LP914-30 Creativity, Communication and Technology
Introductory description
In this module you will evaluate the impact of creativity, communication and technology upon personal, local, national and global issues. Creative media communication is central to most innovation today, and is an effective way of researching the power of media and exploring new levels of value creation. The latest research exploring alternative media, community media, digital media, open source and new communication dynamics will update your understanding. From crowd sourcing to citizen journalism, mobile connectivity to convergence, peer-to-peer and civic participation, you will investigate the creative use of communications and technology in the current globalized media ecology. Engagement with innovative media studies research methods will provide the tools for investigating global media and communication in more depth.
Whilst paying attention to the impact of creativity and technology on media discourses, forms, practices and industries, you are also expected to be creative in this module. Our sub-focus is on creating communication for personal, local, national and global impact. Using simple media tools, you will develop your ideas on how personal, local, national, or global issues can be constructed creatively for private, public or third sector political and cultural economies.
Module aims
In this module you will examine the way media are used strategically in media communication contexts. Your understanding of creativity, communication and technology will be developed through the assessment of new and current models of the media communication process, the creative thinking that lies behind it, and how the media product works.
Outline syllabus
This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.
Media Convergence
Fan Cultures
Digital Creativity
Social Media Entrepreneurship
Creative Media Group Project
Sustainable Media
Big Data and Surveillance
Learning outcomes
By the end of the module, students should be able to:
- To explore the way creativity is used strategically in personal, local, national and global media and communications
- To critically analyse the transformation of creativity, media and communication in the context of digital technologies
- To examine innovative theories and methods for studying communication processes and creative practices in a changing media landscape
- To analyse global communication problems and issues and develop digital communication ideas, solutions and strategies
Indicative reading list
Castells, M. (2010) The Rise of the Network Society (2nd ed.), Oxford: Blackwell.
Fenton, N. (ed.) (2009) New Media, Old News: Journalism and Democracy in the Digital Age. London: Sage.
Fuchs, C. (2008) Internet and Society, London: Routledge.
Glăveanu (ed.) (2016) The Palgrave handbook of creativity and culture research, London : Palgrave Macmillan UK
Hallin, D. & P. Mancini (2011) Comparing Media Systems Beyond the Western World, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press
Jenkins, H. (2013) Textual Poachers: Television Fans and Participatory Culture New York: Routledge
Jenkins, H. (2008) Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide. New York: New York University Press.
Kozinets, R. (2015) Netnography: redefined (2nd edition). London: SAGE Publications.
Miller, G (2017) The art therapist's guide to social media : connection, community, and creativity, New York : Routledge
Papacharissi, Z. (ed.) (2011) A Networked Self, London: Routledge.
Schleser and Berry (2018) Mobile story making in an age of smartphones, Springer International
Schneier, B. (2015) Data and Goliath. The Hidden Battles to collect your data and control your world. New York: W. W. Norton & Company
Snickars, P. & Vonderau, P. (eds.) (2009) The YouTube Reader. Stockholm: National Library of Sweden.
Sumner, S. (2016) You: For sale: protecting your personal data and privacy online. Waltham: Elsevier
Subject specific skills
In strand one of the module, we want you to develop your powers of critical analysis of current research, theoretical engagement with new ideas, and propose your methodological thinking on a key example. Here, you will be researching the globality of creativity, communication and technology, the transformation of media and communication by ubiquitous computing, and the development of new forms of communication and creativity. We will expect you to learn a new vocabulary, some new theories and explore methods of analysis.
Transferable skills
In strand two you will develop creative skills through a compact, ‘soft’, affective communication group project.
Study time
| Type | Required |
|---|---|
| Seminars | 10 sessions of 2 hours 30 minutes (8%) |
| Online learning (independent) | 10 sessions of 1 hour (3%) |
| Private study | 265 hours (88%) |
| Total | 300 hours |
Private study description
Reading, research, group meetings
Costs
No further costs have been identified for this module.
You must pass all assessment components to pass the module.
Assessment group A2
| Weighting | Study time | Eligible for self-certification | |
|---|---|---|---|
Assessment component |
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| Group Project | 50% | No | |
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Creative media group project |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Assessment component |
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| 3000 word assessed Project Portfolio | 50% | No | |
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Two written tasks of secondary and primary research |
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Reassessment component is the same |
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Feedback on assessment
Uploaded to Tabula.
Courses
This module is Core for:
- Year 1 of TLPS-W4PG Postgraduate Taught Global Media and Communication
- Year 1 of TTHS-W4PG Postgraduate Taught Global Media and Communication