SCO103

SCO103 New Empires: The Reach and

Frontiers of the Tech Sector

Group-based Assignment 1
January 2021
SCO103 Group-based Assignment 1

GROUP-BASED ASSIGNMENT 1

This assignment is worth 50% of the final grade for SCO103 New Empires: The Reach and
Frontiers of the Tech Sector. This is a group-based assignment. You should form a group of no
more than five members from your seminar T-group.

The cut-off date for this assignment is:

TERM 1 TERM 2
T-GROUP DEADLINE T-GROUP DEADLINE
T01 10 February, 2355hrs T09 9 April, 2355hrs
T02 10 February, 2355hrs T10 9 April, 2355hrs
T03 10 February, 2355hrs T11 9 April, 2355hrs
T04 10 February, 2355hrs T12 10 April, 2355hrs
T05 3 March, 2355hrs T13 10 April, 2355hrs
T06 3 March, 2355hrs T14 30 April, 2355hrs
T07 3 March, 2355hrs T15 30 April, 2355hrs
T08 3 March, 2355hrs T16 1 May, 2355hrs
T17 1 May, 2355hrs

Note to Students:

1. GBA01 is due on the day after your third class (at 2355hrs). Please prepare and submit all
parts of GBA01 as one PDF file under the correct assignment link – GBA01.

2. Please include the following in header section or front page of all your assignments: Course
code, full names and SUSS PI number of all group members, and submission date.

3. Each group shall appoint a group leader who will submit all parts of GBA01 on behalf of
the group. Having more than one submission by different group members will affect the
similarity index and your plagiarism report.

4. You are strongly encouraged to submit the assignment before the specified deadline. After
a grace period, you will lose ten marks for each 24-hr block via the automatic grade-book
system. Please refer to the Student Handbook (section 5.2, sub-section 1.8.3) for more details.

5. The University has strict guidelines concerning plagiarism, defined in the Student Handbook
as the submission of the “work of another person as original work”, and the paraphrasing or
directly quoting “material from a source without appropriate or adequate acknowledgement.”
(Handbook section 5.2, sub-section 1.4). The University will enforce severe sanctions for
confirmed cases of plagiarism (as listed in section 5.2, sub-section 1.5 of Student Handbook).

6. GBA01 is an important part of course assessment. An individual cannot submit GBA01 on

his / her own. If proven, non-participation is subjected to penalty.

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 2 of 7

SCO103 Group-based Assignment 1

Question / Premise

You and your group members are part of an elite PR agency. The agency has just been hired
by a loose conglomerate of American and Chinese tech giants (the list includes Facebook,
Alphabet (Google), Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, Baidu, Alibaba, Tencent, Huawei and Xiaomi).
While they may be competitors, they are also seeking to improve their public profile in the
wake of societal and political pressure to break the large companies up, or to have them at least
severely regulated.

Your group’s task is to research a selected tech giant, analyse the socio-political impact of its
products and/or business approach, and decide on at least one major societal concern to address,
e.g. privacy, the impact of algorithms on our lives, fake news or employment/future of work.
(Refer to Study Unit 3 of the Study Guide for possible topics). The group will then develop
and communicate a PR strategy, using relevant digital technology tools and software, to counter
negative public perceptions and improve the company’s profile. The group’s task has three
components:

• Summary Report
• Infographic
• Class Presentation

Summary Report (30 Marks)

The summary report presents the group’s research findings in written form. The findings should
be based on a detailed evaluation of relationships, patterns and trends from available sources,
in order to inform further actions and/or generate wider insights (i.e. arrive at a better
understanding of the tech giant’s socio-political impact, identify problems arising from such
impact, and then recommend solutions to resolve consequent concerns and improve the
company’s public profile). The report must attempt the following:

• Examine and discuss the tech giant’s background, i.e. origins, and the successful apps
/ products and business approach that have made it successful and dominant.
• Determine and explain the underlying causes of the societal and political concerns
regarding the tech giant, e.g. what are some of the company’s recent and/or current
activities that could have raised concerns.
• Develop recommendation(s) to address one or several identified concerns arising from
the tech giant’s impact and to improve the tech giant’s public profile, i.e. the PR strategy
including how the infographic will be used.
• Consult a diverse range of sources, i.e. bibliography.

Assessment: Summary Report (30 Marks). The report will be assessed on its research depth
and breadth, its analysis of the tech giant’s socio-political impact, the feasibility of
recommendations to address public concerns, and overall clarity and coherence.

Parameters and Style: The report should not be more than seven pages (excluding the
bibliography) and must adhere to the following parameters: Calibri, Arial or Times New
Roman font, font size twelve, one-inch page margins, and 1.5 line spacing. Please use APA
style for your in-text citations and bibliography. You can find more information here:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/
general_format.html.

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SCO103 Group-based Assignment 1

Infographic (40 Marks)

An infographic is a visual illustration of researched information synthesised in an overarching

storyline or key message(s) for public consumption by multiple stakeholders. For this
assignment, the infographic is an integral component of the group’s proposed PR strategy, i.e.
a visual format that addresses one or several identified concerns arising from the socio-political
impact of the tech giants. The group must decide how the infographic will be presented to target
audience(s), i.e. as part of a broader PR strategy or a display ad on its own. (The group’s
strategy must be developed and included in the relevant section of the Summary Report). This
requires planning in conceptualisation and design, an appropriate balance between text and
graphics, and suitable graphics that effectively illustrate and convey the group’s primary
message(s).

Assessment: Visual Appeal (20 marks). The infographic should be visually striking and
appealing in order to attract and hold the attention of the group’s target audience(s), and then
communicate the infographic’s primary message(s) to them.

Assessment: Messaging / Public Impact (20 marks). The infographic should be developed and
illustrated in a manner that gives due consideration to how its key message(s) can be
communicated to target audience(s) with minimal explanation and for maximum public impact.

Parameters and Style: Groups are to free to imagine the style and format of the infographic,
bearing in mind the above assessments (i.e. that it must be clear and comprehensible in public
settings to target audience(s)). Below are some links that may help in the planning and design
of the infographic as well as different types of ads the infographic could be or could be part of.

• Ritchie, Josh (2020, Jul 1). What Is an Infographic? Why They’re Great & How to
Create Them. Column Five. Retrieved on Jan 9, 2021 from
https://www.columnfivemedia.com/infographic.
• Nediger, Midori (2020. Jun 25). What is an Infographic? Examples, Templates &
Design Tips. Venngage. Retrieved on Jan 9, 2021, from
https://venngage.com/blog/what-is-an-infographic/
• Goorevich, Emily (2019, Mar 21). 7 Types of Advertising (+How They're Used). G2.
Retrieved on Jan 9, 2021, from https://learn.g2.com/types-of-advertising
• Mahnoor Sheikh (2020, Feb). What is an Infographic? (Examples, Tips and Templates).
Visme. Retrieved on Jan 9, 2021, from https://visme.co/blog/what-is-an-infographic/.

Presentation (30 Marks)

The final GBA component is a five-minute presentation, where the group pitches its PR
strategy to improve the tech giant’s public profile and fields questions from the instructor.
Think of it as a slightly extended elevator pitch – some related info here:
https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/elevator-pitch.htm and here:
https://www.thebalancecareers.com/elevator-speech-examples-and-writing-tips-2061976.

The presentation must be based on the group’s research and infographic. It should inform the
class of the tech giant’s socio-political impact and socio-political concerns the group has
identified to be significant, and the solution and strategy the group proposes.

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 4 of 7

SCO103 Group-based Assignment 1

Assessment: Presentation (20 marks). One to two group members will have five minutes
(maximum) to pitch the group’s proposed PR strategy based on its research and infographic.

Assessment: Q&A / Response (10 marks). After the presentation, remaining group members
will respond to follow-up questions related to the pitch as well as the infographic and overall
research.

Canvas Discussion. For about a day after the presentation (until GBA01 submission deadline),
the group can also make use of Canvas Discussion in their respective T-group page to build on
their Q&A responses.

SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS) Page 5 of 7

 SCO103
GBA01 Rubric
The following rubric will be used to assess this assignment.
(1) Summary Report (30
Marks)
The Summary Report will be
assessed on its research depth
and breadth, its analysis of
the tech giant’s socio-
political impact, the
feasibility of
recommendations to address
public concerns, and overall
clarity and coherence.
(2) Visual Appeal (20
marks)
The infographic should be
visually striking and
appealing in order to attract
and hold the attention of the
group’s target audience(s),
and then communicate the
infographic’s primary
message(s) to them.
(3) Public Impact (20
marks)
The infographic should be
developed and designed in a
manner that gives due
consideration to how its key
message(s) can be
communicated to target
audience(s) with minimal
explanation and for
maximum public impact.
SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS)
GBA01: Summary Report (30 marks)
24-30 Marks
Summary Report addressed
all parts of the assigned
task.
Excellent effort is made to
synthesise information on
the tech giant and report
presents a good to excellent
analysis of the tech giant’s
socio-political impact.
Report clearly identifies
causes for one or several
societal concern(s)
regarding tech giant’s
activities and
recommended solution /
strategy is
original/innovative and
feasible.
The report is well-written
and organised in a coherent
fashion. It is based on a
diverse and relevant range
of sources, properly cited
and kept within assigned
parameters.
16-20 Marks
Infographic is immediately
striking / visually appealing
at first glance, and has a
good to excellent balance
of text and graphics.
Infographic’s concept and
design is strong, ranges
from good to excellent, and
has a seamless flow/layout
of text and graphics that
enhances the infographic’s
message(s).
16-20 Marks
Infographic’s message(s)
is/are accurate and crystal
clear, with minimal to no
explanation needed.
Infographic has excellent
public appeal, i.e. can be
used in various public
spaces, demonstrates
excellent and in-depth
awareness of its target
audience, and is
sufficiently strong to
18-23 Marks
Summary Report
addressed all parts of the
assigned task.
Good effort is made to
synthesise information on
the tech giant and report
presents a fair to good
analysis of the tech giant’s
socio-political impact.
Report identifies causes
for one or several societal
concern(s) regarding tech
giant’s activities and
recommended solution /
strategy is largely feasible.
Some parts however could
need further clarification.
The report is well-written
and fairly coherent. It is
based on a good and
relevant range of sources,
and largely properly cited
and kept within assigned
parameters.
Infographic (40 marks)
12-15 Marks
Infographic is visually
appealing, and has a fair to
good balance of text and
graphics.
Infographic’s concept and
design is fairly strong or
good, i.e. has a smooth
flow/layout of text and
graphics that enhances the
infographic’s message(s).
12-15 Marks
Infographic’s message(s)
is/are overall accurate and
clear, but require some
clarification.
Infographic has good
public appeal, i.e. can be
used in various public
spaces, demonstrates good
to some awareness of its
target audience, and can
influence public opinion
but with some
Group-based Assignment 1
12-17 Marks
Summary Report addressed
some to all parts of the
assigned task.
Some to little effort made to
synthesise information on the
tech giant and report presents
a superficial analysis of the
tech giant’s socio-political
impact. Report identifies
causes for one or several
societal concern(s) regarding
tech giant’s activities and
recommended solution /
strategy is somewhat
feasible.
The report is coherent but
largely a sum of parts. It
consulted a sufficient but
limited range of sources.
Sources may not be properly
cited and/or there are
instances of chunking
(wholesale copying). Report
may not have observed stated
parameters.
8-11 Marks
Infographic meets or barely
meets expectations. It has a
decent balance of text and
graphics, but borders on
being an essay with images,
or the opposite, graphics with
little to no context.
Minimal to sufficient effort
and thought went into
conceptualising and
designing the infographic,
resulting in a decent
flow/layout of text and
graphics but needing further
clarification.
8-11 Marks
Infographic ranges from
somewhat accurate and clear,
to some inaccuracies and lack
of clarity – overall requiring
substantive clarification.
Infographic has fair to
minimal public appeal. It
demonstrates some or
superficial awareness of its
target audience, and overall
is unable to can influence
public opinion without major
0-11 Marks
Summary Report has not
addressed the assigned task
directly.
There is little to no effort
in researching and writing
the report. Information
Analysis and
recommendations are
superficial.
Report is barely
comprehensible and a sum
of different parts. There
may be instances of
plagiarism.
0-7 Marks
Infographic does not meet
expectations or
requirements.
Little to no effort and
thought went into
conceptualising and
designing the infographic,
resulting in a messy and
confused flow/layout and
message
0-7 Marks
Infographic’s message(s)
is/are unclear and
inaccurate
Infographic has little to no
public appeal and cannot
be used in public spaces at
all. It demonstrates no
awareness of what its
target audience may be.
This shows little to no
group effort in developing
the infographic and little to
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 SCO103
(4) Presentation (20 marks)
One to two group members
will have five minutes
(maximum) to pitch the
group’s proposed PR strategy
based on its research and
infographic.
(5) Q&A / Response (10
marks)
After the presentation,
remaining group members
will respond to follow-up
questions related to the pitch
as well as the infographic and
overall research.
SINGAPORE UNIVERSITY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES (SUSS)
influence public opinion.
This shows an excellent
group effort in developing
the infographic and good
knowledge of the group’s
target audience.
Presentation / Q&A (20 marks)
16-20 Marks
Presentation is engaging
and informative,
clear/coherent, organised
and well executed, and
within assignment
parameters. Excellent effort
and thought went into
preparing and delivering
the presentation, which
easily persuades others of
the group’s intended goals
8-10 Marks
Responses are excellent, on
point (i.e. addressed the
questions/comments
directly), articulate, and
able to discuss and connect
group’s work to broader
themes of the course.
Effort consistently made to
engage in and sustain an in-
depth discussion, and
hence, responses are
persuasive of the group’s
intended goals, moving the
audience towards a
common outcome.
--- END OF ASSIGNMENT ---
clarification. This shows a
good group effort in
developing the infographic
and some knowledge of
the group’s target
audience.
12-15 Marks
Presentation is fairly
engaging and informative,
clear/coherent and fairly
well organised, and kept
within assignment
parameters. Good effort
made in preparing and
delivering the
presentation, which
persuades others of the
group’s intended goals.
6-7 Marks
Responses are good,
mostly on point (i.e.
addressed the
questions/comments
directly), mostly articulate,
thoughtful and insightful.
Effort made to engage in
and sustain an in-depth
discussion, and hence,
responses are mostly
persuasive (with some
clarification) of the
group’s intended goals,
moving the audience
towards a common
outcome.
Group-based Assignment 1
revisions. This shows
minimal to superficial group
effort in developing the
infographic and superficial
knowledge of the group’s
target audience.
8-11 Marks
Presentation can be more
engaging. Certain parts of
presentation are less
clear/coherent, and
presentation can be more
organised. Minimal to
superficial effort made in
preparing and delivering the
presentation, which makes it
more difficult to persuade
others of the group’s
intended goals.
4-5 Marks
Responses are sufficient,
somewhat on point (i.e.
addressed the
questions/comments in a
tangential manner),
somewhat articulate, and
could have been more
thoughtful and insightful.
Minimal to superficial effort
made to engage in and
sustain an in-depth
discussion, and hence,
responses are largely
unpersuasive of the group’s
intended goals, and hence
need significant clarification
before being able to the
audience towards a common
outcome.
no knowledge of the
group’s target audience.
0-7 Marks
Presentation is barely or
not at all engaging, i.e.
little to no attempt to
address the focus and
purpose of the infographic.
Minimal to no effort made
in preparing and delivering
the presentation, which is
not persuasive.
0-3 Marks
Responses are superficial
and off-point, e.g. did not
address the
questions/comments
directly.
Little to no effort made to
engage in and sustain an
in-depth discussion, and
hence, responses are
unpersuasive of the
group’s intended goals,
and hence unable to move
the audience towards a
common outcome.
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