Coursework requirements. MS3

A look at exemplar work.

Key Words: Linked. Genre, Narrative, Representation

Research Investigation
• Research investigations should be individual and negotiated between candidate and teacher.
Research topics should therefore not be set on a whole class basis (offer a range of options).


• Titles need to be focused (can be based on one, or more usually, two texts) Focus enables
candidates to stay within the 1400-1800 word count and allows the research investigation to reflect
the ability and interests of the candidates.


• Include the concept being investigated (genre, narrative or representation) in the title.


• Candidates need to be taught research skills to equip them to work independently.


• Candidates need to undertake a range of research including primary research (such as textual
analysis, content analysis, questionnaires, focus groups etc) and secondary research (books,
magazines, internet relevant to the investigation).


• A 'bibliography' or list of sources referred to must be included. Clarity and accuracy is more
important than the style of referencing.


• The investigation should be presented as a discursive essay – with or without illustrations.


You will be spending a lot of time with your chosen media texts so be sure that you like them and have plenty to say about them.



Production
• The production should develop from, and be informed by, the candidate’s research
investigation. Reflecting their research findings (either by conforming to or deliberately challenging
their findings) is essential.
• As noted above, candidates can complete print or audio-visual productions in both years (e.g. a
print-based advertising campaign and newspaper pages or a music video and film trailer) but the
media 'form' must be different – i.e., television AS and film A2 or magazines AS and newspapers
A2. Candidates could, therefore, produce websites for either MS2 or MS3 but cannot complete this
task for both units
• Print and web-based productions must be completed individually. Audio-visual productions can be
group. In this case, some management of research is essential. Individual candidates within the
same group must focus on different aspects of genre, narrative or representation for their research
investigation and then devise a production to reflect that research. Each member of a group must
have a significant and clearly defined technical role.

Evaluation
• The evaluation must be individually produced.
• The evaluation must explore how the production has been informed by the research undertaken.
• The word count is 500-750 words.
• There is flexibility in presentation. Using bullet points and images as well as focused paragraphs is
encouraged.

MS3 Evaluation from MediaStudiesSaltash