Digital Journalism

Digital Journalism

6B03201

The program is designed to implement the principles of democratic education management, expanding the boundaries of academic freedom and authority of educational institutions, which will ensure the training of elite, highly motivated staff for innovative and knowledge-intensive industries.

The educational program ensures an individual approach to students and ensures the transformation of professional competencies from professional standards and qualification standards into learning outcomes. Student-centered training is provided – the principle of education, which implies a shift of emphasis in the educational process from teaching (as the main role of the teaching staff in the “translation” of knowledge) to teaching (as the active educational activity of the student).

Career opportunities

– Correspondent, special media correspondent;

– Department editor, media editor;

– Site moderator / SMM administrator;

– Content producer / copywriter;

– Journalist-analyst;

– Editor, chief editor of electronic and digital media;

– Leading journalist of news channels in the Internet space.

The goal of the EP

The goal is to train a digital media specialist with the skills to work with digital mobile technologies of information collection, processing and transmission, who is able to create multimedia content for media, who has innovative journalistic practices that are in demand in the modern labor market. This is a unique journalism education program designed to provide professional experience and academic training to help students succeed as journalists in any environment.

Objectives of the EP

Development and production of video and audio, social media analytics, investigative and critical news analysis skills;
Applying IT knowledge to develop skills and abilities in working with computer programs and mobile applications;
Application of modern digital technologies to work with open databases and create high-quality content for digital media - Internet publications, blogs, TV channels, radio channels, news agencies.
Solving standard tasks of professional activity with the use of information and communication technologies and taking into account the basic requirements of information security;
Understanding the specifics of working in a multimedia environment, mastering the methods and technologies of media product preparation in different sign systems (verbal, audio, video, graphics, animation).

6B03 Social sciences, journalism and information

Education code and classification

B042 Journalism and reporting

Education Programs Group

6B032 - Journalism and information

Code and classification of training directions

Requirements for evaluating the learning outcomes of the educational program

A student, after mastering the entire educational program, must be able to fulfill the following points:

Formulate and solve problems arising in the course of production activities that require in-depth professional knowledge.
To formulate the problem, both mathematical approaches and computer tools can be used;
Choose the necessary approaches and methods for analyzing problems, as well as modify existing ones and develop new ones, depending on the tasks of a particular case;
To apply in the process of training psychological methods and means of increasing the effectiveness and quality of training;
Proficient in a foreign (English) language, allowing students to conduct research at a high-quality level and to teach special disciplines in universities;
To model and design complex systems using mathematical and computer models and methods;
Apply quantitative and qualitative methods and techniques for collecting primary information for research, as well as developing effective solutions to problems;
Analyze and design software tools for data analysis, as well as the algorithms, models and methods required for developing software systems, effective data analysis and extracting knowledge from data;
Manage a team of developers in the process of developing software systems, as well as models and methods of data analysis;
Choose standards, methods, technologies, tools and technical means for carrying out work on further maintenance of software systems;
Apply methods of design and development of software systems to solve a wide class of applied problems in various fields, including interdisciplinary industries;
Program and test various solutions (models, methods), take part in the creation and management of systems at all stages of the life cycle of system development.
Create relational and non-relational databases for the effective storage and management of data in various large organizations, government agencies and other companies.
Create analysis models for structured, semi-structured and partially unstructured data.
To analyze the complexity of calculations and the possibility of parallelization (optimization) of the developed algorithms and programs.
Assess the main parameters of the resulting parallel programs, such as numerical indicators of the required computing resources, acceleration, efficiency and scalability.

The list of competencies and the results of the educational program

The list of competencies of the educational program

GC1. Ability to understand the driving forces and regularities of the historical process, a person’s place in the historical process and ability to understand philosophy as a methodology of human activity, readiness for self-knowledge, self-activity, mastering cultural wealth as a factor of harmonization of personal and interpersonal relations.
GC 2. Ability to form and develop skills and competences in the field of organization, planning and production management, ability to apply the acquired knowledge for understanding of environmental reality, ability to generalize, analyze, predict when setting goals in the professional sphere and choose the ways of their achievement with the use of scientific methodology of research
GC 3. Ability for written and oral communication in the state language and language of international communication, ability to use foreign sources of information, possess communication skills, public speaking, argumentation, debate and polemics in a foreign language
GC 4. Ability to be competent at a choice of methods of ICT and mathematical modelling for the decision of concrete problems in the field of the media industry, ability to be ready to reveal naturally scientific essence of problems arising in the course of professional activity, and ability to involve for its decision the corresponding mathematical apparatus
PC1. Ability to find organizational and managerial decisions in non-standard conditions and in conditions of different opinions and readiness to bear responsibility for them, ability to systematize knowledge about world and Kazakhstan legislation in the field of mass media.
PC2. Ability to use programming languages and tools for development of safe software, ability to find coding errors in information and computer system under development, ability to create, test, debug and execute programs in different programming languages.
PC3. Ability to apply the theory and methods of mathematics for construction of qualitative and quantitative models of objects and processes in natural science sphere of activity, ability to choose and apply the suitable equipment, tools and methods of researches for the decision of problems in the chosen subject area, ability to adjust and adjust hardware-software complexes, ability to interface hardware and software as a part of information and automated systems
PC4. Ability to apply theory and principles of designing, the organization and administration of operating systems, ability to establish, debug software and to adjust means for commissioning of information systems, ability to support working capacity of information systems and technologies in the set functional characteristics and conformity to quality criteria
PC 5. Ability to design the distributed information systems, their components and protocols of their interaction, ability to administer local and remote network resources, ability to use methods and means of search and elimination of problems in networks
PC 6. Ability to form and develop skills and competences in digital journalism and digital environment, functioning of multimedia editorial office, as well as to apply the terms “open data”, with the field of application of “big data” in different spheres of economy, science and communications.
PC 7. Ability to use in practice the features of “data journalism”, features of data application in analytical and investigative journalism, the specifics and tools of data visualization, as well as views on the process of working in the digital creative industries (collection, analysis, structuring, packaging of information to produce journalism materials for different media platforms.
PC 8. Ability to use the methodology of development of measures for protection of confidential information, ability to execute technical tasks in accordance with the requirements of state, industry and corporate standards, to comply with the norms of work performance time, ability to prepare materials for presentation to the customer, ability to use modern information and communication technologies in the subject activity, ability to possess methods of project management and their implementation using modern information technologies.
PC 9. Ability to analyze and identify the necessary knowledge to participate in projects to analyze large data, including information about the life cycle phases of large data analytics processes in the transition of business to the use of Big Data.

Learning Outcomes

LR 1. Explain and understand the legal framework of the Republic of Kazakhstan and other countries, as well as standardization and certification procedures in the field of information security and media sphere.
LR 2. Apply practical programming skills and explain the general methodological basis of program development, create system programs for device drivers, modules of joints with non-standard equipment and program microcontrollers.
LR 3. Demonstrate knowledge of the theory and practice of journalism, modern media technologies, including in a foreign language.
LR 4. Have the ability to use digital storytelling tools (writing texts and scripts, photography, video filming, editing and processing sound, photo and video) to connect with the audience on various platforms
LR 5. Possess media management skills, be able to analyze the media audience, predict its behavior, expectations, trends, engagement tools.
LR 6. Develop secure server-based web-based client applications and mobile applications.
LR 7. Apply domestic and foreign information security standards in organizations.
LR 8. To develop a policy of information safety of the enterprise, to apply tool means of management of projects at various stages of life cycle of the project, to make a qualitative and quantitative estimation of risks of projects, to define efficiency of the project.
LR 9. To apply in practice features of “data journalism”, features of data application in analytical and investigative journalism, specificity and tools of data visualization.
LR 10 Analyze and develop skills and competencies for collecting, processing, fact-checking, disseminating information to achieve the goals of digital journalism.
LR 11. Apply technical means and software services of network security to ensure continuity of business process.
LR 12. Be proficient in content transformation using convergent and multimedia technologies.

Assessment of learning outcomes

№	Exam form	Recommended ratio, %
1	Computer testing	20
2	Written	10
3	Oral	5
4	Project	30
5	Practical	30
6	Comprehensive	5

Course Curriculum

The cycle of general education disciplines

Mandatory component

GC1Modern history of Kazakhstan

The course deals with the modern history of Kazakhstan as part of the history of mankind, the history of Eurasia and Central Asia. The modern history of Kazakhstan is the period in which the integral study of historical events, phenomena, facts, processes, revealing of historical regularities, which took place on the territory of the Great Steppe in the XX century and till nowadays, is conducted.

GC1Philosophy

The object of study of the discipline is philosophy as a special form of spiritual activities in its cultural-historical development and modern sound. The main directions and problems of world and domestic philosophy are studied. Philosophy is a special form of cognition of the world that creates a system of cognition of general principles and foundations of human life, of essential characteristics of human attitude to nature, society and spiritual life, in all its main direction.

GC3Foreign Language (English)

The course includes an intensive English language program focusing on grammar and conversation skills. The course includes topics reflecting the latest developments in information technology, and a vocabulary that makes them directly relevant to students’ needs.

GC3Kazakh (Russian) language

The course occupies a special place in the bachelor’s system with engineering education. For technical university students, studying the professional Kazakh/Russian language is not only a means of improving the skills and abilities acquired at school, but also a means of mastering a future profession.

GC4Information and Communication Technologies (in English)

The course considers information and communication technologies as modern methods and means of communication between people in ordinary and professional activities with the help of information technologies for searching, collecting, storing, processing and disseminating information.

GC1Module of social-political education: Political science

The course focuses on general political knowledge for ICT professions. It includes political consciousness, improving one’s political outlook and communicative competences. Teaching political knowledge is communicative, interactive, student-centric, results-oriented and highly dependent on students’ own work.

GC1Module of social-political education: Sociology

The course includes knowledge of sociological subject areas, research methods and directions. The course will discuss in detail the main sociological theories and the most effective ways to obtain in-depth knowledge about various aspects of our modern society. The special importance of this course for students is to develop sociological imagination, to understand the basic concepts of sociology as a science.

GC1Module of social-political education: Psychology

This course presents the issues of psychology in a broad educational and social context. The knowledge, skills and abilities gained and formed as a result of learning the content of the course give students the opportunity to apply them in practice, in various spheres of life: personal, family, professional, business, social, in work with people – representatives of different social groups and age categories.

GC1Module of social-political education: Cultural studies

The course will help to become a basis for the study of the whole complex of social and human sciences, as well as a supplement to the general courses on history and philosophy. The course includes such topics as morphology, semiotics, anatomy of culture; culture of nomads of Kazakhstan, cultural heritage of prototurks, medieval culture of Central Asia, formation of Kazakh culture, Kazakh culture in the context of globalization, cultural policy of Kazakhstan, etc.

Physical Culture

The course is devoted to formation of physical culture of the personality and ability of directed use of various means of physical culture for preservation and strengthening of health.

The cycle of general education disciplines

Component of choice

PC3, PC4, PC8Enterpreneurship

Within the framework of the academic discipline, the student studies the essence of entrepreneurial activity on the basis of the current legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The course will demonstrate the role and place of small enterprises in the modern conditions of the functioning of the economy of the state and society. The discipline will allow to understand the basic principles and content of the business plan of business entities, to form thinking based on modern anti-corruption culture, organizational forms of entrepreneurial activity are explained, including taking into account sustainable development, ecology and safety of personnel.

PC3, PC4, PC8Technological Entrepreneurship

The discipline introduces students to modern concepts and tools of entrepreneurship and obtaining the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to launch their own startup, taking into account the basics of life safety. On the basis of law and anti-corruption culture, the process of obtaining a patent, the legality of ownership of technological development is being studied, taking into account the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan in the field of intellectual property. Students apply strategic analysis in the field of economics, management, communication and technological entrepreneurship.

Cycle of profiling disciplines

University component

PC4, PC5Computer Graphics& Visual Effects

This course involves familiarization with the subject area and providing skills to work directly with computer graphics, rather than studying the interfaces of well-known graphic editors. There are many concepts, programs and devices in the field of computer graphics that will be used in this course, and the basics of which will be studied in detail

PC2, PC3Convergence Technologies in Journalism

The course is devoted to the probability and statistics of any events, as well as the relationship between mathematics and programming, operating systems within the framework of an interdisciplinary training program covering the section of mathematical analysis, modern statistical methods and economic theory.

PC2, PC4Media Law and Ethics

The course introduces students to the main provisions of ethical problems, classification of ethical principles and norms arising in the activities of mass media.The course is designed to study the legal foundations of the media sphere, copyright, Kazakh and international media legislation.

PC1, PC6, PC9Research Methods and Tools

Study of methods and tools for the introduction of fundamental and applied research Brief description of the discipline: The course is designed to study the basic methods and tools required for the introduction of scientific research. The course also introduces students to the most popular searchable databases of scientific articles such as Web of Science, Scopus, ScienceDirect and others. During the course, students will become familiar with the tools for quoting and finding the required scientific information. Summary of the main sections: methods of empirical research (observation, comparison, measurement, experiment); methods of theoretical research (abstraction, analysis and synthesis, idealization, induction and deduction, mental modeling, ascent from the abstract to the concrete, etc.). Learning outcomes: Mastering the skills and competencies required for the formation of a highly qualified specialist in accordance with the purpose and content of the course.

PC3, PC4Basics of Sound Recording and Editing for Podcasting

The course is designed for students to independently work on an audio product in accordance with the full cycle of its production: writing scripts, directing, shooting and editing audio. The aim of the course is to develop knowledge and skills in the use of digital media and technologies, production and producing of audio content

PC2, PC9Producing and Media Management

The main task of the course is to prepare students for the adoption of creative and rational management decisions in the conditions of the daily activities of media enterprise managers, the effective use of budget resources, effective work with creative and technical personnel.

PC3, PC4Live Broadcasting& Streaming in Digital Media

The course involves the acquisition by students of the skills of working on the air, creating live broadcasts. As part of the course, students practice in the application of broadcasting technologies, the principles and techniques of journalists during a live broadcast.

PC7, PC8Photo Journalism and Basics of Design

The course provides an opportunity to get a coherent system of knowledge that has a universal character, which is needed by every photographer without exception. And also contributes to the acquisition of versatile experience by creating hundreds of training shots taken both in the studio and in the “field” conditions. Including on the street and in an urban environment.

PC 8Working practice (2, 3 course)

The course is dedicated to the study of information security technologies.

PC 8Pre-diploma practice

The course presents collection and analysis of materials for writing a diploma project.

Cycle of profiling disciplines

Optional Component

PC4, PC5Multimedia Journalism

The course introduces students to the basic concepts that characterize multimedia journalism. As part of the study of this normative subject, students should also master the skills of orientation in the current information landscape, the ability to understand and direct the movement of information flows, the skills of adapting to a rapidly changing communication environment.

PC1, PC7Mastering Design Thinking

The course involves mastering design thinking – a human-centered design process that approaches problem solving with an understanding of the user””s needs. Design thinking includes concept development, applied creativity, prototyping and experimentation.

Cycle of basic disciplines

University component

PC2, PC4Linear algebra

The course forms a basic knowledge of the mathematical apparatus, and the logic of solving problems necessary for further development of technical subjects. Topics covered include: Matrix theory, systems of linear equations, vectorspace theory, and elements of analytic geometry.

PC2, PC3Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is a set of competencies required to obtain, understand, evaluate, adapt, generate, store and present information used for problem analysis and decision making. The course will allow students to have the following basic skills: critical thinking, the ability to analyze information and use it for self-expression and the ability to create information

PC3Academic writing

The aim of the course is to teach academic language norms. The course aims to develop academic writing skills using professional vocabulary and terminology. The course content includes topics reflecting the latest developments in information technology and data science.

PC3Introduction to Python

The course introduces students to fundamental programming concepts, including data structures, application network programming interfaces and databases, using the Python programming language.

PC2, PC3Machine learning

The course goal is to acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence in general and in particular in the creating of algorithms capable of learning. The course examines the basic machine learning algorithms, various approaches and technologies for data analysis, their qualities, features and impact in various fields of science and technology. As an outcome of mastering the course, students will be able to apply machine learning methods to visualize their data, build graphs, and present the results qualitatively.

PC1, PC2Professional english

The course includes an intensive program of learning English related to professional activities. The course includes topics that reflect the latest advances in information technology, and a terminological dictionary makes them directly relevant to the needs of students.

PC3Introduction to Data Analytics

The course involves learning the basic principles of data analysis without being tied to the programming language and data analysis. The emphasis on this course is to study (repeat) the mathematics required for data analytics.

PC3, PC4Introduction to Digital Journalism

The course will allow students to master digital tools, create multimedia content and promote it on various information platforms and maintain channels on social networks. Understand and analyze the results of web analytics to promote digital content. Work with special programs and services for monitoring, collecting and processing large amounts of data.

PC3Probability and Statistics

The course teaches the study of patterns of random phenomena and their properties, and use them for data analysis. As a result of studying this discipline, students will know the basic concepts of probability theory and mathematical statistics and their properties and be able to use probabilistic models for solving problems, work with random variables, calculate sample characteristics, evaluate the reliability of statistical data.

PC3Data Journalism

This course covers the the basic theory of data journalism and how to tell the data-driven stories using bid datasets.

PC3, PC4, PC5Cinematography and Video editing

Students will get acquainted with the basics of camerawork, techniques and technologies of film and video shooting, the main tools of video editing. As part of the practical part of the training, students will work on creating their own videos, applying all the knowledge they have gained in practice

PC3, PC5Foundations of Journalism

The course will introduce the main stages of the emergence, formation and development of journalism in the context of the public demand of a particular historical era, give an idea of the various media channels, the functions of journalism, its genre structure, sources of information, develop skills for obtaining, analyzing and processing information. The purpose of mastering the discipline is to give a general idea of the journalistic profession, its specifics as an information activity and a significant social institution, to show the mechanisms of its functioning in modern society, to form competencies that provide the skills to create various types of media texts.

PC3Fundamentals of Storytelling I: Writing and technology for Journalists

This course introduces students to basic writing tools and new technologies for journalists. During the learning process, students should familiarize themselves with and be able to write a text, conduct interviews, learn how storytelling can be an invaluable asset in their professional and creative skills. The course introduces students to the structure of a narrative journalistic story, characterizes the stages and models of organizing a journalistic text using storytelling.

PC2, PC8Database Management Systems

The course is aimed at developing skills in managing modern database management systems. The subject of the discipline is the principles of building information and control systems based on database technologies, the basics of relational databases and the use of the SQL language, the organization of interfaces for working with databases and interaction with functional block system.

PC1, PC3Television journalism

The course is aimed at training journalists of various television specializations in television companies of any level and on any technological platform. As a result of mastering the educational material, students receive the necessary competencies in the field of history and theory of television, modern trends in the development of television, genre structure, expressive means of television, create and edit television materials, work in a team (crew), master the audiovisual language of television; production of screen works of various kinds.

PC1, PC3, PC9WEB Technologies 1 (Front End)

The academic discipline is aimed at developing the skills of using programming languages (front end and back end) for the development of functional websites. The subject of the discipline is the principles of interaction with a database for the development of a secure server web application.

PC4Educational practice

The course is designed to study the basics of information security

Cycle of basic disciplines

Optional Component

PC1 Introduction to programming (Python)

The course is designed to learn the basics of programming, debugging and implementing programs in the Python language. An informal definition of the concept of an algorithm, variables, primitive and complex data types of the Python language (lists, sets, etc.), iterative constructions, branching in the code, working with vectors and matrices, working with files and functions in Python are considered.

PC3, PC4Introduction to Programming (C++)

The course is designed to learn the basics of programming and build algorithms in the C ++ programming language.

PC3Web Design

The course introduces the basic concepts of web design and coding (information characteristics of discrete and continuous message sources and the basic principles of storing information and transmitting information messages over communication channels). Also, within the framework of the course, students will master the skills of solving practical problems related to the calculation of the information characteristics of message sources, the transformation and transmission of information

PC3, PC4Business journalism

The course is intended to prepare students who have the skills to work with information of a financial and economic nature, who are familiar with the methods of economic data analysis, and who are able to prepare business-related materials for different types of mass media. Journalists, who write about business and finance, are one of the most sought-after and scarce professions in the mass media market.

PC2, PC3, PC4History of Journalism

The course examines the history of the press as an industry at different stages of its formation and development, the history of the journalistic profession, and various publications. Trends and patterns of the historical development of journalism are also considered. In addition, the history of Kazakh journalism and journalism is studied separately

PC3, PC4Innovation Lab

The course is designed for students to complete a project after the first year of study, a ready-made minimum product that they can present at various competitions (hackathons). The course does not imply the presence of a lecture, and all classes will be practice-oriented, with the maximum emphasis on obtaining the results of the finished product. During the course, students must apply all the knowledge gained in the first year, including knowledge of developing ready-made applications. A great emphasis on this course is given to the quality business component of the minimum product.

PC1, PC2, PC4Coding Lab

The course is designed to solve programming problems of increased complexity using the approach of the international Olympian programming system ACM. The course does not include lectures. All classes are practice-oriented, and are aimed at strengthening the skills of solving algorithmic problems.

PC2, PC3International Journalism

The course provides for the study of the history and current state of international journalism, determining its place in the media system, consideration of topical issues of international journalism: information processes, foreign policy propaganda, technologies of political analysis, modern broadcasting, Convergent Journalism.

PC3, PC4, PC5, PC8Mobile Journalism

The course is about storytelling in new media, where journalists use portable electronic devices with network connectivity to collect, edit and distribute news from their community. As part of the course, students will be able to learn how to tell stories using devices and technologies.

PC6, PC7,Object-Oriented Programming (Python)

The course is designed to study object-oriented modeling and programming in the Python language. Students will study the principles of object-oriented modeling and will have the opportunity to compare the differences between a class and a function (passed on Introduction to Programming (Python)) in practice, get the conceptual apparatus of object-oriented programming (polymorphism, encapsulation, inheritance, constructor, etc.), will form an understanding of the principle of code reuse in programming.

PC6, PC7Object oriented programming Java

The course is designed to study object-oriented modeling and programming in the Java language. Students will study the principles of object-oriented modeling, the basics of the Java language (syntax, program structure, packages, classes, interfaces, etc.), get the conceptual apparatus of object-oriented programming (polymorphism, encapsulation, inheritance, constructor, etc.) , will form an understanding of the principle of code reuse in programming.

PC2, PC3Environmental journalism

This course implies continuous, broad coverage of environmental issues of both global and local significance, the state of the environment, informing about the existing or potential risk to human health and the sustainable existence of ecosystems.

Digital Journalism