When I undertook Photography 1: Digital Photographic Practice 1, I enjoyed learning about processing and editing photos and thought that this level 2 course was going to carry on from there. I have very little Photoshop knowledge, mainly because I don't have it full time, but I'm not even brilliant at Elements either. I hoped that this module, or even at some point through this degree pathway, I would be learning how to use Photoshop better and learn dark room techniques etc, so I'm most disappointed that this module appears to be all about commissioned photography and marketing photography.
My tutor has given me the chance to use photography that I enjoy for the next assignment so lets see if that can bring me out of my photographic lull a bit.
I've also just received my Landscape assessment mark and happy with a pass. It's not a particularly high score but along the same level that I have had previously so I wont complain at all.
I am a bit concerned though with this whole way of learning. As an online learning experience, being able to blog online and submit to tutors online, I thought, coming in to this degree, that everything could be done online and 'in your own time at your own pace' as we are led to believe. Through the level 1 courses I submitted everything online and only realised, when liaising with my tutor for Landscape before applying for assessment, that you can be severely penalised for only submitting work online. Then why have the option to do it if they will deduct marks from you for doing so? This was a factor in my grade for Landscape. My tutor had told me to send in all my assignments if possible, but I had still been working the way I had through Level 1 and all my work was blog based. I was able to print the final assignment with one other and my critical review to physically send in, but the assessors feedback pretty much slated this and penalised me for not submitting them all. For this module, I changed my working pattern so that I now run my blog alongside my notebook and even though all assignments are submitted digitally to my tutor (with final prints posted), I now make sure that everything is printed for assessment as well so I have physical copies of everything to be able to send for assessment. Twice as much work in my eyes as I am doing everything twice.
Also, the assessors advised me to 'expand my research' and that study visits, etc would be beneficial. I'm sorry, I thought I was meant to be working this around my spare time? I don't have much of it as it is as a lone parent of two young children who is also holding down a part time job and trying to fit this in as a (questionable) hobby! Study visits are not something that I have the time nor the money to entertain thinking about. I do most of my coursework on my day off or after the kids are in bed. Plus the fact that I have to finish this whole degree course in almost half the time that others do due to my government funding so I don't see how we can all be tarred with the same brush.
Rant over.
This is why my patience has been tested during this whole course. Not to mention the fact that the course has been rewritten and changed while I'm halfway through it. Surely you could start the new starters on the new course and leave the ones in the middle of the pathway, which we had to declare all courses we wished to study upfront when we signed up I might add, to carry on with the old one?
I will finish this degree. I will finish this degree. I will finish this degree!
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