As Autumn Session 2020 draws to an end, many of us are taking stock of the challenges and rapid changes that we’ve had to negotiate. This post invites you to look back even further. Let’s look back to the end of Spring 2019 and the diverse and brilliant work that manifested in this subject last year.
Reviewing and celebrating the work that others have put into media ethnography is an excellent way to prepare us, to spark some ideas about what we can achieve and to generate thought on how research can be used to shape the future.
So, let’s dig into the BCM241 gem box and examine some of the final submissions that sparkled.
Ethan’s research project was very unique due to the topic and the delivery format. He looked at author Brandon Sanderson’s interactions with fans which mostly occur via Reddit. Ethan chose to present his research as Reddit posts. This not only built in another layer of connection to the topic, but it also enabled Ethan to showcase his strong writing skills.
Josh conducted an investigation into where apps are located on people’s smartphones and why they are arranged in such a way. Apart from interesting findings that revealed where the apps are is not simply random, during the research process, Josh also realised the value of ethnographic research.
Adelaide gathered stories from her collaborators about their home media use. She thought about parent strategies of mediation to moderate their children’s use of media during adolescence and wanted to know if any of that carries over once the child leaves the family home.
Tanya’s research was focused on media use in restaurants. Have you noticed the constant creep of media at some of your favourite eateries? Do you work in hospitality and find yourself having to adapt to new media systems on the fly? Tanya’s project provided numerous insights into how the use of technology is received within a restaurant environment. Her fresh look at employer, employee and customer interactions with technology pioneered some new perspectives on the changes occurring right under our noses.
An array of digital platforms enable us to experience a destination and form our expectations about it before we have even checked our bank balance or located the place on a map. For her research project, Ariane, student researcher, snowboard instructor and adventurer, tackled tourism. She looked at how influencers, word of mouth, sharing of content and the use of hashtags changes they way we plan and purchase travel. It also changes the way travel professionals work and plan trips for their clients.
Ben’s capstone project delved into the media habits of single sex households. Same? Different? I’ll let you take a look and see what he found out.
As always, BCM241 was an enjoyable learning experience for the teaching team as well as the students undertaking the research. Once again, we can look forward to unfolding new stories, examining habits and exploring surrounds and opening a chest of answers.
Media Audience Place 