The course combines lectures, case-based seminars, and practical activities designed to facilitate the application of the concepts and approaches covered throughout the course.

A detailed schedule outlining the topics for each session will be presented during the first class and made available on the Virtual Campus. The Virtual Campus will also provide the instrumental materials required for the course, together with information on assignments, practical activities, and assessment. The presentation slides used during class form part of the in-class learning experience and will not be uploaded to the Virtual Campus. The corresponding content is expected to be acquired through class attendance and engagement with the required readings and bibliography assigned to each topic.

The course will be taught entirely in English. However, selected readings, teaching materials, or audiovisual examples may be presented in Catalan and/or Spanish where appropriate.

Annotation: within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.

Continuous assessment

Assessment in this course is based on continuous evaluation. The final grade will be calculated as follows:

- Examination: 30%

- Seminars: 20%

- Practical assignments: 50%

The examination assesses each student's individual acquisition of the fundamental theoretical knowledge covered in the course. Seminars and practical assignments assess students' ability to apply acquired knowledge, develop critical analysis, solve problems relevant to the contemporary audiovisual industry, and participate actively in course activities.

Spelling and written expression will be penalised by 0.5 marks for each error in all assessment activities.

All assessment activities must be original. The use of generative artificial intelligence tools is permitted only as support for learning and the preparation of coursework. Under no circumstances may such tools replace students' own analysis, argumentation, critical reflection, or intellectual contribution.

Plagiarism, the undeclared or unauthorised use of artificial intelligence tools, or any other academic misconduct that may significantly affect the assessment of an activity will result in a mark of 0 for that activity, without prejudice to any disciplinary measures established by University regulations. Where multiple irregularities are identified across different assessment activities within the same course, the final course grade will be 0.

Reassessment for continous assessment

To be eligible for the resit assessment, students must meet all of the following requirements:

- Have been assessed in activities representing at least two-thirds (66.7%) of the final course grade.

- Have obtained a weighted average mark of at least 3.5 out of 10 across all assessment activities.

- Have obtained a minimum mark of 3.5 out of 10 in the examination.

For example, a student who obtains 3.8 in the examination, 5 in the seminars, and 4 in the practical assignments will be eligible for the resit because all three requirements have been met. Conversely, a student with a weighted average mark of 4.5 but only 2.8 in the examination will not be eligible because the minimum examination mark has not been achieved.

Seminars form part of the continuous assessment process and, due to their nature, are not eligible for resit. The resit assessment may apply only to the examination and/or the practical assignments, as determined by the lecturer.

Single assessment

The single assessment system consists of the following components:

- Theoretical examination: 30%

- Case-study or current communication challenges examination: 20%

- Critical review of the scientific literature: 25%

- Final audiovisual production project and oral defence: 25%

Description of the assessment activities for the single assessment pathway

The theoretical examination is an individual assessment designed to evaluate students' acquisition of the fundamental theoretical knowledge covered in the course. Its format differs from that used in the continuous assessment pathway.

The case-study examination consists of the individual resolution of case studies or current communication challenges related to the course contents. Its purpose is to assess students' ability to apply theoretical knowledge to situations relevant to the contemporary audiovisual industry. Cases will be provided by the lecturer. Students may use the course bibliography and, where appropriate, additional references drawn from scientific journal articles.

The critical review of the scientific literature consists of selecting three recent scientific articles published preferably in journals indexed in Web of Science or Scopus and, whenever possible, ranked in the Q1 or Q2 quartiles. The articles must address a current topic related to the course contents and learning outcomes, and the topic must be approved in advance by the lecturer.

Based on these articles, students must prepare a critical review of the scientific literature comparing the main contributions of the selected studies, identifying similarities and differences, analysing their methodological and theoretical strengths and limitations, and developing an original critical reflection on their contribution to knowledge and their relevance to the audiovisual industry. This review will provide the conceptual foundation for the audiovisual production project.

The final audiovisual production project and its oral defence consist of developing an audiovisual work that incorporates innovative techniques, technologies, or formats related to the course contents. The project must be grounded in the previously completed critical literature review and will be presented and defended orally. Detailed information regarding the project's requirements, format, and development process will be provided through the Virtual Campus.

Assessment will take into account both the quality of the project and the student's ability to justify the conceptual, methodological, and creative decisions made throughout its development and to respond appropriately to questions raised during the oral defence. To this end, the lecturer may ask questions concerning the literature review, the project's development process, and the decisions adopted in order to assess students' understanding of the course contents, their critical thinking skills, and the authorship of the submitted work.

Presentation of the final audiovisual production project and oral defense

The presentation and oral defence of the audiovisual project form part of the assessment and are compulsory.

Presentations will take place on the official dates established by the lecturer for the course assessment activities, coinciding with the presentation sessions scheduled for students following the continuous assessment pathway. Students following the single assessment pathway are required to attend all presentation sessions, as these constitute an academic activity involving learning, peer exchange, and collective assessment.

Assessement schedule

Students following the single assessment pathway must complete all assessment activities, including written examinations, submission of assignments, and oral presentations, on the official dates established by the lecturer for the course.

Failure to attend any assessment activity on the scheduled date will result in the loss of the ordinary assessment opportunity. Students will only be eligible for the official resit assessment if they satisfy the requirements established by University regulations.

Spelling and written expression will be penalised by 0.5 marks for each error.

All assessment activities must be original. The use of generative artificial intelligence tools is permitted only as support for learning and the preparation of coursework. Under no circumstances may such tools replace students' own analysis, argumentation, critical reflection, or intellectual contribution.

Plagiarism, the undeclared or unauthorised use of artificial intelligence tools, or any other academic misconduct that may significantly affect the assessment of an activity will result in a mark of 0 for that activity, without prejudice to any disciplinary measures established by University regulations. Where multiple irregularities are identified across different assessment activities within the same course, the final course grade will be 0.

Reassement for single assessment

To be eligible for the resit assessment, students must meet all of the following requirements:

- Have been assessed in activities representing at least two-thirds (66.7%) of the final course grade.

- Have obtained a weighted average mark of at least 3.5 out of 10 across all assessment activities.

- Have obtained a minimum mark of 3.5 out of 10 in the theoretical examination.

The theoretical examination is the only assessment activity eligible for resit. The resit will consist of a new written examination assessing the theoretical knowledge covered in the course.

The case-study examination, the critical review of the scientific literature, and the final audiovisual production project are not eligible for resit. The marks obtained in these activities will therefore be retained and incorporated into the final course grade according to their respective weighting.

Spelling and written expression will be penalised by 0.5 marks for each error.

If a student commits any irregularity that may significantly affect the assessment of an evaluation activity, that activity will be awarded a mark of 0, irrespective of any disciplinary proceedings that may be initiated. Where multiple irregularities are identified across different assessment activities within the same course, the final course grade will be 0.

Use of Artificial Intelligence

This course encourages the responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to support learning and the development of the audiovisual project. In particular, AI may be used for audiovisual content creation, the preparation of the final presentation, and the identification of documentary and academic sources.

The use of AI must be fully transparent. Students are required to state clearly which AI tools they have used, the specific tasks for which they were employed, and how they contributed to the final outcome of the project. In addition, they must include a brief critical reflection on the advantages, limitations, and impact of these tools on their creative and production process.

When AI is used to search for information or academic sources, students remain responsible for verifying the accuracy and reliability of the information obtained, as AI systems may generate errors, inaccurate information, or non-existent references.

AI should be understood as a tool that supports creativity and learning, not as a substitute for students’ own analysis, decision-making, critical thinking, or creativity. Assessment will place particular value on students’ intellectual contribution, the originality of their decisions, and the quality of their critical reflection.

Where there are indications of unauthorized AI use or any other form of academic misconduct, the instructor may request drafts, preparatory materials, or any other evidence demonstrating the authorship and development of the work. Students may also be required to explain or justify the decisions made during the project, either orally or in writing. Instructors may use AI detection systems or any other verification procedures they consider appropriate. If irregularities are identified following this review, the assignment may receive a grade of zero, without prejudice to any additional disciplinary measures established by University regulations.

Academic Misconduct

Any irregularity committed during an assessment activity (including academic fraud, plagiarism, or improper use of AI, unless such use is expressly authorized in this course guide) that may significantly affect the assessment outcome will result in a grade of zero for that assessment. Where the course guide establishes that obtaining a minimum mark in that assessment is a compulsory requirement for passing the course, or where multiple irregularities occur in assessment activities within the same course, the final course grade will be zero. In addition, disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against the student.