Module POL2087 for 2018/9
- Overview
- Aims and Learning Outcomes
- Module Content
- Indicative Reading List
- Assessment
Undergraduate Module Descriptor
POL2087: Digital Media and Politics
This module descriptor refers to the 2018/9 academic year.
Module Aims
This module aims to enable you to examine: the changing nature of political communication in the contemporary information environment; the emergent trends in findings regarding the role of new media platforms in political life; alternative and newer forms of political media and talk’ and theories which address the motivations behind online behaviour.
| On successfully completing the programme you will be able to: | |
|---|---|
| Module-Specific Skills | 1. Understand the key debates regarding the effects of digital media on the political process 2. Demonstrate solid knowledge of ethical questions raised by new technological affordances |
| Discipline-Specific Skills | 3. Critically analyse primary and secondary source material 4. Understand political theory and models 5. Construct and present rigorous oral and written argument |
| Personal and Key Skills | 6. Develop critical thinking skills, particularly as it relates to evaluating empirical evidence 7. Develop writing skills to facilitate more powerful communication |
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 Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | 132 | 0 |
...and this table provides a more detailed breakdown of the hours allocated to various study activities:
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 18 | 11 x 1.5 hr seminars |
| Guided Independent Study | 78 | Reading assignments |
| Guided Independent Study | 24 | Preparation for exam |
| Guided Independent Study | 24 | Essay completion |
| Guided Independent Study | 6 | Preparation 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 assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Class group presentation | 20 minutes | 1-7 | Verbal 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.
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 50 | 50 |
...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | 50 | 3500 | 1-7 | Written comments |
| Written exam | 50 | 90 minutes | 1-7 | Written 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 assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Essay | Essay (3500 words) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment |
| Written exam | Written exam (90 mins) | 1-7 | August/September reassessment |
