A two-phase project funded by the Psoriasis Association. Psoriasis is a chronic, relapsing condition characterised by well demarcated, red patches with varying degrees of thickening and surface scale (Camp 1998). It affects up to 2% of the population at any one time (approximately 1.2 m in the UK). It is currently known that many people with psoriasis are expected to self-manage their skin condition (APPGS 2006) and that this may be challenging due to the complexity and messiness of topical treatments (National Psoriasis Foundation 2001, Beresford 2002). However, there is little evidence about how people may be enabled to self-manage their condition (Ersser et al 2007). This study addresses this gap.

Sue’s professional attachment/s to the online arms of leading news organisations such as the BBC, Guardian, Telegraph and Sky, to study their use of audio, the aim of which was to devise teaching and learning strategies to adapt traditional radio skills to the online environment, whilst also developing theoretical understandings of the role of audio in new media. Project deliverables include one or two masterclasses with industry professionals and teaching materials for the online learning environment.

To develop and test a model interactive and multi-platform media ‘station’ designed to underpin the learning experience of media students at Bournemouth University. From its inception, it is envisaged that the ‘station’ would encourage dialogue within the wider university, develop new forms of teaching and learning, connect with external stakeholders, assist domestic and international recruitment and subsequently be promoted as good practice elsewhere in Higher Education.

Professional practice with The Media School’s production company RedBalloon has been formally written into the curriculum for MA Producing Film and TV (07/08 cohort). This project involves a) research into the effectiveness of the delivery to this cohort and to compare this institution with three to five other educational institutions offering similar professional production experience to their students; (b) evaluation of the effectiveness of delivery; and (c) investigation into the ways in which course credits could also be applied to the professional practice. If successful, funding will be sought for research into the wider educational community and from alumni regarding the benefits of professional practice and early career success.

This project is a collaboration between a Media School academic and a Radio Production postgraduate student, which seeks to gain an understanding of a blind user's experience of space, real and virtual. It is also aimed at encouraging and developing collaboration between Media School staff and students.

The main focus of this project is to explore the ways in which spaces, real and virtual, can be explored by non-visual, auditory means. The project will employ a practice-based research programme, in which interactive audio products are developed and used as vehicles for exploring relevant issues.

As part of the Campaign Planning and Creative Analysis units, final year BA Advertising & Marketing Communication students will travel to London; the day will cover three guest lectures by leading personalities in the Advertising industry, an interactive exercise to take place at the Brand Museum, followed by a ‘live briefing’ from ad agency and client, which is the subject for the students’ assessed campaign project.

A practice-based and pedagogy-driven project researching ways of enabling creative writers and designers to enter the world of interactive fiction. The overall aim of the project is to develop a software platform (entitled Genarrator) for students who want to create interactive digital fiction, but who do not have the web-design skills to use professional-level tools such as Flash. Jim is extending his empirical studies of readers’ responses to interactive fiction, and expanding his teaching of new-media writing, by designing, developing and testing Genarrator, with technical support from CEMP. Genarrator has been presented to delegates at the 2009 Media Education Summit in Liverpool, and is currently being beta-tested within BU.

To repeat and enhance the highly successful one-day Industry Day which was incorporated into the Professional Studies Unit in 2008 and comprised of a series of high-energy seminars, lectures and workshops for students to experience a typical project life cycle. In addition, Industry Weeks will be held whereby highly regarded industry speakers will deliver workshops and Q&A panels.

To develop and chart the process of a written creative idea through several different media outlets. An idea would be developed and expressed as a short story in prose, then adapted through to a screenplay and then adapted further and realised as a graphic novel that would be self published. There are other opportunities to see the idea realised as a radio drama and distributed as online drama podcasts.

The project would show the flexibility of an idea and how it may be shaped and distributed in the contemporary climate. It would also offer a potential model and route for students interested in developing the creativity and understanding potential avenues for expressing ideas. The idea is also to demonstrate the importance of collaboration and how ideas are shaped and formed in consultation and dialogue with other creative individuals from different disciplines. This will directly demonstrate how the collaborative adaptation process can shape ideas.

The focus of this project is the idea of exhibition. The project looks at particular at ways in which students can exhibit the outcomes of their scholarly work and will produce exemplars which future students can use to inspire and guide the presentation of their own work in ways which will be engaging to other students.

It is anticipated that the outcomes would have relevance for units across the school, in particular those theory orientated units aiming to generate online outputs for the planned tv/web station. Underpinning this project is the concept of students’ responsibility for generating new knowledge and ideas and students’ ability to communicate that new knowledge to other students.

As part of their Campaign Planning unit, MA Corporate & marketing Communications students will visit the Media Planning Group in London to be briefed on their assignment. This brief is an essential requirement of the unit and will be brought to life by being delivered within the professional Agency environment. Students will be issued a live client brief with a description of a client’s current market situation and some marketing objectives.

A research project which aims to investigate new learning and teaching methods for the study of broadcasting history, and in so doing, to revitalise the ‘television studio environment’ as an enabler for a blend of theory and practice.

The project is a component of Andrew’s practice-based PhD, which explores the relationship between narrative, and the evolution of TV drama ‘performance space’. It involves the practical realisation of a contemporary drama script, following the precise methodology and technological-simulation of the 1960s.

A series of online games which act to reinforce the learning of shorthand outlines. There are no shorthand games online and the only way to learn these outlines is by writing them out and looking at conventional text books. This game helps to make this an enjoyable and more competitive experience. Also, more visual learning benefits dyslexic and dyspraxic students with the complexities of learning shorthand.

The ad-review website is a showcase for advertising and marketing students’ work and reflection. The site is populated with ads as a result of loading approximately 70 ads. In addition the final year advertising students were set a task within the Campaign Planning unit to upload and review ads. There are just over 350 individual ads with reviews attached – approx 70% of these have attracted comments/ discussion.

An application to attend an innovative pedagogic conference at the University of Leeds in September. The practice of screenwriting is now an established taught subject in universities around the world, but the ‘theory’ of screenwriting perhaps lags some way behind. This conference then is an attempt to redresses that imbalance by inviting colleagues to reflect on the key document - the screenplay - and on the processes that surround its use. This is the first conference organised by the Screenwriting Research Network based at the Louis Le Prince Centre, Institute of Communication Studies, University of Leeds, in partnership with research colleagues at the University of Art and Design Helsinki

A draft Dissertation Workbook aimed at guiding Level H BA (Hons) Multi-Media Journalism students through the dissertation process, focusing in particular on the early stages of research design. Through a series of short but challenging taskboxes, and step-by-step tips and answers to frequently asked questions, students develop their independent learning skills. These taskboxes encourage students to reflect on their expectations or motivations, while others focus on specific aspects of the thesis itself. On completion of the taskboxes students essentially have the backbone of each chapter, which makes their writing-up easier. In addition, dissertation tutors use these taskboxes to track the progress of their students. The Workbook includes a tutorial logbook, a checklist that students can consult before submitting their thesis, and a self-assessment sheet (asking students to give marks against specific marking criteria).

An online repository of student work specifically aimed at games produced by students from either both interactive media and computer animation undergraduate programmes.

Thought Den offers the chance for BAIMP students to enjoy hands on experience of the day to day running of a digital agency. Both Ben Templeton (Creative Director) and Dan Course (Technical Director) have extensive industry experience as freelancers and directors of their own company.

Students on all levels of both BASW and MASW currently have access to a fortnightly two hour evening workshop as a forum in which to share and explore their work in progress and to discuss issues of scriptwriting craft and career development opportunities. he wider remit of the workshops allow for a potential arena in which to discuss and develop scriptwriting skills at present not covered by the course curriculum (e.g. comedy sketch writing, writing for sitcom, writing for games etc).

Students on the level H DMRM unit (BAAMC and BAM) currently produce assignments on a topic of their choice (supported by tutorials from the unit leader). Output in this instance is in the form of presentations and written work. Students’ work is then exhibited on MyBU and the Facebook group ‘Bournemouth Direct and Relationship Marketers’. Students value the opportunity to look at their predecessors’ work to help them develop their own ideas and the articulation of those ideas.

Following on from a completed Masters dissertation on postgraduate course choice and acting as a companion piece to Richard Scullion’s work (see above) on undergraduate choice, this project examines how undergraduates choose Media courses at Bournemouth University. The project includes an examination of the process they went through and the factors which influenced them. The project’s aims are to encourage students to carefully examine alternative courses and to fully engage with the process to make better decisions. There has been some research on undergraduate choice, much of it is Australian and little relates to specific programme areas such as Media courses.

A paper which analyses the radio news day as a method of teaching all the basic skills of radio journalism to students – research, news writing, news values and editorial input - as well as newsroom ‘etiquette’, and key broadcasting issues such as trust, impartiality and balance. The paper also considers employability (the relevance to industry) and areas of teaching and learning such as team work, peer assisted learning and assessment related issues.

A project which has at its centre a focus on educational related choices students experience once they are studying at University. The project investigates pathway, option choices and assignment related choices (i.e. learning agreements). Current educational literature suggests that motivational increases occur when students feel ‘ownership’ of their learning, and the perceived marketisation of HE can potentially transfer a consumer ethos to students as paying ‘customers’.

A Screenwriter’s Directing and Acting Workshop created in a London venue for one day. The students involved are second year MA Screenwriting students currently writing their Major Script Project – their major degree component – for delivery in May, 2007. The full-length scripts are works-in-progress. The benefits for the students are in seeing sequences from their work realised by directors and actors, and in working with industry professionals in evolving material in a rehearsal context.

A research report that aims to better understand student expectations and attitudes towards educational choices presented to them whilst at University; to present the primary ways in which students make choices with specific regard to options and assignments; to offer reflections on the choice making processes that were used and present implications of this for future programme and assignment development. Specifically, this project will investigate pathway and option choices, and assignment related choices (i.e. learning agreements).

An online learning resource providing PR and journalism students at Bournemouth University and at other HEIS, with an insight into the skills and understandings required by publicists in order to provide truly effective PR material and to meet the evolving demands of the media, both now and in the future. This resource is the result of conducting research with journalists across the media sector.

To research and make contact with interactive media companies in the region with the aim of generating a network and directory of company contacts and activities. Benefits include the generation of student-commercial project opportunities, Knowledge transfer opportunities, work placement opportunities, and a network of potential speakers/collaborators.

An online database of Interactive Media Major Project and Production Analysis work creating a wide range of interactive learning resources for student and external reference. This database will enable learning in an environment where students support and gain understandings from each other, fostering both independence and collaborative teamwork. Interactive Media Gallery

The production of a website database of scriptwriters’ work for access by those wishing to collaborate with and produce work for the screen, is in progress. The website will detail script outlines and writers contact details so that anyone interested in the featured script ideas can contact the writer directly. If successful, the website could be developed to incorporate other key production people who can add their achievements and skills to the database for potential collaboration and projects. This website will facilitate and encourage an atmosphere of cross course collaboration, and enable students to source each others work for comparison and analysis by providing them with a forum to display and advertise their work to a wider audience. The Green Room site

The production of an industry level pipeline, giving animation students a real world example of how animations are produced. The aim of the project is to create a standard workflow for animation projects allowing quick setup and resource management for the students whilst offering students the flexibility to change the pipeline to meet their own needs. The pipeline will also include a number of tools and libraries of animation artefacts for the use by students.

An investigation into how undergraduates chose media courses at Bournemouth University, including an examination of the process they went through and the factors which influenced them, with a view to encourage undergraduates to carefully examine alternative courses and to fully engage with the process to make better decisions. Whilst there has been some research on undergraduate choice, much of it is Australian and little relates to specific programme areas such as media courses An internal report will be produced to consider the implications of the findings on how better to market Media School courses. A conference / journal paper will be developed with the aim of better understanding the process which undergraduates go through when choosing between media courses and the factors which influence their decisions based on Bournemouth University.

Completion of the Pro Tools training course and examination, in order to become a Digidesign certified operator of ProTools LE and HD systems, with the aim of running approved ProTools Certified Training up to 110 level, to become a Digidesign Certified Training Centre, offering higher level certified training to students and alumni.

A research paper analysing the Radio News Day as a method of teaching journalism students the basic skills of radio journalism including research, news writing, news values and editorial input, as well as newsroom ‘etiquette’, and key broadcasting issues such as trust, impartiality and balance, all in the context of a rapidly changing technical landscape. Issues such as employability (the relevance to industry) and areas of teaching and learning such as team work, peer assisted learning and related assessment issues are also considered. The outcomes of this research will feed directly into the teaching and learning on the undergraduate journalism course at Bournemouth University, but would also be of interest across the University and other academic institutions, within industry training courses such as those being developed at the BBC’s College of Journalism, and will our key accrediting bodies, the BJTC and the NCTJ.

A one-day Screenwriters’ Directing and Acting Workshop at the Writers’ Guild, London, whereby directors and actors collaborate with postgraduate screenwriting students from Bournemouth University to enable students to see sequences from their screenplay scripts realised by directors and actors, and to work with industry professionals in evolving material in rehearsal. In addition, the students receive additional creative support, a professional London-based context for the venture, an industry experience and the opportunity to make industry contacts.

Collaboration between the NCCA and IT Services to create their own product tentatively called NCCA LINUX. This would be designed such, that it would incorporate all the drivers and interfaces associated with the equipment and hardware used within the NCCA. NCCA LINUX could be exploited as a powerful marketing tool to attract students to a School that cares about a student’s learning & teaching. It could be downloaded free from the The Media School website making distribution very simple. It could even be distributed as a free CD with specific computer animation magazines.

To take five students, selected from BATV and MATV, to the Bristol Brief Encounters Film Festival, with Film School Accreditation. Delivery of a Film Council seminar entitled ‘From Script to Screen: The Filmmaker’s Journey’ by Joe Tunmer. The Film School Delegate pass will entitle the students to attend masterclass seminars in scriptwriting, directing, production design, cinematography, composing and producing, and other one-off special seminars. The students will have access to the short films selected for the festival and have the opportunity to meet, network and discuss with the filmmakers. Registration, travel and accommodation expenses will be covered.

Attendance at the Celtic Festival, Falmouth which features interviews and talks from a number of speakers including Ken Loach, Don McCullan (Omagh, Bloody Sunday) and Kieran Hegarty, (BBC Northern Ireland). Access to the closing party and reduced registration rates (30% of total) have been acquired. This will provide unique access for students keen to network plus exposure to other young UK & Eire film- making talent and industry practitioners. Tristan Tull will be making notes to feed into enhancing teaching practice methods, especially MATV.

Attendance at the above conference will increase understanding of current technologies in electronic imaging and the teaching methodology employed by educators in supporting the change from traditional to digital photography.

Attendance at conferences in Tampere, Finland (November 2005), Milan (February 2006), and Europrix in Vienna (March 2006). A series of workshops established by VocINet (Vocational training and network for European Instructors in interactive media). “VoclNet brings together new media experts, producers of outstanding multimedia projects and instructors who want to learn and enhance their skills together with participants from all over Europe. Specially designed for instructors in the field of new media, the two and half day intensive workshop will feature theoretical lectures as well as group work and practical case analysis sessions, all held by international experts and pioneers of Project Design. The workshop consists of lectures, case study presentations and group work sessions, in which the participants create and develop ideas for curricula and practical training for courses in interactive media”. The Tampere event also coincides with a Media Festival attracting 7000 visitors.

Presentation of ‘Course Design for Interactive Media Production’ paper at the 4th International Conference on Communication and Mass Media, May 2006 in Athens, Greece. The paper is a discussion on curriculum design and also on dissemination of the work done by and for the Centre and confirms The Media School as a major learning hub for media practice education.

Building upon the successful work completed on Interactive Media Tutorials Part 1 (‘Fat Amsterdam’), the proposal is to identify further interactive media works and students to contribute to the “Learning With…” tutorial site which has now been established on the Centre website. Production of three further online tutorials in Interactive Media.

To extend the range of media2 tutorials to cover aspects of interactive media software. To research the range of tutorial material, both freely and commercially on offer (on and offline). To design a tutorial based approach for producing basic software tutorials and produce ten basic online tutorials with support notes. The project will involve employment and research collaboration with a BA Interactive Media graduate as the intention is to take an existing online media project (a prize-winning piece of student work) and record the reconstruction of it in such a way to highlight the key learning points with the concept, design, development and construction. The project will provide a rich learning resource for the School using materials developed by both students and experienced staff.

Attendance at Practice Based Research Methods Course at Royal College of Art where precedents in practice based research have been established and are integral to the learning and teaching of media, design and art. The methodology learned on this course can be passed on to students in their final year of production courses. By learning from the examples set at Royal College, this will enable a way in which to establish guidelines and precedents for staff to engage in, and lead higher level students into areas of practice based research.

The creation of three external, interactive subject based websites or ‘Portals’ in Interactive Media, Advertising and Consumer Culture, subjects that are of interest across the School and have broader appeal (i.e. students and practioners at other institutions). It therefore involves student collaborations and collaborations between students and industry. It would also showcase School teaching, research and the quality of student work. If this pilot is successful it could be rolled out with other subjects. The project is based on the way in which staff currently use media2 and have used online media in the past. Currently students from six programmes come together for discussion in one area on media2, which also includes a wide range of learning material. This area could be used by other Media School students, by external practioners, and by students from other universities, who would benefit from doing so.

Attendance at the world renowned ‘Robert McKee Story Seminar’, referenced in the feature film ‘Adaptation’. Robert Mckee is considered one of the principal screenwriting theorists today and his theories remain at the forefront of contemporary scriptwriting. The production of feature film structural maps and charts based on McKee’s story structure which could be worked through in lectures or specific seminars. Production of Character Development sheets, Scene & Sequence worksheets and handouts based on McKee’s theories which can be distributed through lectures or utilised in seminars, and used as a permanent resource. Development of a lecture specifically dealing with McKee's character theories, explaining and developing the conscious and unconscious desires of cinematic characters.

Extending Student Skills Visits, over a period of months, to London-based news media including The Guardian, IPCMedia and the BBC, who are currently modernising softwares to extend their interactive procedures and knowledge of users. It is such areas that, if seen and known, could allow new teaching practices for MA and BA students, and these aims could be formalised in the way student teaching and learning artefacts are run, such as the online paper for MA Multi-Media Journalism. The project would enhance teaching, learning and curriculum development in Online Multi-Media Journalism. In addition, it is possible that new contacts will stimulate opportunities for students to publish their work either on, or linked to, other news websites.

To establish the acknowledged source of digitally produced graphic depictions of the hierarchies of world media – constantly updated through links with the professional and trade bodies of publishing and broadcasting. Even seasoned practitioners find it difficult to grasp the ever-changing complexities of multi-media structures. Teachers and students alike find it almost impossible to comprehend the overall shape of the respective industries we address, the hierarchies within multi-national organisations, and the inter-relationship between apparently disparate segments. There is no lack of data but words and figures alone do not allow for visualising how and where what fits with what – within whatever chain of ownership. Printed directories merely list the ingredients and can be made instantly out-of-date by a sudden rash of takeovers or closures.

To establish a website that will run alongside the student newspaper (currently known as StudentPRESS but to be re-titled to encompass both print and online) with the aim of creating a fully integrated multi-media publishing operation featuring text, pictures, graphics, audio and video. This will enable Student Press, which normally publishes twice a term, to provide a constant news service and offer students vastly increased opportunities to gain exposure for their work as well as stimulating inter-active discussion of contemporary issues throughout the university community.

The production of 2 x 3-4 minute Minor TV projects by members of staff, following kit, time and budget restrictions adhered to by students. A paper will be written on the process of the project, tentatively titled “Increasing the quality of student support through active participation of their learning process”.

Production of short films, either drama or documentary, produced by groups of third year BATV and BASW students after they have completed their final studies. Students at the completion of Media School programmes often wish to use their developed skills to produce further work that would further enable them to find employment in the media industry. The Media Academic Group is looking at ways of fostering greater collaboration between programmes, and this presents an opportunity to fund ‘clusters’ of programme makers to produce innovative artefacts that are free from any constrains of assessment. If this pilot is successful, it could be rolled out as an annual event.

Technology Learning Networks is a pilot scheme to develop learning resources for specialised technical and practical skills, and deliver those resources using staff and peer support. This scheme would also lead to research outcomes exploring the development of a framework for expanding the scheme.

This will deliver:

The production of Biblipedia, an online tool allowing users to keep synopses and annotated notes on scholarly readings. This allows them to organise their notes, and their bibliographies. The tool regards the contributions of all users as public, allowing users to share their contributions, read those of others, and to use the tool as a research mechanism. Biblipedia exploits emerging paradigms such as wikis and folksonomies to create an environment which encourages scholarly reading and writing, and the social sharing of knowledge. www.biblipedia.net

Further research for ‘Academic Expectations of Critique and Argumentation: The Adaptation of Russian Immigrants to Israeli Universities / implications for international students at Bournemouth University’. Collaboration and networking with Israeli academics during a trip to Israel and presentation of a conference paper at the 13th International Learning Conference in Jamaica. There has been relatively little research into the cultural adaptation of students from traditionally collectivist societies needing to integrate into a Western style academic culture of critical debate and argumentation. This qualitative study will add new insights and understanding of the academic adaptation process, both for immigrants in Israel and for international students in the U.K. Access to potential interviewees has been arranged through the organisation Kehilat HaCarmel in Haifa, which runs programmes to help Russian immigrants to integrate into Israeli society.

Production of a prototype software tool which will support teaching and learning in our music and sound courses, allowing for the direct influence of movement on sonic events. In its initial stage, dance will provide the locus of activity. A sample lexicography of dance movement will be recorded by the mocap, and software will be devised to be used by composers, allowing for a correlation between movement and music/sound.

The research and writing of a contemporary case study incorporating issues and perspectives concerning corporate strategy, organisational behaviour and media marketing, aimed at students on the new MBA (Media) but also used on MA Broadcast & Film Management, and MA Corporate Communication. In providing a ‘real-life’, contemporary case study of the international and internal issues and challenges faced by one company (and the people within it), the case will act as a tool for students to learn how to devise effective and creative management strategies. The case study will be used within The Media School’s but also lodged, alongside those from leading international business schools, at the European Case Clearing House for use by other universities in their postgraduate teaching www.ecch.com.

The development of a web-based television resource outlining the factually-based TV drama work of Peter Kosminsky, a nationally renowned TV writer and director famous for making dramas about social issues. The aim of the production is to provide a comprehensive study of Kosminsky’s work, to examine his methods of developing factually-based TV drama, to examine his early influences and the context of modern TV drama, and to set these experiences within the context of current TV drama. The production will take the form of a master class, providing students with insights into the TV production methods of a key player in TV drama. It will also help students understand some of the influences which have helped shape modern TV drama.

An on-line collaboration between BA Computer Animation students and Sub- Saharan African independent animators to produce a 2D animated educational short. The model proposed is currently a pilot model, consisting of two Bournemouth University students, and two African counterparts who will use a specially designed website to allow the students to work long-distance, whilst providing them with on-line tutoring to guide them through the entire production process. The website will act as a meeting point for participants (through the use of Production Blogs, Forums and Web Messaging technology such as Skype, MSN, etc.,) as well as a site for learning (through on-line documentation, weekly production goals, and on-line tutoring). All participants will learn the use of a 2D Animation package (MoHo), which is not currently taught on the BA Computer Animation course, as well as the production processes involved in making an animated short from start to finish. A report will be produced on the benefits and drawbacks of web-based technology for distance learning, and production collaborations.

Production of an online interactive library of student work and reports from the Innovations Unit of the BA Computer Visualisation & Animation programme that can be easily updated by students and staff to include new material. Production of a software template that can be extended to other Computer Animation units to create further learning resources, making the NCCA Archive more effective. The nature of the Year 3 Innovations Unit of the BA Computer Visualisation & Animation programme means that students produce a wide range of work, including animations, software plug-ins, research reports, artwork, web-based documents, etc. Over a decade of student work from this unit has been kept and has in the past been made available to students who study on the unit, as a resource that they can build on and learn from. The collection currently exists in a variety of media which, as it has grown, has become potentially more valuable as a resource but has also grown increasingly unwieldy and disorganised.