MP6051 - Dissertation (Media & Film)

You will learn via a variety of mechanisms. These include lectures, seminars, online activities (where appropriate) and independent learning.

Lectures will provide the contextual and theoretical information you need to understand the module’s themes and approaches. The lecturer will provide examples that will demonstrate how to apply relevant critical techniques, and to stimulate your engagement with the course material (by, for example, presenting various challenges and conflicts raised in the field).

Seminars will provide space for you to interrogate and discuss the ideas raised in the lectures, both with your peers and with the tutor. Seminars are oriented around discussion questions and activities to stimulate your engagement.

Outside of the taught sessions, you will be expected to engage with module-relevant reading in preparation for the sessions. An electronic reading list is supplied via the e-Learning Portal, which will guide you towards appropriate resources, although you are encouraged to explore the wider library catalogue to engage with additional sources too. During your independent working time, it is also expected that you will apply the ideas raised in the reading and the taught content to contemporary media examples beyond those cited in the lectures.

Where appropriate, additional materials will be supplied on the eLearning Portal. These independent activities will facilitate your development as you progress through the module, laying a foundation for your assessed work.

You will be supported by the module lead; they will introduce the module at the start of the semester and offer advice and guidance throughout. Your learning is mapped out via documentation on Blackboard Ultra, the Northumbria University online electronic learning portal; this is accessible online on and off campus. The e-Learning Portal will include guidance notes and key dates to help you organise and plan your time. It will also include teaching materials, announcements and updates, and detailed information on assessment. You will have a university email that we contact you through.??

?We support your learning by providing on-going feedback (Formative and?Summative) through the range of teaching and learning approaches offered. We ask you to submit your work electronically, and we will supply feedback via Turnitin. You will be able to compare your feedback across modules so that you can assess your development as you progress through the programme.

Formative assessment is offered throughout the module, and summative assignments will receive written feedback within 20 working days of assignment submission.?Every tutor has set weekly feedback and tutorial drop in hours, wherein you can seek advice on your academic progress.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. The reading list for this module can be found at: http://readinglists.northumbria.ac.uk
(Reading List service online guide for academic staff this containing contact details for the Reading List team – http://library.northumbria.ac.uk/readinglists)

Knowledge and Understanding:

You will be expected to demonstrate significant knowledge of the issues and themes that contextualise your chosen research topic

You will be expected to demonstrate significant understanding of scholarly debates related to your chosen research topic



Intellectual / Professional Skills and Abilities

You will be expected to demonstrate enhanced ability to deploy research methods, theories, and concepts relevant to the field of study

You will be expected to demonstrate the analytical and interpretive skills required to present a substantial piece of research



Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural Awareness, Ethics, Curiosity):

It is expected that your dissertation project will demonstrate your personal and critical engagement with a topic that has industrial, social, and/or political pertinence

Component 1 – 2000 word plan (25% of the overall mark);

Component 2 – 8000-10000 word dissertation (75% of the overall mark)



Further detail on the exact requirements of both components will be supplied on the module’s eLearning site.



You will receive formative feedback from your supervisor throughout the course, allowing you to apprehend how your critical skills are developing. You will receive a detailed commentary and a summative mark on your written work in accordance with the assessment criteria (supplied on the eLP). Under normal circumstances, you will receive written feedback on your summative submissions within 20 working days. The feedback will normally be supplied electronically as part of the ESAF process. This feedback will provide a detailed account of your skills, critical engagement and communicative ability, as well as supporting future learning by indicating areas for development. You can also request additional verbal feedback on your submissions by arranging a meeting with the module tutor.

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The Media & Film Dissertation module involves researching and writing an 8,000-10,000 word dissertation on a topic of your own choosing. The module offers you the opportunity to engage with a contemporary topic and a set of case studies that you are personally invested in. The learning materials for this module will guide you through the fundamental requirements of preparing and researching a dissertation. Our supervisory team will also share their research experiences and tips on overcoming research problems. You will also be assigned to a supervisor who will offer guidance on how to shape your particular idea into a sustained argument. As the culmination of your degree programme, the dissertation allows you demonstrate your individual engagement with your subject area, and to display the critical skills that you have developed while studying within the Media & Film subject group.