ITM30719 Communication Design (Autumn 2019)

The course is connected to the following study programs

This course is compulsory in

• Bachelor in Digital Media and Design
• Bachelor in Information Systems - Data Security and Web

Lecture Semester

3rd and 5th semester (Autumn).

The student's learning outcomes after completing the course

Knowledge

The student

• is familiar with basic challenges and solutions when it comes to organizing editorial work in online media
• is familiar with methods and techniques for designing and developing editorial content in online media
• understands and is able to reflect on journalism's role in society

Skills

The student knows how to

• organize editorial work in online media
• design and develop editorial content in online media
• take the role as designer, developer or journalist in an editorial team responsible for publishing content in online media

General competence

The student has

• the ability to work independently and in groups, doing organized editorial work
• been given the opportunity to actively develop skills in communication, thinking and problem solving in collaboration with others

Content

Designing and developing editorial content in online media:

• What means of expression are available online for conveying news stories and how can they be used systematically to reach an audience?
• Methods and techniques for designing online news, taking into consideration who reads news and how.
• Methods and techniques for developing online news, using HTML, CSS, JavaScript, code libraries and frameworks.

Organizing editorial work online:

• What knowledge, skills and competences are needed to produce online news?
• How can sufficient time and resources be mobilized to produce online news?
• How can a paying audience be mobilized to uphold a news service online?

An introduction to journalism and editorial work, emphasizing how this work needs to be undertaken to support journalism's obligation to society: to inform, to expose and to facilitate for discussion and debate.

Forms of teaching and learning

Editorial meetings, project work, supervision and assignments.

The course uses the Scottish Storyline Approach (SSA). A storyline frames a problem based, cross disciplinary and theme-based learning process. The rationale for doing this is to give the students the opportunity to actively develop communication skills, their thinking, and their ability to solve problems in collaboration with others.

The course simulates a newsroom where the students take the role as communication designers for the make-believe news outlet "The Halden Times". In this, the students will explore and decide how the news outlet is being organized. The students work in teams consisting of a journalist, a designer and a developer, producing editorial content.

The course is driven by weekly editorial meetings and ongoing editorial work, where the lecturers will take different roles to make sure that the teams are progressing. There will be organized lectures where methods and techniques for developing editorial content for web and mobile platforms, journalism and other relevant topics will be addressed.

If students from international partners attend courses, the lectures will be conducted in English.

Workload

Approx. 250 hours.

4 hours lectures per week, editorial meetings and supervision.

Coursework requirements - conditions for taking the exam

Minimum 80% attendance in the editorial meetings.

A memo (max 2500 words) with reflections on what the student has contributed with when developing one of the web sites and its back end for The Halden Times.

The coursework requirements must be approved before students may sit the exam.

Examination

Group portfolio exam

Portfolio exam comprising of 3-5 news stories and 1 longer feature story. A grade will be awarded on the basis of an overall assessment. The same grade will be awarded to the whole group.

Grades scale from A to F is used.

Examiners

The exam is assessed by the course instructor and an internal or external examiner.

Conditions for resit/rescheduled exams

Any resit or rescheduled examinations will have to be taken in connection with the next ordinary course examination.

Course evaluation

This course is evaluated by a

• Mid-term evaluation (compulsory)

The responsible for the course compiles a report based on the feedback from the students and his/her own experience with the course. The report is discussed by the study quality committee of the faculty of Computer Sciences.

Literature

Web-based resources will be posted on the University College's learning platform at the beginning of the course.

Students are expected to find relevant resources during the course.