Course Catalogue

To provide an intellectually challenging programme that encourages students to reflect critically on media texts, institutions, communication practices and the cultures in which they are produced and circulated. To deliver an academic programme that focuses on key analytical and critical issues in the relationship between media, culture and communication. To develop subject knowledge and transferable skills sensitive to the changing needs of the communication, media and cultural industries which provides the basis for students to pursue a variety of careers. To support students' learning through diverse teaching and assessment practices; underpinned by staff development and research informed teaching. To develop knowledge of the ways in which individual and collective identities are constructed and contested through engagements with media, culture and communication. To show insight into the range of ethical issues and value judgements arising from the complexity and diversity of contemporary media, cultural and communication practices. To encourage students to engage with employability skills by completing a self-awareness statement.

Media, Culture, Communication is a single honours programme which acknowledges the interdisciplinary nature of its subject area but takes an integrated approach to the consideration of theoretical, historical and critical debates on media, communication and culture. It enables students to develop their critical understanding of media forms and cultural practice through a range of different theoretical perspectives and contextualisation. Students are required to communicate their findings in a variety of forms and to respond to assessment tasks in a flexible, disciplined and independent manner. The level 4 Media, Culture, Communication programme focuses on establishing academic and subject literacy and all modules are core. Students consider a broad range of professional issues related to media institutions, cultural practices and communications process. Level 5 concentrates on developing research skills and critical perspectives. All modules are core and focus on the application of knowledge and the production of independent analysis in response to assessment tasks. The modules are structured in relation to case studies and aim to develop students' ability to analyse and solve research, communication and professional issues taking into consideration innovations in the study of Media, Culture and Communication. 5510ISTMCC Public Communication is a work-related learning module. Level 6 focuses on students developing as independent learners, able to design, research and execute research projects that reflect their own interests. Teaching and learning includes both formal and interactive lectures and seminars which provide opportunities to present, discuss and reflect upon ideas and case studies. In addition there are workshops, tutorials and small group work. These methods are designed to foster student progression; stimulate interest and encourage participation; provide equal opportunities to develop learning skills at all levels; encourage critical analysis and the application of theory and utilise ICT and the VLE. Students apply key concepts and methodological approaches through seminars, workshops, work-related learning, tutorials and group work. Students will be asked to critically reflect upon their production of practical work and their response to and use of different genres of writing. Transferable skills are developed through seminars, workshops, group work, tutorials, independent study, PDP tutorials and work-related learning. Sustained independent learning is progressively developed in levels 5 and 6, leading to the 6510ISTMCC Dissertation. The Canvas VLE is used by students and staff to support student learning. Knowledge and understanding are acquired through both staff-led and student-centred strategies with a progressive emphasis on the latter as students develop as independent learners assessed by coursework and examinations. Assessment, as part of the learning process, involves feedback (diagnostic, formative or summative) that is timely and constructive and is designed to be coherent and balanced in order to facilitate the achievement of learning outcomes. The forms of assessment are introduced and developed over the three years of the degree to allow students to: develop the ability to think independently; critically reflect on their work; formulate and research their own topics and to build upon their own knowledge and interests. Assessment meets the criteria (QAA, School and LJMU) of validity, reliability and consistency and takes account of students with particular needs (SENDA compliant). Coursework artefacts include: individual and group essays based on given titles or titles negotiated with tutors; reviews; individual and group presentations; individual critical self-evaluation; logbooks; self-reflective portfolios; research exercises; annotated bibliographies; independent study projects and dissertations. Assessment methods comply with the revised QAA Quality Code for Higher Education.

The programme offers students the opportunity for WRL at level 4 in the core module 4515ISTMCC Introduction to Media and Cultural Industries where students respond to a client brief and prepare and evaluate a practical portfolio. At level 5 the assessment for the core module 5510ISTMCC Public Communication requires students to respond to a brief for a public information campaign created by a partner from the media, cultural and communication industries or the public sector and to prepare and evaluate a practical portfolio of persuasive communication. At level 6 in 6519ISTMCC Digital Writing students undertake work-related learning as they learn to produce digital copy to a professional standard and consider how to disseminate their content across platforms and for diverse audiences.