SM7P08 - Digital Media Dissertation (2015/16)
| Module specification | Module approved to run in 2015/16, but may be subject to modification | |||||||||||||||
| Module title | Digital Media Dissertation | |||||||||||||||
| Module level | Masters (07) | |||||||||||||||
| Credit rating for module | 60 | |||||||||||||||
| School | Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities | |||||||||||||||
| Assessment components |
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| Running in 2015/16(Please note that module timeslots are subject to change) |
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Module summary
CODE: new module
TITLE: Digital Media Dissertation
BRIEF DESCRIPTION:This module aims at enabling students to research, plan and develop their Digital Media Dissertation. The module addresses issues about the research tradition in digital media, the process of planning and managing research and the appropriate research methods to ivestigate Digital Media topics.
The module will allow students to develop theoretical and research skills in the area of interactive media and digital communications.
PREREQUISITE: None
ASSESSMENT: Proposal (20%)+Dissertation (80%)
Prior learning requirements
None
Module aims
To undertake research into a particular topic or issue within the chosen field of study
To produce a research project proposal and identify appropriate methodologies
To plan, organise, research and write a substantive research project
Syllabus
This module aims at enabling students to research, plan and develop their Digital Media Dissertation. The module addresses issues about the research tradition in digital media, the process of planning and managing research and the appropriate research methods to ivestigate Digital Media topics.
The module will allow students to develop theoretical and research skills in the area of interactive media and digital communications.
An indicative programme of study covers the following
? History and development of Digital Media and interactive communications theories
? Digital Media research issues
? How to produce a Dissertation Proposal
? How to research and write a Literature Review
? Digital Media research and evaluation methods
? Suitable research topics for a Digital Media Dissertation
? Selecting and evaluating the appropriate research tools
?Presenting the research findings
? Managing the research and evaluation process
Learning and teaching
This module will be delivered via time-tabled workshops, tutorials and online resources. Students are also expected to manage their own learning, not only defining their own topic, but also managing their own time and resources in the process of researching, producing and evaluating the Dissertation. They will receive support and guidance from an allocated supervisor and will be required to attend individual and group supervision tutorials.
Learning outcomes
On successful completion of this module, postgraduate students will be able:
LO12 Produce a Proposal for the Digital Media Dissertation
LO2 Critically evaluate and review relevant literature
LO3 Select and justify chosen methodologies
LO4 Effectively present the research findings
LO5 Conduct a substantive piece of research within the field of digital media
Assessment strategy
A) a 3,000 words Proposal for the Digital Media Dissertation(weighting 20%). The proposal should include: aims and objectives, a review of available literature on the chosen topic, the selected methodology, a feasibility study. This part of the assessment will test the students’ ability to evaluate the current debate and research trends on the chosen topic, select the appropriate methodology, analyse and investigate the feasibility of the proposed project..
Due in week 14 of the first Semester. [LO1, L21, LO3].
B) a Digital Media Dissertation (weighting 80%), the topic will be determined by the students in consultation with the tutor [LO2, LO3, LO4, LO5]. This part of the assessment is designed to test the students’ ability to research, plan and write a Digital Media Dissertation. The Dissertation should be between 12,000 and 15,000 words (excluding appendices)
Students may pass on aggregate.
Bibliography
BELL Judith (1999) Doing Your Research Project. Open University Press.
COOPER, Harris M.(1998) Synthesizing research : a guide for literature reviews. Sage Publications.
DEACON David, PICKERING Mike, GOLDING Peter, MURDOCK Graham (1999) Researching Communications. Hodder Arnold
FINK, Arlene. (1998) Conducting research literature reviews : from paper to the Internet. Sage.
GAUNTLETT, D., HORSLEY, Ross (ed..) (2002). Web Studies _ Rewiring media studies for the digital age. Second Edition.. Sage.
GREENFIELD Tony (ed.) (1996) Research methods : guidance for postgraduates. Arnold.
HART, Chris, (2001) Doing a literature search: a comprehensive guide for the social sciences. SAGE.
JONES Steven G. (Editor), (1998) Doing Internet Research: Critical Issues and Methods for Examining the Net. Sage Publications.
LUCK, Martin (1999) Your student research project. Gower.
SCHRODEr K. (2003) Researching Audiences: A Practical Guide to Methods in Media Audience Analysis. Hodder Arnold
TANNEBAUM R. (1998). Theoretical Foundations of Multimedia. W.H. Freeman and Company.
VAN SELM M., Jankowski. (2005) Researching New Media. Sage.
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