PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Definitive Document

Transcription

1 1 Basic Information 1.1 Awarding Institution: University of St Mark and St John 1.2 Teaching Institution: University of St Mark and St John dbs Music 1.3 Locus of Delivery: 50% - University of St Mark and St John 50% - dbs Music 1.4 Final Award Title: Bachelor of Arts (Honours) 1.5 FHEQ Level: Programme Title: Music Production (progression route) 1.7 Mode and Duration of Study: Full time, 1 year. Part-time, 2 years 1.8 UCAS Code(s): 1.9 Admission Criteria: Foundation Degree pass at 50% Accrediting Professional Body/ PSRB: QAA Subject Benchmarking Group(s): Other External Points of Reference: Language of Study (for learning, teaching and assessment): Work-Based Learning Arrangements: Foundation Degree Progression Routes: Arrangements for Distance Learning: N/A Subject Benchmark: Music Subject Benchmark: Business and Management Subject Benchmark: Communications, Media and Film FHEQ QAA Code of Practice Work-based Learning English Students have already undertaken formal workbased learning in their foundation degree. Students will be given the opportunity to engage in extracurricular work-based learning with the Youth Production Network (YPN) N/A N/A 1.17 Original Date of Production: September Date of Commencement: September Review Date: By 31 st August Date(s) and Nature of Revision(s) to this Programme: PROGRAMME SPECIFICATION Definitive Document Page 1 of 10

2 2 Programme Outline Aside from the obvious creative opportunities offered to performers, there are innumerable other career paths associated with the music production, ranging from the technologists who engineer, light and record live and studio based events through to those who organise, publicise, manage and exploit the earning potential of the music production process. This one year programme is delivered in partnership with our industrial partner, dbs Music and has an informal relationship with the Youth Production Network. Students will have the opportunity to develop the technical, creative and business skills needed to work in music production and have the opportunity to gain valuable extracurricular work experience prior to embarking on their chosen career. The programme contains a mix of intensively delivered modules, blended learning using the latest e-learning technologies and supervised independent study. It is essential that students studying at honours level are fully conversant with research skills and methods and for that reason opportunities to develop this facility are embedded within the curriculum. Before embarking on the course all students are required to attend an orientation event which introduces academic skills and suggests materials to read prior to enrolment. The Honours Project has within it workshops which deal explicitly with research methods and students are supported further in this area during supervision tutorials. Each of the University based taught modules include research skills and LMXH02 has very specific content dealing with experimental methodologies. 2.1 Integrating Sustainability into the Curriculum Every opportunity will be taken, in the delivery of this programme, to keep its environmental impact to a minimum. Intensive delivery and blended learning technologies will ensure that the miles students travel to undertake this course will be kept at their lowest possible level. Wherever possible staff compiling reading lists are encouraged to order electronic versions of texts to reduce the resources consumed in their production and also to prevent unnecessary travel to and from the library to access those texts. Full use is made of the libraries scanning service to facilitate online delivery of materials. The two taught modules focusing on the planning, production and staging of a showcase event have within them content which specifically addresses the issue of environmental impact in relation to event management and will be delivered by staff that have a significant amount of expertise in this field. 3 Distinctive Features Because the development team have had the benefit of running a version of this programme for a number of years, we have been able to respond very directly to the student demand for flexible and intensive delivery. The proposed structure of the programme has been designed to offer as much flexibility as possible in its mode of delivery, with the four taught modules appearing on the schedule as running throughout the year. In reality they will either be delivered intensively over a single continuous period or in shorter intensive units throughout the year. The taught modules delivered at the University may also be delivered on programmes in Bristol, Camborne and Berlin and so this flexible approach will be essential in delivering an educational experience of the highest quality across multiple locations using a blend of state of the art technology and intensive periods of face to face Page 2 of 10

3 contact. We intend to utilise the newly acquired Lync system to enable us to deliver lectures live to remote locations, which can be stored and replayed at the student s convenience. The two taught modules delivered by dbs Music will have as their focus a large scale showcase event which will take place in Plymouth city centre, providing a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the achievements of our students within our wider community and also provide a very effective marketing opportunity for the programme and the University at large. 4 Programme Aims The Music Production programme is both supportive of, and committed to, the University's mission to provide learning for life being a subject perfectly placed to make a huge contribution in building and sustaining a vibrant education institution with a strong community focus. The working definition of music production, as it relates to this programme has, at its heart, the notion of a live or recorded musical events which comprises an interaction between many professions. For the purpose of formulating this programme, these professions have been viewed in three clusters. The clusters relate to the musical aspects of the performance, the business aspects and the technical sound and lighting aspect. The relationship between these three clusters is explored within the programme with students being exposed to the practical and theoretical aspects of all three while being given the opportunity to pursue a specialism which relates to their chosen career path. The general programme aims of Music Production are to: 1. enable students from varied cultural and social backgrounds to fulfil their potential in both intellectual and practical/creative domains. 2. foster an atmosphere in which students feel able to express themselves in both written and creative / practical work. 3. generate a supportive and nurturing culture in which students are able to work together effectively for the achievement of shared goals and aims. 4. develop increasing independence and maturity in relation to academic abilities and skills, including self evaluation and reflective practice. 5. provide students with the relevant intellectual and creative / practical skills for future employability. The specific programme aims of Music Production are to: 6. provide opportunities for students to develop key skills as well as a range of specific skills in creative/practical work, including event management and production, sound, lighting and digital media technologies in a music related context and their psychological concomitants. 7. enable students to pursue a specialism within the area of music production and to gain a critical awareness of the social, cultural, economic and technical contexts of that specialism. 8. foster a critical and evaluative approach to exploring concepts, theories, methods and debates derived from the fields of art, technology, business and human psychology and their application(s) in the context of music production. Page 3 of 10

4 9. produce graduates who are confident to engage with the various professions that exist within the music industry demonstrating an understand of the artistic, commercial and technical issues which underpin music production. 5 Programme Learning Outcomes Knowledge & understanding: By the end of this programme students should be able to demonstrate:- 1. the interrelationships between music, sound and human psychology in performance and other realms of musical experience. 2. engagement in fields of technology in which professionals express themselves artistically or in order to communicate ideas, data, information or knowledge to a pre-designated audience or group of end-users. 3. knowledge of the theories and principles underpinning team work and associated team dynamics. 4. understanding of contemporary repertoires and musical languages and practices which share similar generic concerns but exercise them in different ways. 5. the management of resources and operations and the sources, uses and management of finance within music production, including legal considerations. Intellectual skills: By the end of this programme students should be able to demonstrate:- 6. contextual knowledge relevant to the sub-discipline(s) studied, including the relationship to wider historical, philosophical, cultural and social practices, issues and phenomena as appropriate. 7. the expression of ideas rationally and coherently, both verbally and using a variety of media, in a manner congruent with the needs and expectations of the end user and/or target audience. 8. appropriate analytical and planning techniques and technologies, as utilised in professional work environments by individuals and teams working on real world projects. 9. awareness and understanding of the cultural conventions, symbolic meanings and cognitive functioning associated with the sound and music production. Practical skills: By the end of this programme students should be able to demonstrate:- 10. the ability to show a measure of personal expression, imagination and creativity in practical music-making (whether this takes the form of performing or facilitating a performance or recording), and the ability to communicate through appropriate technical and interpretative means. 11. use of appropriate knowledge representation techniques and media technologies to actualise their ideas, in terms of having appropriate control over the form, function, and design aesthetics commonly associated with the techniques and technologies with which they have decided to work. 12. work in ways congruent with the notion of 'professionalism', where the term professionalism is used to refer to the standard of work produced, the way in which work is approached, an ability to interact and work effectively with others as part of a Page 4 of 10

5 team, and an ability to express and explain design ideas in a competent and coherent manner. 13. to find creative links between the results of personal research, psychological experimentation, scholarship, reflection and listening skills, and the act of producing or consuming music. Transferable / key skills: By the end of this programme students should be able to demonstrate:- 14. the ability to work in flexible, creative and independent ways, showing self-discipline, self-direction and self-reflexivity. 15. the organisation and management of supervised, self-directed projects and meeting deadlines. 16. effective communication in interpersonal settings, in writing, in a variety of media or in public speaking. 17. the delivery of work to a given length, format, brief and deadline, properly referencing sources and ideas and making use, as appropriate, of a problem-solving approach. 18. the use of a range of ICT skills from basic competences to more complex skills using web based technology and new media to develop, as appropriate, specific proficiencies in utilising a range of media technologies. 19. an understanding of how in creative industries individuals, or collaborative projectoriented teams, are formed, operate and complete their work. 6 Learning and Teaching Methods This programme offers equality of opportunity and widening participation through a range of learning and teaching strategies to enable inclusive and flexible student-centred learning. Many modules have a significant practical component that underpins the theoretical element. Teaching and learning on this programme will utilise a combination of the following: Demonstration Directed Learning elearning (VLE) Fieldwork A group of individual observation of the practical application of techniques either in a simulated or live environment, often but not exclusively involving the delivery of concepts of a technical failure. Similar to independent study but with an element of intervention or guidance during the learning process. Learning in which the delivery mechanism is technologically based and may be free of geographical or temporal constraints. This may include the use of mobile devices and novel forms of human computer interaction. Learning undertaken in an alternative context, location or environment from the regular learning environment which may be for an extended period and may require transport and accommodation. Page 5 of 10

6 Independent Study Lecture Practical Class Seminar Tutorial Workshop Learning which is supported by a tutor in which the subject area has been verified but for which the responsibility of acquiring of information and assimilation of conceptual material lies with the learner. Learning facilitated by the verbal delivery of information to a large group of students often supplemented with audio visual material. Learning delivered by an experienced practitioner sometimes in the form of a lecture demonstration and sometimes using students as subjects with which to explain concepts and techniques. Typically small groups of students learning through discussion or highly focused practical tasks. Often one to one or small group encounters between a tutor and student in which learning may be stimulated by a student request or maybe focused on the detail of subject matter covered in another context. Learning which is normally delivered via a practical activity in which a group of students undertake tasks under guidance related to a common theme and in the process acquire skills, techniques and conceptual understanding. a. Learning Enhancement In line with the developments within the University to enhance the students curriculum this programme offers opportunities throughout the year to be involved in institutional events at both a technical and creative level. It is not uncommon for the programme team to respond to requests for student involvements in University events, sometimes on a voluntary basis but also under the student ambassador scheme. In addition to this dbs Music are regularly called upon to provide extracurricular activities at festivals and events within the city and our students are often called upon to take advantage of these opportunities. b. e-learning As well as using online assessments on modules and interactive polling systems during face to face delivery. The experience of integrating dbs Music s approach to administering work online and providing e-portfolios within the programme is very positive. In addition to these standard practices we are looking to utilised the University s newly acquired Lync system to trial distance delivery. Materials for use in this environment are already under development and an informal poll of students suggests that this particular blend of delivery mechanisms will proved to be extremely popular. 7 Modes of Assessment The range and type of assessment activities have been selected to provide a broad range of experiences and to reflect the diverse contexts in which professional competencies are Page 6 of 10

7 demonstrated in the music industry. The assessment methods vary in emphasis from fully referenced academic writing, through production documentation to the communication of knowledge and understanding verbally, via media artefacts or through creative practice. Assessment will be in accordance with the University Undergraduate Regulations. Creative/Practical Project Evaluation Honours Project Interview / Presentation Online Assessment Portfolio Research Project A piece of creative/practical work in either music composition, music performance, lighting or sound design, video, writing, multimedia, studio production, event planning and realisation which is undertaken individually or in a group. A self reflective piece which provides a theoretical and historical context for the work A substantial piece of individual creative/practical or written work. Work toward an Honours Project may include a research proposal and draft chapter; or a production proposal including a theoretical context and a proposed production log. Formally assessed presentations or more discursive interviews on either a specific theoretical topic or practical work, sometimes undertaken in seminars/workshops by individuals or small groups of students. This may take the form of a screening/performance of practical work. Undertaking a task or series of tasks using a computer which may be time-constrained and may employ adaptive technologies. A collection of work submitted in electronic form or in hard copy. Depending on the module, a portfolio can be made up of scores, arrangements, lighting designs, event documentation etc. A detailed individual piece of research into an aspect of Music Production or a sustained practical project which is contextually grounded. All independent projects are negotiated with and supervised by an appropriate tutor. 8 Exemptions to University Regulations There are no regulations exemptions for this programme 9 Work-Based Learning / Placement Learning There are no placements on this programme Page 7 of 10

8 Level 6 Credits Semester/ Term^ C/O* Noncondonable # 10 Programme Structure Module Code Module Title %age Cours e work Assessment %age Practi cal exam LMXHP1 Honours Project X C LMXH02 Psychology of sound X C LMXH03 Innovation in sound practice X C MPRH01 Event Design and Planning X C MPRH02 Event Management and Implementation X C Key: (delete any of the following not used in table) ^ For modules delivered by semester: X = modules delivered across Semesters A and B * C = compulsory; O = optional # A indicates that the module is non-condonable on this programme. 11 Accrediting Professional Body / Professional Regulatory and Statutory Body N/A 12 Professional Advisory Group We have specifically utilised organisational membership across the subject group to support the development of this programme. These include major professional organisations such as Production Services Association (PSA), Audio Engineering Society (AES), Youth Production Network (YPN), Sound and Music, Live Algorithms for Music (LAM), Plymouth Media Partnership (PmP), Performing Rights Society (PRS), Skillset and key creative industries bodies such SWRDA. A range of external contributors to the course design in its original form have played an important part in shaping curriculum development, for what is now the stand alone top-up programme. 13 Academic Progression Opportunities Students successfully completing this programme of study to a good standard will be well equipped to continue their studies at post-graduate level in a discipline related to music production or professional practice. The development of a master s programme in Sound is currently being planned and would provide an excellent progression route for student on this programme with the motivation to extend their academic careers. 14 Employability and Career Progression Opportunities The main premise on which this programme has been developed is that the entertainment industry in general and music production in particular is populated by people who have developed portfolio careers. For the majority of people the main focus of any musical Page 8 of 10

9 event are the performers but aside from these creative opportunities within the music industry there are also a myriad other professions on which music production depends. We prepare students for careers as technologists who engineer, light and record the event through to those who organise, publicise, manage and exploit its earning potential. The programme team has a good relationship with The Youth Production Network who select our students for professional engagements with a view to kick starting their careers within the music industry and who have provided employment opportunities for past graduates. Because of the rich mix of practical and academic content in this programme we have found that students have also successfully moved into academic posts in further education establishments. 15 Support for Students and for Student Learning In addition to the support offered below at the main campus, dbs Music offer high quality music production and performance facilities which can be booked by students and also access to technical support and the centre manager to resolve any issues that might arise. They also have access to the higher education coordinator to deal with issues of a pastoral nature prior to referral to the main campus support services. Academic Advice Co-ordinator Extensive library and other learning resources and facilities Library and study skills guidance material Programme handbooks, and module guides Student Support Tutorial staff, including programme leader, module leaders and tutors, Accommodation Careers advice Chaplaincy Counselling service Disability support Financial support Nursery Welfare advice Personal Tutors Every student in the University is allocated a Personal Tutor. For those studying the Music Production programme this will usually be a member of the core teaching team. Tutors assist in evaluating student s progress and provide appropriate subject advice to support a student's area of study. Tutors will also be aware of guidance services provided by Student Support, the Library, Counsellors, Student Union and IT services. Module Tutors Support for learning and completing assessment tasks is offered by specialist academic staff or the module leader. One to one tutoring All students undertaking independent study including independent study modules and dissertations are allocated a supervisor. Students meet with their supervisor to deal with general issues related to the processes of investigation and the writing up of the independent study. This may include guidance with research methodology and reassurance and practical help with the ongoing process of research, as well as smoothing the way through crisis points in the whole process. Page 9 of 10

10 Student Support and Guidance Central Support The Music Production teaching team co-operates closely with Student Support which provides welfare and financial support, disability support, learning development and a counselling service to students. Nursery provision is available on campus. The Faculty and the Music Production programme team recognise the value of the whole student experience within Higher Education. The faculty focuses a significant amount of energy in assuring the total student experience is extended, enhanced and enriched; extended in the sense that students are prepared for the University experience, enhanced in the sense that students have a successful and enjoyable experience whilst at the University, and enriched in the sense that students are able to undertake opportunities to guide lifestyle and career aspirations alongside their studies. 16 Student Feedback Mechanisms Each semester we will hold a staff student liaison meeting. The status of actions arising from these meetings is fed back to students via Learning Space. Students are required to complete a module evaluation form at the end of each module, which are collated by the faculty office and used to inform the module reports and consequently the programme report. Because this programme is delivered under a formal partnership agreement there is at least one partnership board meeting per academic year to which the student representative is invited. 17 Other Stakeholder Feedback (i.e. graduates and employers) Periodically we create short film profiles of graduates, describing their experiences during and after the course. This is primarily as a marketing tool but also provides the programme leader with valuable feedback on the student s experience. We also received informal feedback from the YPN when students undertake work experience, highlighting strengths and weakness in both the student and their curriculum. 18 Quality and Enhancement Mechanisms The quality of the student experience and the standards of the awards are managed and quality assured, through the normal University regulations and procedures. Student achievement and progression is managed through the Module Assessment Boards (MABs) and the Progression and Award Boards (PABs). Programmes are reviewed annually through annual monitoring processes, including external examiner contributions, and incorporate student feedback mechanisms. 19 Key Information Set (KIS) Data % time in lectures, seminars and similar 30% % time in independent study 70% % coursework 92% % practical exams 8% Page 10 of 10