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65 ECTS MASTER'S PROGRAMME
Digital technologies enable every individual to become a producer of messages and to distribute information on a small scale. The multiple virtual environments — increasingly ubiquitous and accessible to a growing number of people — open unforeseen possibilities for citizens to organise networks, as well as to produce and disseminate messages across different languages and media formats.
Interaction within these spaces is enabling collectives of citizens to carry out diverse actions that transcend spatial and temporal constraints. Among other objectives, these actions in virtual spaces aim at democratising communications. However, as numerous researchers have rightly noted: "The struggle for the democratisation of communication is not, and will not be, straightforward. The power acquired by the large corporations that dominate this field is enormous, both in terms of resources and in relation to their capacity to grant or withhold public visibility according to their own interests — a matter that becomes crucial for those who act, or wish to act, within the spheres of political decision-making. It would be naïve to expect change to emerge from within the system itself: what remains is to commit to a broad citizens' mobilisation in order to alter the course of events."
A parallel situation is observed in the field of education, where various economic, media, financial, corporate, and educational actors have come to treat education as a consumer product, thereby transforming students into clients of educational institutions.
The introduction of a new technology does not necessarily entail its association with a new conception of teaching; on the contrary, new technologies are frequently employed to implement longstanding pedagogical approaches. Education for communication therefore requires frameworks and proposals of a fundamentally different nature.
This Master's Programme in Communication and Education in the Network investigates the relationships between these two fields of knowledge — communication and education — from a reflective and critical perspective. Among the programme's core concerns is the critical analysis of prevailing communicative and educational models, which continue to be largely grounded in the functionalist and industrial theories that emerged in the nineteenth century and were further consolidated throughout the twentieth. It is a central aim of this programme to offer an innovative perspective that moves beyond such models, and to advocate for methodologies appropriate to the sociotechnical context of the twenty-first century in the fields of education and communication. These models must be grounded in dimensions that will prove essential in the coming decades, including the pedagogy of uncertainty and chaos, critical pedagogies, a renewed understanding of theories and practices in e-learning, media convergence and interactive digital narrative, transmedia production, gamification in education and media, free and open-source software, critical interface analysis, computational thinking and code literacy, data analysis, and emerging currents in cyberculture and digital art.
We have the opportunity to make media a subject of instruction that bridges the longstanding divide between school and society. There is considerable public demand for this to occur, and that demand legitimises the development of curricula addressing media, communication, and education.
Note: Given its credit load, this master's programme requires a minimum of 18 months (three semesters) for completion.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE 1. To understand how Networked Communication has emerged, its structure, and its influence on individual and group behaviour in relation to communication and education.
Specific objectives:
- To establish a critical discussion of what is referred to as the Knowledge Society.
- To analyse the components of socialisation and knowledge sharing within the Network.
- To examine the projection of the Knowledge Society across the domains of the market, society, and the media.
- To identify the key principles underlying network-based social organisation.
- To analyse social and economic realities in relation to digital technologies.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE 2. To understand the communication models present within the Network, their languages, and their media.
Specific objectives:
- To analyse communicative processes within the Network.
- To critically assess the genesis and development of multimedia and transmedia languages.
- To define the principal characteristics of interactive digital narrative.
- To analyse the governing principles of digital storytelling and to apply them to both its analysis and production.
- To design a communicative model grounded in Media Convergence.
- To critically evaluate multimedia and transmedia languages as codes for understanding and expressing a reality constructed and mediated by ideological, technological, and economic interests.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE 3. To analyse the principal models of knowledge management within the Network.
Specific objectives:
- To describe the main knowledge management models based on learning networks.
- To understand the operational principles of communities of practice and their transference to social networks.
- To analyse the theoretical foundations of education and communication under conditions of uncertainty and chaos.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE 4. To understand the significance of media education (educomunicación) as a framework for educational and communicative processes within the Network.
Specific objectives:
- To assess the importance of integrating media education into the Knowledge Society.
- To describe the different models of educational communication developing within the Network.
- To articulate the theoretical foundations underpinning the teaching-learning process in virtual contexts.
- To address the literacy challenges of the twenty-first century from a critical digital pedagogy perspective.
GENERAL OBJECTIVE 5. To understand the phenomenon of transformation and the implementation of critical pedagogies within the context of neoliberal and informational society.
Specific objectives:
- To understand the connections between cognitive capitalism and education.
- To analyse the genuine educational possibilities afforded by the Network in achieving meaningful influence for online civic discourse.
- To examine the learning processes generated within popular culture.
- To understand the ways in which critical pedagogies can be enacted within non-formal spaces.
- To engage in critical reflection on the design of interactive digital interfaces and their underlying objectives.
COMPETENCIES
GENERAL COMPETENCIES
- CG01 – Capacity for analysis and synthesis.
- CG02 – Capacity for organisation and planning.
- CG03 – Computing knowledge relevant to the field of study.
- CG04 – Skills for analysing and retrieving information from diverse sources.
- CG05 – Problem-solving capacity.
- CG06 – Decision-making capacity.
- CG07 – Capacity to work within multidisciplinary teams and in diverse, multicultural environments. Critical and self-critical thinking. Ethical commitment in professional practice.
- CG08 – Capacity for autonomous learning, adaptability to new situations, creativity, leadership, initiative and entrepreneurial spirit, commitment to quality, and sensitivity towards social issues.
SPECIFIC COMPETENCIES
- CE01 – To acquire competencies relating to the critical reading of information disseminated through different media.
- CE02 – To be able to identify mechanisms of persuasion and manipulation present in audiovisual information and to develop strategies for critical self-defence.
- CE03 – To conduct fieldwork applying ethnographic techniques to the study of virtual space.
- CE04 – To design and implement programmes promoting the culture and philosophy of communicational networks within the community, institutional, and organisational work of public administration and social movements.
- CE05 – To be able to design communicative and educational models in cyberspace.
- CE06 – To be able to employ the new languages of the knowledge society in order to design and develop digital narratives.
- CE07 – To be able to communicate across different languages in order to develop media education strategies within the Network.
- CE08 – To design and develop training programmes aimed at local development agents in the use, planning, and application of communication policies for development.
- CE09 – To design methodological processes conducive to the generation of networked knowledge.
- CE10 – To implement knowledge management systems within institutions and organisations.
- CE11 – To be able to use digital tools for knowledge management.
- CE12 – To implement a media education model within an institution or organisation.
- CE13 – To be able to develop communicative and pedagogical strategies that strengthen a model of the knowledge society grounded in social justice and solidarity.
- CE14 – To design and apply systems for the assessment of skills and competencies within the Network.
- CE15 – To design and develop pedagogical practices in cyberspace drawing on collaborative and constructivist learning models.
- CE16 – To produce educational digital documents integrating images, sound, and text using a range of digital tools.
- CE17 – To devise practical initiatives for the dissemination and implementation of free and open-source software in public administrations and organisations.
The Master's Programme in Communication and Education in the Network fosters professional pathways related to technological, social, and cultural development, as well as the implications that the knowledge society carries for the fields of education, communication, digital technologies, and social networks — specifically in the areas of e-learning, media education, digital communication, security and privacy, accessibility, and free and open-source software. This programme opens professional opportunities in the fields of social education, communication, digital journalism, digital design, and all career paths associated with social media.
Furthermore, it provides an entry point into research in the areas of digital communication, e-learning, virtual ethnography, and accessibility to virtual environments. All students who successfully complete the programme will have direct access to doctoral studies.
The Master's Programme is open to graduates from the fields of education, communication, and the social sciences, as well as to holders of degrees in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Fine Arts
- Information Sciences
- Audiovisual Communication
- Early Childhood Education
- Primary Education
- Social Education
- Philology
- Computer Engineering
- Pedagogy and Educational Sciences
- Journalism
- Political Science
- Psychology
- Psychopedagogy
- Sociology
- Telecommunications
Equivalent degree denominations are accepted where applicable, as are analogous pre-Bologna undergraduate qualifications (diplomaturas and licenciaturas).
The Master's Degree in Secondary and Post-Secondary Teacher Training, Vocational Education, and Language Teaching does not in itself grant admission to this programme.
The Coordination Committee shall be responsible for resolving student admissions to this programme. In the event that the number of applications exceeds the places available, the admissions and selection process will be conducted on the basis of academic records, with particular consideration given to the overall grade point average. Priority will be accorded to applicants holding the qualifying degrees specified in the "Admission Requirements" section, with the aim of maintaining a reasonable balance among them in order to constitute a group that is diverse in terms of interests, academic background, and provenance, as determined by the Coordination Committee.
- The programme admits a minimum of 20 students per specialisation track.
- The maximum number of students admitted to each specialisation is 50.
- The total maximum intake across the programme is 100 new students per academic year.
The programme comprises two specialisations, each carrying 65 ECTS credits. Students must select a specialisation upon enrolment and may not change it at any point during the programme.
Courses common to both specialisations:
- Education and Communication in the Network (5 credits)
- Principles of the Knowledge Society (5 credits)
- Virtual Environments for Participation (5 credits)
- Social Networks and Digital Culture (5 credits)
- Research Methodology (5 credits)
Optional Tracks (one to be selected):
A. Digital Education Track — 20 credits
- Analytics of Connected Learning
- MediaLab: Digital Environments for Learning
- Pedagogy of Uncertainty
- e-Tnography
B. Digital Communication Track — 20 credits
- Communicational Activism and Citizen Media
- Digital Media Education and Digital Narrative
- MediaLab: Communication and Digital Art
- Theory and Practice of Audiovisual Information
Master's Dissertation (both tracks): 20 credits
ASSESSMENT
The programme does not include any in-person examinations.
ANNUAL CREDIT LOAD
The expected duration of the programme is one and a half academic years; it cannot be completed within a single year. To this end:
- In the first year, students must enrol in 9 courses (45 credits).
- In the second year, students who have passed all coursework or have no outstanding modules from the second semester may opt for the February Submission Round for the dissertation defence. The dissertation must be submitted in February, with the defence taking place in late March or early April. It should be noted, however, that completing a 20-credit research project within a single semester is considerably demanding. Given this workload, this submission round is particularly suited to students who have already been working on their dissertation throughout the preceding academic year.
Other enrolment configurations are also permitted, provided that a minimum of 20 credits are registered per academic year.
CREDIT DISTRIBUTION
The 65 credits are distributed as follows:
- 45 credits across 9 courses, of which 5 are common to all specialisations (5 credits each) and 4 are specific to each specialisation (5 credits each).
- 20 credits corresponding to the completion of the Master's Dissertation or Final Research Project.
STUDY REGIME
The programme may be pursued on a part-time basis, provided that a minimum of 20 credits are registered in the first academic year.
MODE OF STUDY
The programme follows the distance-learning methodology characteristic of UNED. The teaching and learning process takes place entirely within the programme's virtual platform, through which students participate in weekly webconference sessions, Academic Chats, and Virtual Classrooms with their instructors. A constructivist pedagogical approach is employed, whereby students build knowledge through collaborative work supported by digital tools such as wikis and discussion forums. No in-person sessions at the university are scheduled, with the exception of the dissertation defence, which may be conducted either in person or virtually.
CREDIT RECOGNITION
Credit recognition is granted exclusively for official postgraduate studies or for UNED's own qualification in Digital Learning and Social Networks. Credits earned within undergraduate programmes (diplomaturas, licenciaturas, or grados) will not be recognised.
In accordance with current legislation, all universities are required to submit their official degrees to a process of verification, monitoring, and accreditation.
In the case of UNED, the Council of Universities receives the programme's self-assessment report and forwards it to ANECA (the National Agency for Quality Assessment and Accreditation) for evaluation and the issuing of a Verification Report. If the report is favourable, the Council of Universities issues a Verification Resolution, and the Ministry of Education submits to the Government a proposal for the degree's official status, orders its inclusion in the Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT), and arranges its subsequent publication in the Official State Gazette (Boletín Oficial del Estado).
Official master's degrees must renew their accreditation within six years of the programme's commencement date or of the previous accreditation renewal, with the aim of verifying whether the outcomes achieved are adequate to warrant the continuation of the programme. If deemed adequate, the Council of Universities issues an Accreditation Resolution for the degree.
These resolutions and reports are held in the Registry of Universities, Centres and Degrees (RUCT).
VERIFICATION / MODIFICATION
MONITORING
ACCREDITATION
The programme does not include work placements as part of its curriculum; however, extracurricular internships may be undertaken through the UNED Internship Office.
UNED operates an Internal Quality Assurance System (Sistema de Garantía Interna de Calidad, SGIC-U) encompassing all its official undergraduate, master's, and doctoral programmes, as well as the services it provides, the design of which has been certified by ANECA.
The SGIC-U encompasses all processes necessary to ensure the quality of its academic staff, and of the resources and services available to students, including: access, admission and induction; external placements; mobility programmes; academic guidance and career integration; the monitoring and evaluation of learning outcomes; the handling of suggestions and complaints; and the suitability of support staff, among others.
Those responsible for the SGIC-U are:
- The Programme Coordination Committee
- The Faculty Quality Assurance Committee
- The Dean's Office or Directorate
- UNED's University-Wide Quality Assurance Committee
Through its Statistical Portal, UNED makes available to the entire university community both learning outcome data and satisfaction results from the various stakeholder groups involved.
SGIC PROGRAMME DOCUMENTS
PROGRAMME COORDINATION COMMITTEE
The Master's Programme Coordination Committee shall be composed of the following members:
- Chair: Programme Coordinator
- Academic Secretary
- Representative of the Dean's Office
- Student Representative*
- Academic Staff Representative*
- Tutor Representative
- Administrative and Services Staff Representative
*These representatives are elected by their respective constituencies.
This programme does not provide access to regulated professions.
