Understanding media sources
Media sources are the communication tools or channels used to store information or data. They can be physical items such as DVDs, CDs, music scores and newspapers; or they can be online resources such as streaming services, podcasts, screencasts, online videos, news apps and of course social media.
Knowing how to identify suitable media sources for use in your assignments can be difficult when there are so many sharing and publishing platforms available.
The libraries at CCCU have collections of CDs, DVDs and music scores. These have been selected by your tutors for their scholarly content or as examples of film or music genres. You can search for titles on Library Search using keywords such as ‘Lord of the Rings’ or ‘Bach symphony’. You can then limit your result by format (e.g. music, CD, music sound recording, notated music, DVD or visual material) in the left-hand pane.
Media items can be checked out for 7 days and can be found at classmarks 780s for music and 790s for DVD on the open shelves. The music scores are in the rolling shelves on the the 3rd floor of the Library at Augustine House. They are in order of composer’s surname.
Streaming and Video platforms
BoB (Box of Broadcasts) is Learning on Screen’s archive of on demand TV and radio programmes. You can search for keywords such as diabetes or homelessness and find programmes about these topics or look up documentaries that you might have seen or heard on television or radio. You can watch or record programmes, as well as take clips for use in your presentations. If you are taking a contemporary foreign languages module, you may wish to watch programmes on international television stations such as France24, Tagesschau or 2DF.
Kanopy is a multidisciplinary video streaming service with access to a large, curated catalogue of educational documentaries and classic films from leading producers which you can watch anytime, anywhere and on any device including via media streaming apps. Not all of the content is available at CCCU.
Teachers TV provides access to all 3,530 globally-acclaimed instructional videos produced in 2008 by the United Kingdom’s Department of Education to train and develop teachers’ skills through demonstrations and commentary by teachers, administrators, and other educational experts.
There are also good quality recordings of live theatre available via Digital Theatre Plus and Drama Online and archival film at the British Universities Film and Video Council