Media production studies and performing arts

ROMANA ANDO'
ROMANA ANDO'

At the end of the course students will be able to:
1) develop an audience research project
2) read and analyse research data

Audience Research is an advanced course of Sociology of Communication and Cultural Processes (disciplinary sector SPS / 08). The first part of the course aims at providing students with a suitable theoretical framework for addressing Audience Studies, from Cultural Studies to fandom culture, to audience engagement and participation and new challenges for audience research; therefore, no preparatory lessons are required. Any knowledge gap will be identified and filled, putting in place a series of in-depth readings and analysis suggested by the teacher.

The audience research is currently facing with new relevant challenges: consumption practices are constantly changing due to the technological transformations introduces by mobile devices and the connective media. Compare to the past, contemporary audiences are more unstable, elusive and ephemeral and less understandable. At the same time, the hybridization between old media and the internet makes the audience more traceable and measurable .
The course is articulated in 4 parts: at the beginning the most relevant concepts from audience studies will be introduced and discussed with the class (12 hours): the teacher will provide students with essays and scientific journal articles (in Italian and English). (module 1)
The second part of the course is aimed at analysing the new Italian media ecosystem, more specifically the transformation of television and its hybridization with digital platforms (12 hours)
The third part of the course is organized in traditional lessons on methodology of research (8 hours); session of data research analysis (8 hours); team-work to develop the research project (8 hours); professionals may be involved for specific lesson.
At the end of the course students will be requested to develop a project work on audience research.

1) R. Andò, 2007, Audience reader, Saggi e riflessioni sull’esperienza di essere audience. Guerini, Milano

2) Hill A.,Esperienze mediali. Dalle serie tv al reality Minimum Fax /other book indicated by the teacher

3) Audiences, towards2030 Prioritiesfor audience analysis(scaricabile qui http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/842403/)

4) Journal articles and research report

The course is organized in three different sections/goals: the first part is theoretical, the second one is dedicated to the analysis of relevant case studies, the final one is a laboratory esperience (self-directed learning)
To achieve the planned learning an training objectives, and coherently with the teaching program, the course includes:
traditional lessons, lectures, reading and discussion of papers (first part);
analysis of case studies, professionals presentation (second part)
group work, preparation of papers and / or research (third part)

Attending students will be able to participate in the project work activity

The evaluation will be related on:
Class participation and paper presentations and discussion (10%) during the course.
Midterm (at the end of theoretical section of the course) to evaluate theoretical knowledge: it is a written exam on course materials and scientific journal articles (30%); the method is short answer questions that usually take the form of a brief question or prompt that requires a written answer normally no more than a few sentences. Sometimes a good paragraph is required (depending on the time available for that section).
Project work (individual student or teams of 2) (60%) at the end of the course: project work project requires collaboration, creativity, problem-solving, and innovation skills; it challenge students to think beyond the boundaries of the classroom and and promotes self-directed learning.

Explain the difference between qualitative and quantitative research
identify the characteristics of ethnographic research applied to audiences
What are the challenges of audience research
what does doing market research means