Overview

This unit examines from a philosophical perspective, the emergence and development of media, particularly in the form of information and communication technologies, and also understand the psychological, social, cultural and political transformations they have brought about as well as their relevance to every other discipline. Through this, the course helps student develop a more complex relationship with information technology.

Requisites

Prerequisites

50 credit points

Teaching periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
02-March-2026
31-May-2026
Last self-enrolment date
15-March-2026
Census date
31-March-2026
Last withdraw without fail date
21-April-2026
Results released date
07-July-2026
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
01-March-2027
30-May-2027
Last self-enrolment date
14-March-2027
Census date
30-March-2027
Last withdraw without fail date
20-April-2027
Results released date
06-July-2027

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Review the history, nature and role of media in the development of self-consciousness and civilization, with a particular focus on information technology.
  • Research an aspect of the relationship between philosophy, media, culture and civilization and present coherent arguments defending the conclusions reached.
  • Discuss and critically evaluate the work of different media theorists.
  • Evaluate the impact of major advances or changes in media on cultures, societies and human development in the past and present, as well as possible futures.

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture		1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class		2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various		3.00 12 weeks 36
Unspecified Activities
Independent Learning		6.50 12 weeks 78
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
EssayIndividual 50% 1,2,3,4 
JournalIndividual 30% 1,2,3 
PresentationIndividual 20% 1,2,3,4 

Content

  • The evolution of media, what Walter Ong calls the “technologization of the word”
  • The evolution of information and communication technologies from their roots in oral cultures through to the development of literacy and print media to electronic media, showing how this evolution has been associated with radical transformations in cognition, identity formation and social and political relations
  • Our relationship to virtual realities and associated problems of disembodiment

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.