Outline

Overview

The Internet is a communications and media infrastructure that supports constant economic and social change, as well as being integrated into the routines of our everyday life across the planet. Internet Transformations critically examines the online technologies, platforms and industries at the heart of these changes. It introduces key skills in analysis, evaluation and critique of these objects, situated in a historical context. It also interrogates the implications of emerging internetworked phenomena such as the internet of things, augmented reality and algorithmic cultures.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit	Media and Communications
Credit points	6
Prerequisites ?	(6 credit points at 1000 level in ARIN) or (12 credit points at 1000 level in MECO or SIEN or DECO) or (12 credit points in WRIT1001 and (ATHK1001 or ATHK1901))
Corequisites ?	None
Prohibitions ?	ARIN2100
Assumed knowledge ?	None
Available to study abroad and exchange students	Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator	Xuanzi Xu, xuanzi.xu@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s)	Joanne Gray, j.gray@sydney.edu.au

Assessment

The census date for this unit availability is 1 September 2025

Details
Criteria

Type	Description	Weight	Due	Length	Use of AI
In-person practical, skills, or performance task or test	In-class debate In classes during weeks 12 and 13, you will work in a group to debate a tech governance issue. You will also write a reflective piece on your group collaboration experience (about 200 words) and justify your evaluation of your teammates' performance.	35%	Multiple weeks	equivalent 1500 words	AI prohibited
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	9 x Weekly Quizzes Each week, between weeks 1-2, 4-12 inclusive, you will complete quiz to test your understanding of the week's reading and lecture materials.	18%	Ongoing	9 x 10 questions (~900 words)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Out-of-class quiz	Early Feedback Task Quiz to test your understanding of the week's reading and lecture materials. Talk to your tutor for concrete feedback. #earlyfeedbacktask	2%	Week 03 Due date: 22 Aug 2025 at 23:59	1*10 questions (20 minutes, ~ 100 words)	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
Written work	Hypertextual Essay You will write and publish a multimedia essay on Medium exploring an issue raised in the unit.	45%	Week 08 Due date: 22 Sep 2025 at 23:59	2000 words +/- 10% excluding references	AI allowed
Outcomes assessed:
= hurdle task ? = group assignment ? = early feedback task ?

Early feedback task

This unit includes an early feedback task, designed to give you feedback prior to the census date for this unit. Details are provided in the Canvas site and your result will be recorded in your Marks page. It is important that you actively engage with this task so that the University can support you to be successful in this unit.

Assessment summary

See Canvas for assessment summary.

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.

Result name	Mark range	Description
High distinction	85 - 100
Distinction	75 - 84
Credit	65 - 74
Pass	50 - 64
Fail	0 - 49	When you don’t meet the learning outcomes of the unit to a satisfactory standard.

For more information see sydney.edu.au/students/guide-to-grades

For more information see guide to grades.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

You can use generative AI tools for open assessments. Restrictions on AI use apply to secure, supervised assessments used to confirm if students have met specific learning outcomes.

Refer to the assessment table above to see if AI is allowed, for assessments in this unit and check Canvas for full instructions on assessment tasks and AI use.

If you use AI, you must always acknowledge it. Misusing AI may lead to a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

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:

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.

Academic integrity

The University expects students to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

Our website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. This includes advice on how to avoid common breaches of academic integrity. Ensure that you have completed the Academic Honesty Education Module (AHEM) which is mandatory for all commencing coursework students

Penalties for serious breaches can significantly impact your studies and your career after graduation. It is important that you speak with your unit coordinator if you need help with completing assessments.

Visit the Current Students website for more information on AI in assessments, including details on how to acknowledge its use.

Learning support

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.

Support for students

The Support for Students Policy reflects the University’s commitment to supporting students in their academic journey and making the University safe for students. It is important that you read and understand this policy so that you are familiar with the range of support services available to you and understand how to engage with them.

The University uses email as its primary source of communication with students who need support under the Support for Students Policy. Make sure you check your University email regularly and respond to any communications received from the University.

Learning resources and detailed information about weekly assessment and learning activities can be accessed via Canvas. It is essential that you visit your unit of study Canvas site to ensure you are up to date with all of your tasks.

If you are having difficulties completing your studies, or are feeling unsure about your progress, we are here to help. You can access the support services offered by the University at any time:

Support and Services (including health and wellbeing services, financial support and learning support)
Course planning and administration
Meet with an Academic Adviser

Weekly schedule

WK	Topic	Learning activity	Learning outcomes
Weekly	See Canvas for weekly schedule.	Lecture (1 hr)
Weekly	See Canvas for weekly schedule	Tutorial (2 hr)

Attendance and class requirements

Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.
Lecture recording: All lectures will be recorded and will be made available to students on the LMS.
Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

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

All readings for this unit can be accessed through the Library eReserve, available on Canvas.

Learning outcomes

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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

LO1. demonstrate an understanding of the history, politics, economics and cultures of the internet and networked technologies
LO2. demonstrate skills in, and professional orientation to, web, social media and mobile media production
LO3. understand the affordances and limitations of online media and communications production software
LO4. discuss social and cultural issues arising from networked change
LO5. analyse and critique emerging internet phenomena eg. mixed reality, internet of things, smart cities.

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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

Thank you for your valuable feedback last semester. In response to your feedback, this semester we have updated the assignment task sheets to ensure clearer explanations of the tasks and to provide detailed rubrics for marking. There will also be additional tasks and opportunities for assignment help in lectures and tutorials this semester.

Additional information

RECOMMENDED FURTHER READING

Readings that could prove useful for your assessment items include:

Albarran, Alan B. (2013) The Social Media Industries. New York: Routledge

Bruns, Axel (2018) Gatewatching and News Curation: journalism, social media and the public sphere. New York: Peter Lang.

Bucher, Taina (2020) Facebook. Cambridge: Polity.

Bunz, Mercedes and Meikle, Graham (2020) The internet of Things. Cambridge: Polity.

Burgess, Jean, & Green, Joshua (2019) YouTube: online video and participatory culture. Cambridge: Polity Press. Second Edition.

DuPont, Quinn (2019) Cryptocurrencies and Blockchains. Cambridge: Polity.

Farman, Jason (2014) The Mobile Story: Narrative Practices with Locative Technologies. New York: Routledge.

Gillespie, Tarleton (2018) Custodians of the Internet. New Haven: Yale University Press.

Gillespie, Tarleton, Boczkowksi Pablo and Foot, Kirsten A. (eds) (2015) Media Technologies: Essays on Communication, Materiality, and Society. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

Graham, Mark and Dutton, William (eds) (2014) Society and the Internet. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Gray, Joanne (2020) Google Rules: The History and Future of Copyright Under the Influence of Google. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Greengard, Samuel (2015) The Internet of Things. Cambridge MA: MIT Press.

Hunsinger, Jeremy, and Senft, Theresa (2015) The Social Media Handbook. London: Routledge.

John, Nicholas A. (2017) The Age of Sharing. Cambridge and Malden: Polity Press

Leaver, Tama, Highfield, Tim and Abidin, Crystal (2019) Instagram. Cambridge: Polity.

Lievrouw, Leah and Loader, Brian (eds) (2020) Routledge Handbook of Digital Media and Communication. New York: Routledge.

Levy, Steven (2020) Facebook: The Inside Story. UK: Penguin Business.

Lovink, Geert (2016) Social Media Abyss, Critical Internet Cultures and the Force of Negation, Cambridge and Malden: Polity.

Marolt, Peter and Herold, David Kurt (eds) (2017) China Online: Locating Society in Online Spaces. London: Routledge.

Murthy, Dhiraj (2018) Twitter. Cambridge: Polity.

Martin, Fiona and Dwyer, Tim (2019) Sharing News Online: Commendary Cultures and Social News Ecologies. London: Palgrave Macmillan

Molitorisz, Sacha (2020) Net Privacy: how we can be free in an age of surveillance. Kensington, NSW: New South Publishing.

Moore, Martin and Tambini, Damian (2018) (eds) Digital Dominance: The Power of Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Noble, Safiya Umoja (2018) Algorithms of Oppression. How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. New York: New York University Press.

Phillips, Whitney (2014) This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things: Mapping the Relationship Between Online Trolling and Mainstream Culture. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.

Qiu, Jack Linchuan (2016) Goodbye iSlave: A Manifesto for Digital Abolition. Urbana, IL: University of Illinois Press.

Sampson, Tony, Maddison, Stephen and Ellis, Darren (2018) Affect and Social Media: Emotion, Mediation, Anxiety and Contagion. Rowman and Littlefield

Thomas, Julian. et al., (2016) Measuring Australia’s Digital Divide. The Australian Digital Inclusion Index. Swinburne University of Technology/Telstra, Melbourne.

Van Dijck, José (2013) The Culture of Connectivity. A Critical History of Social Media. New York: Oxford University Press.

Van Dijck, Jose, Poell, Thomas and De Waal, Martijn (2018) The Platform Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Warf, Barney (ed) (2018) SAGE Encyclopedia of the Internet. London: SAGE.

Wilken, Rowan and Goggin, Gerard (2015) Locative Media. New York: Routledge.

Wu, Tim (2016) The Attention Merchants: The Epic Scramble to Get Inside Our Heads. New York: Knopf.

Zuboff, Shoshana (2020) The Age of Surveillance Capitalism. New York: Basic Books.

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

ARIN2610: Internet Transformations

Semester 2, 2025 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Early feedback task

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI)

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Support for students

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Required readings

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Additional information

Additional information

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links