Masters' level module in Children, Film and Literacy
- Who is the course for?
- What level of course is it?
- What does the course cover?
- How long is the course?
- What is distance learning?
- How is the course structured?
- How is the course assessed?
- What course materials are provided?
- What can I do when I finish the course?
- How can I apply?
- How much does the course cost?
Who is the course for?
This course is for literacy and English teachers, advisors, consultants and trainers, who have an interest in the relationship between film and other kinds of literacy, probably but not exclusively, with younger children.
It will furnish participants with an understanding of film especially in relationship to other kinds of text, and how children engage with these texts in classrooms but also at home.
What level of course is it?
The course is offered at Master’s level; it isn’t a whole MA, but a module worth one sixth of the MA in New Media Literacies offered by Sheffield University. Candidates can either take the module as part of that MA, or the course can stand alone as a BFI M-level course.
What does the course cover?
The course is structured into three units: the first unit covers children’s experiences of film and how they relate to their wider literacy, and the literature and debates that surround those experiences. Unit 2 covers film and pedagogy, and the skills, understanding, knowledge that a competent and confident film education practitioner might expect to develop. Unit 3 is focused on supporting classroom practice, helping practitioners to design and implement teaching and learning strategies that integrate film into literacy practice.
How long is the course?
The course runs from the beginning of January until late May. It will start with a 1½- day face-to-face seminar on Friday 15th January (10.30am – 4.00pm) and Saturday 16th January (10am – 3pm) and there will be a second, one-day seminar on Friday 19th March. Both sessions will take place in London at BFI Southbank. We recognise that attendance might be difficult for overseas students, so we take care to ensure that the seminars are backed up by distance learning materials.
What is distance learning?
Distance learning was pioneered by the Open University in the 1960s. It is a flexible mode of learning that enables people to learn at their own pace and build courses around their lives and work. Distance learning courses are usually taught ‘mixed mode’: a mixture of face-to-face, online learning environments and DVD or print based materials. This course will be run using a piece of software called MOODLE, which runs as an online learning environment. All of the course materials - articles, activities and exercises, pod- and video-casts and lectures or presentations in Powerpoint - will be hosted by the site, to which learners have password-protected access. MOODLE also enables group discussion and personal tutorial feedback.
How is the course structured?
The course is structured in three Units, each of which will take about 6 weeks to complete. The Units are further broken down into Sessions, which take about two weeks each. At the end of each Unit is an assignment, which goes into the final portfolio for assessment. The outline of the course is as follows:
Unit 1: Children, Film, Literacy
Session 1: Film, Childhood and You
Session 2: Film and Television Childhoods in the Classroom
Session 3: Theorising Film and Children’s Literacy
Unit 2: Film, Literacy and Pedagogy
Session 1: Film Form and the Classroom
Session 2: Film Pedagogies
Session 3: Film Pedagogy for Primary
Unit 3: Film Education in Practice
Constituting an action research project into an aspect of classroom or other educational practice involving film and literacy.
How is the course assessed?
The course is assessed via a portfolio of 5000 words equivalent. At the end of each Unit there are short written assignments, and a final Assignment based on a small-scale research project based in a classroom or other setting. Together all the pieces are assessed as a final portfolio of work.
What course materials are provided?
All of the materials necessary for the course will be hosted in the course MOODLE site. Some of these can be printed off; others can be watched or listened to as sound or video files.
What can I do when I finish the course?
The course is recognised by the Sheffield University online MA in New Literacies as carrying 30 MA credits - or one sixth of the MA. Not everyone will want to continue to full MA and we hope for those people that the course will give sufficient grounding in some of the theory and practice associated with film and literacy that would enable them to become more confident practitioners. The course might also function as evidence of Accredited Prior Learning for participants who want to explore other MA courses in the field.
How can I apply?
Register your interest at education@bfi.org.uk and we will send you an application form and further information. The closing date for applications is 1st December 2009.
How much does the course cost?
The course costs £650.
Documents on this page are available in Adobe PDF, which requires Adobe's free reader.
If you are having trouble viewing PDFs, please consult our help page.
