University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2022/23 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Arts > Department of Theatre > Immersive Arts (Virtual and Augmented Reality) (PG Dip) > Specification
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Programme code | 1THTR002T |
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Programme type | Postgraduate Taught Degree |
Programme director(s) |
Paul Clarke
|
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
School/department | Department of Theatre |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Mode of study | Full or Part Time |
Programme length |
2 years (full time)
1 years (part time) |
This section sets out why studying this programme is important, both in terms of inspiring you as an individual and in considering the challenges we face. It describes how this degree programme contributes to:
This programme aims to train a new generation of immersive experience creators who can take a lead in defining this new medium and apply it successfully to a diverse range of sectors. Our graduates will be strongly interdisciplinary, bringing together an understanding of the creative arts and advances in immersive technologies.
The programme aims to develop students’ interest in and knowledge and understanding of:
• technologies and practices that underpin immersive experiences;
• all aspects of creating, delivering and evaluating immersive media and experiences for diverse applications/audiences and including, but not limited to, virtual and augmented reality and 360-degree films;
• skills required to plan, deliver and communicate an immersive project in an academic, commercial or civic environment;
• immersive content creation, development and production processes, covering methodological and practical skills, including interactive storytelling, design, performance, capture and prototyping of immersive media;
• theories of immersivity and interaction, presence, embodiment and agency; histories of immersive technologies in the arts (including VR, AR, immersive performance and experiences); along with recent developments in immersive technologies, media and performance;
• their practice within the field and ability to reflect critically on their own work and the work of others through theoretical frames, recognising social, economic, cultural, environmental and ethical aspects that may impact immersive experiences and their adoption;
• innovation, entrepreneurship and enterprise skills required to prepare to be the next generation of leaders in the immersive industries, covering; business planning, team-working, responsible innovation, problem solving, ideation, commercialisation, civic engagement and research translation.
The learning outcome statements shown below for your programme have been developed with reference to relevant national subject benchmarks (where they exist), national qualification descriptors (see the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) and professional body requirements.
Teaching, learning and assessment strategies are listed to show how you will be able to achieve and demonstrate the learning outcomes.
This programme provides opportunities for you to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in the following areas:
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
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|
A mixture of teaching methods is used, including lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratories, workshops, practice-based exercises, case studies, group work and supervised research to achieve all the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the Knowledge and Understanding category. Where possible and appropriate, some content of each unit will be provided as a series of short pre-recorded online video lectures, organised into topics, for students to watch asynchronously. Each topic will also have associated on-campus activities including facilitated discussions, team exercises, laboratories, workshops, and hand-on skills training sessions. For the creative and immersive final project, students will be allocated a supervisor/mentor with whom they will hold regular supervision meetings for the duration of the project. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
The following methods of assessment are related to all the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the Knowledge and Understanding category. Students will be subject to a range of formative and summative assessments across the programme. Formative assessment may be formally or informally delivered according to what is appropriate to the learning outcomes of the individual units. The form/method of formative assessment and associated learning outcomes reflects those in the summative assessment to allow students to gauge the progress of their learning. Students will be notified of the mode the formative assessment will take, its purpose and method at the outset of the unit and details will be included in unit handbooks and on the University’s digital learning platform. The summative assessment strategy for each unit will be clearly outlined in the unit handbook and on Blackboard, together with the learning outcomes to be assessed and the assessment criteria. A unit’s summative assessment strategy will be determined by what Unit Directors believe to be pedagogically appropriate given the required learning outcomes. They may take a variety of forms; individual or group written reports, portfolios, scripts, storyboards or treatments, laboratory exercises, individual or group presentations and pitches, iterative practice-based coursework, demonstrations of their immersive creations/productions, and reflective accounts of learning or case studies. Problem-based assessment, inclusive assessment and technology-enhanced assessment for individual units will be used as is appropriate. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
---|---|
|
A mixture of teaching methods is used, including lectures, tutorials, seminars, laboratories, workshops, practice-based exercises, case studies, group work and supervised research to achieve all the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the Knowledge and Understanding category. Where possible and appropriate, some unit content will be provided as a series of short pre-recorded online video lectures, organised into topics, for students to watch asynchronously. Each topic will also have associated on-campus activities including facilitated discussions, team exercises, laboratories, and hand-on skills training sessions. For creative and immersive final project, students will be allocated a supervisor/mentor with whom they will hold regular supervision meetings for the duration of the project. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
The following methods of assessment are related to all the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the Intellectual Skills and Attributes category. Students will be subject to a range of formative and summative assessments across the programme. Formative assessment may be formally or informally delivered according to what is appropriate to the learning outcomes of the individual units. The form/method of formative assessment and associated learning outcomes should reflect those in the summative assessment to allow students to gauge the progress of their learning. Students will be notified of the mode the formative assessment will take, its purpose and method at the outset of the unit and details will be included in unit handbooks and on the University’s digital learning platform. The summative assessment strategy for each unit will be clearly outlined in the unit handbook and on Blackboard, together with the learning outcomes to be assessed and the assessment criteria. A unit’s summative assessment strategy will be determined by what Unit Directors believe to be pedagogically appropriate given the required learning outcomes. They may take a variety of forms; individual or group written reports, portfolios, scripts, storyboards or treatments, laboratory exercises, individual or group presentations and pitches, iterative practice-based coursework, demonstrations of their immersive creations/productions, and reflective accounts of learning or case studies. Problem-based assessment, inclusive assessment and technology-enhanced assessment for individual units will be used as is appropriate. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning/teaching methods and strategies |
---|---|
|
A mixture of teaching methods is used, including lectures, tutorials, seminars, workshops, laboratories, practice-based exercises, case studies, group work and supervised research to achieve all the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the Knowledge and Understanding category. Where possible and appropriate, some unit content will be provided as a series of short pre-recorded online video lectures, organised into topics, for students to watch asynchronously. Each topic will also have associated on-campus activities including facilitated discussions, team exercises, laboratories, and hand-on skills training sessions. For the creative and immersive final project, students will be allocated a supervisor/mentor with whom they will hold regular supervision meetings for the duration of the project. |
Methods of assessment (formative and summative) | |
The following methods of assessment are related to all the Programme Intended Learning Outcomes in the Other Skills and Attributes category. Students will be subject to a range of formative and summative assessments across the programme. Formative assessment may be formally or informally delivered according to what is appropriate to the learning The summative assessment strategy for each unit will be clearly outlined in the unit handbook and on Blackboard, together with the learning outcomes to be assessed and the assessment criteria. A unit’s summative assessment strategy will be determined by what Unit Directors believe to be pedagogically appropriate given the required learning outcomes. They may take a variety of forms; individual or group written reports, portfolios, scripts, storyboards or treatments, laboratory exercises, individual or group presentations and pitches, iterative practice-based coursework, demonstrations of their immersive creations/productions, and reflective accounts of learning or case studies. Problem-based assessment, inclusive assessment and technology-enhanced assessment for individual units will be used as is appropriate. |
This section describes what is expected from you at each level of your programme. This illustrates increasing intellectual standards as you progress through the programme. These levels are mapped against the national level descriptors published by the Quality Assurance Agency.
Level M/7 - Postgraduate Certificate |
For a Postgraduate Certificate, students are required to have completed successfully 60CP (three of the taught 20CP units). The structure of the degree programme has been designed to engage the student in a cumulative process of developing skills and knowledge through a sequence of complementary stages. In the first term, all students full time or part time must complete the Introduction to Immersive Technologies and Arts unit AND Virtual Environment Design. This equips students with foundational contextual and historical knowledge of how VR and AR have developed, theories of immersion, good understanding of how these technologies can be applied in various sectors and where the field is advancing. In addition, students acquire foundational skills and knowledge in how to create and develop virtual worlds and objects, allowing them to build assets for deployment in immersive experiences, and to understand these techniques and what is possible. |
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Level M/7 - Postgraduate Diploma |
For a Postgraduate Diploma, full time and part time students are required to have completed successfully all the taught units in the MA programme (120CP). All Diploma and Master’s students will have acquired specialist knowledge and understanding of key aspects of immersive arts, relating to Immersive Storytelling, Immersive Content Creation, and Immersive Production. |
Level M/7 - Postgraduate Masters |
In addition to the above, for completion of a Master's qualification, full time and part-time students are required to have successfully completed the Creative and Immersive Project. This acts as a culmination of the student’s progress through the MA degree programme. Students are required to apply the appropriate creative, methodological and intellectual skills that have been developed through the taught units in this capstone project. |
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the postgraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/postgraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
The local Bristol/SW region is a hotspot for Creative Industries, activity recognised in our success in the recent £46 million UKRI Strength in Places MyWorld grant. As well as our industrial and economic strength within the region the University’s world leading interdisciplinary research in Immersive technologies sets us aside from other existing courses on immersive technologies. Through the MyWorld project we will also uniquely be able to provide students access to industry standard and experimental new VR and AR equipment and facilities, including a cutting-edge instrumented auditorium, psychophysics laboratory, immersive suite, professional motion and audio capture suites to be located in The Sheds and in the CM1 building within the new Temple Quarter Campus.
School of Computer Science, Electrical and Electronic Engineering, and Engineering Maths (SCEEM)
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/school-sceem/
Department of Computer Science
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/engineering/departments/computerscience/
School of Arts
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/school-of-arts/
Department of Theatre
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/theatre/
Department of Film and Television
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/film/
Department of Music
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/music/
UKRI funded Strength in Places MyWorld Project
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduction to Immersive Technologies and Arts | COMSM0126 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Virtual Environment Design | COMSM0124 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise | INOVM0015 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Immersive and Interactive Storytelling | THTRM0012 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Immersive Production | THTRM0014 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Immersive Content Creation | THTRM0013 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
120 |
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Introduction to Immersive Technologies and Arts | COMSM0126 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Virtual Environment Design | COMSM0124 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Choose any 20CP unit from the list below: | ||||
Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Enterprise | INOVM0015 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Immersive and Interactive Storytelling | THTRM0012 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Immersive Production | THTRM0014 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Immersive Content Creation | THTRM0013 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
60 |
The pass mark set by the University for any level 7(M) unit is 50 out of 100.
For detailed rules on progression please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes and the relevant faculty handbook.
All taught masters programmes, unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to exit from the programme with a postgraduate diploma or certificate.
To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.
To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.
An award with Merit or Distinction is permitted for postgraduate taught masters, diplomas and certificates, where these are specifically named entry-level qualifications. An award with Merit or Distinction is not permitted for exit awards where students are required to exit the programme on academic grounds but is permitted in designated programmes (as set out in the programme specification) where students choose to withdraw from the intended programme but otherwise achieve the necessary credit points for the exit award.
The classification of the award in relation to the final programme mark is as follows:
Award with Distinction*: at least 65 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation. **Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.
Award with Merit*: at least 60 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 60 out of 100 for the dissertation. Faculties retain discretion to increase these thresholds.
* The MA in Law has separate regulations for awarding distinction and merit.
** For the award of Distinction, the Faculty of Engineering requires at least 70 out of 100 for the taught component overall and, for masters awards, at least 70 out of 100 for the dissertation.
All taught masters programmes, unless exempted by Senate, must allow the opportunity for students to choose, or be required, to leave at the postgraduate diploma or certificate stage.
To be awarded a postgraduate diploma, students must have successfully completed 120 credit points, of which 90 must be at level M/7.
To be awarded a postgraduate certificate, students must have successfully completed 60 credit points, of which 40 must be at level M/7.
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
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