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2019/20 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

COMM2725 Digital Cultures

20 creditsClass Size: 48

Module manager: Katharina Schmoll
Email: .@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2019/20

Pre-requisite qualifications


This module is approved as a discovery module

Module summary

In this module you will explore the interactive leisure forms and practices of digital technologies such as gaming, modding, play, hactivism, and social media. We ask how seriously we should take these new forms of interactions, and the extent to which they are changing our understanding of culture today. You will explore a number of digital cultures and practices and consider a range of themes and issues that relate to them. We also address the contexts of these cultures, in order to develop your understanding of the political, economic, social and technical implications of what might seem like harmless and benign leisure activities.

Objectives

This module explores the interactive leisure forms and practices that are based on, emerge from, and ask questions about, digital technologies. It explores a range of themes and issues that relate to digital cultures, as well as looking at a range of digital cultures and the technologies and social contexts that facilitate the emergence of these cultures. It develops students’ understanding of the political, economic, social and technical contexts from which digital cultures have emerged.

Learning outcomes
1. Knowledge of a broad range of contemporary digital cultures, forms and practices
2. Familiarity with key debates & writers in the field of digital cultures;
3. The ability to carry out analysis of digital cultures from social, technological, cultural & political perspectives;
4. Investigate a critical issue around digital cultures and develop a small research project to explore it

Skills outcomes
Analysis of digital cultures


Syllabus

Issues addressed may include, but are not limited to: digital and youth cultures; activist cultures; video & computer game cultures; online dating cultures; mobile & locative media cultures, the digital economy & social media marketing cultures; gender and digital cultures; visual digital cultures; politics, knowledge, value; global and transnational digital cultures; the ‘dark side’ of digital cultures.

Teaching methods

Delivery typeNumberLength hoursStudent hours
Lecture101.0010.00
Seminar101.0010.00
Private study hours180.00
Total Contact hours20.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)200.00

Private study

Students will:
- read set reading & beyond (45 hours)
- carry out research into a range of digital cultures as identified each week (30 hours)
- carry out small scale / limited primary research (10 hours)
- prepare to present their findings in seminars (5 hours)
- research for and write their assessments (90 hours).

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Student progress will be monitored via participation in seminars, including informal presentations, and tutorials, as well as through mid-module assessment

Methods of assessment


Coursework
Assessment typeNotes% of formal assessment
Case StudyDigital Culture 3000-3,500 words60.00
Essay1 x 2,500 - 3000 words40.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)100.00

Normally resits will be assessed by the same methodology as the first attempt, unless otherwise stated

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 06/11/2019

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