Limerick Voice Digital News Project aims to hone students' capacity to report online and across social media platforms. It will enhance their ability to work in a team and to meet deadlines for the news website Limerick Voice. It will allow students to develop problem solving skills and their ability to work in a team environment.

Students will establish a news room structure with students assigned various roles such as digital editor, social media manager, podcast editor and news, sports and features editors and news reporters. Students will develop and practice the structures by producing a rolling news web site. Students will write news and original features and other material, source pictures, design pages and edit accurately. The final assessment will include a reflection from each student about what s/he wrote, details of his or her role in the production, and contacts for the sources for the written pieces. Assessment will be by the individual students' contributions to the final project.

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: * demonstrate an understanding of the concept of a news website *demonstrate an ability to write news, feature and sports stories to a professional level for a live website *demonstrate an ability to produce content including video for social media platforms * demonstrate an ability to produce weekly podcasts

On successful completion of this module, students will be able to: * demonstrate their ability to work in a team and their appreciation of the role played by each contributor to the Limerick Voice Website

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This module is underpinned by a belief in the value of discussion in co-operative professional development. Participants engage in active and critically reflective discussion across disciplines. They explore the theoretical and practical principles related to journalism and journalism theory, and their application in their preparation for journalistic practice. As such, the primary focus of face-to-face and online sessions is structured reflective discussion tasks around journalism theory, , from the perspective of journalistic practitioners and researchers participating and in relation to relevant research and policy in the Irish and European context. (Graduate Attribute: Curious). Participants engage by articulating their views on journalistic ideology and beliefs that have, perhaps, been tacit hitherto, and are encouraged to objectively critique and rationalise these ideologies (Graduate Attribute: Articulate). By exploring and discussing a diverse range of issues in journalism theory collaboratively, participants share practices, and develop their knowledge of a distinct sphere of academic research (the scholarship of Journalism) inherently connected to their journalistic theory (Graduate Attribute: Agile). Delivery of the module relies on the application of open educational practice principles (Graduate Attribute: Responsible) and is structured around a series of learning activities that are based on the principles of building pedagogical patterns and a community of inquiry approach. Students will produce a website and print newspaper, acting as a capstone in their four year journalism programme. The in-class and online activities allow participants to actively engage in reflective practice and discussion. The module has a very practical approach, while ensuring that participants gain theoretical insights. The assignment involves research projects to understand the role of journalism in politics and society. The module consists of laboratory classes where the students will actively learn how to develop a concept for the online publication. The students will develop the structures of a newspaper and assign themselves various news-room roles. The students will actively learn how to produce a newspaper by acting to strict deadlines by taking on the roles and responsibilities of different editorial team members. Students will be engaged in the active learning of what makes up a good news site and how to produce it to a strict deadline. The Senior Journalism Lecturer and Teaching Assistant will supervise this exercise in advisory roles. In combination, these elements are a powerful means of enriching the teaching and learning environment, which has positive implications for the overall learning experience.