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Tutorial 1 — Media, Dolphins & Classroom Foundations

Classroom Logistics & Expectations

  • Tutorial start-time protocol

    • Starts ≈5 minutes after the scheduled hour to avoid students running across campus.

    • Late arrivals are welcome; no penalties for missing a tutorial, but students are encouraged to catch up.

  • Physical setup

    • Name place-cards provided; pens available nearby.

    • Students write their names and leave cards at the end of class.

  • Consultation period

    • Last 10 minutes of every tutorial reserved for one-on-one questions.

    • Students who have no questions may “tap and go” without being marked down.

  • Pre-work recommendation

    • Watch the lecture before attending so the tutorial activities make sense.

Flow Rules for Tutorial Interaction

  • Students may contribute by

    • Raising a hand or speaking out spontaneously.

    • Using alternative collaboration tools (whiteboard, Padlet, QR codes) depending on group comfort levels.

  • Guiding principle on participation

    • “If you were already an expert on this topic, you wouldn’t be here.”

    • No idea or question is wrong; emphasis on a safe learning environment.

  • Tutor disclosure

    • Tutor is new to UQ and learning alongside students; invites mutual growth.

  • University goal highlighted: making connections—academic, social, interdisciplinary.

Big Question: “What Is the Difference Between a Dolphin and a Human?”

  • Initial student answers

    • Humans lack flippers; dolphins lack opposable thumbs.

    • Habitat: dolphins thrive underwater and can breathe there.

    • Intelligence comparison: dolphins considered “almost as intelligent as humans.”

  • Framing significance

    • Sets stage for discussing communication, culture, artifacts, and evidence of intelligence.

Peters’ Quote on Dolphins & “Communication Without Artifacts”

“Dolphins show us communication without artifacts… They cannot make instruments or monuments and cannot externalize or automate… Able dolphins would have things in the sense of assembly of citizens, but no things in the sense of artifacts or architecture.” — Peters

  • Core claim

    • Dolphins possess intelligence and social interaction without material traces (no tools, monuments, texts).

  • Interpretative challenges

    • Students initially found wording opaque (“What the hell did I just read?”) ⇒ need to unpack.

  • Embedded concepts

    • Inorganic media of the mind: physical extensions (books, buildings, tech) that preserve thought.

    • Ephemerality: dolphin intelligence “would vanish with the event” because it is not recorded.

Student Interpretations & Debates

  • Media as permanence

    • Physical or digital media make human culture timeless; dolphins’ lack thereof erases continuity.

  • Alternative viewpoint

    • Absence of artifacts ≠ absence of civilization; dolphins may have non-material means we cannot perceive.

  • Evolutionary analogy

    • Comparison to pre-technological humans; dolphins could mirror an earlier stage of human cultural development.

  • Critical assumption flagged

    • Peters presumes civilization requires documented history; challenges anthropocentric bias.

Padlet & QR-Code Participation

  • QR code provided for anonymous or text-based input; counts toward participation marks.

  • Padlet functions

    • “+” button to post thoughts; must include date and tutorial time for credit.

    • Encourages shy students to engage without speaking aloud.

Mini-Break Dynamics

  • 5-minute informal break gave students space to network, get water, or process discussion.

  • Rationale: early-semester sessions are light on dense content; focus on community building.

Audio Excerpt: Prof. Nick Carra on Media Embeddedness

  • Prompting reflection: “When was the last time you spent a day without industrially produced culture?”

  • Daily media checkpoints:

    • Phone upon waking, radio/TV at breakfast, ads on transport, car radio, billboards.

  • 20th-century media theorists’ insight

    • Media became the glue of social cohesion, structuring routines in mass societies.

  • Take-away: Media saturation is habitual, pervasive, and largely invisible.

Worksheet Activity: Mapping Personal Media Engagement (Today Only)

  • Columns to fill:

    1. Media/Technology used (e.g., smartphone, Spotify, TV).

    2. Context/When it occurred (morning routine, commute, study break).

    3. Why it occurred (habit, information, entertainment, convenience).

    4. Course Connections (individual/social/cultural; “medium is the message”).

  • Tutor example

    • Checked Google News on phone upon waking.

    • Feed highly curated (algorithms show tech & gaming stories).

    • Motivation: stay informed, habitual convenience.

    • Course link: individual habit → social sharing → cultural curation; medium shapes message.

  • Sample student shares

    • Spotify during train commute (ad-free now that student pays subscription).

    • TV-series “Twin Peaks” binge first thing in morning → individual immersion ↔ online fandom discussions.

Applying Core Course Concepts

  • Individual / Social / Cultural triad

    • Any media act can migrate from personal experience → interpersonal sharing → broader cultural phenomenon.

  • “The Medium is the Message” (McLuhan)

    • Form (smartphone feed, streaming platform) influences meaning more than content alone.

  • Peters’ dolphins example links back: absence of medium limits cultural permanence.

Class Discussion Synthesis on Media Use

  • Music & podcasts serve as self-expression, ambient filler, and historical archive.

  • Ubiquity of media echoes Carra’s point: near-constant consumption (cooking, driving, studying).

  • Historical perspective

    • 1950s music heard then vs. now → context-dependent meaning; demonstrates medium/message dynamic over time.

  • Participation feedback

    • Tutor predicts “all gonna get 5s” (highest mark) for lively engagement.

Administrative Housekeeping & Resources

  • Worksheets

    • Students must write names and submit worksheets + name cards before leaving.

  • Library overview

    • Use \text{UQ Library} site for room bookings, printing, favourites list, referencing help.

    • Detailed library skills session postponed until closer to final assessment.

  • UQ Learn (LMS) navigation

    • Weekly modules contain lecture slides, tutorial instructions, course profile, and resources.

    • If absent, consult week’s page to catch up.

  • Course readings

    • No readings Week 1; weekly readings begin next tutorial—critical for assignments & exam.

  • QR-coded support links

    1. Student Services – settling in.

    2. Join-a-club – enrich university life.

    3. Student Advisory / Access Plans – disability & learning support.

  • Communication policy

    • Email welcome for general questions; assessment queries must occur during consultation time.

    • Contacts: Tutor & Lecturer (Leah) emails provided in LMS and slide.

Ethical & Philosophical Implications Surfaced

  • Anthropocentrism in measuring intelligence (requiring artifacts).

  • Algorithmic curation ↔ echo chambers; raises questions of autonomy vs. convenience.

  • Media saturation’s effect on attention, memory, and identity formation.

  • Access & inclusivity: Padlet, QR codes, consultation sessions support diverse participation styles.

Practical Take-Aways & Next Steps

  • Habit audit: Note first 3 media encounters tomorrow; consider individual→social→cultural ripple.

  • Pre-tutorial prep: complete Week 2 readings on LMS.

  • Bring device for Padlet participation or prepare questions for consultation.

  • Explore UQ Library portal; bookmark referencing guides.