What is this course?

This is a SQA National 4 (Level 4) course.

Media is all around us. It is used for a number of different things and in many different ways. This course will help you to think more critically about the media and its role in everyday life, as well as help you to understand the impacts that culture and the media industry have media content. You will put this new knowledge into practice by analysing, planning, creating, and evaluating your own media project.

This course is best for those who want to try a brand new subject alongside their other N4 courses.

What will I learn?

You will develop knowledge of the key aspects of media:

• Categories: the way in which a text is described, for example, purpose, genre
• Language: how the text is constructed, for example, denotation and connotation of technical and cultural codes
• Narrative: how the text is organised, for example, view point, structure, plot, enigma and action codes
• Representation: how people and places are constructed in the text, for example, stereotypes and non-stereotypes, other representations
• Audience: who the text is made for and how they react to the text, for example, target audience, different audience reactions
• Institutions: the factors both internal and external that effect the production of the text, for example, ownership, internal control, external control, personnel

How will I learn?

This course consists of three mandatory units:

• Analysing Media Content: develops the skills to analyse media content
• Creating Media Content: develops the skills to plan and create media content, as well as comment on production processes
• Added Value Unit: this assignment provides the opportunity to put into practice all you have learned over the course. You will need to be able to explain your decisions with specific reference to key aspects of media.