Overview of two online MA courses in communications offered at Sheffield Hallam University

1. MA Technical Communication
MA Online Communication

2. Welcome to Sheffield Hallam University

3. Webinar outline
 History
 Staff expertise
 Course content
 Student experience

4. Expertise in Communication Studies
1970s BACS 1980s MACS 1990s MATC 2000s MAEC

5. Brief history
MA Technical Communication MA Online Communication
 A suggestion from the  Need for a different
Rolls Royce TC course: MAe-C (2001)
manager
 Collaboration with
 MA ‘technical authorship’ Computing Studies
created in 1991
 Renamed MAOC in 2007
 Wider constituency:
 evolving TC role
 Constituency
 editors, translators  Intranet comms
 content managers  external web comms
 Renamed MATC in 2001  digital engagement

6. Team background
A team of Prof N
Williams
academics
and ‘hybrids’ - C
O’Toole
A-F
Dujardin
professionals
who are now
teaching
topics related Dr G
J Gillin
to former work Green
practices MA
Dr M
K Burnett
Beaken
Dr K
D Farbey
Edwards

7. Course overview
Master’s –
dissertation project
Pg Diploma –
3 short modules and
a year-long module
Pg Certificate –
3 short modules and
a year-long module

8. Pg Certificate year TC
Portfolio of reflective practice
Communication Language and Information
planning and writing design
theory

9. Pg Certificate year OC
Portfolio of reflective practice
Corporate Digital media Social media
communication and society use in orgs

10. Student background
 Preferred
 A good Honours degree
 Relevant professional experience
 Suitable
 Professional qualifications (eg professional
membership)
 Relevant professional experience
 One thing students have in common
 a (long) gap since they studied formally
 no experience of online learning

11. Value of professional knowledge
There are
three key
sources of
knowledge
development
on the MA Peers Tutors
course.
Different
perspectives
help you
consider
your practice
Literature
in depth.

12. The online learning experience
Online
learning
environment
Work
practices
Reading
Work-based
tasks
Own time
and space

13. Social media use
Traditional media Social media
 Group blogging
 Social bookmarking
 Screencasting
 Micro-blogging

17. A new challenge
Mode of
study
Level of
study
Studying
your practice
and context
Managing
time

18. Benefits of studying MA TC/OC
 Only online degrees of this kind in the UK
 A sense of achievement and self-validation:
communication is an academic discipline
 A widening of perspectives on professional
communication
 More aware of workplace practices (own and
that of other workers in the same industry)
 A distinctive CV!

19. Any questions or comments?
Online information
• Prospectus
http://www.shu.ac.uk/prospectus/
• Study fair (1st December)
http://www.shu.ac.uk/ad/studyfair/
• Application
http://www.shu.ac.uk/study/form.html
• Course leader
a-f.dujardin@shu.ac.uk

20. If you want to get started…
MATC core readings MAOC core readings
 Denscombe, M. (2010) The Good  Denscombe, M. (2010) The Good
Research Guide: For Small-scale Research Guide: For Small-scale
Social Research Projects. Open Social Research Projects. Open
University Press, 4th ed. University Press, 4th ed.
 Windahl, S., Signitzer, B. &  Windahl, S., Signitzer, B. &
Olson, J.T. (2009) Using Olson, J.T. (2009) Using
Communication Theory: an Communication Theory: an
Introduction to Planned Introduction to Planned
Communication. Sage. Communication. Sage.
 Burnett, R.E.(2005) Technical  Cornelissen, J (2008) Corporate
Communication. Wadsworth, 6th ed. Communication: A Guide to Theory
 Schriver, K.A. (1997) Dynamics in and Practice. Sage, 2nd ed.
Document Design: Creating Texts for  Ess, C. (2009) Digital Media Ethics.
Readers. Wiley. Polity
 Donelan, H., Kear, K. and
Ramage, M. (Eds.) (2009) Online
Communica- tion and Collaboration:
A Reader. Routledge.