100% in-course assessment which will consist of:-

Accepted learning contract (70%) (Learning Outcomes 1 and 2)
Presentation of individual goals and plan to peers and supervisor (30%) (Learning outcomes 2 and 3)

The module will introduce you to a variety of approaches that are implicit to negotiated study. This will provide you with the key knowledge and skills required to successfully manage your Masters programme. The module will combine one-to-one tutorials with work-shops in order to provide you with both the opportunity to develop your own research programme and meet with fellow learners to share experiences of self-managed study. The module will also prove pivotal to the development of your learning contract and will require you to reflect critically upon the process of developing ideas for negotiated study.

This module is intended to support you in the initial stages of your negotiated study. Within it, you are expected to develop a Learning Contract that will inform the rest their negotiated award. The Contract will form the link between the individual's goals, the needs of the employing organization/ industry organisation and the University's academic and modular frameworks. The Contract will identify all the other learning activities that the student expects to undertake to reach their final award. The module will combine one-to-one tutorials with work-shops in order to provide you with both the opportunity to develop your own research programme and meet with fellow learners to share experiences of self-managed study.

Negotiated access to equipment and workshop facilities and technical support appropriate to the representational resources you employ.

Facilities and suitable accommodation for the presentation of work.

A mixed platform virtual learning environment will be available (where relevant) to support this module. Details will be supplied in the module handbook.

Booth, W. et al (2008) The Craft of Research, 3rd Ed. (Chicago: University of Chicago Press).
Burns, T & Sinfield, S. (2008) Essential Study Skills: The Complete Guide to Success at University. London SAGE Study Skills Series
Jones, C. & Jolliffe, G. (2000) The Guerrilla Film Makers Handbook & Movie Blueprint (London: Cassel & Co Ltd.) The standard books on the production process so useful that you also find in many film company offices. It will help clarifying many terms and procedures discussed in workshops, tutorials, podcasts.
McKee, R. (1999) Story (London: Methuen) One of the most discussed approaches to cinematic storytelling. A valuable resource for all your specialist work in this module.
Monaco, J. (2009) How To Read a Film, 4th Ed. (Oxford: OUP). A thorough overview that discusses the major film theories and approaches, this book is a crucial reference when researching and writing your course work.
Puttnam, D. (1997) The Undeclared War, (London: HarperCollins) This book can give you a clear insight into your future working environment, and how it came about. We will discuss 2 chapters from this book, which are available on the module home page. However, I strongly recommend you get your own copy for independent study.
Northedge, Andy (2005) The Good Study Guide. (London: Open University Press)
Parsigian, E.K. (1996) Proposal Savvy - Creating Successful Proposals for Media Projects. (London: Sage)
Schoen, D. (1987) Educating the Reflective Practitioner Presentation to the 1987 meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Washington, DC. (available at http://resources.educ.queensu.ca/ar/schon87.htm on 5 September 2011)
Skinner, Megan (2006) Research - The Essential Guide. (London: British Film Institute)
The Owl Academic Writing (available at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/1/2/ on 5 September 2011
Variety (published weekly and available at selected newsagents. See also: http://www.variety.com/Home/ )