Case Study: C & M Diploma - Haverstock School

Innovation in Work-Related Learning: Web Design, 'Working to a Brief'

Context

Point Blank and Camden EBP delivered a pilot programme for delivery of the Creative and Media diploma in Haverstock School. For this purpose we developed a unit in Web Design in conjunction with Jane Knight, the Head of Media at the school. It was based on the OCR specification for Creative and Media unit 4 ‘Responding to a Brief' (Level 2). It took place as 60 guided learning hours spread over 10 days - students attended from 9.00 - 4.00 with a one hour lunch break. The unit also functioned as a two week work experience unit for a group of current year 10s.

Description

A local business was sourced for whom the students could design and build a website. This was a local hair and beauty salon called Skevoulla. The students met with the salon and were given a brief by the client. They were then split into groups, roles given according to ability and set about the task of creating three separate websites, one per group. At the end of the course, the salon would decide the winner and then use the website for their shop. Each day, the students kept a log of the activities they had carried out, basically kept an activity diary. Templates for this purpose were provided. The media teacher and the Point Blank tutor, a web industry professional, showed the pupils how to use web design software, how to work together creatively, how to accept feedback positively, how to focus on the task at hand and much more. The idea was to expose the pupils to a real life work situation. The three teams experienced differing problems and successes (three team members were ‘sacked' due to causing problems and to show a ‘realistic' response in a real life situation. But the majority progressed and excelled themselves under the expert guidance available to them. Several students worked longer hours than expected and even dedicated days at the weekend to the task of completing their work on schedule.

The Monday after the course was finished, Point Blank, Camden EBP and Skevoulla provided judges and the young people presented their websites as groups to decide the winner. This was a further test of their abilities and one which illuminated still more success in the students' development. After two hours deliberation, the judges decided on the winning group and in the afternoon returned to name the winning team at the closing ceremony where other work based learning projects were also celebrated.

Outcomes

The students:

• Were able to produce an appropriate response to a given brief
• Took part in the production process using appropriate equipment, conventions and practices
• Presented an informed proposal to a client, in response to a brief and reflected on feedback
• Understood the needs of the clients and the brief
• Contextualised the brief within a commercial/professional environment.
• They went through a process of research, negotiation, development, reflection and refinement.
• They designed and made a website.
• The unit can also be used for the assessment of functional skills in English and ICT. The level break down for these is placed within the unit.
• The student portfolio log provided space for student self-reflection, and teacher assessment in terms of PLTS/Key skills/Principle learning.

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