CREDIT POINTS: 20 / UNIT CODE: FTU626
FHEQ LEVEL: 6 / SCHOOL: Art, Design and Fashion
UNIT DESIGNATION: Traditional / Programme group: Fashion, Design and Communication
Unit delivery model: CD Max & Min Student No: N/A
TOTAL STUDENT WORKLOAD
Students are required to attend and participate in all the formal timetabled sessions for the unit. Students are also expected to manage their directed learning and independent study in support of the unit.
PREREQUISITES AND CO-REQUISITES: None
UNIT DESCRIPTION
This unit extends and further consolidates the practice of research and the relationship between theory and practice. The unit is a student centred investigation into research methodologies in the fields of photographic theory and visual studies, and into the application of theories to creative visual production and critical writing.
The Image, Text Analysis 1 unit provides support to students in enabling them to deepen their knowledge of and skills in methods of research and information retrieval. The aim of the unit is to demonstrate how theories can be applied to visual and conceptual works of Photography through a student centred learning process leading to informed visual analysis and critical thinking. The unit will help individual students to select their research topic and to interrogate it from within a framework of visual and textual references.
The unit is split into three components:
- A series of lectures explaining the relationship between photographic theory and practice developing students understanding and ability to identify and review appropriate academic texts and relate this to their chosen topic. These staff led sessions will look at visual methodologies, how to review literature, apply theory to visual imagery, analyse photographer's work, and critical writing to show how topics can be constructed into written and visual critical discourse.
- A number of learning activities including peer review and peer critique encouraging student participation, enhancing writing and presentation skills and further their analytical and critical ability.
- Seminars and individual tutorial support to focus and progress research topics and encourage independence of thought, leading to the production of a Literature Review.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
On successful completion of the unit, students should be able to:
Knowledge and Understanding
K1 The basic components of a research proposal in the visual arts and the processes involved in their design
K2 How to plan and manage a successful literature review
Cognitive Skills
C1 Locate and evaluate the appropriateness of their topic in relation to the range of sources including academic texts and journals in the relevant subject area.
C2 Analyse, evaluate and examine appropriate concepts, theories and methodologies in order to define a topic for research in Photography
Practical and Professional Skills
P1Produce a Literature Review that demonstrates formal and intellectual skills applicable to employability in the industry
Transferable and Key Skills
T1 Construct a coherent literature review that reflects competence in research methodologies, IT skills, time management and organisational skills
T2 Develop, research and competently present information and arguments in a quasi-public forum
AREAS OF STUDY
The unit will consider a wide range of relevant theoretical frameworks and methodologies and examine the different ways in which these can be employed to critically evaluate various exemplars of contemporary photographic production. Students will consider the development of critical theory, with emphasis being placed throughout on the application of key concepts derived from these interdisciplinary developments to contemporary debates across the field of photographic theory.
LEARNING AND TEACHING STRATEGY
This unit is based around weekly lectures and seminars over a 12 week period. Lectures introduce major topics through reference to current literature and case studies in relation to the inception of a research project, development of appropriate research methodology and development of a Literature Review.
Seminars are forums for discussion of topics raised in the lectures. Students are required to prepare and discuss material relating to the lectures. Tutorials provide feedback to individual students about the development of research and writing skills.
Learning and teaching on the unit is underpinned by teaching staff’s post-doctoral research and advanced scholarship and practice, understanding and practice of issues in research, including the development of a research project and literature searching and review.
ASSESSMENT STRATEGY
Assessment for this unit comprises both formative and summative elements. There will be formative assessment through seminars, peer review and one-to-one tutorials with staff giving students opportunity to reflect on their own learning process through open discussion and feedback of their written work.
The written assignment forms the summative element of the assessment and is intended to develop students’ research skills, ability to analyse image and text and to turn this into informed critical writing.
Each of the assessment tasks have been devised to confirm achievement of learning outcomes for the unit by testing the student’s ability to discuss their own work and that of their peers and their ability to identify and review appropriate sources of literature in their Literature Review.
The Literature Review supports the production of the Essay in Image Text Analysis 2. The Review will detail the research areas the Essay is to draw upon and act as a guidance document between tutor and student in defining the scope and direction of the 2000 word document submitted in Image Text Analysis 2.
ASSESSMENT
AE1weighting:100%
assessment type: Literature review
length/duration:1500 words
AGGREGATION OF MARKS
No departure from standard University regulations
AGGREGATION & RE-ASSESSMENT RULES
In cases of re/deferral, students will be required to submit a new piece of work, details of which will be provided on the referral brief.
Unit Author: Nina Sverdvik & Dr Olga Rodriguez-Falcon & Guy Moreton
Unit history:
Unit Approved/Year Implemented/Code / 2011 / 2011/12 / FTU626