This is the programme's capstone module, a double weighted individual piece of work that provides an opportunity for you to consolidate and apply previous knowledge gained and skills acquired during your degree. It will be an opportunity to develop and express your creative self, demonstrated through the production of a major enquiry into and response to an issue experienced by people and organisations operating in the creative industries. The work will be theoretically informed and practically orientated and be relevant to the field of your degree; either Art Direction, Curation Exhibition and Events or Design Marketing.
On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
This is a largely independent, self-directed study process with guidance from the tutor provided through group workshops and individual sessions in the context of the studio. A formal proposal document process will be used to refine ideas, test practicality and ensure relevance to degree field. Students would make arrangements to access relevant resources/workshops/technical support as required. Prototyping and concept testing will provide feedback on the direction being taken and help set milestones for progression.
The module will make use of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Canvas for communication and dissemination of information between students and staff as well as making online learning materials available to all.
All courses based in the Kingston School of Art offer students free access to the online video tutorial platform Lynda.com. This provides a wide range of subjects to choose from, many with downloadable exercise files, including software tutorials covering photography, graphics, web design, audio and music, CAD and Microsoft Office software, as well as courses on business and management skills. Some of these are embedded in the curriculum and offer additional self-paced learning, others may be taken at will by students wishing to broaden their employability skills in other areas.
| Definitive UNISTATS Category | Indicative Description | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled learning and teaching | Tutor-led sessions and workshops | 100 |
| Guided independent study | Project | 500 |
| Total (number of credits x 10) | 600 | |
Assessment will be based on established criteria developed for the course.
The project proposal, documented via the blog will be a key milestone and provide opportunity for formative oral feedback.
It is expected that all projects will be based on some kind of making - the ratio of visual, written and presented (verbal) content will be dependent on the type of idea that the student has explored.
Students will choose one of two types of project which follow from this:
1. A Visual project - this will be a substantial practice-based visual outcome such as a film, website, VR experience, advertising campaign, exhibition or product prototype, and a 2000 word reflective blog post, critiquing and assessing the students own response to the project, which will be summatively assessed. This will be accompanied by a 20 min oral presentation on the project followed by 10 minutes Q&A, which will not be assessed.
Or
2. A Mixed media project - This will be made up of a written piece of max 6,000 words and accompanying multimedia/creative content that helps illustrate the visual aspect of their project, and a 2000 word reflective blog post, critiquing and assessing the students own response to the project.
This will be accompanied by a 10 min oral presentation on the project followed by 10 minutes Q&A, which will not be assessed.
Students will decide on which of these two formats their submission will take before undertaking any work, in discussion with their module leader, at the beginning of TB2.
The project will also include prototyping, concept testing and if desired by the student full design and production (e.g: making the film as opposed to storyboarding it, realizing the exhibition rather than just concepting it.) The decision to go beyond a concept or prototype into full-scale production will be decided during tutorials where the students' progress and ideas will be discussed at the beginning of TB2.
In each case the work will demonstrate evidence of problem definition, research, value proposition development and solution mapping, communicated primarily visually or written, depending on which outcome the student chooses.
A reflective blog will be kept by the student to record progress and reflections on progress, and a 2000 word post will be submitted as part of the summative assessment.
| Learning Outcome | Assessment Strategy |
|---|---|
| 1) Initiate and design a research based project into a current challenge | Project outcome and reflective blog |
| 2) Select appropriate knowledge and apply relevant technical and design skills to the creation of a solution/project | Project outcome and reflective blog |
| 3) Justify and evaluate ideas in light of the problem or brief | Project outcome and reflective blog |
| 4) Effectively communicate the value and required implementation steps of a solution/project | Project outcome and reflective blog |
| Description of Assessment | Definitive UNISTATS Categories | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Reflective blog (2,000 words) | Coursework | 25% |
| Project outcome | Coursework | 75% |
| Total (to equal 100%) | 100% | |
It IS NOT a requirement that any element of assessment is passed separately in order to achieve an overall pass for the module.
Works cited are for initial reference only. Reading will depend on the nature of the project and the subject of the enquiry.
Collins, H. (2010). Creative Research: The theory and practice of research for the creative industries. AVA: Lausanne.
Harrison, S. (2010). Idea Selling: Successfully Pitch Your Creative Ideas to Bosses, Clients & other Decision Makers. How Books: Cincinnati, Ohio.
Kara, H. (2015). Creative Research Methods in the Social Sciences: A Practical Guide. Policy Press: Bristol.
Mannay, D. (2015). Visual, Narrative and Creative Research Methods: Application, reflection and ethics. Routledge: London.
Ridley, D. (2008). The literature review: a step-by-step guide for students. London: Sage
Pears, R. & Shields, G. (2005). Cite them right: The Essential Guide to Referencing and Plagiarism. Newcastle upon Tyne: Pear Tree Books.