Digital Media and Communications

Explores the practical and theoretical elements of digital media asset creation and production. Students will develop digital assets in a variety of formats including audio and video. Post-production work will inform the final outputs of the module.

This module will explore how data analytics can support the digital entrepreneur, and students will plan an entrepreneurial endeavour and their own professional development. It will cover digital business intelligence, business models and skills required for digital work.

Most of us work for organisations. We will explore digital and creative industry organisational contexts, including data use, as a platform for your creative/technical enterprise. Students will consider organisations in the digital and creative industries: trends; organisational structure and culture; their external environment including consideration of competitive intelligence and customers.

We all use our digital devices for communicating every day, but what are the implications for our society and culture? We will employ ideas from theories of information behaviour, and digital literacy and practice to examine our information society and its modes of communication. We will discuss digital platforms, big data and personalisation algorithms, and examine the impact of digital communications on cultural forms like music and gaming.

This module will explore the fundamental practical and theoretical elements of digital media asset research and production. Students will undertake pre-production research before creating photographic digital assets on which they will undertake post-production work.

Introduction to HTML and CSS covers the theory and practice of constructing web pages. This includes an examination of the values, processes and insights  that have lead to the development of industry standards and best practices. Includes HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) using industry standards and best practices; web accessibility and usability.

We all use our digital devices for communicating every day, but what are the implications for us as digital citizens? We will discuss the impact of digital devices on our personal lives, work and health, and examine how devices are evolving and becoming smarter. Students will be introduced to key theories, concepts and research methods in digital communication, and they will develop and apply information literacy skills.

Webpage development covers the theory and practice of constructing responsive web pages to incorporate the students’ media productions. The module will cover using industry standards and best practices to create websites with a focus on user centred design and accessibility for all. Includes page layout, design and typography for the web. Digital content including text, images and embedding audio and video content from third party sources. Principles of design for all.

This module enables demonstration of practical and theoretical understanding of content creation and documentary digital media production using moving image, photography and audio. 

We will examine the digital environment and ask what ethical behaviour means for both organisations and individuals. We will examine the digital environment (including its production, manipulation, distribution, circulation and reception), identify ethical issues raised and ask what ethical behaviour means for both organisations and individuals.

We will examine the digital environment and how it is regulated globally, including codes of practice. We will examine the digital environment (including its production, manipulation, distribution, circulation and reception) and how it is regulated globally. This will be informed by an analysis of regulation, and professional and occupational codes of practice.

This module will explore the practical and theoretical elements of digital media asset research and production. Students will undertake pre-production research before creating artefacts to inform the creation of digital assets.

This module explores how different individuals, organisations and institutions use digital and social networking tools as part of their daily digital practices in ways that improve, challenge and alter the political, cultural and social landscape.

Social media is ubiquitous across all areas of everyday life. The module explores key theoretical themes surrounding the various ways in which individuals, organisations and institutions shape and are shaped by digital and social networking tools.

This module entails the study of project management in terms of applying tools and techniques to project scenarios specifically related to digital products and services. Key areas will be addressed in respect of the project management discipline such as, risk, project lifecycle, project management methodologies, planning, estimation appraisal, stakeholder and user requirements analysis. Project context, including ethical and environmental concerns, will also be addressed. Project management will be studied from both practitioner and academic perspectives.

This module will develop knowledge of the principles of project management in the context of digital industries by employing practitioner and academic perspectives. This module entails the study of project management through examination of the  tools and techniques that may be applied to project scenarios specifically related to digital products and services. Key areas will be addressed in respect of the project management discipline such as, risk, project life cycle, project management methodologies, planning, estimation appraisal, stakeholder and user requirements analysis.

Using standards based web development, students implement in code and user test their planned solution to the client brief though the design, build and testing of a web project. Includes defining branding and design. Creating on-line typography, using grid layouts and responsive web design practices with CSS and HTML. The theory and practice of user testing and acceptance testing pre-launch.

Using industry-relevant research and development practices students will research and plan a website as a solution to a problem posed through a client brief. Includes ideation, project management, user research, competitor research, information architecture, content scheduling and design.

This module explores various aspects of organisational/management theory relevant to organisations in the digital sector, helping students develop their commercial awareness. It covers a broad range of aspects relevant to business planning, including business models, objectives and metrics, competitor analysis, financial planning basics and risk management.

The module provides a platform for the design and execution of a digital media-based independent project. This module's focus is the design and execution of a digital media-based independent project, in which the student builds on previous learning throughout the course to develop and apply investigative, technical and professional skills. Each project must have mutually supportive investigative and digital asset creation elements, with associated written reporting and asset presentation.

This module examines the principles, standards and practical application of user experience design for creative industries, focussing on user behaviour, needs and requirements.