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Unit of study_

ARIN1010: Elements of Digital Cultures

Semester 1, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

This unit offers a comprehensive introduction to the core elements of digital cultures. Students will gain a combination of practical skills and theoretical understanding of digital elements including video, text, images, data, sound, algorithms and networks. Combining creative exercises with critical discussion, the unit will equip students with skills and concepts to plan, construct and deconstruct digital artefacts, in order to understand their significance within the digital cultures and communication fields.

Unit details and rules

Unit code ARIN1010
Academic unit Media and Communications
Credit points 6
Prohibitions
? 
None
Prerequisites
? 
None
Corequisites
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

Familiarity with computers, smartphones and the internet

Available to study abroad and exchange students

No

Teaching staff

Coordinator Olga Boichak, olga.boichak@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Chris Chesher, chris.chesher@sydney.edu.au
Olga Boichak, olga.boichak@sydney.edu.au
Tutor(s) Nataliia Laba, nataliia.laba@sydney.edu.au
Tara Smith, tara.b.smith@sydney.edu.au
Oliver Heath, oliver.heath@sydney.edu.au
Harriet Flitcroft, harriet.flitcroft@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Short video
Short video essay on an 'element' assigned to you
30% Week 11
Due date: 12 May 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 02 Jun 2023
3 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO6 LO2 LO4 LO3
Assignment Portfolio of elements
Create 10 creative exercises in PebblePad with an exegesis for each.
50% Week 13
Due date: 22 May 2023 at 23:59

Closing date: 09 Jun 2023
Portfolio of 10 pages in PebblePad
Outcomes assessed: LO6 LO2 LO4 LO1
Tutorial quiz Quiz
Quiz on topics from the reading and lecture
20% Weekly
Closing date: 26 May 2023
5 minutes each week (Wks 2-12)
Outcomes assessed: LO5 LO4 LO1

Assessment summary

 

Assignment Short video 3 minutes Short video essay on an 'element' assigned to you 30% Ongoing

12/05/23 23:59

Assignment Portfolio of elements Portfolio of 10 pages in PebblePad Create 10 creative exercises in PebblePad with an exegesis for each. 50% Week 12 22/05/23 23:59
Tutorial quiz Quiz 5 minutes each week (Wks 2-12) Quiz on topics from the reading and lecture 20% Weekly 26/05/23 23:59

 

Assessment criteria

Result name

Mark range

Description

High distinction

85 - 100

Exceptional standard

Distinction

75 - 84

Very high standard

Credit

65 - 74

Good standard

Pass

50 - 64

Acceptable standard

Fail

0 - 49

When you don’t meet the

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

This unit has an exception to the standard University policy or supplementary information has been provided by the unit coordinator. This information is displayed below:

5% deduction per calendar day applies.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website  provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.  

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

You may only use artificial intelligence and writing assistance tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator, and if you do use them, you must also acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section.

Studiosity is permitted for postgraduate units unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Introduction Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Week 02 Gadgets lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Gadgets Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 03 Images lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Images Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 04 Sound lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Sound Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO6
Week 05 Moving image lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Moving image Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO6
Week 06 Text lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Text Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO5 LO6
Week 07 Bodies lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Bodies Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO4 LO6
Week 08 Algorithms lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Algorithms Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 09 Artificial intelligence lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Artificial intelligence Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 10 Games lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Games Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 11 Platforms lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Platforms Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 12 Metaverse lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Metaverse Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6
Week 13 Conclusion lecture Lecture (1 hr) LO1 LO4 LO5
Conclusions Tutorial (2 hr) LO1 LO2 LO6

Attendance and class requirements

Students should watch the recorded lecture and read the required reading before attending their tutorial. 

Attending tutorials is essential for learning how to complete portfolio entries. 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Required readings

Required and recommended readings will be released during semester. 

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. Explain elements in digital cultures and their contexts
  • LO2. Demonstrate skills in working with digital tools
  • LO3. Create a short critical video essay
  • LO4. Explain theories of digital cultures
  • LO5. Evaluate and critique digital cultural texts
  • LO6. Compile a portfolio of digital works created in class

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit is new in 2023.

Students must complete all assessments to pass this unit of study. 

Additional costs

While Adobe Creative Suite is not required, and we will not use it in teaching, students can pay $74 to install it on their own device. Note that this software requires a lot of disk space. https://sydneyuni.service-now.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB0011610

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.