ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands
This unit explores the theory and practice of organisational transmedia storytelling and instructs students on the production
of content that earns audience attention across traditional and digital advertising channels. The unit emphasises the value of
developing an overarching narrative that is fragmented across a series of platforms with each making a unique contribution.
Students will be introduced to transmedia storytelling theory, learn about the application of digital media by brands, apply
strategies that bolster social media engagement and identify advertising related trends in digital media.
This Unit Guide provides you with the key information about this unit. Please read it carefully and refer to it frequently
throughout the trimester. Your Unit site also provides information about your rights and responsibilities. We will assume you
have read this before the unit commences, and we expect you to refer to it throughout the trimester.
To be successful in this unit, you must:
Read all materials in preparation for your classes or seminars, and follow up each with further study and research on
the topic;
Start your assessment tasks well ahead of the due date;
Read or listen to all feedback carefully, and use it in your future work;
Attend and engage in all timetabled learning experiences.
WHO IS THE UNIT TEAM
Unit chair: leads the teaching team and is responsible for overall delivery of this unit
Richie Barker
Unit chair details
Campus: Melbourne Burwood
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +61 3 924 45130
Administrative queries
Check-out the ‘Need Help ’ section on your Unit site
Contact your Unit Chair or Campus Leader
Drop in or contact Student Central to speak with a Student Adviser
For additional support information, please see the Rights and Responsibilities section under ‘Resources’ in your Unit site.
ABOUT THIS UNIT
Unit development in response to student feedback
Every trimester, we ask students to tell us, through eVALUate, what helped and hindered their learning in each unit. You are
strongly encouraged to provide constructive feedback for this unit when eVALUate opens (you will be emailed a link).
Deakin University, Faculty of Arts and Education
ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands – Trimester 1, 2023
15 February 2023 Page 3 of 8
Feedback reveals that students enjoy the unit’s theory meets practice approach. However, some told us they struggled with
group work and time management, and as such, the unit’s learning experiences will incorporate addtional strategies for
planning and implementing collaborative projects.
If you have any concerns about the unit during the trimester please contact the unit teaching team – preferably early in the
trimester – so we can discuss your concerns, and make adjustments, if appropriate.
Your Unit Learning Outcomes
Each Unit in your course is a building block towards Deakin’s Graduate Learning Outcomes – not all Units develop and assess
every Graduate Learning Outcome (GLO).
ULO These are the Learning Outcomes (ULO) for this unit. At
the completion of this unit, successful students can: Deakin Graduate Learning Outcomes
ULO1 Analyse and explain the impact of digital advertising and
transmedia storytelling approaches on brand
communication
GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge
and capabilities
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO2 Critically evaluate emerging digital media platforms and
their relative effectiveness as advertising channels
GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge
and capabilities
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO4: Critical thinking
ULO3 Review and apply transmedia storytelling and audience
engagement principles to develop a project plan
GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge
and capabilities
GLO3: Digital literacy
GLO5: Problem solving
ULO4 Apply the features and language of individual media
platforms in the creation of branded transmedia
storytelling content
GLO1: Discipline-specific knowledge
and capabilities
GLO2: Communication
GLO5: Problem solving
ASSESSING YOUR ACHIEVEMENT OF THE UNIT LEARNING OUTCOMES
Summative assessment (tasks that will be graded or marked)
NOTE: It is your responsibility to keep a backup copy of every assignment and the materials used to develop/complete
it where possible (e.g. written/digital reports, essays, videos, images). In the unusual event that one of your
submissions becomes corrupted, is incorrectly submitted or otherwise lost, you may be asked to submit the backup copy.
Any work you submit may be checked by electronic or other means for the purposes of detecting breaches of academic
integrity such as collusion, plagiarism and contract cheating. You must understand your responsibility to act with honesty and
integrity in your studies as Deakin takes all breaches very seriously. Make sure you read Your rights and responsibilities as a
student in this unit to find out more about academic integrity.
Deakin has a universal assessment submission time of 8 pm AEDT/AEST. A late penalty will apply to assessments submitted
after 11.59 pm AEDT/AEST.
– Summative assessment task 1
Journal
Deakin University, Faculty of Arts and Education
ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands – Trimester 1, 2023
15 February 2023 Page 4 of 8
Brief description
of assessment task
Posts to an online journal on digital advertising, brand communication futures and
transmedia storytelling concepts, completed individually
Detail of student
output
1200 words total
Three posts will be written on a weekly basis in a student-created online journal from
weeks two to four (inclusive). All assessment requirements stated on the ALA302 unit
site > Resources > Assessment overviews must be followed
Grading and
weighting
(% total mark for
unit)
30%
Method for
ensuring
comparability of
assessment
Method B – single marker using rubric
This task assesses
your achievement
of these Unit
Learning
Outcome(s)
ULO1
ULO2
This task assesses
your achievement
of these Graduate
Learning
Outcome(s)
GLO1
GLO3
GLO4
How and when
you will receive
feedback on your
work
Feedback will be provided in seminars and online as this assessment progresses from
weeks two to four. Students will receive feedback that responds to their overall
response to this assessment via the unit site within three weeks of the final post
When and how to
submit your work
Posts will be written and published weekly using a dedicated WordPress journal
(accessible via CloudDeakin) from weeks two to four. The deadlines are as follows:
Journal post one – Tuesday 21 March 8pm AEDT
Journal post two –
Tuesday 28 March 8pm AEDT
Journal post three – Tuesday 4 April 8pm AEDT
– Summative assessment task 2
(Group) Presentation
Brief description
of assessment task
Transmedia storytelling campaign presentation, completed as a group
Detail of student
output
1200 words or equivalent (for each student)
Working as a group you will develop a campaign in response to a real-world client
scenario. Your group’s 10-minute presentation will be delivered during seminars (On_xFFFE_campus students) or uploaded to the unit site as a recorded presentation with
narration (Online students). Supporting documents for both On-campus and Online
groups should be submitted via the unit site. All assessment requirements stated on
ALA302 unit site > Resources > Assessment overviews, must be followed
Grading and
weighting
(% total mark for
unit)
30%
Deakin University, Faculty of Arts and Education
ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands – Trimester 1, 2023
15 February 2023 Page 5 of 8
Method for
ensuring
comparability of
assessment
Method B – single marker using rubric
This task assesses
your achievement
of these Unit
Learning
Outcome(s)
ULO1
ULO3
This task assesses
your achievement
of these Graduate
Learning
Outcome(s)
GLO1
GLO3
GLO4
How and when
you will receive
feedback on your
work
Students will receive feedback on this assessment within three weeks of submission via
CloudDeakin.
When and how to
submit your work
On-campus students: Presentations will be delivered in the week eight seminars; a
copy of your presentation slide deck and supporting documents must be submitted by
Friday 5 May 8pm AEST, via the unit site
Online students: Your recorded (narrated) presentation slide deck and supporting
documents must be submitted to CloudDeakin by
Friday 5 May 8pm AEST, via the unit site
– Summative assessment task 3
Written project
Brief description
of assessment
task
Written transmedia storytelling campaign plan and content for digital and traditional
media platforms, completed individually
Detail of student
output
1600 words or equivalent
Working individually you will improve and further develop the campaign presented for
Assessment two based on tutor feedback and self-critique and submit in report form
together with an appendix containing four detailed creative responses. All assessment
requirements stated on ALA302 unit site > Resources > Assessment overviews, must be
followed
Grading and
weighting
(% total mark for
unit)
40%
Method for
ensuring
comparability of
assessment
Method B – single marker using rubric
This task assesses
your achievement
of these Unit
Learning
Outcome(s)
ULO3
ULO4
Deakin University, Faculty of Arts and Education
ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands – Trimester 1, 2023
15 February 2023 Page 6 of 8
This task assesses
your achievement
of these Graduate
Learning
Outcome(s)
GLO1
GLO2
GLO3
GLO5
How and when
you will receive
feedback on your
work
Students will receive feedback on this assessment within three weeks of submission via
CloudDeakin.
When and how to
submit your work
Friday 2 June 8pm AEST
Submissions via the unit site
Your learning experiences in this Unit
Your learning experiences in this unit – and your expected commitment
Students will on average spend 150-hours over the teaching period undertaking the teaching, learning and assessment
activities for this unit.
Scheduled learning activities – online
Online independent and collaborative activities including seminar overview (recordings provided) and online seminar tasks
(combined 2-hour per week equivalence)
Scheduled learning activities – campus
1 x 2-hour seminar per week
Students on average will spend 150-hours over the trimester on learning and assessment activities in this unit. For On campus students this includes seminar time, designated activities, assessment tasks, readings and study time. For Online
students the time should be divided between online learning activities, discussion boards, designated activities, assessment
tasks, readings and study time.
UNIT LEARNING RESOURCES
Your unit learning resources are available in your Unit site.
There is no prescribed text. Unit materials are provided via the unit site. This includes unit topic readings and references to
further information.
Essential learning resources
There isn’t a prescribed textbook for this unit. Instead, a selection of required readings and web-based resources will be
available via the unit site, as directed by the unit chair.
Deakin University, Faculty of Arts and Education
ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands – Trimester 1, 2023
15 February 2023 Page 7 of 8
Where to access unit resources
Textbooks can be sourced from various outlets including direct from the publisher, online bookshops, or retailers. Limited
copies of textbooks are also available on loan from the University Library.
KEY DATES FOR THIS TRIMESTER
Trimester begins (classes begin) Monday 6 March 2023
Census date Friday 31 March 2023
Intra-trimester break (a short break during trimester) Friday 7 April – Sunday 16 April 2023
Trimester ends (classes cease) Friday 26 May 2023
Study period (End of Unit Assessment/Examination preparation period) Monday 29 May – Friday 2 June 2023
End of Unit Assessment Period/Examinations begin Monday 5 June 2023
End of Unit Assessment Period/Examinations end Friday 16 June 2023
Inter-trimester break (the period between trimesters) Monday 19 June – Friday 7 July 2023
Unit results released Thursday 6 July 2023 (10.30am)
UNIT WEEKLY ACTIVITIES
Week Commencing Topic Assessment due date
1 6 March 2023 What is transmedia storytelling
2 13 March 2023 Brands and media technologies
3 20 March 2023 Transmedia storytelling as a brand strategy
4 27 March 2023 Brand content in a storytelling world
5^ 3 April 2023 Audience engagement across platforms
6 17 April 2023 Transmedia storytelling campaign planning
Deakin University, Faculty of Arts and Education
ALA302 Transmedia Storytelling for Brands – Trimester 1, 2023
15 February 2023 Page 8 of 8
Week Commencing Topic Assessment due date
7* 24 April 2023 Transmedia storytelling campaign workshop
8 1 May 2023 Presentation week Assessment two due Friday 5 May
8pm AEST (Online students) and in
week eight seminars (On-campus
students)
9 8 May 2023 Transmedia campaign evaluation and ethics
10 15 May 2023 Getting creative with transmedia content
11 22 May 2023 Transmedia content workshop Assessment three due Friday 2 June
8pm AEST
^ Easter vacation/intra-trimester break: Friday 7 April – Sunday 16 April 2023 (inclusive)
* ANZAC Day Public Holiday: Tuesday 25 April 2023 (University closed)