Course Resources Archive

This module introduces students to the language of the various online forums dealing with global issues such as resource depletion, over-population, climate change and financial insecurity.

This level five module covers the ways in which language is structured and used by members of online forums, blogs and social networking sites which discuss publicly the problems facing humanity in the 21 st century. Such discussions may include oil, gas and coal depletion, water insecurity, political and social breakdown, climate change, rising sea levels and possible plans and solutions to the problems. Students also explore the ways in which language is used, along with for example the avatars of the members, to portray or hide identities. The overall aim is to develop skills in using new media to effectively engage in debates on issues of importance for the 21 st century.

A student passing this module should be able to demonstrate that they:

1. can analyse the differing language features and styles that are found in the new and traditional media

2. can successfully join and participate in online forums in a non-confrontational manner

3. can explain how the relationships, identities and hierarchies found in the real world can also be found developing in online forums

4. can critique conventional wisdom on important twenty-first century topics as population, energy, water, and financial insecurity

5. can communicate effectively in a variety of contexts, including new media.

The Library Catalogue contains full details of the current reading list for this module. Further details may also be found in the Module Guide.