Core Module Information
Module title: Audio Documentary Production

SCQF level: 09:
SCQF credit value: 20.00
ECTS credit value: 10

Module code: JAC09127
Module leader: Carolyn Scott
School School of Arts and Creative Industries
Subject area group: Screen and Performance
Prerequisites

There are no pre-requisites for this module to be added

Description of module content:

This module bridges the gap between short-form audio news features and long-form narrative journalism. You will develop your technical and editorial skills in audio production, learning how to use sound creatively and effectively to produce compelling documentary storytelling. You will also develop your ability to structure longer narratives and explore techniques beyond simple interview capture, such as scene setting, use of actuality, ambient sound, music, and voice.Working collaboratively, you will produce engaging and original radio documentaries or documentary-style podcasts. Through lectures, listening sessions, workshops, and discussion, you will examine the dynamics between storyteller, subject, and audience, reflecting on issues of power, truth, authenticity, and representation in contemporary audio journalism.Finally, through group critiques and peer review, you will develop the skills to offer and receive constructive feedback, refining your practice and deepening your understanding of creative and ethical approaches to factual audio storytelling.

Learning Outcomes for module:

Upon completion of this module you will be able to

LO1: Critically evaluate key debates and emerging trends in audio documentary and podcast journalism, including ethics, authorship, and audience engagement.

LO2: Translate research findings and story ideas into creative and journalistic audio concepts.

LO3: Understand and apply appropriate modes of storytelling, structure, and sound design to effectively communicate a documentary’s purpose and point of view.

LO4: Construct a coherent and engaging long-form audio narrative informed by research, journalistic principles, and creative sound practices.

LO5: Plan, record, edit, and produce an audio documentary or documentary-style podcast using industry-standard tools and techniques.

Full Details of Teaching and Assessment
2025/6, Trimester 2, IN PERSON,
VIEW FULL DETAILS
Occurrence: 001
Primary mode of delivery: IN PERSON
Location of delivery: MERCHISTON
Partner:
Member of staff responsible for delivering module: Carolyn Scott
Module Organiser:


Student Activity (Notional Equivalent Study Hours (NESH))
Mode of activityLearning & Teaching ActivityNESH (Study Hours)NESH Description
Face To Face Practical classes and workshops 36 In workshops, you will develop your practical skills in recording, editing, and sound design using industry-standard equipment and software. You will learn to plan and conduct interviews, record and catalogue actuality and ambient sound, and apply advanced editing and mixing techniques to shape narrative and tone. You will also cultivate skills in documentary research, conceptualisation, and scripting, developing the ability to structure longer-form narratives that engage audiences.
Online Guided independent study 80 Guided independent study
Online GROUPIND_STUDY 72 Working in production groups, you will take on specific editorial and production roles to create an original audio documentary or documentary-style podcast. You are expected to engage critically with technical, theoretical, and ethical concepts, and to analyse existing audio documentaries in relation to these ideas. You will inform your creative practice through critical reflection, and in turn, use your practical experiences to deepen your understanding of audio documentary theory and industry
Face To Face Lecture 12 In lectures, you will be introduced to key debates in audio documentary and podcast production, focusing on how journalists and storytellers represent lived experience through sound. You will explore notions of subjectivity and objectivity, ethics and authorship, voice and perspective, and the responsibilities involved in representing others. You will consider how changing technologies and listening habits are reshaping the production, distribution, and reception of factual audio storytelling.
Total Study Hours200
Expected Total Study Hours for Module200


Assessment
Type of Assessment Weighting % LOs covered Week due Length in Hours/Words Description
Project - Practical 60 2~3~4~5 Week 12 HOURS= 10 minutes You will work in small production teams to research, plan, and produce a 10-minute audio documentary or documentary-style podcast episode, developed from a proposal that you will write and pitch to your tutor. Working collaboratively, each team member will take on specific editorial and production roles to create a structured and engaging narrative that demonstrates sound journalistic judgment and an ethical approach to representing contributors and subjects.You are expected to demonstrate competence in recording, interviewing, sound design, and editing, as well as an understanding of narrative structure and audience engagement. Your assessment will also consider your contribution to group work, your ability to manage workloads and deadlines, and your capacity for independent study and creative problem-solving throughout the production process.You will receive an overall team mark worth 50% of the component grade with the other 50% coming from a peer assessment within your team.
Portfolio 40 1~3~5 Week 13 , WORDS= 2,500 words Throughout the module, you will complete a series of formative tasks designed to develop your understanding of audio documentary and podcast production. These tasks will focus on key stages of the creative process, including critically listening to and evaluating professional audio documentaries, pitching your own documentary ideas, and developing detailed research and production plans.For your summative assessment, you will compile a portfolio that draws on this formative work, showcasing your engagement with the learning process and your individual contribution to the group documentary project. Your portfolio will demonstrate your critical, creative, and technical development over the course of the module.At a minimum, your portfolio must include: One example of a written critique of a professional audio documentary or podcast; one documentary pitch or proposal; one research and production plan for a documentary; a 1,000-word reflective essay critically reflecting on the completed group documentary and your own contribution to it.
Component 1 subtotal: 60
Component 2 subtotal: 40
Module subtotal: 100

Indicative References and Reading List - URL:
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