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MEDIA PRODUCTION AND ANALYSIS

ATAR COURSE

Year 11 syllabus

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2013/36423

Content

Rationale...................................................................................................................................................................1
Courseoutcomes.......................................................................................................................................................2
Organisation..............................................................................................................................................................3
Structureofthesyllabus..................................................................................................................................................3
Organisationofcontent...................................................................................................................................................3
ProgressionfromtheYear710curriculum....................................................................................................................6
Representationofthegeneralcapabilities......................................................................................................................6
Representationofthecrosscurriculumpriorities...........................................................................................................7
Unit1Popularculture.............................................................................................................................................9
Unitdescription................................................................................................................................................................9
Suggestedcontexts..........................................................................................................................................................9
Unitcontent.....................................................................................................................................................................9
Unit2Journalism..................................................................................................................................................12
Unitdescription..............................................................................................................................................................12
Suggestedcontexts........................................................................................................................................................12
Unitcontent...................................................................................................................................................................12
Schoolbasedassessment........................................................................................................................................14
Grading...........................................................................................................................................................................15
Appendix1GradedescriptionsYear11.................................................................................................................16

Rationale
TheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcourseaimstoprepareallstudentsforafutureinadigitaland
interconnectedworldbyprovidingtheskills,knowledgeandunderstandingstotelltheirownstoriesand
interpretothersstories.Studentslearnthelanguagesofmediacommunicationandhowastoryis
constructedusingrepresentations.Studentsareencouragedtoexplore,experimentandinterprettheir
world,reflectingandanalysingcontemporarylifewhileunderstandingthatthisisdoneundersocial,cultural
andinstitutionalconstraints.Studentsasusersandcreatorsofmediaproducts,considertheimportantrole
ofaudiencesandtheircontext.
DigitaltechnologieshaveimpacteduponandextendedthecapacitythatthemediaplayinAustralianlives.
Throughnewtechnologies,theroleoftheaudiencehasshiftedfromapassiveconsumertoamoreactive
participant,shapingthemediathroughinteractionandmoreaccessiblemodesofproductionand
disseminationofmediawork.Studentsinteractionandopportunitytousetechnologiesenablesthemto
engagewithcurrentmediaandadapttoevolvingmediaplatforms.
Thecreationofconvergentandhybridmediameansthatthesystemofcommunicationchangesasnew
mediaaredeveloped.Thelocalandglobalmediacontextsarecontinuouslyinteracting,makingaudiences
globalconsumersofmediaproducts.Throughtheconsumptionofglobalmediawork,awarenessofglobal
issuescreatesacollectiveconsciousnessandsenseofresponsibility,givingrisetothenotionofaudiences
alsobeingglobalcitizens.Throughtheprocessofinvestigation,studentsengagewithtopics,issuesand
themeswhichhaveglobalandlocalrelevance,andartisticmovementsandstyleswhichinturn,createnew
notionsofmediaaesthetics.
Theproductionofmediaworkenablesstudentstodemonstratetheirunderstandingofthekeyconceptsof
medialanguages,representation,audience,production,skillsandprocessesaswellasexpresstheir
creativityandoriginality.Whenproducingmediawork,studentslearntomakedecisionsaboutallaspectsof
production,includingcreativechoicesacrosspreproduction,productionandpostproductionphases.This
providesanopportunityforstudentstoreflectonanddiscusstheirowncreativework,intentionsand
outcomes.Withinthisprocess,skillsaredevelopedenablingstudentstomanipulatetechnologieswhich
simulateindustryexperiences.

Media Production and Analysis | ATAR| Year 11 syllabus

Course outcomes
TheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcourseisdesignedtofacilitateachievementofthefollowing
outcomes.

Outcome1Mediaideas
Studentsusecriticalawarenessandculturalunderstandingstoexploreanddevelopmediaideas.
Inachievingthisoutcome,students:
understandhowmediacommunicateideasinparticularcontextsandfordifferentaudiencesand
purposes
exploretechnologies,codesandconventionstocreatemeaninganddevelopideas
presentideas,designsand/orproductionplans.

Outcome2Mediaproduction
Studentsuseskills,techniques,processes,conventionsandtechnologiestocreatemediaworkforaudience,
purposeandcontext.
Inachievingthisoutcome,students:
usemediaskills,processandtechnologies
usemediacodesandconventionsforaudience,purposeandcontext
fulfilarangeofproductionrolesandresponsibilities.

Outcome3Responsestomedia
Studentsusecritical,social,culturalandaestheticunderstandingstorespondto,reflectonandevaluate
mediawork.
Inachievingthisoutcome,students:
understandhowmeaningisconstructedinmediawork
understandinterrelationshipsbetweenmediawork,culturalcontextsandaudiences
usestrategiestoinvestigateandcommentonmediaworkandevaluatemediaproductions.

Outcome4Mediainsociety
Studentsunderstandtheroleofmediainsociety.
Inachievingthisoutcome,students:
understandtheimpactoftechnologicaldevelopments,andcontrolsandconstraints,onmedia
productionanduse
understandtheinfluenceofsocial,historicalandculturalcontextsonmediaproductionanduse
understandhowculturalvaluesareinfluencedbythemediaandinturninfluencemediaproduction.

Media Production and Analysis | ATAR| Year 11 syllabus

Organisation
ThiscourseisorganisedintoaYear11syllabusandaYear12syllabus.Thecognitivecomplexityofthe
syllabuscontentincreasesfromYear11toYear12.

Structure of the syllabus


TheYear11syllabusisdividedintotwounits,eachofonesemesterduration,whicharetypicallydeliveredas
apair.Thenotionaltimeforeachunitis55classcontacthours.

Unit1Popularculture
Studentsanalyse,view,listentoandinteractwitharangeofpopularmedia,developtheirownideas,learn
productionskillsandapplytheirunderstandingsandskillsincreatingtheirownproductions.

Unit2Journalism
Inthisunitstudentswillfurthertheirunderstandingofjournalisticmedia.Studentswillanalyse,view,listen
toandinteractwitharangeofjournalisticgenresandtheyundertakemoreextensiveresearchintothe
representationandreportingofgroupsandissueswithinmediawork.
Eachunitincludes:
aunitdescriptionashortdescriptionofthefocusoftheunit
suggestedcontextsacontextinwhichtheunitcontentcouldbetaught
unitcontentthecontenttobetaughtandlearned.

Organisation of content
Thecoursecontentisdividedintofivecontentareas:
Medialanguages
Representation
Audience
Production
Skillsandprocesses.

Medialanguages
Anunderstandingofmedialanguagesisfundamentaltothestudyandpracticeofmedia.Inlearningthe
languagesofthemedia,studentsdevelopconceptualunderstandingsandskillsrelevantto:
Systemofcommunication
Thesystemofcommunicationistheprocessinwhichproducersofmediacreatemessagesandhow
audiencesinterpretthemessages,producingdominant,negotiatedoroppositionalmeanings.Thesystem
consistsofcommunicationmodels,techniques,technologiesandaudiencecontext.

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Traditionalmediaareradio,television,film,andnewspaper(print).Newemergingmedia,alsoknownas
convergentandhybridmediasuchastheinternet,personalcommunicationdevicesandcomputergames
reflecttheincreasingintegrationofmediaandtheirsystemsofcommunication.
Knowledgeofhowthesecommunicationsystemsworkisintegralforstudentstounderstandandproduce
mediawork.
Narrative,codesandconventions
Narrativesareintrinsictomediaworkandthenarrativeelementsofcharacter,setting,conflictand
resolutionareessentialcomponentsofstorytelling.Codesandconventionsaretoolsusedinthe
constructionanddeconstructionofnarratives.Thewaytheyareappliedcanbeanalysedintermsofgenre
andstyle.Producersconstructpreferredmeaningsandviewpointsthroughtheselectionoftechnical,
symbolic,writtenandaudiocodes,andmultiplemeaningsareinterpretedbydifferentaudiences.An
understandingofhowselectionprocessesconstructmeaning,realismandviewpointsinarangeofmediais
anessentialpartofthecourse.Theanalysisandproductionofalternativeandexperimentalmediaenables
narrative,codesandconventionstobechallengedandforinnovativestylestobecreated.

Representation
Theconceptofrepresentationisfundamentaltotheconstructednatureofallmedia.Representationisthe
processinwhichconceptsorphysicalobjectsareconstructedtoappearreal/natural.Thisincludespeople,
places,eventsandideas.Thestudyofthisprocess,knownasmediation,enablesstudentstounderstand
howmultiplemeaningscanbeconstructedandhowtheycanbeacceptedorchallengedbyaspecific
audience.Animportantaspectofanalysingrepresentationistheprocessofstereotypingthroughwhich
oversimplifiedrepresentationsbecomenaturalised,andthroughsharedvalues,becomeassociatedwith
particularissuesandculturalgroups.Thisoversimplificationoccursthroughselectionprocessestocreatea
dominantreading.Byapplyingtheprinciplesofencodinganddecoding,studentsareabletocommunicate
theirunderstandingsoftheconstructionandinterpretationofrepresentations.

Audience
Inlearninghowanaudienceconstructsmeaning,studentsdevelopconceptualunderstandingsandskills
relevantto:
Audiences
Theapplicationofmediatheoryenablesstudentstoanalysetherelationshipbetweenaudiencesandthe
media.PopularmodelsforanalysisincludetheHypodermicNeedlemodel,UsesandGratificationsand
ReceptionTheory.
Aknowledgeofmediatheoryleadstothedevelopmentofinformedaudienceprofilesbasedonage,gender,
socioeconomicandculturalbackground.Thesefactorsinformstudentsunderstandingofthemedia
expectationsandpreferencesofspecificaudiencesforparticularstylesandthemeswithinmediawork.In
production,thesefactorsbecomesignificantintheclassificationandcensorshipofmediawork.
Subcultures
Anextensionofaudienceanalysisenablesstudentstoexaminehowsubculturalgroupsbasedonshared
interestsandvalues,experiencethemediadifferentlyfrommainstreamaudiences.Understandinghowthe
mediacaterforsubculturalgroupsprovidesscopeforexperimentationwithinproductionwork.

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Mediatrends
Engagingwiththemediaofdifferenttimesdevelopsanunderstandingoftherelationshipbetweenmedia
work,audiencesandcontext.Awarenessoftechnologies,styles,narratives,representationsandvaluesfrom
thepastillustratesthechangingnatureofthemediaandoftrends,valuesandaudienceexpectations.Local,
nationalandinternationalmediaprovideservicesfor,andimpacton,particularcommunities.

Production
Manyfactorsshapethestyleofproductionandthemediaworkthatareproduced.Inlearningabout
production,studentsdevelopconceptualskillsandunderstandingsrelevantto:
Majorinstitutionsandindependents
Theorganisationofmajorinstitutionsandindependentsisstructuredtowardlargeandsmallscalemedia,
withstudentsinvestigatingcommercialandnoncommercialmediaindustriesandmodesofproduction.The
productsoftheseinstitutionsarecomparedintermsofmainstreamaudienceappealandexperimentaland
avantgardestyleswhichareproducedforspecificnicheaudiencesandsubcultures.Theroleofnew
technologiesenablinggreaterautonomyforindependentproducersdirectlyrelatestothestudent
productioncontext.
Recognisingthevariouspurposesofthemediaandthewaysinwhichmediaareusedbymainstreamand
nicheaudiencesisfundamentaltounderstandingthemediaindustryanditseconomicpowerbase.How
mediauseisinfluencedbydemographicpatterns,theexpectationsofproducersandaudiences,marketing
strategiesandmeasuresofaudiencereachiscriticalwhenanalysingtheimpactofspecificmediaworkon
audiences.
Productioncontexts
Contextswithinwhichmediaproductiontakesplacearesignificantinshapingthecontentofmediawork.
Investigationrevealshowparticularcontextshaveshapedthemedia:historicalandpoliticaleventsthat
shapeattitudesandtherepresentationofpeopleandissues,socialandculturaltrendsthatimpactthestyle
andcontentofmediawork.
Theimpactofcontrolsandconstraintsthatshapethestyleandcontentofmediaworkmustberecognised
andtheimplicationsconsidered.Thereisawiderangeofcontrolsandconstraints:
ethicalissuesandlegalimplicationscontrolandconstrainmedia.Debatingtheinfluenceandimpactof
regulatorybodiesandpressuregroups,typesofcensorshipandclassificationprovidesabasisfor
developingcodesofconductforstudentproductions
technologiesandfactorsrelatedtoproductionsuchasbudget,time,resourcesandaudience
expectationscontrolandconstrainproductionprocessesandaudiencereach
economicstructuresandpracticesalsoarefactorsthatcontrolandconstrainmedia.Itisimportantto
considertheimpactofethosandobjectives,sourcesofrevenueandintendedaudiencesonthe
productionofmediawork.Ownership,powerandpoliticsareallfactorsthatcontrolandconstrain
media.

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Skillsandprocesses
Anessentialpartofthecourseistheopportunityforstudentstodemonstratepracticallytheirknowledge
andunderstandingofmediaconceptsandtheoryincreatingtheirownmediawork.Skillsandprocesses
integratethepracticalskillsanduseoftechnologiesrequiredtocreateamediaproduct.Withinskills,
studentsareexpectedtouseaproductionprocesswhichincludesimplementingpreproductiontechniques,
fulfillingspecificproductionroles,followinghealthandsafetyguidelinesandapplyingtechnologiesin
creativeandoriginalways.Reflectingandevaluatingontheirownandpeer/professionalworkenables
studentsanopportunitytoimprovetheirunderstandingandskillsoftheproductionprocess.
Theindividualunderstandingandapplicationofskillsthroughspecificroleswithintheproductioncontext,
aimtosimulateindustryproductionpractices.

Progression from the Year 710 curriculum


TheYear10Artscurriculumlinkstothissyllabusthroughanemphasisoncontextsthataremeaningfuland
relevanttoadolescents.ThroughtheirstudyofmediaartsinYear10,studentsexploremediaelementsand
skillsandprocesses,integratedthroughtheproductionprocess.Theyexploreandquestiontheirown
immediatemediaexperiencesandtheirunderstandingofthewiderworld.
Studentscreatetheirownmediawork,andrespondtotheirownandthemediaworkofothers,drawingon
theirdevelopingknowledge,understandingandskills.Theydevelopanappreciationofmedia,applyingskills
ofcriticalanalysis,evaluationandaestheticunderstanding.

Representation of the general capabilities


Thegeneralcapabilitiesencompasstheknowledge,skills,behavioursanddispositionsthatwillassist
studentstoliveandworksuccessfullyinthetwentyfirstcentury.Teachersmayfindopportunitiesto
incorporatethecapabilitiesintotheteachingandlearningprogramfortheMediaProductionandAnalysis
ATARcourse.Thegeneralcapabilitiesarenotassessedunlesstheyareidentifiedwithinthespecifiedunit
content.

Literacy
TheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcoursereliesonmultiliteracies;oral,visual,kinetic,textbasedand
digitalliteracyisfundamentaltolearning,communicating,creatingandresponding.Studentsuseand
developliteracyskillsastheydescribe,appraiseanddocumenttheirownmediaworkandthoseoftheir
peers,respondingto,interpretingandanalysingincreasinglycomplexmediaworkmadebyothers.Theyuse
theirliteracyskillstoaccessknowledge,makemeaning,expressthoughts,emotionsandideas,interactwith
andchallengeothers.

Numeracy
Anappreciationofandabilitytoapplynumericalconceptssuchassize,space,time,proportion,angles,
depth,ratioandpatternareusedintheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcourse.Creatingmediawork
requiresknowledgeandunderstandingofmeasurementinordertomanipulatespace,timeandform.

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Informationandcommunicationtechnologycapability
Informationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)capabilityenablesstudentsinthiscoursetousedigital
toolsandenvironmentstorepresenttheirideasandmediawork.Theyusedigitaltechnologiestolocate,
access,select,documentandevaluateinformation,workcollaboratively,shareandexchangeinformation,
andcommunicatewithavarietyofaudiences.

Criticalandcreativethinking
TheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcourseisdependentonthedevelopmentofcreativeandcritical
thinking.Increatingmedia,studentsdrawontheircuriosity,imaginationandthinkingskillstopose
questionsandexploreideas.Theyconsiderpossibilitiesandprocessesandmakechoicesthatassistthemto
takerisksandexpresstheirideascreatively.

Personalandsocialcapability
LearningintheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcoursepromotesselfdiscipline,initiative,confidence,
goalsetting,empathyandadaptabilityasstudentsworkindividuallyandcollaboratively.Whenworkingwith
others,mediastudentsdevelopandpractisesocialskillsthatassistthemtocommunicateeffectively,work
collaboratively,makeconsideredgroupdecisionsandshowleadership.

Ethicalunderstanding
EthicalunderstandingisdevelopedandappliedintheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcoursewhen
studentsencounterorcreatemediathatrequiresethicalconsideration,suchasmediaworkthatis
controversial,involvesamoraldilemmaorpresentsabiasedpointofview.Theyactivelyengageinethical
decisionmakingwhenreflectingontheirownandothersmediawork.

Interculturalunderstanding
InterculturalunderstandingintheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARcourseassistsstudentstoexplore
newideas,mediaandpracticesfromdiverselocal,national,regionalandglobalculturalcontexts.Students
areencouragedtodemonstrateopenmindednesstoperspectivesthatdifferfromtheirownandto
appreciatethediversityofculturesandcontextsinwhichartistsandaudienceslive.

Representation of the cross-curriculum priorities


Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesaddressthecontemporaryissueswhichstudentsfaceinaglobalisedworld.
Teachersmayfindopportunitiestoincorporatetheprioritiesintotheteachingandlearningprogramforthe
MediaProductionandAnalysisATARcourse.Thecrosscurriculumprioritiesarenotassessedunlesstheyare
identifiedwithinthespecifiedunitcontent.

AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandcultures
ThestudyofAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderhistoriesandculturesenrichesunderstandingofthe
diversityofmediawithinAustralia,analysesthestereotypesandperceivedsocietalnormsthatmedia
presents,anddevelopsanappreciationoftheneedtorespondtomediaworkinwaysthatareculturally
sensitiveandresponsible.
ManyAustralianIndigenousmediaproducersaffirmconnectionwithCountry/Place,PeopleandCulture
throughtheirmediastories.MediacreatedbyAboriginalandTorresStraitIslandersexposesstudentstoa
viewoftheAustralianlandscapethatisunique,expressiveandpersonal.

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AsiaandAustralia'sengagementwithAsia
AsiaandAustraliasengagementwithAsiaprovidesrich,engaginganddiversecontextsinwhichto
investigatemakingandrespondingtomediawhichhavearisenfromtherichanddiversecultures,belief
systemsandtraditionsofthepeoplesoftheAsiaregion.

Sustainability
Sustainabilityprovidesengagingandthoughtprovokingcontextsinwhichtoexplorethenatureofmedia
makingandresponding.Itenablestheinvestigationoftheinterrelatednatureofsocial,economicand
ecologicalsystems.
Studentsmayusetheexploratoryandcreativeplatformofthemediatodeveloppersonalandworldviews
thatrecognisetheimportanceofsocialjustice,healthyecosystemsandeffectiveactionforsustainability.
Throughtheirmediawork,theymaypersuadeotherstotakeactionforsustainablefutures.

Media Production and Analysis | ATAR| Year 11 syllabus

Unit 1 Popular culture


Unit description
Thisfocusinvolvesidentifyingwhatismeantbypopularcultureandconsideringthetypesofmedia,ideas
andaudiencesfromwhichpopularcultureevolves.Studentsanalyse,view,listentoandinteractwitha
rangeofpopularmedia,developtheirownideas,learnproductionskillsandapplytheirunderstandingsand
skillsincreatingtheirownproductions.
Therearemanyaspectsofpopularculturethatcanbeusedtoprovidestudentswithinterestingand
relevantlearningcontexts,andanopportunitytoexplorehowaudiencesconsumepopularmedia.Teachers
shouldselectlearningcontextsthatarefamiliartostudentsorprovidestimulationandnewexperiences.
Incontextsrelatedtopopularculture,studentshavetheopportunitytoexploreavarietyofpopularmedia
work,andlearnhowtointerpretthemeaningscreatedbycodesandconventions.
Studentsdevelopproductionandanalyticalskillsandapplytheirunderstandingofmedialanguagesand
audienceswhilelearningaboutandworkinginspecificproductioncontexts.

Suggested contexts
Withinthebroadareaofpopularculture,teachersmaychooseoneormoreofthesuggestedcontexts(this
listisnotexhaustive):
realitytelevision
musicvideoclips
socialmedia
radio
televisiondrama
mockumentary
animation
computergames.
Mediatypesstudentsmustworkwithinatleastoneofthefollowingmediainanyyear:film,television,
photography,printmedia,radioanddigitalmedia.

Unit content
Thisunitincludestheknowledge,understandingsandskillsdescribedbelow.

Medialanguages
Systemofcommunication
impactoftechnologiesonpopularmedia
evolutionofmediatechnologies

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Narrative,codesandconventions
narrativeelementsindifferentgenresandstyles,includingcharacters,settings,conflicts,resolutions
codesandconventionsusedtoconstructmeaning
realisminfictionalnarratives

Representation
theprocessofconstructingrepresentations
linkingrepresentationstothevaluesofmainstreamandsubculturalaudiences
theeffectofusingstereotypes

Audience
Audiences
valuesthatshapetheinterpretationandresponsetomediawork
howmeaningisencodedbytheproduceranddecodedbyaudiences
linkingstarsandcelebritiestovaluesystems
Subcultures
representationofsubcultures
particularsubculturesmediapreferences
Mediatrends
theimpactandappealoftrendsinmediagenresand/orstyles

Production
Majorinstitutionsandindependents
comparingcommercialandnoncommercialmedia
marketingstrategieswhichappealtospecificaudiences
Productioncontexts
therelationshipbetweeninternationalmediaandAustralianpopularmedia
effectofbudgetsonproduction
censorshipandclassification

Skillsandprocesses
investigatingandanalysingmedia
knowledgeandapplicationofsafetyprocedures

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applyingproductionskills(independentmanagementoftimeandtechnologies,managementofteam
members,negotiatingandadaptingproductionprocesses,identifyingproblemsandapplying
appropriatesolutions)
fulfillingdefinedproductionroles
implementingproductionprocessesbasedonproposals,scriptsandplans
usingconventionalgenres,stylesandconventions
reflectingontheproductionprocess
evaluatingownandothersproductions(peerand/orprofessional)

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Unit 2 Journalism
Unit description
Inthisunitstudentswillfurthertheirunderstandingofjournalisticmedia.Thebreadthofthisfocusallows
teacherstochooselearningcontextsthatareofcontemporaryrelevanceandrelatedtostudentsinterests.
Incontextsrelatedtojournalismstudentsanalyse,view,listentoandinteractwitharangeofjournalistic
genresandtheyundertakemoreextensiveresearchintotherepresentationandreportingofgroupsand
issueswithinmediawork.Theydrawonknowledgewhendevelopingideasfortheirownproductions.
Studentsextendtheirunderstandingofproductionpracticesandresponsibilities.Theybecomeincreasingly
independentastheymanipulatetechnologiesandtechniquestoexpresstheirideasintheirproductions.

Suggested contexts
Withinthebroadareaofjournalism,teachersmaychooseoneormoreofthesuggestedcontexts(thislistis
notexhaustive):
Australiannewsmedia
currentaffairsprograms
photojournalism
televisionandradiojournalism
documentaries
digitalnewsmedia.
Mediatypesstudentsmustworkwithinatleastoneofthefollowingmediainanyyear:film,television,
photography,printmedia,radioanddigitalmedia.

Unit content
Thisunitincludestheknowledge,understandingsandskillsdescribedbelow.

Medialanguages
Systemofcommunication
technologiesandproductionprocessesinjournalisticmedia
mediaownership,sourcesofrevenueandexpectationsofparticularmedia
audiencereach,accessibilityandinteraction
Narrative,codesandconventions
narrativeconventionsinjournalisticmediawork
codesandconventionstoconstructrealism
constructingpreferredmeanings,valuesandpointofview

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Representation
representationofgroups
howchangingvaluesshaperepresentations
selectionprocesses,includingsourcesofinformation,style,selection,omissionandemphasis
representationofissues

Audience
Audiences
socialpracticesandculturalexperiencesthatinfluencetheinterpretationofmediawork
howdifferentcontextsinfluencethepointofviewofmediawork
linkingdominantvaluestoaudiences
Subcultures
comparingrepresentationsinmediaworkproducedforparticularaudiences
Mediatrends
immediacyandglobalaccess

Production
Majorinstitutionsandindependents
characteristics,benefitsandlimitationsofconcentratedmediaownership
characteristics,benefitsandlimitationsofindependentmediaproduction
Productioncontexts
socialand/orpoliticalfactorsthatbringaboutchangesinmediacontent
howmediauseinfluencesproductionforaspecificaudience
ethicalissuesandlegalconsequences
censorshipandprivacy

Skillsandprocesses
investigating,analysingandevaluatingmedia
independentapplicationofsafetyproceduresinallproductioncontexts
applyingproductionskills(independentmanagementoftimeandtechnologies,managementofteam
members,negotiatingandadaptingproductionprocesses,identifyingproblemsandapplying
appropriatesolutions)
refiningskillswithindefinedproductionroles
implementingproductionprocessesbasedonproposalsandplans
manipulatinggenres,stylesandconventions
reflectingontheproductionprocess
evaluatingownandothersproductions(peerand/orprofessional)
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School-based assessment
TheWesternAustralianCertificateofEducation(WACE)Manualcontainsessentialinformationonprinciples,
policiesandproceduresforschoolbasedassessmentthatneedstobereadinconjunctionwiththissyllabus.
Teachersdesignschoolbasedassessmenttaskstomeettheneedsofstudents.Thetablebelowprovides
detailsoftheassessmenttypesfortheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARYear11syllabusandthe
weightingforeachassessmenttype.

AssessmenttableYear11
Typeofassessment

Weighting

Response
Studentsplan,conductandcommunicatefindingsbasedontheanalysisofaudiences,mediacontextsand
mediaexamplesusingarangeofcriticalframeworksandprimaryandsecondarysources.

30%

Production
Extendedproductionprojectwhichcanbecompletedaseitherasingletaskorasseparatetasks.
Studentsexploreideas,controlandmanagetheprocessesrequiredtoachievetheaestheticqualityof
production.
Independently,andinteams,managearangeofproductionprocesses,evaluatingandmodifyingthemas
necessary.

50%

Demonstrateanunderstandingofstyles,structures,codesandconventionsanddemonstratethe
developmentofconfidenceandcompetenceintheuseoftechnologies,skillsandprocessesinarangeof
contexts.
Reflectonandevaluateownandpeerproductionwork.
Writtenexamination
Typicallyconductedattheendofeachsemesterand/orunit.InpreparationforUnit3andUnit4,the
examinationshouldreflecttheexaminationdesignbriefincludedintheATARYear12syllabusforthis
course.

20%

Teachersarerequiredtousetheassessmenttabletodevelopanassessmentoutlineforthepairofunits
(orforasingleunitwhereonlyoneisbeingstudied).
Theassessmentoutlinemust:
includeasetofassessmenttasks
includeageneraldescriptionofeachtask
indicatetheunitcontenttobeassessed
indicateaweightingforeachtaskandeachassessmenttype
includetheapproximatetimingofeachtask(forexample,theweekthetaskisconducted,ortheissue
andsubmissiondatesforanextendedtask).
Intheassessmentoutlineforthepairofunits,eachassessmenttypemustbeincludedatleasttwice.Inthe
assessmentoutlinewhereasingleunitisbeingstudied,eachassessmenttypemustbeincludedatleast
once.Itishighlyrecommendedthatatleastoneoftheproductiontasksbecompletedusingthe
requirementsspecifiedinthepractical(production)examinationdesignbrieffoundintheATARYear12
syllabusforthiscourse.

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ThesetofassessmenttasksmustprovidearepresentativesamplingofthecontentforUnit1andUnit2.
Assessmenttasksnotadministeredundertest/controlledconditionsrequireappropriate
validation/authenticationprocesses.Forexample,studentperformanceofproductionworkcouldbe
validatedbysummativeassessmentthroughjournalorportfoliocontributions,preproductionplanning
materialsandregularmeetingswhereproductionworkcanbereviewedandauthenticatedbytheteacher.

Grading
Schoolsreportstudentachievementintermsofthefollowinggrades:
Grade Interpretation
A

Excellentachievement

Highachievement

Satisfactoryachievement

Limitedachievement

Verylowachievement

Theteacherpreparesarankedlistandassignsthestudentagradeforthepairofunits(orforaunitwhere
onlyoneunitisbeingstudied).Thegradeisbasedonthestudentsoverallperformanceasjudgedby
referencetoasetofpredeterminedstandards.Thesestandardsaredefinedbygradedescriptionsand
annotatedworksamples.ThegradedescriptionsfortheMediaProductionandAnalysisATARYear11
syllabusareprovidedinAppendix1.Theycanalsobeaccessed,togetherwithannotatedworksamples,
throughtheGuidetoGradeslinkonthecoursepageoftheAuthoritywebsiteatwww.scsa.wa.edu.au
Tobeassignedagrade,astudentmusthavehadtheopportunitytocompletetheeducationprogram,
includingtheassessmentprogram(unlesstheschoolacceptsthatthereareexceptionalandjustifiable
circumstances).
RefertotheWACEManualforfurtherinformationabouttheuseofarankedlistintheprocessofassigning
grades.

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Appendix 1 Grade descriptions Year 11

Analyseshowselectionprocessesandawiderangeofcodesandconventionsareusedtoconstruct
preferredmeanings,representations,viewpointsandvaluesinmediawork.Analyseshowvarious
aspectsofmediaworkwillconnecttoaudiencesandtheirvalues.
Producesqualitymediawork,performingarangeofskills,fulfillingkeyresponsibilitiesandmanipulating
codesandconventionsinownmediaproductionstoconstructnarratives,preferredmeanings,
representationsandviewpointsthatreinforceorchallengeaudiencevalues.Solvesunpredictable
problemsthatariseduringproduction.
Makesclearconnectionsbetweenmediaworkandcontexts,referringtotheinfluenceofcontextual
factorssuchastrends,socialattitudesandculturalvalues.
Analyseshowtheuseofmediaworkisinfluencedbysharedculturalexperiencesandvaluesand
discussescharacteristicsofparticularaudiencesand/orsubculturalgroupswhomakealternative
interpretations.
Analysesarangeofcontrolsandconstraintsthatinfluencemediaproductioninpersonaland
professionalcontexts.Specificallydiscussesexamplessuchastechnologies,productioncontextand
audienceexpectations.

Discusseshowtheselectionofinformationandtheuseofarangeofcodesandconventionsconstruct
preferredmeanings,representations,viewpointsand/orvalues.Explainsaspectsofmediaworkthatwill
appealtoaudiences.
Performsproductionroles,fulfillingresponsibilities,selectingandusingskills,technologies,codesand
conventionstoconstructnarratives,meanings,representationsandviewpoints.Adaptsplansand
processeswhenparticularproblemsareencounteredduringproduction.
Discussesandprovidesexamplesofsomecontextualfactorssuchastrends,socialattitudesandcultural
valuesthathaveinfluencedthecontentorstyleofmediawork.
Describeshowtheuseofmediaworkisinfluencedbyculturalcontextandvaluesandprovidessome
examplesandreasonsforsharedandalternativeinterpretations.
Discussestheeffectofspecificcontrolsandconstraintsoperatinginthemediaproductioncontext,
referringtoownproductionsandthoseofothers.Explainsexamplessuchastechnologies,teamskills
andaudiencecontext.

Identifiescodesandconventions,brieflyexplaininghowtheyareusedtoconstructmeanings,
representationsand/orviewpointsandappealtoaudiences.
Fulfilsaproductionrole,usingskills,technologies,codesandconventionstoconstructmeaningsand/or
viewpointsinownmediaproductionsthatareproducedforparticularaudiencesand/orpurposes.Solves
arangeofproblemsduringtheproductionprocess.
Identifiesandbrieflyexplainssomecontextualfactorssuchastrendsand/orsocialpracticesthathave
influencedthecontentofspecificmediawork.
Identifiessomeculturalfactorsthatinfluencetheuseofmediawork.Relatesvaluesinmediaworkto
audiencevaluesandprovidesgeneralexamplesofalternativeinterpretationsthatmightbemadeby
subculturalaudiences.
Identifiescontrolsandconstraintsoperatinginmediaproductionandprovidessomeexamplesdrawn
fromownproductionsandthoseofothers.Describesexamplessuchastechnologiesandteamskills,
deadlinesandschoolexpectations.

Media Production and Analysis | ATAR| Year 11 syllabus

17

Identifiessomesimplecodesandconventionsandcommentsbrieflyontheiruseintheconstructionof
meanings,representationsorviewpoints.
Withteacherguidance,appliesalimitedrangeofskills,techniquesandprocessesanddealswithsome
predictableproblems.
Commentsbrieflyonalimitednumberofcontextualfactorsthathaveinfluencedtheformorcontentof
mediawork.
Listsalimitedrangeoffactorsthatinfluenceaudiencesandtheirmediapreferences,andprovidessome
simplisticexamplesofalternativeinterpretationsofmediawork.
Givesexamplesofsomecontrolsandconstraintsoperatinginmediaproductionbutprovideslittle
informationabouttheireffectonproductionprocesses.

DoesnotmeettherequirementsofaDgrade.

Media Production and Analysis | ATAR| Year 11 syllabus

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