Key Stage Four

Introduction to GCSE Media Studies: WJEC Exam Board

 

Unit Title Unit content Assessment % of overall GCSE
1 Thinking about the Media: Investigating and Planning This unit will involve the study of a particular topic set by the exam board whereby students are tested on their knowledge and understanding, as well as production skills on the topic set.

Section A: Investigating – this will involve four questions on stimulus material provided by the exam board and will look at how the media is convergent.

Section B: Planning – this section tests students’ planning and creative skills with a range of production tasks linked to a chosen topic. Students will need to demonstrate knowledge of how the media is convergent.

Unit 1 Topics
2015 – Print Advertising
2016 – Film Trailers & Posters
2017 – Newspapers & Radio News
2018 – TV News & News Websites

External Assessment and Exam (2 hours and 15 minutes) 40%
2 Creating for the Media: Investigating and Producing Students will produce three different pieces of controlled assessment from two different types of media.

Two textual investigations – one investigation must be print based and they must both cover different media. (20% of the controlled assessment mark – 10% for each investigation.)

One media production – this will involve research, planning, producing, and evaluating your own production. (40% of the controlled assessment mark.) The list of different media can be chosen from the following: Film, television, music videos, websites, animation, radio, magazine, computer games.

Note:
One textual investigation can be based on the Unit 1 exam topic.
The second textual investigation must be based on a different media topic.
Neither textual investigation is allowed to be linked to the media production.
The production cannot be linked to the Unit 1 exam topic.

Controlled Assessment (Coursework) 60%

 

Key Stage Five

A Level Media Studies: WJEC Exam Board

What does the course cover?

Students study different media industries in depth, with the aim of understanding key institutional and audience factors which influence and shape the production of media texts within those industries.

The focus is on contemporary British media and its output, although this is contrasted to other global industries. Three of the key focus industries will be drawn from the following: Computer Games, Television, Film and Cinema, Advertising, Radio and the music industry inter-alia.

The course includes the analysis of a full range of diverse media texts. Contemporary and relevant media texts will be used to explore the following issues;

  • Gender (for example the different ways in which men and women are represented by the media)
  • Ethnicity (for example through a study of the positive and negative representations of people from different ethnic backgrounds in news coverage and film texts)
  • Age (for example the representations of teenagers/youth and older people)
  • Issues (for example issues raised by magazines articles such as size zero)
  • Events (for example the news coverage of events)
  • Local, regional and national representations (definitions and comparisons)

The course is mixed mode and entails both theory and practical production on an even basis.

How is the course assessed?

The course is assessed through both written exams and 50% of internally assessed and externally moderated controlled assessment.

What do students who study this course go on to do?

Students who study this course have gone on to study a wide range of subjects at university, from sciences to arts subjects. This subject is widely applicable to many different areas, such as law, creative and performing arts and the study of digital video production. Graduates from Media courses do extremely well in the career market as they go into areas such as teaching, archiving, cultural management, social and community work, information management, public relations or the civil service.