Media *
At Harris Academy Ockenden, our curriculum philosophy aims to enrich children with the skills needed to succeed in the fast moving, rapidly growing and ever-changing world around us.
We aim to equip students with the communication and technology skills needed to thrive in Higher Education or in the modern workplace, whether in the media industry or beyond.
The reach of the media influences many aspects of human life. Its ever-changing landscape and multifaceted essence have totally transformed the way people live, think and act. Like literature, media is a cornerstone of the modern world and a major source of modern culture and entertainment. It has the power to swiftly sway public consensus by delivering information to the masses in a multitude of different ways, to unite or divide opinions.
Simply put, media has been the driving force in producing the only constant of the contemporary world: change. Change itself is not something new. It has been a characteristic of the very existence of mankind since the dawn of time. What differs today, however, is the accelerated rhythm of change, which impels people and organisations to face permanent transformations in all the fields of their activity, thus needing to react promptly in order to survive.
This is where media comes to the fore. It is the single biggest factor, facilitating this accelerated rate of change by delivering communication and content to the populous at an unprecedented rate. Now more than ever, we are witnessing the power and influence of the media industry: its ability to bring rapid coverage to the masses; capture and create zeitgeist; influence thought; educate the masses. In this age of digitalisation, media knowledge and skills are in demand all over the world.
Media Studies provides young people with the ability to skilfully explore, analyse and generate media for a range of different audiences and purpose, which, in turn, will not only make learners more employable, but will lead to a greater awareness and understanding of the immediate world and our individual place in it. With such a deluge of information, young people have to be taught the skill of disseminating the good information from the bad – learn to be critical of everything that they are presented with and question the source.
Media Studies is a discipline and field of study that deals with the content, history, and effects of various media industries. Study Media Studies and you will face the challenge of keeping pace with media trends, technologies and debates. Students will be given the opportunity to study niche and mass media aimed at a range of audiences; weekly and monthly; special interest and lifestyle. The course will offer learners an opportunity to study the media in an academic context and apply the knowledge and understandings gained by creating their own media productions. Learners will be provided an opportunity to demonstrate skills of enquiry, critical thinking, decision-making and analysis.