Students

MMCC8038 – The Art of Recording

2021 – Session 2, Special circumstances

Session 2 Learning and Teaching Update

The decision has been made to conduct study online for the remainder of Session 2 for all units WITHOUT mandatory on-campus learning activities. Exams for Session 2 will also be online where possible to do so.

This is due to the extension of the lockdown orders and to provide certainty around arrangements for the remainder of Session 2. We hope to return to campus beyond Session 2 as soon as it is safe and appropriate to do so.

Some classes/teaching activities cannot be moved online and must be taught on campus. You should already know if you are in one of these classes/teaching activities and your unit convenor will provide you with more information via iLearn. If you want to confirm, see the list of units with mandatory on-campus classes/teaching activities.

Visit the MQ COVID-19 information page for more detail.

General Information

Download as PDF
Unit convenor and teaching staff Unit convenor and teaching staff Convenor
Denis Crowdy
denis.crowdy@mq.edu.au
Contact via Email
Y3A 193G
Fridays 9am-10am, and by appointment (email or iLearn dialogue)
Credit points Credit points
10
Prerequisites Prerequisites
Admission to MCrInd or MMediaComm
Corequisites Corequisites
Co-badged status Co-badged status
Unit description Unit description

This unit examines recorded sound and its relation to society. Areas of investigation include changes in technology and cultural context, expectations of fidelity, remote and field recording issues and practice, production values, media and distribution, recording ethics and relevant legal issues.

Important Academic Dates

Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:

  • ULO1: evaluate the history of recorded sound and technology.
  • ULO2: analyse scholarship on recording and its relationship to society.
  • ULO3: investigate changes in technology use in the field of sound recording.
  • ULO4: implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.
  • ULO5: synthesize recording strategies to explore relationships between sound and society.

General Assessment Information

    Please note that the University and the Faculty of Arts have launched a new assessment policy effective as of 1 July 2021. This new policy particularly affects LATE SUBMISSION OF ASSIGNMENTS. 

    The Faculty policy in relation to late assessment submissions is as follows: 

    Unless a Special Consideration request has been submitted and approved, (a) a penalty for lateness will apply – 10 marks out of 100 credit will be deducted per day for assignments submitted after the due date – and (b) no assignment will be accepted seven days (incl. weekends) after the original submission deadline. No late submissions will be accepted for timed assessments – e.g. quizzes, online tests, etc. 

    To be very clear:

        Unless you have applied for special consideration and had your application approved, for each day your assignment is late, 10 marks will be deducted. For example, if you submit your assignment 7 days late, 70 marks will be deducted, which means you will fail that assignment.         If your assignment is more than 7 days late (including weekends), you will get 0 for your assignment.

    These are serious penalties that will substantially alter your final grade and even determine whether you pass or fail this unit. Please make every effort to submit your assignment by the due date.

    If you find you cannot submit your assignment on time, please apply for Special Consideration through AskMQ. Make sure you read Macquarie University's policy regarding Special Consideration requests before you apply: 

    https://students.mq.edu.au/study/assessment-exams/special-consideration  

Assessment Tasks

Name Weighting Hurdle Due
Reading summaries 35% No 23:59 13/8/2021; 23:59 10/9/2021; 23:59 8/10/2021
Exegesis 25% No 23:59 5/11/2021
Production portfolio 25% No 23:59 27/9/2021; 23:59 5/11/2021
Personal recording environment setup 15% No 23:59 27/8/2021

Reading summaries

Assessment Type 1: Summary
Indicative Time on Task 2: 30 hours
Due: 23:59 13/8/2021; 23:59 10/9/2021; 23:59 8/10/2021
Weighting: 35%

 

A series of readings are presented throughout the course, and students are to write critical summaries of a selection of these readings. These will be assessed starting in week 3 on an ongoing basis.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the history of recorded sound and technology.
  • analyse scholarship on recording and its relationship to society.

Exegesis

Assessment Type 1: Report
Indicative Time on Task 2: 25 hours
Due: 23:59 5/11/2021
Weighting: 25%

 

Students will submit a report which describes their production research and clearly outlines how they have translated that research into practice to inform their approach to producing the recordings. This report should include critical analyses of the 3 case studies used as models, a description of the recording process undertaken (with technical details), and a reflection on the strengths and weaknesses of the final result. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • evaluate the history of recorded sound and technology.
  • analyse scholarship on recording and its relationship to society.
  • investigate changes in technology use in the field of sound recording.
  • implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.

Production portfolio

Assessment Type 1: Portfolio
Indicative Time on Task 2: 37 hours
Due: 23:59 27/9/2021; 23:59 5/11/2021
Weighting: 25%

 

A final recorded portfolio containing completed recorded works based on production research. Submission via iLearn. Final stereo mixdowns are to be uploaded to iLearn. Refer to iLearn for further information.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.
  • synthesize recording strategies to explore relationships between sound and society.

Personal recording environment setup

Assessment Type 1: Practice-based task
Indicative Time on Task 2: 10 hours
Due: 23:59 27/8/2021
Weighting: 15%

 

Establish a simple but effective and practical home recording or portable solution based on the advice and information presented in the first three weeks. Document this process, and complete a series of guided recorded tasks.

 
On successful completion you will be able to:
  • investigate changes in technology use in the field of sound recording.
  • implement essential production skills to accompany theoretical exploration.

1 If you need help with your assignment, please contact:

  • the academic teaching staff in your unit for guidance in understanding or completing this type of assessment
  • the Writing Centre for academic skills support.

2 Indicative time-on-task is an estimate of the time required for completion of the assessment task and is subject to individual variation

Delivery and Resources

Workshops start in week 1.

Refer to the iLearn site for the most up to date information.

Policies and Procedures

Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:

Students seeking more policy resources can visit Student Policies (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/policies). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.

To find other policies relating to Teaching and Learning, visit Policy Central (https://policies.mq.edu.au) and use the search tool.

Student Code of Conduct

Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/admin/other-resources/student-conduct

Results

Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

Student Support

Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/

Learning Skills

Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.

The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources. 

Student Services and Support

Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.

Student Enquiries

For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au

If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au

IT Help

For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/. 

When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.

Unit information based on version 2021.02 of the Handbook