University of Technology Sydney

80067 Photography Guest Lecture Program

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2024 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Design, Architecture and Building: Design
Credit points: 6 cp

Subject level:

Undergraduate

Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 80065 Critical Image Studio: Image Activism and Documentary Practice OR 80027 Photographic History and Theory
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

This subject investigates and examines photography's cultural positioning, both in a contemporary and historical context through a series of lectures by contemporary photographers, artists, writers, curators, and theorists who address photography and situated media and its production. Framed through social, political, gender-based, aesthetic and historical approaches, it aims to extend the student's critical thinking and ability to engage in a focused dialogue through interaction with invited guests and tutors. Students are supported in developing a theoretical and/or aesthetic foundation for the production of their own work and an ability to critically engage in contemporary discourse, and to situate their own work accordingly.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1. Demonstrate a constructive appreciation for the diverse fields of photography
2. Develop a synthesis of critical analytical and communication skills necessary to evaluate and explain ideas in a scholarly manner
3. Demonstrate a clear understanding of the context in which contemporary photography professionals operate
4. Demonstrate an understanding of photography’s position within the broader field of cultural production

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

  • Ability to constructively engage with subject learning activities (A.3)
  • Ability to recognise and appreciate cultural diversit,y including Indigenous perspectives (A.4)
  • Ability to communicate ideas effectively in a variety of ways, including oral, written and visual (C.2)
  • Ability to initiate and execute meaningful self-directed iterative processes (I.3)
  • Ability to recognise and engage in a diverse range of technical and practical contexts (P.1)
  • Ability to independently select and apply appropriate research methodologies to carry out investigative study (R.2)
  • Ability to analyse, synthesise and formulate complex ideas, arguments and rationales and use initiative to explore alternatives (R.3)

Teaching and learning strategies

Each week you will be introduced to a range of new ideas and approaches in a lecture (1.5 hours) given by an invited guest from the photography industry and/or relevant institution. You should be prepared to ask questions in this lecture session and demonstrate an openness to the guests professional or academic practice. You should prepare for these lectures by (1) undertaking independent online research to garner preliminary knowledge about the speaker, (2) constructing questions that can be brought with you to the lectures that you would like to hear the speakers answer, and (3) viewing the materials provided on UTSOnline (which can also be accessed via links provided in this Subject Outline) about each speaker.

Tutorials (1.5 hours) will give you the opportunity to discuss questions and key ideas from the lecture with your peers and tutor. These sessions will allow you to prepare for your assignment tasks, encouraging you to identify and assess key ideas, and develop your skills as a researcher. Tutorials will provide you with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in lectures and independent research on the topics at hand. Critical analytical techniques and scholarly communication skills will be developed through these tutorials which encourage collaborative learning. Your tutors will help facilitate discussion, give you ongoing feedback on your developing assessment tasks and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but as students you are primarily responsible for the mood of the tutorial.

In addition, students will complete assessments – a blog and essay – that encourage written critical reflection. At various intervals of the semester, tutors will lead short in-class consulations with each student. During these consultations, students will receive formative one-on-one feedback to help them develop their assessments.

Content (topics)

Content varies from session to session depending on guest lecture program, but typical content of lectures includes:

  1. Contemporary photographic, moving image and situated media practice
  2. Photographic and media theory and history, and other discourses that frame and bear upon contemporary practice
  3. Information on industry and institutional context for photographic, moving image and situated practice.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Blog project

Intent:

See assignment task 1 sheet for details.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2, 3 and 4

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.3, A.4, C.2, I.3 and P.1

Type: Journal
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 50%
Length:

300 words per blog entry

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to communicate ideas effectively. 20 2 C.2
Responsiveness to guest lectures and their key ideas 20 3 A.3
Evidence of critical reflection and engagement 20 2 I.3
Demonstrated ability to recognise and engage in the diverse range of technical and practical contexts presented by the guest lecture series 20 1 P.1
Ability to establish and develop an informed and ethical position toward social and cultural issues raised 20 4 A.4
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Essay

Intent:

See assignment task 2 sheet for details

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 3 and 4

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

A.3, A.4, C.2, R.2 and R.3

Type: Essay
Groupwork: Individual
Weight: 50%
Length:

1500-2000 words

Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Ability to communicate ideas effectively. 20 2 C.2
Responsiveness to lecture material and its key ideas 20 3 A.3
Evidence independent research 20 4 R.2
Ability to analyse, synthesise and formulate complex ideas, arguments and rationales and use initiative to explore alternatives. 20 2 R.3
Appreciation of the cultural context for ideas discussed 20 3 A.4
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

As well as lecture sessions this subject includes active and collaborative learning experiences where ongoing discussion and feedback is provided weekly in on campus engagements. It is therefore imperative that students prepare for attend at least 80% of all on-campus engagements specified in the program. Assessment tasks should be submitted on the due date/time. The combined project grades should equal a pass grade or above.

Required texts

N/A

References

TBA