Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
School of Humanities
MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS & CULTURE PROGRAMME
(MCC)
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK
2015–2016
DISCLAIMER
The information in this handbook is as accurate and up-to-date as we can make it. It does not,
however, replace the entries in the University Prospectus and Calendar, which are authoritative
statements. In cases of conflict, the Prospectus and Calendar take priority. The statements of
School policy in this Handbook are made in good faith. It may, however, be necessary from
time to time to vary courses, procedures and other arrangements.
For full information on the following matters, you should look at the appropriate University
publication for the policy or rules we follow: policy on long-term disabilities (Prospectus);
examination regulations and degree assessment (Handbook and Calendar); Keele course
structure (Handbook). The web address for the Handbook is: www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/
2
Welcome to the School of Humanities
The School of Humanities is one of the Schools within the Faculty of Humanities and Social
Sciences. It consists of a large number of diverse disciplines which include the programmes:
American Studies, English and American Literatures (EALS), English, Film Studies, History,
Media, Communications and Culture (MCC), Music, and Music Technology. The School has
approximately 1500 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
American Studies, EALS, English, Film Studies, History and Media Communications & Culture
support staff are located in the Humanities School Office which is in the basement of
Chancellor’s Building, ‘B’ extension. Music and Music Technology are based in the Clock
House.
Details of the School of Humanities Head of School, MCC Programme Directors and support
staff are as follows:
Head of School:
Professor David Amigoni
Room CBB1.038 (Chancellor’s Building, ‘B’ Extension)
Telephone: 01782 (7)34119
Email: d.amigoni@keele.ac.uk
Senior School Manager:
Mrs Kath McKeown
Room: CBB0.076 (Chancellor’s Building, ‘B’ Extension)
Telephone: 01782 (7)33203
Email: k.c.mckeown@keele.ac.uk
Dr Elizabeth Poole
Joint Programme Director (semester 1)
Email: mcc.programmedirector@keele.ac.uk
Telephone: 01782 (7)34968
Dr Gary Kelsall
Joint Programme Director
Email: mcc.programmedirector@keele.ac.uk
Telephone: 01782 (7)34968
Dr Eva Giraud
Joint Programme Director (semester 2)
Email: e.giraud@keele.ac.uk
Telephone: 01782 (7)34258
Mrs Vicki Norman (Administrator)
Room: CBB0.072 (Chancellor’s Building, ‘B’ Extension)
Telephone: 01782 (7)34579
Email: v.norman@keele.ac.uk
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THE MCC PROGRAMME HANDBOOK
Media, Communications and Culture form a central part of our contemporary lives: from the way
we access the news, to the way meaning is produced in cultural forms such as television, film,
literature and music. We rely on media technology to sustain our everyday social relationships
as well as to engage in the worlds of business, politics, and international affairs. On the Media,
Communications and Culture (MCC) programme at Keele you are not simply studying the ways
in which media, communications, and culture have become central to every aspect of our lives.
You also have the opportunity to produce cultural artefacts of your own, from photography and
news production through to video and visual art. This combination of critical thinking about
media and culture, together with creative engagement in their practical production, forms the
heart of MCC at Keele. When you are taking a more theoretical module you will be invited to
consider how its content relates to the hands-on projects you will undertake. Vice-versa, when
working on the practical side, you will need to reflect on the theory that underpins your product.
MCC is an integrated, interdisciplinary programme that will provide you with both the specific
and transferable skills you need in today’s media-rich world.
INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the Media, Communications and Culture Programme in the School of Humanities.
The aim of this handbook is to give you the basic information about the School and the
undergraduate programme. It is very important that you read this handbook in your first few
days here, and keep it safe for the duration of your time at Keele, as you will need to check
details from time to time.
As you will see from the Table of Contents, this handbook provides important information on a
wide range of topics, such as course modules, assessment and students welfare. If you are
unclear about any issue in the handbook you should feel free to ask members of the academic
or office staff.
The MCC website will offer another source of information about staff, events and the
programme: www.keele.ac.uk/depts/mcc.
We very much hope you enjoy your time at Keele and that you will find the courses challenging
and stimulating.
Dr Elizabeth Poole & Dr Gary Kelsall
Programme Directors for Media, Communications and Culture
September 2015
4
CONTENTS
1. IMPORTANT DATES
7
2. STAFF
2.1
2.2
2.3
2.4
8
Staff Contact Details
Staff Roles & Responsibilities
Academic Staff Biographies, Teaching and Research
Personal Tutors
3. KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOL
3.1
The School Office
3.2
Communication
3.3
Office Hours
12
4. TEACHING ORGANISATION AND ACTIVITIES
4.1
Teaching Rooms
4.2
The University Library
4.3
The University Computer Centre
13
5. STUDENT WELFARE AND REPRESENTATION
5.1
School Safety Policy
5.2
University Policy on Disability
5.3
Notification of Long Term Disability or Personal Concern
5.4
Help with Study Skills
5.5
Student Representation & Feedback
5.6
References
5.7
Welfare Support
5.8
Complaints
5.9
Leave of Absence
5.10
Academic Appeals
5.11
Visa & Immigration
5.12
Links to University Policies & Regulations
16
6. EXPECTATIONS: WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU AND WHAT YOU CAN
EXPECT OF US
20
6.1
6.2
What the School expects of you
What you can expect of the school
7. THE MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS AND CULTURE PROGRAMME/S
7.1
7.2
7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6
7.7
7.8
7.9
7.10
21
The Degree Course: Aims and Learning Outcomes
Module Documents
Dual Honours Programme
Dual Honours First Year Structure
Dual Honours Second Year Structure
Dual Honours Third Year Structure
Single Honours Programme
Single Honours First Year Structure
Single Honours Second Year Structure
Single Honours Third Year Structure
8. MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS AND CULTURE PROGRAMME MODULES
8.1
First Year Modules
8.2
Second Year Modules
5
30
8.3
Third Year Modules
9. MODULE EVALUATION BY STUDENTS
38
10. PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS
10.1
Deadlines
10.2
Attendance and Tutorial Work
10.3
Academic Warnings
10.4
Rules for Progression to Years 2 & 3
38
11. ASSESSMENT
11.1
11.2
11.3
11.4
11.5
11.6
11.7
39
Method of Assessment
The Module Pass Mark
Examinations
Anonymous Marking for Second and Third Years
Second Marking
The External Examiners
Degree Classification
12. GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN WORK
12.1
Essay Requirements
12.2
Final Year Dissertations
12.3
Implications of Late Submission
12.4
Extenuating Circumstances
41
13. ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
13.1
Exam Regulations
13.2
Plagiarism
13.3
Proof Reading Guidance
13.4
Collusion
13.5
Ethics
43
14. THE MARKING SCHEME
14.1
The Marking Criteria for Assessment
14.2
Complaints by Students Regarding Essay or Module Marks
14.3
Release of Module Marks to Students
14.4
Re-Assessment in levels 4 & 5
14.5
Re-Assessment for level 6 Students
45
15. HOW TO DO WELL ON YOUR COURSE
15.1
Written Work
15.2
Advice on Examination Preparation and Answers
15.3
Advice on Writing Essays
15.4
Reference Guidelines
15.5
Criteria and Quality of Written Work
15.6
Using Internet Sources
15.7
Sourcing Images on the Internet
15.8
Copyright Advice
47
16. STUDENT EXCHANGE
60
17. CAREERS
60
18. POSTGRADUATE STUDY
61
HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION
62
6
FIRE ACTION
58
7
1
IMPORTANT DATES
Dates of Semesters 2015-16
Semester 1
Monday 28th September 2015 – Friday 22nd January 2016
Semester 2
Monday 25th January 2016 – Friday 10th June 2016
Christmas Vacation
Saturday 19th December 2015 – Sunday 10th January 2016
Easter Vacation
Saturday 19th March 2016 – Sunday 10th April 2016
Semester 1 University Examination Period
Monday 12th January 2016 – Friday 22nd January 2016
Semester 2 University Examination Period (Levels 4 & 5)
Monday 16th May 2016 – Friday 27th May 2016
Semester 1 Re-examinations
Monday 6th June 2016 – Friday 10th June 2016
Semester 2 Re-examinations
Monday 15th August 2016 – Friday 19th August 2016
The Teaching Timetable
You will find a copy of your personal timetable on the KLE. For any additional queries, please
consult the MCC Programme Administrator. For academic guidance please contact your
module tutors.
Essay / Project Deadlines 2015-2016
Essays and projects must be handed in at specific times. These times vary from module to
module. Details of submission times can be found in all module handbooks. It is your
responsibility to know these times and to hand in work as required. Any non-submission
must be authorised. See the policy on Extenuating Circumstances in Section 12.4.
Key University dates 2015/16: http://www.keele.ac.uk/keydates/
8
2
STAFF
The Humanities School Office is located on the basement of the Chancellor’s Building Annexe
(block B), in CBB 0.072. Please feel free to call into this office at any time if you have any nonacademic queries regarding your programme. Please familiarise yourself with the location of
this office as it is here your assessment submission will take place. MCC noticeboards, where
generic information is posted, are located on the ground floor of the Chancellor’s Building
Annexe (block B), towards the end of the corridor, on the right, just after the English Language
Offices CBB0.035 & CBB0.039. *Please note that the default communication method to all
students is by your Keele account email and / or the KLE.
2.1
OFFICE & SUPPORT STAFF
Vicki Norman (Programme
Administrator)
Mr Terry Bolam
(Technical Co-ordinator)
Sam Galantini (Technician)
CBB0.072
34579
v.norman@keele.ac.uk
MB0.09A
33492
t.bolam@keele.ac.uk
MB0.01
33495
s.a.galantini.keele.ac.uk
ACADEMIC STAFF CONTACT DETAILS
Professor Joe Andrew
CBB2.058
33291
j.m.andrew@keele.ac.uk
Dr Nick Bentley
CBB2.057
33304
n.bentley@keele.ac.uk
Dr Pawas Bisht
MB0.02
34258
p.bisht@keele.ac.uk
Dr Mark Featherstone
CBC0.014
34179
m.a.featherstone@keele.ac.uk
CKF06
33298
d.garro@keele.ac.uk
MB0.02
34258
e.giraud@keele.ac.uk
Dr Siobhan Holohan
CBC0.025
34230
s.holohan@keele.ac.uk
Dr Gary Kelsall (Programme
Director)
MB0.0.05
34968
mcc.programmedirector@keele.ac.uk
Dr Lydia Martens
CBC0.018
34215
l.d.martens@keele.ac.uk
Ms Mandy McAteer
MB0.09
33499
m.mcateer@keele.ac.uk
Dr Elizabeth Poole
(Programme Director Sem 1)
MB0.05
34968
mcc.programmedirector@keele.ac.uk
Dr Diego Garro (Study
Abroad Tutor)
Dr Eva Giraud (Programme
Director Sem 2)
2.2 STAFF ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Head of School
Co-Directors of the MCC Programme
Professor David Amigoni
Dr Elizabeth Poole (Sem1), Dr Eva
Giraud (Sem 2) & Dr Gary Kelsall
Dr Eva Giraud (Sem 1)
Dr Diego Garro
Dr David McWilliam
Examinations Officer
Study Abroad/Exchange Tutor
Convenor of Staff/Student Liaison Committee
External examiners:
Dr Paul Rixon (Roehampton University)
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2.3 ACADEMIC STAFF BIOGRAPHIES, TEACHING AND RESEARCH
Professor Joe ANDREW has been researching feminist approaches to literature and film for
the past thirty years. For much of that time, his main focus has been nineteenth-century
Russian literature. More recently, his interests have expanded into the areas in which he
teaches for MCC, the cinema. His main publications include a number of books on Russian
literature, and now, some articles on film. He is currently planning a book on Politics and the
Cinema in Russia.
Dr Nick BENTLEY studied English and History at Keele University and stayed on to do an
MA in Twentieth-Century British Fiction. I then moved to Staffordshire University to teach
English and complete a doctorate on the fiction and culture of the 1950s. He has held
lecturing posts at Birmingham University and the Open University before taking up my
current post at Keele in 2004. He is the module leader for Understanding Culture in the first
year and Postmodernism: Fiction, Film and theory in the third year. He also teaches on
modules in the English, and English and American Literature programmes.
Nick’s main research interests are in critical theory and twentieth-century literature and
culture, and more specifically in the connections between postmodernism, postcolonialism
and contemporary fiction and culture. He is also interested in the representation of
subcultures in fiction and film and would be keen to supervise postgraduate students in any
of these areas. He has published monographs on British fiction and culture in the 1950s and
contemporary British fiction, and journal articles on Julian Barnes, Zadie Smith, Colin
MacInnes, Sam Selvon and the British New Left. He is currently completing a monograph on
Martin Amis for the Writers and their Work series. Some of his recent publications include:
Contemporary British Fiction (Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2008); Radical
Fictions: The English Novel in the 1950s (Oxford: Peter Lang, 2007); and British Fiction of
the 1990s (London and New York: Routledge, 2005).
Mr Terry BOLAM is the Media, Communication and Culture Programme’s Technical Coordinator. He specialises in photography and digital media.
Dr Pawas BISHT
Pawas Bisht is a Lecturer in Media, Communications and Culture at the School of Humanities,
Keele University. His research focuses on media and cultural politics with a particular emphasis
on the dynamics of social and cultural remembrance, social movements and environmental
politics. His PhD research (2009-2013, Loughborough University) examined the remembrance
of the Union Carbide Gas Disaster in Bhopal (India), undertaking an ethnographic and multiscalar analysis of the institutional, social and personal memorialisation of the event. He is
currently developing a research project examining local level commemoration of the Great War
in the UK.
Pawas's teaching spans both media theory and media practice. He would be contributing to a
range of MCC modules including Digital Video, Creating Awareness Campaigns, Visual
Pleasures and Documentary Theory and Practice. Prior to his appointment at Keele, he held
lecturing positions at the Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University (UK) and at
the AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia (New Delhi, India). He
also currently teaches as a distance-learning tutor for the postgraduate programme in media
and communication at the University of Leicester.
Pawas is an experienced documentary film practitioner. His work has been shown on Channel
4, CNBC-TV 18 and Doordarshan (India’s national public service broadcaster) and includes
films commissioned by the United Nations Development Programme and the Global
Environment Facility.
10
Dr Mark FEATHERSTONE is a Lecturer in Sociology and in Media, Communication and
Culture. His main areas of research specialism are psychoanalysis and social and political
theory. My current work revolves around the study of utopias. He has recently published a
monograph for Routledge, entitled ‘Tocqueville’s Virus: Utopia and Dystopia in Western
Social and Political Thought’, and is currently in the process of writing another book, entitled
‘Planet Utopia’. The main objective of ‘Tocqueville’s Virus’ monograph was to explore the
relationship between utopias and dystopias in western social and political theory and explore
how theoretical conceptualisations of utopia and dystopia related to particular historical social
and political contexts.
Regarding teaching activities, Mark’s major contribution to MCC is a module called Analyzing
Culture, which considers the history of the idea of culture in social thought. Mark also leads
undergraduate options modules on globalisation, the sociology of utopia and dystopia, and
the city in social and political thought. He also contributes to core modules in classical
sociology (Marx, Weber, Durkheim), political sociology (the evolution of modernity, modern
economy, modern legal subjectivity, modern democracy), and 20th century social theory
(Simmel, Foucault, Baudrillard), on the Sociology programme. Beyond teaching at Keele, he
is Visiting Associate Professor at Ferris University, Yokohama, where he offers courses in
British Sociology, Social and Political Thought, and Globalisation to both undergraduate and
graduate students.
Dr Eva GIRAUD
Eva Giraud’s work explores the relationship between politics and digital media; she is
especially interested in the opportunities that are created, and problems that are posed, for
activists by new technologies. Her research focuses in particular on the dynamic between
on- and offline activism, with a focus on the work of environmental, anti-capitalist and animal
rights activists. More broadly she is interested in cultural theories that question and challenge
existing relationships between humans, animals and the environment. She currently
convenes first year module Understanding Culture and second year module Researching
Media, Communication and Culture, and also teaches on Making the News and the MA in
Global Media and Culture.
Dr Siobhan HOLOHAN lectures in Sociology and Media, Communications, and Culture. Her
main research concerns how identities are constructed through media channels with
particular emphasis on representations of crime and deviance. She has published a research
monograph, The Search for Justice in a Media Age, on this topic and further articles on the
idea of multiculturalism, including a piece about the implications of the legal and media
construction of the Stephen Lawrence case for race relations in the UK. Siobhan is currently
working on the idea of the confession in western society by tracing its historical development
in law, religion and culture. Her teaching covers the areas of mediated moral panics,
representations of race and class, and theories of the information society. Prior to her
appointment at Keele Siobhan held Lectureships at Loughborough University and
Staffordshire University and visiting research positions at Universities in Canada and Japan.
Dr Gary KELSALL is a Senior Lecturer and Co-Programme Director (with Dr Elizabeth Poole)
for Media, Communications and Culture. He is primarily a practitioner and works widely in the
media industry. His company produce specialist media, such as long period, networked timelapse photography and film-making, site monitoring, as well as advertisement, and corporate
productions. He has also co-produced numerous documentary programmes. His research
interests include documentary, the leisure industry, as well as the technologies and practice of
new media.
Dr Lydia MARTENS joined Keele University as Senior Lecturer in Sociology in 2006, having
previously worked at Durham University (2000-2006) and the University of Stirling (19972000). She investigates the intersections between consumption and domestic life, and has
an interest in the adult child dimension of consumer culture; gender, feminism and
consumption; mundane everyday domestic practices and products; consumer culture in late
modernity; food, kitchens, home, domestic artifacts, intergenerational relationships and
11
domestic identities. She is interested in qualitative and ethnographic research techniques,
data handling, and knows a few things about cross-tabulations and SPSS.
Her research interests focus on consumption and domestic life and she also has an
interest in qualitative research methodology, having recently completed an ESRC-funded
project in which she researched the potential of video recording in an investigation of
everyday life and practices in domestic kitchens. Her research agenda is positioned at the
intersection between consumption and domestic life. She adopts an approach informed by
feminist sociology in an attempt to develop theories of consumption and domestic life that are
more gender 'informed' and that aid an analysis of continuity and change in consumer
culture, domestic cultures and domestic identities in late modern society.
Ms Mandy McATEER studied photography at the University of Westminster and gained an
MA in Contemporary Visual Culture at Keele. Her specialist areas of practice are moving
and still image production. Her specialist subject area is notions of cultural identity, stigma,
discrimination, the visual representation of marginalised groups, and the sense of
‘otherness’. As well as working in a commercial context for clients such as Amnesty
International and Traidcraft, she has had numerous commissions for both moving imagery
and still images such as ‘Dispelling the Myths’, a video communicating issues surrounding
refugees and Asylum Seekers, ‘The Plates Project’, which culminated in an exhibition where
people were asked to express their views on issues surrounding mental health – this project
was highly commended by the Department of Health and the National Institute for Mental
Health and was cited by the Sainsbury Centre for Mental Health as a model of best practice.
She also has curated many exhibitions of other practitioners’ work.
Dr Elizabeth POOLE studied Cultural Studies at Warwick University before completing a PhD
in Mass Communications at Leicester University.
Research interests include the representation and reception of Muslims in the news
authoring ‘Reporting Islam: Media Representations of British Muslims’ I.B Tauris in 2002,
editing, with John Richardson, ‘Muslims and the News Media’ I B Tauris in 2006 and coauthoring (with Professor Kim Knott, Lancaster) ‘Media Portrayals of Religion and the
Secular Sacred’ (2013) based on a recently completed AHRC research project. She has
recently concluded a project with Dr Siobhan Holohan (Keele) for the Institute of Strategic
Dialogue; ‘Muslims in the European Mediascape’. Other teaching and research interests
include ethnicities, news, digital media and audiences.
2.4
PERSONAL TUTORS
Your Personal Tutor is a first point of contact for general guidance on academic and career
development and, in consultation with yourself, may refer you to specialist academic support
services within the University. Your Personal Tutor can also provide advice, support and
general guidance on non-academic issues or, again, in consultation with yourself refer you to
pastoral support services within the University, where necessary.
Every student is allocated a Personal Tutor at the very beginning of their studies and he or she
will normally meet with you on a one-to-one basis to discuss your academic development
throughout your time at Keele. Where possible, you will have the same Personal Tutor
throughout your studies. Arrangements will be made for you to meet your Personal tutor during
your first few days at Keele. You must attend scheduled meetings with your Personal Tutor as
required.
You must ensure that you notify your Personal Tutor promptly if you are having academic,
health or personal problems that are affecting your academic work and must be an active
participant in finding a solution to the problem. Your Personal Tutor’s contact details are
available through eVision. If you wish to meet up with your Personal Tutor outside their
scheduled meetings, you should make an appointment with them directly or consult them during
their office hours. Students are entitled to change their personal tutor, with good reason.
Contact the School Office for information.
12
You can find the University’s Code of Practice for Personal Tutoring at:
Undergraduate Personal Tutoring Handbook
SAM:
If you need information outside of University opening times or when you’re not on campus, you
can also access information and guidance at any time via SAM, our innovative new virtual
student advisor offering help on a range of topics on life at Keele at isam.keele.ac.uk.
3
KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH THE SCHOOL
3.1
The School Office, CBB0.072, is located in the Chancellors Building Annexe and is the
main channel of communication between the School and students outside of teaching. In
particular it will deal with all administrative matters, such as essay submission and enquiries.
Before making enquiries with office staff, please make sure that the information you need is not
displayed on the KLE or is not easily available elsewhere.
3.2
COMMUNICATION
The School and other University services will contact you intermittently with important
information related to your studies. The primary channel for communication will be your
Keele email address. It is expected that you will check your Keele email regularly, and
you are responsible for reading University emails and taking action if appropriate. (please note
that we will only communicate with your Keele email and not with any other personal email addresses you may have). The secondary channel for communication is through the post
so please ensure that you keep your address details up-to-date on SCIMS.
E-VISION
E-Vision provides an opportunity to:
● View your current and previous module marks
● View and update your personal information and contact details
● Request a course change
● View your credit requirements
● View your absence record
● Re-register for your course each year
You can access eVision through the student Login on the Keele homepage. eVision is then
accessible through ‘The Office’ tab.
THE KLE
The Keele Learning Environment (KLE) used by Keele to provide every member of staff and
each student with a personal teaching and learning workspace that can be accessed through
the Internet.
It gives students access to information, activities and resources associated with the modules
they are studying. These might include, for example, lecture notes and slide sets, pictures and
other material together with interactive features such as discussion groups.
You should regularly access the KLE, ideally on a daily basis, since it provides the most
accurate and up-to-date information with regard to your MCC modules.
Online help for the KLE can be found here: http://www.keele.ac.uk/klehelp/
13
HIGHER EDUCATION ACHIEVEMENT REPORT (HEAR)
At the end of your studies, the HEAR will provide you with a comprehensive record of all your
university achievements, including some of your co-curricular activities, both during and upon
completion of your academic studies at Keele. It is an extended academic transcript and will
contain detailed information about your learning and achievements and, along with your degree
certificate, will support applications for employment and further study.
HEARs will be issued to all undergraduate degree students studying at Keele and graduating
from July 2014 onwards, currently excluding students studying for a Medical degree or a PostRegistration Nursing degree. Keele is working in partnership with Gradintel to produce your
HEAR. You will receive a registration email from Gradintel during your studies at Keele and
must complete your registration with them so you can access your HEAR. Your HEAR is a
digitally signed document and when logged into Gradintel you can share your HEAR with
employers, employment agencies or other universities.
For more information on what will appear in your HEAR, and the benefits of having one, please
visit http://www.keele.ac.uk/hear/.
3.3
OFFICE HOURS
Teaching staff hold office hours, during which time they are free to see students without prior
appointment. The details of these are found on individual tutors’ office doors. If you wish to
make an appointment outside these times, then you should make an arrangement via email.
4.
TEACHING ORGANISATION AND ACTIVITIES
4.1
TEACHING ROOMS
Lectures and seminars for the modules you take will be held in many different teaching rooms
on the campus. Information regarding their location and times is posted on the KLE. Lectures,
seminars and tutorials normally begin at five minutes past the hour and end at five minutes to
the hour, giving you 10 minutes between classes. Please ensure that you are punctual.
4.2
THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
The University Library’s mission is to provide effective access to all forms of academic
information in support of the University's teaching, learning and research.
We have two Library sites, the main Campus Library and the Health Library at the University
Hospital of North Staffordshire (UHNS). We offer over 1,100 study spaces and extensive
opening hours - the Campus Library is open 24/7 during semester and the Health Library seven
days a week all year (except bank holidays). Students can work in a variety of study
environments, ranging from group to silent study, and can also book rooms for either purpose.
There’s also a refreshment area in the Campus Library, and WiFi access is available on both
our sites.
Our academic collections are provided both online and in print. We subscribe to around 20,000
e-journals, 300,000 e-books and have over 600,000 items on our shelves. Students can access
many reading lists online, and our "Catalogue Plus" service can be used to find relevant
information both in print and online via a single easy-to-use web catalogue. Books can normally
be borrowed for two weeks, one week or one day, depending on demand for the title. Students
can get help from our staff at the Library’s InfoPoint, and throughout the year. Liaison Librarians
provide an extensive range of training tailored to help students with their research and
information skills.
Find out more about our services from our website: http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/.
14
Accessing e-journals off campus - Access to Keele's e-resources is through your Keele
username and password. When you reach the journal home page look out for a link called
“institutional log-in” or "Shibboleth log-in", select the UK Federation and then Keele University
and log in using your IT Account username and password (the log-in you use to access the
Campus network) when you reach the usual yellow Keele log-in screen.
Visit http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/support/access/ for more information, including our Offcampus Access Step by Step guide and a series of short you-tube videos to assist with offcampus log-ins to each individual publisher.
ELECTRONIC RESOURCES
Many of the Library’s resources are available electronically via the web. These can be
accessed anywhere you have an internet connection.
For new students we have an online induction for the Campus Library which includes videos
and short pieces of information about Library resources and services. This can be linked to
using the following URL:
http://prezi.com/x2i4c01arr1b/?utm_campaign=share&utm_medium=copy&rc=ex0share
Library Essentials Guide:
http://repository.keele.ac.uk:8080/intralibrary/open_virtual_file_path/i111n471666t/Library%20E
ssentials_2013_DRAFT7%20(1).pdf
Athens
In order to be able to use most of the electronic resources at home you will need an Athens
username and password. You can find details of your personal Keele Athens account on your
Keele email. Information about your Keele email and access to the university network will be
included in your enrolment pack.
Electronic Journals
Journals, magazines and periodicals are an excellent source of up-to-date information, and
information on specialised topics. The Library gives you access to over 14,000 journals
electronically. More details of how to search these can be found on the Library website under
electronic resources.
Bibliographic Databases
These online databases allow you to search for items on a particular topic. They mostly index
journal references, but many also include other material such as books, book chapters,
conference papers and theses. They provide a full reference and in some cases a link to the
full text. To find databases in your subject area you can check the subject pages on the Library
website, or ask for further help at the library enquiries desk.
Useful links:
The Library Catalogue Plus: http://encore.keele.ac.uk
E-journals A-Z: http://sfxhosted.exlibrisgroup.com/keele/az
Refworks (log-in and guides/workbooks): http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/find/refworks/
Subject Resource pages: http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/find/subject/
User guides and helpsheets for various resources (including ebooks):
http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/support/userguides/
15
Information about off-campus access to online resources:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/support/access/
Contacting your Liaison Librarian or booking an appointment with them:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/support/liaisonlibrariansupport/
Details of Library training sessions and inductions available for students to book on to:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/library/support/train/
4.3
THE UNIVERSITY COMPUTER CENTRE
The University has a number of computer labs, which you can use. There are leaflets available
that describe the facilities on offer. Essays and dissertations must be submitted in typed form.
When you register as a student here, you are also registered as a computer user, and given a
user name and a password. Do keep this information safe.
The most useful facilities are:
(i)
Word Processing and printing: essays must be word-processed. Be sure to manage your
time carefully, and, in particular print out your work some time in advance of the date it is
due for submission, since queues for the printer can get very long around deadline dates.
Essays must be submitted to the electronic plagiarism detection system (called Turnitin),
as well as in hard copy.
(ii) Internet: all modules in MCC make use of the Internet where a great deal of information is
available
IT SERVICES
IT Services are responsible for your IT systems and networks throughout the University. Our
services include the wireless network, printing service, IT Suite and Labs, Laptop Loan
and Laptop repair service. We provide help and advice using Keele systems such as the
Keele Learning Environment, eVision, office software or Google Mail and Aps and
advice when connecting to the wireless network (eduroam).
Remember when using Keele University IT systems that you are bound by the IT Conditions of
Use, a link which can be found on www.keele.ac.uk/it. It is important that you familiarise
yourself with these to ensure that you use the systems within the terms of the
Acceptable Use Policy.
Keep yourself safe whilst online:● Make sure that before connecting to the network your antivirus, web browser and
operating system are all up to date.
● Protect your personal information; secure your account by changing your
password to something that is memorable but secure, a combination of capital and
lowercase letters.
● Ensure that your online presence, particularly in social media, has the security
set to a level you are comfortable with.
● If you receive an email or message that sounds too good to be true you are
probably best deleting it. Do not give out personal information to a non-accredited
website or link.
If in doubt about staying safe whilst online check with someone you can trust like IT Services.
The IT Service Desk is the first point of call for anything IT related it is based in the campus
Library and IT Services building and is open 7 days per week throughout the Semester.
16
For further information regarding our services, or to report a problem or seek advice
please visit: www.keele.ac.uk/it
5.
STUDENT WELFARE AND REPRESENTATION
5.1
SCHOOL SAFETY POLICY
The School Health and Safety Officer is Mrs Kath McKeown. She oversees all matters relating
to health and safety within the School and is responsible for periodic inspections of teaching
rooms and offices. Any concerns about health or safety should be reported in the first instance
to her and she will take them up with the University Health and Safety Officer. The MCC Safety
Policy is reviewed annually.
5.2
UNIVERSITY POLICY ON DISABILITY
A statement of university policy on disability can be found at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/hrss/equalitydiversity/
5.3
NOTIFICATION OF LONG-TERM DISABILITY OR PERSONAL CONCERN
If you have a persistent medical disability (such as dyslexia, diabetes or impaired sight or
hearing) or any enduring personal problem (such as family illness), which is likely to
disadvantage your work and/or attendance, the School will be informed in order to make any
necessary adjustments (such as a need for large print in examinations and module
documentation). The Disability Officer will inform your module tutors, though you may wish to
speak to them yourself, to ensure that we take appropriate action. You have our assurance that
any confidences will be kept. Our aim is to ensure that you maximise both your academic
capabilities and enjoyment of the course.
5.4
HELP WITH STUDY SKILLS
Tutors are there to support and encourage your learning and you are encouraged to use the
tutor’s office hours for this purpose. Please see:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/sll/aboutus/gettingintouch/ See also Section 15 in this Handbook.
5.5
STUDENT REPRESENTATION & FEEDBACK
Student feedback is important at Keele and there are a number of opportunities for you to get
involved. You are also encouraged to speak with staff informally if you have any suggestions for
improvements or to seek advice regarding issues with your programme.

StAR’s (Student Academic Representatives)
All students have the opportunity to stand for election as a StAR, representing the views of
other students on their programme. StARs gather feedback and attend Staff-Student Liaison
Committees (SSLCs) to discuss items raised by students and developments to the programme.
It is an important role, which is recognised by being HEAR-recordable. There are even StARs
awards each year to celebrate the achievements of those who have gone above and beyond
the standard duties of a StAR. Look out for further information publicised by KeeleSU, including
details of elections, which are held online at the start of the year. More information can be found
here: http://keelesu.com/activities/stars/
17

Staff/Student Liaison Committee (SSLC).
At the beginning of each session representatives from all three years are elected to the School
This meets at least once a semester, and provides an opportunity to discuss matters raised by
students, and matters on which the School wishes to seek student views. Do consult the draft
code of conduct for student representatives at
http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/aa/qao/qamanual/staffstudentliaison.htm. Students who are not
members of the SSLC can place an item on the Agenda by contacting their representatives or
by contacting the Convenor Professor Joe Andrew. The names of student representatives, and
the dates, agendas and minutes of SSLC meetings are placed on the KLE and noticeboards.

Careers and Employability
Whilst starting a career may seem a long way into the future, the Careers and Employability
Service offers an excellent source of information and support for students throughout their
Keele experience (and beyond). If at any stage you want to get your CV looking great or are
uncertain of what to do after you graduate then get in touch with them and talk things through.
Visit: http://www.keele.ac.uk/careers/ or pay them a visit in the Library, where they are based.
To find out more about all of the services above go to www.keele.ac.uk/studentservices
5.6
REFERENCES
It is very likely that you will want to ask individual members of staff to act as referees for you,
especially in connection with job applications. You must ask the member of staff whether he or
she is happy to write you a reference before giving their name. If we are able to help you in this
way, it is also useful to know about the applications you are making and any extra-curricular
activities you are engaged in.
5.7
WELFARE SUPPORT
There may be times when you have questions or difficulties. If the question arises from a
lecture, ask the lecturer at the end of the lecture. Otherwise ask the tutor in charge of your
seminar group. If the difficulty is of a more general nature relating to a particular module, see
the relevant module co-ordinator. If your work is being affected by uncertainties over your
progress or personal problems of any sort we urge you to see your personal tutor. The School
has no wish to intrude into your life outside class, but if it is to be as supportive as it can be
when students are passing through a difficult patch, it does need to be aware of genuine
difficulties — if only because otherwise it might mistakenly think that a student was not really
trying. We, of course, have a responsibility to respect confidences made to us in such
circumstances.
Whilst we know that you will have a great experience at Keele, there are likely to be times when
you need support, advice or just somebody to talk to. At Keele there are specialist and
professional student support and wellbeing services and staff who are in place to offer such
support when and if you need it.
Take the time now, to familiarise yourself with these services, and if at any point you feel like
you need some help or want somebody to talk to then don’t hesitate to ask, that's what we are
here for.
Student Services Centre - The Student Services Centre should be your first stop for Academic
advice, Exams Information, timetabling queries, Electives information, Money Support, Support
in Accommodation, Disability and Dyslexia Support, International Student Support, Critical
Incident Support, and Personal Issues, i.e. Bullying, Homesickness etc.. Staff in the Centre are
experienced in dealing with a wide range of issues and will work with you to resolve any issues
or concerns that you have at any point during your time here at Keele.
18
Visit: http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentservices
Student Wellbeing - Your wellbeing is of paramount importance to us. As such we ask that
should you need to, that you talk to us but also engage with the Counselling and Mental Health
Support service. The team of trained and specialist professionals are all committed to providing
effective, sensitive support and specifically understand the challenging experiences that
students and young people often face.
http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentcounselling/
Advice and Support at Keele (ASK)
Located on the ground floor of KeeleSU, ASK delivers independent advice on a whole range of
issues, including academic, health, family, wellbeing, accommodation, finance, legal,
international and employment. The advice and support that ASK offers is free, confidential, nonjudgemental and impartial. Our trained Education and Welfare Advisors are here to help, just
ASK. For more information, please visit www.keelesu.com/advice or come and see us between
Mon-Fri 10.00am to 12.30pm and 1.00pm to 4.00pm.
Keele Mentors Scheme
Staff within Student Support also co-ordinate the Keele Mentors Scheme, which is open to all
new students. For more information about Keele Mentors and to sign up online go to:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/keelementors/.
5.8
COMPLAINTS
A complaint is the expression of a specific concern about the provision of a service, either
academic or non-academic, by the University. An informal complaint should initially be
addressed to the member of staff who is most directly concerned with the issue; if the problem
is explained to them they can often provide an immediate explanation or solution. If you are
dissatisfied with the response, or do not feel able to approach the member of staff, you may
submit a formal written complaint. A complaint may be submitted up to three months after
graduation or withdrawal but you are encouraged to submit a complaint as close as possible to
the event concerned so that an appropriate resolution can be sought if the complaint is upheld.
For further information on how to submit a complaint please refer to the guidance and
regulations which can be found on the website at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/governance/disciplinecomplaintsgrievancesappeals/studentcomplai
nts/
5.9
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
If you feel you need a break from your course it is possible to take a period of leave of absence.
A leave of absence would normally be for either a semester or a year. You would need to have
a reason for taking this break; reasons the University will consider when granting a leave of
absence include maternity, personal problems including bereavement, financial difficulties, work
placement or to change course.
It is important to speak to your Personal Tutor or another member of staff in your School(s)
about taking a leave of absence, as taking a break can affect your funding, and, if you are an
international student, your visa and right to remain in the UK. Further information about leave
of absence can be found here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/ssds/changeofcircumstances/takingaleaveofabsence/
19
5.10 ACADEMIC APPEALS
Your final module marks, and your eventual degree classification, are confirmed by a Board of
Examiners. It may be possible, in exceptional circumstances, to appeal against the outcome
using the Academic Appeals process. The reason for your appeal must be based on one of the
following:
● A procedural irregularity in the conduct of the assessment
● Extenuating circumstances (providing that the Board of Examiners were not already
aware of them, that evidence can be provided to support them, and that there is a valid
reason for not notifying the Board at an earlier stage)
For more information, please visit http://www.keele.ac.uk/appeals/
5.11 VISAS AND IMMIGRATION
Any student who requires a visa to be in the UK or who has been granted a Tier 4 Student Visa
is bound by the Immigration rules. These rules also apply to students who need to extend their
visa to complete their course with Keele University.
The rules and requirements regarding your visa to study at Keele are very strict and you must
make sure that you do not accidentally break them. The University is duty bound to report to the
Home Office - UK Visas and Immigration on students who do not adhere to the rules, which will
result in their Visa being cancelled.
Examples on what is reported include (note: this is not an inclusive list):
● students who do not attend their classes, supervisory meetings and checkpoints;
● students who do not pay their Fees on time;
● students who do not make satisfactory progress in their course;
● students who do not provide documentation when requested by the University;
● students who do not keep their UK contact address up-to-date;
● students that take a leave of absence or intermit from their studies;
● students who leave Keele University during their course;
● students that exceed the working limits as stated in their visa;
● students that withdraw or are withdrawn from their studies.
To note, these requirements are subject to change in line with the Immigration Law and the
requirements on sponsors by the Home Office - UK Visas and Immigration, formally the UKBA.
For more information please refer to the immigration pages on the Keele University web site:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/international/afteryouapply/prepareforkeele/visasandimmigration/
5.12 LINKS TO UNIVERSITY POLICIES AND REGULATIONS
Student Charter: http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentcharter/ - the Charter sets out what you can
expect of the University and our expectations of you.
Student-related regulations:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/universityr
egulations/student-relatedregulations/
Student Discipline procedures: http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentdiscipline/
Regulations on examinations and assessments: http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation8/
Key University dates: http://www.keele.ac.uk/keydates/
University Policy on Late Submission of Assessed Work:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/academicadministration/policies/lateandfailuretosubmitwrittenwork/
20
6.
EXPECTATIONS: WHAT WE EXPECT OF YOU AND WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT
OF US
One function of this handbook is to ensure that you have as clear an understanding as possible
of what the School expects of you, and what you should expect of the programme. This section
attempts to draw the various threads together in a single set of statements.
6.1
WHAT THE SCHOOL EXPECTS OF YOU
1.
That you will attend all tutorials or seminars (which are compulsory elements of
the programme) and examinations or, if unable to do so for good reason, see
that an adequate explanation reaches the tutor. This is especially important if
you are due to make a class presentation.
That you will attend lectures. If you do miss a lecture then you should take the
steps to familiarise yourself with the ground covered in that lecture.
That you will submit all written work by the required date and time, unless you
provide certified extenuating circumstances for lateness.
That you will not plagiarise, collude or cheat in any way (See section 13 on
plagiarism).
That you will fully prepare for any tutorial presentation you are required to make.
That you will come to tutorials, seminars and workshops prepared to discuss the
set topic or topics and be an active participant.
That you will acquire such basic textbooks as may be prescribed for your
courses.
That, in addition to meeting formal assignments, you will read widely around the
subject.
That you will check the KLE and your email account regularly for any
announcements that may affect you. 10. That you will respond promptly to
communications from the School.11. That if you are experiencing difficulties
which are affecting your work, you will inform either your personal tutor or the
tutor in charge of your group, so that the School can discuss the situation with
you in a supportive and confidential manner.
That you will inform the School Office of any change of postal address, email or
phone number.
That you treat the office and academic staff courteously at all times.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
12.
13.
6.2
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT OF THE SCHOOL
That it will keep you as fully informed as possible about your progress.
That if your progress at any time gives rise to concern, the School will not only
warn you clearly about these inadequacies but will offer its best guidance on how
the situation may be remedied.
That lectures, seminars and workshops will be held as advertised, with any
alterations being notified as early and as fully as possible.
That in all its modules the School will at all times do its best to ensure that both
the nature of the modules and their delivery reflect high professional standards
and the current state of knowledge.
That you will be given full details of the modules you will be taking.
That you will be notified clearly of the assessments you have to undertake for
each module.
That work that you hand in for assessment will be marked and returned to you
promptly — provided you yourself have met the deadline. Speed of return will
inevitably vary with the volume of work that an individual tutor has to mark, but
the School’s aim is to have work marked and available for collection within three
teaching weeks. Your tutor will inform you of a time when you can personally
collect your assessed work and receive feedback. Failing that you can collect
work from the filing cabinets located next to the School Office. Where an
21
examination follows submission of an essay, the School aims to have essays
marked and available before the examination.
That all work will be given a mark and sufficient commentary so that you will
be able to understand why it has received that mark, together with any pointers
that may help you to achieve better marks subsequently.
That the School will provide you with guides to reading and preparing for tutorial
and essay preparation.
That, subject to the availability of resources, the School will use its best
endeavours to see that adequate material of an appropriate level is available for
all seminars, workshops and essay topics in the University Library.
That the School will give serious attention, subject to availability of resources, to
your suggestions or complaints, when channelled through either the appropriate
tutor or the Staff-Student Liaison Committee.
That tutors will be responsive and supportive if you should have problems, once
they have been acquainted with them.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
7.
THE PROGRAMME IN MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS AND CULTURE
7.1
THE DEGREE COURSE: AIMS AND LEARNING OUTCOMES
The aims of the undergraduate programme in MCC are:
 To create and provide undergraduate programmes that are challenging, coherent, up to
date and of a high standard
 To provide curricula that are supported by scholarship and staff research
 To offer a course which relates the study of Media, Communications and Culture to
matters of contemporary public interest
 To assist students to think critically about ideas, processes and institutions involved in
media and communication
 To encourage the development of a range of transferable skills that will be of use to
students and their employers in their future careers.
 To give students the opportunity to reflect on their learning and make use of constructive
feedback from their teachers.
The intended learning outcomes for the undergraduate programme in MCC are:
Knowledge and Understanding - after completion of the course students will be able:







Show an understanding of the roles of communication systems, modes of
representations and systems of meaning in the ordering of societies
Be familiar with particular media forms and genres and the way these work to affect
meaning
Reveal an awareness of the role of technology in media production, and the ability to
use such technology in the creation of media forms
Have an appreciation of the complexity of the term ‘culture’, and a historically-informed
knowledge of how our understanding of culture has changed and developed
Show an understanding of and reflection upon his/her own creative processes and
practice through engagement in media production
Present his/her awareness of the ways in which identities are constructed and contested
through engagement with culture
Be aware of the economic and political forces that influence and affect the creative
industries
Subject-Specific skills - after completion of the course students will be able:

Understand forms of communication, media and culture as they have emerged
22




historically and appreciate the processes through which they have come into being, with
reference to social, cultural and technological change
Be able to evaluate and apply theoretical, methodological and practical approaches to
the study of the media and culture, and their communication
Consider and evaluate their own work in a reflexive manner, with reference to relevant
historical or contemporary debates and conventions
Produce work showing competence in operational aspects of media production
technologies, systems, techniques and professional practices
Initiate, develop and realise creative work within various media forms
Intellectual skills - after completion of the course students will be able:




Analyse closely, interpret, and show the exercise of critical judgement in the
understanding of media forms
Engage critically with major debates, paradigms and conventions within the fields of
media, communications and culture and put them to productive use
Show substantial and detailed knowledge and understanding in one or more specific
areas of the field
Understand the processes through which forms of media, communication and culture
have come into being and developed through time, with specific reference to social,
cultural and technological change
Transferable skills - after completion of the course students will be able:





7.2
Be able to work co-operatively with others on common tasks, while also developing a
capacity for the organisational skills involved in working independently
Manage time, personnel and resources effectively, by drawing on planning and
organisational skills
Gather, organise and deploy ideas and information in order to formulate arguments
cogently, and express them effectively in written and/ or oral form
Become effective and informed actors in our mediated world, as both citizens and
consumers
Carry out various forms of research for sustained projects whether critical or creative
MODULE DOCUMENTS
For each module you are provided with a handbook that contains the following information:






A module description, which summarises the module and sets out the aims and
objectives of the module.
Details of the teaching and assessment methods.
A study programme that will incorporate either a detailed list of all lecture titles, and/ or
the arrangement of seminar topics. Where appropriate, tutorial or workshop topics may
also be given along with suggested issues for discussion.
A reading list for each lecture/topic, which will distinguish, where appropriate, whether
the reading is essential, further or introductory and whether material is available in the
University Library.
Clear information about assessment methods and deadlines.
Additional information and reminders about bibliographies, referencing, examinations
and so on.
(For credit weighting, prerequisites and excluded combinations, where relevant, please consult
the Student Handbook issued by the University).
23
7.3.
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE – DUAL HONOURS
In the First Year of the Media, Communications and Culture Programme you must complete two
compulsory, or core, modules: Mediated World, and Digital Video and two further electives in
each semester. Of the Elective modules, Understanding Culture, The Photographic Message
and Scripting for Short Films are MCC modules, popular British Cinema, Reading Film, Mass
Media in AmericaFilm Texts & Contexts, Introduction to European Cinema and Modernity and
its Dark Side are run by other programmes but approved by MCC.
7.4
LEVEL 4 IN MCC
All 15 Credit Modules
SEMESTER 1, AUTUMN 2015
SEMESTER 2, SPRING 2016
CORE MODULE
MDS-10008
Mediated World
CORE MODULE
MDS-10009
Digital Video
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-10011
The Photographic Message
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-10010
Understanding Culture
MDS-10015
Scripting for Short Films
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-10002
Film Texts & Contexts: History & Theory (Film
Studies)
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-10001
Reading Film (Film Studies)
FIL-10003
Popular British Cinema (Film Studies)
FIL-10004
Introduction To European Cinema (Film Studies)
SOC-10013
Modernity And Its Dark Side (Sociology)
PIR 10048
Mass Media in America: If It Bleeds It Leads
(Spire)
You will also be taking modules from your other principal subject and may opt for different elective
modules, though we recommend that you select The Photographic Message and
Understanding Culture because these will help you develop skills you will need at Level 5.
For more information about choosing modules visit the Electives Website:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/undergraduate/electives/
Seminar Groups
You should consult your timetable to see which tutorial groups you are assigned to and the
times and locations of your group meetings. You are reminded that tutorial attendance is
compulsory in all Programmes.
Lectures
Some modules have 10-12 lectures which you should ensure you attend. Please consult the
KLE for times and locations.
Marks obtained in the first year do not count towards your final degree result, but you must pass
these modules – after re-assessment if necessary – in order to continue your studies.
24
7.5
LEVEL 5
All 15 Credit Modules
SEMESTER 1, AUTUMN 2015
SEMESTER 2, SPRING 2016
CORE MODULE
MDS-20023
Creating Awareness Campaigns
CORE MODULE
MDS-20019
Analysing Culture
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-20005/20006
Study Abroad
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-20007/20008
Study Abroad
MDS-20020
Making The News
MDS-20018
Thinking Photography
MDS-20024
Teenage Dreams: Youth Cultures in
Fiction, Film & Theory
MDS-20028
Seoul Summer School (study takes place in
semester 3 of year 1)
MDS-20028
Seoul Summer School (takes place in sem
3 of year 1)
MDS-20032
Documentary, Theory & Practice
MDS-20031
Researching Media, Communications And
Culture
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-20003
French Cinema (Film Studies)
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-20001
Gender & The Cinematic Gaze (Film
Studies)
FIL-20010
Film Texts & Contexts ll: Contemporary Global
Cinema (Film Studies)
FIL-20004
Politics & The Cinema (Film Studies)
SOC-20051
Race, Racism & Resistance (Sociology)
FIL-20005
Science Fiction Cinema: Utopias &
Dystopias (Film Studies)
ENG-20036
Twentieth Century Novels (English)
MUS- 20047
Unheard Melodies (Music)
The table above provides an overview of the structure of the second year. MCC students take
two core modules, one in each semester, and two elective modules. A list of elective modules
will be published towards the end of your first year.
25
7.6
LEVEL 6
SEMESTER 1 – SEMESTER 2
OPTIONAL CORE MODULES
MDS-30011 Dissertation (Isp) In Media Communications & Culture (30 Credits)
OR
MDS-30013 Sustained Media Practice (30 Credits)
OPTIONAL CORE MODULE / PROGRAMME ELECTIVE
MDS-30018 (15 credits)
Work Experience In MCC
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
OPTIONAL CORE MODULES / PROGRAMME
ELECTIVES
OPTIONAL CORE MODULES / PROGRAMME
ELECTIVES
MDS-30017 (15 Credits)
Visual Pleasures: From Carnival To Disney
MDS-30012 (15 Credits)
Creative Magazine Production
MDS-30016 (15 Credits)
Seoul Summer School (study takes place in sem
3 of year 2)
OPTIONAL CORE / APPROVED ELECTIVE
MODULES
OPTIONAL CORE / APPROVED ELECTIVE
MODULES
FIL-30001 (15 Credits)
British Society Through The Eyes Of British Film:
1960s To The Present (Film Studies)
FIL-30006 (15 Credits)
Representing The Self, Family & Society On
Contemporary British & American Television (Film
Studies)
FIL-30004 (15 Credits)
British Women Directors (FILM)
FIL-30005 (15 Credits)
Parody In British Film & Television
SOC-30031 (15 Credits)
Virtual Revolution: New Technologies, Culture
And Society (Sociology)
SOC-30033 (15 Credits)
Celebrity (Sociology)
SOC-30032 (15 Credits)
Home, Belonging & Material Culture (Sociology)
SOC-30042 (15 Credits)
Moving People: Migration Emotion & Identity
(Sociology)
26
7.7
PROGRAMME STRUCTURE – SINGLE HONOURS
In the First Year of the Single Honours Media, Communications and Culture Programme you
must complete four compulsory, or core, modules: Mediated World, The Photographic
Message, Digital Video and Understanding Culture, and two further electives in each semester.
Of the Elective modules.
7.8
LEVEL 4
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
CORE MODULES
MDS-10008
Mediated World
CORE MODULES
MDS-10009
Digital Video
MDS-10011
The Photographic Message
MDS-10010
Understanding Culture
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-10015
Scripting for Short Films
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-10002
Film Texts & Contexts: History & Theory (Film
Studies)
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-10001
Reading Film (Film Studies)
FIL-10004
Introduction To European Cinema (Film Studies)
FIL-10003
Popular British Cinema (Film Studies)
SOC-10013
Modernity And Its Dark Side (Sociology)
PIR 10048
Mass Media in America: If It Bleeds It Leads
(Spire)
Seminar Groups
You should consult your timetable to see which tutorial groups you are assigned to and the
times and locations of your group meetings. You are reminded that tutorial attendance is
compulsory in all Programmes.
Lectures
Some modules have 10-12 lectures which you should ensure you attend. Please consult the
KLE for times and locations.
Marks obtained in the first year do not count towards your final degree result, but you must pass
these modules – after re-assessment if necessary – in order to continue your studies.
27
7.9
LEVEL 5
All 15 Credit Modules
SEMESTER 1, AUTUMN 2015
SEMESTER 2, SPRING 2016
CORE MODULES
MDS-20023
Creating Awareness Campaigns
CORE MODULES
MDS-20019
Analysing Culture
MDS-20031
Researching Media, Communications And
Culture
MDS-20032
Documentary, Theory & Practice
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-20005/20006
Study Abroad
MDS-20020
Making The News
MDS-20024
Teenage Dreams: Youth Cultures in
Fiction, Film & Theory
PROGRAMME ELECTIVES
MDS-20007/20008
Study Abroad
MDS-20018
Thinking Photography
MDS-20028
Seoul Summer School (study takes place in
semester 3 of year 1)
MDS-20028
Seoul Summer School (takes place in sem
3 of year 1)
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-20003
French Cinema (Film Studies)
APPROVED ELECTIVES
FIL-20001
Gender & The Cinematic Gaze (Film
Studies)
FIL-20010
Film Texts & Contexts ll: Contemporary Global
Cinema (Film Studies)
FIL-20004
Politics & The Cinema (Film Studies)
SOC-20051
Race, Racism & Resistance (Sociology)
FIL-20005
Science Fiction Cinema: Utopias &
Dystopias (Film Studies)
ENG-20036
Twentieth Century Novels (English)
MUS- 20047
Unheard Melodies (Music)
The table above provides an overview of the structure of the second year. Single Honours MCC
students take four core modules, two in each semester, and two elective modules. A list of
elective modules will be published towards the end of your first year.
28
7.10
LEVEL 6
SEMESTER 1 – SEMESTER 2
OPTIONAL CORE MODULES
MDS-30011 Dissertation (Isp) In Media Communications & Culture (30 Credits)
OR
MDS-30013 Sustained Media Practice (30 Credits)
OPTIONAL CORE MODULE / PROGRAMME ELECTIVE
MDS-30018 (15 credits)
Work Experience In MCC
SEMESTER 1
SEMESTER 2
OPTIONAL CORE MODULES / PROGRAMME
ELECTIVES
OPTIONAL CORE MODULES / PROGRAMME
ELECTIVES
MDS-30017 (15 Credits)
Visual Pleasures: From Carnival To Disney
MDS-30012 (15 Credits)
Creative Magazine Production
MDS-30016 (15 Credits)
Seoul Summer School (study takes place in sem
3 of year 2)
OPTIONAL CORE / APPROVED ELECTIVE
MODULES
OPTIONAL CORE / APPROVED ELECTIVE
MODULES
FIL-30001 (15 Credits)
British Society Through The Eyes Of British Film:
1960s To The Present (Film Studies)
FIL-30006 (15 Credits)
Representing The Self, Family & Society On
Contemporary British & American Television (Film
Studies)
FIL-30004 (15 Credits)
British Women Directors (FILM)
FIL-30005 (15 Credits)
Parody In British Film & Television
SOC-30031 (15 Credits)
Virtual Revolution: New Technologies, Culture
And Society (Sociology)
SOC-30033 (15 Credits)
Celebrity (Sociology)
SOC-30032 (15 Credits)
Home, Belonging & Material Culture (Sociology)
SOC-30042 (15 Credits)
Moving People: Migration Emotion & Identity
(Sociology)
29
8.
MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS AND CULTURE MODULES
8.1
LEVEL 4 MCC MODULES
SEMESTER 1
MDS-10008 Mediated World (Core Module Dual & Single Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Lydia Martens (email: l.d.martens@keele.ac.uk)
Mediated World aims to introduce students to some of the main theories and debates found in
contemporary media studies. In this course we examine how the mass media has come to
dominate our everyday life – from the spaces we inhabit, to the beliefs we hold and values we
share – while analyzing our individual and collective role in this complex relationship. By looking
at how and why the tools developed by societies – from the first printing press to today’s high
speed internet – have been used for mass communication, we will probe how power is
constructed in media messages and ask whether the consumers of such messages can ever
wrest back control over meaning.
Assessment will be by 1x1500 word essay (50%), examination (50%).
MDS-10011 The Photographic Message: Notions of Cultural Identity (Core Module Single
Hons / Programme Elective Dual Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Mandy McAteer (email: m.mcateer@.keele.ac.uk)
In this module students will look at the impact of photography as a mode of mechanical
reproduction through to contemporary hyper real digital image production. Students will be
introduced to semiotic analysis and study the work and roll of photographic practitioners in both
a contemporary and historical context. Each student will produce a photomontage and
workbook based on notions of cultural identity and/or stigma and discrimination.
Assessment will be by a visual project photomontage (50%) and a workbook and presentation
(50%).
MDS-10015 Scripting for Short Films (Programme Elective)
Module Coordinator: Dr Pawas Bisht p.bisht@keele.ac.uk
What do famous film directors such as Roman Polanski, Martin Scorsese, Shane Meadows,
Steven Spielberg and Ridley Scott have in common? They all learnt their craft making short
films!
Short films today are however not simply calling cards for the novice writer or filmmaker but a
flourishing domain of filmic expression both artistically and commercially. With high quality film
production technology becoming more accessible and the rapid proliferation of online
distribution platforms, short films have emerged as the most exciting domain of innovation for
both professionals and enthusiasts. This module aims to introduce you to the vital basis of
successful
short
film
production,
a
good
script!
The module will teach you the creative principles underpinning the screenwriting process with a
particular focus on identifying and responding to the specific requirements of the short film
format. We will be examining the different elements of filmic narration, dramatic plot
construction, character development and film genres. You will be applying this knowledge in the
development of a story outline and a fully evolved film script for a five to ten minute short film,
elements which also constitute the assessment for this module. The module will be taught
through a combination of lectures and interactive seminars including a structured series of film
screenings.
30
The module will provide you with solid grounding in terms of identifying stories and treatments
suitable for short film formats. This learning will link directly with core media practice modules
involving film production such as 'Digital Video' and 'Creating Awareness Campaigns'; you will
know which stories are appropriate and how to tell them best! For students interested in
specialising in screenwriting, the module provides a good introduction to the craft which can be
further developed through specialist screenwriting modules offered at level 5 such as 'Writing
for the Screen'.
Assessment
1000 word story outline or treatment (30%)
5-10 page, 1500 – 2500 words film script (70%)
The student will turn their 'Story Outline' into a script (word count in the range of 1500-2500
words). The script will be submitted in the industry-standard format.
SEMESTER 2
MDS-10009 Digital Video (Core Module Dual & single Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Pawas Bisht: p.bisht@keele.ac.uk
During this module, you will receive a broad introduction to the theoretical and practical
elements of film-making. We take a look at some of the key technologies, techniques, practices,
genres and auteurs and consider the way in which they can be situated against the social,
political, economic and institutional contexts. We look at how they have evolved and how they
can be theorised in terms of models of both production and consumption.
This is a hands-on course that helps to familiarise you with the processes of production and
post-production. Crucially, you are encouraged to understand and explore the relationships
between the practice, theory, technique and context of digital video.
The key areas of focus are:
Film language and terminology (critical analysis of films and conventions)
Theoretical models relevant to film production and consumption
Historical and Contemporary contexts of film production and consumption
Pre-production (scriptwriting, storyboarding, schedules and planning)
Production (camera operation, directing)
Post-production (editing, sound, special effects and rendering to DVD)
Assessment
3-5 minute short film, created working in production teams (50%)
Individual workbook, which will reflect theory and context (50%)
MDS-10010 Understanding Culture (Core Module Single Hons / Programme Elective Dual
Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Eva Giraud e.giraud@keele.ac.uk
This module will introduce cultural theories that are essential in analysing not only the mass
media but everyday communicative practices more broadly. It will provide tools for exploring the
role of culture both in creating meaningful media texts and in understanding these texts. We will
explore a range of issues that relate to the creation of meaning in the media, including: How
media texts relate to broader cultural norms and values; the difficulties of intercultural
communication (and how to overcome these difficulties); and political questions about the way
that issues, people and products are represented. As well as examining media texts
themselves, we will also be asking what is involved in interpreting these texts and examine the
31
audience’s active role in this process. To explore these issues we will draw on theories of
cultural codes, ideology, power and discourse. We will then apply these approaches to a range
of practical examples – ranging from news media and online political communication, to
advertising campaigns and reality TV – in order to demonstrate the value of cultural theory in
both interpreting and producing media texts.
.
Assessment: will be by a portfolio (50%), and seen-examination (50%).
8.2
LEVEL 5 MCC MODULES
SEMESTER 1
MDS-20023 Creating Awareness Campaigns (Core Module Dual & Single Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Mandy McAteer (email: m.mcateer@keele.ac.uk)
This module will give students experience of solving communications problems by making
documents and artefacts. Students will be required to work in production teams addressing
tutor-negotiated communications goals by making ‘documents’, which may include desktop
published materials, photography and/or video. During the semester we will look at
contemporary media issues, which may include advertising, journalism, press coverage,
alternative publications and the impact of the World Wide Web. Undergraduates will work within
various modes or practice, which will include industry standard software packages such as
Adobe Photoshop, Quart Xpress and Final Cut Prop. The outcome of this module is one
finished practical project per production team and an individual student workbook, which
outlines aims and objectives, an evaluation of the project and the production process.
The module is taught in weekly 2-hour seminars. With twenty-four hour open access to the
digital imaging suite (with technical support during normal working hours).
Assessment is by Visual Project/Document/Artifact (50%) and workbook and evaluation (50%).
MDS-20031 Researching MCC (Core Module Single Hons / Programme Elective Dual
Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Eva Giraud ((email e.giraud@keele.ac.uk)
This module is of vital importance if you intend to do an extended project in MCC such as the
dissertation, but is relevant to anyone with an interest in analysing media texts, audiences and
cultures. The module shows you how to develop independent research about the topics you are
the most interested in, covering everything from how to analyse the way women are
represented in advertising, to how cinema audiences engage with films, and even how you
could examine online fan cultures. Throughout the module you will be introduced to a range of
methods, which will enable you to research media texts, media audiences and media cultures.
Each week you will have a workshop where you can put different methods into practice to gain
a concrete understanding of their strengths and limitations. By the end of the module you will
have a sense of how to apply a range of approaches, including: content analysis, semiotics,
discourse analysis, ethnography, survey research, interviews and internet research. You will
also have a sense of how to formulate, structure and write a research project, and of the
processes and practicalities of research.
Assessment: Presentation 30%, Research Proposal 70%.
32
MDS-20020 Making the News (Programme Elective)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Elizabeth Poole (email: e.a.poole@keele.ac.uk)
This module introduces a broad range of theoretical debates and issues involved in the making
of contemporary news.
The module examines the contexts and constraints of news production and the restrictions this
places on content. It examines the conventions, codes and ethics of journalism. We will
consider the factors that determine what becomes news and how this process is being
challenged by technological developments. You will then develop and create your own news
report items. Throughout the module you are encouraged to think about the production of news
through practical experiences. So, for example we will consider issues of gatekeeping by
staging a live broadcast and writing blogs. Over the course of this module there will be a variety
of lectures, seminars and practical sessions.
Assessment is based on an essay at 50% plus a practical piece at 50% (news report + critical
evaluation).
MDS-20024 Teenage Dreams (Programme Elective)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Nick Bentley (email: n.bentley@keele.ac.uk)
The DJ John Peel has the words 'Teenage Dreams so hard to beat' carved on his gravestone, a
line taken from The Undertones's classic punk song 'Teenage Kicks'. Peel's love of the music,
style, attitude and outlook of youth subcultures encapsulates a general and ongoing fascination
for writers, filmmakers and critics alike. On this module we will examine a range of theories
related to the concept of subcultures, and how they relate to wider issues of class, gender,
sexuality and ethnicity. We will look at the development of subcultural theory from the Chicago
School, the Birmingham School and semiotics through to postmodern theories. This theoretical
context will be discussed with respect to a range of textual representations of youth subcultures
including fiction, film, fashion, pop songs and lyrics. We will explore issues related to the
identification and historical development of a range of youth subcultures including teenagers,
Mods, Rockers, punk, hip hop, R'n'B, and postmodern. We will also analyze the way in which
subcultures produce meaning and how they relate to concerns in mainstream culture. Texts
studied on the module might include Colin MacInnes's Absolute Beginners, The Who's
Quadrophenia (album and film), Julien Temple's The Filfth and the Fury, Courttia Newland's
Society Within and Irvine Welsh/Danny Boyle's Trainspotting.
Assessment will be by a short paper (20%), an essay (40%) and a 2hr exam (40%)
SEMESTER 2
MDS-20019 Analysing Culture (Core Module Dual & Single Hons)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Mark Featherstone (email: m.a.featherstone@keele.ac.uk)
In Analysing Culture we consider how culture enables people to make sense of their personal
and social lives. The first session of the course refers to Geertz’s classic paper on Balinese
society to introduce the concept of culture. Following this example of an anthropologically
strange culture we move on to think about the construction of national identity through a
consideration of Hall’s work on western identity, Said’s essay on orientalism, and Anderson’s
notion of imaginary communities. In week 3 we consider urban culture and read Simmel’s
classic essay on the metropolitan mind. The next two sessions show how people have sought
to combat the problem of alienation in modern culture. In week 4 we think about the notion of
conspicuous consumption through Bourdieu’s idea of cultural capital and consider how
commodities become signs that replace more traditional forms of cultural identification. After
this session, week 5 shows how new communities are able to emerge through consumer
relations and cultural performance. We address this theory through a consideration of the
33
notion of sub-culture and a reading of the works of the cultural sociologists of performance,
Goffman, Garfinkel and Mead. In the second part of the course we begin by thinking about
cultural politics. In particular we refer to the idea of a struggle between sub-culture and
dominant culture expressed in the works of the French theorists of constructed space and
everyday life, Lefebvre and de Certeau. Beyond our discussion of the cultural politics of the
everyday, we turn our attention to the idea of post-modernism, and explore how the postmodern has become a key concept in the history of media and cultural studies. Finally, and in
order to close the module, we think about the notion of globalisation, and examine the meaning
of processes of globalisation for students of contemporary media and culture.
Teaching will be by 10 lectures and 10 tutorials.
Assessment: Extended essay (100%).
MDS-20032 Documentary Theory & Practice (Core Module Single Hons / Programme
Elective Dual Hons)
Dr Gary Kelsall: (email: g.j.kelsall@keele.ac.uk)
The aim of this module is to consider and critically discuss the important genre of documentary,
focusing on a range of examples, across time and within various movements and sub-genres,
and practically to apply this learning to the processes of production. Seminal documentaries
and examples will be considered, such as early pieces by Mitchell and Kenyon, Nanook of the
North (Dir. Robert Flaherty), Night Mail (Dirs. Harry Watt & Basil Wright), Nuit et Brouillard (Dir.
Alain Resnais), Handsworth Songs (Dir. John Akomfrah), Battle of Orgreave (Dir. Mike Figgis),
and Benefits Street (Channel 4, 2013). The module will consider different modes, styles and
sub-genres of documentary such as cinema verite, fly-on-the-wall, investigative, ethnographic,
docu-soap, experimental, and the place of drama, reconstruction and fiction in documentary.
The module scrutinises a number of key debates such as reality and representation, ethics and
ideology, and it looks at the social, political, economic and technological contexts in which
documentary can be broadly critically located. The module also looks at the processes of
production and students will work in groups to produce their own documentary. Within groups,
and with guidance and instruction from staff, students will have opportunities to learn certain
skills in script writing, storyboarding, researching, filming and post-producing, whilst
implementing these skills within the production of a collaborative documentary. Emphasis will
be given to consideration of the relationships between theory and practice.
Assessment Group Project weighted 60% & 2000 word critical essay weighted 40%
MDS-20018 Thinking Photography (Programme Elective)
Module Co-Ordinator: Mandy McAteer (email: m.mcateer@keele.ac.uk)
The module places an emphasis on both photographic theory and practice. We will look at how
ideas about photography have evolved and how theory can inform your own practical work.
Alongside this we will be looking at different genres of photography and individual
photographer's work and asking pertinent questions about the definition and intent of the work
as both artefacts and modes of communication. You will be able to advance both your critical
understanding of photographic practice, your own photographic practice and Photoshop
software skills.
Assessment will be by a project weighted at 50% and a Workbook weighted at 50%
MDS-20036 Seoul Summer School (Programme Elective)
Module Co-Ordinator: Dr Eva Giraud (email e.giraud@keele.ac.uk)
This module enables students to spend 4 weeks in the summer (end June to end July) at a
partner university in Seoul, attending a course in Korean Film Theory and Filmmaking. It will
take place at Dongguk University in South Korea. Attending the Summer School is an excellent
34
way to explore the multifaceted Orient - in a metropolitan city where East meets West.
Moreover, many interesting places around South Korea can be visited. Attending a standard
academic module in a four week condensed timeframe you will be studying 'Introduction to
Korean Film and The Film Production Workshop'. This will combine time in the classroom,
introducing you to the theories of Korean Film interspersed with a filmmaking practicum. Your
study will be guided by field and University instructors. You will undertake three assessments (two in Seoul and one on your return to the UK). There are additional costs associated with
undertaking this module that must be borne by students, namely return flight to Seoul,
insurance, accommodation and living costs for the four-weeks; however, Keele and Dongguk
University work together to organise student accommodation in halls nears the Dongguk
campus so that students do not have to do this independently.
Assessment will be by essay weighted 40%, group project weighted 40% and a reflective
analysis weighted 20%
8.3
LEVEL 6 MCC MODULES
SEMESTER 1 -2
MDS-30011 Dissertation in MCC (ISP)
Module co-ordinator: Dr Elizabeth Poole (email: e.a.poole@keele.ac.uk)
The dissertation module offers the opportunity for students to produce a substantial piece of
work that engages in independent and original study in one of the many fields of Media and
Cultural Studies. The dissertation project will be based on a topic agreed between the student
and the supervisor. It will draw on the interests of the student as developed during the three
years of the Media, Communications and Culture degree programme and will benefit from the
research expertise of relevant supervisors in the Schools of Humanities and Social Sciences.
The successful completion of the dissertation will represent a substantial piece of final year
undergraduate work that will enable the student to go on either to do further advanced
academic research at masters level, or to pursue a career in a relevant area of the media and
culture industries.
MDS-30013 Sustained Media Practice (ISP)
Module co-ordinator: Mandy McAteer (email: m.mcateer@keele.ac.uk)
Sustained Media Practice is an independent study programme intended to enable you to
develop, synthesise and enhance the range of aptitudes, abilities and theoretical frameworks
learned within all the modules previously undertaken in Media, Communications &Culture.
Although the module leader will offer you assistance, as well as monitor and review your
progress over the two semesters, the initiation, development, and completion of the project will
be your own responsibility. The Media Project is an important part of the Media,
Communications and Culture degree because it is intended to enable students to show how
they can orchestrate, creatively and systematically, both the theoretical and practical aspects of
their work within a major independent project. This independent project will accumulate into an
exhibition of student work. The projects are always varied and you can choose to develop any
area of Media Communications and Culture which interests you. Previous projects have been
narrative films, documentaries, photographic projects, installations and performance pieces.
MDS-30018 Work Experience in MCC
Module Co-ordinator: Dr Pawas Bisht: p.bisht@keele.ac.uk
This module is designed to give students some experience of working in a media,
communications or related placement. This may be a local newspaper, TV, or radio company, a
news agency, or small TV production company. It may be working within newer online forms of
media or working in the public sector on a media project for a local council or hospital, for
example. In negotiation with the Module Leader, students will undertake one or more tasks or
35
projects which have been determined by this external organisation. It may involve students
working for some time off campus, perhaps on the premises of the external organisation.
Students will experience working for a specific client, to their brief and deadlines, and begin to
understand how they and their work relate to others in that or similar organisations. This
experience should allow students both to reflect on and improve their current skills and
understandings, and provide them with the valuable experience many employers are looking for
in a competitive industry Students will be required to locate their own placement but under the
supervision of your Module Leader.
Assessment: Project Report, 3000 words, 70% & Career Portfolio, 2000 words, 30%
SEMESTER 1
MDS-30017 Visual Pleasures: From Carnival to Disney
Module Co-ordinator: Dr Eva Giraud (email e.giraud@keele.ac.uk)
The media and our notions of leisure are inextricably connected, and our leisure time and
activities, the leisure industries and our various leisure landscapes are expressions of the
relationships we have with the media. This module uses these notions, experiences and
articulations of leisure to take a critical look at the media.
-How does Disney act as an example of the political economy of the media?
-What part did the media play in ‘constructing’ the seaside to be part of our collective identity
and popular culture?
-How has the media redefined sport, and particularly football, in recent times?
We interrogate how the media have shaped our ideas and our experiences of leisure
through various forms and practices, spaces and places; through processes such as
rationalization, commercialization and globalization, that are rooted in the material social,
political and economic contexts.
We consider various critical perspectives of the media and locate them through a look at
a range of particular historic and contemporary examples and contexts of leisure, such as the
carnival, the seaside, shopping, theme parks, football, tourist destinations, gaming, the internet
and social media.
Visual representations of the forms and expressions of our leisure help to construct the
ways we perceive ourselves and our cultural identity. This module will consider, in particular,
how these visual representations operate, through forms of ‘still’ and moving image. Examples
will be drawn from the leisure and tourism industries, through press and PR, advertising,
photojournalism as well as through specialist practitioners and non-professional practices.
Looking at specific examples and locations will help students to see how particular
representations and ethnographies may be used to assist in an understanding of our
relationship with the media and our leisure. Examples will be drawn from local as well as
national and international contexts in order to enable students to experience at first hand, as a
basis for their own assessed work as well as to foster an exploration of the relationship between
the local and the global and what we ‘do’ and how we think.
Assessment will be by an essay weighted 40%, presentation weighted 20% and a
practical assessment weighted 40%
36
SEMESTER 2
MDS-30012 Creative Magazine Production
Module Co-ordinator: Mandy McAteer (email: m.mcateer@.keele.ac.uk)
This module will provide you with the experience of working in a planning and production team
in the layout of an envisaged ‘magazine’ or ‘journal’ concerned with culture. Each student will
write one main article which will be negotiated with the publishing group plus smaller mini
articles such as music reviews etc. Successful completion of the module will enable you to gain
sophisticated skills in the analysis of writings on art and/or culture and cultural issues. It will also
allow you to gain confidence in your own abilities to plan and complete similar work in the
context of the demands of journal production. The group will negotiate a 'house style' and
design, using both text and image with Adobe Photoshop and Quarkxpress software to produce
both a print version of their journal and an electronic version. This module incorporates
employability skills which are highly desirable within media industries.
MDS-30016 Seoul Summer School
Module Co-ordinator: Dr Gary Kelsall (email g.j.kelsall@keele.ac.uk)
This module enables students to spend 4 weeks in the summer (end June to end July) at a
partner university in Seoul, attending a course in Korean Film Theory and Filmmaking. It will
take place at Dongguk University in South Korea. Attending the Summer School is an excellent
way to explore the multifaceted Orient - in a metropolitan city where East meets West.
Moreover, many interesting places around South Korea can be visited. Attending a standard
academic module in a four week condensed timeframe you will be studing 'Introduction to
Korean Film and The Film Production Workshop'. This will combine time in the classroom,
introducing you to the theories of Korean Film interspersed with a filmmaking practicum.Your
study will be guided by field and University instructors. You will undertake three assessments (two in Seoul and one on your return to the UK). There are additional costs associated with
undertaking this module that must be borne by students, namely return flight to Seoul,
Insurance, accommodation and living costs for the four-weeks; however, Keele and Dongguk
University work together to organise student accommodation in halls nears the Dongguk
campus so that students do not have to do this independently.
Assessment will be by an essay weighted 40%, a group Project weighted 40% and a reflective
analysis weighted 20%
Distinctive Keele Curriculum (DKC)
The DKC is the name given to the package of additional opportunities offered to students
alongside their academic programmes. It provides you with an opportunity to design your
individual student experience, in order to develop your knowledge, skills, attitudes and values
and enhance your talents so you can make a difference to your world.
The DKC is made up of the ‘Development Strand’ (opportunities for personal and professional
development), the ‘Distinctive Academic Programmes’ which you find at Keele, the ‘Cocurriculum’ (activities that take place outside of the academic programme of study, such as
sports and societies) and the ‘graduate attributes’ (a list of 10 qualities Keele graduates are
expected to develop). You can find more information on the DKC here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/distinctive/
To get the most out of your studies, improve your performance and achieve your full potential
there are a number of development opportunities available to you, including Development
Strand workshops and activities. Some of these are embedded into your academic
programmes whilst others can be found on the Tune IN events calendar at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/curriculumsupportanddevelopment/tuneincalendar/
You can reflect on your development in your Keele University Skills Portfolio (KUSP) with an
37
option of gaining an Institute of Leadership and Management accreditation if you meet certain
criteria. Full details are available at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/curriculumsupportanddevelopment
9. MODULE EVALUATION BY STUDENTS
At the end of each module students are invited to complete an evaluation form. These are done
anonymously and give you an opportunity to have your say on the content and delivery of
modules. A summary of the results are considered by the SSLC and other School committees,
and also form part of the annual review of the curriculum, known as CARD (Curriculum Annual
Review and Development).
Final year undergraduate students also take part in the National Student Survey (NSS) between
January and April, with results and comments carefully analysed at programme and School
level.
10.
PROGRAMME REQUIREMENTS
10.1
DEADLINES
Deadlines for all assessment are to be taken seriously. Work is late if it is received even one
hour or one day after the deadline. See 12.3 ‘Implications of late submission’.
A hard copy of all essays must be submitted to the Humanities Office, CBB0.072 in the
Chancellors Building Annexe, by 12.00 noon on the day specified, along with an electronic
copy, submitted on the KLE via Turnitin by the same deadline.
If an electronic copy of an essay is not submitted via the KLE you will receive a mark of 0% for
the piece of work even if you have submitted a hard copy. Please take a few minutes to take a
look at the submission information to ensure that there are no problems when you come to
submit the work.
Certain Media projects should be submitted to the Media Building - please see individual
module handbooks for details..
Please note that extensions cannot be given, unless there are extenuating circumstances that
you can document with supporting evidence. For further details see below, 12.4
10.2
ATTENDANCE AND TUTORIAL WORK
It is very important that you attend all your classes and supervisory meetings and any nonattendance will be monitored. You will be expected to do preparatory reading for every tutorial
and you may be required to make at least one presentation for each course.
If you have a valid reason for not attending a class then you need to notify your relevant School
as soon as possible. Any non-attendance without good cause will result in an informal warning
from your School. If you continue to miss classes then the University will take this very seriously
and it may result in you being withdrawn from your studies.
There is an expectation that students will engage appropriately with all forms of University
assessments. If you do not attend your exams or fail to hand in assessments then you may be
affected by Regulation 1A Section 9: Appropriate Engagement with Studies. This regulation
states that any non-engagement without good cause may result in you being withdrawn from
your studies:
38
http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation1aafter0910/#d.en.19127
It is therefore very important that if you miss an examination or are unable to submit your
coursework that you follow the University’s extenuating circumstances process (please see
section 15).
http://www.keele.ac.uk/ec/
10.3
ACADEMIC WARNINGS
If your work is unsatisfactory, and you fail to respond to messages from the School or to attend
meetings with tutors and the Programme Director, you may be issued with a formal, written
Academic Warning from the University. This lays down conditions you must meet within a
specified time (for example, to attend all tutorials and hand in written work). If you fail to comply
with the conditions you may be asked to withdraw from the University.
Information on University procedures for issuing academic warnings can be found at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/academicwarnings/
A statement of the University’s appeals procedure can be found at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/ps/governance/acts/Regulations/Reg%207.htm
10.4
RULES FOR PROGRESSION TO YEARS 2 & 3
Details of the University’s Progression Rules are available on the web at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/ps/governance/acts/Regulations/Reg%201A.htm
11.
ASSESSMENT
11.1
METHOD OF ASSESSMENT
Modules are assessed by written examination, essay, presentation, poster or project and often
by some combination of these. The precise way in which each module is assessed is set out
under the information about individual modules and in module handbooks. Information about
how to write a good essay and how it will be assessed is given below under Section 15 ‘How to
do well on your course’. Your work is assessed according to a marking code, which is set down
by the University. The marks awarded for your essays and examinations and the final class of
the degree you obtain are all based on this code which is set out below.
A statement of University’s assessment procedures, General Regulations for University
Examinations and Assessments, can be found in the Academic Regulations and Guidance for
Students and Staff at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/ps/governance/acts/Regulations/Reg%208.htm
Students’ workbooks and projects may be used for teaching purposes after assessment.
11.2
THE MODULE PASS MARK
The pass mark for each module is 40%. Module marks ending in .5% will be rounded up (eg.
59.5% becomes 60%).
11.3
EXAMINATIONS
Many modules do not use exams as a form of assessment. Where they do, examinations last
for two hours. Generally, students are required to answer two questions from a list of questions.
Details of the examination for each module will be given during the semester.
The University runs scheduled examination periods each year, with a specified timetable
39
published in advance.
Please visit http://www.keele.ac.uk/recordsandexams/examinations/ for further information
relating to exams at Keele, including exam dates and timetables, and an FAQ section.
11.4
ANONYMOUS MARKING
Written work is normally marked anonymously; i.e. your name is not known to the marker(s).
For essays and exams, your name is written in the corner of the mark /feedback sheet we
provide, and then the corner is turned over and stapled or sealed. For practical reasons other
forms of assessment, such as supervised portfolios or reflective workbooks, are exempt from
anonymous marking.
11.5
SECOND MARKING
At level 1, 2 and 3 overall fails are second marked. At levels 2 and 3, for all assessed work,
borderlines and/or a sample of at least 10% of assessments are double marked. All ISPs are
second marked.
11.6
THE EXTERNAL EXAMINERS
External Examiners are experienced academics from other institutions or professional
practitioners with significant expertise in their field. Their role is to provide an independent
assessment that appropriate standards are maintained in Keele’s academic awards in
comparison with other universities in the UK.
Their duties involve approving examination papers, checking that marking has been carried out
consistently and within the regulations, advising on changes to programme content and writing
an annual report. Schools share the reports with students, usually in SSLC meetings, and you
can find the latest reports, along with a response from the School, here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/qa/externalexaminers/reportsandresponses/. NB: you must not contact
external examiners directly as they have no remit in relation to individual students.
The list of current External Examiners for each subject can be found here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/qa/externalexaminers/currentexternalexaminers/
11.7
DEGREE CLASSIFICATION
The algorithm for determining degree classifications is as follows:
FIRST CLASS HONOURS
an aggregate mark of at least 840
OR at least five level III modules each with a mark of 70% or more and an
aggregate mark of at least 780
OR at least four level III modules and two level II modules each with a mark of
70% or more and an aggregate mark of at least 780.
SECOND CLASS HONOURS
(Division I)
an aggregate mark of at least 720
OR at least five level III modules each with a mark of 60% or more and an
aggregate mark of at least 660
OR at least four level III modules and two level II modules each with a mark of
60% or more and an aggregate mark of at least 660.
SECOND CLASS HONOURS
40
(Division II)
an aggregate mark of at least 600
OR at least five level III modules each with a mark of 50% or more and an
aggregate mark of at least 540
OR at least four level III modules and two level II modules each with a mark of
50% or more and an aggregate mark of at least 540.
THIRD CLASS HONOURS
an aggregate mark of at least 480
PASS
an aggregate mark of at least 420 with no more than three level III modules
receiving marks below 35%.
For all honours classifications at least SIX Level III modules must receive marks of 40% or
more. To qualify for a First or Class 2 Division 1 Honours Degree a student must achieve
40% or above in at least SEVEN Level III modules.
12.
GUIDELINES FOR THE SUBMISSION OF WRITTEN WORK
12.1
ESSAY REQUIREMENTS
Your essays must be word processed, using 12 point font, Arial. Use double spacing and
margins large enough for the tutor to write comments. Number your pages and secure them
firmly together. You should not write your name onto your essay. You should type your
student Id number (the first 8 digits of your Keele Card) and the module number as a header or
footer on each page. You should also state the essay question and the number of words.
You are required to submit one hard copy to the School Office and an electronic copy to the
KLE. After marking, the hard copy will be returned to you with comments, explaining how the
mark was arrived at.
You are required to submit your assessed essays, to the School Office or the Media
Building, by the due date and time. Cases of computer or printer failure will not normally be
grounds for an extension. Be sure to manage your time carefully and, in particular, print out
your work in advance of the date it is due to be submitted.
When you submit your essays you must also complete the following sheets:
1)
A mark / feedback sheet (to be found on the KLE) with the following information: your
name, your registration number, your level (I, 2 or III), the module name, your tutor’s
name, the date of submission.
2)
A ‘Declaration of Own work’ form (also to be found on the KLE). This again requires your
name, your registration number, your level (I, 2 or III), the module name, your tutor’s
name, the date of submission. This should also be signed as confirmation that it is your
own work.
Essays will not be accepted unless they are accompanied by the above information.
Students are warned NOT to submit essentially the same material for more than one
module, essay or examination. Examiners will deduct marks in such cases. If material is simply
duplicated, this will be treated as plagiarism.
41
12. 2 FINAL YEAR DISSERTATIONS/PROJECTS (ISPs)
The third year dissertation must be 10,000 words long (including notes and references but
excluding bibliography). The word count must be given in the dissertation. Work not meeting
these requirements will not be accepted. The deadline for submitting a hard copy to the Office
and an electronic copy to the KLE is to be found in the module handbook. Projects should be
submitted as required in the module handbook.
12. 3
IMPLICATIONS OF LATE SUBMISSION
Written work will NOT be accepted after the deadline unless accompanied by an
Extenuating Circumstances Form and certified evidence. Without this form and supporting
documentation any late work will receive a mark of 0%. If the overall mark for the module falls
below 40%, students will normally be offered re-assessment in the failed assignment. The
maximum mark available for a re-assessed module is 40%.
12.4
EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES
If your personal circumstances are affecting your studies then you should speak with your
School as soon as possible to see if any arrangements can be made.
It is in your best interests to speak with someone as quickly as possible, and certainly before
any assessment deadline or exam. If you leave it too late then it may be more difficult to give
you the necessary help. You should also not wait until you receive your end of year results and
then decide to ask for extenuating circumstances to be taken into account as this will not be
allowed.
Detailed information on extenuating circumstances criteria, the claims process and evidence
requirements can be found in the “Extenuating Circumstances Guide to Students” which can be
downloaded from: http://www.keele.ac.uk/ec
What are extenuating circumstances?
As a student you will need to adhere to your assessment deadlines. Sometimes however,
circumstances beyond your control can affect your ability to submit work or attend an
examination and the University has a policy of taking into account some circumstances which
have affected students’ academic study. These “extenuating circumstances” are defined as,
‘A circumstance that is beyond your control and could not have reasonably been foreseen
and acted upon that will prevent you from completing an assessment at or by the specified
time or will have a significant negative effect on your performance in that assessment.’
What is considered to be an extenuating circumstance?
The following are generally considered to be acceptable extenuating circumstances, providing
that they are supported by appropriate evidence:





Acute illness or injury
Extended illness or injury
Acute Illness of another person
Bereavement
Significant domestic and/or
personal problems


Court Attendance
Unforeseen Work Commitment
(Part-Time/Distance Learning/PG students only)



Unforeseen representation of County or
Active Exercise of Citizenship
Unforeseen Major Transport Difficulties
42
Country at Sport

Victim of Criminal Activity
Accepting an extenuating circumstances claim is at the discretion of the School Extenuating
Circumstances Panel.
What is not considered to be an extenuating circumstance?
There are a number of areas that are not considered as valid extenuating circumstances.
These include general pressure of academic work as you are expected to have planned your
work schedule, and personal computer/IT device problems, as you are expected to have taken
adequate precautionary measures e.g backups and checking compatibility with University
systems. Religious observance is not viewed as a valid extenuating circumstance as such
issues are not unforeseen; students should instead discuss with the School whether a ‘special
provision’ claim can be made for an assessment.
How do I make a claim?
If extenuating circumstances occur and you anticipate that these will cause a delay in
submitting your work or prevent attendance at an examination, you will need to submit an
Extenuating Circumstances Claim and appropriate evidence to your School(s). You should
submit your claim as soon as you become aware of the problem and prior to the examination
and/or coursework deadline. The claim form can be accessed within e-vision, by logging into
the KLE.
Claims may also be accepted after the coursework deadline or examination, providing that they
are submitted before the meeting of the relevant Discipline Examination Panel (where marks
are confirmed). Schools will provide you with its deadlines for ECs submission either by email,
on notice boards or via the KLE.
Do not delay the submission of your form because you have to wait for a piece of evidence if
this means that you will miss the School’s submission deadline (though you will need to tell the
School when you will be able to hand the evidence in).
Claims submitted by the deadline will be considered by the School Extenuating Circumstances
Panel . You will be informed of the decision at the earliest opportunity once the Panel has met.
Further Information and Support
Detailed information on extenuating circumstances criteria, the claims process and evidence
requirements can be found in the ‘Student Guide to Extenuating Circumstances’ which can be
downloaded from the Planning and Academic Administration web pages at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/regulations/regulation8/guidanceonextenuatingcircumstancesregulation81
5/
Advice and support in making a claim can also be sought from your Personal Tutor, School
Office, Student Support and Development Services and ASK at the Keele SU.
13.
ACADEMIC MISCONDUCT
Academic Misconduct refers to a number of situations where you might attempt to gain
an advantage for yourself and/or another student by doing something that goes against
University Regulations. This could refer to your conduct during assessments, coursework, and
exams. The University takes any breach of the regulations seriously, and in a minority of cases
students are required to withdraw from Keele. It is important that you understand the
university’s guidelines and you should speak with your Personal Tutor if you have any queries.
13.1
EXAM REGULATIONS
It is important that students are familiar with the exam regulations. If you don’t abide by the
regulations, you may be given a penalty, which could impact on your marks and your degree
classification. The exam regulations concern all aspects of cheating in exams, including: taking
unauthorised notes into exam halls; using unauthorised calculators and other equipment;
43
talking during exams; using a mobile phone or other communication device during exams.
For more guidance, please read the information on examination conduct at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/studentappealscomplaintsandconduct/studentacademicconduct/
13.2.
PLAGIARISM
Plagiarism, which is the most common type of academic misconduct, occurs when the work you
are submitting is not your own, but in fact somebody else’s. Plagiarism means the use of the
ideas, words or findings of others without acknowledging them as such. In other words, to
plagiarise is to give the impression that the student has written, thought or discovered
something that he or she has in fact borrowed from someone else without acknowledging this in
an appropriate manner. Students may certainly use the words, thoughts or findings of others,
but the original authors and sources must be acknowledged. Not to do so is academic
dishonesty and a form of cheating. The mark for written work in part reflects the student's
understanding of the subject of a piece of assessed work. If he or she has merely repeated the
words of another, it is difficult to assess the student's understanding and so to award marks for
it. It is, therefore, totally unacceptable for students to plagiarise in their written work. Anyone
who does so will have committed an unfair examination practice and will be subject to strict
University procedures and penalties.
Self-plagiarism is the re-use of written material in one piece of work, which has
previously been submitted as part of another piece of assessed course work. Selfplagiarism is also regarded by the School as a form of cheating, and students are strongly
advised to avoid any action which might lead to allegations of plagiarism of self-plagiarism. In
particular it is best to avoid undue overlap between the topic of dissertations prepared for this
School and other Schools/Departments. If your dissertation expands upon issues previously
covered in essays, seek your supervisor’s advice about how to avoid self-plagiarism.
Proper acknowledgement that another words or ideas have been used takes the form of
referencing (sometimes called citation). See the section 15.4 ‘Reference Guidelines for Written
Work’ for notes on how to reference quotes or paraphrases of another’s work.
Further guidance can be found at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/studentappealscomplaintsandconduct/studentacademicconduct/
A guide to Academic Integrity aimed at new undergraduate students can be found here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/lpdc/downloads/Academic%20Integrity%20Guide.
pdf
13.3
PROOFREADING GUIDANCE
If you decide that you would like someone to proofread your work or you wish to use a
proofreading company it is very important that you read the document ‘Proofreading - a Guide
for Students.’ Failure to follow the guidance in this document, if you have your work proofread,
could result in you being found guilty of academic misconduct due to you having unpermitted
assistance. The proofreading guidance document can be downloaded from the website at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/studentacademicconduct/.
13.4
COLLUSION
Collusion is another form of academic dishonesty (cheating). It is similar to plagiarism. It is
accepted that students may well work together and exchange ideas. Indeed, in some instances
such co-operation, collaboration or team-working, is encouraged. However, if the collaboration
results in pieces of work submitted by individual students as their own work but which are
essentially the same or very similar, collaboration becomes collusion. Collusion includes
copying another person’s written work, or sections of it. An extreme form of collusion is where
someone other than the student undertakes the piece of work on the student’s behalf, and the
44
student presents that piece of work as his or her own. Particular examples are the use of using
essays found on the internet or using third parties who offer essay writing facilities.
What happens if plagiarism is suspected?
Normally, the tutor who receives written work which s/he suspects has been plagiarised will, in
consultation with the School’s Academic Conduct Officer, meet the student. The purpose of the
meeting is to enable the student to explain any irregularity.
Where the two tutors see prima facie evidence that they may be looking at a serious
case of plagiarism or collusion, the Academic Conduct Officer will decide on the case and
impose a penalty (usually a mark of zero). A University panel will deal with second offences,
and if the panel accepts that deliberate cheating has occurred, it will recommend a penalty to
the Vice-Chancellor, which may involve the exclusion of the student.
This section comprises part of the University’s policy on plagiarism, which can be found in the
University’s Academic Regulations Handbook at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/ps/governance/acts/Regulations/Reg%208.htm#cheating
A statement of university policy on plagiarism and other academic dishonesty can be found in
the Academic Regulations and Guidance for Students and Staff at:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/ps/governance/acts/Regulations/Reg%208.htm#cheating
13.5
ETHICS
Process for Investigating Alleged Ethics Offences at School Level (regarding research
projects/dissertations)
Point 11.5 of Regulation 8 Section 11 states ‘Student projects which involve the participation of
human subjects must not be undertaken without the prior approval of a School Student Project
Ethics Committee (or another Ethics Committee recognised for this purpose by the relevant
School)’. The implications for students who do not obtain ethical approval are as follows:
 Any offence that is deemed to be major will be automatically referred to the Student
Appeals, Complaints and Conduct Manager to be dealt with via the Academic
Misconduct Panel and the appropriate penalty imposed.

Any offence that is deemed to be minor will be dealt with via the School Student Project
Ethics Committee and an appropriate penalty imposed at School level.
The process for investigating alleged offences at School level can be accessed via
http://www.keele.ac.uk/researchsupport/researchethics/ (section 4.1)
14.
THE MARKING SCHEME
14.1
GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA
The University’s generic assessment criteria are designed as a reference point for staff and
students in defining standards of achievement of written work across all subject areas. They
describe student achievement in four areas: Knowledge, Understanding and Application;
Analysis and Argument; Use of Research-Informed; Communication Skills. These Universitywide criteria form the basis for all subject-specific assessment criteria. The University Generic
Assessment Criteria can be found here:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/policyzone/paa/Generic%20Assessment%20Crite
ria%20final%20senate%20approved%20inc%20Level%203.pdf
45
14.2
COMPLAINTS BY STUDENTS REGARDING ESSAY OR MODULE MARKS
If you are unhappy about your essay or module marks you should first discuss this with your
module tutor as soon as possible. If the issue is unresolved then you should promptly request
the tutor to seek the opinion of the second marker. If this still fails to resolve the problem, you
should consult the Examinations Officer. Where appropriate, the Examinations Officer will seek
the opinion of the External Examiners. You should be aware that your mark may rise or fall as a
result of your appeal and that normally marks cannot be changed after the External Examiner
has verified them. Module marks cannot be altered after the Externals and Senate have
confirmed them.
14.3 RELEASE OF MODULE MARKS TO STUDENTS
Level 4
Marks for each module will be available via the KLE in mid-February for the Autumn Semester
Modules and within four weeks of the end of the examination period for Spring Semester
modules. The Department of Academic Affairs posts a transcript of the year’s marks to
students’ home addresses at the end of July.
Level 5
Provisional second year marks will be released normally by mid-February for Autumn Semester
modules and within four weeks of the end of the examination period for Spring Semester
modules. It should be noted that the marks may be subject to change by the External
Examiners. Students will be notified by e-mail should their mark be changed by the External
Examiner.
Level 6
Provisional marks will be released normally by mid-February for Autumn Semester modules.
Spring Semester marks cannot be released until after Results day.
Full marks for the modules for both semesters will be released when degree results have been
confirmed at the end of the second semester. At this stage the Department of Academic Affairs
will normally send a transcript of marks for all modules studied at Keele to your home address.
14.4
IN LEVELS 4 AND 5
It is School policy to require reassessment for all modules where the overall mark for the
module falls below 40%. Re-assessment cannot be offered on one or more failed pieces of
work if the overall mark for the module, taking all assessed work into account, exceeds 40%.
Once a module becomes subject to re-assessment, the maximum mark available for the
module is 40%. (See also Section 12.4 ‘Good Cause for Late Submission’.) In the event of
reassessment being necessary, the Department of Academic Affairs will send notification of
essay titles or other work and/or examination dates to your home address.
14.5 RE-ASSESSMENT
FOR LEVEL 4 & 5:
What happens if I fail a module?
If you fail a core module within your programme, you will normally be allowed one reassessment opportunity if you have engaged appropriately with your studies during the
academic year. The reassessment would normally have to be completed before the start of the
next academic year. You will also be allowed to progress to the next level of study even if you
fail one 15 credit module as long as your mark for this module, following re-assessment, is at
least 30.
If you fail an elective module, you will also be allowed one re-assessment opportunity and after
46
that, if necessary due to a failed re-assessment, one opportunity to retake a different elective
module the following academic year.
For more information on re-assessment of failed modules, see the University's Regulations 1A
11 and 12.
Progression
The guidelines used by Examination Boards can be found here. Please speak to staff, such as
your Personal Tutor if you need help understanding the information.
University Level 4 Progression Guidelines (UG Year 1)
University Level 5 Progression Guidelines (UG Year 2)
FOR LEVEL 6:
What happens if I fail a module?
Re-assessment of FHEQ Level 6 modules is not offered until degree results have been
classified, except where Extenuating Circumstances have been approved (see Section on
Extenuating Circumstances). Normally only students who fail to achieve a degree or are only
awarded a pass degree at the first attempt will be offered re-assessment of failed FHEQ Level 6
modules capped at 40%. These students will remain eligible for an honours degree if reassessment is successfully completed to the standard required for an honours degree.
Degree Classification
To find out how your final degree classification is calculated, please visit:
http://www.keele.ac.uk/paa/academicadministration/degreeclassification/
15.
HOW TO DO WELL ON YOUR COURSE
This section contains important information about how to study and about what is required for
Media, Communication and Culture assessment. You should read this section very carefully
before beginning your first assignment, and should consult it regularly throughout the course. If
you follow this guidance you improve your chances of doing well on the course. If you do not
follow this guidance, you may be penalised and may even fail your assessments.
15.1
WRITTEN WORK
For university generic assessment criteria see Section 14.1 For marking criteria that is specific
to individual module assessments, see module handbooks.
What makes a good piece of written work cannot be completely defined. But the list below
defines criteria that are important. In particular, an essay should have an argument, evidence
to support this argument, secondary criticism to support your argument and show wider
reading, have originality and be clearly structured and organised. The relevance of the
material included is crucial because if the essay is off the point it will lose many marks. The
Quality of the English that you use when writing the essay is obviously important, since poor
expression, grammar, spelling and punctuation make it difficult for the tutor to understand the
points you are trying to make. A certain standard of English is expected in formal assessment
and you will be penalised for badly written essays and exams. If you are dyslexic it is important
that this is indicated with the appropriate stickers on your written work (supplied by Disability
Services). You will not be penalised for incorrect spelling, for example, if s/he knows of this.
Referencing material used is also vital.
47
15.2
ADVICE ON EXAMINATION PREPARATION AND ANSWERS
Long Term Exam Preparation
 Go to lectures and seminars; note any references to the exams.
 Read the recommended reading.
 Make notes on the books you read rather than simply underlining passages.
 Read around the topics to be covered in the exam.
 Get to know the terminology.
 Make sure that you know what to expect from the exam: ask your tutor if you are not sure.
Short Term Exam Preparation






Use past papers to:
Spot questions;
Note styles and emphases of questions;
Check the format of the paper: what is the rubric? How many questions are there on the
paper? How many do you need to answer? Are there any compulsory questions or
section?
Check with your tutor or module handbook to see whether the format of the exam has
changed.
Prepare answers on questions from previous year’s papers. You should research your
answer and then try writing it within the time specified.
Model Essay Answers in Exams (see also Section 15.3 ‘Advice on Writing
Essays’):

Must have content: there must be evidence of knowledge and understanding of the topic
and there must be an argument, shaped exactly to the question set.
 Must be worked and re-worked: the revision answers you prepare are never finished
things. They are worked and re-worked and re-worked as you do your revision. They can
always be improved.
 Must utilise several sources: your answer should be based upon several sources, both
books and articles: not just the recommended basic text.
 Incorporate points made in secondary criticism and explain debates within such
literature, clearly mentioning relevant authors and sources to clarify and strengthen
points and arguments.
How many revision answers should I prepare before the exam?




At the very least the number of questions to be answered! This is a high-risk strategy,
however, and you may be advised by your tutor to prepare at least one other area that you
would be able to answer on.
Concentrate on questions which you find interesting.
Do not choose questions on topics which overlap too much. This will reduce your chances
of having answers to enough questions in the real examination.
Give yourself the chance to shine! You have to take some risks; you cannot cover all of
the topics in all of your modules, though you should prepare more than the minimum
required.
Inside the Exam Room


Read the questions carefully and, before choosing the ones you wish to tackle, ask why has
this question been asked? This leads you to think about what needs to be included in the
question and also what needs to be left out.
Plan your exam answer. A plan will help you to focus on the question set and think about how
to organise the material you consider relevant to answering the question. Think about the way
your answer is structured. A plan may also highlight gaps in your knowledge and reveal that
you have chosen the wrong question, saving you loss of valuable time.
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Answer the questions set: only use relevant material. Tailor your knowledge as closely as
possible to the question; use the terms and phrases that are given in the question itself.
Keep asking yourself: am I answering the question.
Show your knowledge and the background reading you have done. Make it clear that
you have attended the lectures and seminars and thought about the subjects covered.
You should develop an argument in the essay; it should develop logically, be organised
carefully and be supported with primary and secondary material. It should not be a
disjointed set of statements.
Explain the points you are making and any quotes you give. Do not assume that quotes are
self-explanatory.
Answer the right number of questions. It really is true that not answering the second of two
required answers will lose you 50% of the marks.
Do not run out of time; make sure that you stop writing one answer and turn to the next
question in enough time.
Be brave, allow your paper to stand out, but be sure that you have already presented the
arguments as required by the question before developing a highly original or controversial
line, which must, in case, be supported with evidence.
Always leave enough time at the end for you to go back over your answers and check for
spelling mistakes, punctuation and grammatical errors. Make sure that you have
expressed yourself clearly and well.
15. 3
ADVICE ON WRITING ESSAYS
You will be writing a number of essays over the next few years. They will demonstrate your
understanding of the subject covered and command of evidence to those concerned with teaching
and assessing the course. It will save you time and labour, and save your readers frustration and grief
if you can master the craft of essay writing. The following pieces of advice could cut out some trials
and errors. They should help you develop an academically acceptable format and style. All essays
should also be planned carefully.
Choosing a subject
If you are offered a choice, don’t go for the most obvious and attractive topic without considering
others. It may be fascinating, but can you collect enough material for it, from first hand observation, or
from documents, primary sources, critical works, background reading etc.? Sketch out a treatment for
two or three possible topics and see what scope they give you, making sure that you understand
exactly what each title asks you to do, and that your are able to respond to all aspects of it. If you are
to do this, you must plan ahead and start well before deadlines.
Drafting an Outline
Very often the essay title gives you a clue how to structure your essay. Start with a very loose outline,
two or three main subheadings and spend some time filling them out and changing them around.
Identify key words in the essay question, such as ‘Discuss’, ‘Analyse’, etc. Any essay theme that has
not been allowed to stew at the back of your mind for a bit is likely to be a mechanical piece of work.
One’s mind has odd and underhand ways of making connections and arriving at insights, but they
need a bit of time to work their way to the surface. As you get into the material, different aspects will
distinguish themselves, sub-headings will propose themselves and new themes will demand to be let
in somewhere. Don't be afraid to include more than you are likely to have space for at this stage.
Collecting Material
Your material will come either from
- primary (and secondary) sources such as newspaper articles, surveys, studies, statistics, works
of literature and literary criticism, or
- your personal observation or other people’s unrecorded observations and investigations, or both.
Before plunging in, do a cursory survey of published material that is important to your topic(s). You
can use the course reading lists found in module handbooks, take a note of references as you read
around a subject, spend a bit of time on both the author and subject catalogues in the Library.
49
(i)
Once your topic is settled, decide on essential reading and read it. Follow this up with
whatever is useful and interesting, leaving yourself time to brood and time to write.
If you find yourself agreeing with everything you give yourself to read, you are possibly just engaged
in confirming and illustrating your own prejudices. Look out for allusions to the dissenting voice,
conservative or radical, fashionable or otherwise.
(ii)
Your own first hand observation may throw an important and critical light on much of what you
read. Before using personal materials and observations, discuss your approach with your tutor to be
sure of your methodology.
Reading
a) Primary literature (for example, the literary of filmic works to be discussed) or other primary source
materials must be read and re-read thoroughly, and notes must be taken with regard to the focus of
the essay. You cannot proceed without a really detailed knowledge of these materials.
b) Support and background reading: There are too many academic books in the world, and in most
books there are too many words. It is not dishonourable to abandon a book you are getting nothing
out of, or to start by reading the conclusion to a book or article, or to use collections of article and
dissertation abstracts, or to use an author’s index in order to see what you might get out of his book.
Perhaps you just need to read the introduction to understand their thesis or main argument. Neither is
it disreputable to skip pages and chapters. On the other hand, some things need careful reading and
re-reading.
Taking Notes
Always record where a note comes from. You may think you can remember, but you won’t. It should
be second nature to make a full note of a book or article, its author, publisher and date, when you first
open it. You can then use an abbreviation (e.g. "Smith 1964, p.34"). These notes will be essential
when it comes to acknowledging critic’s words and ideas in your finished essay. It is good to try to
work out what you need to take notes on: notes that are too brief or messy will not be of any use to
you when you come to write your essay, but it is also possible to write notes that are too lengthy, on
aspects of the subject that you will not need for your essay. Identifying points that you need to know
more about will help you to take notes of the appropriate detail and length.
Writing
Hang some flesh onto your outline by relating your reading to the subheadings you have sketched
out. Subheadings should always be used in essays of some length because they remind you of your
present focus as well as serving as welcome points of orientation for the reader. But you also need to
make sure that you are thinking critically about your material. Are you drawing on established facts or
brazen assertions? Are you recording a palpable truth or somebody's working assumption about what
is true or his hypothesis about what might be the case? Do the literary passages you want to use as
illustrations reflect the author's point of view, or the narrator’s, or a character’s? Ask these questions
of your reading and you will that find you have analytical and detailed things to say. One critic or
commentator may provide apt illustration of someone else's general argument: two writers may see
your theme from different points of view, leaving you to find grounds for taking sides or proposing an
alternative position: you may have evidence from one source that flatly contradicts assumption
employed elsewhere, and so on. Gaps will also emerge and you may find that you want to revise your
outline.
After having done all your research, it often helps to begin by writing a tentative conclusion,
answering the question in just one or two sentences. This forces you to figure out just what it is you
think you have to say and can be used in the introduction to the essay, stating your case upfront and
using the rest of the essay to prove your point.
It is a good general principle to open an essay by setting out just what it is you are going to
attempt in it. But this, of course, does not mean that you simply repeat the title! Your conclusion will
be a summary justification of your claim to have done what you set out to do, tying beginning and
middle together. But don’t feel you have to be formalistic about this. The important thing is to have a
50
purpose and to pursue it. Give some thought to your reader. How best can you engage her/his
attention and keep her/him alongside you? Drag her/him along by force of logic. Entice him with
shrewdly chosen evidence. Make certain s/he leaves you with a sense of having had her/his thoughts
organized by someone who knew what s/he was about.
Style
When you re-read the first draft of an essay, you will vastly improve the final article by asking some
simple questions as you move from paragraph to paragraph. Can I say this more neatly and more
clearly in fewer words? Have I repeated myself? Should I check in the dictionary the precise meaning
(or spelling) of that word? Does the punctuation help the sense or confuse it? Have I used
paragraphs merely decoratively, or do they indicate different steps in the argument? Have I really
interpreted this or that quotation enough, or have I left it more or less to the reader to draw
conclusions from it? Is everything I am writing relevant to the question I have been asked?
You may have to ask similar questions at a more general level. Is this whole section
necessary to my argument, interesting and well-documented though it is? At this point do not be
afraid to discard. If you are in doubt, one way of resolving uncertainty is to relegate material to a
footnote or an appendix.
15.4
REFERENCE GUIDELINES
Written Work
Different tutors follow either the Oxford or Harvard systems of referencing. The following examples
use the Oxford (footnote) system.
It is most essential that all of the information needed (the author’s name, full publication details and
the page numbers you are referring to) is given and that you are consistent throughout your
references.
E.g. John Gross points out, in some comments on the growth of academic literary criticism in the last
few decades, that
the academic mind is cautious, tightly organized, fault-finding, competitive - and above all,
aware of other academic minds. Think of the atmosphere of suspicion implied by the habit of
fitting out the most trivial quotation with a reference, as though it were applying for a job.1
__________________________________________________________
1
John Gross, The Rise and Fall of the Man of Letters: English Literary Life since 1800
(London: Penguin, 1973), p. 323.
This is a citation for a published book. Long citations such as this (more than 40 words in prose
or 3 lines of poetry) should be indented and the quotation marks removed. In such cases the full
stop comes at the end of the citation before the footnote reference. In shorter citations, single
inverted commas are used. The convention for citing an article distinguishes the title and the
Journal as follows:
____________________________________________________________
2
S. Fuchs, ‘The Scavengers of Nimar District in Madhya Pradesh’, Journal of the Bombay
Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, vol XXVII, no. 1 (1951), pp. 86–98 (p. 97).
The first page numbers show the pages that the article begins and ends with; the page number in
brackets shows the particular page to which you are referring. After giving the first reference to a
book or article fully as shown above, you can use abbreviations, but you must always give the
author’s name and the page reference, e.g. Fuchs, p. 89. If your bibliography contains more than
one publication by the same author, you should also include a short title e.g. Gross, Rise and Fall,
p. 323 or the date of the publication (as long as that author does not have two books published in
the same year to which you refer), e.g. Gross, 1988, p. 323. Tutors must be able to find the quote
you use or idea you refer to when they check the book itself. In literature essays, quotes from
primary texts do not need footnote references after giving the first full reference in a footnote, but
page numbers can be stated in brackets after the quotation, as long as it is clear what the source
is. Endnotes may be used instead of footnotes.
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All book and journal names, whether in the text or the bibliography, should be put in italics
or underlined, eg. The Communist Manifesto, Sociological Review. Articles and titles of chapters
within books and journals should be in single inverted commas.
At the end of your essay add a Bibliography. This gives again the full references for any primary or
secondary material you have used. It may include books you have read and may have been
influenced by while preparing the essay as well as those you actually quote from within the essay.
Your sources should always be listed alphabetically, according to authors’ or editors’ surnames:
Books should be listed as follows (you should follow the punctuation used here, as well as the order
in which the information is stated): Surname, First name, Title: Subtitle (Place of Publication:
Publisher, Date). Eg:
Julian Barnes, A History of the World in 10½ Chapters (London: Picador, 1990)
J. G. Ballard, Crash (London: Cape, 1973)
Contributions to edited volumes should be listed as follows: Surname, First name, ‘Title of
contribution’, in Title: Subtitle, ed. by First name of editor, Surname of editor (Place of Publication:
Publisher, Date), page numbers of article begins at and ends at. Eg:
Jacques Lacan, ‘The Mirror Stage as Formative of the Function of I’, in Literary Theory: An
Anthology, ed. Julie Rivkin and Michael Ryan, 2nd edition (Oxford: Blackwell, 2004), pp. 441-6.
Articles in journals (also called periodicals) should be listed as follows: Surname, First name, ‘Title of
article’, Title of periodical, volume and/or Number, (date), page numbers of article. Eg:
Fredric Jameson, ‘Postmodernism, or the cultural logic of late capitalism’, New Left
Review, 146 (1984), pp. 53–92.
The Internet
Quoting from the Internet is probably the most difficult part of your bibliography as you do not have all
the information as easily available as with printed sources. Although it may not be possible in every
instance, you should attempt to give the author’s name or organisation who published the page,
followed by the page title, the date of publication or latest update, the exact web-address and the date
you accessed it.
e.g. Owen Gibson and Charlotte Higgins, ‘A Mercury for the Monkeys’, Guardian Unlimited, viewed
on 6 June 06, http://arts.guardian.co.uk/mercury2006/story/0,,1865874,00.html
As with all other sources which are not available in the university library you should be able to provide
your tutor with a copy of the materials you used, if asked to do so, and should therefore ensure to
keep a copy of the text as a computer file or print out.
It is also increasingly common for students to utilise images found on the Internet in their work.
For further information on sourcing online images and referencing them correctly, see Section
15.8 ‘Sourcing Images on the Internet’.
Remember that all direct quotations must be attributed. See Section 13 ‘Plagiarism, Collusion
and Cheating’.
Correctly Referencing Cited Media
You will probably find yourself referring to a wide number of different sources in your workbooks
and other written material for MCC and may not be familiar with the conventions for doing so.
Just as with any book you discuss, there are conventions in place for how it should be
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presented and a full reference list of media cited should appear at the end of your essay or
workbook in a recognised referencing system; such as the Harvard system provided below by
way of example.
Television Broadcast
When discussing a TV broadcast by its title in the main body of an essay, or in your workbook,
as with any title it should be italicised, for example, The News at Ten.
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Series, title and number, title of episode. Transmitting organisation and channel, full date and
time of transmission.
Examples:
Prison Break, Episode 210, Rendezvous. TV, Five, 2007 19th March, 21.00 hrs.
The News at Ten, ITV, 2002 26th January, 22.00 hrs.
Film or Video
When referring to a film, the title should be italicised and the first mention of the title should
always be accompanied by the release date in brackets, for example, “an interesting thing to
note about the film Batman (1989) is…” Once you have fully referenced the film in your text,
you may make repeat references by the title only.
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Title. (Year). Material designation. Subsidiary originator (director is preferred). Production
details - place: organisation..
Example:
Chicken Run. (2000) Animated film. Directed by Peter Lord and Nick Park. Bristol: Aardman.
Television Advertisement
When referring to a television advertisement provide a description and the year produced, for
example, "in a Coca Cola advert where Santa is seen handing a bottle of coke to a girl every
year at Christmas until she turns into a woman (2006)…”
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Company/Product. (Year produced). Description of advert (duration). Television advertisement,
channel. If possible, [Screened: dates]
Example:
Coca Cola. (2006). Santa handing bottles of coke to a girl every year at Christmas until she
turns into a woman (30 secs). Television advertisement, ITV3. [Screened 1st December 2006 25th December 2006]
Newspaper Article
When referring to a newspaper article cite the paper (italicised), author name and year
published as with a standard text, for example, “an article in the Times argues the same point
(Webster 2006)...”
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Surname, Initial(s). “Title of article”. Year. Newspaper title, date, page number of your quotation.
Example:
Webster, B. “New speed camera puts more drivers in the frame” 2006. Times, 24th May, p.1.
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Music Promo
Just as when referring to a film, the title should be italicised and the promo director and release
date included, for example, If I Were A Boy (Jake Nave 2008). The important thing here is the
director not the performer because it is invariably the video content you will be discussing.
Indeed if no other agreement is drawn up it is the director that owns the copyright to a music
promo, of course in practice, the label usually contractually retains the rights.
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Originator/Artist (Year released) Title. Directed by (Duration) if available. Music Video.
Example:
Beyoncé (2008) If I Were A Boy. Directed by Jake Nava. (04.16) Music Video.
Song
Just as when referring to a music promo, the title should be italicised and the release date
included but in this instance it tends to be the performer who is most relevant to the discourse,
for example, “in the Beatles song A Day in the Life (1967).”
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Performer. ‘Title of song’. Title of album or larger work in which the piece cited was published.
Publisher. Year. [Original year of publication if applicable]. CD reference often found on spine
or back cover.
Example:
The Beatles. ‘A Day in the Life’. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. EMI Records Ltd.
1987 [1967]. CDP 7 46442 2.
Webpage
When referring to a webpage article cite the author name and year published as with a standard
text, however, if there is no date on the page, use the abbreviation n.d. (no date), for example,
“we can now all be our own publishers (Publishers Association n.d.) ...”
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Author / Editor / Corporate Author. (Year of publication) Title. [Online]. Available at: <URL>
[Date accessed]
Example:
Publishers Association. (no date) About publishing. [Online]. Available at:
<http://www.publishers.org.uk/en/about_publishing/> [Accessed 14 September 2007]
Weblog
When referring to a weblog article cite the author name and year published as with a standard
text, due to the nature of blogs a publishing date will be available, for example, “the place for
citizen journalism is central to a current understanding of the news business (Monck 2007) ...”
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Author / Corporate Author. (Day/Month/Year) Title. Weblog. [Online]. Available at: <URL> [Date
of access & GMT if available:].
Example:
Monck, Adrian. (12/10/2007) Views on the news biz. Weblog. [Online] Available at:
<http://adrianmonck.blogspot.com> [Accessed 12th October 2007, GMT: 10:10:15]
Online Image
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When discussing an online image refer to the image in the text using either the title (in italics)
or, if unavailable provide a description, and again if available cite the image originator and date.
For example, “the map shows the Parish of Maroota during the1840s (Ferguson Collection
1840-1849)…”
Format for Bibliography/Reference List:
Originator. (Year of publication) Title of image [Online image]. Available at: <URL> [Date
accessed]
Example:
Stanley J. P. (2006) Wispy clouds and the afternoon moon. [Online image]. Available at:
<http://www.flickr.com/photos/79297308@N00/98302121> [Accessed 21 November 2007]
15.5 CRITERIA AND QUALITY OF WRITTEN WORK
This checklist may help you to know whether your essay is ready to be submitted:
Quality of Argument
Does the essay make a strong and clear argument?
Is the argument theoretically sophisticated?
Does it show that you really understand the concepts and theories you are using?
Does it make use of primary and secondary materials?
Have you shown that you have really got to the heart of the argument?
Quality of Evidence
Is the argument well supported?
Is evidence well chosen?
Is it to the point?
Have you marshalled all the appropriate material?
Criticism
Have you successfully mounted a critical argument about your theoretical and empirical
sources?
Have you contrasted the different sources or viewpoints to good effect?
Originality
Is your argument original?
Have you used what you have learnt to think creatively and constructively about the topic?
Have you developed your own ideas in relation to the material?
Organisation
Is the essay well organised?
Does it have a coherent structure?
Does it develop as it goes along?
Is there a clear conclusion?
Is it within the word limit?
Relevance
Is what you have written to the point?
Does it answer the question?
Is it tightly written?
Have you misread the question?
Quality of English
Is what you’ve written good English?
Is it elegantly written?
Is your punctuation, spelling and grammar correct?
(Note that these rules are relaxed for those with dyslexia, please contact Disability Services for
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appropriate support.)
Use of sources
Have you read around the topic?
Have you used your reading constructively?
Have you cited your sources in a bibliography at the end of the essay and placed quotation
marks in the text of your essay, to acknowledge their provenance?
Other forms of assessment
Media, Communications and Culture is an interdisciplinary degree with contributions from
across the Social Sciences and Humanities. While many of the more theoretical aspects of the
programme are assessed using essays and other forms of written assessment, other aspects of
the programme with a more practical and/or applied focus will often employ alternative forms of
assessment. Module leaders and tutors involved in modules utilising other forms of assessment
will offer clear guidance and support as/when this is required.
15.6
USING INTERNET SOURCES
There are very many websites and portals dealing with useful information for Media,
Communications and Culture students. A word of caution, however, you need to assess the
suitability of material you use by checking its tended audience. Also you need to cite it properly
(see 15.4 ‘Reference Guidelines’)
15.7 SOURCING IMAGES ON THE INTERNET
The most commonly employed way of searching for images on the internet is via the image
indexing functions of the major search engines such as Google and Yahoo. These are very
powerful and index billions of images but they are rarely correctly referenced and normally of
extremely low quality. There are however plenty of ways to access a huge number of images on
the Internet that can be used effectively in your work. So remember to always consider these
guidelines when taking images from the web:
1) Resolution: Is the image big enough?
2) Referencing: Have I made a note of where I sourced the image?
Resolution: Is the image big enough?
The main problem associated with images taken from the internet for use in graphic design is
image quality, due to the difference between 'print' and 'screen' resolutions. Screen resolution is
nearly always 72dpi (dots per inch) and this will give very poor quality if printed at the same
scale. The resolution used for printed images varies but is much higher and most commonly
300 dpi is used. The point here is that if you increase the size of most screen resolution images
to fit your 300dpi document they will print in a very blurry and unsatisfactory way. Therefore you
need to specifically search the internet for high-resolution images and not just a general image
search.
Places to start your search for high quality images:
http://www.flickr.com/ (an online community of photographers and artists sharing digital
imagery. To search for copyright free images visit www.flickr.com/creativecommons).
http://www.openphoto.net/ (a forum for sharing images.)
http://www.freefoto.com/ (an online database of free photographs)
http://www.sxc.hu/ (over 250,000 quality stock photos by more than 25,000 photographers)
http://www.freeimages.co.uk/ (over 2500 stock photographs)
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http://www.morguefile.com/ (public image reference archive)
http://www.imageafter.com/ (large online free photo collection)
http://www.dreamstime.com/free-photos (free stock images)
http://www.picfindr.com/ (free stock photo and image search engine)
http://www.everystockphoto.com/ (free stock photo and image search engine)
and if you do still choose to use Google to find your images…
http://images.google.com/ Remember Google (and similar search engines) search webpages
and text only, not image databases like the ones listed above; it does not list every image
available on the internet! If you do wish to find an image through Google however, to ensure the
highest quality, you can choose to further search by image size on the results page. Click on
the link ‘see options’ and utilise the size options in the side bar that is now visible (see below)
In addition to this you should click through to the webpage that contains your chosen image to
find the information you will need to correctly reference it. Remember, all found imagery used
must be fully referenced in your reference list/bibliography.
Referencing: Have I made a note of where I sourced the image?
This brings us to point two and referencing. Another major problem with using digital images
from the web found through engines such as Google is that many images hosted on other sites
are often in flagrant copyright violation. You must ensure that you can always provide the image
maker/producer’s name and the source webpage from which the image was taken. This
information will be easily available if using any of the image databases provided above. A
reference for your found image should be placed in your reference list/bibliography and
prescribe to an appropriate system.
For example, the Harvard style of online source referencing:
Originator. (Year of publication) Title of image [Online image], Available at: URL (Date
accessed)
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Specific Example:
Stanley J. P. (2006) Wispy clouds and the afternoon moon, [Online image], Available at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/79297308@N00/98302121 (Accessed: 21 November 2007)
The internet can be a powerful and extremely helpful tool when used correctly so remember to
follow these guidelines. For further information about sourcing images on the web visit the
Technical Advisory Service for Images online guide at:
http://www.tasi.ac.uk/advice/using/finding.html
15.8 COPYRIGHT – ADVICE FOR MEDIA, COMMUNICATIONS AND CULTURE STUDENTS
Copyright law, although it may seem complex, is something that you do need to consider when
preparing work that includes existing material such as images from the internet, film clips or
popular music. An understanding of basic copyright law is of great value in the media
profession but more importantly copyright will have a direct bearing as to whether your work
can be used for assessment purposes only or reach a wider audience. The following is a short
introduction to the basics of copyright and how it can affect students.
What Is Copyright?
People who produce original work in any medium automatically own the copyright to it.
Copyright protects creative and artistic works such as music, film, artworks and media
broadcasts. It applies to any medium, including books, journals, photographs, maps, painting
and collages.
Copyright law in the UK exists to protect the rights of copyright holders, by preventing the
copying or exploitation of their work without their permission. The law governing copyright in the
UK is the Copyright Designs And Patents Act, 1988.
Within the provisions of the law, a number of what are called “exceptions” allows limited use of
copyright works without the permission of the copyright owner. Educational establishments
such as Keele are given some leeway in utilising or copying copyright work. The library web site
contains more information on “fair dealing” within education on the following web site;
http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/li/info/fairdealing.htm
Copyright In Films, Sound Recordings And Broadcasts
Copyright in films expires seventy years after the last to die out of:


the main director
the author of the screenplay
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

the author of the spoken dialogue
the composer of the music created for and used in the film
For sound recordings, broadcasts, and computer-generated works, copyright lasts 50 years
after the end of the year in which they were first made, released, or broadcast.
Images, including photographs, are protected for 70 years after the year of a known author's
death. For works of unknown authorship, copyright expires 70 years from the end of the
calendar year in which the work was created or revealed to the public.
Using Films, Sound Recordings And Broadcasts
Section 32 of the Copyright Designs And Patents Act, allows for copying by those giving
instruction (i.e. academics) or receiving instruction (i.e. students) provided due
acknowledgement is made.
“Section 32(2)
(2) Copyright in a sound recording, film or broadcast is not infringed by its being copied by
making;

a film or film sound-track in the course of instruction or of preparation for instruction, in
the making of films or film sound-tracks, provided the copying–
(a) is done by a person giving or receiving instruction”
(Sourced from http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1988/Ukpga_19880048_en_1.htm )
Such copies must be accompanied by a sufficient acknowledgement, and must be for a noncommercial purpose.
Sufficient Acknowledgement would entail ensuring the creators of the sound recording, film or
broadcast were listed in the end credits of the work produced.
For example, if an extract of a film was used within a student’s work, the work’s title, director,
writer, production company and year of release should be listed.
If a piece of music is used within a multimedia work, the title of the piece, composer, performer,
company who recorded and released the music, and date of release should be included in the
credits.
Student’s multimedia work which contains such “third party”, copyrighted, content, can only be
used within an educational context, i.e. in the context of the “course of instruction” or for
examination or assessment purposes.
It does not include any context that might entail the work being communicated to the public. The
public is usually considered to be anyone who is not a staff member or student of the institution.
Communication can be interpreted as emailing, providing over a network or making multiple
copies of the work on disk for wider distribution.
Section 32 (5) also warns that further “dealing” of such copied materials (e.g. in communicating
them to the public via the internet on a public website, “Youtube” or “Facebook” for example)
makes the work an “infringing copy”. Under these circumstances the copyright owner could start
a legal action against the people responsible for the infringing action.
To avoid this, in the circumstances where a student would like to make their work available to a
wider public (using whatever means), they should only do so after seeking and being granted
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permission to do so from the owners of the copyright material included in their work.
Common types of royalty free licence or non-copyright material
Public Domain: This body of information and creativity is considered to be part of a common
cultural and intellectual heritage, which, in general, anyone may use or exploit, in any way,
whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes.
Attribution: Lets others copy, distribute, display, and perform the copyrighted work - and
derivative works based upon it - but only if they give credit to the original image producer.
Non-commercial: Lets others copy, distribute, display, and perform the original work - and
derivative works based upon it - but for non-commercial purposes only.
No Derivative Works: Lets others copy, distribute, display, and perform only verbatim copies of
the original work, not derivative works based upon it.
Share Alike: You are allowed to copy, recast, transform, adapt, perform, record or translate a
share-alike copyrighted work, however doing so creates a "derived work" on which share-alike
copyright restrictions are automatically imposed.
In practical terms you are free to use and alter any material with one of the above copyright
provisions EXCEPT for 'no derivative works' (which may only be reproduced ‘as is’) so long as
you correctly reference the originator.
Note: Whether or not you are required to by the license you should always reference/attribute
any image reproduced or utilised in your work.
More information on copyright is available from the Library’s web pages at;
http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/li/info/copyright.htm
Disclaimer
The information contained within this document, is intended as general guidelines and an
interpretation of current copyright issues. It is not intended and should not be construed as legal
advice.
16.
STUDENT EXCHANGE
If the programme decides that your academic work has been of sufficiently good standing in
your first year, then in your second year you may be able to spend a semester studying Media,
Communications and Culture abroad. To be considered for this programme you need to apply
during your first year and take a preparation module in semester 2. Further details can be
obtained from the International Office or the Study Abroad Tutor, Diego Garro
d.garro@keele.ac.uk. Information about study abroad can be found at:
Students are encouraged to find out more from the International Office and Peer Adviser
Resource Room early in their first semester (Ground floor of IC2).
http://www.keele.ac.uk/studyabroad/keelestudentsgoingabroad/
17.
CAREERS
What can I achieve with a Degree in Media, Communications and Culture?
Your degree will equip you with the skills and knowledge to undertake a wide range of careers
and courses. So while at Keele, be sure to:

Make the most of opportunities within the student community: become involved
proactively in student union societies and departmental activities. Not only does this
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
make your time as an MCC student more rewarding, it also show employers that you
can work as part of a team, communicate, consult, juggle activities. In particular, if you
are interested in a career in the media and communications industries, every employer
will tell you there there’s no substitute for experience. You should make the most of the
opportunities that exist at Keele to engage in related activies: such as writing for the
student magazines or setting up your own for MCC students, volunteering for KUBE
radio, producing and contributing to websites and helping to produce cultural activities
such as plays, concerts and performances.
Gain work experience. This means both working for money, and work experience, to
gain insight into different careers. Recruiters like to see that you can manage your time
effectively, to demonstrate commitment and adapt to new environments. Experience of
your chosen career also shows a real understanding of, and interest in, the area. Some
national high-profile companies offer internships and work-experience schemes that you
might be interested in but be aware that these are very competitive.
Plan ahead. Ideally, don’t leave your career planning until after your final examinations.
The best time to have relevant work experience is the summer of Year 2 and deadlines
for such experience may be six months prior to this. Also, some deadlines for certain
jobs and careers are very early in the final year.
Use the Careers Service. http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/aa/careers/
18.
POSTGRADUATE STUDIES


Those contemplating graduate study in Media, Communications and Culture or related topics
will need to make a number of decisions regarding sources of finance, which universities to
apply to, whether study is to be part-time or full-time and whether to go for a higher degree by
taught course or by thesis alone. Generally speaking it is easier to get accepted somewhere
than to secure a grant. For the former an upper second-class degree will suffice, whereas a
good first-class degree is required to be reasonably sure of financial assistance. Taught course
are available only at certain universities and normally last either one or two years leading, for
example, to an MA or M.Phil. The minimum time for completion of a PhD is three years fulltime study, and is usually best to apply to reading for an MA in the first instance. Advice on any
aspect of applying may be had from postgraduate prospectuses and from any member of the
Department. At Keele we offer a Masters in Research (MRes) and an MA in Global Media and
Culture, and we would be happy to discuss the nature and content of either of these courses
with you.
HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION
For information about Health and Safety on Campus see the following pages on the University
Website.
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/hr/ohsu/HandS_manual/index.htm
In particular, you should be aware of the health and safety regulations when using computers.
For information and advice on this see the following link:
http://www.learninglink.ac.uk/site.htm
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FIRE ACTION
On Discovering a Fire:
1 Always Raise the Alarm at Once It is of the utmost importance that persons in a building,
which is on fire, should be given warning. Use the fire alarm where there is one. Operating the
fire alarm does not call the fire service so:
2 Always Call the Fire Service at Once By telephone, key 9-999. Give the correct address.
Make certain your message is understood. Telephone 888 for internal assistance.
3
Always Evacuate the Building at Once on Hearing the Alarm
a. Senior staff present must take charge
b. Close windows and doors
c. Alert occupants of adjacent and opposite rooms
d. Leave the building by the nearest available door. Close all doors as you go.
The University’s Codes of Practice can be found on
http://www.keele.ac.uk/admin/ps/governance/acts/Regulations/Index.htm
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