module specification

This module develops the skills, tools and methods for future practice as an animator, filmmaker or music technologist. Further, students will be encouraged to experiment and to refine their choices of techniques and tools for different purposes.

Students learn through engagement in a series of practical projects designed to further develop relevant skills in the student’s chosen area of specialisation. At the end of this module the student will have completed a workbook that contains a portfolio of assignments and a narrative of the working practices they have engaged with.  The workbook/portfolio is designed to be a window on the process of making work and will also doc-ument the student’s practice in MD5001 Creative Studio Practice 2.

Central to the module will be an exploration and deeper understanding of the overlap between technology, creativity and self-reflective critical practice.  Further, the module engages the student in thinking about their developing practice and the contexts that frame and are changed by their work. This activity will be informed by the learning from the CCS module at level 5.

This module is taught alongside and in integral relationship with MD5001 Creative Studio Practice 2. In addi-tion, the module extends the four areas of skills-development that were introduced at level 4 and run throughout the course. These are the career dossier, career plan, show reel, and exhibition.

Pass & Completion of Prior Level (AMD-ASD Courses Only)

The module aims are to:
• Permit students to further develop skills and knowledge in media practice.
• Further develop students’ knowledge of the processes of their practice.
• Extend students’ ability to describe and present their work.
• Further develop students’ ability to be analytical, reflective and critical.
• Further develop students’ career planning skills and documentation.

The syllabus is organised to meet the needs of different groups of students and to offer choice.  This may vary in composition from year to year. The groups correspond to the course titles that comprise Media Practice and Music Technology.

Indicative groups and syllabus:

Animation:
Acting and performance
Mise-en-scène and characterisation
3D animation

Film and Broadcast:
Sound design
Compositing
Grading & Finishing

Music Technology:
Advanced Studio Recording Techniques
Coding of Surround sound/DVD authoring (AC3)
Introduction to live recording
Material science; instrument design analysis

The learning and teaching strategy for this module and other atelier modules is to place the emphasis on learning through practice. Students are taught how to be responsible for their own learning and will be expected to be in the studio throughout the week. Lecturers will be available for consultation and for a schedule of progressive tutorials and feedback.
Teaching methods will also include lectures, seminars, demonstrations, workshops and group tutorials.
The atelier modules encourage and combine lecturer-led learning, learning from others in the class and thirdly, learning through experience and independent studies.
Students can also learn from each other by engaging with the same conceptual problems in different subject areas, in the same or neighbouring studios and at the same time. At level 5, this opportunity is extended by offering a number of projects with different themes. These projects take students out of the studio to engage with subject that matter and issues that will stimulate and encourage new approaches. These projects will also be an opportunity for students to work with others in the same course, and with students from other courses and other levels.
With the Atelier method we have an intensive introduction and briefing period of 2 or 3 weeks at the start of the project. This would set up the critical space and the scope of the project and would introduce working practices.
There will be opportunities for formative feedback throughout the module. Students can use this feedback to improve their work.
The two atelier modules at each level are part of an integrated approach to learning and can be seen as a pair. In this module the main assessment item is the workbook/portfolio. In the other atelier module, taken at the same time, the main assessment item is the assignment or set of assignments. Thus, the two modules support and inform each other: product and process.
The career-planning activities will be a further opportunity for the student to learn about their possible career path and so plan their level 6 major project.

On completion of this module, students should be able to demonstrate:

1. Extended skills and understanding of practice in Animation, Film & Broadcast or MusicTechnology.
2. Depth and breadth of understanding and knowledge in relevant working practices.
3. The ability to effectively describe their work for a variety of audiences and for different purposes (for example, to bring out the critical value of a piece of work).
4. Developed analytical, reflective and critical skills and awareness. For example, by being able to show in a self- reflective account of their work how their future practice may change and how their practice might affect their field.
5. The extended ability to research and make a career plan. For example, by interviewing experts in their industry and using research to modify their plans.
6. The ability to transfer knowledge and understanding from contextual and critical studies into their practice.
7. Improved skills, knowledge and understanding in exhibiting their work so that its worth is ac-cessible to an audience of internal and external stakeholders.

The strategy is to increase the power and effectiveness of assessment by simplifying and reducing the num-ber of assessment items. Then, each assessment item is broken into stages so that regular formative and developmental feedback can be given.
Another advantage of a portfolio approach to assessment is that tracking is clear and simple and so we can ensure that all learning outcomes are assessed.
The portfolio will consist of a maximum of four prescribed pieces of work each with specified assessment criteria relating to the module's learning outcomes (section 12), these may be written work (essays, reports), practical exercises, or presentations, as determined by the requirements of the studio / subject discipline in which the module is being taught.
Regular formative assessment will be used to provide diagnostic feedback and to support students to learn, change and improve.
The assessment in different modules will be coordinated and integrated, so that learning outcomes for each module are assessed separately and, also, learning from one module is transferred to other modules.
The assessment load complies with the Faculty’s assessment tariff.
Assessment will be based on 100% coursework.
Work will be assessed against the learning outcomes in relation to the following criteria:

• Appropriate use of research methods
• Quality of analysis and interpretation
• Subject knowledge and relevance
• Quality of communication and presentation
• Appropriate use of problem solving, testing and experimentation
• Management of own learning and personal professional development.

Each student group will have access to online resources, including WebLearn and Google groups. These are seen as forums for sharing information, discussion and learning.
In addition, module booklets will direct students to reading material that supports and broadens learning for particular groups and particular projects.