Learning objectives

Strands

The following three strands are used to structure the learning objectives for media studies.

Media in Society

Students explore how the media operates within societal contexts and how they themselves can understand the place of media in society. These societal contexts can include historical, economic, social, cultural, and political perspectives.

Students learn to understand their own relationship with the media in order to act as 'critical, active, informed and responsible citizens' (NZC).

Reading Media Texts

Students study, and apply, media language and media texts. The analysis of the content of media texts, using appropriate media terminology, gives students the ability to understand how meanings are created in texts. Students look at groups of texts (genre), structures of texts (narrative), and they learn the skills of close reading so they can respond to the products of others as well as their own.

Media Production

Students learn to make media products that can entertain, inform, and challenge. They explore, develop, and communicate ideas through the development of their skills in the use of media technology. In the process, they use language, symbols, and structures to create meaning. In reflecting on their own and others’ products, students develop their production skills.

Progression in media studies

As they move from level 6 to level 8, students’ grasp and application of media studies concepts becomes increasingly sophisticated. The focus shifts from exploring their own and others’ media use to examining and evaluating the place of media in society. They interact with and produce an ever-wider variety of media texts. They learn to interpret layers of meaning in complex texts. They learn to rely less on teacher guidance and to work independently and collaboratively to critique and produce media products.

Indicators

Indicators are examples of the behaviours and capabilities that a teacher might expect to observe in a student who is achieving at the appropriate level. Teachers may wish to add further examples of their own.

Context elaborations

Context elaborations are possible contexts for learning, with a suggestion of how they might be used with the focus achievement objective.

The listed context elaborations are examples only. Teachers can select and use entirely different contexts in response to local situation, community relevance, and students’ interests and needs.

Assessment for qualifications

At the time of publication, the NCEA achievement standards were in development, to align them with the New Zealand Curriculum. Please ensure that you are using the correct version of the standards by going to the NZQA website.

Aligned level 1 achievement standards will be registered by NZQA for use in 2011, Level 2 in 2012 and Level 3 in 2013.

Full information on the draft standards and the alignment process can be found on TKI–NCEA.

For planning purposes, if the standards you require have not yet been registered, consider using the draft Achievement Standards (AS) suggested in each of the following levels:

Media studies learning objectives

Following are the media studies learning objectives by level and strand. Click on the learning objective for possible concept links, indicators, possible context elaborations, and relevant achievement standards.
Level 6 Level 7 Level 8

Level 6

Students will gain knowledge, skills, and experience to:

Media in Society

Explore media concepts.

Reading Media Texts

Explore language in media texts.

Media Production

Explore media conventions and technology to create media.

Level 7

Students will gain knowledge, skills, and experience to:

Media in Society

Examine media contexts.

Reading Media Texts

Examine meaning in media texts.

Media Production

Apply knowledge of media conventions and technology to create media.

Level 8

Students will gain knowledge, skills, and experience to:

Media in Society

Evaluate media contexts.

Reading Media Texts

Evaluate meaning in media texts.

Media Production

Apply understanding of media conventions and technology to craft media.

Last updated June 10, 2011

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