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Course Outline

CMN308 Social Media: Monitoring and Measurement

Course Coordinator:Karen Sutherland (ksutherl@usc.edu.au) School:School of Business and Creative Industries

2024Semester 2

UniSC Sunshine Coast

UniSC Moreton Bay

 Blended learning Most of your course is on campus but you may be able to do some components of this course online.

Online

 Online You can do this course without coming onto campus.

Please go to usc.edu.au for up to date information on the
teaching sessions and campuses where this course is usually offered.

What is this course about?

Description

With the prevalence of social media, monitoring and measurement is now a necessary skill for organisations and businesses to improve their social media performance and protect organisational reputation. This course explores the theoretical basis and its practical application regarding the monitoring and measurement of social media activity. It will expose students to the various tools, techniques and metrics available to undertake these tasks. This course will also impart the knowledge and skills required for students to develop relevant frameworks of applicable social media monitoring and measurement methods for a real client.

How will this course be delivered?

Activity Hours Beginning Week Frequency
Blended learning
Learning materials – Asynchronous online learning materials 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Synchronous, on-campus and scheduled face to face workshops. 2hrs Week 1 10 times
Online
Learning materials – Asynchronous online content 1hr Week 1 12 times
Tutorial/Workshop 1 – Synchronous interactive online tutorial (recorded). 2hrs Week 1 10 times

Course Topics

  • Social Media Monitoring and Listening
  • Social Media Measurement
  • Social Media Data Analysis and Reporting
  • Industry Perspectives on Social Media Monitoring and Measurement

What level is this course?

300 Level (Graduate)

Demonstrating coherence and breadth or depth of knowledge and skills. Independent application of knowledge and skills in unfamiliar contexts. Meeting professional requirements and AQF descriptors for the degree. May require pre-requisites where discipline specific introductory or developing knowledge or skills is necessary. Normally undertaken in the third or fourth full-time study year of an undergraduate program.

What is the unit value of this course?

12 units

How does this course contribute to my learning?

Course Learning Outcomes On successful completion of this course, you should be able to... Graduate Qualities Completing these tasks successfully will contribute to you becoming...
1 Develop an understanding of the importance of social media monitoring and measurement and apply it to the development of campaigns and protecting organisational reputation. Knowledgeable
Empowered
2 Understand the necessity for organisations to implement and require deeper metrics to better understand their social media performance and practically apply this knowledge. Knowledgeable
Empowered
3 Use a range of social media monitoring and measurement tools. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Ethical
4 Develop social media monitoring and measurement frameworks for a range of clients and organisations. Knowledgeable
Creative and critical thinker
Ethical

Am I eligible to enrol in this course?

Refer to the UniSC Glossary of terms for definitions of “pre-requisites, co-requisites and anti-requisites”.

Pre-requisites

Not applicable

Co-requisites

Not applicable

Anti-requisites

Not applicable

Specific assumed prior knowledge and skills (where applicable)

As this a 300 level course, it is recommended that students complete this course in their final year of study.

How am I going to be assessed?

Grading Scale

Standard Grading (GRD)

High Distinction (HD), Distinction (DN), Credit (CR), Pass (PS), Fail (FL).

Details of early feedback on progress

Students will complete a practice test of Assessment Task 1 Social Media Management Exercise in Week 3 and will receive feedback before they undertake Assessment Task 1 in the Week 4 tutorial.

Assessment tasks

Delivery mode Task No. Assessment Product Individual or Group Weighting % What is the duration / length? When should I submit? Where should I submit it?
All 1 Plan Individual 20% 
2 hours
 Week 4 Online Submission
All 2 Plan Individual 40% 
2000 words
 Week 9 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All 3 Report Individual 40% 
2000 words
 Week 13 Online Assignment Submission with plagiarism check
All - Assessment Task 1:Social Media Monitoring Exercise
Goal: 
The goal of this task is to apply the knowledge that you have gained so far in the course to develop a social media monitoring plan that would help to address a social listening scenario for an assigned client. This is an in-class exercise.
Product: Plan
Format: 
Professional/Industry format You will have the full two hours of class time to develop a Social Media Monitoring Plan (in Word or PDF format) that must be submitted by the end of the class. You will be assigned your client at the beginning of the class and will have computer access to conduct research about your client.The Social Media Monitoring Plan must contain the following components:Purpose, Method (including sources, and timeframe),Topic Areas, Key Words, Qualifiers, Exclusions, Sentiment, and Conclusion. The Social Media Monitoring Plan must be submitted in Canvas via the assessment tab at the end of the in-class exercise.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Evidence of research
 3 4
2 
Evidence of knowledge of social media monitoring principles
 1 2 4
3 
Evidence of proficiency in the application of social media monitoring principles
 1 2 3 4
4 
Adherence to the assigned format
 4
5 
Correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation
 4
All - Assessment Task 2:Social Media Measurement Framework
Goal: 
The goal of this task is to demonstrate your proficiency in the practical application of social media monitoring and measurement techniques by developing a social media measurement plan within a specified framework for a real client to support a goal identified by their client.
Product: Plan
Format: 
Professional/Industry format The Social Media Measurement Framework must be 2000 words in length and submitted in Word or PDF format via Canvas. You must use the framework endorsed by the International Association for the Measurement and Evaluation of Communication (AMEC). The template for this framework is available on the course site.
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
Evidence of research
 1 2 3 4
2 
Evidence of knowledge of social media monitoring and measurement principles
 1 2 3
3 
Evidence of proficiency in the application of social media monitoring and measurement principles
 1 2 3
4 
Rationale supported by evidence
 1 2 3 4
5 
Adherence to the assigned format
 4
6 
Correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation
 4
All - Assessment Task 3:Social Media Performance Report
Goal: 
The goal of this task is to demonstrate your proficiency in the practical application of social media monitoring, measurement and analytical techniques by implementing the Social Media Measurement Framework from Task 2 and developing a Social Media Performance Report for your assigned client.
Product: Report
Format: 
Professional/Industry formatThe Social Media Performance Report must be 2000 words in length and submitted in Word or PDF format via Canvas.In adherence with the Task 3 template on the course Canvas site. Your Social Media Performance Report must contain the following sections:Cover Page, Table of Contents, Executive Summary, Background, Goals, Method (including tools and timeframe), Performance Metrics (including visual representation of data and key findings), Recommendations, Conclusion and References
Criteria:
No. Learning Outcome assessed
1 
​Evidence of knowledge of social media monitoring and measurement principles
 1 2
2 
Evidence of proficiency in the application of social media monitoring and measurement principles
 1 2 3
3 
Clarity of written and visual communication of data
 4
4 
Evidence of accurate data analysis and recommendation development
 2 3 4
5 
Adherence to the assigned format
 4
6 
Correct spelling, grammar, syntax, and punctuation
 4

Directed study hours

A 12-unit course will have total of 150 learning hours which will include directed study hours (including online if required), self-directed learning and completion of assessable tasks. Student workload is calculated at 12.5 learning hours per one unit.

Schedule

Period and Topic Activities 
Module 1. Social Media Monitoring (Wks 1-3)
 
Weekly Course Updates
Tutorials 
Assessment Information Session
 
Module 2. Social Media Measurement (Wks 4-6)
 
Weekly Course Updates
Tutorials
 
Module 3. Developing a Social Media Framework (Wks 7-8)
 
Weekly Course Updates
Tutorials
Assessment Information Session
 
Module 4. Industry Perspectives of Social Media Monitoring and Measurement (Wks 9-10)
 
Weekly Course Updates (Guest Lectures)
Tutorials
 
Module 5. Reporting Social Media Metrics (Wks 11-12)
 
Weekly Course Updates
Tutorials
Assessment Information Session
 
Module 6. Conclusion (Wk 13)
 
Weekly Course Update
Zoom Drop In Session

What resources do I need to undertake this course?

Please note: Course information, including specific information of recommended readings, learning activities, resources, weekly readings, etc. are available on the course Canvas site– Please log in as soon as possible.

Prescribed text(s) or course reader

There are no required/recommended resources for this course.

Specific requirements

Students enrolled in this course will need access to: A reliable internet connection;  A computer (https://usc.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1371)

How are risks managed in this course?

Health and safety risks for this course have been assessed as low. It is your responsibility to review course material, search online, discuss with lecturers and peers and understand the health and safety risks associated with your specific course of study and to familiarise yourself with the University’s general health and safety principles by reviewing the online induction training for students, and following the instructions of the University staff.

What administrative information is relevant to this course?

Assessment: Academic Integrity

Academic integrity is the ethical standard of university participation.  It ensures that students graduate as a result of proving they are competent in their discipline.  This is integral in maintaining the value of academic qualifications. Each industry has expectations and standards of the skills and knowledge within that discipline and these are reflected in assessment.

Academic integrity means that you do not engage in any activity that is considered to be academic fraud; including plagiarism, collusion or outsourcing any part of any assessment item to any other person.  You are expected to be honest and ethical by completing all work yourself and indicating in your work which ideas and information were developed by you and which were taken from others. You cannot provide your assessment work to others. You are also expected to provide evidence of wide and critical reading, usually by using appropriate academic references.

In order to minimise incidents of academic fraud, this course may require that some of its assessment tasks, when submitted to Canvas, are electronically checked through Turnitin.  This software allows for text comparisons to be made between your submitted assessment item and all other work to which Turnitin has access.

Assessment: Additional Requirements

Your eligibility for supplementary assessment in a course is dependent of the following conditions applying:

The final mark is in the percentage range 47% to 49.4%
The course is graded using the Standard Grading scale
You have not failed an assessment task in the course due to academic misconduct

Assessment: Submission penalties

Late submission of assessment tasks may be penalised at the following maximum rate: 
- 5% (of the assessment task's identified value) per day for the first two days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- 10% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the third day - 20% (of the assessment task's identified value) for the fourth day and subsequent days up to and including seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. 
- A result of zero is awarded for an assessment task submitted after seven days from the date identified as the due date for the assessment task. Weekdays and weekends are included in the calculation of days late. To request an extension you must contact your course coordinator to negotiate an outcome.

SafeUniSC

UniSC is committed to a culture of respect and providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community. For immediate assistance on campus contact SafeUniSC by phone: 07 5430 1168 or using the SafeZone app. For general enquires contact the SafeUniSC team by phone 07 5456 3864 or email safe@usc.edu.au.

The SafeUniSC Specialist Service is a Student Wellbeing service that provides free and confidential support to students who may have experienced or observed behaviour that could cause fear, offence or trauma. To contact the service call 07 5430 1226 or email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au.

Study help

For help with course-specific advice, for example what information to include in your assessment, you should first contact your tutor, then your course coordinator, if needed.

If you require additional assistance, the Learning Advisers are trained professionals who are ready to help you develop a wide range of academic skills. Visit the Learning Advisers web page for more information, or contact Student Central for further assistance: +61 7 5430 2890 or studentcentral@usc.edu.au.

Wellbeing Services

Student Wellbeing provide free and confidential counselling on a wide range of personal, academic, social and psychological matters, to foster positive mental health and wellbeing for your academic success.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email studentwellbeing@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 1226.

AccessAbility Services

Ability Advisers ensure equal access to all aspects of university life. If your studies are affected by a disability, learning disorder mental health issue, injury or illness, or you are a primary carer for someone with a disability or who is considered frail and aged, AccessAbility Services can provide access to appropriate reasonable adjustments and practical advice about the support and facilities available to you throughout the University.

To book a confidential appointment go to Student Hub, email AccessAbility@usc.edu.au or call 07 5430 2890.

Links to relevant University policy and procedures

For more information on Academic Learning & Teaching categories including:

  • Assessment: Courses and Coursework Programs
  • Review of Assessment and Final Grades
  • Supplementary Assessment
  • Central Examinations
  • Deferred Examinations
  • Student Conduct
  • Students with a Disability

For more information, visit https://www.usc.edu.au/explore/policies-and-procedures#academic-learning-and-teaching

Student Charter

UniSC is committed to excellence in teaching, research and engagement in an environment that is inclusive, inspiring, safe and respectful. The Student Charter sets out what students can expect from the University, and what in turn is expected of students, to achieve these outcomes.

General Enquiries

  • In person:
    • UniSC Sunshine Coast - Student Central, Ground Floor, Building C, 90 Sippy Downs Drive, Sippy Downs
    • UniSC Moreton Bay - Service Centre, Ground Floor, Foundation Building, Gympie Road, Petrie
    • UniSC SouthBank - Student Central, Building A4 (SW1), 52 Merivale Street, South Brisbane
    • UniSC Gympie - Student Central, 71 Cartwright Road, Gympie
    • UniSC Fraser Coast - Student Central, Student Central, Building A, 161 Old Maryborough Rd, Hervey Bay
    • UniSC Caboolture - Student Central, Level 1 Building J, Cnr Manley and Tallon Street, Caboolture
  • Tel:+61 7 5430 2890
  • Email:studentcentral@usc.edu.au
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