Evaluation Introduction

A2 Evaluation - Introduction


The last part of your coursework is to construct an evaluation of your production work, including both the music video and the print pieces.

As with the first year, you are going to be using the blog technology (you should now be completely expert!), but this also means that you should incorporate video, images, links, powerpoints and prezis. These should be used judiciously, rather than technology for the sake of technology.

A2 work is not necessarily longer than AS work, but it does require greater depth, thought and engagement from you and therefore it is likely to be longer. Specifically, the examiner will be looking for evaluations that make excellent use of course terms, concepts and theories explored in previous classes, rather than highly personal discussions that reveal little about your knowledge of media studies.


As evaluative work is also going to be undertaken in the exam (questions 1a and 1b), you could treat the coursework evaluation as a dry run, a practice, using all of the useful terms and concepts that could be explored later in the exam hall. The coursework evaluation in many ways is the end of the coursework, but the beginning of the exam preparation.




As with the AS evaluation, you will be required to respond to a set of questions....

1. In what ways does your media product use, develop or challenge forms and conventions of real media products?

2. How effective is the combination of your main product and ancillary texts?

3. What have you learned from your audience feedback?

4. How did you use media technologies in the construction and research, planning and evaluation stages?

This booklet is designed to guide you through each of these questions and provide some suggestions for responses. You will be given a list of key terms to use, but beware.... these should only be used appropriately. It is not a list of essential terms but a list of possible key words and ideas. You will be rewarded for using them in thoughtful and engaged ways. Clearly, misuse of a term signals an inability to understand the concept at an appropriate level. In many ways, it would be better to be thoughtful and use few terms than to use all the terms incorrectly, or inappropriately.








The Assessment Criteria

Level 4 16–20 marks

There is excellent understanding of the forms and conventions used in the productions.
Do you make appropriate references to other texts – do you know how your work is being influenced by other texts? Are you knowledgeable about the texts that are similar to yours?

There is excellent understanding of the role and use of new media in various stages of the production.
Have you carefully considered the affects of new media on your work and the way in which the products that you produced might be produced, distributed and consumed? (refer back to our work on music industry)

There is excellent understanding of the combination of main product and ancillary texts.
You have revealed a detailed understanding of house style and how it is used to create, or even not create, a coherent package.

There is excellent understanding of the significance of audience feedback.
You have interpreted the audience feedback carefully, considered the ways it might be read and how it might have influenced the production of your work. Have you made use of relevant theory?

There is excellent skill in choice of form in which to present the evaluation.
Have you used appropriate ways of communicating? For example, have you used a video diary when a Powerpoint might be more appropriate?

There is excellent ability to communicate.
Your writing is clear, makes use of appropriate terms, doesn't waffle and uses correct spelling/grammar etc.

There is excellent use of digital technology or ICT in the evaluation.
How have you presented your work in the blog? Are you in control of the technology? Have you used a range of technologies?



To summarise...
• Make it thoughtful and interesting. Consider thoughtful and exciting ways to present ideas.
• Use key terms and concepts throughout. (after writing a paragraph...ask yourself how much of it will be rewarded by the examiner?)
• Don't just write essays...images, links, powerpoints, Youtube clips, video diary style discussions, director’s commentaries are all good.
• Refer to websites/other resources you have used to help you. (cite sources , surname, dates plus web addresses )
• Make lots of notes and really think about it before blogging anything
• Do one question per blog post.
• Don't plagiarise! This is your work!