where necessary, explanation through comparison with other regions.
The presentation should be clearly informed by substantive empirical research (whether through reading, data analysis, online observation or collection of visual materials). All research and secondary materials should be referenced in a credits sequence (or document), along with the roles of each of the group members.
The practical focus of this assessment is upon researching configurations of the digital environments across the different cultures of the world and presenting findings effectively to an audience.
The academic aim of the exercise is to identify and explain some of the specific features of a digital culture in a major world region, in terms of:
- Local data on digital access, infrastructure, content and user participation.
- Prevailing cultural norms such as language, beliefs, aesthetics and taste
- Three examples of local practices of digital culture
- Identifying culturally-specific issues, applications or usage
- Concluding with a summary of observable trends in the evolution of this digital culture
Composition of groups:
Students will be assigned to groups in their second tutorial. Each group must allocate specific production roles within the group by Week 3 and supply a list of the group roles to the class tutor – who will otherwise assign roles.
AI/MT use:
This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Recording of Oral and Practical Assessment:
All presentations will be recorded for marking purposes via recording facilities available where the assessment takes place (eg. ECHO360, Zoom, camera device)
Recordings will be retained by the School of Communication and Arts for at least 12 months from the release of the final grade for the course.
Recordings will be stored in a secure manner and will only be accessed by authorised school staff for the purposes of:
- Moderation of marking;
- Provision of feedback to the student(s) recorded; and/or
- Re-marking following a successful re-mark application
Submission guidelines
Deferral or extension
You cannot defer or apply for an extension for this assessment.
Please note: this is a class assessment item and students are NOT able to apply for an extension via the Unitask portal. Please contact your course coordinator directly to see if alternative arrangements are available.
Late submission
Late submission is not possible for this piece of assessment.
Assessment 3: Research Essay
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Essay/ Critique
- Weight
- 40% 2500 words
- Due date
14/10/2024 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L04, L05
Task description
Students will write a 2500 word essay exploring the cultural implications their own everyday digital practice. To complete this task, you should:
- Select an example of everyday digital culture in a country other than Australia
- Describe and analyse the expressive and interactive aspects of your example as a social practice.
- Describe and analyse how the popularity of your example engages with and/or relies upon collective cultural norms in your chosen country.
- Describe and analyse how your example helps us to understand cultural diversity in the world’s digital cultures.
- Offer conclusions about the contribution of your example to the wider field of global digital cultures (referring to one or more of the issues explored in the COMU 3300 course).
The COMU3300 Research Essay Guidelines
Breakdown of Assessment:
In marking the content of your essay, the proportional breakdown of marks will be as follows:
- A well chosen example that allows effective execution of the essay components, with effective use of academic referencing, spelling and grammar (component 1 above ) (10 out of 40 marks).
- Demonstrated capacity to analyse the cultural dimensions of a specific social practice in your own words (components 2, 3 above ) (10 out of 40 marks)
- Demonstrated capacity to analyse your example of digital culture with reference to the cultural norms of a specific country (components 4, 5 above) (10 out of 40 marks)
- Demonstrated capacity to draw critical conclusions with reference to academic debates on global digital cultures (components 6, 7 above) (10 out of 40 marks).
Tips on completing this assessment:
1. The purpose of this essay is to demonstrate your capacity to research and analyse a specific instance of digital culture in a specific country (other than Australia).
2. You need to ensure that you choose an example of everyday digital culture that you can clearly evidence, contextualize and assess critically. and a country that you can effectively research, describe and analyse in a cultural context.
3. Your example should be supported by credible empirical evidence, which might include various sources of numerical data, graphics, public commentary, journalism, state policy, academic literature.
4. The task of the essay is to employ a specific example of everyday digital culture in order to illustrate larger debates on global digital cultures.
5. Your analysis should be centred upon your own interpretation of the cultural aspects of your chosen example and setting, supported but not driven by existing literature on the topic.
6. You need to ensure that you choose an example that you can relate explicitly and productively to one or more of the theoretical issues covered in the COMU 3300 course.
7. It may be a good idea to discuss your chosen topic and analytical focus with your tutor before you begin to write your final submission.
8. There is no set number of references. The focus should be on the relevance and contribution of citations/quotations to the essay, your original analysis of the arguments that you reference and making sure all assertions of fact are supported by evidence of their source. Using a smaller number of reference
AI/MT use: This assessment task evaluates students' abilities, skills and knowledge without the aid of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) or Machine Translation (MT). Students are advised that the use of AI or MT technologies to develop responses is strictly prohibited and may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via TurnItIn on Blackboard.
TurnItIn Receipts:
Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using TurnItIn. Before submitting any assignments for this course you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Tutorial.
When you successfully submit your assessment to TurnItIn you will see text confirming your submission is complete, before being redirected to your Assignment inbox. On this page you can:
- View the name of the submitted file
- View date and time of the upload
- Resubmit your paper (if necessary)
- Download your submitted paper
- Download digital receipt.
If you cannot see your submission in your Assignment inbox you should regard your submission as unsuccessful. Students are responsible for retaining evidence of submission by the due date for all assessment items, in the required form (e.g. screenshot, email, photo, and an unaltered copy of submitted work).
If the submission was not successful:
- Note the error message (preferably take a screenshot).
- Go to your assignment page and see if it is possible to submit again.
- If you cannot submit again email your course coordinator immediately with the assignment attached.
Please visit this webpage for further advice on how to submit your TurnItIn assignment.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 28 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 1 - 24 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 25 - 44 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45 - 49 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes |
| 4 (Pass) | 50 - 64 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65 - 74 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75 - 84 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. |
Additional course grading information
- Where fractional marks occur in the calculation of the final grade, a mark of x.5% or greater will be rounded up to (x+1)%. A percentage mark of less than x.5% will be rounded down to x%.
- Where no assessable work is received, a Grade of X will apply. ﾠ
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
- Further information regarding the assessment, including marking criteria and/or marking rubrics are available in the ‘Assessment’ folder in Blackboard for this course.
- Marks Cannot Be Changed After Being Released: Marks are not open to negotiation with course staff. If you wish to discuss the feedback you have received, you should make an appointment to speak with the Course Coordinator.
- Assessment Re-mark: If you are considering an Assessment Re-mark, please follow the link to important information you should consider before submitting a request.
- Integrity Pledge: Assignments for this course will be submitted electronically via Blackboard and using Turnitin. Before submitting any assignments for this course, you must ensure you have completed UQ's compulsory online Academic Integrity Modules.ﾠIn uploading an assignment via Turnitin you are certifying that it is your original work, that it has not been copied in whole or part from another person or source except where this is properly acknowledged, and that it has not in whole or part been previously submitted for assessment in any other course at this or any other university.
- Withholding marks prior to finalisation of grades: Per UQ Assessment Procedures – Release of Assessment Item Marks and Grades: The final assessment item and the marks for the assessment item are to be released only after the final grade for the course has been released.
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Find the required and recommended resources for this course on the UQ Library website.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Week 1 (22 Jul - 28 Jul) |
Lecture |
Week 1 Lecture: Techno-Culture and the Global Village Recommended Reading: Srinivasan, Ravi (2018). Whose global village?: Rethinking how technology shapes our world. NYU Press Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 1: NO TUTORIALS Tutorials start in Week 2. |
|
Week 2 (29 Jul - 04 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 2 Lecture: Imagined Worlds: National, International Recommended Reading: Athique, Adrian (2016) Transnational Audiences: Media Reception on a Global Scale, Cambridge: Polity. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 2 Tutorial Required Reading: Jin, Dal Yong (2017) Digital platform as a double-edged sword: How to interpret cultural flows in the platform era , International Journal of Communication 11: 3880-3898. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 3 (05 Aug - 11 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 3 Lecture: Digital Divisions, Imperialisms Recommended Reading: Boyd-Barrett, Oliver, and Tanner Mirrlees (eds) (2019) Media imperialism: Continuity and Change. Rowman & Littlefield. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
Tutorial |
Week 3 Tutorial Required Reading: Mann, Monique, and Daly, Angela (2019) "(Big) data and the North-in-South: Australia s informational imperialism and digital colonialism." Television & New Media 20 (4): 379-395. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 4 (12 Aug - 18 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 4: NO LECTURE DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY |
Tutorial |
Week 4: NO TUTORIALS DUE TO PUBLIC HOLIDAY |
|
Week 5 (19 Aug - 25 Aug) |
Lecture |
Week 5 Lecture: Platform Power and Internet Concentration Recommended Reading: Parks, Lisa, and Starosielski,Nicole (ed) (2015) Signal traffic: Critical studies of media infrastructures. University of Illinois Press. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 5 Tutorial Required Reading: Pohle, Julia, and Daniel Voelsen. "Centrality and power. The struggle over the techno‐political configuration of the Internet and the global digital order." Policy & Internet 14, no. 1 (2022): 13-27. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 6 (26 Aug - 01 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 6: NO LECTURE - Online Debate Week |
Tutorial |
Week 6: NO TUTORIALS - Online Debate Week |
|
Week 7 (02 Sep - 08 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 7 Lecture: Export Cultures: Netflix as Transnation Recommended Reading: Lobato, Ramon (2019) Netflix Nations: The Geography of Digital Distribution, New York: New York University Press Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 7 Tutorial Required Reading: Gomez, Rodrigo, and Argelia Mu oz Larroa. (2022) "Netflix in Mexico: An Example of the Tech Giant s Transnational Business Strategies." Television & New Media (2022): 15274764221082107. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 8 (09 Sep - 15 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 8 Lecture: Visual Cultures: Asian Style and Global Recommended Reading: Jin, Dal Yong (2016). New Korean Wave: Transnational cultural power in the age of social media. University of Illinois Press. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 8 Tutorial Required Reading: King-O Riain, Rebecca Chiyoko. " They were having so much fun, so genuinely... : K-pop fan online affect and corroborated authenticity." New media & society 23.9 (2021): 2820-2838. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 9 (16 Sep - 22 Sep) |
Lecture |
Week 9 Lecture: Consumer Cultures: Social Media Recommended Reading: Punathambekar, Aswin and Mohan, Sriram (eds) (2019) Global Digital Cultures: Perspectives from South Asia. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 9 Tutorial Required Reading: Nguyen-Thu, Giang (2021). Hectic slowness: digital temporalities of precarious care from a Global South perspective. Feminist Media Studies, 1-15. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Mid Sem break (23 Sep - 29 Sep) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Mid-Semester Break |
Week 10 (30 Sep - 06 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 10 Lecture: Indigenous Cultures: First Nations Recommended Reading: Carlson, Bronwyn, and Ryan Frazer. Indigenous Digital Life: The Practice and Politics of Being Indigenous on Social Media. Palgrave Macmillan, 2021. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 10 Tutorial: Online Presentations Online Presentations held in tutorials Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04 |
|
Week 11 (07 Oct - 13 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 11 Lecture: Super Platforms Recommended Reading: Keane, Michael, Haiqing Yu, Elaine J. Zhao, and Susan Leong. China's digital presence in the Asia-Pacific: Culture, technology and platforms. Anthem Press, 2020. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 11 Tutorial: Essay Workshop Required Reading: Latimore, J., Nolan, D., Simons, M., & Khan, E. (2017). Reassembling the Indigenous Public Sphere. Australasian Journal of Information Systems, 21. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v21i0.1529 Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
|
Week 12 (14 Oct - 20 Oct) |
Lecture |
Week 12 Lecture: Digital Civilizations and Splinternet Recommended Reading: McLuhan, Marshall and Fiore, Quentin (1968) War and Peace in the Global Village, Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05 |
Tutorial |
Week 12 Tutorial Required Reading: Keane, Michael, and Guanhua Su. "When push comes to nudge: a Chinese digital civilisation in-the-making." Media International Australia 173.1 (2019): 3-16. |
|
Week 13 (21 Oct - 27 Oct) |
No student involvement (Breaks, information) |
Week 13: NO LECTURE OR TUTORIALS |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.