From the WJEC Guidance paper:
"In approaching this paper students and teachers may find the following points helpful:
Question 1
• This will always focus on textual analysis and will test the students' ability to analyse a media text in detail using appropriate language.• Students must be able not only to recognise a camera angle or a layout technique etc. but also to examine their purpose and effect. Those students who only describe are limiting their chances of achieving higher marks.
• Students need to be aware of the genre conventions of a range of forms and formats as indicated in the specification. They therefore need to be aware of the appropriate media language associated with a range of specific formats. Checklists related to specific media areas are useful so that students have a clear idea of what is required.
• Where students are discussing media theories, it is important that they can apply these to media texts rather than simply ‘name–drop’ them. It is recommended that students are not prepared in a formulaic way, which tends to result in students attempting to apply theories where they are not appropriate.
• As some students across the mark range had difficulty with timing – it is essential that students are given opportunities to analyse texts under timed conditions. As a guide, approximately 25-30 minutes may be allowed for studying/viewing the resource material (whether audio-visual or print-based). That leaves students approximately 45-50 minutes on Question 1 and approximately 35-40 minutes on Questions 2 and 3.
• Students need help in how to organise their notes during viewing time e.g., through
the use of viewing grids etc. Similarly, students need to be aware that bullet points are designed to suggest areas to focus on and thus help them structure responses. (In some cases, students appeared to be unfamiliar with terms like 'narrative' and 'technical codes'.)
• It was evident that students were not spending adequate time examining the stimulus for print media. As a guide, similar amounts of time should be allocated to exploring print-based materials as they would devote to moving image resource material (i.e., between 25 and 30 minutes). Students do need to be guided on how to make notes on print-based material. Texts set will be ‘rich’ texts and will demand close analysis.
• The teaching of essay-writing skills to enable students to write coherently and logically within a structure is essential. This is likely to help students express their ideas within a media studies framework. It should be obvious that they have some media knowledge! Bullet-pointed responses are not acceptable as a complete answer.
The focus of Question 2 can be either representation or audience and this question may be stepped. It is important that students take note of the mark allocation of the various parts of the question and relate this to the length of their answers.
If audience is the focus they will be expected to:
• discuss an audience/more than one audience for the media texts and
appreciate that texts may be ‘read’ in different ways by different audiences
• analyse the stimulus material in detail for the earlier parts of the question.
• be aware of the issues related to a study of audience and be able to apply
these to specific examples.
In preparation for the range of questions that may be asked in relation to audiences,
students also need to be aware of:
• the different ways in which audiences can be described
• how texts construct and position audiences
• how different audiences respond to, use and interpret media texts.
• how different audiences can respond to the same media text and how that
response can be analysed
If representation is the focus they will be expected to:
• recognise and analyse representations evident in the stimulus material
• demonstrate an understanding of the concept of representation and its importance
in analysing and understanding media texts.
• develop their response beyond a description of simple representations
• be aware of the more complex issues underpinning a discussion of representation
e.g. issues surrounding stereotypes, construction, mediation and ideology
General points:
• In the final part of question 2, students will be asked to refer to their own examples.
It is suggested that students discuss approximately 2/3 detailed examples relevant
to the question and covering more than one media form or format. Downloading of
opinion and generalised examples e.g. ‘newspapers offer negative representations of
youth’ should be avoided.
• Students must not rely on the stimulus material for this part of the question"
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