Module overview
The second generation of web sites that came along in the mid 2000's included many of the social media sites that are now household names (YouTube, Flickr, Wikipedia, Facebook, Blogger, Twitter, etc.) These sites (known at the time as Web 2.0) focused on content that was generated by users, rather than the site's owners, and thus shifted the balance of power on the Web from a technical few to the masses.
We now live in a world where social media is a powerful influence. In this course we will look at the science that is attempting to analyse its use, see how conceptualising social media as networks allows us to use techniques from network science as part of that analysis, and explore some of the personal and social issues that have arisen and the technologies that might address them.
This is a course that empowers you to meaningfully engage with the many issues that we see everyday in the news and media, and we hope that it will capture the excitement and concern that exists around Social Media. This is our Guttenberg, let's make it work for us.
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Establish the potential of social networking technologies in specific contexts and domains
- Articulate appropriate frameworks for the analysis of particular social networks
- Communicate current societal challenges and anticipate emerging challenges
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- Ways in which social network can influence developments in domains such as e-learning, enterprise and media
- Critical consideration of the social and personal consequences of social media
- Methodologies for social network analysis
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Reflect on the broader social and personal implications of a technology
- Critique existing software systems and infrastructures
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Identify and analyse social network characteristics
Syllabus
The topics covered will reflect the latest research and development activities in social networking.
Including:
- History of Social Networking Technologies and the Web
- Digital Literacy
- Online social networks and business
- Graph theory and social networks
- Game theory and social networks
- Network dynamics
- Linked Data and the Social Semantic Web (FOAF, SKOS, etc.)
- Privacy and identity in online social networks
- Power and trust in online social networks
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Lectures
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Follow-up work | 18 |
| Revision | 24 |
| Wider reading or practice | 10 |
| Lecture | 36 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 18 |
| Completion of assessment task | 44 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Assessment
Assessment strategy
This module will be assessed 60% by exam and 40% by coursework.
Summative
Summative assessment description
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Final Assessment | 60% |
| Continuous Assessment | 40% |
Referral
Referral assessment description
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat
Repeat assessment description
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Set Task | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External