OUAN501 - Evaluation

I made a conscious decision at the beginning of the module to make sure I placed a lot of emphasis onto COP this year, as last year I felt I didn't do as well as I could of. My objective was to create a cohesive and complimentary pairing with both the essay and practical sides of the project. In doing this I made a conscious effort to improve my academic writing as much as I could, looking into good practice when phrasing an essay and presenting it in an academic way. I also tried to make sure small nuances such as the correct speech marks, (") or (') were used to make sure the essay was in the best way in terms of good practice in academic writing. I found the lecture and seminar program not only informative but also engaging. I discovered myself wanting to know more information about aspects of psychology such as Freudian theory and read the works of some of the philisophers that were discussed. In essence I think the combination of taking the extra step to learn about proper writing techniques and alternative learning methods will hopefully make other essays I write, and research I conduct a much more productive and beneficial process. The practical side of the module was another excercise in writing coupled with the sourcing of footage and presenting what I hoped would be an informative, entertaining and professional looking piece to accompany the essay I wrote. Through the practical I was able to demonstrate my research and understanding from a visual standpoint. I used a similar approach to the practical as last year, when I created somewhat of a video essay to expand on the topic that my essay compassed.

The context of practice module has been an unexpected learning curve this year, with attention being paid to academic studies and delving into areas that I didn't have much knowledge about. These include the media's influence, psychology of children and adolescents, major events in the past two decades and how to compose a strong argument in the form of an essay. I'm pleased with my choice in practical also, as I was able to put the research I did and what I had learnt to further use. I think the whole process of picking a research question to investigation and research and finally the writing of the essay has been an invaluable process and has undoubtedly given me good insight into how I learn. The question I chose had a variety of areas that it covered. Technology, society, psychology and culture were all angles that had to be considered at some stage during the process, which meant that I wasn't confined to one area and was able to argue a broad range of ideas because of this.

Overall this has been an incredibly insightful module. Looking at academic texts to writing them and a large amount of research has meant I've been able to learn a lot about various aspects of art and art history. But also aspects of psychology, sociology and philosophy. I've enjoyed the practical side of the module and creating a documentary. It meant I could write a script and combine narration with editing to create a piece that was both informative and entertaining. Finally, I think this module has given me a good basis for going into the context of practice 3 module with a better understanding of how to utilise resources, write a piece of academic text and create a complimentary practical piece to go with it.