Teaching and Learning Resources

Transcription

1 Teaching and Learning Resources -LEVEL MEDI STUDIES FREUENTLY SKED UESTIONS Education () is a registered charity (number ) and a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (number ). Our registered address is, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX.

2 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Unit 1 Investigating Media (MEST1) Candidates will undertake a study of one or more of the cross-media topic areas across at least three different media taken from the following media platforms: Broadcasting television and radio programmes, films, advertisements, trailers and other audio/visual promotional materials. E-media websites blogs/wikis, podcasts, advertising and promotional materials, radio, television, music or film downloads, games and emerging forms Print newspapers, magazines, advertising and marketing texts Suggested cross-media topic areas: Broadcast or film fiction Documentary and hybrid forms Lifestyle Music News Sport In preparation for the 2 hour written examination. Section Section B 1 hour 15 minutes, including 15 minutes reading/viewing time four compulsory short answer questions relating to the unseen stimulus material (print, DVD or web) 48 marks 45 minutes choice of one from two essays, drawing on the cross-media study 32 marks How many products should the cross-media study use? cross-media study does not constitute the study of just one core text and one linked product in each platform. This is far too limited in scope for an S course and will not provide students with a wider understanding of the whole topic area. range of contrasting products (in terms of audience and institution) should be encouraged across the platforms thus fostering a greater understanding of the topic area at hand. Can we run a teacher-led study in class? No, centres should not be doing a teacher-led case study for Section B of MEST1, the case study must be individual. Can students link their cross-media topic to their coursework Unit 2 (MEST2)? There is nothing to prevent them from doing a cross media study (MEST1) that links to their MEST2 tasks. If a student does choose the same topic area for MEST1 Part B and MEST2 they will end up with a very narrow knowledge and experience of contemporary media. This could hamper their ability to respond to Part effectively. The link between MEST1 and MEST2 is seen to be the cross 1 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

3 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 platform context rather than the topic area. When can I find out if the MEST1 examination requires a DVD? We publish the arrangements for -level Media Studies units which have additional materials, 6 weeks prior to the examination on the -level Media Studies website under News/Updates. Can I check the DVDs prior to the examination day? No, The DVDs provided must only be opened and checked on the day of the examination, as is stated on the DVD packet label. The DVDs must be kept secure and the contents must be kept confidential. dditional support materials can be found in: 2 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

4 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Unit 2 Creating Media (MEST2) In this unit candidates will produce two linked media artefacts taken from two of the three media platforms, with a single, accompanying evaluation and pre-production materials for both pieces. Candidates need to complete a portfolio based on one of the set briefs for that examination series. When is the coursework deadline for Unit 2? The coursework deadline 15 May for the summer series. Where can I find the briefs? The briefs are published annually on 01 June on the -level Media Studies website and Secure Key Materials (SKM) via e-, one of the three available briefs is replaced after each summer series on a rolling basis. Is there a re-sit opportunity for the replaced brief? From Summer 2013, when a brief is replaced, candidates will have one opportunity to re-submit coursework on this brief in the following June series only. ll work submitted in the summer series must follow the briefs for the appropriate year. We feel that this gives all candidates an equal re-sit opportunity irrelevant of their chosen brief. Can students link their coursework Unit 2 (MEST2) to their cross-media topic (MEST1)? The productions undertaken in Unit 2 (MEST2) should be linked to the learning undertaken in Unit 1 (MEST1). Thus, the topic areas studied for Unit 1 can link to the practical work for Unit 2. Can candidates work in groups? Candidates may work in small groups (no more than four) where necessary but each candidate s contribution should be monitored and marked accordingly with supporting comments from the teacher. Where group work is undertaken, the evaluation and the majority of the pre-production materials should be original to each candidate. Do the productions have to be finished artefacts? The productions should be as fully realised as possible and represent a substantial amount of work. They account for 40% of the total S assessment and this should be reflected in the finish of the pieces rather than the length. How many pages of pre-production work should students submit? 5-6 pages (4) should be selected of the students pre-production work, to best exemplify the students ability. 3 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

5 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Can students use template web design such as those found on Youtube, Bebo and some Blog sites? No web building sites, tools or software packages are prohibited or, indeed, recommended. These on-line web builders can be very good for students with limited technical ability and stronger students can use them creatively however web building sites lead to less creative and professional looking sites simply because of the way their elements are designed - even when the templates are not used. It is ok for students to use any tools to create their web sites but given the restrictive nature of these types of tools, it should be acknowledged that they may not enable students to use and demonstrate higher level technical skills. Do the students need to take their own images/video/audio or are found images acceptable? The use of found images, copy or audio will only be acceptable where it would be impractical for the candidate to produce them for themselves and such use must be carefully acknowledged. No more than 20% of each production can consist of found material. If candidates considerably manipulate found images should they acknowledge the source? Where considerable manipulation of found images has been undertaken to the extent that candidates can claim it for their own, then the original images should be supplied to the moderator. What hardware/software do I need for -level Media Studies Coursework production? Please refer to the guidance document Resource List, available on the /teaching-and-learning-resources re the production tasks all the same in difficulty? Yes, each production task can be seen as technologically equivalent. 4 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

6 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 How should we submit the production work? When preparing practical work for submission to the moderator, please ensure the candidates work is clearly identifiable with their name, candidate number and centre number on all parts of their submission. Print work should be printed. Websites should be sent on a disc and be accessible via a standard web browser please do not send raw data files as these cannot always be accessed. It is good practice to send screen grabs of the candidates websites but this should be in addition to the electronic version of the work. Moving image work should be sent as a DVD, playable on a domestic DVD player. gain, please do not send as data/computer files as the moderator may not be able to open them. We advise that work be sent on CD/DVD and copies should be kept of all electronic work submitted. Further guidance can be found in the MEST2: Submission dvice Our students have used Mac software how do we submit the work? If a student has created work on Mac Software we would ask that they publish their website to be viewed in a web browser. For iweb you can go to File > Publish to a Folder > Save it to a CD/DVD > open index.html in your chosen browser (Mac or PC) Can candidates re-submit work for Unit 2? Yes, Candidates can re-sit the unit, having amended the work which was submitted previously (as long as the brief they responded to is still available). dditional support materials can be found in the Teaching and Learning Resources: 5 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

7 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Unit 3 Critical Perspectives (MEST3) Candidates will be given two pre-set topics for study during the year, which they will explore across one or more of the three media platforms. The pre-set topic areas are Representations in the media (last exam 2014) Identities and the Media (first exam 2015) The impact of new/digital media Candidates should carry out case studies in both pre-set topic areas in preparation for the 2 hour written examination. Section 1 hour, including 15 minutes reading/viewing time (32 marks) three compulsory questions on unseen stimulus pieces (print, DVD or web) Section B 1 hour (48 marks) one essay from a choice of four questions (two on each topic) What makes a good case study? Students need to show range in their case studies to get in to the higher levels, this can be by covering a range of platforms, but also different genres, institutions, representations, values etc. lso make sure your case studies have detailed analysis and examples. For example for YouTube a particular music artists video, a particular citizen journalist's video. This then makes it easier to bring in the other platforms. For example compare the Youtube video on a news event with how older technologies like TV news or newspaper cover the story to explain the things that the NDM version does better/worse/differently. Or for the music artist, compare with a magazine artice and compare what the NDM does better/worse/differently. How can I check if students have written a full case study? Please consult MEST3: Section B Teaching and Learning on the -level Media Studies Teacher Resource Bank, this contains an assessment grid to ensure breadth of study for Section B Case Studies. When can I find out if the MEST3 examination requires a DVD? We publish the arrangements for -level Media Studies units which have additional materials, 6 weeks prior to the examination on the -level Media Studies website. Can I check the DVDs prior to the examination day? No, The DVDs provided must only be opened and checked on the day of the examination, as is stated on the DVD packet label. The DVDs must be kept secure and the contents must be kept confidential. dditional support materials can be found in: /teaching-and-learning-resources 6 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

8 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Unit 4 Media: Research and Production (MEST4) In this synoptic unit, candidates will build on their skills from S study to investigate a media theme/text in more depth and realise a production piece reflecting this research. This unit has two sections: Critical Investigation (48 marks) 2000 words (or equivalent material presented in some other format) Linked Production Piece (32 marks) Fully realised media artefact What other formats can candidates present their critical investigation? Investigations presented in a non-written format should be equivalent to 2000 words of academic writing. For example: a DVD commentary approximately 10 minutes long (including interview, commentary on key sequence and analysis of existing material) or a wiki-based investigation of at least 4 pages (including links, analysis, comparison and visual materials). Do I have to submit the titles of MEST4 investigations to? There is no longer a formal requirement for centres to have their candidates' coursework titles approved. Each centre, will however, still have access to a designated Coursework dviser who they will be able to contact with any queries relating to the coursework unit. The specification asks that texts used are contemporary, what does this mean? For the purposes of this unit, contemporary is loosely defined as within the 5 years preceding the commencement of study of the 2 units. Should candidates wish to focus on significantly older texts they should be aware that this may make it difficult to contextualise their own production piece in relation to the contemporary media landscape. Can candidates work in a group? Groups may not consist of more than four candidates, to allow each group member sufficient opportunity to contribute. Where candidates are working in a group on a production piece they may choose to produce similar research studies or they may wish to focus on different texts, themes, issues or debates relevant to their chosen production piece. 7 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

9 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Can candidates work alone? Candidates choosing to undertake moving image work alone should be aware of the significant demands of work in this medium. How much should candidates submit? Moving image and audio work is not expected to be longer than 5 minutes. nimated or television or radio advertisements may only be 30 seconds long. Print or e-media products should be at least three pages (4) for an individual candidate, and obviously more for a group production, and must use a substantial proportion of own images. Do the students need to take their own images/video/audio or are found images acceptable? Found images are not appropriate at 2 except as additional material. Candidates choosing to work with machinima, for example, should be aware that simply choosing to re-edit existing material cannot be as highly credited as work constructed from original material. How should we submit the production work? When preparing practical work for submission to the moderator, please ensure the candidates work is clearly identifiable with their name, candidate number and centre number on all parts of their submission. Work can be submitted in a range of contemporary formats, which could include DVD, Video, Print, Website (submitted on CD/DVD), MP3/Podcast. Further guidance can be found in the MEST4: Submission dvice Our students have used Mac software how do we submit the work? If a student has created work on Mac Software we would ask that they publish their website to be viewed in a web browser. For iweb you can go to File > Publish to a Folder > Save it to a CD/DVD > open index.html in your chosen browser (Mac or PC) Can candidates re-submit work for Unit 4? Yes, Candidates can re-sit the unit, having amended the work which was submitted previously. dditional support materials can be found in: 8 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

10 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Support / Resources What IT resources are needed for -level Media Studies? What support can centres expect? are aware of the demands made on teachers. We are also aware that many teachers of Media Studies are not specialists in the area and need extra help. We post regular updates on the -level Media Studies homepage on the website See News and/or Updates section: Each centre is allocated a Coursework dviser for Unit 2/4. These advisers provide an contact point for centres for advice and support on setting, resourcing and marking internally assessed units. To find out your Coursework dviser s details you can us at mediastudies@aqa.org.uk stating your centre number and -level. We recommend that centres contact their adviser in the first instance, rather than the subject department, for help with coursework queries. When is the next round of Teacher Support/CPD meetings? You can view and book onto all of our meetings via our Courses and Events Booking Service : 9 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

11 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 Entries/Results ueries What are the entry codes for -level Media Studies? You should use the following entry codes for the units: Unit 1 Investigating Media (MEST1) Unit 2 Creating Media (MEST2) Unit 3 Critical Perspectives (MEST3) Unit 4 Media: Research and Production (MEST4) and the following codes for certification: S Media Studies (1571) -level Media Studies (2571) When do the entries need to be submitted? Entries need to be submitted by 21 March for the Summer series. Where can I find the Candidate Record Forms on the website? The form can be accessed via the -level Media Studies homepage. Click on Candidate Record Forms under uick Links, or you can use the direct link re candidates able to re-sit units? Candidates may re-sit a unit any number of times within the shelf life of the specification. The best result for each unit will count towards the final qualification. Candidates who wish to repeat a qualification may do so by retaking one or more units. The appropriate subject award entry, as well as the unit entry/entries, must be submitted in order to be awarded a new subject grade. Centres should be aware that we are currently operating a system for MEST2 where one of the three available briefs is replaced after each summer series on a rolling basis. From summer 2013 onwards, when a brief is replaced, candidates will have one opportunity to re-submit coursework on this brief in the following June series only. ll work submitted in the summer series must follow the briefs for the appropriate year. We feel that this gives all candidates an equal re-sit opportunity irrelevant of their chosen brief. My students have English as their second language. Is there any special dispensation? No. Students are marked on the quality of their written communication. Equally, the conventions of media are predominantly those of the British cultural milieu. 10 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.

12 Teaching & Learning Resources / -level Media Studies / Fs / Version 1.1 How would candidates attain a grade * for -level Media Studies? In the -level subject qualifications, grade * will be awarded to candidates achieving grade overall (ie at least 320 uniform marks) and 90% or more of the maximum uniform mark (ie at least 180 uniform marks) on the aggregate of the two 2 units. 11 Copyright 2012 and its licensors. ll rights reserved.