SUBJECT OUTLINE 58301 Communication Practice Project Course area Delivery Credit points Requisite(s) UTS: Arts and Social Sciences Spring 2014; City 8cp (96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10246 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10247 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media Arts and Production) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10248 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Communication) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10249 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Writing and Cultural Studies) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10250 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10251 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Information and Media) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10252 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10253 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media Arts and Production) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10254 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Communication) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10255 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Writing and Cultural Studies) and in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10256 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10257 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Information and Media) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10258 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10259 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media Arts and Production) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10260 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10261 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Communication) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10262 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Writing and Cultural Studies) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10263 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Information and Media) Bachelor of Laws)) OR ((96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10311 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Creative Writing) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10312 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Creative Writing) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10313 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Creative Writing) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10314 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Digital and Social Media) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10315 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Digital and Social Media) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10316 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Digital and Social Media) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10317 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Cultural Studies) OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10318 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Cultural Studies) Bachelor of Arts in International Studies OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10319 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Cultural Studies) Bachelor of Laws OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10332 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Media Arts and Production) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10333 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Public Communication) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10334 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Social Inquiry) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10335 Bachelor of 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 1 of 8
Result type Arts in Communication (Journalism) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10336 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Information and Media) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation OR 96 Credit Points in spk(s): C10337 Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Creative Writing) Bachelor of Creative Intelligence and Innovation) Grade, no marks Subject coordinator Jannet Pendleton Phone: 9514 2753 Room: CB10.05.315 Email:Jannet.Pendleton@uts.edu.au Please use UTSOnline discussion facilities unless the query is about personal issues. Teaching staff Paul.Ashton@uts.edu.au Christopher.Brew@uts.edu.au George.Catsi@uts.edu.au Phillip.Mills@uts.edu.au Kais.Al-Momani-1@uts.edu.au Jacqueline.Moran@uts.edu.au Subject description This is the capstone subject in the BA in Communication, designed to bring together knowledge and skills gained by students throughout their entire course. Students have the opportunity to work on projects that develop creative and innovative responses to communication and/or media issues and problems. Students work collaboratively in cross-program teams which may also work with external 'clients' or partners in projects. At the beginning of the semester, a contract for the project is negotiated between the student group and their 'client'. Students need to assess their progress and write critical reflections and evaluations on the projects and project processes. There may be opportunities for students to organise symposia or conferences to present these reflections. Course professional portfolios in electronic and other media are finalised. Subject objectives a. Identify communication issues influencing social impact b. Argue the social value of different communication approaches c. Create communication products that address social group issues d. Critique the effectiveness of alternative communication products e. Analyse his or her work practices as a member of a multidisciplinary team f. Reflect on the ethical dimension of their work practices Contribution to the development of graduate attributes This subject makes a significant contribution to student s capacity to value social justice, manage projects, work collaboratively and work ethically. It also makes a contribution to their capacity to apply their knowledge and skills from their majors. Teaching and learning strategies The overall outcome of this subject is for students to complete a professional project working as part of a multidisciplinary team. As a capstone project the subject draws upon knowledge and skills gained throughout the degree and provides an opportunity for students to apply these in practice. 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 2 of 8
In each session a communication issue which raises a specific set of issues/concerns/interests requiring an effective communication strategy will be identified by the subject coordinator. Themes may change from semester to semester. Students theorise/explain the nature of those interests/issues, as they relate to a particular organisation/group and related stakeholders and develop a communication strategy and effective and innovative products to communicate these concerns to a wider audience/s. Finally students will reflect critically on the process involved in development of the communicative response and the experience of working in multidisciplinary team. The subject consists of a series of introductory lectures and tutorials to establish the context of the issue, principles of project management and working in multidisciplinary teams. Online forums will be used to facilitate group work. The remainder of the teaching time allocated will be dedicated to group meetings and consultations with the tutor. Students will be responsible for independently managing projects and their own work within this context. Panel sessions from industry professionals will be incorporated to provide a range of perspectives on the issue. Self and peer assessment are incorporated into the learning strategy. Content The overall outcome of this subject is for students to complete a professional project working as part of a multidisciplinary team. As a capstone project the subject draws upon knowledge and skills gained throughout the degree and provides an opportunity for students to apply these in practice. Principles of project management and working in multidisciplinary teams are reviewed. Topics relating to the communication issue that is the focus of the subject will be addressed. Program Week/Session Dates Description 1 1 Aug Introduction to Communication Practice Project. Reading: Somerville,P. 2011, Understanding community: politics, policy and practice, The Polity Press, Bristol UK, pp. 1-31. The nature of community (Ch. 1). 2 8 Aug Interdisciplinary, transdisciplinary, multidisciplinary...working across knowledge boundaries, integrating knowledge. Students will be allocated to groups during the tutorial. Readings: Lawrence, R. J., Despres, C.,2004, Futures of transdisciplinarity: Introduction, Futures, Vol.36 Iss. 4, pp. 397-405. Horlick-Jones, T, Sime, J. 2004, Living on the border: knowledge, risk and transdisciplinarity, Futures, Vol. 36, Iss. 4, pp. 441-456. 3 15 Aug Community - understanding and engaging with communities. Readings: Homan, M.S, 2011, 'Knowing your community' (Ch. 5) in M.S.Homan, Community change: making it happen in the real world, Brooks Cole, Belmont CA, pp. 113-149. Chanan, G. & Miller, C. 2013, 'What happens in communities' (Ch4) in Rethinking community practice, The Policy Press, Bristol, UK, pp. 49-75. Groups will submit their Group charter to the tutor in class. 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 3 of 8
4 22 Aug Researching and working with community groups: The Shopfront Guest lecture: Professor Paul Ashton. Reading: Ledwith, M. 2011, 'Doing community development' (Ch3) in Community development: a critical approach, The Policy Press, Bristol, UK, pp 53-76. 5 29 Aug Perspectives on community. Guest lecture: George Catsi 6 5 Sep Industry professional panel session. Assessment 1 Due - hard copy to be submitted in class. 7 12 Sep No lecture. Project management workshop during tutorial. From Week 7 groups are to provide a weekly progress report to the tutor using the Team Meeting Report form available on UTSOnline. 8 19 Sep No lecture. Consultation with tutor during tutorial. 9 26 Sep 22-26 September - Study Break Week 29-3 October - Vice Chancellor's Week 10 10 Oct Work in progress tutorial presentations and class feedback session during tutorial. All students should attend. 11 17 Oct No lecture. Consultation with tutor during tutorial. Assessment 2 Group Project Report due in class. 12 24 Oct No lecture. Consultation with tutor during tutorial. 13 31 Oct Group Presentations Assessment 3 Communication Product due in class - these are to be presented informally to the class. All students should attend. Extra readings for the subject are available on UTSOnline in "Readings". Assessment Assessment task 1: Communication Issues Paper (Individual) Objective(s): a and b 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 4 of 8
Objective(s): a and b Weight: 30% Due: Week 7 Length: Task: 2,000-2,500 words Students will investigate a different aspect of the context of a group/organisation and identify a communication issue related to the theme of community. The rationale for the issue should be supported by appropriate literature on community and related concepts. Further information: In this assessment students are required to: locate a group or organisation whose work involves an active role in community engagement. This might be a not-for-profit such as a charity or arts organisation, a community group, sporting club, school, activist organisation or a local government organisation such as a local council. identify a community engagement issue the organisation is facing. This may be a problem or an opportunity but should be a situation in which communication can play a significant role in the achievement of the organisation's aims. research the way the organisation currently operates in relation to the issue and in context. What resources do they have to draw on? Networks how are they connected to other community organisations, government authorities and businesses? How do they work how do people interact, how is the group managed? How are volunteers involved? What is the organisational culture? research the context of the issue. This should involve secondary research about the organisation and direct contact with people working with the organisation. This research should be exploratory - there is no requirement for formal quantitative surveys. If the community involved can be considered a vulnerable community you should consult with the organisation and your tutor before contacting them directly. identify stakeholders in the issue. provide a rationale which argues for the significance of the issue and draws on the literature to support this. Students will be allocated to groups early in the semester and, while this is an individual assignment, they should choose an organisation they wish to consider for the group project. This assignment is to be presented in report format as described on the UTS library website http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speaking and use appropriate academic referencing. No executive summary is required. The report should be accompanied by appendices which provide evidence of research undertaken for the project, for example interview notes, interviewee details to enable random checking. Criteria: Depth of research Relevance to social group Identification of stakeholders Clarity of explanation Accuracy of referencing Relevance of evidence Quality of argument Assessment task 2: Communication Project Report (Group) Objective(s): a and d Weight: 35% 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 5 of 8
Weight: 35% Due: Week 11 Length: Task: 3,000 words Student groups will provide a report which identifies the community engagement issue, sets out the organisational context and presents their rationale for the approach they have taken to the issue. The report should explain how the communication product they have produced will contribute to achieving the organisation s objectives and include reference to appropriate concepts in the literature on community and community engagement. Further information: In this assessment groups focus on one of the issues identified for assessment one and work to develop an approach to contribute to achieving the organisation's objectives. This should involve: further research into the issue and the organisation to develop an approach to the problem/opportunity identification and analysis of community members. For example, what are their needs and concerns, what resources are they able to utilise, what is their perception of the issue? the identification, analysis and evaluation of potential options to address the issue testing the proposed ideas with community members and the organisation where possible development of the proposed approach, detailing aims, community stakeholders and the means used to communicate with them. This should be realistic and feasible considering the organisation's resources a rationale which provides a clear, well supported argument for the logic of the approach taken. This assignment is to be presented in hard copy and electronically in report format as described on the UTS library website http://www.lib.uts.edu.au/help/study-skills/writing-reading-speaking and using appropriate academic referencing. No executive summary is required. The report should be accompanied by appendices which provide evidence of research undertaken for the project, for example, survey responses, interview notes, interviewee details to enable random checking. Peer feedback is incorporated into the assessment for this task. Criteria: Depth of analysis of the context of the issue Breadth of analysis of community members to be engaged in the issue Relevance to social group Clarity of writing Persuasiveness of argument Credibility of evidence Respect plurality of positions Assessment task 3: Communication Product (Group) Objective(s): c Weight: 35% Due: Week 13 Task: Reports are to be accompanied by a communication product that demonstrates how the 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 6 of 8
Task: Reports are to be accompanied by a communication product that demonstrates how the communication aims identified in the Assignment 2 report can be realised. This production could include developing a web site, producing a newspaper, devising an advertising campaign, designing a publicity campaign and media kit, designing a special event, or producing a short film etc. Further examples of suitable communication products will be provided in class. Products other than these examples need to be approved by the tutor. Further information: Communication production should use any genre that has been deployed during the core and be equivalent to 1000 words per student. This is to be executed in a minimum of three different ways for each group. For example: Video or screen 3-5 minutes video production or story board Audio 3-5 minutes sound piece Written articles, pamphlets, information sheets, creative non-fiction Social media outline of approach taken, examples of messages, photos etc Community consultation outline of the process and logistical considerations, key aims of the process Events and activities outline of the key idea, organisation process and logistical considerations Web design shell produced on Wordpress or similar Publicity campaign - outline of media strategy, sample media release. All submissions must be electronically produced (or explained, in the case of processes). The above listing is a guide - actual details of the work to be produced should be approved by the tutor after consideration of the needs of the specific community and group/organisation. In addition to the group production each student is to provide a critical assessment of the project as the outcome of a multidisciplinary process from the perspective of their major. For example, what do they think worked, what could have been done differently, what is the role of their field in issues such as this, what contribution can it make, where is it not needed. This should be 500-600 words and will account for 10% of the grade for this assignment. Criteria: Relevance to issue Originality of concept Technical proficiency Relevance to audience Appropriate use of creative elements Degree of insight into work practice Respect plurality of positions Minimum requirements A completed group charter must be submitted to the tutor, and presented in class. Students who fail to submit a charter may be refused permission to be considered for assessment (see Rule 3.8). Attendance is important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor. Students who fail to attend 85% of scheduled classes will be refused permission to have their final assessment item assessed(see Rule 3.8). An attendance roll will be taken at each scheduled class. Where possible, students should advise the tutor in a timely manner if they are unable to attend. References Ausburg, T. 2006, Becoming Interdisciplinary: An Introduction to Interdisciplinary Studies, 2nd edition, Kendall/Hunt Publishing, New York. Block, P. 2008, Community: The Structure of Belonging, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., San Francisco. Elliott, B. c2010, Constructing Community: Configurations of the Social in Contemporary Philosophy and Urbanism, Lexington Books, Lanham Md. Goerke, J. 2003, Taking the quantum leap: non-profits are now in business. An Australian perspective, International 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 7 of 8
Goerke, J. 2003, Taking the quantum leap: non-profits are now in business. An Australian perspective, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, vol. 8, no.4, pp. 317-27. Hara, N. 2009, Communities of Practice: Fostering Peer-to-peer Learning and Informal Knowledge Sharing in the Work Place, Springer, Heidleberg. Homan, M. S. c2011, Promoting Community Change: Making it happen in the Real World, Brooks/Cole--Cengage Learning, Belmont, CA. Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. 1988, The Action Research Planner, Deakin University Press, Geelong, Vic. Kemmis, S., & McTaggart, R. 2000, Participatory action research in N.K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (eds), Handbook of Qualitative Research, 2nd edn, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Lewin, K. 1946, Action research and minority problems, Journal of Social Issues, vol.2, no.4, pp. 34-46. Lin, J., 2011, The Power of Urban Ethnic Places: Cultural Heritage and Community Life, Routledge, New York. Polonsky, M. J. 2003, Who receives the most help? The most needy or those with the best marketers?, International Journal of Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Marketing, vol. 8, no.4, pp. 302-4. Putnam, R. D. 2000, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, Simon & Schuster, New York. Repko, Allen F. 2008, Interdisciplinary Research: Process and Theory, Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA. Frodeman, R., Thompson Klein, J. & Mitcham, C. (eds) 2010, Oxford Handbook of Interdisciplinarity, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Susman, G. 1983, Action research: a sociotechnical systems perspective in G. Morgan (ed.) Beyond Method: Strategies for Social Research, Sage Publications, Newbury Park. Smith, M. 2007, Action research, Infed: The Encyclopedia of Informal Education. Bermondsey, London, viewed 19 June 2009, <www.infed.org/research/b-actres.htm> Thompson Klein, J. T. 2005, Interdisciplinary Teamwork: The Dynamics of Collaboration and Integration in S.J. Derry, C.D. Schunn, M.A. Gernsbacher (eds), Interdisciplinary Collaboration: An Emerging Cognitive Science, Lawrence Erlbaum Publishers, Mahwah, NJ. Van Leeuwen, T.J. 2005, Three Models of Interdisciplinarity in R. Wodak (ed.), A New Agenda in (Critical) Discourse Analysis, John Benjamins Publishing, Amsterdam. Waters, R. D., Burnett, E., Lamm, A., & Lucas, J., 2009, Engaging stakeholders thorough social networking: How non-profit organisations are using Facebook, Public Relations Review, vol.35, no.2, pp.102-6. Wilken, R. 2011, Teletechnologies, Place and Community, Routledge, New York. Links: Centre for Community Organisations & Management http://www.business.uts.edu.au/cacom/index.html Institute for Sustainable Futures: Local Government http://datasearch.uts.edu.au/isf/research-areas/government.cfm Statement on UTS email account Email from the University to a student will only be sent to the student's UTS email address. Email sent from a student to the University must be sent from the student's UTS email address. University staff will not respond to email from any other email accounts for currently enrolled students. Disclaimer This outline serves as a supplement to the Faculty's Student Study Guide. On all matters not specifically covered in this outline, the requirements specified in the Student Study Guide apply: www.fass.uts.edu.au/students/assessment/preparing/study-guide.pdf This outline was generated on the date indicated in the footer. Minor changes may have been made subsequent to this date. 28/07/2014 (Spring 2014) University of Technology, Sydney Page 8 of 8