iMedia Level 1

What will I study at Key stage 4?

There is one mandatory unit and 6 other units, of which two must be studied to complete the course, which is equivalent to one full GCSE

Unit 1: Exploring the Digital World of Media

In this unit you will develop a solid foundation of awareness of the digital world. The digital world covers hardware and peripheral devices used within Media to generate images, sound, video, etc. The unit then allows candidates to explore the facilities of the internet such as internet shopping and browsing, availability of information, messenger services, downloads, discussion forums and mobile technology.

Unit 2: Introduction to Web Publishing

In this unit you will develop the skills necessary to use appropriate software to create, add content and publish a website.

Unit 3: Digital Animation

In this unit will develop the skills necessary to use digital animation program to create simple animation that is suitable for integration into digital pages.

Unit 4: Introduction to Digital Imaging

In this unit you will develop an understanding of capturing, upload, editing of appropriate digital images to a computer using some form of digital camera.

Unit 5: Digital Sound & Video

Candidates will plan a digital video sequence and generate material with sound. The sample material will then be edited using basic editing techniques to produce a rough draft.

Unit 6: Interactive Media Presentations

In this unit you will use multimedia technologies, applications and design processes and creatively design, prepare a presentation and integrate multimedia elements and review the multimedia product.

Unit 7: Design & Test Computer Games

In this unit you will learn the importance of a well structured game, identifying components that

represent an effective game, and review existing commercially produced games against the criteria and create basic concepts for a new game.

What assessments will I do?

Each unit has a number of assignments, which you are required to complete to produce a portfolio of evidence. There is no exam for this particular course it is entirely coursework based. However, it must be noted that it requires students to work consistently across the two years of the course, leaving work until the end is not a successful strategy!

Why should I do ICT?

The course provides the essential ICT based skills required to support your work at school and for the future. All students need to be ICT competent for life and work in the 21st century.

What courses or employment can I progress to at the end of my course?

Students gaining an OCR Certificate iMedia will have access to a range of career and further education opportunities such as web design, graphic art, multimedia production, flash animation, 3D animation, sound design and editing, special effects, video production, logo/titles design, desktop publishing, games design, storyboarding.

If you wish to continue studying iMedia, you may consider an level 2 in iMedia, or one of the related BTEC National course such as ICT Practitioner. There are a large variety of higher education courses that are based around digital media and ICT.

Alternatively, an OCR Certificate iMedia is an ideal qualification if you wish to go straight into employment, because digital media is a key part of business and industry today. Some areas of employment have further learning opportunities within them, for example a Modern Apprenticeship.