| Title: | Cybercultures |
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| Long Title: | Cybercultures |
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| Field of Study: |
Multimedia
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| Valid From: |
Semester 1 - 2017/18 ( September 2017 ) |
| Module Coordinator: |
ROSE MC GRATH |
| Module Author: |
Jessica Shine |
| Module Description: |
This module draws on a number of research traditions and frameworks, new and old, to facilitate the student’s own analysis of contemporary cyberculture under a range of themes including those of identity, work, everyday life, learning, entertainment, research, property etc. The module will offer students the chance to make use of a range of new web- and network-based technologies and observe a range of extant virtual communities to investigate these themes and appreciate the continuities and discontinuities between, inter alia, the new media and the old, the new generation (variously called “Generation Y”, NetGen etc) and those generations preceding it, as well as emerging versus traditional conceptions of “community”, “culture”, "technology", etc |
| Learning Outcomes |
| On successful completion of this module the learner will be able to: |
| LO1 |
Critically analyse manifestations of the “cyberculture” through an integrative application of a range of theories and frameworks relating to contemporary society, new media, and cyber or Internet psychology |
| LO2 |
Critically evaluate the role of various web- or network-based technologies and services in the development and evolution of key or representative virtual communities |
| LO3 |
Postulate probable futures for the relationship between science/technology and future generations in terms of themes such as identity, work, lifestyle, learning, stratification etc |
| LO4 |
Investigate key differences in theory and practice between traditional and new media through the implementation of a representative social web platform |
| Pre-requisite learning |
Module Recommendations
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is strongly recommended before enrolment in this module. You may enrol in this module if you have not acquired the recommended learning but you will have considerable difficulty in passing (i.e. achieving the learning outcomes of) the module. While the prior learning is expressed as named CIT module(s) it also allows for learning (in another module or modules) which is equivalent to the learning specified in the named module(s). |
| No recommendations listed |
Incompatible Modules
These are modules which have learning outcomes that are too similar to the learning outcomes of this module. You may not earn additional credit for the same learning and therefore you may not enrol in this module if you have successfully completed any modules in the incompatible list. |
| No incompatible modules listed |
Co-requisite Modules
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| No Co-requisite modules listed |
Requirements
This is prior learning (or a practical skill) that is mandatory before enrolment in this module is allowed. You may not enrol on this module if you have not acquired the learning specified in this section. |
| No requirements listed |
Co-requisites
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| No Co Requisites listed |
Module Content & Assessment
| Indicative Content |
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Theories of Contemporary Society
Postmodernism, globalisation, late capitalism, the information society, the knowledge-based economy, the digital divide
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Theories of the New Generation
Generation X, Y and Z; the “Net Gen”/the “i Generation”/The Gaming Generation; key characteristics and proclivities; online demographics etc
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The Cyber-culture
Key themes, e.g. virtuality, simulation, technology, literacy; Media cultures (visual cultures, music cultures, gaming cultures etc); living online, everyday cybercultures; participatory and open source cultures; pop cosmopolitanism.
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Contemporary Cyberspaces
The Social Web and Web.2.0; virtual and mixed reality spaces; Massive Multiplayer Online Games and Virtual Worlds
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Cyberculture and Psychology
The psychology of HIC; Cognition in virtual spaces; Issues in Cyber-/Internet psychology (e.g. online disinhibition effect, identity in cyberspace, cyberspace immersion)
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Predicting the Future
Web 3.0, the Semantic Web, the data web, web3D, ubiquitous/ambient computing; AI; post/trans-humanism; technology as concept and philosophy; Futurology; possible, probable and preferable futures
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| Assessment Breakdown | % |
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| Course Work | 100.00% |
| Course Work |
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| Assessment Type |
Assessment Description |
Outcome addressed |
% of total |
Assessment Date |
| Essay |
"Future Trends" Essay re probable futures for the relationship between some key aspect of the science/technology complex and a key societal topic or theme of student's choice (e.g. “the everyday”, personal identity, work, lifestyle, education, social stratification etc) |
1,2,3 |
30.0 |
Week 8 |
| Essay |
Critically analyse the way in which cyberspace and digital artefacts are a product of and producer of culture (e.g. social media, online gaming, mobile technology, etc.) |
1,2,3,4 |
70.0 |
Week 13 |
| No End of Module Formal Examination |
| Reassessment Requirement |
Coursework Only
This module is reassessed solely on the basis of re-submitted coursework. There is no repeat written examination.
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The institute reserves the right to alter the nature and timings of assessment
Module Workload
| Workload: Full Time |
| Workload Type |
Workload Description |
Hours |
Frequency |
Average Weekly Learner Workload |
| Lecture |
Theorical and Historical Frameworks |
1.5 |
Every Week |
1.50 |
| Lab |
Practical Sessions based around specific technologies and services |
1.0 |
Every Week |
1.00 |
| Independent & Directed Learning (Non-contact) |
Range of readings, practical ICT-based tasks and other formative assessment tasks |
4.5 |
Every Week |
4.50 |
| Total Hours |
7.00 |
| Total Weekly Learner Workload |
7.00 |
| Total Weekly Contact Hours |
2.50 |
| This module has no Part Time workload. |
Module Resources
| Recommended Book Resources |
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- Sherry Turkle, 2012, Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other [ISBN: 1459609026]
- Clay Shirky, 2011, Cognitive Surplus: How Technology Makes Consumers into Collaborators [ISBN: 0143119583]
- Henry Jenkins 2008, Convergence culture, New York University Press New York [ISBN: 0814742955]
- Martin Lister... [et al.] 2009, New media: a critical introduction [ISBN: 0415431611]
- edited by David Silver and Adrienne Massanari; with a foreword by Steve Jones 2006, Critical cyberculture studies, New York University Press New York [ISBN: 0814740243]
| | Supplementary Book Resources |
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- Susan Greenfield, 2011, ID: The Quest for Identity in the 21st Century [ISBN: 0340936010]
- Eli Pariser, 2011, The Filter Bubble: What the Internet Is Hiding from You [ISBN: 978-0670920389]
- James Paul Gee, 2007, What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy. Second Edition [ISBN: 1403984530]
- Suler, John (n.d.), Psychology of Cyberspace., Available from http://www-usr.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/psycyber.html
- Don Tapscott 2008, Grown up digital [ISBN: 0071508635]
- Edward Castronova 2006, Synthetic worlds, The University of Chicago Press Chicago [ISBN: 0226096270]
- Valerie Belair-Gagnon 2015, Social Media at BBC News: The Remaking of Crisis Reporting [ISBN: 978-1-315-742]
- Gabriella Coleman 2014, Hacker, Hoaxer, Whistleblower, Spy: The Many faces of Anonymous [ISBN: 13: 978-1-781]
| | Recommended Article/Paper Resources |
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- Squire, K.D. & Steinkuehler, C.A. 2005, Meet the Gamers, Library Journal, April 15
| | Supplementary Article/Paper Resources |
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- 2008 Critical Perspectives on Web 2.0 Special issue of First Monday Volume 13, Number 3 - 3 March 2008. Available from http://www.uic.edu/htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/issue/view/263/showToc
- David Silver 2000, Looking Backwards, Looking Forward: Cyberculture Studies 1990-2000
| | Other Resources |
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- Online Article: Steinkuehler, C 2007, Massively multiplayer online gaming as a
constellation of literacy practices
, eLearning, 4(3) 297-318
- Journal: Cyberpsychology and Behavior :
http://www.liebertpub.com/publication.as
px?pub_id=10
- Journal: Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial
Research on Cyberspace :
http://www.cyberpsychology.eu/
- Blog: Offical Weblog of Henry Jenkins
- Journal: New Media and Society
- Website: Wearesocial 2008, We are Social
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Module Delivered in
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