Evaluation of Digital Technology Theoretical Evaluation- Question 1 A Evaluation of Digital Technology

What is digital technology? Digital technology enables immense amounts of information to be compressed on small storage devices that can be easily preserved and transported. Digitization also quickens data transmission speeds. Digitized information is recorded in binary code of combinations of the digits 0 and 1, also called bits, which represent words and images. What has digital technology enabled us to do? Digital technology has transformed how people communicate, learn, and work. It has also transformed the way media can be researched, created, distributed and viewed

Remember AS music industry……. During the music industry topic many key terms and theories were discussed with regards to digital technology…lets have a quick test!

Digital tech test What is meant by “Convergence”? What is meant by ‘digital zeitgeist’? What is a technophile and a technophobe? What is meant by proliferation? What does compression technology mean? What does ‘means of production’ mean? What is web 2.0? What does ‘user generated content’ mean?

Forms of digital technology? What are the various forms of digital technology? Hardware: equipment such as cameras, DV cameras, mobile phones and of course computers. Software: photo manipulation, design, editing, desk top publishing, presentational…. Web 2.0: search engines, user generated sites, social media sites, fan sites, institutional sites, review sites, email….

Your digital tech. Brainstorm and make notes in your booklets: All the digital technology you have used during AS and A2 Media Studies. Split it into 3 sections: Pre-production research and planning Production/construction. Post-production and evaluation.

Non- digital media It’s easy to assume that in 2011 all research, construction and post-production work is produced solely with digital technology. However what non-digital technology did you use during AS and A2? Physical copies of magazines. Film and film trailers on TV/cinema/DVD? Pencil sketching and storyboarding. Any others?

Your digital tech skills How technically skilled were you before you began the course? Rate yourself out of 10. Remember what we said about creativity and technical proficiency? Have you picked up skills from other subjects? If so what? Make notes in booklets.

Skills development How were the skills learnt at AS useful in A2? Consider: Ability to use software. Ability to use hardware. Improvements in using web 2.0 Are you a technophile of technophobe? Make notes in booklet.

Professionalism on a budget? How does your use of digital technology compare to production of real media texts? As 16-19 year olds you are not expected to be able to replicate what professional media institutions can do…or has it? Marx’s idea of the means of production being used by the dominant ideology to keep the masses oppressed is increasingly becoming a redundant theory. Why? Because cheap, efficient technology is accessible to most of us. Therefore we are able to produce some work that could pass for professional, particularly print work. However do we think this is the same case for the A2 trailers?

The haves and have not's One aspect of digital technology you might need to discuss and evaluate –without moaning – is the quality of technology you used. Versions of software. Quality of cameras (pixel ratios, SLR or compact, HD etc). Web 2.0- Make notes on question 5 and 6. How has your use of digital hardware technology developed between AS and A2 Media?