Undergraduate Module Descriptor

POL2087: Digital Media and Politics

This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.

Module Content

Syllabus Plan

The teaching program consists of 11 weeks of seminars in one term. There will be no lectures on this module. You are therefore expected to read extensively in preparation for class. The seminars will provide you with an opportunity to discuss a specific set of questions pertaining to the issues covered in the readings.

Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:

-Selective exposure in online content

-Echo chambers and filter bubbles

-Facebook and Twitter as information mediums

-Fake new and misinformation

-Bots and trolls

Learning and Teaching

This table provides an overview of how your hours of study for this module are allocated:

Scheduled Learning and Teaching ActivitiesGuided independent studyPlacement / study abroad
181320

...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:

CategoryHours of study timeDescription
Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities1811 x 1.5 hr seminars
Guided Independent Study78Reading assignments
Guided Independent Study24Preparation for exam
Guided Independent Study24Essay completion
Guided Independent Study6Preparation for presentation

Online Resources

This module has online resources available via ELE (the Exeter Learning Environment).

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessmentSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Class group presentation20 minutes1-7Verbal comments

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

CourseworkWritten examsPractical exams
5050

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment% of creditSize of the assessment (eg length / duration)ILOs assessedFeedback method
Essay5035001-7Written comments
Written exam5090 minutes1-7Written comments
0

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessmentForm of re-assessmentILOs re-assessedTimescale for re-assessment
EssayEssay (3500 words)1-7August/September reassessment
Written examWritten exam (90 mins)1-7August/September reassessment