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A2 Communications Project
1. skills of research and investigation, to
include questionnaire design and interview methodologies 2. skills of critical analysis to be applied
to the work of self and others 3. the conventions of one or more
communication forms such as:
Candidates
are required to produce an artefact and appropriate associated documentation.
An identifiable communication need will inform the candidates’ choice of
artefact. Each section of this coursework will be marked in accordance with the
Assessment
Candidates
will define an artefact to be produced, targeting a certain audience, with a
specific purpose in mind. The
brief will set out
Candidates
will carry out research into the nature of the audience for their proposed
artefact and into the form they have chosen.
Candidates
will provide evidence of drafting their final artefact and include notes
explaining the reasons for their decisions. Evidence of evaluative
decision-making is central. There is no word limit on this section. This
section tests Assessment Objective 4.
Credit
will be given, according to the mark scheme, in recognition of the quality of
the artefact, evidence of understanding of the The
length of an artefact will be defined by factors such as its purpose, its
audience and its form.
This
list is neither exhaustive nor prescriptive. This section tests Assessment
Objective 4.
Candidates
will evaluate and comment on the work undertaken for the production of the
artefact, both by making explicit reference to theory and by the
application of that theory. Material
drawn from both the personal and cultural communication aspects of the
specification will have relevance. Candidates
should explain in what ways their theoretical learning informed their work and
also evaluate the process undergone, their efforts, skills and aptitudes
and any improvements or changes they would have liked to have made. It
would be appropriate for candidates to engage with members of their target
audience to inform their understanding. This
section will comprise an essay of approximately 1000 words and test
Assessment Objective 5. How Much 'Stuff' do I need?
At
the end of your project you will probably have the following; A Document Folder (cardboard wallet) containing the
following Presentation folders (plastic clear fronted)
Audience Research You
will need to research the intended audiencefor your Artifact. This
will involve three stages: Market
Research At
this stage you will need to find out if what demographic, patterns of
consumption and attitudinal/lifestyle data exists for your audience and for
the kind of artifact you intend to produce. e.g.If
you want to produce a Radio Drama for a teenage audience,you will need to
research:
You
may also wish to conduct a research of your own through conducting a Focus
Group or distibuting a Questionnare The
purpose of research at this stage is to discover what the audience wants/
needs/ expects from the kind of artifact you intend to produce. You will need to research how to research Have
a look at the
'Cultsock' guide and at the
Watershed's 'Marketing East is East' site Audience Testing At
this stage you may wish to show drafts/prototypes of your project to a representative
sample of your audience and elicit their comments. Be prepared to modify
your artifact! Audience Reaction Finally
you will need to show your final artifact to a representative sample of your
audience and get some detailed responses. Don't
try and get a 'positive' response,
in some ways a 'critical' one is 'better' - It gives you more to write about in
your Synoptic Evaluation & Audience Research files! Writing Up You
will need to incorporate Audience Theory into your 'write-up' (see 'Cultsock'
) For example you might make reference to 'The Effects Model','Uses &
Gratifications' and a more 'Semiotic'/Discourse centred model ( see Martin
Barker's 'Judge Dredd - The Knowing Audience' ) You
have limited space (500 words for the Audience Research folder,150-500
for the Synoptic Evaluation) so keep it a concise summary. Don't
bulk up the folder with multiple
copies of questionnaires or print outs of audience research data |