ATS2324 Climate change communication
Faculty of Arts
ATS2324 Climate change communication is a level 2, 6-credit-point, undergraduate unit from the Faculty of Arts, offered in 2026 in Semester 1 at Caulfield. It has no prerequisites.
- Credit points
- 6
- Offered in 2026
- Semester 1
- Caulfield
- Assessment
- No exam
- 4 tasks
- Workload
- 144 hours
- per semester
This is the 2026 handbook entry. See the 2027 entry.
Reviews
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Requisites
Before ATS2324
No prerequisites or corequisites besides the enrolment rules below.
After ATS2324
No unit lists ATS2324 as a prerequisite in the 2026 handbook.
Enrolment rules
Overview
In this unit, you will examine the intersection of science, politics and media relating to climate change, using the Australian context as a case study. You will consider six barriers to the successful communication of climate change: the nature of climate change itself; the nature of scientific cultures; the denialist industry around the world; the characteristics of social media, mass media, and generative AI; audience attitudes, behaviours and issues of justice; and the roles of imagery and imagination. You will develop the skills to effectively communicate about climate change for diverse audiences using appropriate tools and strategies.
Offerings in 2026
| Teaching period | Campus | Mode |
|---|---|---|
| First semester | Caulfield | On campus |
Assessment
- Online quizQuiz / Test15%
- Oral presentationPresentation20%
- Design project planWritten25%
- Digital contentArtefact40%
Assessment details may change. Please refer to the assessment information in Moodle closer to the start of the teaching period.
Learning outcomes
When you finish this unit, you should be able to:
- 1
discuss the climate change communication problem and the roles of diverse media in both the problem and solutions;
- 2
explain the challenges faced by scientists and other communicators when presenting climate science and solutions;
- 3
critically analyse aspects of human beliefs and behaviour associated with climate change and how they relate to climate change communication;
- 4
critically evaluate the political context of climate change in Australia and internationally (including issues of justice) and their impact on climate change communication and action;
- 5
responsibly communicate climate change and related issues to a broad range of audiences using appropriate tools and strategies.
Workload and teaching
- Lectures12 hours
- Tutorials24 hours
- Teaching approachActive learning
Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.
Where it fits
ATS2324 is part of 10 areas of study in the 2026 handbook.
- COMMUNIC05Level 2 cornerstone unitsCommunications and media studiesNo reviews yet
- COMMUNIC06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsCommunications and media studiesNo reviews yet
- HUMNGEOG06Level 2 and 3 elective unitsHuman geographyNo reviews yet
- HUMNGEOG09Level 2 and 3 elective unitsHuman geographyNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM08Journalism elective unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM12Level 2 and 3 unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- JOURNLSM13Level 2 and 3 elective unitsJournalismNo reviews yet
- LDRSUSTN03Part B. Specialisation preparatory studiesLeadership for sustainable developmentNo reviews yet
- MEDIA02Level 2 cornerstone unitsMediaNo reviews yet
- PUBLREL01Public relations elective unitsPublic relationsNo reviews yet
Contacts
- Chief Examiners
- Dr Lucy Richardson
- Unit Coordinators
- Dr Lucy Richardson
Common questions
What are the prerequisites for ATS2324?
ATS2324 has no prerequisites, but enrolment rules apply.
When is ATS2324 offered?
In 2026, ATS2324 runs in Semester 1 at Caulfield.
How much work is ATS2324?
The handbook expects about 144 hours of study across the semester. No students have rated its difficulty yet.
Does ATS2324 have an exam?
No. ATS2324 has 4 assessment tasks and no exam.
Which majors and minors include ATS2324?
ATS2324 is part of Communications and media studies; Human geography; Journalism; Leadership for sustainable development; and Media, and 1 other area of study.