Research Rendezvous
Opinion Piece & Reflection on BCM212 - Final Assessment
Are BCM Students feeling ready for the workforce? And will they be able to follow their passions? (Image: ASOS Face and Body Store campaign. Source: Sunbeam Studios)
Introducing My Research
This opinion piece will focus on the student experience of my peers in the Bachelor of Communication and Media degree - often shortened to ‘BCM’ - at UOW. I chose to make my research question: ‘Are BCM Students feeling ready for the workforce? And will they be able to follow their passions?’ It draws upon my research data which was conducted for the class BCM212 - Understanding Research Practice - during the course of this semester, including a survey and in-person verbal interviews. Through this opinion piece, I will describe my conclusion on the research project and its results. As well as drawing upon academic sources and articles which relate to my topic, looking at Australian University degrees through a broader lens. This piece will then also reflect on what I learnt in the class Understanding Research Practice.
‘Are BCM Students feeling ready for the workforce? And will they be able to follow their passions?’ It’s perhaps a bit of a complex question and it may throw some people off, it can be pretty daunting to really go deep into self-reflection and ask yourself why you’re doing this current degree and how you are honestly feeling about it. The question evolved early in the semester as we were told to prepare some draft questions which relate to the University experience. As a whole, I believe that BCM is a very unique degree in the sense that it certainly has times where you are given creative freedom - think BCM112, BCM114, BCM214 and more - however there are times where the degree can be a lot more theoretical and less “fun” - BCM222, BCM212, BCM113, etcetera. A lot of the degree also is dependent on which majors and minors you have chosen, these really shape the path you go down and your area of study, thus should then likely impact the careers you try to attain post graduation. While we expect an overall rewarding and positive experience from University, there is indication that expectations about developing new learning skills are not being fulfilled (Nelson, Kift, Clarke, 2008). Our decisions as University students have an impact on our future careers and wellbeing, and our feedback can also have an impact on the future of University courses too. Trends, popular influencers and the media can all influence our decisions on what course we choose to study (Khalid & Gong, 2020).
Positionality and Potential Bias
As mentioned in my proposal, my positionality on this topic can be described as the following: I enjoy BCM, it has allowed me to create media that I am proud of and that I feel looks good on my portfolio and will hopefully increase my chances of employability in future careers - areas I am interested in heading into post-uni are marketing, PR, social media, creative directing, events and just anything along those lines. BCM has been enjoyable to me, I have for the most part enjoyed my classes, made many friends, had good tutors and achieved good grades.
So, do these factors create potential bias? That’s entirely up for interpretation, but I of course am aiming to have zero bias in the results you are about to read. I can also say this, there are of course times that I feel frustrated at Uni, maybe a bad day, a bad assessment, not all of my tutors have been likeable, I am not here to praise or advertise our course, it is far from perfect. I feel it is important to address these factors, but they do not impact upon what my participants had to say about their feelings towards BCM.
Analysis of Data
I created a Google Forms survey and shared it with my peers via Twitter and our class spreadsheet. To gather more detailed data, I interviewed two of my peers. By contrasting the results, I aimed to reach a conclusion and enhance the richness of my research. The survey started accepting responses on May 2nd, and the interviews took place on May 24th and 26th.
Addressing Consent; giving consent to these answers being used for this assessment was the first task a participant had to undergo before they answered any questions. Participants were aware of the nature of the survey and were promised anonymity. The two interviewed participants also signed consent forms which will be attached at the end of this opinion piece.
Survey Responses:
The total number of survey participants was 34. All participants were BCM students, currently enrolled in the BCM212 subject.
(One being strongly disagree, Two being strongly agree)
Favourite and Least Favourite BCM Subjects:
Final Survey Question
Interviews:
(Responses have been simplified and shortened to remain within the word limit - however I am working on releasing the audio content of the interviews in a separate, future blog)
Question 1- “What is your dream career path post BCM?”
Interviewee 1 Response: My dream would be to work at Triple J, but more realistically just any form of music journalism. Maybe my own mag, blog, working with Yours & Owls, I want to shine a light on unknown artists. Originally, I wanted event coordination but I fell back into theoretical music stuff.
Interviewee 2 Response: Creative directing, something like that in the fashion industry I hope.
Question 2- “Do you believe this career is attainable through studying BCM?”
Interviewee 1 Response: I think so. Not solely thanks to BCM though, probably because of the encouragement we have to work on our portfolio. It would require me to keep writing, keep my blog posts going strong outside of just uni… I don’t just use Wordpress for Uni now. I’ve found something that I’m passionate about.
Interviewee 2 Response: Yes. I first looked into my future career and then I googled the common qualifications for that. Communications degrees came up so here I am.
Question 3- “Any closing remarks on BCM? Any particularly positive or negative moments?”
Interviewee 1 Response: I’d just say that Chris, my tutor in 110 was great. An amazing introduction to the BCM degree. He sparked insightful conversations.
Interviewee 2 Response: The positive moments to me are the classes which encourage creativity. I loved having Jasmyn and Chris as tutors last year, I actually learnt new things, despite not really liking the context. The delivery made it a relatable experience. I will say, I don’t know that the course on its own is what I am enjoying, it's more the friends and overall campus life, I think this degree is just… something I need. But I suppose coming to class and networking could still prove beneficial in future so there's that physical element of us all being a tight, creative cohort.
Consent Form:
Looking at Responses and Conclusion Notes
There are some obviously very varied responses. I suppose I found it interesting that there were so many overlaps in subjects that were brought up as ones that were student favourite and least favourite. For example, BCM114 & BCM113 appeared a few times as the subject that was people’s least favourite, but it also showed up a few times as the subject that was a participant’s favourite. I noticed a lot of talk on ‘portfolios’ and I’m glad participants brought this up because it's something I think is incredibly important for BCM.
This course is design based, what you do with it is, at times, up to you. But we all seemingly recognise that as future communication and media professionals, our portfolios are what is going to count when we start applying for careers. And it’s interesting that because of this, there is a level of risk in this degree: It’s what you make of it. Unlike a law degree or a medicine degree, we cannot just rely on the certificate given to us upon graduation to run for future jobs. Our blogs, our websites and our wordpress will be the difference in a high paying, rewarding career suited to our interests or an average/low paying job that we don’t feel satisfied in.
Something else to note is that people’s definitions of usefulness and readiness varied. Some looked at the question from a financial perspective, are all these classes worth the money? Many don’t believe so. While others preferred to answer based on whether the course was of interest to them and providing them with an enjoyable time, many said it was.
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Reflection
Throughout BCM212 , I have come to appreciate the paramount importance of consent when conducting research. Prior to this, I had not fully considered the nuanced aspects that come along with obtaining consent from participants. However, as I delved deeper into the topic, I realised the significance of ensuring informed and voluntary participation. Your participant needs to know what the data they provide you with is for, and they need to be prepared and informed before they start to complete a survey.
This newfound understanding has led me to approach research practice with a heightened awareness and respect for the rights and autonomy of individuals. It has become evident to me that research extends far beyond data collection and analysis, it encompasses ethical considerations and the protection of participants and their sensitivity. By recognizing the multifaceted nature of research and the necessity of consent, I have developed a more
comprehensive and ethically conscious perspective that can guide my future endeavours throughout the remainder of my Uni degree and even perhaps post-uni life.
My initial aim for this project was to obtain a comprehensive understanding of my peers' sentiments regarding the BCM course, and I am pleased to state that I have successfully achieved this objective in a timely and relevant manner. Moreover, I believe that this research project holds significant value for BCM tutors and heads of faculty, as it serves as a highly useful and up-to-date indicator of BCM student satisfaction. The considerable number of responses garnered by my survey, amounting to 34 participants, allowed for an impressive range of diverse and insightful opinions. This abundance of perspectives greatly contributed to the formation of a comprehensive and multifaceted conclusion, which, although intricate, proved to be highly valuable. I take great satisfaction in the outcomes of this research, as it has shed light on various aspects of the BCM course and facilitated a comprehensive understanding of student experiences.
I have enjoyed the BCM212 class, it surpassed my expectations as a subject. I did not feel very passionate about it when I first enrolled and read about it, I did not believe it would be worthwhile or interesting, however I do think it has a place within my uni journey, as I said, it was useful to learn about ethics, consent and the enormous machine behind ethical research.
REFERENCES:
Nelson, K., Kift, S. and Clarke, J., 2008. Expectations and realities for first year students at an Australian university. In Proceedings of the 11th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference, 2008 (pp. 1-9). Queensland University of Technology Publications.
Nguyen, Q. & Le, N. (2019). Student satisfaction and performance: The role of academic workload and study engagement. Higher Education Research & Development.
Nguyen, T. & Bartram, T. (2020). Factors influencing international students' satisfaction with Australian higher education: A systematic review. Studies in Higher Education.
Ali, A. & Ahmed, P. K. (2020). Determinants of student satisfaction and dissatisfaction in higher education: Insights from an Australian university. Journal of Marketing for Higher Education.
Li, I.W. and Carroll, D.R., 2017. Factors influencing university student satisfaction, dropout and academic performance: An Australian higher education equity perspective.
Accessed via:
Shah, M. and Nair, C., 2011. Employer satisfaction of university graduates: Key capabilities in early career graduates. In 20th Annual Teaching Learning Forum (pp. 1-10). TL Forum.
Vancouver
Accessed via:
McCabe, M.B., 2017. Social media marketing strategies for career advancement: An analysis of LinkedIn. Journal of Business and Behavioral Sciences, 29(1), p.85.
Artal, R. and Rubenfeld, S., 2017. Ethical issues in research. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 43, pp.107-114.
Alderson, P., 2005. Designing ethical research with children. Ethical research with children, pp.27-36.
Cunningham, S. and Bridgstock, R., 2012. Say goodbye to the fries: Graduate careers in media, cultural and communication studies. Media International Australia, 145(1), pp.6-17.
Vancouver
Accessed via:
Hammer, M.J., 2017. Ethical considerations for data collection using surveys. Number 2/March 2017, 44(2), pp.157-159.
Darnall, N. and Jolley, G.J., 2004. Involving the Public: When Are Surveys and Stakeholder Interviews Effective? 1. Review of Policy Research, 21(4), pp.581-593.
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