| Unit name | Reality, Realism, and Representation |
|---|---|
| Unit code | LANG00066 |
| Credit points | 20 |
| Level of study | QCA-3 |
| Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 4 (weeks 1-24) |
| Unit director | Mr. Thornthwaite |
| Open unit status | Not open |
| Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units) |
None |
| Units you may not take alongside this one |
None |
| School/department | Centre for Academic Language and Development |
| Faculty | Faculty of Arts, Law and Social Sciences |
Why is this unit important?
This unit is an introduction to both communicating complex ideas and identifying the hidden those ideas hiding in the texts that we consume every day. The poet Percy Shelley claimed that poets are the unacknowledged legislators of the world, and in the contemporary world this includes the creators of all media. Complex and often controversial ideas are communicated, discussed, and debated through art, documentary, and performance, while at the same time works of media make bold and even extraordinary claims about the people, beliefs, and institutions that they represent. In this unit you will learn how philosophers and theorists have decoded conscious and unconscious biases and messaging in media, film, and literary texts. You will also develop your ability to communicate your own complex ideas in formats that can reach wide audiences.
How does this unit fit into your programme of study
This unit is a strong preparation for all arts and humanities degrees, and is complementary with social sciences and politics courses. You will learn the ways that ideas are communicated, both openly and in less obvious ways. This will familiarise you with a wide range of media texts and the ways in which ideas, challenges, and policies are discussed and framed in public discourse.
An overview of content
You will study a rich range of media, with an emphasis on the complexities of representation of people, events, and ideas. This includes fiction and non-fiction, and texts created for the cinema, television, interactive texts, and social media. These cover some of the most talked about and contested topics in the world today, including culture, identity, political issues and important historical and contemporary events. You will learn about critical theory, including postcolonialism, critical race theory, feminism, and gender and sexuality.
How will students, personally, be different as a result of the unit
You will learn how media representations can be powerful political statements, using social and critical theories to unpack a range of different media texts. You will learn how to communicate your own ideas and messages in media, using podcasts, drama, and documentary to reveal the complexities of different issues, challenges, and situations. You will be able to apply these skills throughout your future academic career and beyond.
Learning Outcomes
Teaching is facilitated weekly through weekly workshops. Classes are delivered interactively, using a combination of teacher input and student discussions. This means you should come prepared to ask questions, join in discussions and make notes.
Tasks which help you learn and prepare you for summative tasks (formative):
Essay draft [ILOs 1,2]
Preparatory drafts for Communications Media Project [ILOs 1,2,3]
Tasks which count towards your unit mark (summative):
Essay (25%) [ILOs 1,2]
Communications Media Project (such as a podcast, short play, or documentary) (75%) [ILOs 1,2,3]
When assessment does not go to plan
In cases where the summative assessment ‘Communications Media Project’ involved group activity, students who need to complete a reassessment will achieve the learning outcomes by completing an individual project. Any student registered on the International Foundation Programme will be offered a conditional place on an undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. Students must meet the entry requirements to be admitted onto an undergraduate degree at the University of Bristol. Different degree programmes may have different entry requirements. The IFP Board will review the mark profiles of all students who are close to attaining the entry requirements but are outside the previously agreed near miss criteria and may agree to admit them to a degree programme. If not admitted, students may be offered a further opportunity (i.e. two attempts in total) to meet the entry requirements for their intended degree programme at the University of Bristol by re-taking a relevant assessment. Marks are not capped for this purpose. If a student is absent or their performance in assessment is significantly affected due to exceptional circumstances, they may re-take the relevant assessment at the next appropriate time, without penalty.
If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.
If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. LANG00066).
How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours
of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks,
independent learning and assessment activity.
See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.
Assessment
The assessment methods listed in this unit specification are designed to enable students to demonstrate the named learning outcomes (LOs). Where a disability prevents a student from undertaking a specific method of assessment, schools will make reasonable adjustments to support a student to demonstrate the LO by an alternative method or with additional resources.
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit.
The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates
within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.
