ALC702 - Making Sense of Communities Online
| Year: | 2026 unit information |
|---|---|
| Enrolment modes: | Trimester 2: Burwood (Melbourne), Online |
| Credit point(s): | 1 |
| EFTSL value: | 0.125 |
| Prerequisite: | Nil |
| Corequisite: | Nil |
| Incompatible with: | Nil |
| Study commitment: | Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment activities for this unit. |
| Scheduled learning activities - campus: | 1 x 2-hour on-campus seminar per trimester in weeks 1-9 1 x 4-hour on-campus practical experience (workshop) per week in week 11 |
| Scheduled learning activities - online: | 1 x 2-hour online seminar per week |
Content
What does "Engagement" actually mean? How does community form-and thrive online? This unit equips students with the tools to decode, maintain, and make sense of digital communities using interdisciplinary insights from influencer and platform studies to marketing and psychology. You will learn new ways to decipher community dynamics and gain practical experience through an empowering "netnography," which involves ethical participant observation and detailed reporting on a unique online community. Through this, you'll learn to leverage community dynamics, technological affordances, and engagement strategies in the age of AI for strategic impact. The skills developed enable actionable paths to deeply understand how communities thrive, and how these insights are applied to opportunities and challenges posed across industries and society. Our hands-on inquiry at the frontiers of digital community creates capacity in you to Find the Story; Build the Campaign; Stop the Toxicity; or Craft your own Cozy Web.
Unit fee information
Fees and charges vary depending on the type of fee place you hold, your course, your commencement year, the units you choose to study and their study discipline, and your study load.
Tuition fees increase at the beginning of each calendar year and all fees quoted are in Australian dollars ($AUD). Tuition fees do not include textbooks, computer equipment or software, other equipment or costs such as mandatory checks, travel and stationery.
For further information regarding tuition fees, other fees and charges, invoice due dates, withdrawal dates, payment methods visit our Current Students website.
How to apply
Apply for this unit via the Deakin Applicant Portal using the unit code. You’ll receive an email confirming your place. To apply for multiple units in the same trimester, submit one application; for different trimesters, submit separate applications.