bachelor of communication honours

Results are available online from December 1. This does not mean your results for your research theses/projects as these are only available once both examiners have completed the examination of your work. These reports have started arriving, and I'm in the process of collating them.

The process in terms of what you receive from the examination is:

Monday October 27th we have the studio to ourselves for final preparation of print work. 9am beginning, going through to completion. Please use this time to prepare the final copies of your work, whether it is going to print or just being bound by the print binder in building 10. Feedback, company, music, critique and advice will help.

This week is last week of semester. In the workshop on Thursday will be the usual going over of any questions or problems. Then we should have some templates from the designers so we can begin to put content in there. If the work is not finished properly still worthwhile putting your content in so that:

a) you can see what it looks like finished
b) learn what is needed to be able to do this

Well, appears to be a war of attrition this year. To date we've had:

1. a case of glandular fever
2. one acute appendicitis
3. one hit and run resulting in a broken collarbone

Some people think things happen in threes, so that ought to be it, shouldn't it?

From today's email:

OK, semester nearly over and given weekly attendance I'm assuming:

a) people are so deep in their own work that coming for more info/feedback isn't needed
or
b) some are hiding....
or
c) don't enjoy the company

Today was a brief workshop as I've got a bad cold or a minor flu. Take your pick. Checked in on where everyone is up to, what problems remained with achieving what was wanted, and dealing with any problems.

There will be building works going on around the joint on Sunday October 5th which means no power at all into building 4. Which means a) plenty of noise and b) no ability to work in the studio. So if you planned on being here then, you can't be.

Stan and Vikki, two meanwhile students, are going to work with us to develop ways to publish/present your exegeses. Remember, last week you compiled key terms to describe how you want your exegesis to be or feel, as well as a budget. These are both crucial to develop a design brief with Stan and Vikki.

Everyone reported on where they are up to in their work. Seems to be good news all round with people seeming to be on schedule and on track. Not sure what we've been doing exactly, but I think that the timelines, project outlines and so on might actually have paid off so that we know where we are up to, what needs to be done, and when by. This is very good.

Finishing line very much in sight. I've got an ill baby daughter so need to leave at 11.30 this morning to tag team with my wife. So, let's cut to the chase:

• a road map: what do you need done or have happen to complete?

The mid semester break is the week beginning Monday September 1. On our workshop Thursday I'll be in Sorrento participating in a two day Media program research retreat, so there's no workshop that day. I'd strongly encourage you all to come in and work in the lab all day. It's a great opportunity to bounce stuff of each other, hang out, and just get into a group work groove (or funk).

Below you will find a link to the pdf (actually I usually present it via Keynote) that is a brief introduction, come pitch, to labsome. Questions to adrian dot miles at rmit dot edu dot au if you're interested, and yes we take students from anywhere (if you're good enough).

Due to the Human Rights Campaign Studio (which both some meanwhile and labsome students are doing) the meetup between the two groups is now pencilled in for Wed. September 10 at 11am. Same deal, I'll bring morning tea for us all.

I've provided an assessment matrix for writing (a copy is provided below as a pdf). In this weeks workshop we are going to combine a reflective/reflexive activity with peer critique. Wholesome, muesli like goodness really.

Wednesday September 3, 11:00 am in the studio. Meet up with meanwhile, partly to see what possibilities for collaboration or help there might be. Since I think we're hoping for them to help us (more than the other way round) I think we should think of it as a morning tea and so I will bring a suitable selection.

The assessment criteria for honours is available. Read them. Again. Print them and put them by your desk. These are the things that you are being assessed against. Regardless of anything else you do, this is what examiners have to judge your work against.

In this weeks workshop we drew what our project/thesis looks (or feels) like now, and then after discussing these drawings we did a second one which is how we hope it will look or feel like when it is finished. I realise for many people these sorts of exercises appear odd, but they are all ways of externalising things that are not clear and by externalising them we can:

OK, October 31st, submitted the monster and it's Halloween so a party on the rooftop it is. Trenton Milner will provide his usual bbq and bar services, costumes expected, friends welcome. We will also invite meanwhile, and please invite your supervisors too!

Each year I ask current students what are the key tips they would give to new students. Here they are:

• do your elective in semester one
• have a clear idea of what you want to do and why
• stay healthy, look after yourself
• be prepared to go part time to cope with the work load
• make sure you like what you choose to work on

This weeks workshop will continue with the peer feedback sessions. The role of this is to:

• develop your own vocabularies of critique for your own and others work, this is an essential professional skill
• receive more varied views and feedback on your own work
• help you produce content as you need to have material for feedback each week

In the workshop the final feedback to draft work was provided. Everyone divided into their groups to critique and provide feedback on work in progress, and apart from the specific feedback that you each asked for you were required to talk about what you liked in the work to date, and things and developments (what ideas) it suggested to you.

When writing in honours any claim you make must be backed up by evidence. Evidence might be a quote, a citation, an explanatory sentence or footnote.

OK, we had a meeting and lunch with the meanwhile... crew last week and this is what we're currently doing (it will be revisited in a few weeks):

• meanwhile have scheduled class time Mon - Wed 10am to 1pm and Fri 10am to 2pm

Well, class was run and won. No, that'd be a sporting event wouldn't it?

This Thursday's group have set up two tables for laptop use. They have a hub, a powerboard, and the internet thingie. To use just grab a lead from the book shelf and plug in. If you have not got your computer set up to use ethernet at RMIT then bring it in next Thurs. and we will get them online.

So, by my calendar it is 14 weeks before your work must be submitted. And today is the first workshop to get things done and dusted. To get us started we are going to:

• establish reading/critique groups
• discuss progress, issues, expectations in small groups
• have clear understanding of what will be bought to the groups next week

Below is link to a pdf of the first draft template for the presentation we are all doing about our research projects for the shared honours lunch. This is just a pdf, you can't edit it but have a look and send me what needs to go in.

We are going to have a lunch with the Meanwhile crowd, Thursday June 12th, let's say from midday. The aim is to get to know each other and to have a conversation about how to better use the studio space. I think we should do this the same way as our earlier lunch, though perhaps a bit less food!

Tasks for the coming week:

Finish your project timelines and these are to be put up on the wall in the studio next week.
A blog post answering "what question is your research answering?"

On the basis of what everyone has written we divided ourselves up into six thematic clusters. This is to develop a community of peers who can read, critique and provide support on your work, where what each of us is doing is close enough for us to be able to have informed ideas.

The clusters are:

Non Fiction Practice: Jon, Jess, Karen