Technology, Audiences & GlobalisationWeek 1

Dept. of Languages, Information & Communications

Manchester Metropolitan University

Today’s class• 10am-1pm• Lecture, followed by seminar in MRL• Introduction to Term 1• Programme• Assessment• Seminar: Start work on projects

Term 1 – Media audiences & Media users• BBC R&D collaboration

• Students undertake own audience research group project

• Based on BBC R&D project topics

• Conduct literature review & empirical research

• Test the BBC media behaviour model

• Assessment (50%): Progress presentation, individual report and final presentation at student conference

• Tutors: Magda Bober & Ellie Shember-Critchely

Term 2• Tutors: Adi Kuntsman & Deirdre Hynes

• Lecture topics: Communities, technology & participation in a global context

• Assessment: Seen Exam (50%)

BBC Research & Development

www.bbc.co.uk/rd

www.bbc.co.uk/rd/blog

SkillsYou will be developing:•Team working skills•Practical research experience•Analytical skills •Presentation skills •Report writing•Working with industry partner

Key jobs skills and practice run for portfolio research projects

Student quote:

“It gave me a great insight into the media industry. My presentation skills have also improved and after the discussion we had with the BBC staff who watched us, I feel that I can go on to be a far more capable researcher.” 

Year 3: Your role has changed• From learners• To co-researchers and co-creators of knowledge• Researching developments at the cutting edge of digital

communications• Contributing to Knowledge Exchange with industry

See academic outputs:• Conference paper “People, Media and Behaviour: Insights from

the MMU InfoComms-BBC R&D Collaboration”• Journal article “Twitter and TV Events: An exploration of how to

use social media in student-led research”

Assessment Arrangements

Term 1 – Media Audiences Project•Progress presentation (group mark, 5%) – Week 7•Individual report (individual mark, 25%) – Week 12•Final presentation (group mark*, 20%) – Week 12

* incl. peer marking elementTerm 2•Seen Exam (individual mark, worth 50%), based on Term 2 topics

Learning outcomes

By the end of this term students will be able to:

•Appraise the key theoretical concepts and current debates relating to the study of media audiences and media users

•Apply these perspectives in a practical project of their own

Group project• Groups of 4 students, topics given by BBC

• Research tasks:

• Literature review

• Identifying statistical data from external sources

• Integrating the BBC model

• Research design (only qualitative methods, no surveys; participants should be aged 18+)

• Empirical data collection, including pilot

• Data analysis

• Group work in seminar and outside of class

• Mahara group websites and forums (see Moodle link)

Conference venue:The Shed

From ‘passive mass’ to interactive ‘produsers’Changed view of media audiences:

•Media effects: what do the media do to people?•Media as powerful, audiences as passive and vulnerable

•Media uses: what do people do with the media? •Audiences as more active and selective, creative and powerful

BBC R&D project topics1. Brands, Celebrities and the BBC: Perception of value from

the License Fee

2. Exploring the Audience Age Gap

3. Ethnic Minorities, TV and the BBC

4. Ecologies of Devices

5. Getting TVs Online: Smart TVs and Equivalent Technologies

6. Transmedia narratives

7. Create This

8. The Quantified Self as a Storytelling Self

9. Object-Based Broadcasting and Personalised Content

Project processWK1-3 - Form group, decide topic, formulate aims + objectives, conduct/write literature review, integrate BBC model, source statistical data, construct research design

WK 4-6 – Conduct pilot research, write up early results, create/upload presentation

WK7 – Present progress

WK8-9 – Analyse + write up data/findings

WK10-11 - Write up conclusion + relate back to BBC Model. Write individual report + group presentation

WK12 - Upload report via Moodle/Turnitin. Add report to Mahara site with presentation. Present at conference.

Seminar: Group tasks for this week• Form a group of 4 students and report group members to tutor

• Creative thinking exercise to help choose topic and generate ideas

• Formulate a strategy to resolve group conflict (tutors will only intervene if this is stated in your strategy)

• Click on the Mahara link in Moodle, an invitation to join a group will be emailed to you – you need to accept

• Post an update on the above on the Mahara group site/forum (once set up)