1.3500 word essay or equivalent artefact (e.g. documentary style video with critical commentary and bibliography): Investigate, critically analyse and contextualise an issue raised by Social and Open Media (either pursue further and extend issue addressed in cw1, or select new issue)

2.topic choose:

Political economy

The challenge of computer mediated communications, open source and social media to the analysis of the economics at traditional national and international levels.

Identity

The debates around the identity of the digerati/netizens
– the information-rich whose lives are shaped, framed and orchestrated by ICTs
– leaving the “meat” behind
– new forms of social identities and subjectivities.

Edutainment

The expanding and converging roles of ICTs and CMCs in the fields of education (e.g. online learning, VLEs, the Virtual University) and the entertainment/cultural industries (e.g. gaming, simulation, CGI, cross-over merchandising, ‘interactivity’ as entertainment).

Governance

An examination of the use of open source, Web 2.0 and social media with regard to the inter-relation of the state (expressed as local, and national governments) and corporate interests (exemplified in multinational ICT/media/entertainment companies) and the new international order NGOs UNESCO, WTO, WIPO in terms of promoting and regulating the information society.

Cyberdemocracy

An evaluation of the implications of social media and open source for the growth of the Internet and other ICT formats for public communication and democracy. Specific case studies e.g. the Seattle/ WTO protests will be used to explore this theme.