Critical Investigation Into a Selected Digital Culture Issue

School of Arts and Social Sciences

About this example

As a group, conduct a critical investigation into a selected digital culture issue (e.g., identity formation on social media, online activism, algorithmic bias, digital surveillance, or global memes).

Topics to consider are as follows: Identity formation on social media; Online activism; Algorithmic bias; Digital surveillance; Global memes; or another instructor-approved digital culture issue.

Your investigation should include:

A research-informed analysis of the issue
Cross-cultural perspectives
Application of relevant cultural theories
A 10-minute group presentation of findings
A short written group summary (800 - 1000 words)

Learning outcomes:

Critically discuss the key debates and issues on digital media practices in the everyday context.
Effectively collaborate in groups to deliver presentations on issues and debates in digital cultures.

The assessment design addresses the need for students to critically engage with the digital environments they inhabit. It positions social media and digital tools as subjects of analysis, examining their influence on identity, communication, and society. The group format facilitates collective interpretation of complex issues, while guided use of AI introduces diverse perspectives without displacing individual judgment. The design aims to develop critical digital literacy, ethical awareness, and the application of cultural theory to contemporary digital contexts.
1. Introduce students to effective and ineffective AI prompts, and model how to evaluate AI-generated outputs for accuracy, clarity, and bias.
2. Guide students in selecting a digital culture issue and planning research that combines traditional sources with AI-assisted exploration.
3. Provide structured checkpoints with brief formative feedback to support student-led analysis and responsible use of AI tools.
- Students may develop stronger critical digital literacy and increased confidence in analysing cultural issues beyond personal opinion.
- Presentations could demonstrate clearer application of cultural theory to contemporary digital phenomena, while written summaries may show improved synthesis of ideas across multiple sources.
- Students may become more discerning in their use of AI tools - questioning accuracy, comparing perspectives, and making more intentional decisions about when and how to rely on AI during research.

Try it out

This design requires a medium level of effort to implement.

1. Other educators can adapt this assessment to any unit that examines contemporary issues, cultural practices, media behaviours, or technology’s social impact.
2. The format works well for fostering collaborative inquiry and integrating AI as a structured research support rather than a writing tool.
3. Educators may swap in discipline-specific topics, vary the depth of theory required, or scale the task for small or large cohorts.
4. It is particularly useful for encouraging students to move from surface description to deeper analytical commentary.
- It may be helpful to consider how the two components, i.e., the presentation and the written summary, work together to demonstrate learning.
- Some educators choose to include simple probing questions after the presentation to better understand each group’s reasoning, while others rely fully on the written piece for deeper evidence of understanding.
- In addition, the weightage between the presentation and written tasks need to be carefully worked out, along with clear, balanced rubrics.
- It can also be useful to provide a short in-class activity where students practise evaluating AI-generated summaries before beginning the assessment.
- This helps set shared expectations around accuracy, verification, and ethical use, while still giving educators the flexibility to adapt the activity to their own teaching style and context.
Verbal explanation
- Students explain how they interpreted the digital culture issue, justify their analytical choices, and clarify how they applied cultural theories during the presentation.

Supporting resources

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Class size: Any	Condition: Group
Typology: Project	AI statement: Guided use
AI approach: Locating societal impact and ethical contexts	Visibility of Learning: Verbal explanation

Education Excellence