FAQs for the Creative iMedia unit R094 assignment
06 July 2023
Debbie Williams, Computer Science, IT and Creative iMedia Subject Advisor
We have received a high number of queries into our customer support centre recently around what students are expected to produce for the R094 assignment for our Cambridge National in Creative iMedia, and how to assess their work.
This blog aims to provide answers to these frequently asked questions. If you have any further queries, please contact us at support@ocr.org.uk.
Philosophy of the assignments
The philosophy of our new Cambridge National NEA tasks is to encourage students to develop different solutions to meet the client needs. This leads to students’ work that is individual and allows them to show their creativity and skills.
We try to create assignments that give students choices in the way they approach the tasks, the tools they use and the products they choose to make to meet the client requirements.
You need to ensure you have taught all of the content for R094 and some aspects of R093 in the specification (Teach Cambridge login required) before giving students their assignment. It is also important that they understand how they are going to be assessed and the requirements of the set assignment before they begin.
Students need to interpret the client brief independently and use what they have learnt to produce what they think is required. What they create is up to them. If their products meet the needs of their interpretation of the client brief and the needs of the target audience, then it is likely that what they produce will support marks.
You can then assess their work using the marking criteria and apply positive marking, crediting marks for what they have produced. This will look different for each student and these differences should be celebrated. We want to see the student’s interpretation of the tasks not the teacher’s.
If some students are entitled to reasonable adjustments, or need additional support, it may be that you direct them to produce certain visual identities or products either as a class or individually. Any additional support you give individual students should be noted on the unit recording sheet (URS).
If students haven’t produced the necessary evidence to meet the criteria, remember that they have a chance to reattempt their work after receiving general feedback from you. There’s more information about this on page 120 of the specification.
Frequently-asked questions
Is the visual identity for the company or the product?
In line with our philosophy, students can interpret the client brief and therefore may produce a visual identity for the company or the product. What is important is that whichever they choose, they justify how their visual identity is fit for purpose. It may help students to have a copy of page 26 of the specification (1.1 purpose, elements and design of visual identity) to support them with this justification.
Does it matter if the final visual identity doesn’t fully match the concept sketch or the final product doesn’t match the visualisation diagram?
No. You assess the planning in strand 1 and the creating in strand 2 independently of each other. Students may make some changes to their design as part of the creation process which is acceptable and wouldn’t impact on marks. You could note on the URS why the student deviated so much from the plan if you think it would support the moderator to be aware of this.
What are the layout conventions of products?
In the specification on page 27 it lists the teaching content for layout conventions for different graphic products and purposes, covering:
- additional information
- headlines and copy
- image content
- titles and mastheads.
Your teaching needs to cover these elements, which of them would be expected to be found on different products and where typically they should be located.
What is a level loading screen?
A loading screen is a digital graphical display shown by a computer program or game while the program is loading.
You must ensure that students are familiar with the requirements of the set assignment, including what a level loading screen is, before students start work on the assessment. Good practice for teaching this unit would be to share examples of all the products listed in the exemplification on page 27 of the specification so students are familiar with different products and their conventions.
There are lots of examples of loading screens available online that you can use to inform your teaching. I particularly like the Age of Empires III loading screen but the game is PEGI 16 so you need to consider whether it is appropriate for you to use in your classroom with your students.
What is a graphic product for print?
The scenario gives this information. It is worth getting students to read this carefully and highlight important information before they start their planning. So long as they meet their interpretation of the client requirements outlined in the scenario and set the properties correctly for print then you can credit marks.
Students need to demonstrate and evidence the digital graphics skills they have acquired and used to produce their product. Page 29 of the specification lists the tools and techniques of imaging editing software used to create digital graphics that they may wish to evidence. Again, it is worth students having a copy of this to remind them of the tools and techniques they could choose to screenshot.
They do not need to produce a step-by-step guide on how they created the visual identity or product. There is also no need for multiple screenshots of using the same tools on different assets. There does need to be clear evidence of the tools and techniques used to accompany the final product evidence.
For task 2, how many graphics do the students need to create? Are the students required/expected/allowed to then make changes to the original printed graphic in any way to produce the digital graphic?
It is up to the student to decide how to approach task 2. The approach they choose should be informed by the teaching and learning. They could simply resize and export the first product produced or they might repurpose the assets they used (and maybe use more) to create the second product. As long as there are two products (one for print and one for digital) exported appropriately to meet the client requirements either of the approaches will be acceptable. Both methods attract marks as they would meet the client requirements and demonstrate skills in digital graphics creation.
Do students need to explain their exported file choice?
For strand 2a and 2d mark band three, students need to evidence that the properties and format(s) are clearly appropriate. When marking these strands, you need to check that the student has submitted the files with the correct size, resolution and format. If the files are present and correct, then they can be credited marks within MB3 without needing screenshots or an explanation of their choices. If the student has only provided screenshots without the files, then this shouldn’t be given marks as the products are the key evidence to support marks in these strands.
Stay connected
If you have any questions, you can email us at ocr.vqit@ocr.org.uk, call us on 01223 553998 or tweet us @OCR_ICT. You can also sign up to receive subject updates information about resources and support.
About the author
Debbie joined the computing team in September 2022, bringing her knowledge as a teacher and subject leader for IT, Computing and Creative Media. She has over 20 years’ experience of education working in various settings including state schools, private specialist provision, local authority, and as a marker and moderator for exam boards. She has a degree in Technology Management, a PGCE and a Masters in Teaching and Learning.
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