Credit Points: 15
Study Time: 150 Hours

This unit focuses on critical and analytical understanding of the issues affecting contemporary practice in modelmaking. Use will be made of key late twentieth and twenty-first century theoretical developments in the understanding and analysis of visual culture. This unit gives you the opportunity to use the academic skills and understanding of your specialism acquired in the earlier Autumn Term unit (3 October 2011 - 9 December 2011), Thinking About Making.

Indicative Outline Syllabus

• Key critical theories and debates as relevant to your specialism 
• Referencing and reinterpreting the past 
• Notions of postmodernism 
• Decoding visual culture
• Interpreting reality

Method of Delivery
Lectures; seminars; tutorials; screenings; independent study.

Aims

A1 To develop further the core academic skills introduced during the preceding unit: Thinking About Making
A2 To extend and deepen your knowledge and understanding of historical constructs in relation to contemporary practice
A3 To examine key theoretical and contextual issues and debates
A4 To develop critical analysis and reflection

Learning Outcomes
On completion of this unit you will be able to:

LO1 Demonstrate your competence and confidence in research, essay writing and academic conventions.
LO2 Demonstrate your understanding of contemporary practice in relation to historical constructs.
LO3 Demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of critical theories and contextual issues in relation to contemporary practice.
LO4 Demonstrate your skills in critical analysis and reflection.

Reference Material

Key
Brink-Budgen, Roy van den (2000). Critical thinking for students - learn the skills of critical assessment and effective argument. Oxford: How to books.
Strinati, D. (2001). An introduction to theories of popular culture. London: Routledge.
Woods, Tim (1999). Beginning post modernism Manchester: Manchester University Press.

Recommended
Huyssen, A. (1986). After the great divide: modernism, mass culture, postmodernism. London: Macmillan
Best, S. & Kellner, D. (2001). The Postmodern adventure London: Routledge.