Overview
Digital media has dramatically affected and expanded the ways in which we communicate. This course provides a theoretical and applied understanding of digital communications, including web, social and mobile technologies. You will evaluate a range of digital communication platforms and strategies, and critically examine key social, economic, ethical and regulatory issues. Through a combination of theory and practice, you will develop essential skills for communicators in the digital age, and identify emerging trends and innovations.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
Prerequisite: Minimum of 36 credit pointsAntirequisite: Students who have completed DGTL12007 Digital Communications Management may not enrol in this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2022
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes – in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of ‘pass’ in order to pass the unit. If any ‘pass/fail’ tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully (‘pass’ grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the ‘assessment task’ section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University’s Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure – International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback – Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
Feedback, Recommendations and Responses
Every unit is reviewed for enhancement each year. At the most recent review, the following staff and student feedback items were identified and recommendations were made.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Some students expressed a desire for more opportunity to use design-oriented skills in blog tasks.
Review the learning activities seeking to provide more ways for students to engage creatively.
Feedback from Unit evaluation
Some of the social media platforms studied are dated. For example, SnapChat and TikTok are not included.
Update relevant exercises and assessments to include study of more emerging and currently popular social media platforms.
- Explain and evaluate digital communications platforms and strategies that are presently used by individuals and organisations
- Develop and reinforce essential skills for communicators in the digital age, including the creation and consumption of digital media via web, social and mobile technologies
- Critically examine key social, economic, ethical and regulatory issues associated with digital communications.
Not applicable
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 15% | |||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 45% | |||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 40% | |||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||
| 5 - Team Work | |||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||
| 10 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | |
| 1 - Practical Assessment - 15% | ||||||||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 45% | ||||||||||
| 3 - Practical Assessment - 40% | ||||||||||
Textbooks
Digital and social media marketing a results-driven approach
Edition: 2 (2020)
Authors: Aleksej Heinze, Gordon Fletcher, Tahir Rashid and Ana Cruz
Taylor & Francis Group
ISBN: 9781000041668
Binding: eBook
Additional Textbook Information
The text book is available online via the CQUni Library.
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
- Access to desktop digital audiovisual recording equipment (mic and webcam) and editing software
- Webcam and headset (optional for online tutorials)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
a.holmes@cqu.edu.au
Module/Topic
Key concepts: Digital Self; iGeneration; Global Digitalization; Networked Influence.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module, students will have:
- researched and carried out reviews, of the services, products and tools available on four of the following social media platforms: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SnapChat, TikTok, or Tumblr.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 0 ‘A visual introduction to digital and social media marketing’
0.3 The Buyer Persona Spring and action-based learning;
0.4 The Buyer Persona Spring
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercise: Preliminary reviews of the affordances of popular social network platforms. Choose four from the following: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SnapChat, TikTok, or Tumblr.
Module/Topic
Key concepts: Digital Ecosystems; Swarm Intelligence; New Media; Internet Geographies.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module, students will have:
- understood the scale and scope of the current digital communications landscape;
- identified and listed digital communications tools available on website building services;
- evaluated the benefits and drawbacks of free versions of at least four website building services that can be used to publish ‘blog’ content;
- set up a professional blog website using a free website building service;
- become proficient with content layout requirements and dimensions of popular social networking sites;
- learned how to create and curate content across platforms.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 9 ‘Content marketing’
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercises:
2.1 Compare four website building services that offer a free subscription option;
2.2 Set up your professional blog website.
Module/Topic
Key concepts: Big Data; Linked Data; Open Source; Cloud Computing; Web Analytics.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module, students will have:
- begun constructing a professional blog website and considered blogging strategies for effective communication;
- enrolled in the Google Analytics for Beginners course at Google Academy:
- reviewed analytics tools available on Facebook;
- compared Google analytics tools with Facebook analytics tools;
- reviewed Cloud Storage services and set up Cloud Storage for use throughout the unit.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 12 ‘Measuring brand awareness, campaign evaluation and web analytics’:
12.4 Web analytics
12.5 Key performance indicators for small and medium enterprises when using Google Analytics
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercise: Transfer your completed Assessment Exercise tasks 1.1 and 2.1 across to your professional blog.
Module/Topic
Key concepts: The Social Web; Web 2.0 Technology; Social Networking Dynamics; Social Capital.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module, students will have:
- identified the differences between social media, social networks and telecommunications;
- researched the similarities and differences between: Facebook and WeChat; Pinterest and Instagram; Flickr and DeviantArt; Vimeo and YouTube, and carried out comparative analyses of those pairs of sites.
- completed an instructional skills tutorial on how to set up and manage Facebook for business;
- carried out an in-depth analysis of the marketing and communications tools available on the Facebook platform and compared these with those available on Instagram;
- identified the advantages of utilising both Facebook and Instagram as part of a digital communications management strategy.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 8 ‘Social media’: 8.1-8.5.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercise: Professional Blog post - What are the similarities with and differences between:
1) Facebook and WeChat;
2) Pinterest and Instagram;
3) Flickr and DeviantArt;
4) Vimeo and YouTube?
Module/Topic
Key concepts: Mobile Cultures; Digital Mobility; Mobile Optimization; Digital Disruption; Mobile Marketing Expansion; Internet of Things.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module, students will have:
- become familiar with the various applications and tools available to employ effective mobile marketing and communications strategies – these will include Apps, SMS/MMS, Local Mobile, Mobile Ad Networks, Push Notifications, QR codes and Augmented Reality;
- learned how to engage mobile pay-per-click advertising;
- gained general understanding of the Internet of Things and advances in wearable technology;
- completed an instructional skills tutorial on how to set up and manage Instagram for business;
- created a QR code for their professional blog website.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 11 ‘Mobile marketing’
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercises:
5.1: Share an infographic on your professional blog.
5.2: Generate a QR code for your professional blog.
Assessment Item 1 due
Assessment 1 - Social media content design portfolio Due: Week 5 Friday (12 Aug 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Key focus: How can individuals, businesses and organisations best harness the potential of digital communications?
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module, students will have:
- become familiar with the roles and tasks associated with digital communications management positions;
- carried out an in-depth evaluation of the communications management tools available through Google;
- learned the components of a generic digital communications strategy;
- begun strategy building for managing digital communications;
- understood the importance of building a successful user experience through user experience design.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 6 ‘Developing an effective digital presence’.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercise: List common roles and tasks associated with position descriptions pertinent to digital communications management in your professional blog.
Module/Topic
Key concepts: Honeycomb Framework; Social Influence; Social Credibility; Content Creation and Curation; Social Media Streamlining.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module students will have:
- identified industry specific social networking goals;
- explored the benefits of streamlining the management of digital content using a social media management system;
- learned how to use social bookmarking;
- understood how viral marketing campaigns work.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 8 ‘Social media’: 8.6-8.11.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercises:
7.1: Post your certificate of completion of the free Google Analytics for Beginners course as a PDF to your professional blog.
7.2: Produce a 2-minute MP3 podcast as per instruction and embed into your professional blog.
Module/Topic
Key Concepts: Digital relationships B2B, B2C, B2P; Search Engine Optimisation, Website localisation.
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module students will have:
- become familiar with the range of digital communications tools for managing B2B, B2C and B2P relationships;
- understood the benefits of localising content;
- completed an online tutorial on SEO Tools Fundamentals;
- completed an online video tutorial on setting up a LinkedIn account;
- identified the advantages of employing LinkedIn for maintaining business relationships.
Chapter
Textbook readings:
Chapter 0 ‘A visual introduction to digital and social media marketing’.
Chapter 7 ‘Search engine optimisation: strategy implementation’
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercises:
8.1: Identify the advantages of employing LinkedIn for maintaining business relationships. Post your evaluation to your professional blog.
8.2: Write a 250-word article on The Importance of Search Engine Optimisation. Post your article to your professional blog.
Module/Topic
Key Concepts: Measurement Models, Impact Metrics, Audience Centricity; Return on Investment
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module students will have:
- understood that evaluation must be a component of the digital communications plan;
- become familiar with a range of evaluation methodologies and models;
- identified measurement techniques and metrics tools;
- designed a simple digital communications evaluation template.
Chapter
Textbook reading: Chapter 12 ‘Measuring brand awareness, campaign evaluation and web analytics’: 12.6 – 12.11.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercise: Using the evaluation template you designed in Learning activity 9.0, assess the effectiveness of the digital communications strategy of the entity you selected for analysis and evaluation.
Assessment item 2 due
Assessment 2 Establish and maintain a professional blog site Due: Week 9 Monday (12 Sept 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Key Concepts: Visual Storytelling; Social Video and Audio; Video Marketing; Video for Engagement; Crowdfunding
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module students will have:
- learned the importance of incorporating video and audio into a digital marketing and communications strategy;
- learned how to post screen captures, screen casts, images, video clips and mobile video captures to a professional blog website;
- understood how to make the most of vidcasting;
- recorded and edited videos for social media marketing and ad campaigns;
- created and imbedded slideshows to the professional blog site;
- built video montages;
- learned how to set up a YouTube/ Vimeo channel.
Chapter
Required reading: Chapter 9 ‘Multimedia storytelling in strategic communications’, Seth Gitner, 2016, Multimedia Storytelling for Digital Communicators in a Multiplatform World, Routledge, pp. 347 – 397. [available via e-Reading List]
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercises:
10.1 Complete the evaluation and analysis of your entity’s digital media communication practices.
10.2 Prepare a recorded presentation of your strategic recommendations.
Module/Topic
Key Concepts: Privacy; Security; Intellectual Property; Governance; Ethical Practice
Practical skills outcome: On completion of this module students will have:
- become conversant in national and international laws and practices around digital communication;
- understood and practised digital communication principles;
- understood obligations toward privacy and personal data;
- learned how to carry out responsible online advertising;
- understood anti-spam laws and others;
Chapter
Required reading: ‘Social media ethics’ in Chapter 3 ‘Strategic design – developing a data informed social media campaign’, Carolyn Mae Kim, 2016, Social media campaigns: strategies for public relations and marketing, Routledge, pp. 78 – 87 [available via e-Reading List]
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercise: Once recorded, embed your MP4 formatted video into your professional blog. Also provide a URL link to your presentation in Assessment 3 submission section of your DGTL13006 Moodle site.
Module/Topic
- summary of topics covered in the unit;
- general discussion on the opportunities and challenges for digital communications practitioners in the future.
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Assessment exercises: Summative assessment 3.
Assessment item 3 due
Assessment 3 - Evaluation of a digital communications management strategy Due: Week 12 Wednesday (5 Oct 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
1 Practical Assessment
Overview
The purpose of this assignment is to help you to think about how to craft online professional communications. It is about adapting content to meet the constraints and specifications of key social media platforms, keeping in mind typical audience expectations each social media ‘genre’, and best practices for engaging those audiences.
It is a content design challenge. You are to create a layout incorporating image(s) or video still, and text as appropriate, in the form of a pretend post called a ‘mock-up’ for each of the 5 social media platforms listed. Each graphic layout will look like a real post, but you are NOT required to actually post the message.
The task
Create platform-specific content mock-ups for five (5) popular social media sites, using current layout requirements and dimensions for each site. Those platforms are: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest and Twitter.
You will need to research online to find out what the current specifications are (there are some suggestions in Module 2). Tailor the content to suit the site’s typical user demographics, your intended audience, and the site's current page layout requirements. If there is more than one kind of presentation specification for a platform, then choose one. In your introduction, state which you have chosen and why.
You may use Canva.com or other ready-made graphic design templates, or you can design your own if you are proficient with digital graphic design tools. Adobe Spark is also an appropriate choice.
Provide an introduction to the portfolio.
This can be an adaptation of your response to the assessment exercise, week 1 (comparative review).
This task encourages you to explore the way these 5 social media sites function, who their audience might be, and what their audiences might be expecting.
You will notice that each of these sites is different in some way; their posts are different - different design rules apply. Even within a site the type of post may differ depending on the context. A paid advertisement post may have specifications available that vary from those for general public posts.
Expectations regarding a general public post include:
• a well-designed Facebook Status Post will have around 50 words, an image to support the post's written content and maybe even a URL link.
• On the other hand, an Instagram Post is primarily an image and may include a sentence or two but no more; hashtags are popular in Instagram Posts.
• LinkedIn is a professional networking site so you are really ‘on-show’ here - posts are often quite long so you could probably include 100 words because your audience is expecting to read credible, worthwhile content, and an image helps to support your information and keep your audience engaged.
• Did you know that Pins in-feed are a different dimension from Expanded pins and Pin Boards complete for Pinterest?
• Twitter posts are 280 characters. You can include an image, a URL link, and a hashtag to add value to it.
Support your written information with an image (infographic, photo video still), hashtags, and/or URL links, you will also include any one or all these added communications support elements. In your mock-ups, be sure to use whatever affordances like this that each site allows.
There is a sample of a previous assignments in the Assessment Information block of the Moodle site. Note that the current assessment details may have changed in minor ways from previous years.
Presentation and submission
In a Word document, make a title page with the unit name and number, term of offer, assessment title, and your name and student number.
Provide an introduction to your portfolio. This can be an adaptation of your response to the assessment exercise week 1 (comparative review).
Once you have created each mock-up save it as a JPG image. Then insert the images into the Word document and label them sequentially, with the name of the intended site.
Upload this word document to Moodle, as your Assessment 1 submission.
Week 5 Friday (12 Aug 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Within 14 days of submission
| Task requirements | Marks available | ||
1/ Overall concept makes use of modular copy principle for multiplatform use:
|
0-10 | ||
|
2/ Content adapted with one example created for each of the following specific platform media requirements in a recommended format and proportional dimension (as per Module 2 lesson resource):
|
0-5 | ||
| 3/ The required introduction is an adaption of the week 1 blog post and so is marked as part of Assessment Item 2. However, if there is no introduction to this portfolio provided as required, then 2 marks will be deducted from this assessment total. | |||
| Total marks available | 15 |
- Explain and evaluate digital communications platforms and strategies that are presently used by individuals and organisations
- Develop and reinforce essential skills for communicators in the digital age, including the creation and consumption of digital media via web, social and mobile technologies
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
2 Practical Assessment
Professional Blog Site must include the following module exercise tasks:
Exercise Task 1.1 Carry out preliminary reviews of the various digital tools available on popular social network platforms. Choose four from the following: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SnapChat, TikTok, or Tumblr. (>800 words)
Exercise task 2.1 Compare four website building services that offer a free subscription option, for example: Wordpress, Wix, Weebly, Tumblr, Blogger, Jimdo, Squarespace. Write a comparative summary. (>300 words)
Exercise task 3.1 Transfer your completed Assessment Exercise tasks 1.1 and 2.1 across to your newly created Professional Blog Site.
Exercise task 4.1 What are the similarities with and differences between:
- Facebook and WeChat;
- Pinterest and Instagram:
- Flickr and DeviantArt:
- Vimeo and YouTube.
Post your comparative reviews and Illustrate your post with a Creative Commons image and appropriately attribute according to creative commons copyright standards. (>400 words)
Exercise task 5.1 Use a free Infographic maker such as Visme (https://www.visme.co/make-infographics/) to create an infographic to share via your Professional Blog Site. (Hint: Visme enables you to carve your infographic into blocks. Download a blocks version and a complete version and try using an interesting block to link to the full version stored in your blog or in a cloud share). You may use a different app to make your infographic if you wish.
Exercise task 5.2 Choose a QR generation tool to generate a QR code for your Professional Blog website.
Exercise Task 6.1 List the common roles and tasks associated with position descriptions pertinent to digital communications management. Post this list to your Professional Blog Site.
Exercise task 7.1 Ensure you have completed the free Digital Analytics for Beginners course at Google Academy and that you have received your completion certificate. Post a PDF copy of your certificate on your Professional Blog Site.
Exercise task 7.2 Produce a 2-minute MP3 podcast of the script you wrote for Learning activity 7.1 activity in which you explain social credibility and its importance for online communities. Embed the MP3 podcast into your Professional Blog Site. Include the transcript in your blog post.
Exercise task 8.1 You have completed an online tutorial on setting up a LinkedIn account. Identify the advantages of employing LinkedIn for maintaining business relationships. Post your evaluation to your Professional Blog Site.
Exercise task 8.2 Write a >300-word article on ‘The Importance of Search Engine Optimisation’ and post it to your Professional Blog Site. Illustrate your post with an appropriately attributed image or infographic and do not forget to reference any texts you sourced information from (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources).
Week 9 Monday (12 Sept 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Within 14 days of submission
| Task requirements | Marks |
| Exercise Task 1.1 Carry out preliminary reviews of the various digital tools available on popular social network platforms. Choose four from the following: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, SnapChat, TikTok, or Tumblr. (>800 words) Penalty – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). | 0-4 |
| Exercise task 2.1: Compare four website building services that offer a free subscription option. Write a comparative summary (>400 words). Penalty – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). | 0-3 |
| Exercise task 3.1: Transfer your completed Assessment Exercise tasks 1.1 and 2.1 across to your newly created Professional Blog Site. | |
| Exercise task 4.1: What are the similarities with and differences in: Facebook and WeChat, Pinterest and Instagram, Flickr and DeviantArt, Vimeo and YouTube? (>400 words) Penalty – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). Post your comparative reviews; Illustrate your post with a Creative Commons image; and appropriately attribute. | Text 0-2; Image 1; Attrib. 1 |
| Exercise task 5.1: Create an infographic and share it on your Professional Blog Site. | 0-3 |
| Exercise task 5.2: Choose a QR generation tool to generate a QR code for your Professional Blog website. | 0-1 |
| Exercise task 6.1: List the common roles and tasks associated with position descriptions pertinent to digital communications management. Post this list to your Professional Blog Site (>400 words). Penalty – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). | 0-3 |
| Exercise task 7.1: Ensure you have completed the free Digital Analytics Fundamentals course at google Academy and that you have received your Completion Certificate. Post a PDF copy of your certificate on your Professional Blog Site. | 0-10 |
| Exercise task 7.2: Produce a 2-minute MP3 podcast of the script you wrote for Learning activity 7.1 in which you explain social credibility and its importance for online communities. Embed the MP3 podcast into your Professional Blog Site. Include the transcript in your blog post. Penalties – subtract 1 mark if no transcript provided; – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced in transcript (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). | 0-10 |
| Exercise task 8.1: You have completed the online tutorial on setting up a LinkedIn account. Identify the advantages of employing LinkedIn for maintaining business relationships (>300 words). Post your evaluation to your Professional Blog Site. Penalty – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). | 0-3 |
| Exercise task 8.2: Write a >400-word article on The Importance of Search Engine Optimisation and post it to your Professional Blog Site. Illustrate your post with an appropriately attributed image or infographic. Remember to reference any texts you sourced information from. Penalty – subtract 1 mark if task is not appropriately referenced (hyperlinks are sufficient for web sources). | Text 0-2; Image 1; Attrib. 1 |
| Penalties: subtract 1 mark for any task not attempted. | |
| Total marks available | 45 |
No submission method provided.
- Explain and evaluate digital communications platforms and strategies that are presently used by individuals and organisations
- Develop and reinforce essential skills for communicators in the digital age, including the creation and consumption of digital media via web, social and mobile technologies
- Critically examine key social, economic, ethical and regulatory issues associated with digital communications.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Practical Assessment
Instructions
Complete a detailed analysis of the ‘digital footprint’ of one of the entities listed below.
Using a range of online search techniques, identify the entity’s digital footprint (online presence).
Evaluate the effectiveness of the entity’s current digital communications management strategy as evidenced by its online presence.
- Make commendations about successful practices you observe regarding the integration, efficiency and success of the entity’s current digital communications management strategy.
- Offer recommendations for improvement where applicable.
Produce a multimedia video presentation (6 - 8 minutes) of your analysis and evaluation including commendations and recommendations.
Upload the completed video onto your Professional Blog Site for presentation and assessment.
Detailed steps
1) Select an entity from the list below:
- Australian Koala Foundation https://www.savethekoala.com/
- Greening Australia https://www.greeningaustralia.org.au/
- PetRescue https://www.petrescue.com.au/
- Sanctuary Australia Foundation https://www.sanctuaryaustraliafoundation.org.au/
- StreetSmart https://streetsmartaustralia.org/
2) Using a range of online search techniques identify the entity’s digital footprint (online presence).
-refer to Module 6; Module 6 introduces students to digital communications strategies and provides examples of digital communications strategies across sectors.
-refer to Module 7; Module 7 provides information about marketing social networks and includes guidance on advanced online search techniques.
-refer to Module 7; specifically Exercise task 7.1 (online search techniques)
3) Develop a set of evaluation questions based on your understanding of what makes an effective digital communications strategy.
-refer to Module 6; specifically Learning activity 6.1 (preliminary evaluation questions).
-refer to Module 8; Module 8 consolidates knowledge of digital communications strategies and outlines essential content management tools to implement an effective digital communications strategy.
4) Using the set of evaluation questions, design a simple digital communications strategy evaluation template and use the template to assess the effectiveness of the entity’s current digital communications strategy.
- refer to Module 9; Module 9 explains the importance of measuring the success of a digital communications strategy and introduces a range of digital communications evaluation models and methodologies.
- refer to Module 9; specifically Learning activity 9.0 activity and Assessment Exercise task 9 (developing a digital communications evaluation template and carrying out evaluation).
5) Draft commendations about the entity's successful practices and make recommendations to improve the entity’s current digital communications management strategy if you can identify any.
- refer to Module 9: Module 9 provides advice and guidance on how to measure the success of digital communications strategies and how to develop recommendations to improve those strategies.
6) Present your findings as a multimedia video presentation.
- refer to Module 10; Module 10 provides information and guidance on creating different styles of videos for a range of digital platforms and for a variety of purposes and audiences.
-refer to Module 10, specifically Assessment Exercise task 10.2 and Learning activity 10.
-the video presentation can be in the style of a TEDx talk; a narrated presentation in Slideshare or Powerpoint; a speak-to-camera YouTube style presentation; or another video presentation style that provides visual and audio capabilities and can be embedded as an MP4 file.
7) Embed the video into your Professional Blog Site as an ‘in-feed native video’ or suitable equivalent.
-refer to Module 10; Module 10 discussion links provide advice on how to produce native videos for social networks and digital presentations for websites and blogs.
8) Provide a URL link to your multi-media presentation embedded in your Professional Blog Site.
-provide the URL link in the Assignment 3 submission portal on the DGTL13006 Moodle site.
Week 12 Wednesday (5 Oct 2022) 11:45 pm AEST
Within 14 days of submission
The assignment will be evaluated according to how successfully students have incorporated the advice from unit texts and resources in accordance with the prestated learning objectives.
| Assessment learning objectives | Marks |
| 1/ Detailed research and analysis of an organisation's ‘digital footprint’ has been carried out: | |
| Demonstrated knowledge of digital communications platforms, tools and techniques relevant to developing an effective online presence. | 0-4 |
| Deployment of a range of online search engine techniques to detect, analyse and present for evaluation the selected entity’s digital footprint (online presence). | 0-4 |
| 2/ The ability to identify the digital communications management strategy apparent by the selected entity’s online presence is demonstrated: | |
| Demonstrated clear understanding of the value of the digital platforms and tools available for implementing an effective digital communications strategy. | 0-4 |
| Evidence of the development of an instructive set of evaluation questions based on knowledge and understanding of this unit’s resources pertinent to digital communications management strategies. | 0-4 |
| 3/ Sophistication is demonstrated in the student’s evaluation of the effectiveness of the digital communications management strategy currently employed by the entity: | |
| Demonstrated capacity to explain and evaluate digital communications platforms, tools and strategies that are presently used by individuals and organisations. | 0-5 |
| Evidence of a considered evaluation based on the understanding that a welldesigned digital communications strategy will support and maintain an effective digital presence over time through a consistent online presence and reliable, quality content. | 0-5 |
| 4/ There is originality and practicality in the student's commendations of the entity’s current digital communications management practices and recommendations for improvement (if any): | |
| Evidence of the development of considered commendations of the entity’s current practices for successful of digital communications management and credible recommendations to improve them (if any). These are illustrated and explained using professional terminology based on this unit’s learning resources. | 0-10 |
| 5/ Information has been clearly and professionally communicated adhering to the presentation requirement (audio-visual via professional blog): | |
| Effective evaluation and recommendations presented as a professional multimedia video presentation, embedded into the student’s Professional Blog Site as an ‘in-feed native video’/or suitable equivalent. | 0-2 |
| Evidence of discerning selection, organisation and synthesis of relevant and substantive subject matter to support opinions and perspectives including academic referencing where appropriate. | 0-2 |
| Total marks available | 40 |
- Explain and evaluate digital communications platforms and strategies that are presently used by individuals and organisations
- Develop and reinforce essential skills for communicators in the digital age, including the creation and consumption of digital media via web, social and mobile technologies
- Critically examine key social, economic, ethical and regulatory issues associated with digital communications.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
