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Understanding changing values
Two new courses at Macquarie University will equip graduates to understand the clamorous images of film, television, advertising and graffiti which bombard all our lives. “There is nowhere in our society where we don’t encounter multi-media,” says Dr Nicole Anderson, Associate Lecturer in the Department of Critical and Cultural Studies, who devised and runs the online courses. In business, in teaching, and in policy-making, we need to understand the way these texts operate in our society, she says. “Analysing various contemporary texts such as film and multimedia can help us understand how beliefs and values change within society,” says Anderson. She adds that if we understand why people are thinking, feeling and behaving the way they do, we can understand how our society operates. The courses are particularly relevant to high school teachers who might want to update their knowledge. Cultural studies offer a set of methodologies to analyse material and discern trends. Concepts such as inter-textuality help us to update our understanding of the ways different texts interact. How to enrol in the courses In the online Graduate Certificate in Critical and Cultural Studies, there are two core subjects, Text/Image/Culture and Introduction to Visual Culture. Students can then choose a further two from the other six available. The whole course takes two years to complete. One option is Australian Cultural Studies, which poses questions such as: How is national identity constructed through film, books and advertising? How have representations of such identity changed, from Paul Hogan to The Wog Boy? What are the social implications of this? In the online Diploma in Critical and Cultural Studies, students will cover seven of the available units over three years. It will soon be possible to upgrade both qualifications into a Masters. Innovative delivery Anderson is a specialist in online teaching and flexible learning. For the courses, she has produced Web lectures that are interactive, helping students understand what they have read so far, and consolidating learning. There are quizzes and exercises, Q&A sequences and lots of links to generate self-learning. “I see it as a virtual dialogue between teachers and students,” she says. She will monitor the discussion boards, and occasionally join in. She will also be available through phone or email. Many students live in the country, beyond Sydney, and if they choose, they can organise a day to also meet one another face-to-face. For further information, contact Dr Nicole Anderson at nicole.anderson@mq.edu.au The Department of Critical and Cultural Studies website is at www.ccs.mq.edu.au More Education stories here |
Important
Dates
Coursework
16 Dec 2005
FINAL closing date for external distance applications for first half year 2006
13 Jan 2006
FINAL closing date for internal/on-campus applications for first half year 2006
Research
8 Dec 2005
Closing date for further applications to research programs for first half year 2006
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