Modules

Module title: Crossplatform Journalism and Media Practice
SCQF level: 11:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10
Module code: JAC11102
Module leader: Rachel Younger
School School of Arts and Creative Industries
Subject area group: Media and Screen
Prerequisites

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2018/9, Trimester 2, Online,
Occurrence: 002
Primary mode of delivery: Online
Location of delivery: MERCHISTON
Partner:
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Rachel Younger
Module Organiser:


Learning, Teaching and Assessment (LTA) Approach:
A range of online learning materials, both written and multimedia, will enable you to engage with module content in your own time. You will also be directed to supplementary electronic resources, including e-books and e-journals to further support your learning, and you are encouraged to engage independently with these additional resources. (LO1-5)
Weekly debate forums on our learning platform Moodle will provide you with the opportunity for peer-to-peer reflection on lecture content and on how it applies to your specific global or professional context. You will be required to take an active part in debating module materials with your peers online, in order to better appreciate how each topic applies in a globally diverse range of contexts. (LO1-5)
You will engage in individual journalistic production activities (see Assignment 1) as well as collaborative group production activities (see Assignment 2). Cross-platform professionals are required to constantly update their technological skills. As such, you will be expected to experiment with video and audio editing, blogging and web production, infographics and the use of a wide range of social media, and in the process to expand your existing familiarity with these practical skills. (LO1-5)
You will be given the opportunity to tailor assessment topics to support your individual learning and career objectives. Module activities and assessments will provide you with the opportunity to apply what you learn to your own professional practice. (LO1-5)
Formative Assessment:
As you engage with your peers based around the globe in interactive online module activities in our weekly Moodle forums, including online debate, individual cross-platform production, group co-productions and peer-to-peer feedback, you will benefit from culturally diverse formative feedback provided by an international community of fellow students as well as by the module tutor. Formative feedback on draft work will help you further improve the journalistic and academic content you produce for assessed submissions. It is hence recommended that you take note of informal feedback on work provided in the Moodle forums. (LO1-5)

Summative Assessment:
Assignment 1, an individual cross-platform production portfolio, is to be completed by week 13. Your portfolio will include two elements:
a.) a journalistic cross-platform project, which contains two minutes total of audio, two minutes total of video, 1,500 online words, visual components (photos, graphics, infographics and other) as well as relevant social media components. This journalistic project can be presented as a multimedia blog, or as an online portfolio page linking to a range of cross-platform artefacts.
b.) a 1,000-word critical analysis, in which you reflect critically on your professional practice in the context of an evolving cross-platform media industry. Your critical analysis should reference at least five academic sources.
Lecture content and formative feedback provided by tutors and peers based around the globe during online tutorials, will support you as you complete this assignment. Assignment 1 is worth 70% of the overall module mark. (LO1-5)
Assignment 2, a group project, consists in the collaborative production of cross-platform content in a virtual global newsroom. It is to be submitted by week 11 and will be awarded a group mark. The team can decide whether this production will take the form of a pop-up global news day, a collaborative blog, or a collaborative social media production modeled on a scavenger hunt, as long as the production process involves each team member in a meaningful manner and the final product is posted online, relevant to a global audience, and genuinely cross-platform and journalistic in nature. Anyone who doesn’t contribute to the group process will not be awarded the group mark; each team member will submit an individual 500-word critical reflection on the group process and their contribution to the group process. Lectures and interactive online module activities will support you as you complete this assignment, which will carry 30% of the overall module mark. (LO1-3)

Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)
Face To Face Lecture 12
Online Guided independent study 24
Online Fieldwork 164
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words
Portfolio 70 1-5 13 HOURS= 0, WORDS= 1500
Project - Practical 30 1-3 13 HOURS= 0, WORDS= 500
Component 1 subtotal: 70
Component 2 subtotal: 30
Module subtotal: 100

Description of module content:

On this module you will critically analyse your own professional practice in the context of an evolving media world and learn to refashion your content for audiences across a wide range of platforms, including online, broadcast (video and audio), social media and mobile platforms.
You will engage in individual cross-platform production work, which will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate initiative and strong problem-solving skills. Individual project work can be tailored to support your individual learning objectives and career ambitions, and to hone your professional practice and expertise. A strong emphasis will be placed on strengthening your ability to stand out in the global market place.
You will also collaborate with peers based around the globe to produce cross-platform content relevant to audiences across a range of geographical and cultural boundaries. Team work in a global virtual newsroom will expand your awareness of a wide range of approaches to journalistic production around the world and strengthen your understanding of diverse global audiences.
This module will provide you with the opportunity to compare how peers with a range of media backgrounds apply cross-platform techniques in their individual sectors of the industry.
Module content includes cross-platform skills and journalistic values; sourcing original content, research skills and verification of information; sourcing relevant interviewees and interview skills; news values and relevance to audiences; accurate and engaging reporting; writing for SEO (search engine optimisation) and (re-)writing copy to suit a range of platforms, including online, multimedia and social media; writing tight headlines and captions for images; impartial and balanced reporting as well as attribution to source of information. You will produce copy that complies with legal, ethical and regulatory requirements as well as with in-house style guides. You will also further develop your individual presentation skills, your ability to stand out in a global freelance marketplace and techniques for building a community of followers. Technical skills include production of video and audio content; visual storytelling and creation of infographics; blogging and creating multimedia websites; the use of mobile phones in reporting; production for social media and use of social media in sourcing information; analytical tools to monitor the effectiveness of your work.
Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to:
LO1: apply strong journalistic skills to your practice, including research, writing, sourcing relevant interviewees, and audio-visual narrative skills suitable for a wide range of media platforms
LO2: apply core journalistic values in your work, including accuracy, balance, impartiality, attribution to source of information and attention to legal, ethical and regulatory frameworks
LO3: produce cross-platform news and content suitable for global audiences
LO4: produce an independent cross-platform project to high standards
LO5: reflect critically on your practice in the context of the evolving media industry
Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
JAC11102 Crossplatform journalism and media practice
 

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