Professional course Communications Campaigns: Creative Approaches and Tools

Content

Participants will engage with a very wide range of resources and examples - from philosophical materials, critical theory, film and documentary photography, manifesto and campaigning handbooks, reports and evaluation materials. You will work in a group with other course participants to research and devise a campaign strategy with a specific focus on identifying and critically evaluating persuasive techniques and approaches.

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

• identify the rhetorical strategies and tactics used in successful social movements and processes of cultural change;
• critically evaluate the role of the media (print, image, broadcast and online) in the processes of communication and persuasion;
• demonstrate an awareness of the ethical and political issues that arise in the use of persuasive communication and their rhetorical strategies;
• devise and evaluate a campaign strategy aimed at changing cultural attitudes and behaviours that addresses a significant contemporary issue in sustainable development;
• communicate complex material in a range of visual, written and oral forms;
• situate your work within broader theoretical contexts and conceptual frameworks relevant to an understanding of processes of pro sustainability cultural change.

Learning and Teaching

The courses are taught through a mixture of face-to-face and independent learning, comprising weekly lectures and workshops (over 5 Fridays) and group discussion. The pattern of contact sessions is highly accessible for those who wish to study part-time.

You will be given access to orientation materials with links to a range of resources, archives a nd potential examples and case studies.

Some initial exercises will be set in preparation for the first workshop. Workshop one will immerse you in a range of historical and contemporary case studies of cultural change through a combination of talks, practical exercises and workshop activities.

Workshops two and three will support you to engage in connecting theories and practices of communicating for pro-sustainability change. Through practical exercise you will develop a campaign brief and begin the development of your portfolio and campaign materials.

Workshop three will be based around further practical exercises through which you will finalise campaign materials and devise a presentation. Assessed group presentations will take place three weeks after this.

You will be sharing resources, skills, aptitudes and perspectives with fellow course participants throughout. Staff will be monitoring the progress of the group project through group and individual online tutorials. There will be further opportunities for face to face tutorial support during the scheduled workshops.

Study time

The course is structured around five contact days. Students undertake a significant amount of directed and independent study between and after the contact sessions. 

To complete the module and assessment (if taken), we recommend students allocate approximately 150 hours including taught sessions and personal study time. This is only a guideline and will depend on the participants' motivation and learning abilities. 

Assessment

Participants who wish to receive credit for their learning can undertake the two assessed elements to the module:  

• A group presentation in-class, 20 mins with 10 mins Q&A per group, (worth 25% of the overall mark)

Working in groups, students develop a campaign strategy - they then present this strategy together.

• An individually authored report of 3,500 words, submitted online (worth 75% of the overall mark), which evaluates the campaign strategy presented in light of theories, concepts and practices covered by the module

On successful completion, the course credits may then be used towards one of our postgraduate qualifications in Sustainable Development in Practice

You may also use the credit towards one of UWE Bristol's postgraduate qualifications in Integrated Professional Development.