Media convergence and the teaching of film studies

Melanie Robson

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Abstract

In today’s increasingly fractured media landscape, technology is changing rapidly, and the way we watch and teach films is undergoing transformations that can be understood as both positive and negative. This paper seeks to examine how the era of media convergence has affected the teaching of film studies at tertiary level. I propose this has occurred in two key ways. The first is the digitalisation of media content. This process has had a profound effect on the specific practice of teaching and how tertiary students engage with the media and screen texts they study. The second, perhaps more meaningful, way is a redefining of the disciplinary boundaries of film and media studies. I argue this has had significant implications for film studies in particular, in terms of how it is valued as a singular discipline and how its integration into tertiary programs is increasingly marginalised in favour of more vocationally-focussed media programs.

Keywords

Media Convergence; Film Studies; Teaching; Pedagogy

To cite this article

Robson, Melanie. “Media convergence and the teaching of film studies.” Fusion Journal, no. 14, 2018, pp. 85-90. http://www.fusion-journal.com/media-convergence-and-the-teaching-of-film-studies/

First published online: December 2018