This is an early assessment task using portable audio equipment and audio editing software. This assignment is designed to be prepared in stages. It is recorded in a team of two; however you will receive individual marks for your final individually-edited voxpop which each student will make and submit.

A voxpop is a montage of voices where people interviewed answer short question/s on a topic, usually something of interest to general audiences for radio or podcasts.

STAGE 1: requires you to record your vox pop using a portable digital recorder, and going 'into the field' (in pairs), and taking turns to ask a max of one or two questions on your topic (with limited follow up questions only). Then after recording these interviews in the field, you will move to Stage 2.

STAGE 2: after a technical demonstration of editing in class you will be required to edit your vox pop interviews together as a lively and engaging montage using audio software provided on the Digital Audio Workstations (DAWS).

This combined task requires that you show aptitude for simple media interviewing and working in a team, while also showing suitable respect for the public in the process. This task requires a basic level of competence with digital recording, digital audio editing software, data transfer and management, and developing skills in editing techniques and journalistic interviewing using portable recorder and microphone.

Details: Your vox pop should be edited to approximately 2 minutes, and a final copy transferred to the designated lab workstation folder. A word document containing a brief reflection (600 words) on the assignment should be submitted to Turnitin via iLearn. This document should include: your name and partner you worked with, your core topic question, details of where you recorded, the number of total interviewees recorded and some detail or a brief profile of these - gender, approximate age/generation, apparent ethnic background/NESB or other of relevance to your topic. Comment briefly on your experience in the field – what you learnt and how you worked in your team, i.e what did you contribute?

Your mark for this task will be determined individually although the interview question/topic, questions asked and technical sound quality of recordings you made together in your pair will be given a mark of 40% of the total and as long as both members of the pair participated this mark will be the same for both students. 60% of the total mark will be individually allocated, being for how you presented and edited your final individual vox pop, and reflected on this assignment in your written reflection. It should be apparent in your audio work and reflection that you are listening and engaging with the unit content and lecture materials, especially to have gained an understanding of the vox pop form. Examples are played in lectures and workshops, and will be available to students for listening out of class as homework.

Assessment Criteria

• Quality of journalistic or creative outcomes based on knowledge of the form: clarity and effectiveness of the chosen topic for this form, with a diversity of interviewees and answers appropriate to the topic.

• Skills in capturing, selecting, and combining voice elements as a montage.

• Technical proficiency with regards to sound levels and editing (assessed to basic podcast/broadcast standard)

• Clear reflection which draws on the process and experience you had (recording, editing), and your understanding of the task and the vox pop form (drawn from real examples you have heard in class or on podcast or radio). How you worked to help each other in your team to produce the recording to deadline, and share the interviewing/recording roles.

NB: The weighting for the technical part of this assessment task is relatively low for this first exercise: equipment failures will not be penalised as long as you gave yourself enough time to book out another recorder and you informed Peter Ring or tutor of the problem.

Submission

Audio must be placed in a NEXUS assignment folder in the labs by, or during, the tutorial in Week 5 and all work submitted by the due date. Reflection must be submitted to Turnitin in iLearn. You will be shown how to operate the NEXUS file management system prior to submission.

For this assignment you will complete a studio-based voice/script exercise (Week 7). You will present a short script or commentary you will write on a topic (see iLearn or your tutor) and perform this as if for the radio or a podcast in class in the studio. The tutor will assist you in your voice performance and direct you while in class. Technical operation will be performed by Peter Ring and this is not assessed here. The radio/podcast script should be written by you and set out in written form to assist your reading/performance for the microphone. The topic may relate to the proposed podcast theme for the podcast show you will later create, as long as that theme has been chosen. Prepare individually. Audio assessed either in studio or as recorded file. Peter Ring will record and provide file to tutor. Written work should be submitted to Turnitin by September 13 also (accessible on iLearn). NB: You can edit your written script before submission if you decide it could be improved, or you found you made mistakes in your class performance and corrected these, but please indicate where you have changed the script if you decide to do this.

Assessment Note: This exercise will be judged on the content/writing of final submitted script (10%) and on your voice presentation in class in the studio as recorded (10%): how engaging they are – choice of the subject/content and (if applicable) pertinence to the podcast theme.

Duration: Maximum 3 mins (See iLearn for exact duration as this sometimes may differ slightly).

Assessment Criteria

• quality/interest of the idea/content
• authority, originality, fluency and creativity of your script
• how your voice works here to focus, entertain or engage a listener.
• some research is likely to be important for this exercise and will be demonstrated in your script. Have you researched your topic to be sure you are accurate, authoritative, or the content/argument etc is based on appropriate expertise? What focus have you chosen and how do you guide the listener along? What details have you discovered that you can include in your script to make your commentary interesting, memorable? A few (but not too many) engaging points will bring your topic to life while maintaining clarity. Tips: be visual, use images, or evoke through engaging choice of words or use other senses in your descriptions. Conjure images through your choice of words to engage the listener's imagination.
• Developing technical proficiency in using your voice for radio/podcast and extending this for media performance.

For this assignment, you will build up a short 'feature story' in sound to be used later (if meeting technical quality standard) as one part of the podcast you have a role in creating. Length is variable depending on if you are working in a pair, or individually (see below).

The Task: research, record/write and produce a short radio 'feature' that may include one or more interviews, voices, script, or other sound (music, effects, original actuality recordings).

NB: The topic for this radio feature will be previewed with class peers and academic staff (in class/pitch) and will relate to the end of semester podcast team project to be compiled in small groups in each tutorial class.

Steps: You first must choose a story or angle to explore and submit a pitch and synopsis to your tutor by Week 7 Tutes. Once approved, after discussion in class or online with your tutor (iLearn), you can begin planning, and then book out the equipment you need to make your recordings. You can use interviews, your own commentary written and voiced by you, or write material for someone else to perform. You now can use music carefully for mood, emphasis, energy, to entertain or just to assist and help propel the narrative and engage your listener. You may wish to use sound 'sound effects' (SFX) or actuality you record in the field. This can enhance the content and experience of listening: the main thing is to try to give life through music or actuality, SFX to your story or topic.  Scripts and voice commentary are used to guide your listener through the story or topic, but can be used sparingly.

Primary source material can be recorded in the radio studio and/or in the field with portable recorders then edited and mixed in the labs (DAWS).

Studio: Peter Ring will advise booking procedure and be available if you require technical assistance.

Field: Portable recording kits may be booked out from the department. Please see Peter Ring.

This assignment requires you to demonstrate competence with story selection, microphone technique, interviewing, recording, editing, and mixing and thinking in terms of sound. It involves being as creative or as factual as you like while remaining clearly focused. In this assignment you will explore how to tell a radio/podcast story and sustain interest using music, SFX, ‘actuality’, interviews/reportage and voice commentaries. The feature is designed to be suitable for the podcast shows we will make, but is modelled on real podcasts available online or via podcast apps etc. It also relates to forms common to radio/audio broadcast particularly on community and public service radio outlets in Australia and elsewhere.  Examples to help you will be provided in class or on iLearn.

Assessment Criteria: Programs will be judged on the level of technical skills demonstrated (ideally these should aim to be broadcast quality now), & as to their creative/journalistic application to the content and presentation of the subject as rendered in sound. The content and presentation will be assessed with a higher weighting than for the technical aspects.

Team work or individual submission: Students can work individually, or in pairs if they choose to do so. If in pairs (advised), content length is then 8 to max 14 minutes, and should show content produced by both students in the pair. Also note if working in a pair, 50% of the mark will be determined individually: the Reflection here should clearly indicate the roles you took, and the content (eg, interview, script) you provided, and the workload. Here each student should still submit their own pitch pertaining to the assignment idea/topic.

If working individually (consult with your tutor first), the max duration for the feature will be 7 minutes and not less than 5 minutes, and will obviously have less content. Also if working individually, it is still a good idea to team up with another member of your podcast group to assist each other: eg for some feedback. If you are working alone, you could also help another student in your podcast group in the field recordings, or through providing a voice to your team member's production, eg reading their script to correct small errors. Please mention this 'team contribution' in your Reflection. See Reflection.

Comments on Assessment: To pass, students should have a achieved a minimum level of attainment in the technical skills taught, and in applying these skills (technical, journalistic etc) to this radio form. To obtain a high grade students usually work well to produce broadcast quality work, demonstrating high levels of understanding of the form through modelling creative and professional media (radio and podcast) practice in their programs, and demonstrating in your work an understanding of how radio or podcasts communicate to listeners. Highly graded features are also likely to have achieved excellence across a range of aspects which also contribute to the overall impact of the piece: e.g., the writing & spoken communication skills demonstrated, the choice of interviewees and subject, the editing and structuring of the work, the depth and relevance of the research used to inform the content and its development.

Preliminary Pitch: You must also submit a radio story 'pitch' with brief synopsis for this feature by no later than end Week 7. Email this to tutor or hand in, in class tute for that week – the tutor will further advise as to format in class or on iLearn. One A4 page is generally sufficient.

Submission (note final submission is later than that indicated here as this refers to submission of the Documentation. We will need the audio features earlier to create the podcasts.

THUS, audio must be placed in a NEXUS assignment folder in the labs by latest Oct 28 (or see iLearn if any changes). You will also be given revision as to how to operate the NEXUS file management system in Week 11 class, prior to final submission. Important: You should have your Assignment as a wav file ready for audition in draft form in class by the Week 11 workshop.

Reflection and Cue sheet:

The final submitted written work must be in the form of a written reflection (up to 1000 words) submitted to Turnitin. It should explore the program aims and scope; you can also mention any problems and challenges you had, and how you assisted another member of the team through being a 'second set of ears', technical assistance etc. You should try and cite some radio/audio programs you listened to from the radio, or from podcasts, which were inspiring to you or acted as a model for your program and approach. You can indicate what you learnt from listening to these models, or from Readings. Include these models and your key reading in your reflection as references.

References will not be part of the word count. Use suggested readings and references provided by this unit Guide, iLearn and from your tutor or Convenor.

NB: Reflection and Cue Sheet as one document should be submitted to Turnitin in iLearn by Nov 8.

Assessment Criteria in Brief

• structure/content
• presentation skills
• technical proficiency
• well-written reflection on the process

Specific role in a team to create a podcast 'show' modeled on current industry and podcasting and radio examples. There may be three podcast shows per Workshop class depending on size of classes. Each podcast show will have a theme to be developed by the team in consultation with the Tutor (scheduled in iLearn and noted here in the Unit Guide). Content for podcast shows will come from students' Assignment 3-features and possibly voiced scripts/commentaries (assessment task) if suitable, and as created for their role if indicated (script for presentation, 'Opener' and 'stings'). Students will be marked on their specific role and how effectively they worked in the team environment.

Roles will be decided upon in consultation with the tutor (and may involve auditions). Shows will be ready/produced by end Week 13 but may require a separate session in the studio depending on numbers of podcasts produced this year. For each podcast team, roles generally include: Presenters (2), Producers (2), Panel Operator(1), Program Opener/Sting Producers (1-2). [From time to time other roles may be included, eg roving reporter].

Assessment Criteria

All roles will have a set of criteria against which they will be marked (iLearn Link): meeting deadlines, good team communication skills and basic technical level is common to all these.

To achieve a Pass in this assessment item, all task requirements must be completed by the program deadlines, important production meetings must be attended or notes from these acquired from the Tutor, if the class was missed for valid reason, and the work associated with each role must be completed to a satisfactory standard such that the podcast can be made by the Deadline. 

Submission

The audio podcasts will be compiled and 'presented as if live' in class in Week 13, according to a schedule made available on iLearn. Students must be available on the day/time of their podcast recording/compilation. It may be required to attend your podcast outside of class time, or in the lecture time in Week 13. TBA (depends on numbers).

Documentation: Students should provide a Report on their podcast role (best based on a diary where plans, bookings etc are noted). This Report (max 800 words-not including diary notes) should be submitted to Turnitin as other written parts of assignments.

(A template will be provided to assist with a diary. Students should start creating their diary in week 7, or when you have been assigned or accepted a role. Diary should be included as an addendum to your Report, and submitted as one document to Turnitin by 11pm Tuesday the 12th of November.)