Programme aims
JOURNALISM:
- To create graduates who are thoroughly grounded in the theory and practice of journalism, able to make sound editorial judgements and behave in a professional manner.
- To help students develop their writing and broadcasting skills to a high level.
- To encourage students to develop their critical faculties, in particular to adopt an inquiring, sceptical and whole-hearted approach to their work.
- To encourage students to work effectively on their own and in teams to produce the best journalism.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE:
- To develop students critical understanding of the English Language including its sound and sentence structure, how English varies according to context of use and how meaning is constructed in varying ways and by varying methods.
- To learn and appreciated individual speaker differences as well as standard varieties of English.
- To be able to express ideas in a concise way drawing on pragmatic inferences and contexts of use.
- To develop analytical skills that further the understanding of the deeper structures of language including how language is acquired and processed.
- To understand contemporary issues and approaches to the study of English language and Linguistics.
- To understand language change as it relates to English and the competing factors involved in such change.
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Theoretical and practical approaches to journalism
A2: The history and evolution of journalism, the current state of the industry and its future prospects
A3: The role of publishing and broadcasting in a modern society
A4: The UK legal system, and the law, regulatory framework and codes of practice relating to journalism
A5: The characteristics and needs of a range of print, broadcast and web-based journalism, production processes and professional practice in relation to newspapers, magazines, online content and broadcast journalism
A6: Understand theoretical underpinning of contemporary linguistics
A7: Understand the evolution of varieties of English
A8: Understand language variation and language in use in context
A9: Learn structure of language with focus on English
A10: Learn phonetic transcription of English
A11: Learn how language structure affects its meaning
A12: Understand and practice research methods in language and linguistics
A13: To develop intercultural skills (Study/Year Abroad variant only)
A14: To develop essential work-based skills throughout the placement. (Placement variant only)
A15: To provide the opportunity to apply academic learning outcomes in a work-related context
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback.
Assessment methods
A1-A5 Range of in-class tests, portfolio of work, reflective journals, group work, project work, essays and other coursework
A1: examination
A6-A12 Range of assessments: data set analysis, reflective essay, transcription exercises, essays, exams, practical work, oral presentations, literature reviews
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Able to absorb and organise large amounts of informati
on in a short time, applying critical techniques to assess evidence on the basis of relevance, reliability and newsworthiness
B2: Turn raw data and information into clear, accurate and engaging journalism with impact
B3: Make good decisions and present clear, well-reasoned and coherent arguments, in writing or orally, often against a deadline
B4: Exercise judgement in designing, planning and delivering journalistic output
B5: Evaluate, interpret and demonstrate critical judgement in the understanding of developments in the news, of issues and concepts, and be able dispassionately to assess one's own work and the work of others
B6: Produce independent and imaginative treatments conforming to a clear framework of values
B7: Abstract and synthesise information from a range of sources (lectures/seminars/classes, journals, books, internet etc.) identifying those ideas or findings which are most significant
B8: Make observations and generalisations about data or behaviour or other materials, using appropriate analytic techniques
B9: Critically evaluate contrasting theories, accounts, explanations, approaches, demonstrating an understanding of the relationship between theory
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by coursework, practical assignments, portfolios, group projects, peer assessment, critical commentaries, written examinations and, in some cases, oral presentations, data set analysis, reflective essay, transcription exercises, essays, and literature reviews
C: Practical skills
C1: An ability to find, research and write news stories and features for various print, online and broadcast media
C2: An ability to conduct interviews, record information accurately and analyse it to a professional standard
C3: An ability to work in production for various media, using industry-standard software and hardware
C4: An ability to work independently, cooperatively and in editorial teams to produce finished work to agreed deadlines for various media
C5: An ability to operate in professional manner, observing ethical and legal constraints
C6: Gather and process information from different sources, e.g. do a bibliographic search in the library, access material from online databases and locate and download appropriate modern language materials from the Web
C7: Plan, undertake and present an independent piece of work which involves reviewing existing work on a given topic, making use of standard referencing conventions
C8: Utilise specialised techniques for the collection, analysis, presentation or evaluation of materials, data or behaviour
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by coursework, practical assignments, portfolios, group projects, peer assessment, critical commentaries, written examinations and, in some cases, oral presentations, data set analysis, reflective essay, transcription exercises, essays, and literature reviews.
D: Key skills
D1: Ability to express oneself in a clear, focused, relevant and effective way, both orally and in writing
D2: Ability to use appropriate software and hardware to produce and present high quality editorial content
D3: Finding, understanding, organising and processing information. Applying knowledge and understanding to make judgements. Ability to question conventional wisdom and find innovative methods of research. Working to deadlines. Management of projects and timetables.
D4: Ability to plan, manage time, and advance and argue for proposals in editorial meetings, ability to respond constructively to criticism, ability to engage in collaborative writing and programme-making activities; ability to work co-operatively in a variety of group contexts, including practical production, taking on a number of different roles.
D5: Ability to take responsibility for own work and actions in individual and collective contexts, and to reflect on performance and make constructive use of written and oral feedback.
Learning methods
Lectures, workshops, group discussion and reflection, work experience, practical exercises, formative feedback.
Assessment methods
Assessment is by coursework, practical assignments, portfolios, group projects, peer assessment, critical commentaries, written examinations and, in some cases, oral presentations, data set analysis, reflective essay, transcription exercises, essays, and literature reviews.