Course Title: Telling Stories

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Telling Stories

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code

Campus

Career

School

Learning Mode

Teaching Period(s)

COMM2389

City Campus

Undergraduate

345H Media and Communication

Face-to-Face

 Sem 1 2009,
Sem 1 2010,
Sem 1 2011,
Sem 1 2012,
Sem 1 2013,
Sem 1 2014

Course Coordinator: Dr Jessica Wilkinson

Course Coordinator Phone: (03) 9925 3714

Course Coordinator Email: jessica.wilkinson@rmit.edu.au


Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

There are no prerequisites.


Course Description

COMM2389 Telling Stories: The Art of Narrative will introduce you to the ways in which stories are created, constructed and realised by their authors. Through a study of texts, films, visual and other forms of story telling you will examine and respond to the world of the writer. You will critically examine writing in its many forms and will create your own narratives. The course will cover a number of key aspects of the art of storytelling, such as: telling stories verbally, with images, in words and/or sound. You will be asked to create many different stories via different modes, whether that’s in image or text. Narrative as art will also be studied.


Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program capabilities:
• independent research and critical writing skills
• analytical skills for reading contemporary text
• creative writing skills
• peer support, feedback and critical responses to texts.


Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:
• critically analyse storytelling in all its different modes, including oral, print and screen
• examine and interpret the essential elements of various storytelling forms and structures
• research theoretical aspects of storytelling to inform and reflect on your own writing
• apply various storytelling techniques to create stories in different modes.

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Overview of Learning Activities

The course offers a range of teaching and learning approaches and may include: lectures, talks by guest writers, readings, tutorial discussion of talks and texts, and creative writing workshops, as well as possible excursions. You will have the opportunity of developing your creative writing in workshops. Through this process you will receive critical feedback from peers. This will assist in the drafting and re-writing process. You will also hear from practising writers about the process of writing as a way to assist your own practice in developing work. During the workshops you will have an opportunity to examine, interpret and critically respond to a range of different creative works as a way to explore and develop your own skills of analysis and aesthetic judgment.


Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems. The course involves a range of ’readings’ of texts and you are expected to read widely in order to engage in detailed analysis of these readings and resources given out in workshops. You will be provided with a reading list at the start of semester and as appropriate during semester.

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Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program capabilities. Assessment in this course aims to test your ability to tell stories in different ways. You will also be tested on your ability to reflect on your work by engaging critical and analytical skills. Feedback will be given on all assessment tasks.

If you have a long term medical condition and/or disability it may be possible to negotiate to vary aspects of the learning or assessment methods. You can contact the program director or the Disability Liaison Unit if you would like to find out more.

Your course assessment conforms to RMIT assessment principles, regulations, policies and procedures.