Digital Media

QUALIFICATION:

This is a Cambridge Technical Extended Certificate Level 3

OVERVIEW:

Over the two years of study, students will cover five units of study:

• Media Products and Audiences (Exam)
  Students will gain an understanding of ownership models in the media industries, how to analyse different media products and about how audiences are categorised, researched and targeted by media producers. They will also learn how media institutions distribute and advertise their products to audiences.
• Pre-Production and Planning (Exam)
  Students will learn how to carry out research in the planning stage of a media production and about the constraints that need to be considered, including timescales and resources. They will also understand how to create pre-production documents in relation to client requirements.
• Creating a Digital Product (Coursework)
  In this coursework unit students will be allowed to put what they have learned in the two examined units into practice by developing a digital product for an identified client.  This product can be audio, visual or print based depending on their own interests.
• Journalism and the News Industry (Coursework)
  This unit allows students to investigate the contemporary news industry and how audiences receive news. They will also investigate news gathering techniques, research methods and press regulation as well as being given the opportunity to create their own news articles.
• Advertising Media (Coursework)
  Students will produce a campaign for a product or service, selecting the appropriate media components to produce it. They will produce original media components for incorporating into a campaign, considering the market and its target audience.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Sixth Form at Malton standard entry requirement for vocational courses: 4 GCSEs at Grade 4+ to include English or Maths.

EQUIPMENT:

The course requires no specialist equipment although having access to a computer at home would be beneficial.  Students will be provided with their own licence for the Adobe Creative Cloud suite of applications which they can download at home, free of charge, should they wish to.

SKILLS:

The course requires a high amount of independent learning so strong levels of motivation and a good work ethic are useful attributes.

ASSESSMENT:

Both examined units will be taken in Year 12.  Coursework will be completed in Year 13.  This gives students the advantage of being able to work on individual units throughout their time with us rather than relying on final exams at the end of Year 13.   All exams can be re-sat if needed (with the highest grade being used to calculate your final result).

FUTURE PROSPECTS:

This course will provide you with skills, knowledge and understanding to progress into Higher Education on a Media or IT related degree course such as Digital Media, Interactive Media, Media Studies or Information Technology. It will also allow you to choose non-IT related degree programmes or take them into employment.

WHAT DO OUR STUDENTS SAY:

“Taking the Digital Media course has allowed me to develop effective skills in media applications such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign.  I’m looking forward to continuing the coursework units which include elements of photography and journalism” – Year 13 Student

“I’m pleased I took Digital Media because it has given me the skills and knowledge to design and create media products that are truly eye catching” – Year 13 Student.