Assessment

roddy flynn's teaching webpage
Assessment

Assessment

M, T & S is assessed by continuous assessment. This is broken into:

i) 20% for seminar topics

ii) 80% for end-of-term essay. (3,000 - 4,000 words).

Assessment Questions for Media Technology and Society

Deadline 12 noon, 12 January 2004

The question:

Taking any of the theorists discussed on the course (McLuhan, Innis, Winston, Habermas, the Frankfurt School, Jameson, Foucault, Castells or Haraway), outline their basic understanding of the relationship between media, technology (or media technologies) and society. Discuss the extent to which your chosen theorist can be considered to favour a technologically determinist or social shaping of technology approach. If you feel it is appropriate you may discuss more than one theorist in your paper.

Notes:

Each paper should be 3,000 - 4,000 words in length.

Papers should be submitted to the wheelie bin outside the School Secretary’s Office (C179). Essays which are more than five days late will not marked (except in extreme circumstances – illness, bereavement etc.) Claims for extensions on this basis must be accompanied by the relevant documentation (med certs etc.)

In writing your essays, bear in mind that I’m looking for:

1. At a minimum - evidence of reading on the core topic.

2. I’m likely to be impressed by an ability to bring in material that hasn’t been directly covered in this course – i.e. not all the answers to these questions are to found in your lecture notes.

3. Finally – the ultimate aim of the course is that you are able to use the concepts examined on an ongoing basis – hence evidence that you understand the relevance of those concepts and can apply them in a way not directly referred to in lectures is also likely to impress me. Since this is a theoretical course I am taking it for granted that your essays will grapple with the theoretical issues raised in class.

Essays should avoid the extremes of, one the one hand, assertions based solely on personal opinion and on the other, of stringing together a series of quotes. I’m looking for your opinions, but those opinions should be based on reasoned argument. It goes without saying that the essays should be fully referenced. Marks will be lost for poor referencing, grammar, spelling and syntax.

Anyone seeking to discuss any aspect of the essays can contact me at C128 in the Grattan Building or during work hours at 700 8355 (if I’m not there, leave a message and number – I will return your call).