Digital Presence: Content and Creation

Module Identifier: DSM0520
Module Title: Digital Presence: Content and Creation
Academic Year: 2026/2027
Semester: Distance Learning
Co-ordinator: Dr Anoush Simon
Reading List: View on Aspire
Other Staff: Jennie Hill; Ms Tanya Rogers; Alyson Tyler; Dr Sue Lithgow; Dr Anoush Simon

Assessment

Assessment Type	Assessment details	Proportion
Semester Assessment	Practical project work: website creation: (equivalent to 2,500 words)	50%
Semester Assessment	Essay (2,500 words):	50%
Supplementary Assessment	Practical project work: website creation: (equivalent to 2,500 words). Submission of supplementary coursework for failed course element in line with the learning outcomes of the original assignments.	50%
Supplementary Assessment	Essay (2,500 words): Submission of supplementary coursework for failed course element in line with the learning outcomes of the original assignments.	50%

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this module students should be able to:

1. Devise appropriate quality criteria for the evaluation of web resources with reference to the literature and apply these criteria to evaluate a range of existing resources.
2. Discuss the processes of web publishing and compare these processes to conventional publishing and communications paradigms.
3. Demonstrate a systematic understanding and critical assessment of the legal and managerial issues involved in web publishing.
4. Demonstrate the main principles of small web site design by developing a web site using appropriate tools, with due account taken of information architecture and usability factors.
5. Identify the potential of Web 2.0 technologies in the development of publishing applications and their limitations.
6. Examine potential uses of other social media tools such as wikis, social bookmarking, social resource sharing etc.
7. Critically analyse the implications of social media tools for the management of websites and assss their impact on website maintenance and web retrieval.

Brief description

This module will explain the processes involved in web publishing, including editorial tasks and responsibilities involved in information architecture, website design and management. Other significant issues that will be considered include approaches to quality control, evaluation of web resources, management and maintenance controls, and the role of social media tools in disseminating information and engaging with site visitors. The growth of the internet means that the traditional gap between the publisher and the provider of information services is now blurred. Information professionals need to be aware of the responsibilities for providing quality information to their users via internal or external web publications. In addition to developing skills in the production of web published materials, managerial level information professionals need to explore the ways in which web publishing is changing the publishing process generally, including its impact on business models such as e-books and open access publication.

Social media tools to be explored include blogs, wikis, RSS, micro-blogging and social resource sharing. These tools will be critically evaluated and their application contextualised.

Content

Students will explore the publishing process from traditional to web publishing. They will examine how content can be restructured and redesigned for different types of web documents and evaluate information quality. They will learn to design and construct web documents and deliver them over the web, considering issues relating to information architecture and maintenance of web resources. They will explore the growth of social media for websites and other social media tools.

Module skills

Skills type	Skills details
Communication	Shared module tasks and discussion forums in VLE.
Improving own Learning and Performance	Reflection on practice, and individual learning during practical assignment.
Information Technology	Experience of working with web publishing tools and social media tools.
Personal Development and Career planning	Reflection on practice, and individual learning during practical assignment.
Problem solving	Approach to practical assignment and module exercises.
Research skills	Identification of reading and critical review of literature (and applications).
Subject Specific Skills	Application of web publishing and social media tools.
Team work	Virtual group working on shared tasks.

Notes

This module is at CQFW Level 7