Master's level
45 credits on advanced level within the main field of study Media and Communication Studies, and the equivalent of Swedish higher secondary school English 6.
A1F / Second cycle, has second-cycle course/s as entry requirements
The course is a compulsory part of the programme Media and Communication Studies: Culture, Collaborative Media, and Creative Industries, Master's programme (Two-Year).
The course primarily focuses on the role of data and processes of datafication in contemporary societies from the perspective of Media and Communication Studies. The course allows students to develop deeper insights into specific thematic areas, such as algorithmic cultures and everyday life, and data mis-use and manipulation. Further, the course offers a hands-on introduction to practical tools for working with data visualization and analytics.
On completion of the course the student shall be able to:
- critically discuss and compare key theoretical perspectives and concepts of data, datafication, and algorithms in relation to the field of Media and Communication Studies
- demonstrate an understanding of the role of data and datafication processes in reconfiguring contemporary societies and media industries
- analyse the role and impact of data and datafication within a given empirical area using scientific methods within Media and Communication Studies.
- clearly and concisely communicate their own research both verbally and in writing.
- demonstrate a basic understanding of tools for data analytics and data visualization techniques
Learning activities consist of lectures, seminars, and students’ independent work with data visualisation and analytics assignments, using free data analytics software and web-based applications for visualising data. The results of these assignments are presented in an oral and visual presentation at the end of the course. Students also produce a written paper in which they discuss and apply critical perspectives on data and datafication in the context of a selected thematic area.
1. A written paper (7.5 cr.; A-U grading scale; LO 1-4) on a selected thematic area
2. A data analytics and visualisation production (5 cr., A-U grading scale; LO 4 & 5)
3. A presentation of the data analytics and visualisation production at a research seminar (2.5 cr.; pass/fail grading scale; LO 3-5).
In order to pass the course, students must pass all assignments.
Three opportunities for examination are offered during the academic year. Students who have not finished the course, have the opportunity to take part in examinations the next time the course is offered. Under such circumstances, assignments are carried out according to the literature and assignments that are valid during the time the examination is carried out.
- Hintz, Arne, Lina Dencik. and Karin Wahl-Jorgensen. Digital Citizenship in a Datafied Society. Cambridge: Polity Press, 2018.
- Kirk, Andy. Data Visualisation. A Handbook for Data driven Design. London: Sage, 2016.
- Van Es, Karin and Mirko Tobias Schäfer. (eds.) The Datafied Society: Studying Culture through Data. Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2017.
Ett urval av tidskriftsartiklar och bokkapitel som är tillgängliga via universitetsbibliotekets fulltextdatabaser kommer att läggas till i listan över obligatorisk läsning varje termin.
Malmö University provides students who participate in, or who have completed a course, with the opportunity to express their opinions and describe their experiences of the course by completing a course evaluation administered by the University. The University will compile and summarise the results of course evaluations. The University will also inform participants of the results and any decisions relating to measures taken in response to the course evaluations. The results will be made available to the students (HF 1:14).
If a course is no longer offered, or has undergone significant changes, the students must be offered two opportunities for re-examination based on the syllabus that applied at the time of registration, for a period of one year after the changes have been implemented.
If a student has a Learning support decision, the examiner has the right to provide the student with an adapted test, or to allow the student to take the exam in a different format.
The syllabus is a translation of a Swedish source text.