Overview

Data shapes our everyday lives through media and communication technologies such as video streaming services, dating apps, online shopping, infographics, gaming and sport statistics. The aim of this unit is to teach students the foundations of reading, writing, and communicating with data. This involves understanding the role of data in media technologies and industries, understanding the role data has in our society and culture, and understanding how to identify both visible and invisible data. Students will learn how to deconstruct complex ideas and debates around data and communicate them effectively to multiple audiences and stakeholders. Students will learn how to identify how data can be used as a powerful communication tool.

Requisites

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
29-July-2024
27-October-2024
Last self-enrolment date
11-August-2024
Census date
31-August-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
13-September-2024
Results released date
03-December-2024
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
03-March-2025
01-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
16-March-2025
Census date
31-March-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
24-April-2025
Results released date
08-July-2025
Teaching Period 1
Location
Online
Start and end dates
10-March-2025
08-June-2025
Last self-enrolment date
23-March-2025
Census date
04-April-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-May-2025
Results released date
Semester 2
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
04-August-2025
02-November-2025
Last self-enrolment date
17-August-2025
Census date
31-August-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
19-September-2025
Results released date
09-December-2025
Teaching Period 3
Location
Online
Start and end dates
03-November-2025
08-February-2026
Last self-enrolment date
16-November-2025
Census date
28-November-2025
Last withdraw without fail date
02-January-2026
Results released date

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Explain role of data in various media technologies and industries
  • Identifying types of data and forms of information and their diverse use in industry, social and cultural life, including diverse organisational and cultural perspectives.
  • Develop essential collection, framing and presentation skills to communicate effectively with data in various communication contexts
  • Use collaboration skills to articulate and present complex ideas around data to diverse audiences

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Class
2.00  12 weeks  24
Online
Lecture (asynchronous)
1.00  12 weeks  12
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning
9.50  12 weeks  114
TOTAL     150

Swinburne Online

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
Online
Directed Online Learning and Independent Learning
12.50  12 weeks  150
TOTAL     150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
Information Visualisation Individual  30%  2,3 
Presentation Individual/Group 30%  1,2,4 
Report Individual 40%  1,2,3,4 

Content

  • Develop written, oral, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Collaborate and learn to manage work as a team
  • Understanding what data is and how it’s used in media
  • Identifying data, data sets, and data capabilities
  • Data and content creation and media industries
  • Data in context: introduction to data cultures 

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.