Keele Badge

MDS-10047 - Module Specification
School of Humanities and Social Sciences
Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

For academic year: 2025/26 Last Updated: 04 December 2025

MDS-10047 - Visual Representation
Coordinator: Mandy Mcateer Tel: +44 1782 7 33499
Lecture Time: See Timetable...
Level: Level 4
Credits: 30
Study Hours: 300
School Office:

Programme/Approved Electives for 2025/26

None

Available as a Free Standing Elective

No

Co-requisites

None

Prerequisites

No

Barred Combinations

No

Description for 2025/26

This module builds your knowledge of how meaning is constructed, communicated, and interpreted in visual and other media texts, from advertising to news and social media. You will learn to conceptualise and analyse the power of media texts, applying ‘ways of seeing’ to your own thinking about how to be a responsible and reflective image producer. This module provides your transition to university by introducing foundational independent study skills and the use of professional software that you will use throughout your degree.

Aims
This module aims to give students an introduction to contemporary visual image production and theoretical debates surrounding visual and wider forms of representation. At a skills level, the students will develop study skills as well as being introduced to industry standard software.

Intended Learning Outcomes

Explain how meaning is constructed, communicated, and interpreted in media texts.: 1,2
Identify forms of representation and processes of visual image production: 2
Describe the historical context of how forms of representation have come into being with reference to social, cultural, and technological contexts and change: 1
Discuss the roles of communication systems, modes of representations and systems of meaning in the ordering of societies: 1
Reflect upon their own creative processes and practice: 2

Study hours

48 contact hours 2 x 2 hour workshops for 12 weeks 1 workshop will be content delivery and discussion, the other research tasks/activities
120 hours assessment preparation
132 hours lab work/independent study

School Rules

None

Description of Module Assessment

1: Exercise weighted 40%
Media Analysis
Students do a critical analysis of a media text, this might be a newspaper image (with text) or a still image advertisement using appropriate theory and concepts with referencing (1500 words)

2: Assignment weighted 60%
Photographic Montage and workbook
Photomontage project using multiple images and creative workbook that provides a reflective practice of the students' own work and working methodology (1000 words plus images of max 20 pages). The photomontage is equivalent to 1000 words work.

The University undertakes a continuous review of its teaching and research provision to ensure programmes are of a high quality and changes may be made to modules where it is necessary and reasonable to do so. Please be aware that minor changes to modules, such as a change to an individual assessment, can occur up until enrolment, although we endeavour to give you as much notice as possible of any changes. Details about the circumstance in which changes are made to programmes can be found in the Student Agreement, available at: https://www.keele.ac.uk/legalgovernancecompliance/governance/actcharterstatutesordinancesandregulations/studenttermsconditions/

Last Updated: 04 December 2025