Assessment method
Comparative Fieldsite Essay
Students are required to conduct field visits to two different sites of disciplinary relevance and write a comparative essay. Students are expected to draw on their first-hand, experiential knowledge of the site and link this to the broader theoretical and conceptual frameworks discussed in the course.
Work-related, Group
Creative Media Production Exercise
Completed in pairs, this assessment sees students work collaboratively to produce a creative media output and an accompanying rationale detailing and justifying the stylistic choices made (in the case of MSTU1001 students produce a section of film storyboard). Students are marked on their grasp of relevant conventions and theories.
Assessment method
Critical Reflection (News Media)
In this formative assessment, students select a recent news media item (print, electronic, multimedia, social media etc.) and conduct a short (500-700 word) critical reflection that draws on the foundational theoretical and disciplinary concepts from the course.
Work-related, Sequence
Ethnographic Fieldwork (Supervised Placement)
Students undertake a short (40 hour) placement or volunteer position to learn the methodological and practical skills required to undertake social scientific research. There may be several scaffolded assessments associated with this work-integrated learning experience; a pre-fieldwork report, a reflexive journal, a seminar presentation, and a final report.
Work-related, Group, Peer-assessed, Sequence
External Client Engagement and Report
In small groups (2-4) students liaise with an external client organisation and conduct stakeholder engagement to produce a report or output that aligns with client needs. In the case of COMU7013, students design, conduct, analyse, and report on, a participatory needs and opportunity assessment relating to a simple, real-world issue.
Assessment method
Media Lab Student Negotiated Assessment
Designed explicitly to provide student flexibility and cater to diverse learning styles, this technique has students produce a piece of written or audio-visual content in response to a provocation from a course practicum or theoretical perspective. Content can take numerous forms including a blog, critical review, documentary, or reflexive essay.
Group
Personalised Multimedia Portfolio
Students complete an intensive field project (7-10 days) to produce a professional portfolio of authentic digital and/or written works. Fieldwork involves a course trip to an overseas location or high profile domestic event (e.g. 2014 G20 Summit). Students research and prepare proposals/pitches prior to fieldwork in consultation with course coordinator/s.
Work-related, Sequence
Professional Poster Presentation on Employability
An internship, reflective activities and two reflective assessments scaffolded students to create posters evidencing their employability, graduate attributes and their unique personal brand developed in workplace projects. Articulating their abilities, showing how they added value to current and potential employers, students demonstrated how these experiences can support future transition to their careers. Posters also showing their LinkedIn profile, career ambitions and skills assessments were displayed to industry representatives who provided feedback. Posters can be used as a resource during recruitment complementing a resume.
Work-related, Group
Virtual Business Enterprise Business Plan Assignment
The Virtual Business Enterprise (VBE) is a digital learning resource consisting of a number of small retail businesses. Each semester student groups are allocated a VBE business and these groups 'trade' in 2 sessions across the semester. After each session, a complete set of financial statements is generated for each business. The final set of financial statements is used as a starting point for the business plan assignment linked to the VBE exercise.
Work-related
Work-based Multimodal Assessment
Students submit an argumentative piece on a contemporary topic relevant to their discipline of study. Pending staff approval, students can submit this assessment in a number of written or multimodal formats such as an editorial for The Conversation, a government report, or a short audio-visual documentary.