This document provides guidance and questions for evaluating skills development in research and planning over the course of an AS and A2 media studies course. It includes tasks to analyze an example exam answer, reflect on use of digital technology, and identify how research and planning skills were applied and developed for foundation and advanced portfolios. Students are asked to create grids listing research and planning activities used, with examples and evaluation of how each helped with coursework productions and understanding. The final questions prompt students to analyze their skills development and learning about the importance of research and planning for successful coursework productions.

1. Exam answers
and
Research &
Planning
SECTION 1 A

2. Lesson Aims
◼To analyse a full marks exam answer on digital technology
◼To look at how I used digital technology in my AS & A2
work
LQ: HOW DO I EVALUATE MY SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT IN RESEARCH & PLANNING

3. Paragraph Paragraph topic /
theme
Paragraph Content
1
2
3
4
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EXAM ANSWER
Task 1: Reflecting on how to structure an essay answer
Read through the essay and, using the grid below make a rough essay plan and structure of the essay
Task 1: Reflecting on how to structure an essay answer
Read through the essay and, using the grid below make a rough essay plan and
structure of the essay

4. REFLECTING ON EVALUATING SKILLS
DEVELOPMENT
 TASK 3 - Reflect back on the essay you have read and complete the
following questions:
1. Does the writer give the names of their productions or is what they
made ambiguous?
2. How many examples were given from each skill area – do they talk
about one more than another?
3. What was the ratio of examples offered from the Foundation
Portfolio and the Advanced Portfolio?
4. Does the writer understand what digital technology is ? How can you
tell this?
5. How much detail is offered when discussing the examples of how
they used or developed skills in their work? Did you have a good
sense of what the production might have looked like or what skills
were actually learned / how they were used?
6. How well does the author evaluate the ways in which their skills in
digital technology have developed from their foundation to
production portfolios? Is it clear there has been some development?
7. Do they make reference to anything outside the A level Media
course?
8. How well structured was the essay – did you find it easy to read and
could you follow the points that the author was making?
9. What, in your opinion, is the strongest aspect of the answer?

5. Research &
PlanningSECTION 1 A

6. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RESEARCH
AND PLANNING?
Task 1:
Research is…………………………………………………………………………………..
Planning is…………………………………………………………………………………..
How are research and planning skills connected to one
another – how does research influence planning?
How does planning influence the success of the final
production work?

7. WHAT ACTIVITIES OR ASPECTS OF RESEARCH
AND PLANNING HAVE YOU USED IN YOUR
COURSEWORK PRODUCTIONS ?
Make as grid like the one below so that you have a list of
the different skills in research and planning that you
developed during the course of your A Level.
RESEARCH PLANNING

8. FINDING EXAMPLES AND EVALUATING HOW
YOU USED RESEARCH AND PLANNING SKILLS
Using your answers from task 2, pick some examples of research and
planning that you might have used in your Foundation portfolio - some will
be used only at AS but others will be use din both years. Create a grid like
the one below to write about your use of these skills in your coursework
AS Research
skill
Examples of when and
how you used research at
AS
How useful was this
in developing your
understanding for
the film opening
How did this help
(or how was it
used) with your
final product at AS
AS Planning
skill
Examples of when and how
you used planning at AS
How useful was this
in developing your
planning at AS
How did this help
with your final
product at AS

9. FINDING EXAMPLES AND EVALUATING HOW
YOU USED RESEARCH AND PLANNING SKILLS
Now repeat this for A2
A2 Research
skill
Examples of when and
how you used research at
A2
How useful was this
in developing your
understanding for
the music promotion
How did this help
(or how was it
used) with your
final product at A2
A2 Planning
skill
Examples of when and how
you used planning at A2
How useful was this
in developing your
planning at A2
How did this help
with your final
product at AS2

10. EVALUATING THE DEVELOPMENT OF YOUR
SKILLS IN RESEARCH AND PLANNING
Look at your 2 grids and answer the following questions:
1. Identify 3 new or different ways of researching that you developed
or completed with greater success in your A2 production, compared to
AS Foundation Portfolio:
2. Identify 2 different activities that you undertook as part of your
planning for your Advanced portfolio that you didn’t do when you
planned your Foundation Portfolio:
3. How important were the research and planning activities in helping
you to produce a successful finished media text:
In your Foundation portfolio?
In your Advanced portfolio?
4. What have you learned about the importance of proper research and
planning in the production of coursework, over the course of the 2
years?