Old Specification - Module 4 Coursework
Synoptic Evaluation

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You have 1000 words for this section. This section is worth 25 marks – the most marks allocated to any section so make it good!

The purpose of this section is to evaluate your project - have you successfully achieved the aims you set out in your Brief and met the needs of your target audience and commissioner. However, because this is a SYNOPTIC evaluation, you also need to use this section to apply all the knowledge you have learnt about effective communication.

How has the theory you learnt last year about texts and how they are constructed, helped you to construct an effective 'text'?

How has your knowledge of feminist and Marxist perspectives helped you understand the influence of gender and class on your artefact and how it will be regarded by the target audience?

So there are two sorts of evaluation to be done here. You should test your artefact on a full sample of the target audience to see if you have been successful and have achieved the purpose you set out to achieve. You can test by getting your audience to use the artefact as well as just asking them to comment on it in detail. See an example of testing in the Appendices.

HAVE YOUR AUDIENCE TESTING DONE WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE FINAL DEADLINE YOUR CENTRE HAS GIVEN YOU - IT TAKES TIME TO GET RESULTS COLLATED ETC.

Give yourself two full weeks to write up your full synoptic evaluation (including the theoretical part) by the final deadline.

As mentioned earlier, you should, demonstrate your understanding of communications theory by applying it to your project as a whole and weighing up the strengths and weaknesses of the communication you have done during the project - intrapersonal, interpersonal, group communication as well as the communication of the actual artefact. The mark scheme for this section says that this section is “an assessment of artefact and self in terms of both personal and cultural communication themes and the links between them.”

This invites you to make links between the work you will do on Module 5 Culture, Context and Communication, with your other teacher. Try to do this, if you can.

When you actually write this section up, put your actual audience testing - questionnaires etc in an appendix. Just summarise what you found out from it and comment on it. Look at any samples of projects from last year which your Centre still has, so that you can use them as models. If your Centre doesn't have any previous projects, use the sample sections on this website. In any case, check your evaluation section against (page 50 in Specification) the mark scheme (click on word 'markscheme) as you have done with all the other sections.

This section should begin with your AUDIENCE TESTING.

• Discuss the effect and success of your artefact as far as you are concerned – you may like to use a process model to show this e.g Lasswell, Berlo etc
• Describe how you tested the effectiveness of your artefact on your target audience, any experts or consultants who were involved etc.
• Summarise your findings – show you are aware of bias and the halo effect from people who want to please you – did you take steps to overcome this?

(You should test in a variety of ways – ask directly and in detail about all aspects of the artefact – language, layout etc. Test by asking questions to see if the information has gone into the audience’s consciousness or ask them to use your artefact in its envisaged context and observe. Interview experts for their opinion.)

• Discuss what else you have learnt about communication during the project – be prepared to mention theory from anywhere on the course (IF IT IS APPROPRIATE), e.g

 Intrapersonal – self image, self esteem, motivation, attitudes, beliefs and values etc. What have you learnt about yourself?
 Interpersonal – Goffman (roles), Berne (ego states, life positions etc) What did you learn interactions with audiences etc?
 Verbal and non-verbal – how did you modify these forms of communication in your project, both personally and in your artefact?
 Group – did you take part in any group communication and what did you learn?
 Process models – do any of the process models help explain communication you did e.g Shannon and Weaver’s barriers
 Semiotics – what are the connotations of your artefact?
 Concepts such as representation etc
 Culture and subcultures etc - what sort of cultural context does your artefact operate in? What are the prevailing attitudes in our culture about your project subject matter?

DON'T USE THE LIST ABOVE AS A CHECKLIST - only include them if they apply to your project.

You can discuss what you learnt from each section or just give an overview. Bring in things about how you felt YOU performed as a communicator.

Here is a sample Synoptic Evaluation - DO NOT COPY IT - use it to help you structure your own - your teachers' will all have seen this sample and will know if you copy large chunks!!!