Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication

Purpose

The purpose of the Bachelor of Arts Honours in Visual Communication qualification is to teach learners through an inquisitive process of reflection on and engagement with the fusing of discourse and practice to yield well-rounded, articulate, and highly skilled creative professionals. The qualification, following a practice-based methodology, comprises both practical and theoretical components and is intended to provide qualifying learners with an opportunity to consolidate and deepen the learner's expertise of advanced knowledge, skills, and applied competencies within the scope of a selected area of specialisation. These areas stem from the fields addressed within the registered qualification, namely Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, Bachelor of Film Arts, and Bachelor of Creative Technologies, and the areas of specialisation included those within each qualification but may include any other specialisation that falls within the ambit of the wider field of Visual Communication. Learners are allowed to partake in research whereby pertinent questions and burning issues of local creative practice may be explored through a combination of theoretical and practical research investigations.

This postgraduate qualification is intended to prepare learners for research-based postgraduate study and, as such, focuses on foundational research methods, techniques, and outputs most relevant to Visual Communication and encourages learners to engage critically, evaluate, and review theoretical discourses that highlight contemporary issues relating to the discipline, with particular interest in the South African context. The qualification, therefore, requires learners to produce a research study that comprises both a practical and theoretical component and affords learners the opportunity to work closely under supervision. As such, the qualification enables learners to continue with further postgraduate qualifications in the field, and therefore, the qualifications' scholarly possibilities are broad.

This qualification is intended for learners aiming to advance their knowledge of and consolidate and improve his/her portfolio and skills in the fields related to Visual Communication, Creative Technologies, Film Arts, and the areas of specialisation included within those fields. The qualification impresses upon its learners the crucial role creative professionals and practitioners play in society and serves to instil a notion of lifelong learning within its learners to create local (and global) leaders in the creative field.

Rationale

This postgraduate qualification encourages learners to explore, through selected areas of specialisation, new approaches and solutions to creative practice-related problems and places a high premium on the adoption of new technology, techniques and solutions. The rapid pace at which advancement is made in local and international creative industries demands that individuals stay abreast of changes to adapt to such new demands and reinvent themselves continuously. To this end, the qualification is designed in ways that would increase critical thinking and conceptualisation skills in learners both in theoretical and practical contexts, whilst it places a strong emphasis on instructing learners in independent research methodologies, tools, and skills - to foster confident, self-directed creative professionals and practitioners able to contribute to local and global creative practice, research, and discourse.

The qualification's methodology is practice-based (research-led practice) and comprises both practical and theoretical components that are examinable. This qualification is intended for learners aiming to advance their knowledge in the subject specialisation(s) related to the fields of Visual Communication Design, Creative Technologies, Film Arts, or Animation Arts. The research-led approach means that learners spend time researching related Visual Communication discourses, which inform the development of a consolidated practical body of work.

This qualification is relevant to the learner wanting to

• Further their academic trajectory
• Gain independent research experience
• Develop their specialisation
• Expand their portfolio

Learners completing the qualification are ensured of comprehensive theoretical and practical skills, knowledge, and techniques coupled with exposure to research methodologies, tools, and practices.

The qualification benefits the specific needs in the sector in the following ways

Education sector: There is a gap of NQF 8 and higher-level qualified creative practitioners wanting to pursue an academic career path. This qualification provides an opportunity for practitioners wanting to enter an academic career path, whilst still ensuring a practical study focus.

Creative industry sector: Learning outcomes are described in terms of higher-order knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values relating to the fields of Visual Communication, Film and Animation Arts, and Creative Technologies, as the qualification is developed with the view of broadening learners' creative abilities to meet the requirements of the creative sector, which is both conceptually and technically demanding. Learners will be confident, professional individuals who can contribute to the growth of the South African creative industries.

Economy: Skills Development is an important part of responding to the Sector and Economy gaps when it comes to the creative industry. By establishing a postgraduate qualification that focuses on research, whilst also maintaining a strong focus on skills development within the visual communication fields, we align with the economy's stakeholder needs.

Career opportunities: The postgraduate course provides an opportunity for learners to develop their skills further for their intended career paths, opening further opportunities to enter the industry sector, but complementing the further development of skills gained within their undergraduate creative study qualification.

Recognition Of Prior Learning RPL)

RPL applies to informal or non-formal learning only. The institution caters to both RPL for admission and RPL for exemption. The same application form and process apply. The institution may recognise alternative forms of learning, through RPL, as meeting the formal minimum admission requirements and/or for the exemption from courses within a qualification.

RPL for exemption: A learner may receive an exemption for up to 50% of the institution qualification applied for. The learner will not receive credit for the exempted courses. The Academic Record will show the words 'exempted' against the courses for which the exemption was granted. The credits and marks will reflect against the courses the learner attended as a normal learner.

RPL for admission: A maximum of 10% of the cohort for any qualification may be admitted through RPL for admission.

Entry Requirements

The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is

• Advanced Diploma in Visual Communication Design, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication Design, NQF Level 7.

Or

• Bachelor of Arts in Communication Design, NQF Level 7.

This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualification Framework, Level 8, 120 Credits.

Compulsory Modules, NQF Level 8, 120 Credits.

• Research Methodologies, 10 Credits.
• Critical Discourses, 10 Credits.
• Creative Production, 60 Credits.
• Research Essay, 40 Credits.

1. Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate research methodology.
2. Understand the critical discourses related to the selected specialisation, and present provocative responses that interrogate and expand on their contextualisation in the theoretical and practical study.
3. Develop and execute a comprehensive research-led practical project in creative production.
4. Conduct a valid, independent research project in the context of the Honours qualification with a research-led practice approach.
5. Have the capacity to operate in variable contexts with responsibility, professional conduct, and self-direction.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1

• Articulate and delineate problems, issues, and questions arising in the field of Visual Communication with reference to South Africa and the African continent adequately. This is achieved by formulating a problem statement, which informs both the theoretical and visual responses through the development of the research proposal and practical proposal document.
• Indicate an adequate development of both a preliminary and final literature review that informs the critical evaluation of the field.
• Apply and utilise research methodologies and tools with fluency as part of collecting, organising, and articulating research findings, by generating and presenting an academic argument in a manner appropriate to the situation and audience.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2

• Discusses arts and their relevant sub-fields as a set of related systems by recognising that problem-solving contexts do not exist in isolation.
• Have a fundamental understanding of the relevant discourses investigated and be able to relate these to visual phenomena and to visual analyses.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3

• Identify and solve problems that emerge during the creative process, in which responses display that responsible decisions using critical and creative thinking have been made.
• Present and communicate academic and professional ideas and texts effectively whilst offering creative insights, rigorous interpretations, and solutions to problems and issues relating to their field of specialisation.
• Extract relevant knowledge gleaned from academic discourse, creative practice and social and/or cultural contexts to produce output that is emblematic of astute aesthetic competencies, critical and conceptual considerations and professional presentation.
• Develop a body of practical work that responds to the foregrounded research problem and engages with the research presented in the research paper.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4

• Identify and solve problems that emerge during the academic research and writing process and develop responses that convey responsible decision-making that utilises critical and creative thinking and argumentation.
• Write a critical research paper on a topic that is informed by scholarly discourse, creative practice, and social and/or cultural contexts that interrogates issues/concepts related to the creative field of practice.
• Articulate a well-considered and structured argument in the form of a research paper, adhering to the required format and components.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5

• Operate within a group through class participation, working with other professionals to produce his/her own work and manage themselves within a context of professionals, academics, and peers.
• Produce a poster/catalogue/preview/abbreviated overview/showreel/relevant peripheral element that serves to document, summarise, and/or preview their practical output within the relevant professional channels typical of the specialisation.

Integrated Assessment

The qualification is assessed based on integrated assessment principles whereby learning outcomes, which have a defined purpose including specific and critical cross-field outcomes, are assessed simultaneously. As such, a combination of formative (assessment during the process of learning and teaching) and summative (assessment based on judgement of achievement during the qualification at the end of the qualification) assessment facilitates evaluation within the context of this qualification.

Formative Assessment

The learner's ongoing competencies in all core and fundamental subjects that form part of this qualification are assessed during each term and support the teaching and learning process of learners.

The following formative assessment tools are employed in the qualification

• Practical assignments
• Oral reports and discussions
• Applied research assignments
• Practical exercises and demonstrations
• Short answer questions
• Tests and theoretical assignments
• Audio-visual presentations
• Critique sessions and feedback
• Academic research assignments
• Quizzes
• Feedback and informal assessment is conducted through periodic group presentations and/or critiques sessions as well as one-on-one critique sessions with supervisors.

Summative Assessment

Each term of this qualification comprises a measure of internal, summative assessment. In line with the rules of this qualification, the following fundamental subjects are assessed at the end of both term 1 and 2 (Semester 1). For learners to proceed to the research component of this qualification, all fundamental terms should be passed at the end of Semester 1.

These terms include the following

• Research Methodologies
• Critical Discourses

All research terms comprise the core of the qualification and these are measured both internally and externally through summative assessment measures at the end of the qualification to evaluate the learner's competency of the desired exit level outcomes. For the qualification to be awarded, learners have to pass both core terms at the end of Semester 2.

These terms include the following

• Creative Production
• Research Essay.