2020/21 Taught Postgraduate Module Catalogue

COMM5796M Climate Communication

30 creditsClass Size: 16

Module manager: Chris Paterson

Taught: Semester 2 (Jan to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2020/21

This module is not approved as an Elective

Module summary

This module will address themes and theory relevant to climate communication including conceptual and historical contexts, political and social dimensions of climate change and climate change denial, the relationship between media and climate change, environmental movements and campaigns, and science and risk communication. The following questions guide learning in the module: What is climate communication? How do people communicate and think about climate change? How can messages about climate change and the environment be crafted to change people’s attitudes and behavior? Why is climate communication important?

Objectives

As Climate Change is increasingly accepted as the existential threat of the modern era, there is a pressing need for students to develop the necessary knowledge and skills to communicate about it. This module is designed to make students better consumers, critics, investigators, and producers of climate and environmental communication. The module raises student awareness of climate change issues, concerns, and concepts and how they are conveyed in the UK and around the world.

Learning outcomes
On completion of this module, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate in-depth, specialist knowledge of relevant theories and debates
2. understand an interdisciplinary approach to the study of climate communications and demonstrate its utility in scholarship
3. analyse climate communications across a range of media genres and explain the role of media in relation to climate change
4. critically assess the effectiveness of specific climate communications efforts
5. demonstrate awareness of variations in the political, economic and social/cultural aspects of climate communications across nations and regions
6. create a critical research project in the field of climate communication
7. reflect critically on their own knowledge of and attitude to climate change and how it is communicated

Syllabus

(indicative)

• climate communication theory; conceptual and historical contexts
• the social construction of environment and climate
• historical dimensions of climate journalism
• science and risk communication
• climate change denial
• advocacy campaigns
• the climate justice movement
• climate communication and sustainable development
• the practice of climate journalism

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	11	1.00	11.00
Seminar	10	1.00	10.00
Private study hours			279.00
Total Contact hours			21.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			300.00

Private study

Private study should be dedicated to (times are indicative):

Weekly preparation for lectures (reading) and supplementary multimedia screening linked to Minerva: 109 hours
Identifying assignment one media case study, discussion with tutor, writing critique: 40 hours
Final assignment research and preparation: 130 hours

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will be encouraged to meet individually with the teaching team (tutor, TA, guest tutors) to discuss their approach to both assignments, and will be required to meet with the tutor in the week following submission of their final project proposal. Students indicating a need for further support at this stage will be guided to TA and tutor office hours and in-school language centre support in paper development, if appropriate.

Seminar discussions will encourage student engagement and allow the teaching team to continually assess individual engagement and understanding of key concepts.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Essay or Dissertation	1 X 3500 – 4000 (a 200 word proposal and separate annotated bibliography, not to exceed 1000 words total, will be due in week 6, with a follow-up meeting with tutor)	70.00
Critique	A critical analysis of a media artefact from the perspective of climate change emergency (equivalent to 1500-2000 word essay)	30.00
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: 10/08/2020 08:34:34

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