COMM520: Influencing Strategies  In Digital Media Module Handbook | UOL

Published: 05 May, 2025
Category Assignment Subject Education
University University of Liverpool (UOL) Module Title COMM520: Influencing Strategies  In Digital Media

1.Contacts COMM520

Office hours (during teaching weeks): Tuesday: 14:00-15:00 & Thursday 15:00-16:00.

If you want to meet me outside teaching weeks or at any other time, please, send me an email (palmieri@liv.ac.uk) in order to book an appointment. 

My office is Room 111, 1st floor, 19 Abercromby Square.

If for any reason you can’t meet me in person, call in on Zoom: Liverpool Zoom Video Conferencing/j/7716510020.  

You can find more information about Rudi’s academic activities here: University of Liverpool/communication-and-media/staff/rudi-palmieri.

2. COMM520 Module description

Strategic communication involves organisations and individuals to produce and convey persuasive arguments in a variety of digitised contexts. from online marketing/fundraising campaigns to social media strategies by companies and influencers. Argumentation plays a crucial role in strategic communication as it promotes sustainable (long-term) persuasion and trust, thus making communication really strategic and not merely tactical. 

This module aims at providing students with conceptual and analytical instruments from argumentation theory and rhetoric which will enhance their ability to (i.) critically examine strategic communication across digital spaces; (ii.) understand the principles informing the design of effective and reasonable influencing communication strategies; (iii.) familiarise themselves with issues of persuasion and trust in digital strategic communication.

The module will examine numerous cases of digital strategic communication pertaining to different domains such as financial communication and sustainability, journalism and misinformation, political discourse, public affairs and crisis communication.

More in particular, the module aims at providing students with:

  • advanced knowledge of argumentation and rhetorical theories for the study of digital strategic communication
  • theory-driven analytical methods for the critical examination of arguments manifested in different genres of strategic communication, with a focus on online and digital communication strategies
  • key concepts and instruments for the design of effective and reasonable argumentation strategies in digital communication contexts
    critical understanding of issues of persuasion and public trust in digital strategic communication

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3. Module timetable, content and readings of COMM520

The module will be delivered through weekly workshops combining lecture sessions and seminar-like discussions and practical activities.   

Weeks 1-3/5-6/8-11: Wednesday, 9-11am, Rendall Building, Lecture Theatre 2.

Week 4: Friday, 21 February, 9-11am, SCTH, Lecture Theatre 3

Weeks 7 and 12: no class (independent study week and final assessment deadline) 

W1. Introduction to the module / Argumentation and persuasion in digital strategic communication
W2. Analysing arguments in strategic messages
W3. Argumentative analysis: exercises
W4. Evaluating influencing strategies: manipulation, fallacies and dis/misinformation
W5. Evaluating influencing strategies: critical questions
W6. Critical evaluation of AI-generated influencing strategies
W7. Independent study week
W8. Planning digital influencing strategies: from context to rhetorical arguments
W9. Designing digital influencing strategies: the canonical toolkit
W10. Designing digital influencing strategies: exercises 
W11. Module recap and preparation for final assessment 
W12. Final assessment due (no class)

4.Learning outcomes and skills of COMM520

By the end of this module students will:

  • acquire advanced knowledge of argumentation and rhetorical theories for the study of digital strategic communication
  • acquire advanced theory-driven analytical methods for the critical examination of arguments manifested in different genres of strategic communication, with a focus on online and digital communication strategies
  • familiarise themselves with key concepts and instruments for the design of effective and reasonable argumentation strategies
  • develop critical understanding of issues of persuasion and public trust in digital strategic communication.

5.Your Learning Obligations

Workshop attendance: this is a compulsory aspect of your Master programme and you will be asked to provide documentary evidence if you are absent. Unnecessary absence is regarded as a serious breach of your learning contract and is reported to the School progress committee.

Private study is an indispensable part of the learning process; for this module you should allow an average of 10-15 hours including attendance and preparation for the teaching sessions. You are expected to read the essential readings that will enable you to reinforce and broaden the knowledge and perspectives conveyed in the workshops. You are not expected to read everything on the list, but you are expected be fluent with all essential texts and many of the further readings each week to help you to understand lectures and to be aware of the various perspectives brought to bear on a topic or issue by different authors. This should help you to develop your own point of view on the subject and enable you to contribute effectively to class discussions and debates.

6. COMM520 Assessment: coursework (100%)

For this module you will be assessed by one single coursework of 2,500 words, consisting in the design and/or evaluation of persuasive strategies in digital communication. You can choose between two options:

Option A: designing strategic arguments 

You need to create and critically review a piece of strategic argumentation. Based on the canonical model of rhetorical composition, prepare a speech/text in response to a rhetorical situation and to explain the process through which you have strategically designed it. The rhetorical situation should be one of the following:

A.Choose a tourist destination and write a promotional message that should be published on the website of the government concerned (see examples here: GREAT BRITAN/gb/en/10-britains-best-spring-gardens#kLKJdJaYy72B4gjU.97)  
B.You are a socially responsible shareholder of Boohoo where a controversy has arisen following severe criticisms against the way workers are treated (labour behind the label/report-boohoo-covid-19-the-people-behind-the-profit/). You are not happy with the way the company’s management responded to these criticisms (response-to-lbl-report.pdf (boohooplc.com) and decide to (a) submit a shareholder proposal at the next Annual General Meeting of shareholders; (b) promote the key contents of your proposal on social media. 

Choose an online crowdfunding campaign that has not been successful and write a pitch that should support a new video presentation.

Option 2: argumentative evaluation of digital strategic messages

You need to evaluate the content of an AI-generated persuasive message discussing in particular the following points: 

  1. does the  message convey reasonable arguments? 
  2. Are the adopted persuasion strategies  effective and contextually appropriate? 
  3. What aspects of the persuasive strategies  would be better undertaken by humans and which not? 

You can choose among a list of AI-generated messages that will be made available on canvas not later than week 8. 

The discussion  should be based on analysis and evaluation developed through concepts and methods in argumentation studies, with adequate reference to academic research discussed in the module and beyond.

The assignment must be submitted electronically via Canvas no later than 2pm on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 (week 12).

Marking criteria: Your coursework will be assessed against seven general criteria: Focus, Knowledge, Argument, Structure, Research, Expression, and Referencing.

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7. Academic integrity

Plagiarism   and   Collusion   are   extremely   serious   violations   of   University   rules.

University’s Code of Practice on Assessment provides the following definitions of plagiarism and collusion: ‘Plagiarism occurs when a student misrepresents, as his/her own work, the work, written or otherwise, of any other person (including another student) or of any institution.  

Examples of forms of plagiarism include: The verbatim copying of another’s work without acknowledgement; The close paraphrasing of another’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of presentation, without acknowledgement; Unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another’s work; the deliberate and detailed presentation of another’s concept as one’s own. All types of work submitted by students are covered by this definition, including written work, diagrams, charts and pictures.’  

The Golden Rule: When in doubt, always cite. ‘Collusion occurs when, unless with official approval (e.g. in the case of group projects), two or more students consciously collaborate in the preparation and production of work which is ultimately submitted by each in an identical, or substantially similar, form and/or is represented by each to be the product of his or her individual efforts. Collusion also occurs where there is unauthorised co-operation between a student and another person in the preparation and production of work which is presented as the student’s own.’  

Students found to have committed plagiarism or to have colluded in preparing assessments are liable to be severely penalised, e.g. they may be given a mark of zero for the module concerned or, in the most serious cases, may even be required to terminate their studies.   You should ensure that you do not write or present an assignment or case study on an area that you have written on as part of this or any other module. Any work previously presented as part of coursework or examinations may be deemed invalid and awarded 0%. Please consult the module leader if you are in any doubt about this.

7.1.Notes on assignment submission

If ill health or other unforeseeable circumstances seem likely to prevent you from completing assessed work on time, you can request an extension from the School of the Arts Teaching and Learning Coordinator (details here: www.liv.ac.uk/arts/sscarts.htm). Extensions are only granted for good cause, for which you must produce evidence (e.g., a note from your GP if you are ill). Work handed in late will be penalised according to normal conventions as set out in Section 6 of the Code of Practice on Assessment: http://www.liv.ac.uk/media/livacuk/tqsd/code-of-practice-on-assessment/code_of_practice_on_assessment.pdf. At the end of this module guide you can find a table with the general criteria used for grading coursework and exams.

Please note that you should not write or present an assignment on an area that you have written on as part of any other module. Any work previously presented as part of coursework or examinations on another module will be deemed invalid and awarded 0%.  Please consult the module leader if you are in any doubt about this.

8.Feedback 

8.1.Our feedback to you

Feedback provides students with advice about their progress and development as a student. It identifies strengths, areas for development and areas for future improvement. Generally, feedback consists of a grade, summary feedback comments, a completed rubric and, at times, comments on the script. It can also be given during class or seminar, within office hours or one-to-one meetings, or via email.

Feedback on coursework is provided within three weeks of submission. If, due to exceptional unforeseen circumstances, feedback cannot be provided within three weeks, students will be informed of the revised date. Feedback will be provided on canvas/Turnitin when submitted electronically via canvas/Turnitin).

The School of the Arts has many procedures in place to ensure that work submitted for assessment is marked fairly. These procedures include anonymous marking, assessment criteria, double marking, moderation, external moderation, ratification. There is no facility to appeal against feedback. Under certain circumstances, a student may appeal against a provisional or confirmed module mark (or assessment mark in non-modular programmes) which has been determined by the Board of Examiners. Students may not appeal on any grounds which dispute the academic judgement of the Board of Examiners, including dissatisfaction with the mark or a decision that has been taken. Further information is available at: University of Liverpool/student-administration/student-administration-centre/policies-procedures/appeals/ 

8.2.Your feedback to us

Each year students are provided with the opportunity to give feedback on their experience of their modules at the end of each semester. If you wish to report concerns about a module during the course of the module, you can speak to the module lead, your academic advisor or the Staff-Student Liaison Committee. For further information on assessment and feedback please visit:
–Code of Practice on Assessment - Appendix N (Policy on Feedback on Assessment) University of Liverpool/media/livacuk/tqsd/code-of-practice-on-assessment/appendix_N_cop_assess.pdf.
–Feedback Policy - University of Liverpool/intranet/school-of-the-arts/support/feedback/

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