Media mapping: Reflections on Australian and Swedish experiences with a new educational technology in media and communication studies

Abstract

This paper reports on Australian and Swedish experiences in the iterative design, development, and ongoing usage of an interactive educational system we call 'Media Maps'. Like maps in general, Media Maps are usefully understood as complex cultural technologies. That is, they are not only physical objects, tools and artefacts, but also information creation and distribution technologies, the use and development of which is embedded in systems of knowledge and social meaning. Drawing upon Australian and Swedish experiences, this paper illustrates this three-layered approach to the development of media mapping. It shows how media mapping is being used to create authentic learning experiences for students preparing for work in the rapidly evolving media and communication industries. We also contextualise media mapping as a response to various challenges for curriculum and learning design in Media and Communication studies that arise from shifts in tertiary education policy in a global knowledge economy.