Sunday 13 November 2011
GCSE Coursework
Coursework at GCSE
There is no denying that the coursework element is the ‘sexy’ part of Media Studies; students (generally) happily engage with the production element of the coursework and often achieve the higher grade in the coursework element of the course. There are some general principles to keep in mind when managing the coursework element:
· Students should always have access to an abundance of professional media texts in the area in which they are working, i.e. if they are producing magazines, film posters, adverts etc… they should have four or five ones in front of them when they are designing and producing theirs and always keep referring back to them
· Students should have access to digital technology to enable them to produce their own media texts- the standard student work across the country gets better and better each year, so they have to produce articles which look professional (for print they should ideally be working in Photoshop or something similar)
· Students should be monitored at all times when producing production work (this is a requirement of the controlled assessment- research may be carried out independently as homework tasks). It is tempting to have lessons where students just get on with the work, however in order to get the best out of students they need to have clear structure in their lessons and have specific foci discussed at the start of lessons to ensure they are focussed on producing a professional looking text.
· And finally remember this is not English coursework- students will need large chunks of time to draft/draw/design get frustrated throw all their work away and start all over again. They should not be writing in exercise books each lesson. Also analysis can be done in a range of ways and ideally students should steer clear from formal English style analytical essays when it comes to this aspect of the coursework.
Coursework Assessment
Students are assessed on the following areas for their coursework pieces:
Media Language
Analysis
Communication
Genre & Conventions
Institutions
Representation
Production and Planning Skills
There is no denying that the coursework element is the ‘sexy’ part of Media Studies; students (generally) happily engage with the production element of the coursework and often achieve the higher grade in the coursework element of the course. There are some general principles to keep in mind when managing the coursework element:
· Students should always have access to an abundance of professional media texts in the area in which they are working, i.e. if they are producing magazines, film posters, adverts etc… they should have four or five ones in front of them when they are designing and producing theirs and always keep referring back to them
· Students should have access to digital technology to enable them to produce their own media texts- the standard student work across the country gets better and better each year, so they have to produce articles which look professional (for print they should ideally be working in Photoshop or something similar)
· Students should be monitored at all times when producing production work (this is a requirement of the controlled assessment- research may be carried out independently as homework tasks). It is tempting to have lessons where students just get on with the work, however in order to get the best out of students they need to have clear structure in their lessons and have specific foci discussed at the start of lessons to ensure they are focussed on producing a professional looking text.
· And finally remember this is not English coursework- students will need large chunks of time to draft/draw/design get frustrated throw all their work away and start all over again. They should not be writing in exercise books each lesson. Also analysis can be done in a range of ways and ideally students should steer clear from formal English style analytical essays when it comes to this aspect of the coursework.
Coursework Assessment
Students are assessed on the following areas for their coursework pieces:
Media Language
Analysis
Communication
Genre & Conventions
Institutions
Representation
Production and Planning Skills
GCSE Coursework
Coursework at GCSE
There is no denying that the coursework element is the ‘sexy’ part of Media Studies; students (generally) happily engage with the production element of the coursework and often achieve the higher grade in the coursework element of the course. There are some general principles to keep in mind when managing the coursework element:
· Students should always have access to an abundance of professional media texts in the area in which they are working, i.e. if they are producing magazines, film posters, adverts etc… they should have four or five ones in front of them when they are designing and producing theirs and always keep referring back to them
· Students should have access to digital technology to enable them to produce their own media texts- the standard student work across the country gets better and better each year, so they have to produce articles which look professional (for print they should ideally be working in Photoshop or something similar)
· Students should be monitored at all times when producing production work (this is a requirement of the controlled assessment- research may be carried out independently as homework tasks). It is tempting to have lessons where students just get on with the work, however in order to get the best out of students they need to have clear structure in their lessons and have specific foci discussed at the start of lessons to ensure they are focussed on producing a professional looking text.
· And finally remember this is not English coursework- students will need large chunks of time to draft/draw/design get frustrated throw all their work away and start all over again. They should not be writing in exercise books each lesson. Also analysis can be done in a range of ways and ideally students should steer clear from formal English style analytical essays when it comes to this aspect of the coursework.
Coursework Assessment
Students are assessed on the following areas for their coursework pieces:
Media Language
Analysis
Communication
Genre & Conventions
Institutions
Representation
Production and Planning Skills
There is no denying that the coursework element is the ‘sexy’ part of Media Studies; students (generally) happily engage with the production element of the coursework and often achieve the higher grade in the coursework element of the course. There are some general principles to keep in mind when managing the coursework element:
· Students should always have access to an abundance of professional media texts in the area in which they are working, i.e. if they are producing magazines, film posters, adverts etc… they should have four or five ones in front of them when they are designing and producing theirs and always keep referring back to them
· Students should have access to digital technology to enable them to produce their own media texts- the standard student work across the country gets better and better each year, so they have to produce articles which look professional (for print they should ideally be working in Photoshop or something similar)
· Students should be monitored at all times when producing production work (this is a requirement of the controlled assessment- research may be carried out independently as homework tasks). It is tempting to have lessons where students just get on with the work, however in order to get the best out of students they need to have clear structure in their lessons and have specific foci discussed at the start of lessons to ensure they are focussed on producing a professional looking text.
· And finally remember this is not English coursework- students will need large chunks of time to draft/draw/design get frustrated throw all their work away and start all over again. They should not be writing in exercise books each lesson. Also analysis can be done in a range of ways and ideally students should steer clear from formal English style analytical essays when it comes to this aspect of the coursework.
Coursework Assessment
Students are assessed on the following areas for their coursework pieces:
Media Language
Analysis
Communication
Genre & Conventions
Institutions
Representation
Production and Planning Skills
Teaching GCSE Media Studies
Why study the Media?
The aims of the GCSE course are to enable students to:
· Develop enquiry, critical thinking and decision making skills through consideration of issues that are important, real and relevant to them and to the world in which they live
· Develop their appreciation and critical understanding of the media and its role in their daily lives
· Develop their practical production skills through opportunities for personal engagement and creativity
Key Concepts
Underpinning the GCSE course are the four major concepts of:
· Media Language (forms and conventions)
· Institutions
· Audiences
· Representation
Through studying these concepts students are encouraged to become independent analytical learners who question and challenge the shaping of dominant ideologies in our society. Alongside this their creative skills are developed through accessing the latest media technologies to produce their own media products.
Introductory Unit: Introduction to the Media
We live in a Media saturated world, in which the technological landscape is constantly changing and evolving, offering people more opportunities to both consume and create media products. As teachers of the Media it is essential that we have a working knowledge of contemporary media issues alongside a secure understanding of new media technologies.
The aims of the GCSE course are to enable students to:
· Develop enquiry, critical thinking and decision making skills through consideration of issues that are important, real and relevant to them and to the world in which they live
· Develop their appreciation and critical understanding of the media and its role in their daily lives
· Develop their practical production skills through opportunities for personal engagement and creativity
Key Concepts
Underpinning the GCSE course are the four major concepts of:
· Media Language (forms and conventions)
· Institutions
· Audiences
· Representation
Through studying these concepts students are encouraged to become independent analytical learners who question and challenge the shaping of dominant ideologies in our society. Alongside this their creative skills are developed through accessing the latest media technologies to produce their own media products.
Introductory Unit: Introduction to the Media
We live in a Media saturated world, in which the technological landscape is constantly changing and evolving, offering people more opportunities to both consume and create media products. As teachers of the Media it is essential that we have a working knowledge of contemporary media issues alongside a secure understanding of new media technologies.
Overview of GCSE Media Studies
GCSE Media Studies (AQA Specification)
Overview
Unit 1- Examination Unit; topic changes each year (40%)
Unit 2- Coursework; comprising of three units (60%)
Exam Unit
Unit 1: Investigating the Media
Written Paper (1hour 30mins) 40%. Based on a pre-released topic with guidance and stimulus.
Task 1: Knowledge and Understanding.
Task 2: Research, Planning and Presentation; Production and Evaluation.
Exam taken at a date specified by AQA in June
Topics:
2012- TV Crime Drama
2013- The Music Press: Print and Online
2014- Promotion and Marketing of Computer Games
2015- Television News
Coursework Units
Unit 2: Understanding the media
Unit Learning Outcomes
Assessment Objectives, students will be expected to:
AO2 Analyse and respond to media texts/topics using media key concepts and appropriate terminology
AO3 Demonstrate research, planning and presentation skills
AO4 Construct and evaluate their own products using creative and technical skills
The aim of the coursework unit is for students to develop an understanding of how and why media texts are produced as they are. In Unit 2 students will produce one introductory assignment, one assignment that requires students to look closely at cross-media platforms which more closely reflects the media industry today and one Practical Production and Evaluation, each chosen from a different bank of assignments (set by AQA). The assignments must cover three discrete media forms/platforms, and no work submitted for Controlled Assessments in Unit 2 may cover the External Assessment topic for Unit 1 for that year.
Coursework Assignments
Assignment 1- Advertising and Marketing (Analyse two print advertisements. How effective are they in selling their products? Design your own advertisement for a product targeted at a specific audience. You should design the advertisement itself.)
Assignment 2- Film Promotion (Compare the impact and effectiveness of two promotional methods used by one film eg – poster; cinema, television or viral trailer; web page; magazine article; television interview. Print or web-based/new media – mock-up design for a poster, magazine article, DVD case, internet home page, or other promotional material for a film. Audio-visual media – devise a storyboard for a trailer or a script for a television or radio interview promoting the same film.)
Assignment 3- Print Magazine Production (Four pages, including the front cover or front page, for a magazine or newspaper aimed at a specific audience. No more than two candidates producing four pages each.)
Controlled Assessment
This unit is assessed under controlled conditions.
Each task is specified by AQA. For each assignment students must complete one assignment from Assignment Bank 1, one from Bank 2 and one from Bank 3. The supervision of students must ensure that they complete tasks themselves. Research may be undertaken with limited supervision. Students need not be under the direct supervision of staff at all times. However students are required to complete all of the work other than research under informal supervision. This means that the centre must ensure that:
• plagiarism does not take place
• the sources used by students are clearly recorded
• each student’s preparation for the final production of the work is his/her own.
Teachers may provide guidance and feedback to students, feedback may evaluate progress to date and propose suggested broad areas for improvement but the detailed correction or annotation of work for feedback purposes is not allowed.
The work of individual students may be informed by working with others, for example in undertaking research, but students must provide an individual response as part of the task outcome. For Assignments 1 and 2 all work submitted for assessment will be the student’s own. For Assignment 3, groups of students, as explained below, may collaborate in the construction of the media product but their evaluative responses must be their own and their individual contribution clearly identified.
(For the full spec/detailed guidelines see http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/english-and-media/media-studies.php)
Overview
Unit 1- Examination Unit; topic changes each year (40%)
Unit 2- Coursework; comprising of three units (60%)
Exam Unit
Unit 1: Investigating the Media
Written Paper (1hour 30mins) 40%. Based on a pre-released topic with guidance and stimulus.
Task 1: Knowledge and Understanding.
Task 2: Research, Planning and Presentation; Production and Evaluation.
Exam taken at a date specified by AQA in June
Topics:
2012- TV Crime Drama
2013- The Music Press: Print and Online
2014- Promotion and Marketing of Computer Games
2015- Television News
Coursework Units
Unit 2: Understanding the media
Unit Learning Outcomes
Assessment Objectives, students will be expected to:
AO2 Analyse and respond to media texts/topics using media key concepts and appropriate terminology
AO3 Demonstrate research, planning and presentation skills
AO4 Construct and evaluate their own products using creative and technical skills
The aim of the coursework unit is for students to develop an understanding of how and why media texts are produced as they are. In Unit 2 students will produce one introductory assignment, one assignment that requires students to look closely at cross-media platforms which more closely reflects the media industry today and one Practical Production and Evaluation, each chosen from a different bank of assignments (set by AQA). The assignments must cover three discrete media forms/platforms, and no work submitted for Controlled Assessments in Unit 2 may cover the External Assessment topic for Unit 1 for that year.
Coursework Assignments
Assignment 1- Advertising and Marketing (Analyse two print advertisements. How effective are they in selling their products? Design your own advertisement for a product targeted at a specific audience. You should design the advertisement itself.)
Assignment 2- Film Promotion (Compare the impact and effectiveness of two promotional methods used by one film eg – poster; cinema, television or viral trailer; web page; magazine article; television interview. Print or web-based/new media – mock-up design for a poster, magazine article, DVD case, internet home page, or other promotional material for a film. Audio-visual media – devise a storyboard for a trailer or a script for a television or radio interview promoting the same film.)
Assignment 3- Print Magazine Production (Four pages, including the front cover or front page, for a magazine or newspaper aimed at a specific audience. No more than two candidates producing four pages each.)
Controlled Assessment
This unit is assessed under controlled conditions.
Each task is specified by AQA. For each assignment students must complete one assignment from Assignment Bank 1, one from Bank 2 and one from Bank 3. The supervision of students must ensure that they complete tasks themselves. Research may be undertaken with limited supervision. Students need not be under the direct supervision of staff at all times. However students are required to complete all of the work other than research under informal supervision. This means that the centre must ensure that:
• plagiarism does not take place
• the sources used by students are clearly recorded
• each student’s preparation for the final production of the work is his/her own.
Teachers may provide guidance and feedback to students, feedback may evaluate progress to date and propose suggested broad areas for improvement but the detailed correction or annotation of work for feedback purposes is not allowed.
The work of individual students may be informed by working with others, for example in undertaking research, but students must provide an individual response as part of the task outcome. For Assignments 1 and 2 all work submitted for assessment will be the student’s own. For Assignment 3, groups of students, as explained below, may collaborate in the construction of the media product but their evaluative responses must be their own and their individual contribution clearly identified.
(For the full spec/detailed guidelines see http://www.aqa.org.uk/qualifications/gcse/english-and-media/media-studies.php)
Aims of A Level Media Studies
The A Level MS course should enhance the students' enjoyment and appreciation of the media, whilst developing an understanding of its role in shaping the world in which we live. Specifically students should;
• Develop a critical understanding of the media through engagement with media products and concepts, and through the creative application of practical skills;
• Explore production processes and new Media technologies through planning and producing their own professional Media texts;
• Become independent through developing their own research skills and applying these to their studies
• And most importantly enjoy the course!
A Level Media Studies
The Media Studies course revolves around the four key principles of the Media:
• Audiences
• Institutions
• Representation
• Forms and Conventions (inc Media Language)
In addition to these students will also study:
• New Media Technologies
• Textual Analysis of various Media Texts
• Develop a critical understanding of the media through engagement with media products and concepts, and through the creative application of practical skills;
• Explore production processes and new Media technologies through planning and producing their own professional Media texts;
• Become independent through developing their own research skills and applying these to their studies
• And most importantly enjoy the course!
A Level Media Studies
The Media Studies course revolves around the four key principles of the Media:
• Audiences
• Institutions
• Representation
• Forms and Conventions (inc Media Language)
In addition to these students will also study:
• New Media Technologies
• Textual Analysis of various Media Texts
Hegemony (Media Theory)
Ideologies and Hegemony
A key area of Media Studies is examining the issue of how the Media affects society. It is clear to see that we live in a media saturated world; we use the media to inform us, entertain us and connect us with others. Theorists have argued that the impact of the Media on our society is paramount; how can it not be when it encompasses our everyday lives?
In order to understand the potential impact of the Media you first have to understand the notion of Hegemony. Within society there is a ruling class- a group of people who govern the way we live our lives. The values and beliefs of this group is known as hegemony- the dominant ideologies in a society.
Links to further detail on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism10.html
Due to the potential power of the Media various theorists have explored the relationship between the Media and social hegemony (and the ruling classes who create this).
One of the most famous and influential theorists is Karl Marx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx). Marx, who is credited as the founder of modern communism, argued that the Media served to promote the views of the ruling classes thus in the western world promote a capitalist society.
So how does this link in with the Media? Well, in order to understand media texts, it is necessary to understand why they are being constructed in the first place, who is constructing it and why is it being constructed in that particular way?
A key area of Media Studies is examining the issue of how the Media affects society. It is clear to see that we live in a media saturated world; we use the media to inform us, entertain us and connect us with others. Theorists have argued that the impact of the Media on our society is paramount; how can it not be when it encompasses our everyday lives?
In order to understand the potential impact of the Media you first have to understand the notion of Hegemony. Within society there is a ruling class- a group of people who govern the way we live our lives. The values and beliefs of this group is known as hegemony- the dominant ideologies in a society.
Links to further detail on this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hegemony
http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism10.html
Due to the potential power of the Media various theorists have explored the relationship between the Media and social hegemony (and the ruling classes who create this).
One of the most famous and influential theorists is Karl Marx (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Marx). Marx, who is credited as the founder of modern communism, argued that the Media served to promote the views of the ruling classes thus in the western world promote a capitalist society.
So how does this link in with the Media? Well, in order to understand media texts, it is necessary to understand why they are being constructed in the first place, who is constructing it and why is it being constructed in that particular way?
The Mass Media and the Frankfurt School
The Mass Media and the Frankfurt School
The Frankfurt school refers to a group of academics including Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, whose neo-Marxists views regard audiences as passive consumers of media texts. These theorists have tried to understand how mass audiences are both affected by and can affect the massive, corporatized media establishment that we see in countries like the U.S.
Early theorists such as these claimed that the Media industry was founded on mass deception and that the average consumer was a cultural dupe being inculcated into the values of the ruling classes without realizing it.
Many critics of this school feel that this represented a reintroduction of Marx’s ideas about mediation, or media as purveyors of a dominant ideology that destroyed the possibility that audiences for mass media were able to work against these ruling ideas.
(For more information click on these links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_School http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism08.html)
The Frankfurt school refers to a group of academics including Max Horkheimer, Theodor W. Adorno, and Herbert Marcuse, whose neo-Marxists views regard audiences as passive consumers of media texts. These theorists have tried to understand how mass audiences are both affected by and can affect the massive, corporatized media establishment that we see in countries like the U.S.
Early theorists such as these claimed that the Media industry was founded on mass deception and that the average consumer was a cultural dupe being inculcated into the values of the ruling classes without realizing it.
Many critics of this school feel that this represented a reintroduction of Marx’s ideas about mediation, or media as purveyors of a dominant ideology that destroyed the possibility that audiences for mass media were able to work against these ruling ideas.
(For more information click on these links http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt_School http://www.aber.ac.uk/media/Documents/marxism/marxism08.html)
Daniel Chandler and Representation
Media Representation
(Daniel Chandler)
Representation refers to the construction of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, cultural identities and other abstract concepts.
The term representation refers to the processes involved as well as to its products. For instance, in relation to the key markers of identity - Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity (the 'cage' of identity) - representation involves not only how identities are represented (or rather constructed) within the text but also how they are constructed in the processes of production and reception by people whose identities are also differentially marked in relation to such demographic factors.
A key in the study of representation concern is with the way in which representations are made to seem ‘natural’. Systems of representation are the means by which the concerns of ideologies are framed; such systems ‘position’ their subjects.
· All texts, however 'realistic' they may seem to be, are constructed representations rather than simply transparent 'reflections', recordings, transcriptions or reproductions of a pre-existing reality.
· Representations which become familiar through constant re-use come to feel 'natural' and unmediated.
· Representation is unavoidably selective, foregrounding some things and backgrounding others.
· Every representation is motivated and historically contingent.
Reality is always represented - what we treat as 'direct' experience is 'mediated' by perceptual codes. Representation always involves 'the construction of reality'. Discuss this statement referring to at least three contemporary British TV programmes.
(Daniel Chandler)
Representation refers to the construction of aspects of ‘reality’ such as people, places, objects, cultural identities and other abstract concepts.
The term representation refers to the processes involved as well as to its products. For instance, in relation to the key markers of identity - Class, Age, Gender and Ethnicity (the 'cage' of identity) - representation involves not only how identities are represented (or rather constructed) within the text but also how they are constructed in the processes of production and reception by people whose identities are also differentially marked in relation to such demographic factors.
A key in the study of representation concern is with the way in which representations are made to seem ‘natural’. Systems of representation are the means by which the concerns of ideologies are framed; such systems ‘position’ their subjects.
· All texts, however 'realistic' they may seem to be, are constructed representations rather than simply transparent 'reflections', recordings, transcriptions or reproductions of a pre-existing reality.
· Representations which become familiar through constant re-use come to feel 'natural' and unmediated.
· Representation is unavoidably selective, foregrounding some things and backgrounding others.
· Every representation is motivated and historically contingent.
Reality is always represented - what we treat as 'direct' experience is 'mediated' by perceptual codes. Representation always involves 'the construction of reality'. Discuss this statement referring to at least three contemporary British TV programmes.
Levi-Strauss, Binary Opposition Theory
BINARY OPPOSITION
This is a sophisticated but important idea that will help you understand how ideas and meanings are being shaped, created or reinforced in a text. It is 'a theory of meaning' and an idea that can be applied to all texts; it is especially useful when analysing poetry where meaning has been 'compressed' into a very few words.
In the mid-20th century, two major European academic thinkers, Claude Levi Strauss and Roland Barthes, had the important insight that the way we understand certain words depends not so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but much more by our understanding of the difference between the word and its 'opposite' or, as they called it 'binary opposite'. They realised that words merely act as symbols for society's ideas and that the meaning of words, therefore, was a relationship rather than a fixed thing: a relationship between opposing ideas.
For example, our understanding of the word 'coward' surely depends on the difference between that word and its opposing idea, that of a 'hero'.
This is a sophisticated but important idea that will help you understand how ideas and meanings are being shaped, created or reinforced in a text. It is 'a theory of meaning' and an idea that can be applied to all texts; it is especially useful when analysing poetry where meaning has been 'compressed' into a very few words.
In the mid-20th century, two major European academic thinkers, Claude Levi Strauss and Roland Barthes, had the important insight that the way we understand certain words depends not so much on any meaning they themselves directly contain, but much more by our understanding of the difference between the word and its 'opposite' or, as they called it 'binary opposite'. They realised that words merely act as symbols for society's ideas and that the meaning of words, therefore, was a relationship rather than a fixed thing: a relationship between opposing ideas.
For example, our understanding of the word 'coward' surely depends on the difference between that word and its opposing idea, that of a 'hero'.
Other oppositions that should help you understand the idea are the youth/age binary, the masculinity/femininity, the good/evil binary, and so on. Barthes and Levi-Strauss noticed another important feature of these 'binary opposites': that one side of the binary pair is always seen by a particular society or culture as more valued over the other.
Stuart Hall
Stuart Hall (born 3 February 1932, Kingston, Jamaica) is a cultural theorist and sociologist who has lived and worked in the United Kingdom since 1951. Hall, along with Richard Hoggart and Raymond Williams, was an early and influential contributor to the school of thought that is now known as British Cultural Studies or The Birmingham School of Cultural Studies.
Hall argues that the media appear to reflect reality whilst in fact they construct it. He also addressed theoretically the issue of how people make sense of media texts. In a key paper, 'Encoding/Decoding', Stuart Hall (1980), argued that the dominant ideology is typically inscribed as the 'preferred reading' in a media text, but that this is not automatically adopted by readers. The social situations of readers/viewers/listeners may lead them to adopt different stances. 'Dominant' readings are produced by those whose social situation favours the preferred reading; 'negotiated' readings are produced by those who inflect the preferred reading to take account of their social position; and 'oppositional' readings are produced by those whose social position puts them into direct conflict with the preferred reading Hall insists that there remain limits to interpretation: meaning cannot be simply 'private' and 'individual'.
Hall argues that the media appear to reflect reality whilst in fact they construct it. He also addressed theoretically the issue of how people make sense of media texts. In a key paper, 'Encoding/Decoding', Stuart Hall (1980), argued that the dominant ideology is typically inscribed as the 'preferred reading' in a media text, but that this is not automatically adopted by readers. The social situations of readers/viewers/listeners may lead them to adopt different stances. 'Dominant' readings are produced by those whose social situation favours the preferred reading; 'negotiated' readings are produced by those who inflect the preferred reading to take account of their social position; and 'oppositional' readings are produced by those whose social position puts them into direct conflict with the preferred reading Hall insists that there remain limits to interpretation: meaning cannot be simply 'private' and 'individual'.
Key Concepts
Audience - all those who consume or interact with media products. A target audience may be identified as either mass (or mainstream) or niche and the product may be marketed to reach that audience; alternatively an audience may be constructed (e.g. a BBC 2 Comedy Zone audience, a Guardian reader, an American indie-film fan). Various demographic models exist, either by social or economic status (ABC1 etc. or the more recent 1a, b, c etc.), by lifestyle ("aspirer", "seeker" etc.) or media consumption references.Students should also be encouraged to examine the audience's complex and dynamic relationship with media products, rather than seeing the audience as a passive and homogeneous entity. They should also have explored the "pleasures", or uses and gratifications, the audience has from a text and the various functions it performs for them, as well as its effectiveness or impact (emotional, visual, ideological etc.). Particular audiences might have their own dominant/hegemonic, negotiated or oppositional readings. They might not accept the producer's preferred meaning. The nature of the meanings, interpretations and functions of a particular text in relationship to different audiences should be examined.
Key theories to explore include Blumier and Katz, Richard Dyer, Abraham Maslow and Stuart Hall
Ideology - often referred to as the system of ideas, values and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function. That which is seen to be shared, or perpetuated, by the most influential social agents (the churches, the law, education, government, the media etc.) may be described as dominant ideology. For example, ideas about such topics as work ("It is important to have a job"), money ("It is important to save money, buy insurance or a pension"), relationships ("Children should have parents, a man and a woman, who are married"), gender ("Women are naturally better at raising children") are all ideological viewpoints and correspond to a particular power relationship, political perspective or agenda that has developed over time. A common focus for ideological debate is the ways in which people are represented. However, study should focus on other less tangible or obvious values behind the images, such as materialism, celebrity, consumerism and patriotism, for example, which may be indirectly expressed. Ideas that are different from these may be called, oppositional, alternative, subversive, subordinate or counter to dominant ideology. The process by which dominant ideology is maintained is called hegemony. There are various schools of ideological theory, however, the most important point for you to grasp and explore (rather than quote academics without understanding) is that all media texts, and audiences, bear evidence of ideologies of one kind or another, whether directly or indirectly.
Ideology - often referred to as the system of ideas, values and beliefs which an individual, group or society holds to be true or important; these are shared by a culture or society about how that society should function. That which is seen to be shared, or perpetuated, by the most influential social agents (the churches, the law, education, government, the media etc.) may be described as dominant ideology. For example, ideas about such topics as work ("It is important to have a job"), money ("It is important to save money, buy insurance or a pension"), relationships ("Children should have parents, a man and a woman, who are married"), gender ("Women are naturally better at raising children") are all ideological viewpoints and correspond to a particular power relationship, political perspective or agenda that has developed over time. A common focus for ideological debate is the ways in which people are represented. However, study should focus on other less tangible or obvious values behind the images, such as materialism, celebrity, consumerism and patriotism, for example, which may be indirectly expressed. Ideas that are different from these may be called, oppositional, alternative, subversive, subordinate or counter to dominant ideology. The process by which dominant ideology is maintained is called hegemony. There are various schools of ideological theory, however, the most important point for you to grasp and explore (rather than quote academics without understanding) is that all media texts, and audiences, bear evidence of ideologies of one kind or another, whether directly or indirectly.
Key theories to explore include Marxism/Frankfurt school (the Effects Model), Feminist theory (Laura Mulvey) and Stuart Hall
Representation - the process of making meaning in still or moving images and words/sounds. In its simplest form, it means to present/show someone or something. However, as a concept for debate, it is used to describe the process by which an image etc. may be used to represent/stand for someone or something, for example a place or an idea. Inherent in this second definition is the notion that there may be a responsibility on the part of the producer for any representation, with regard to accuracy, "truth" and the viewpoints and opinions that such a representation may perpetuate. Therefore, debates commonly focus on the nature, positive or negative, radical or reactionary, of representation of minorities (according to race, sexuality, disability) and how they might not be beneficially served, politically or ideologically, by stereotypes/archetypes. These minorities may also be referred to as belonging to social groups (to include gender, social class, nationality, regionality, age, sexuality etc.). The concept of representation is not, however, exclusively related to that of social or cultural minorities. Study of the concept of representation should be linked to ideology and should examine the history of the construction of particular stereotypes and its purposes, the processes of representation and its effects. The concept is a complex and dynamic one and you should avoid simplistic and stereotypical responses, which solely see representation as a negative process.
Representation - the process of making meaning in still or moving images and words/sounds. In its simplest form, it means to present/show someone or something. However, as a concept for debate, it is used to describe the process by which an image etc. may be used to represent/stand for someone or something, for example a place or an idea. Inherent in this second definition is the notion that there may be a responsibility on the part of the producer for any representation, with regard to accuracy, "truth" and the viewpoints and opinions that such a representation may perpetuate. Therefore, debates commonly focus on the nature, positive or negative, radical or reactionary, of representation of minorities (according to race, sexuality, disability) and how they might not be beneficially served, politically or ideologically, by stereotypes/archetypes. These minorities may also be referred to as belonging to social groups (to include gender, social class, nationality, regionality, age, sexuality etc.). The concept of representation is not, however, exclusively related to that of social or cultural minorities. Study of the concept of representation should be linked to ideology and should examine the history of the construction of particular stereotypes and its purposes, the processes of representation and its effects. The concept is a complex and dynamic one and you should avoid simplistic and stereotypical responses, which solely see representation as a negative process.
Key theories to explore include Daniel Chandler's CAGE theory, Barthes and Strauss's Semiology (and the others above!)
Essential Media Technologies
Blogger- Useful for sharing resources between teachers, hosting lesson resources such as videos & presentations, setting work, having work stored for exam preparation, students' own blogs ensure teachers record their work/progress, allow them to upload multimedia files, engage them in their learning (www.blogger.com)
Prezi- eye catching presentation programme (www.prezi.com)
Wordle - useful for introducing concepts and recording key terms (www.wordle.com)
Scribd- website which allows you to upload documents to publish to blog sites (www.scribd.com)
YouTube- essential for all aspects of Media Studies teaching; examples of Media texts, presentations on different areas of the Media, information on New Technologies etc... (www.youtube.com)
Embedding documents- on the programme go to the 'SHARE' icon and click embed, you will then be given a code to copy, copy this and paste it in the 'EDIT HTML' section of your post
Friday 14 October 2011
Thursday 6 October 2011
Mark Scheme for Baseline Test
Section One (Media Language)
1 mark per correct definition
9-A 8-B 7/6-C 5/4D 3/2-E 1-F 0-U
Section Two: Audiences
Each Question out of 5 marks
20-17- A 16-14-B 13-11-C 10-8-D 7-4-E 3-1-F 0-U
Section Three: New Media Technologies
Each Question out of 5 marks
15-13-A 12-10-B 9-7-C 6-4-D 3-2-E 1-F 0-U
Section Four: Institutions
Q.17 out of 5 Q.18 out of 5 Q.19 out of 1 Q.20 out of 4
15-13-A 12-10-B 9-7-C 6-4-D 3-2-E 1-F 0-U
Production SkillsA Grade – Sophisticated and Creative demonstrating flair and originality, precisely targeting a dual audience
B Grade – Clearly aimed at a dual audience showing a clear understanding of forms and conventions through use of fonts and colours, an overall creative and engaging design
C Grade – Clearly aimed at an audience showing an awareness of audience motives, forms and conventions are followed, with evidence of creativity
D Grade- Generally aimed at one audience, some understanding of forms and conventions through design features, some evidence although generally limited creativity shown
E Grade – Roughly aimed at one audience, limited understanding of forms and conventions; loosely recognisable as an advertisement
F Grade- Not clearly aimed at any audience, lack of understanding of forms and conventions; not clearly identifiable as an advert
Overall Grade
Average the grades for an overall MS GCSE grade, e.g. A,B,B,C,A =B
1 mark per correct definition
9-A 8-B 7/6-C 5/4D 3/2-E 1-F 0-U
Section Two: Audiences
Each Question out of 5 marks
20-17- A 16-14-B 13-11-C 10-8-D 7-4-E 3-1-F 0-U
Section Three: New Media Technologies
Each Question out of 5 marks
15-13-A 12-10-B 9-7-C 6-4-D 3-2-E 1-F 0-U
Section Four: Institutions
Q.17 out of 5 Q.18 out of 5 Q.19 out of 1 Q.20 out of 4
15-13-A 12-10-B 9-7-C 6-4-D 3-2-E 1-F 0-U
Production SkillsA Grade – Sophisticated and Creative demonstrating flair and originality, precisely targeting a dual audience
B Grade – Clearly aimed at a dual audience showing a clear understanding of forms and conventions through use of fonts and colours, an overall creative and engaging design
C Grade – Clearly aimed at an audience showing an awareness of audience motives, forms and conventions are followed, with evidence of creativity
D Grade- Generally aimed at one audience, some understanding of forms and conventions through design features, some evidence although generally limited creativity shown
E Grade – Roughly aimed at one audience, limited understanding of forms and conventions; loosely recognisable as an advertisement
F Grade- Not clearly aimed at any audience, lack of understanding of forms and conventions; not clearly identifiable as an advert
Overall Grade
Average the grades for an overall MS GCSE grade, e.g. A,B,B,C,A =B
Baseline Assessment Paper
Media Studies GCSE
Entry Test
As you are brand new to studying Media, it is important that your teacher gets an idea of what level you are starting at. The following test is set to determine your starting point on the course. Answer each question/complete each task in as much detail as possible:
Section One: Media Language
Explain what the following words/terms mean:
1. Target Audience
2. The Media
3. Stereotype
4. Global Media Company
5. Director
6. Camera shots and angles
7. Editing
8. Mise-en-scene
9. Tabloid press
Section Two: Audiences
Answer the following in as much detail as possible:
10. List five different ways in which you could group an audience
11. Why do you think Media products have specific target audiences
12. List five different uses a person might have for using the Media
13. How dependant do you think people are in our world on the Media?
Section Three: New Media Technologies
Answer the following in as much detail as possible:
14. List five examples of new media technologies (either hardware or software) which have been developed in the past 20 years (e.g. FaceBook/iPad)
15. What impact do you think the development of new media technologies has had on people’s lives?
16. How do you think the Media influences people’s opinions and beliefs? Give examples of Media texts which you think influence people?
Section Four: Institutions (the business side of the Media)
17. Name five global Film Companies
18. Who is the head of News Corporation? Why was News Corporation in the News this summer?
19. Name a company which owns more than one type of Media
20. Explain why you think people should have an understanding of the Media and how it works
Production Skills
A key component of Media Studies is the creative production side- this is all about your ability to be creative and come up with your own Media texts. This is not a test of how well you can draw; it is a test to see how creative you are.
Task: Design an advert for a new brand of snack food called POPPILICIOUS- they are fruit based and aimed at children (aged 6-12). Your advert should appeal to children (as they are the audience for the product) as well as parents (as they are going to be buying the product)
Entry Test
As you are brand new to studying Media, it is important that your teacher gets an idea of what level you are starting at. The following test is set to determine your starting point on the course. Answer each question/complete each task in as much detail as possible:
Section One: Media Language
Explain what the following words/terms mean:
1. Target Audience
2. The Media
3. Stereotype
4. Global Media Company
5. Director
6. Camera shots and angles
7. Editing
8. Mise-en-scene
9. Tabloid press
Section Two: Audiences
Answer the following in as much detail as possible:
10. List five different ways in which you could group an audience
11. Why do you think Media products have specific target audiences
12. List five different uses a person might have for using the Media
13. How dependant do you think people are in our world on the Media?
Section Three: New Media Technologies
Answer the following in as much detail as possible:
14. List five examples of new media technologies (either hardware or software) which have been developed in the past 20 years (e.g. FaceBook/iPad)
15. What impact do you think the development of new media technologies has had on people’s lives?
16. How do you think the Media influences people’s opinions and beliefs? Give examples of Media texts which you think influence people?
Section Four: Institutions (the business side of the Media)
17. Name five global Film Companies
18. Who is the head of News Corporation? Why was News Corporation in the News this summer?
19. Name a company which owns more than one type of Media
20. Explain why you think people should have an understanding of the Media and how it works
Production Skills
A key component of Media Studies is the creative production side- this is all about your ability to be creative and come up with your own Media texts. This is not a test of how well you can draw; it is a test to see how creative you are.
Task: Design an advert for a new brand of snack food called POPPILICIOUS- they are fruit based and aimed at children (aged 6-12). Your advert should appeal to children (as they are the audience for the product) as well as parents (as they are going to be buying the product)
Assessment Procedure
• At the start of each year all students starting GCSE courses (in Y9 and Y10) sit a baseline test to assess their starting point (see appendix A), this gives the teacher an indication of their TMG for the year, as well as a detailed breakdown of their strengths/areas of development for different strands
• At the start of the A Level course students will write an assessment essay in the first fortnight which assesses their communication skills, as well as their ability in the three assessment areas (discussion, applying examples and terminology). This will provide the teacher with an idea of the students’ ability and potential TMG
• All students will have books to record their learning and essential information, to carry out tasks and to use to record/plan any research. The books will be marked each cycle and where appropriate a summative comment will be recorded which requires the student to record a response to demonstrate understanding of the feedback
• All students will have an assessment file in which their assessed pieces of work will be kept, each assessed piece will have a top sheet (see appendix B & C)
• Each student will have a formal assessment piece to complete every three weeks. This will be marked and assessed on the key strands- with the student progress recorded on a class spread sheet and in the students assessment folders
Homework
• Students will be set research tasks linked with their assessed pieces of work- this will require them to carry out independent reading around a topic and to make notes to help them with their assessed piece of work
• Students will also be required to complete extra time on their practical production work beyond allocated lesson time (this will vary between year groups)
• Where appropriate students will be given tasks to extend/consolidate their understanding of the learning carried out in lessons, this will average out as once per cycle (however these will be set at the teachers’ discretion)
• At the start of the A Level course students will write an assessment essay in the first fortnight which assesses their communication skills, as well as their ability in the three assessment areas (discussion, applying examples and terminology). This will provide the teacher with an idea of the students’ ability and potential TMG
• All students will have books to record their learning and essential information, to carry out tasks and to use to record/plan any research. The books will be marked each cycle and where appropriate a summative comment will be recorded which requires the student to record a response to demonstrate understanding of the feedback
• All students will have an assessment file in which their assessed pieces of work will be kept, each assessed piece will have a top sheet (see appendix B & C)
• Each student will have a formal assessment piece to complete every three weeks. This will be marked and assessed on the key strands- with the student progress recorded on a class spread sheet and in the students assessment folders
Homework
• Students will be set research tasks linked with their assessed pieces of work- this will require them to carry out independent reading around a topic and to make notes to help them with their assessed piece of work
• Students will also be required to complete extra time on their practical production work beyond allocated lesson time (this will vary between year groups)
• Where appropriate students will be given tasks to extend/consolidate their understanding of the learning carried out in lessons, this will average out as once per cycle (however these will be set at the teachers’ discretion)
Wednesday 5 October 2011
Breakdown of Media Studies by Year Group
Year 8
Students will study one lesson a cycle of Media Technology in Y8, focusing on learning how to use the following technologies:
- iPads
- Apple Mac computers
- Adobe Photoshop
- Blogging
- Digital stills cameras
As Photoshop is such a complicated, yet essential programme for students to fully comprehend to access the higher grades at GCSE, the course will revolve around students learning how this programme works and making their own Media products through using this. They will also have the opportunity to work with other technologies (listed above)
The topics of the SOW will be:
Term 1: Introduction to Adobe Photoshop and Producing a Print Advertisement
Term 2: Using Special FX on PS and Producing a Print Film Marketing Campaign
Term 3: Manipulating Images on PS and Producing a Magazine
GCSE (AQA)
Year 9 (& Year 10 specialist option)
Students have the opportunity to start their GCSE Media Studies course at the start of Y9 at CBSC, this means they will have four lessons per cycle (if students opt to start in Y10 they will have 6 lessons a cycle). It is essential that students begin with an introduction to Media Studies to allow them to fully understand what the Media is all about, as well as dispelling popular, incorrect, assumptions about the course. In the first half term students will be taught the fundamentals of Media Studies: Forms and Conventions, Audiences, Institutions, New Technologies, Representation and Media Language, this will be accessed through contemporary and relevant case studies. Student will also have access to technology for research purposes, as well as logging their learning and progress. Each concept will be expanded on through the various assignments which the students will cover for their coursework and examination.
Once the foundations have been covered, students will move onto starting their coursework in the second half term beginning with Assignment 1: Advertising and Marketing (this is chosen from a set bank of assignments offered by AQA). In this unit students will explore the world of advertising and marketing and examine how advertising works on a commercial and social level. Students will analyse a variety of print advertisements exploring how effective they are in selling their products and then progress to designing and producing their own. This will continue into the first half of the Spring Term.
Students then move onto completing the next assignment, Assignment 2: Film Promotion. In this unit students will explore the institutional practises around global and national film marketing, further developing their knowledge of Audience and institutions, along with new Media technologies. Various relevant and contemporary case studies will be examined, with students gaining an insight into how the business works, exploring theories of synergy and convergence. After analysing several case studies, students will explore and compare the impact and effectiveness of two promotional methods, they then progress to designing and producing their own promotional campaign for a fictional film. For both of these units students will produce their final piece of work for their coursework folders under controlled conditions in the examination hall. Prior to this they will get feedback from teachers and suggestions about how to improve their work (see controlled assignment conditions for more details)
By the time the final half of the summer term arrives students should have completed Assignments 1 and 2, and their teacher should have collated their grades to assess whether they should continue with the course for the next two years, or progress to the accelerated learning group which will complete their GCSE by the end of Y10. Students who continue to the end of Y11, will have the opportunity to revisit their assignments and consolidate their knowledge to improve their coursework. Students who are placed in the accelerated group will complete the course in two years and start a new GCSE course in Film Studies in Y11.
Year 10 Accelerated Group/ Y11
At the start of this year students will begin with their last assignment, Assignment 3: Print Magazine Production. In this unit students can either work individually or with one other student (ideally students should be of similar ability if they chose to work with one another) the end result of this assignment is each student produces four professional looking magazine pages. During this assignment students will explore the magazine industry focusing on the forms and conventions of different genres, alongside audience gratifications theories, to ensure they can produce their own professional standard magazine. Students will further develop their Photoshop skills during this assignment and carry out a detailed evaluation of their work at the end.
When all three coursework assignments are complete (and word limits for each are adhered to) they will be collated in each students’ coursework portfolio folder and marked in accordance to AQA guidelines (and moderated within the department). This folder is worth 60% of the students’ final grade; therefore it is essential that all students achieve (ideally) at least one grade higher than their TMG in the subject.
After the Christmas term students will begin their work on their examination unit; these change each year* for 2012 the topic is TV Crime Drama (with the accelerated group they will have some foundation work to carry out in the summer holiday between Y9 and Y10 to prepare them for this unit) it is essential that students do not carry out any coursework assignments which clash with the controlled test**. For this unit students will look at each of the key concepts and apply them to the specific topic, they will also use their production skills to create a Media text which fits into the topic.
* Topics:
2012- TV Crime Drama
2013- The Music Press: Print and Online
2014- Promotion and Marketing of Computer Games
2015- Television News
** Y9/Y10 – no music magazines for Assignment 3 (clash with controlled test for 2013), this does not apply to accelerated group (RG) as they will be sitting 2012 GCSE
A Level (OCR)
Year 12
Overview of Media Teaching (2011/12)
Media Studies is of paramount importance in equipping students with the necessary skills and knowledge for young people to fully understand the role the Media plays in our contemporary (media saturated) society. The aims of the Media Studies courses broadly fit into two categories:
- To equip students with the information and knowledge needed to be critical, analytical and thoughtful, whilst having a well developed understanding of the role which the Media plays on a national and global scale, in shaping societies and influencing people’s beliefs and ideologies
- To teach students the production skills required to have a detailed understanding of how professional media texts are constructed, and to be able to apply this to their own creative work in their own media productions
Students on the course will have access to the latest technologies (both hardware and software) to prepare them for the world beyond school, and ensure they have the best start possible if they wish to take their studies/production work further.
Media Studies Staff:
Stephanie House – Head of Department (shouse@carshaltonboys.org)
Becky Germaine – Media (specialist) and Drama teacher (rgermaine@carshaltonboys.org)
Ilka Zant- Art (specialist) and Media teacher (izant@carshaltonboys.org)
Dominic Brockhouse- DT (Graphics specialist) Photography and Media Technologies teacher (dbrockhouse@carshaltonboys.org)
Jason Fox- Creative Arts Technician (jfox@carshaltonboys.org)
Course on Offer:
Media Technology Year 8 (one lesson a cycle)
GCSE Media (AQA) Year 9 (four lessons a cycle- potential to sit the GCSE at the end of Y10)
GCSE Media Year 10 (AQA) (six lessons a cycle)
A Level Media (OCR) (8 lessons a cycle)
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