AS Level Foundation Portfolio blog - research handout

1. AS Level Foundation Portfolio blog – Research (v.2)
You MUST useinnovative ways to presentyour research using ICTin order to
achieve a higher mark for this element. Also, try to EMBED audio-visual
content rather than simply hyperlinking. Some interesting ways to present
your information include:
 Embedded Prezipresentation;
 PowerPointpresentation – uploaded using Slideshare;
 Embedded emaze presentation;
 Audio or video recordings – particularly for any group
discussions/planning meetings, etc.;
 Embedded Adobe Premier or Windows MovieMaker file;
 Hyperlinks to any usefulwebsites/internet research you have found.
Requiredblog posts: Remember, the moderator is looking for quality rather than quantity
and each blog postshould demonstrate your understanding, rather than simply being a
diary of what you did. Remember, even if I know that you are doing well and understand
what you are learning, if it’s not on your blog, I CAN’TGIVE YOU MARKS FOR IT!
1. Firstthoughts on the task – what do you think of the task? Areyou excited? Nervous?
What previous experience do you have of audio recording/editing/listening to the
radio? What do you hope to learn through this task? Who are you working with?
Why (try to think in terms of skills rather than becausethat person is your friend or
you catch the same bus to school!)?
2. A brief history of the UK radio industry – research the history of the UK radio industry
(e.g. its beginnings with the BBC, the arrivalof the pirate radio stations and how the
commercial stations came into being, etc.)
3. Ownership of the UK radio industry, e.g. demonstrateyour understanding of
different types of radio stations, e.g. local/national/internet-only/community, etc.
Give some examples of radio stations that fit each category. Who owns different
radio stations? Haveany of the results surprised you, e.g. did you find out that a
‘local’ radio station is actually owned by a national company?
4. Target audience –Your notes should demonstrate your understanding of the ways in
which radio stations target their audience. Remember to include demographics and
psychographics, ‘Daveand Sue’, etc.
5. Listening habits (Audienceresearch) – For homework, you should havecreated a
survey to find out about people’s listening habits. Includethis (either as a hyperlink
or screenshot) as well as an analysis of what you have found out. You might also
include some information here aboutthe changing ways that people access radio
(digital vs. analogue, internet radio, smartphone apps, etc.) Perhaps you could
consider how your listening habits are different to those of different family

2. members? Can you make any generalisations about gender/age, etc. in terms of who
listens to which radio stations?
6. RAJAR and audience figures – research how radio audiences are measured. Then,
select a couple of examples of local radio stations and find out the most recent
listening figures for them. Try to analyse your findings – are you surprised by the
results? Why do you think certain local radio stations have such higher listening
figures than others, etc.?
7. OFCOM– carry out someresearch into what rules and regulations you need to follow
when broadcasting on the radio. Who ‘owns’ OFCOM? Why and when was it set up?
Do all radio stations have to follow the rules? Can you find any recent examples of
whereradio stations have got into trouble for getting it wrong? Whatrepercussions
are there for radio stations that break the rules?
(FIRSTBLOG CHECK/MARKING)
8. Your in-depth research into two different radio stations – In lesson time, you will
have worked as a pair to carry out in-depth and detailed research abouttwo different
radio stations. There are severalways of presenting this information (as a traditional
stand-in-front-of-a-Powerpointpresentation; as a self-contained shortvideo (using
Powtoon or Adobe Premier/Windows MovieMaker), etc. Content of your research
should include: history, ownership, notablepresenters, typicalprogramming, target
audience, audience figures, etc. This research should demonstratethat you have
listened to AT LEASTone hour of programming for each radio station.
9. Summary of other people’s research – again, this could come in the form of a
PowerPointpresentation, a Prezi or a Powtoon and should summarisewhatyou have
learnt about the other radio stations that were researched. Itcould even come as an
audio or video recording of severalof you discussing whatyou found out fromthe
others in the class.
10.Approaching the preliminary task – What are your firstthoughts on this task? How
are you going to approach it? Make notes during your group planning meeting (this
could be audio-visual!) and include these in your blog post. Consider scripting, casting
your presenters/guest, sound effects, recording and editing.
11.The preliminary task (and evaluation) – You must now post your preliminary task
onto your blog and evaluate it in terms of how professionalit sounds, whether it
links to your target audience successfully or not and what you would change/improve
if you had the chance. Whatdecisions did you have to make as you progressed?
What did you learn about recording and editing audio? What will you take forward as
you progress towards themain task?
(SECOND BLOG CHECK/MARKING)

3. 12.Conventions of radio news bulletins – In lesson time, you will have learnt about the
conventions of radio news and will have been introduced to key terms such as: bed,
intro and outro jingle, copy, cue, voicer, etc. Working in groups of four, you will
produceyour own version of a spoof bulletin that demonstrates your understanding
of the different conventions.
13.Detailed analysis of radio news bulletins – Demonstrateyour understanding of the
three points aboveby carrying out a detailed analysis of several differentnews
bulletins. We’ll do some of this together in class and some of it you’ll do
independently.
14.What makes something ‘news’ –Try to link what you have learnt, including what
Galtung and Ruge theorised, with examples from recent news stories. Hopefully this
will involve notes fromour trip to see the studios and meet the News Editor at Isleof
Wight Radio.
15.Newsgathering and writing for radio – This is the final part of the ‘research’ element
of the coursework and will see you learning the rules of writing for radio and how to
find a good story. Lots of hands-on experience which will lead you nicely into the
planning stages… 
(THIRD BLOG CHECK/MARKING)