Module Catalogue 2024/25

Pre Requisite Comment

N/A

Co Requisite Comment

N/A

Aims

This module introduces the domain of ‘cultural sector’ and examines how cultural sector organisations and groups (e.g. museums, archives, art and performance organisations, festivals, theatres, community groups etc.) engage with digital platforms, tools and practices to support the creation, appropriation and communication of cultural content. What constitutes ‘cultural content’ is explained though examples and specific case studies. The module also questions how cultural sector organisations communicate with their audience(s) digitally. It aims to encourage students to consider the challenges and opportunities of digital communication for both non-for-profit and for-profit cultural organisations. It particularly examines different organisational motivations for digital communication, for example audience development, accessibility to content, PR, and crowdsourcing. The module aims to engage critically with practices around digital cultural communication as well as its effect on how cultural memory, contested cultural knowledge(s) and cultural value are constructed through digital means. A range of contemporary and historical digital communication paradigms, case studies, international online projects, and professional practices are used throughout the module.


The module aims to provide:

1. An introduction to the specific domain of ‘cultural sector’ and its relation to digital communication

2. An introduction on how the creation, appropriation and digital communication of cultural content is understood and practiced within cultural organisations (e.g. museums, archives, art organisations, performance groups, community organisations etc.)

3. Skills and experience necessary in understanding and analysing the use of digital media for communication purposes among cultural organisations and groups from a theoretical, empirical and professional perspective.

4. An introduction to digital audience segmentation in the ‘cultural sector’ domain.

5. Familiarity with debates and theory about digital cultural communication, participation, engagement and active citizenship.

6. The opportunity to reflect on how digital tools and platforms affect the representation of indigenous cultures and contested knowledge in the digital realm.

Outline Of Syllabus

Teaching and learning activities will include the following themes (indicative):

- Introduction to digital communication for the cultural sector
- Introduction to cultural institutions and organisations and how they communicate cultural content
- Digital audience segmentation: audience’s motivations to engage with cultural organisations through digital means
- Debates and practices around authorship and ownership of digital cultural content
- Cultural communication and engagement through digital crowdsourcing
- Issues related to contested cultural knowledge(s) in the digital realm, such as the representation of indigeneity on digital platforms
- Metrics of digital cultural engagement
- At least one real-life case study of a contemporary cultural institution/organisation
- Module recap/assignment surgery

Intended Knowledge Outcomes

On completion of the module, students should be able to:

- Understand and critically appraise, using well established principles, the various approaches to and debates surrounding digital cultural communication, on a personal, collective and organisational level;
- Develop familiarity with key theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of cultural communication in digital contexts;
- Gain a critical understanding of a variety of specific research approaches appropriate to this interdisciplinary topic;
- Demonstrate an ability to integrate knowledge and understanding of digital cultural communication within the larger frameworks of media studies, cultural studies and communication studies;
- Develop familiarity of the factors that inform current practices in digital cultural communication in a variety of professional cultural settings;
- Locate the significance of issues of digital cultural communication in contemporary political, technological and social contexts, as well as community and organizational settings.

Intended Skill Outcomes

After studying this module, students should be able to:

- Apply a broad range of analytical skills to the understanding of the module’s themes;
- Utilise a range of effective research methods in analyzing issues of digital cultural communication;
- Display an Intermediate level of visual, text and digital literacy, being able to analyse, interpret and compose mixed visual and textual messages;
- Carry out various forms of advanced research for essays and case studies involving independent enquiry;
- Independently evaluate, draw upon and apply a range of sources and the conceptual frameworks appropriate to Intermediate level research in the area;
- Deliver work to a given length, format, brief and deadline, properly referencing sources and ideas and making use, as appropriate, of a critical and reflexive problem-solving approach, and with an adequate mastery of the English language appropriate for academic purposes;
- Gather, organise, digest and deploy substantial amounts of ideas, theoretical concepts and information in order to formulate arguments clearly, and express them effectively in written, oral or in other forms;
- An ability to effectively communicate information, argument and analysis in a variety of forms;
- To enhance personal responsibility, decision making and team working skills that may be transferable to employment contexts.

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

The lectures in the module will introduce students to key concepts, debates and ideas.
Small group teaching will enable these theoretical issues to be discussed and explored in a more informal setting, including the presentation of case studies and readings relevant to the themes of the module.
The presentation of case studies by external speakers will also provide awareness around up-to-date practice and will allow students to consolidate theoretical concepts, methodological approaches and practical implications related to media and communication studies in cultural settings.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

The first part of the assessment is the undertaking of a case study analysis, written in up to 1,000 words. The case study should be from a recent relevant example of a digital cultural communication project, initiative, activity, intervention publicly available and clearly relating to the themes of the module as well as the theories. Examples will be provided by the module leader, or in exceptional cases students may select alternatives following the prior approval of the module leader. The second part of the assessment involves the writing of a 3,000 word essay to be selected from a list of questions relating to key topics and themes addressed on the module. Critical thinking will be assessed across both assessments as will academic research, writing and referencing skills.

General Notes

N/A