Children, Youth and Digital Media

Unit Outline (Higher Education)

   
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Effective Term: 2025/05
Institute / School :Institute of Education, Arts & Community
Unit Title: Children, Youth and Digital Media
Unit ID: BADIG3004
Credit Points: 15.00
Prerequisite(s): (BATCC1001) (At least 30 credit points from BADIG or BAFLM or BATCC subject-area at 2000-2999 level)
Co-requisite(s): Nil
Exclusion(s): (BADIG2004)
ASCED: 100799
Other Change:  
Brief description of the Unit

Children and young people engage with digital media technologies and content for education, entertainment, and socialisation. As such, the very experience of childhood and youth is closely tied to these practices. This advanced unit examines ways of making sense of childhood and youth in the context of digital culture. This involves both the exploration of what young people ‘do’ with digital media, as well how that use is interpreted and understood according to dominant conceptual frameworks and perspectives. With topics ranging from young people as media producers, to issues of consumption, identity formation, online risk, and media rights, students will engage with theory and examples to critically examine the meaning and nature of childhood and youth in a mediatised society.

Grade Scheme: Graded (HD, D, C, P, MF, F, XF)
Work Experience Indicator:
No work experience
Placement Component: No
Supplementary Assessment:Yes
Where supplementary assessment is available a student must have failed overall in the Unit but gained a final mark of 45 per cent or above, has completed all major assessment tasks (including all sub-components where a task has multiple parts) as specified in the Unit Description and is not eligible for any other form of supplementary assessment
Course Level:
Level of Unit in CourseAQF Level(s) of Course
5678910
Introductory                                                
Intermediate                                                
Advanced                                        
Learning Outcomes:
Knowledge:
K1.

Articulate and explain at an advanced level conceptual frameworks and perspectives about children and youth.

K2.

Have a developed comprehension of how children and young people use and engage with digital media technologies, cultural sites, and content.

K3.

Have advanced level recognition of how knowledge frameworks and perspectives inform the production and interpretation of meaning about young people’s media practices and engagements.

Skills:
S1.

Apply at an advanced level conceptual approaches to childhood and youth to relevant issues and examples concerning the media use of children and young people.

S2.

Critically examine the implications and effects of interpretive frameworks for the meaning of childhood and youth in digital culture.

S3.

Analyse media practices and issues using a range of resources and materials.

S4.

Express critically informed views and perspectives, supported by evidence.

S5.

Read, think, and engage in nuanced and critical ways.

Application of knowledge and skills:
A1.

Apply advanced level conceptual knowledge and analytical skills to convey understanding of issues, perspectives, and debates relevant to children and youth as media users in the digital age.

A2.

Apply developed standards of academic research, referencing, and writing.

A3.

Develop a research case study topic relating to an aspect of the Unit.

Unit Content:

Topics may include:
• Conceptualising childhood and youth in the digital age: Issues and challenges
• Analysing childhood and youth: Dominant discourses and perspectives
• Young people as media producers
• Online safety and risk
• Commoditised consumption
• Identity practices and representations
• Sociality, socialisation, and social media
• Gender and sexuality
• Civic participation and political agency
• Media for education and entertainment
• Policies and media rights for young people
• Participation and inclusion: Children and youth with disabilities

Graduate Attributes:
Federation University recognises that students require key transferable employability skills to prepare them for their future workplace and society. FEDTASKS (Transferable Attributes Skills and Knowledge) provide a targeted focus on five key transferable Attributes, Skills, and Knowledge that are be embedded within curriculum, developed gradually towards successful measures and interlinked with cross-discipline and Co-operative Learning opportunities. One or more FEDTASK, transferable Attributes, Skills or Knowledge must be evident in the specified learning outcomes and assessment for each FedUni Unit, and all must be directly assessed in each Course.

FED TASK and descriptorDevelopment and acquisition of FEDTASKS in the Unit
Level
FEDTASK 1
Interpersonal

Students will demonstrate the ability to effectively communicate, inter-act and work with others both individually and in groups. Students will be required to display skills in-person and/or online in:

•   Using effective verbal and non-verbal communication

•   Listening for meaning and influencing via active listening

•   Showing empathy for others

•   Negotiating and demonstrating conflict resolution skills

•   Working respectfully in cross-cultural and diverse teams.

Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context
FEDTASK 2
Leadership

Students will demonstrate the ability to apply professional skills and behaviours in leading others. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Creating a collegial environment

•   Showing self -awareness and the ability to self-reflect

•   Inspiring and convincing others

•   Making informed decisions

•   Displaying initiative

Level 2 - Student demonstrates some independence within provided guidelines
FEDTASK 3
Critical Thinking and Creativity

Students will demonstrate an ability to work in complexity and ambiguity using the imagination to create new ideas. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Reflecting critically

•   Evaluating ideas, concepts and information

•   Considering alternative perspectives to refine ideas

•   Challenging conventional thinking to clarify concepts

•   Forming creative solutions in problem solving.

Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context
FEDTASK 4
Digital Literacy

Students will demonstrate the ability to work fluently across a range of tools, platforms and applications to achieve a range of tasks. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Finding, evaluating, managing, curating, organising and sharing digital information

•   Collating, managing, accessing and using digital data securely

•   Receiving and responding to messages in a range of digital media

•   Contributing actively to digital teams and working groups

•   Participating in and benefiting from digital learning opportunities.

Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context
FEDTASK 5
Sustainable and Ethical Mindset

Students will demonstrate the ability to consider and assess the consequences and impact of ideas and actions in enacting ethical and sustainable decisions. Students will be required to display skills in:

•   Making informed judgments that consider the impact of devising solutions in global economic environmental and societal contexts

•   Committing to social responsibility as a professional and a citizen

•   Evaluating ethical, socially responsible and/or sustainable challenges and generating and articulating responses

•   Embracing lifelong, life-wide and life-deep learning to be open to diverse others

•   Implementing required actions to foster sustainability in their professional and personal life.

Level 3 - Student works independently with limited guidance or works within self-determined guidelines appropriate to context
 Learning Outcomes AssessedAssessment TasksAssessment TypeWeighting
1.K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1, A2, A3

Develop a topic for an in-depth examination of a specific issue or example of digital media use/engagement by children or youth and the ways in which it is understood and theorised.

Case study

40-60%

2.K1, K2, K3, S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, A1, A2

Students use and apply key concepts and set resources to submit a folio of critical reflections on unit topics in response to prompts, activities, or exercises.

Critical reflections folio

40-60%

Adopted Reference Style:
MLA  ()

Professional Standards / Competencies:
 Standard / Competency