CoP Brief

Using your Context of Practice Blog:






Develop an online portfolio of critical responses to lectures, seminars, set tasks and independent research activities. Use your Context of Practice Blog to document and evidence your engagement with, and understanding of contextual, theoretical content, critical concepts and ideas that you have been introduced to during the course of the academic year.






Your Context of Practice Blog should include; lecture notes, seminars notes/responses to the outcomes of the seminar, completed short writing tasks in response to set tasks and activities. You should also write up and document (visually or otherwise) records of any trips to galleries, exhibitions or events and any other research activities relevant to the development of your critical understanding of Animation.











CRITICAL & CONTEXTUAL WRITING











Write a 3000 word essay in response to one of the set essay titles (see separate breakout sheet). The essay should be written academically and make use of appropriate language and conventions. Your essay should aim to:






Identify and select appropriate materials to your own interests that will allow you to critically analyse source materials.


A logical structure that has an introduction, a developed argument that is supported by appropriate references to at least four different academic sources and a conclusion.


A bibliography of at least 10 sources presented using the Harvard referencing system & the use of Harvard conventions within the main text of the essay when paraphrasing or quoting from other sources.


Background / Considerations


Writing is an important skill to develop as an undergraduate. It helps display your knowledge and understanding of your discipline and your ability to academically research.






The contextual studies portfolio builds on critical skills that you should be developing when taking notes in lectures and participating in seminars. The tasks you will be asked to do are designed to gradually get more complex and prepare you for study at level 5. The purpose of these tasks will eventually become clear when you are asked to produce a short essay, which will be based on one of the areas of contextual study that you have been introduced to. The essay will be the final component of your contextual studies portfolio and you will be assessed on the whole portfolio.