December mock exam: Learner Response blog tasks

 1) Type up any feedback on your paper (you don't need to write the mark and grade if you want to keep this confidential). If you only have marks and a grade on the paper, write a WWW/EBI yourself based on your scores. this is an unusual paper but the main thing to focus on is several questions here are stunning- top level or close to full marks! now we just need to make sure we can do that across every question

2) Use the mark scheme for this Paper 2 mock to read the answers AQA were looking for. First, write down a definition and example of non-diegetic sound (Q1.1 and 1.2).   

any example of dialogue from the extract such as ‘When Lyra says, “So you’re a kitchen boy then?”

• any example of other sounds that are created by or heard by the characters, such as the sound of Will putting the plate on the table.

3) Next, identify three points you could have made in Q1.3 - camerawork and the extract. Look for the indicative content in the mark scheme - these are the suggested answers from AQA.

• Will’s suggestion that they work together is made while Lyra is shown in a mediumclose-up over-the-shoulder shot. This allows the audience to see her reaction – as light smile that suggests she is in favour of the suggestion and grateful to have an ally after a lot of time alone.

• As Lyra walks into the house, the camera moves backwards with her – a faster-paced dolly shot to signal to the audience that things are changing, the relationship is moving on. Will is left out of focus and trying to keep up – once again communicating to the audience the power imbalance in Lyra’s favour.

• The opening shot in the extract focuses on the omelette in Will’s hand – almost a close-up – with handheld camera movement following the plate to the table. This focus on the food Will has cooked seems to establish him as the less dominant person in the relationship. The medium shot of Lyra suspiciously looking at the food reinforces this power imbalance in their relationship.

4) Now look at Q1.4 in the mark scheme - pick out two points from the mark scheme that you could have included in your answer.(11/12, so i only gave one point)

• Will’s expression and body language is very timid which subverts masculine stereotypes. In contrast, Lyra’s movements and expressions exude confidence. This can be seen in the extract both outside at the table and later when discussing which beds they will take.

5) Focus on Q2 - the 20-mark essay on representations of age and social and cultural contexts. Pick out three points from the mark scheme that you didn't include in your answer. (didnt do the Q)

• Although the idea of ‘teenage’ was not new, teenagers as a distinct category

developed rapidly in the post-war years and was well established by 1963. The idea

of the ‘generation gap’ as a social issue was still new and much-discussed.

• Media representations of teens/young adults usually identify this group by their

attitudes, behaviour, language, clothing and music. There are many negative

stereotypes of teenagers in television drama in which characteristics such as

laziness, anti-social behaviour, inability to concentrate and self-indulgence are

portrayed as ‘typical’.

• There are also positive representations of teens in which attributes such as freedom,

independence, creativity and social awareness are likely to be emphasised. Some

frequently represented characteristics of teenagers may be seen as positive by

younger audiences but as negative by older audiences. These include

rebelliousness, openness to change, liberal values on matters such as sexuality and

a much stronger commitment to friendship groups than to family or country.

• Dominant cultural values of the early 1960s placed a strong emphasis on ‘tradition’.

This meant that there was an expectation that young people would conform to social

norms and show obedience, deference and respect to figures of authority including

parents and teachers. Media representations which challenged or subverted these

cultural codes would have been shocking to a 1963 television audience.

• A notable difference between the two CSPs can be found in the approaches to

diversity. There is no evidence of diversity at all in DW (unless you count the

presence of aliens). The teens and younger characters in HDM are drawn from a

more diverse background with Will being mixed race.

• Susan is a stereotypical loner. Although she claims to like the school, she is not

seen to engage with other pupils and they laugh at her mistakes (eg re decimal

currency).

• As with many modern representations of teenagers, HDM suggests stronger ties to

friends than to families. Lyra’s attitude towards her friends in contrast to her mother

Mrs Coulter is a good example of this. Older characters are viewed with suspicion.

• The use of spectres in HDM also drives a strong dividing line between younger

characters and adults – with the two girls that Will and Lyra run into saying ‘We’re

OK on our own, aren’t we’.

• Susan is clearly in touch with popular culture. As a stereotypical teenager, she is

engrossed in pop music on her radio and her modern clothes differentiate her from

the teachers. In spite of her intellectual superiority, she is polite and deferential to

her teachers. She is not afraid, though, to challenge her ‘grandfather’, the Doctor, in

order to defend Barbara and Ian.

6) Turning your attention to Section B, write a definition and example of user-generated content - use the mark scheme to check it. • material created by those whose main role is as users of media such as newspapers, television,

radio, magazines, the internet or web or online systems

• material contributed to media or posted on websites by non-professionals

• material contributed to newspapers or news websites by citizen journalists.

7) Look at Q4 - the 20-mark essay on the power of influencers. Pick out three points from the mark scheme that you didn't include in your own answer. • Even Marcus Rashford is not immune to criticism however. He has been accused of being

too political and fans and critics have told him to ‘stick to football’. His recent website

rebrand put a much bigger emphasis on his football career with a homepage dominated by

animated GIFs of his notable goals and football achievements. The reduction in content that

focused on his fashion shoots, celebrity lifestyle or volunteering suggests that celebrities are

not all-powerful and are still subject to public opinion and criticism.

• Some media theorists have suggested that in the digital age it is audiences that have the

power rather than companies, industries or traditional celebrities. Social media and

YouTube levels the playing field and gives ordinary people the chance to create and share

content. This would suggest that celebrities and influencers do not have more power than

ever before and in fact the internet is a democratising force giving power to normal people.

8) Now look at Q5 - the 20-mark essay on regulation and the internet. Again, pick out three points from the mark scheme that you didn't include in your own answer. • an unregulated internet preserves the freedom of speech in a medium to which almost half the

world’s population has access

• it is difficult or impossible for national governments to regulate a global industry

• platform providers (eg Alphabet, Facebook) argue that they cannot be held fully responsible for

everything that users upload – they have been increasingly successful in devising automated

systems to detect and take down inappropriate or unlawful material

• internet and social media providers have responded to criticism by setting up their own codes of

conduct and self-regulatory practices

• education is more important than regulation, children need to be taught how to use social media

and the internet safely in order to benefit from the huge advantages

• if regulations become more severe, the opportunities for self-expression, personal creativity and

the ability to explore and perform identities would be harmed – users would be fearful of prison,

fines or other forms of retribution

• open access to the internet and the freedom to express opinions and challenge those of others

have become essential to a functioning pluralist democracy

• in the UK, many laws already apply to the internet, eg defamation (libel), copyright laws,

incitement to terrorism and so on

• in the UK, the main Internet Service Providers (including BT and Virgin Media) have agreed to

government demands that a number of categories of website should be blocked by default (though

in some cases customers can opt in to this material) – categories include dating, drugs, alcohol and

tobacco, drugs, suicide, self-harm, gambling, file-sharing and weapons.

• The video game industry makes a significant economic contribution which could be curtailed if

tighter regulations and controls were introduced.

There is no expectation that the responses will be entirely balanced. If a student constructs a clear

argument on either side of this debate, showing astute knowledge and understanding using the

9) On a scale of 1-10 (1 = low, 10 = high), how much revision and preparation did you do for your Media mock exam? Be honest here - it's a good chance to think about how to approach the next set of mock exams. 6

10) List three key things you want to revise before the next mock exams in February (e.g. particular CSPs, terminology, exam technique etc.) 

timing 

key words

content