Course Title: Communication for Social Change

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Communication for Social Change

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM2083	City Campus	Postgraduate	335H Applied Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007
COMM2083	City Campus	Postgraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2011, Sem 1 2012, Sem 2 2013, Sem 2 2014, Sem 2 2017, Sem 2 2018, Sem 1 2020, Sem 1 2024
COMM2083	City Campus	Postgraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face or Internet	Sem 1 2017
COMM2083	City Campus	Postgraduate	345H Media and Communication	Internet	Sem 1 2018, Sem 1 2019, Sem 2 2019, Sem 1 2021
COMM2201	City Campus	Undergraduate	335H Applied Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 2 2006, Sem 2 2007

Flexible Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
COMM2083	City Campus	Postgraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face	PGRDFlex22 (All)

Course Coordinator: Dr Linje Manyozo

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1938

Course Coordinator Email: linje.manyozo@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: Building 9 level 5

Course Coordinator Availability: Contact Course Coordinator

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

In this course, you will explore communication in global social change contexts. Topics may include sustainability, public health, disaster management, infrastructure development, energy production and the development of genetically modified foods.

You will investigate how communication can be used to enhance public participation in decision making, empower communities, and disseminate organisational and local knowledge to facilitate dialogue between stakeholders. You will work with various industries and groups to apply participatory communication techniques within the context of your own discipline and industry.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

In this course you will develop the following program learning outcomes:

• Determine and apply the specialist knowledge and technical skills required to creatively solve problems, demonstrating expert judgment and ethical responsibility relating to your professional practice and discipline.
• Provide leadership within your discipline as well as collaborate with others.

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

• Critically discuss different communication theories and practices in the context of disaster preparedness / management and risk reduction.
• Identify and analyse the roles of all stakeholders to determine their communication needs.
• Critically analyse how decision making and participatory communication can combine to enhance social outcomes and create positive social change.
• Propose and develop communication plans that effectively combine various theories of social change in global communication contexts.
• Gather feedback and evaluate the effectiveness of communication plans and approaches in the development of community engagement to address a range of challenges.

Overview of Learning Activities

This course is delivered online. You will be actively engaged in studio-based learning, which is very iterative and participatory. Such pedagogy will include project design,  student presentation, interactive discussions, individual and group activities.

 

Overview of Learning Resources

RMIT will provide you with resources and tools for learning in this course through our online systems.

A list of recommended learning resources will be provided by your lecturer, including books, journal articles and web resources. You will also be expected to seek further resources relevant to the focus of your own learning.

The University Library has extensive resources for Communication students. The Library has produced a subject guide that includes quality online and print resources for your studies http://rmit.libguides.com/cat.php?cid=29911.

The Library provides guides on academic referencing: http://www.rmit.edu.au/library/referencing and subject specialist help via your Liaison Librarian.

Overview of Assessment

You will be assessed on how well you meet the course’s learning outcomes and on your development against the program learning outcomes. Assessment may include presentations, projects and may be done individually and in teams. 

Assessment Tasks 

Assessment Task 1: Student Presentations, 20%, CLO 1, 3, 5. 

Assessment Task 2: Essay, 40%, CLO 1, 3. 

Assessment Task 3: Communication for development, 40% CLO 2, 4, 5. 

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 coordinator or Equitable Learning Services if you would like to find out more. 

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