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Course and Unit Catalogue 2013

Armidale, New South Wales, AUSTRALIA

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2007200820092010201120122013

COMM315 Children's Media

Updated: 18 April 2012

Unit Information
Additional Information

Credit Points	6
Offering	Not offered in 2013
Intensive School(s)	None
Supervised Exam	There is no UNE Supervised Examination.
Pre-requisites	24cp (including 12cp from ENCO102 or COMM120 or COMM121)
Co-requisites	None
Restrictions	COMM215 or COMM415 or COMM515 or ELDC368
Notes	offered in even numbered years
Combined Units	COMM515 - Children's Media
Coordinator(s)	Elizabeth Hale (ehale@une.edu.au)
Unit Description	This unit examines the production and distribution of media for child and adolescent audiences, including television, film, games and the internet. A critical and aesthetic approach to the products of commercial and semi-government organisations is emphasised. Attention is given to the research on the characteristics of children as 'audience', and to their reception of and interaction with relevant media.
Materials	Textbook information will be displayed approximately 8 weeks prior to the commencement of the teaching period. Please note that textbook requirements may vary from one teaching period to the next.
Disclaimer	Unit information may be subject to change prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Assessment

Assessment information will be published prior to commencement of the teaching period.

Learning Outcomes (LO)

Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:

understand the discourse which constructs children as an audience;
understand regulatory, cultural and economic factors influencing cultural production for children;
analyse a range of televisual and film genres; and
analyse the forms, film techniques and production qualities of children's television and film.

Graduate Attributes (GA)

	Attribute	Taught	Assessed	Practised
1	Knowledge of a Discipline This unit introduces students in the discipline of Communication Studies to the field of children's film and television, and some of the relevant theoretical, political and ethical issues.
2	Communication Skills The skills of written communication and formal argument are both taught and assessed in this unit. In addition to the writing guides supplied and recommended, students receive written feedback on their reasoning and writing skills. On-campus students have the opportunity to practise oral communication skills in seminar presentations.
3	Global Perspectives This unit introduces students to media from Britain, the USA, and Australia. While it does not explicitly teach comparative cultural studies, students have the opportunity to explore the ways in which various cultures have constructed childhood and childrens issues in their films.
4	Information Literacy Students in this unit practise skills in acquiring information through print-based and electronic research tools and are assessed on the organisation and presentation of high quality evidence in assignments.
5	Life-Long Learning This unit allows students to practise a wide range of academic skills in research and analysis, and facilitates learning independently. Guides to 'Learning how to learn' - research, analysis, synthesis and writing - are supplied (see Guide to Researching and Writing a University Essay), and feedback is given on research writing projects.
6	Problem Solving The expository research essay and learning activities supplied with teaching material encourage students to identify critical issues in the discipline and the professional area of children's studies. Students are specifically asked to conceptualise problems and to collect, collate and analyse relevant information to assist problem-solving within the discipline.
7	Social Responsibility The study of children's culture encourages students to recognise social issues relevant to their discipline and professional area. Political and ethical issues relevant to the study of a 'vulnerable audience' are discussed, and culture as part of a socialising agenda is one of the theoretical frameworks explored.