Unit 2732 Explained
The exam
For OCR’s Audience and Institutions unit (2732) you are required to answer a series of questions on New Media Technologies. The exam is one hour long and can be seen as two halves:
- In the first half there are a series of questions arising from a passage of text. These questions begin by requiring shorter answers then develop to ask broader questions.
- The second half is an essay style question that requires you to apply findings from your case study to a given topic. You have a choice of two questions in this half, usually one based around audience and the other around institutions.
The areas to research
You need a general awareness of all new media technologies. One of these should later be researched in more detail to provide you with a case study (see below). A selection of the technologies are:
- Digital interactive TV
- DVD and home cinema
- Music and the internet
- Mobile phones (careful with this one)
- IMAX and digital cinema
- CGI
- Games consoles and online gaming
Your case study
To prepare for your exam you need to focus on one of the areas outlined above. This will require you to be active in researching. Using a blog to organise your material is highly recommended. In general you need to find information and statistics under five headings (although there are some overlaps between these):
- Technology. Although you’re not doing an IT or electronics exam, you need to know what the technology allows. For example, it is enough if you understand that MP3s are computer files that contain audio in a compressed format (the computer file will end with .mp3). This means it is more easily transportable across the internet or it takes up less space on a portable player. Most important is that you understand what the technology allows audiences and institutions to do that they couldn’t before.
- Institutions. This isn’t just about gathering a list of companies who produce electronic products. You need to find evidence of new media technologies allowing institutions to work in new ways, reach their audience in new ways, make a greater profit and so on.
- Audience. What are audiences doing with their new media technologies? How are traditional experiences of the media changing? What are audiences not doing so they can spend more time interacting with new media technologies?
- Issues. Does the new media technology encourage illegal activity, or increased spending, or harm children? Will shops close or people lose jobs as a result of the new media technology?
- The future. If the technology is extended, what could happen? For example, if films and extras are available as high definition downloads via very fast broadband, does the Blu-Ray / HD-DVD debate really matter?
