Creative Platforms: Online Writing, Branding and Social Media (Level 4)

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1 Creative Platforms: Online Writing, Branding and Social Media (Level 4) Students on this course will explore and experiment with a range of Creative Platforms Online Writing, Branding and Social Media. Students will develop and refine their creative writing and performance practises in order to effectively engage diverse audiences and establish presence across online platforms. We will examine and evaluate the specific impacts and possibilities of different media. This course will develop independent learning strategies, enhance critical awareness and discursive skills though interactive lectures and groupwork discussions. Academic lead Course capacity ECTS value Length of course TBA (proposal prepared by Aifric Campbell) 20 students 0 8 weeks (16 hours) Learning Objectives On successful completion of the course the students will have Gained knowledge and understanding of their full potential and personal impact across the various Creative Platforms Online Writing, Branding and Social Media. We will document and examine their responses and impact throughout the class time, in real time, as well as studying online responses across the course. applied their existing knowledge to analyse social media platforms (blogs, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram); disseminated their own ideas regarding science and/or autobiographical subjects, linking up with existing practitioners in their own fields and debating structures that are currently floating on the web. expanded their existing online techniques and skills, including specific engagement with viral audiences; development of those structures and audiences and firmer use of all aforementioned online forums, hashtagging, SEO (search-engine optimisation) details etc. Students will develop new strategies for engagement and keeping ahead of the game and raise awareness of the constantly shifting state of online practices. Gifs and the moving image, documentation and spoken word. developed and enhanced their discursive and technological skills, their ability to examine work in the here and now, as well as converse freely using online media forums. Students will explore the performative aspect of displaying their work. Editing and self-selection. Debating decisions. enhanced their practical and professional skills though teamwork, critical evaluation and response, debating impact and branding issues, analysing suggestions for audiences to respond to particular branding. Critical commentary and expression. Creative awareness. enhanced their independent learning skills in the creation of a online performance presentation for assessment and feedback raised awareness the impact of social media, and how to a consistent ability to develop critical thinking and debate, to study and construct learning outcomes and specific career goals. Indicative Core Content Analysing and evaluating the impact of Creative Platforms: online writing (award-winning blogs, featured artists, personalities, celebrities etc.) Discovering content: what do students have to say that is individual to them? What ideas/ interpretations do they wish to disseminate? Branding: What works and why? Editing students personal profiles in blog writing, What to say at what point? How to strike a balance between professional and personal writing. Examining award-winning blogs in lifestyle and science: what are the defining characteristics behind their appeal? How to they engage audiences? Facebook, Utube, Twitter, Instagram: Which medium works best? For what purpose? How do you work across multiple platforms and manage impact over all of them. Presentation techniques: Demonstrating knowledge gleaned and accrued over the course. Structuring

2 Creative Platforms: Online Writing, Branding and Social Media (Level 4) and delivering presentations on key outcomes of research and creative work. Researching and delivering creative presentations on scientific topics and themes. Writing for performance: communicating ideas to diverse audiences in an engaging fashion Presentation performance: Speaking in the live, techniques for oral delivery, showing knowledge base use of media platforms. Editing and revision: receiving and implementing feedback from tutor and fellow students; critical review and response to oral and written comments. What works and what neeeds to be improved? Workshopping: providing and delivering feedback to fellow students, responding in the Here and Now, developing communcaiton skills for responding to presentations : Pedagogical Rationale / Methodology Interactive lectures, workshops, and practical group exercises. Students will be expected to spend approximately 1 hr on homework per week and developing a work journal. Assessment A 15-minute online presentation including a work diary or file showing an exploration of the various creative platforms. 70% of total mark. Class participation: 30% of the total course mark will be based on students overall contribution to and participation in class sessions. This mark is based on an evaluation of critical, communication and teamwork skills.

3 Core aims for Imperial Horizons The purpose of new modules, in keeping with the overall aims of the Imperial Horizons programme, is to broaden students education, increase their employability, and develop graduate attributes. Business and Professional Skills Core Field Aims To develop an awareness of ethical codes of practice in the workplace. Students are expected to demonstrate awareness of best practice, and of common ethical issues that might arise in business and the workplace. To develop confidence in their ability to learn independently. Students are expected to develop the habits of mind associated with independent learning and to manage their time and workload effectively. To practise analytical skills and critical engagement with a range of personal, real-world and simulated scenarios. Students are expected to demonstrate analytical skills, critical reasoning and selfreflection when participating in problem-solving, research-based and evaluative tasks. To develop a robust approach to working with risk and uncertainty. Students are challenged to become systematic in their approach to accuracy, precision and uncertainty, as these are key elements to developing a realistic understanding of the contemporary world of work and business. To develop an effective toolkit of transferable skills for the workplace, including effective communication skills, team working and collaborative endeavour. Students are expected to practice taking various roles within the group, including leadership roles. They are also required to show respect and appreciation for the variety of views, opinions and perspectives that arise from group working, and to use this variety of inputs to develop and enhance their work. Global Challenges Core Field Aims To foster an appreciation of the value of interdisciplinary learning. Students will be challenged to apply learning from their core degree subjects to complex real-world situations. Working in mixed discipline groups allow them to share perspectives and expertise, developing a collaborative approach to learning and working. As well as sharing methodology and knowledge from their subject areas, students will be expected to incorporate new methodologies and approaches from diverse fields such as history, economics, politics, international relations, geography and the wider social sciences. Applying social science methodology to scientific and technical problems helps the students to develop a deeper understanding of the contextual aspects of these issues and to develop more creative and effective responses. To develop confidence in their ability to learn independently. Students will be expected to develop the habits of mind associated with independent learning, including: evaluating their current knowledge; identifying areas for investigation, research or problem solving; setting specific research or design questions; locating, retrieving and analysing appropriate data and information from a range of primary and secondary sources; formulating their own understanding of complex, multidimensional problems in both familiar and unfamiliar contexts; developing and communicating newly synthesised bodies of knowledge, or solutions to problems in a variety of context specific media. Additionally, students will be challenged to take responsibility for their own progress during the courses, and to manage their time and workload effectively. To develop a realistic and evidence-based approach to global challenges. Students will have the opportunity to evaluate current real-world strategies and solutions to global challenges, as well as to develop their own ideas. In order to become effective global citizens, it is important that students develop a considered understanding of the successes and failures of existing or historic strategies, and appreciate the complexity of the limitations of our knowledge, expertise and ability to create global impact. Students will also be challenged to become systematic in their approach to accuracy, precision

4 and uncertainty, as these are key elements to developing a realistic understanding of our attempts to manage global phenomena. To establish effective team working and collaborative practice. Students are expected to practise taking various roles within the group, including leadership roles. They are also required to show respect and appreciation for the variety of views, opinions and perspectives that arise from group working, and to use this variety of inputs to develop and enhance their work. Interpersonal and social skill development will be supported in all aspects of their learning and working. Students will additionally be required to reflect on their own performance as individuals and group members, and to comment on the successes or limitations of their team s output. To explore communication practices and develop core skills. Students will be expected to actively participate in large and small group discussions, on an informal and formal basis. Presentation skills are developed in a variety of settings, including oral presentations (with and without visual aids such as Powerpoint), debate and persuasive presentation, pitching, and public speaking. Additionally, developing and presenting reasoned argument is a key element of many of the participatory elements of the courses. ICT is used for the documentation of learning, development of online resources such as wikis or web pages, and for submission of assignments and receipt of feedback. Visual communication skills may be developed with the construction of posters, public communication materials and visual exhibits for display. Languages and Global Citizenship Core Field Aims To produce students with a high level of competence in a foreign language (out of a choice of eight world languages ), thereby enabling them to operate successfully at a foreign university and later in a globalised scientific and business environment. To provide students with as wide as possible a choice of entry points per language, thereby permitting them either to embark on the study of a new language or to extend the study of a language of which they have some previous knowledge. To provide students with a good working knowledge of the foreign language in their own field of study and with the ability to read and discuss scientific texts, as appropriate to their language level. To support the development of the Imperial Graduate Attributes by broadening students cultural and linguistic horizons and enabling them to interact with and within a foreign culture. To enhance students communication skills, spoken and written, both in the foreign language and, by analogy, in their own. Ultimately to produce graduates with a linguistic prowess and cosmopolitan cultural awareness that reflect the international standing of the College. For Language for Science students: To produce scientists with a near-native competence in a foreign language and with a deep understanding of the target culture, able to integrate themselves into this culture and work with ease in a professional environment. Science, Culture and Society Core Field Aims To address the problems and opportunities afforded by interdisciplinarity. One of the rationales for the Imperial Horizons programme is that it broadens students education and helps to counteract the silo effect that may be a danger with intensive subject-specific education. SCS courses will look at the ways in which the humanities and the science paradigms complement each other but also afford different methodologies and interpretive frameworks for analysis. This encourages reflexivity about disciplinarity and epistemology. To develop the ability to select from, interpret and critically analyse texts and other sources, including images, documents, films and objects. By addressing issues of genre, content, context,

5 perspective and purpose, students will become adept at evaluating a variety of forms of evidence, and also develop bibliographic skills. To encourage an appreciation for the complexity and diversity of the nature of knowledge, accounts, situations, events and mentalities. This emphasis is central to developing students intellectual maturity. To nurture a tolerance of ambiguity. One of the key transformations in the progression from school to higher education, is that students learn to work in an environment in which there is rarely one correct answer. Learning how to manage uncertainty is a skill honed by dealing with complex and ambiguous material and scenarios. It places the emphasis on the process of arriving at, validating and defending an outcome. To foster intellectual independence. Studying on the Imperial Horizons programme encourages students to take control over their intellectual development. They will acquire transferable skills such as marshalling of argument, team work, oral presentation and written skills, time-management skills and IT skills.