ALJ216 - Feature Writing

Unit details

Year:

2024 unit information

Enrolment modes:

Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Waurn Ponds (Geelong), Online, Community Based Delivery (CBD)*

Trimester 3: Online

Credit point(s):1
EFTSL value:0.125
Unit Chair:Trimester 2: Jennifer Martin
Trimester 3: Jennifer Martin
Cohort rule:Nil
Prerequisite:

Nil

Corequisite:Nil
Incompatible with: ALJ316, ALJ416
Typical study commitment:

Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit.

This will include educator guided online learning activities within the unit site.

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - on-campus unit enrolment:

Trimester 2: 1 x 2-hour seminar per week

Educator-facilitated (scheduled) learning activities - online unit enrolment:

Trimester 2 and 3: Online independent and collaborative learning including 1-hour scheduled online practical experience (workshop) per week

Note:

*Community Based Delivery (CBD) is for National Indigenous Knowledges, Education, Research and Innovation NIKERI Institute students only.

Content

In this unit, students are expected to combine journalism skills with academic techniques of research. The aim this trimester is to develop research and writing skills to a level where the student can produce feature articles suitable for publication. There is strong emphasis on finding original information from sources ranging from interviews to the Internet.

ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1

Evaluate the credibility and value of a wide range of themes and accompanying sources for story development and demonstrate the ability to look beyond the obvious in selecting topics to write about

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO2

Conduct primary and secondary research to substantiate stories for publication

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO4: Critical thinking

GLO5: Problem solving

ULO3

Compose feature-style articles based on sound research, which are written and edited in accordance with industry standards

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO2: Communication

ULO4

Work in a digital-news environment; and identify audience-appropriate platforms to distribute stories

GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge and capabilities

GLO3: Digital literacy

Assessment

Assessment Description Student output Grading and weighting
(% total mark for unit)
Indicative due week
Assessment 1 - Evaluate a feature story 1000 words
or equivalent
25% Week 4
Assessment 2 - Pitching and planning feature stories  1000 words or equivalent 25% Week 8
Assessment 3 - Writing a feature story 2000 words or equivalent 50% Week 11

The assessment due weeks provided may change. The Unit Chair will clarify the exact assessment requirements, including the due date, at the start of the teaching period.

Learning Resource

The texts and reading list for the unit can be found on the University Library via ALJ216
Note: Select the relevant trimester reading list. Please note that a future teaching period's reading list may not be available until a month prior to the start of that teaching period so you may wish to use the relevant trimester's prior year reading list as a guide only.

Unit Fee Information

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