The numbers of students opting for specialised courses in Media Studies and English Literature in the UK have been in decline for several years. How might we explain this, and how can we respond? Continue reading
Tag Archives: Media Studies
The strangulation of Media Studies
With only a couple of specifications awaiting final approval, the government’s reform of the examination system in England and Wales has now almost concluded. So where do the reforms leave Media Studies?
Self, self, self: representing the self in the age of social media
How should we understand the rise of the ‘selfie’? Is this just a manifestation of mass narcissism, or do these new forms of self-representation provide other social and cultural possibilities?
Learning media theory: what is it good for?
Why and how should media educators address ‘theory’ in the classroom? How do we learn – and use – theory? And what’s the point of learning theory anyway?
Teaching Media Studies: the travesty of theory
What’s wrong with the government’s attempt to impose a narrow, canonical approach to theory in Media Studies teaching.
Oh no! It’s an Oh My Vlog blog!
The world of young YouTube vloggers points to the limitations of optimistic claims about ‘digital creativity’.
Reading Rihanna: the burden of representation
Rihanna’s latest video, and the debate that it has provoked, raises some challenging questions about how we understand the concept of representation, and how we might teach about it.
The blanding of media literacy
Mapping and measuring media literacy
Policy-makers seem unduly preoccupied with measuring ‘levels’ of media literacy right now. Here’s a more constructive approach to defining and assessing media literacy, based on some in-depth research.
Examining Media Studies
The government is apparently ‘rationalising’ qualifications in secondary schools. What are the dangers and opportunities here for media teachers?
David Buckingham 