Course Title: Communication Design: Introduction to Practice Based Research

Part A: Course Overview

Course Title: Communication Design: Introduction to Practice Based Research

Credit Points: 12.00

Terms

Course Code	Campus	Career	School	Learning Mode	Teaching Period(s)
GRAP2500	City Campus	Undergraduate	345H Media and Communication	Face-to-Face	Sem 1 2012

Course Coordinator: Russell Kerr

Course Coordinator Phone: +61 3 9925 1243

Course Coordinator Email: russell.kerr@rmit.edu.au

Course Coordinator Location: 9.01.003

Course Coordinator Availability: Tuesday 11.00 - 1.00

Pre-requisite Courses and Assumed Knowledge and Capabilities

None

Course Description

This course is situated in a laboratory context and will provide you with a foundation and academic context for researching and developing your individual honours research project. Your learning in this course will be continued in Communication Design: Advanced Practice Based Research.

The laboratory is a project space where you will investigate a theme using practice based research design principles in communication design. You will develop your knowledge and expertise by combining specific domain knowledge with contextual investigations into a project theme that relates to your own practice. The project will be specific enough to provide a pathway and focus for your own practice based research project.

Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Capability Development

You will develop the following program capabilities in this course:
• reflect on and critically develop meaningful solutions for real-world problems within design, media and communication;
• develop deep knowledge of your field and its relevance to contemporary design, media and communication; and
• undertake sophisticated, self-directed practice based research that is expressed in creative and critically reflective ways.

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:
• engage in the design process to develop appropriate solutions for real world problems;
• develop and implement a range of applied research activities relevant to your practice based research project, including independent research;
• research both collaboratively and independently within a studio environment; and
• identify and critically examine significant problems and key theoretical positions related to an issue in communication design.

Overview of Learning Activities

Your learning will be facilitated by a research leader (lecturer) and will involve a range of activities including readings, class discussion, independent research, collaborative and individual projects and documentation, and the preliminary planning of a major practice based research project. You will be expected to reflect on and document your learning in an ongoing manner through the course.

Overview of Learning Resources

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

Overview of Assessment

Assessment will cover both theoretical and practical aspects of your learning. You will be able to develop your work in relation to your own specific areas of interest in your professional practice. Assessment will occur during the course and at the end of the course. Methods may include any combination of assessment tasks such as reports, reflective papers, group work, campaign specifications, presentations and portfolio.