Mobile Cultures
MDIA2091 Assessment One: Essay
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Assessment & Weighting
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Length
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Due date
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Feedback
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Essay (40%)
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1500-2000 words
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Friday, July 4,
2023 11:59 PM (Week 5)
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Rubric and comments via Moodle Grademark
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Question
Writing this essay involves an analysis phase (1) and a writing phase (2):
1. Analysis phase:
. Use the App Walkthrough Method to analyse a mobile app of your choice.
. You should use the worksheet you were provided with in Tutorial 2 to document your walkthrough.
. As you undertake your walkthrough, track the data the app collects about you as a user.
. Think about how it may be using this data to create a model of you and your attributes (e.g., your preferences and behaviours).
. Consider the types of data the app collects, its data privacy practices, and the impact of these practices on user autonomy and control.
2. Writing phase:
Using specific examples from your walkthrough analysis, answer the following question:
“Affordances are not fixed but ultimately imagined properties whose meaning and function emerges ‘in the wild’ through how people perceive and make sense of technologies, what they enable and make possible, and what their limitations are.”
(Schellewald, 2023:1569)
Reflecting on this quote, and the course concepts introduced in weeks 1-5, do you think the affordances of an app/platform can alter and influence the way a user acts? Or do you think that a user always has full control and understanding over the use of an app/platform?
Remember, these issues will be different depending on the kind of app you have chosen and its domain (e.g., health, entertainment, social connection, work etc.). Draw on relevant scholarly literature to support your claims about what they key social and ethical issues are in the particular domain.
How to include a screen capture or diagram in your essay
In order to explain your analysis you will need to include diagrams and/or screen captures from your walkthrough in your essay. You should present these as figures with captions as follows:
Figure 1: An example of a screen capture of the Paprika recipe management app recipe page.
Depending on what you are explaining to the reader, you may like to annotate the screen capture (e.g. with arrows and labels).
Use figures only when you are making a substantial point in your essay. You should limit figures to 3-4 in the body of the essay. If more are needed they should be included in an appendix.
GAI Statement
All students must include a GAI statement at the end of their submission.
Not using GAI:
“I have not used GAI in the creation of this submission.”
Using GAI at any stage:
“I have used [GAI tool] in the creation of this submission. I have used it for [provide details of use here].”
Please replace the text in the square brackets with details specific to your own use.
Referencing
You should cite external sources using Harvard referencing:
https://student.unsw.edu.au/harvard-referencing
Submission
Submit your assignment via Turn-it-in on Moodle by the due date (see table on first page).
Marking criteria
The table below is the qualitative rubric used as a guide in marking your essay:
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F
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P
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C
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D
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HD
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Expression:
The extent to
which your
writing is
fluent, concise,
and coherent
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Incoherent and
poorly written. Highly
problematic in writing
style and/or
grammar and structure.
Obtrusive
errors. Likely to be
well outside the word count -
either
too short, or longwinded.
No GAI
statement.
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Weaker writing of patchy
quality with some obvious errors in
referencing style, and/or grammar
and/or
structure. GAI
statement
included, but limited
information provided.
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Sound writing style. Adequate
structure. Some
(less obtrusive) errors in
style, grammar,
and structure.
GAI statement included.
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Mature and
generally
assured
academic style
of writing that is well
structured and
that poses few
problems for readers.
Few errors in style, and
grammar.
Within word count.
Well edited. GAI statement included.
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Exceptionally
well- written. Characterised
by a
sophisticated academic voice with very few (or
no) errors in
style, grammar,
and structure. Within
word count.
Skilfully
edited.
Beautifully
presented. GAI statement
included.
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Argument:
The extent to which your argument is
clear, logical,
and directly
answers the question.
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A poorly
discussed
argument is likely to be
seriously
stunted,
fragmented, and/or
incoherent. Little to no
sense of a
logical
connection to
the question.
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A weak
argument with
a limited logical
connection to the question. Displays some
significant gaps in
understanding.
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A relatively
thoughtful
discussion of a partially
developed
argument that
is marked by some
oversights. Some
worthwhile connections made to the question.
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A well-
reasoned
argument that displays few gaps in
thinking.
Directly
answers the question.
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An exquisitely developed,
thoroughly
defended, and
fully coherent
argument that directly
answers the question.
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Concepts:
The extent to which you
demonstrated
a grasp of key
concepts and
used them to answer the question.
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Demonstrates a
poor
understanding of the key
concepts in the question.
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Demonstrates
an
understanding of the key
concepts in the question but
makes some conceptual errors.
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Demonstrates a good
understanding of the key
concepts in the question.
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Demonstrates an excellent
understanding of the key
concepts in the question
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Demonstrates a highly
sophisticated understanding of the key
concepts in the question
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FAQs
1. Do I need to cite sources in the essay?
Yes, you should cite sources and include a full bibliography. Please use Harvard referencing: https://www.student.unsw.edu.au/citing-different-sources
2. Is my bibliography include in the word count?
No, your bibliography is not included in the word count.
3. Can I write within +/- 10% of the word count?
It is a good idea to stick as closely to the word count as you can out of respect for your tutor's time. However within +/- 10% is an acceptable margin
4. Do you require a certain number of references, ideas, or other phenomena?
If we require a certain number of anything, that will always be in the question. So if we do not specify a number for something, then we will not penalise you if you don't do a certain number of instances of that thing. We are always assessing you on the extent to which you demonstrate that you understand the material, rather than on arbitrary things like whether you did a certain thing X number of times.
5. Do I need to cite the lectures in the essay?
No, this would become untenable in a written essay so you are only required to cite the author whose idea you are using in your response. You don't need to cite the lecture in which I taught you about this particular author's ideas. You also don't need to cite the particular lecture I mentioned general key concepts as this would be very repetitive.
6. Do I attach my walkthrough worksheet to the essay?
No, this would likely make a file that is too big to upload. The worksheet just serves as your systematic data collection tool.
NB: Check the Moodle Essay FAQ section nearer to the due date as I may update it if there are other questions that are asked that I haven't thought of here!