MEDIA STUDIES
Exam Board - AQA
From television to cinema, radio to podcasts, social media to vlogs, and everything in between - media studies play a big part in our everyday lives. By studying GCSE Media Studies, students will learn to view, evaluate and analyze a variety of media products and develop practical skills spanning a wide range of media forms. These higher-order thinking skills (evaluation and analysis) are critical in shaping future generations in the modern workplace as creativity, technology, communication and competition increases. Students are encouraged to develop independent opinions on how media represents the world and will suit students who show curiosity, ingenuity and a natural flair with technology & design.
There are four theoretical components of Media Studies: Media Language, Media Representation, Media Industries and Media Audiences. Students will study each of these theoretical frameworks and apply their knowledge, of these four key areas, to different media products such as television, magazines, advertising, newspapers, radio, music videos, films and online, social and participatory media and video games. Applying context (political, social, cultural and historical) to how media products are constructed and understood by media audiences encourages students to develop their general knowledge skills and helps them connect their learning with other subjects studied in the curriculum.
The ability to work independently is crucial as the practical coursework (NEA - non-exam assessment) is 30% of the overall mark; and students are required to respond to a given brief and produce a media product, a similar process to how the media industry operates on a day to day basis. Producing a media product requires consistency, patience, drive and motivation.
Beyond GCSE, students can continue with our A Level Media Studies and onto University. Media studies graduates typically enter careers in the media, cultural and creative industries and areas of work can include television and radio, film and video, digital media, computer games, journalism, writing and publishing, PR and media practice.
Paper 1 - 35% of GCSE (1hour and 30mins)
Paper 2 - 35% of GCSE (1hour and 30mins)
NEA - 30% to be independently completed
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