A2 Media Studies
Course Handbook and Guide 2010-11
Student Name: _____________________
Student ID No.:_____________________
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Welcome to the Media and Film Studies
Department
The media and film studies classrooms are
situated on the third floor of the Middlehaven
building; which is where you will find most of your
A Level classrooms. This subject is part of the A
level department which falls within the A Level
directorate (department).
You will have 4.5 hours of lessons per week
broken up into three sessions of 1.5 hours each.
In addition to this you should allow 2 hours for self
directed study each week; which you should use
for completing homework, looking over class work and for completing
any necessary revision.
It is important to try to organise your time effectively. Most of you will be
studying 4 AS levels, so try to balance your workload. You will also be
attending Tutorial sessions every week.
You will all have access to the College Virtual Learning software known
as Blackboard that you can access through College or your home
computer via the College Website www.mbro.ac.uk. You will be able
to access all your subject areas, and will find a wealth of course
information, topic-specific questions and power point presentations.
Check the site regularly for announcements.
Merit Awards are given to students who show outstanding attendance
and performance in this subject.
The exam board for Media Studies is AQA and the exam board for Film
Studies is WJEC.
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Meet the Team
Here are some names you may need to know: -
The Principal
Mike Hopkins
Assistant Principal for Teaching and Learning:
Marion Fitt
Director of A Levels:
Richard Ronksley
Deputy Director of A levels :
Sue Brown
Course Co-ordinator:
Sarah Noble
Course Lecturers
Sarah Noble
Learning Mentor:
Alison Cordes
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Health and Safety
N.B. please read this page carefully
1.
Make sure you are aware of the fire regulations which will ensure
you will be able to leave the building safely and efficiently in the
event of an emergency. They are displayed by the door of each
classroom and will be pointed out to you by your teacher. You
will also have been given advice during your Induction and during
tutorials.
2.
Do not leave your bags or other belongings in a position which
will impede access or egress.
3.
Don’t leave litter in classrooms.
4.
Do not bring food / drink into classrooms (bottled water only).
5.
The Media / Film rooms are fairly small and become cramped,
especially if there is equipment in the rooms (televisions etc). If
these present a hazard, for example, a trailing lead, or if you
perceive any other hazard in the classrooms, please alert your
teacher to this.
If you are involved in a Media / Film trip make sure you carefully read the
information given to you before you go, and pay attention to any further
instructions about arrangements, behaviour, meeting times etc.
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Assessment
You will be assessed by written exams and internally assessed coursework.
Written Exam (25%)
There will be one written exam; which you will sit in June, 2011 (MEST 3). The
exam lasts 2 hours and has two sections. Section A: You must answer three
compulsory short answer questions, based on your analysis of two unseen
media texts. Section B; you will answer one essay question from the four
offered and answer using the case study work you have completed in
preparation for the exam. Section A is worth 32/80 and Section B; 48/80. It is
essential that you attempt to answer all of the required questions. Otherwise
you will severely jeopardise your grade.
You will have a 1:1 tutorial with Sarah in the first week or so of the A2 year to
decide if it is necessary to resit your AS exam (MEST 1).
Coursework (25%)
The coursework contributes 25% to your A2 result, so it is essential that you
take time and care in producing good quality work.
In the A2 year you have free choice over your coursework. However, you
must complete two separate but linked tasks.

A 2,000 word research essay based on a media text of your choice
(limited by age of the text)

A linked production piece
o Print: minimum of 3 A4 pages: e.g. a magazine front cover and a
double page spread
o E-media: Minimum of three linked pages
o Broadcast: can be completed in a group of four; minimum of 5
minutes.
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What you can expect from us
Lessons
You will have four and a half hours of timetabled lessons. You will be taught
using a variety of teaching and learning methods to meet the varied Learning
Preferences of the students in the class. This will include lectures,
worksheets, practical work, presentations, videos, models, posters, etc.
Homework
Homework will be set and marked on a weekly basis. Much of the work set
will be linked to developing skills and knowledge required for the course.
Monitoring Progress
Homework and test marks will be recorded along with attendance. Your
lecturer will review your progress regularly and will discuss this with you to set
realistic targets. This will initially be based on your minimum level of
performance grade (based on your GCSE grades) to give a baseline for
achievement. In addition to this you will receive a written report on your
performance twice during the year.
Support
Your lecturers are there to help and support you in your learning and
understanding of the course topics. Please do not be afraid to ask for help if
something is not clear.
Always remember:
If you don’t understand - ask for help.
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What we expect from you
Entry Requirements
To join the A2 course you need to have achieved at least a grade E at AS.
Attendance and Punctuality
You are expected to attend 100% of timetabled lessons and to arrive on time.
If you are genuinely unable to attend, or will be unavoidably late, please
telephone or e mail your lecturer to let them know BEFORE the lesson.
This is important because if you are absent from the lesson the college will
telephone you to find out why, and if your attendance falls below 85% you
will be charged a fee of approximately £15 per written exam.
Stationery
You are expected to have paper, pens, pencils and rulers at all lessons.
It is advisable that you have a folder or notebook that can be divided into
sections. This will allow you to organise your lesson notes and work and this
will aid revision.
Homework / Coursework
It is essential that you complete homework and hand it in on time so that we
can continually monitor your performance. Late homework will not be marked
and will be recorded as a zero in the mark books and you Personal Tutor will
be informed. Get a diary. Carry it around with you and use it!!! Note down
deadlines and times in the week that you will set aside to do a particular piece
of work. And stick to it!!! Avoid leaving work until the last minute. Your
teachers will be pleased to check work in progress, but it is sensible to ask for
advice before the deadline for handing-in. For coursework tasks, build on your
GCSE experiences and be prepared to plan, re-draft and improve several
times. Keep all teacher comments and feedback and early drafts.
Blackboard (Bb)
Check the AS Media Studies section regularly as there may be important
announcements there. Browse the site to find useful extra notes, animations,
power points and questions, as well using the site to catch up on any work
missed through absence.
Revision
It is advisable to revise work at the end of each week and make sure you have
understood the topic. This will make final revision for exams much easier.
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Outline Scheme of Work:
What you can expect from the year ahead.
Term
Lesson content
1st half term
Sept - Oct
Recap of the key elements of AS: Key concepts and media terminology
1:1 tutorials: Target setting: possible grade to aim for: steps to do it;
confirm resits needed etc
Introduction of the A2 elements: Texts and Contexts: Horror film unit used
to introduce wider contexts: assignment: Why has the horror genre
changed?
Ideology: Definition and interpretation: Links to other media terms e.g.
deviancy and sub cultures?
Coursework: requirements, planning and research.
October Half Term
2nd half term
Nov – Dec
Unit of Study: New Media Tech: Intro new media via The Gadget Show;
questions, terminology attached to New Media; portability etc
Developing analysis skills: unseen text: single text analysis; link to issues
and theory
Coursework: Production. Complete and submit production work.
Christmas Holidays
3rd half term
Jan – Feb
Unit of Study: Representation
Coursework: Research essay.
Developing analysis skills: unseen text analysis multiple texts
Mock Exam
February Half Term
4th half term
March – Apr
Analysing texts: Theory and contexts
Coursework: Research essay: complete and submit. Re-draft / edit of
production: adding the wow factor.
Easter Holidays
5th half term
Apr – May
MEST 3 Critical perspectives: Own case study work
Analysing texts: Unseen text analysis: multiple texts
MOCK EXAM
May Half Term
6th half term
June
MEST 3: Exam
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How will you be assessed?
Assessment Objectives for A level Media Studies
AO1 Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of media concepts, contexts
and critical debates.
AO2 Apply knowledge and understanding when analysing media products
and processes and evaluating their own practical work, to show how
meanings and responses are created.
AO3 Demonstrate the ability to plan and construct media products using
appropriate technical and creative skills.
AO4 Demonstrate the ability to undertake, apply and present appropriate
research.
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Coursework regulations
Candidates must not:

submit work which is not their own

lend work to other candidates

allow other candidates access to, or the use of, their own
independently-sourced source material; (this does not mean that
candidates may not lend their books to another candidate, but
candidates should be prevented from plagiarising other candidates’
research)

include work copied directly from books, the internet or other sources
without acknowledgement or attribution

submit work typed or word-processed by a third person without
acknowledgement.
These actions constitute malpractice, for which a penalty (eg disqualification
from the examination) will be applied.
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Media terminology
On the following pages you will find a glossary of useful
terminology in connection to Media Studies.
Taken from:
AQA A2 Media Studies (2009)
Stevenson, Andrews, Burton
Studying the Media: 3rd Edition (2003)
Tim O'Sullivan, Brian Dutton, Philip Rayner
The following glossary is not all of the
terminology you may encounter in Media
Studies; but may be a useful tool for revision
and individual work.
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