Y13 baseline assessment learner response

Baseline assessment learner response

Create a new blog post called 'Y13 baseline assessment learner response' and complete the following tasks:

1) Type up your feedback in full (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential).

32/40

WWW (What Went Well): Sandeep: Top answer for Question 3. Your essay-style writing is superb. You really DRESS THE QUESTION. Just a few things holding you back from top marks.

EBI (Even Better If): Question 3: Consider applying theorists to support your arguments, e.g., Hesmondhalgh, Gauntlett, Blumler & Katz. Also, reference pages we have studied, such as GQ's changing position on masculinity under editor Will Welch.

2) Focusing on the BBC Newsbeat question, write three ways it helps to fulfil the BBC's mission statement that you didn't include in your original assessment answer. Use the mark scheme for ideas.

Inclusivity and Diversity: Newsbeat covers stories that reflect diverse voices and experiences, ensuring audiences feel represented. This educates and informs listeners about issues affecting different communities, fulfilling the BBC's mission to inform and educate all demographics.

Accessibility for Young Audiences: The programme uses accessible language, social media integration, and multimedia content to engage younger listeners who may not consume traditional news. This helps educate and inform younger audiences in a relatable way.

Interactive Content: Newsbeat includes polls, Q&A sessions, and social media engagement, which entertains audiences while encouraging active participation. This interaction aligns with the BBC's remit to entertain and involve its audience.

3) Question two asked you how useful media effects theories are in understanding the audience response to War of the Worlds. Complete the following:

Gerbner's Cultivation theory: useful or not useful? Why?

Useful. Helps explain why audiences might perceive the world as dangerous and more likely to believe the fictional broadcast as real, due to heavy exposure to media conventions like breaking news bulletins and suspenseful storytelling.

Frankfurt School's Hypodermic Needle model: useful or not useful? Why?

Not very useful. While some reports suggest initial panic, this model is overly simplistic, assuming audiences are passive and uniformly influenced. Modern analysis shows reactions were varied and complex.

Stuart Hall's Reception theory: useful or not useful? Why?

Useful. Allows us to consider preferred, negotiated, and oppositional readings. Audiences interpreted the broadcast differently; some believed it (preferred), some questioned it (negotiated), and others rejected it (oppositional). Provides a nuanced understanding of audience response.

4) Write a full essay plan for the 25-mark Magazines question. The mark scheme contains plenty of ideas you can use here. Your plan should include notes/bullet points addressing the following:

Introduction: one sentence answering the original question and laying out your argument clearly.

Despite challenges posed by digital media, GQ and The Gentlewoman have successfully targeted their audiences by adapting content, diversifying distribution, and responding to social and cultural shifts.

Paragraph 1 content/ideas:

Target audience: wealthy, middle-upper class men, ABC1 demographic.

Uses & Gratifications: personal identity, surveillance.

Paragraph 2 content/ideas:

Decline in print circulation; adaptation to digital platforms, social media, video content.

Understanding of audience consumption patterns; convergence of media forms.

Paragraph 3 content/ideas:

Niche, premium, subscription-based, twice-yearly publication.

Uses & Gratifications: personal identity, relationships, surveillance.

Subversion of typical magazine conventions; focus on representation and modern feminism.

Paragraph 4 content/ideas:

Small, independent publisher adapting to global digital landscape.

Events and experiences (Gentlewoman Club) to enhance audience engagement.

Premium print product for quality-conscious audience.

Successful diversification strategies in digital age.

Conclusion: sum up your argument a final time in one sentence

Both GQ and The Gentlewoman have successfully attracted and retained their audiences by adapting content, embracing digital platforms, and reflecting social and cultural change.

5) Finally, identify three key skills/topics you want to work on in A Level Media this year before the final exams in the summer.

Applying Theorists to Products: Deepening understanding of how theorists like Gauntlett, Hesmondhalgh, Blumler & Katz, and Stuart Hall apply to set products.

AO2 Analysis Skills: Developing precise, contextualised analysis of media language, representation, and audience engagement.

Essay Planning and Evaluation: Strengthening structured essay responses with clear argumentation, comparative links, and evaluative conclusions.