Course Title: Communication Theory and Practice

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Communication Theory and Practice

Credit Points: 12


Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM1099

City Campus

Postgraduate

335H Applied Communication

Face-to-Face

 Sem 2 2006,
Sem 2 2007,
Sem 2 2008,
Sem 1 2009

Course Coordinator: Dr. Brigid Magner

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 2911

Course Coordinator Email:brigid.magner@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 21.4.09

Course Coordinator Availability: Tuesdays & Thursdays or by appointment


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None


Course Description

COMM1099 provides an overview of three major approaches to theorising the production of meaning within the field of communication studies through audience, political economy, and text. The course surveys these approaches as a means of complicating the transmission model of how communication is conventionally thought to work in order to provide students with both a history of the dominant paradigms in communication and an orientation for their own research interests.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

The aims of the course are:
1. To situate communication within a cultural context.
2. To establish theoretical awareness in the analysis of communication.
3. To develop a meta-language for analysing communication.
4. To evaluate dominant theoretical approaches in the field of communication.
5. To make connections between students’ everyday communication experiences and theoretical frameworks.
6. To further develop academic research skills.


The key learning outcome of COMM 1099 is an enhanced understanding of the contested meaning of ’communication’ as it relates to media history, theory and practice. 


Overview of Learning Activities

Learning will occur through a calibrated combination of weekly readings, seminar discussions, contribution to wikis and a final essay.  


Overview of Learning Resources

Between Weeks 1-12, students will be required to read texts from the electronic dossier as the basis for seminar discussions on communication theory and practice.   



Overview of Assessment

1. Participation in Seminar dialogues concerning communication theory and practice (10%)

2.  Wiki assessment (40% Total): construction of a wiki with a partner (20%) presentation of the wiki to the class (10%) comments on FIVE other wikis (10%)

3. 3000-word essay (50%)