What?
JOurnalism INTernational, the international module of the XIOS bachelor of journalism.
For whom?
International exchange students in the field of journalism.
Programme
|
Subject
|
Sem 1
Sept - Jan
ECTS
credits
|
Sem 2
Feb - June
ECTS
credits
|
Total ECTS credits
|
|
Internet Research Techniques
|
4
|
|
4
|
|
International Media Landscape
|
4
|
|
4
|
|
International Publishing 1
|
6
|
|
6
|
|
International Publishing 2
|
|
6
|
6
|
|
Current Affairs 1
|
4
|
|
4
|
|
Current Affairs 2
|
|
4
|
4
|
|
English for Journalism 1
|
6
|
|
6
|
|
English for Journalism 2
|
|
6
|
6
|
|
Digital Photography
|
4
|
|
4
|
|
Radio Journalism
|
|
6
|
6
|
|
Television Journalism
|
|
6
|
6
|
|
European Integration - Belgium in Europe
|
|
4
|
4
|
|
|
28
|
32
|
60
|
The courses in this list can be combined with courses from other programmes of the department PXL-Media & Tourism.
Language of instruction
All classes are in English.
Department
Media & Tourism
Campus Vildersstraat
Vildersstraat 5, 3500 Hasselt
ECTS Files - Course Information
Internet Research Techniques
Study materials
Course material
Powerpoints, handouts and articles on Blackboard.
Teaching organisation
Tutorials (16 hours)
Theory (8 hours)
Independent study (60 hours)
Content
You get to know the characteristics of internet and the world wide web. You search for general and thematic information by using subject directories, and for specific information by using search robots. You get to know the adofced search modus and specific search features in Google (and other searchbots). You trace down recent news with RSS alerts. You digg for information in archives and databases. You use social media (Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter) to search for newsleads and to find releoft contacts. You use specific search tools to trace down blog articles, images, video, etc. In the end you evaluate your search results in the best possible way.
Evaluation
Examination
(Written or oral - tbd) exam in which you demonstrate your knowledge of research tools and techniques.
International Media Landscape
Study materials
Course material
Powerpoints, handouts and articles on Blackboard.
McQuail, D.; Kelly, M. and Mazzoleni, G. The media in Europe. The Euromedia Handbook. SAGE, Londen, 2004 (3rd ed).
Teaching organisation
Tutorials (16 hours)
Theory (8 hours)
Independent study (60 hours)
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
You should have an insight in your national media landscape.
Content
This course provides a comparative overview of the media in several countries.
Evaluation
Continuous Assessment and Exam
Continuous Assessment
Small international groups of students (including at least one Erasmus student and one ‘home’ student) present (60%) an international comparison of a specific thematic part of the media landscape. The output is one joint joint presentation per group.
In this study students compare parts of at least three national media systems, including their own national media. In doing so ‘home’ students inform Erasmus students about the Belgian/Flemish media system, Erasmus students inform ‘home’ students about their national media system and together they choose at least one third international benchmark.
Exam
The written exam (40 %) searches for knowledge of and insight in the international media landscape.
Basic material are the presentations given during the courses, either by the lecturer or the students.
Additional info is on Blackboard.
Radio Journalism
Recommended study materials
Book
Boyd, B. (s.a.) Techniques of Radio and TV News. Focal Press
Teaching organisation
Tutorial
Theory
Independent study
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
Students learn to write news items for radio. They can prepare and do interviews. Students are also able to edit news items for radio.The different exercises are always based on actual facts. We use English newspapers, radio and television programs, youtube and websites. Students also do interviews about local habits, typical cultural activities and politics to learn about the way of living in Belgium. Finally they visit the Flemish radio in Hasselt. There they can see how radio programs in Belgium are made and broadcasted.
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation:
Continuous oral assessment and evaluation by assignments.
Television Journalism
Study materials
Manuals
Boyd, B., e.a., 'Broadcast Journalism. Techniques of Radio and Television News', Focal Press, ISBN 978-0-240-81024-9.
Gary Hudsen, Sarah Rowlands, 'The Broadcast Journalism Handbook', Pearson-Longman, ISBN 978-1-4058-2434-7.
Teaching organisation
Tutorial
Theory
Independent study
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
Students learn to write news items for television. They can compose a newscast for television, based on actual facts. They can prepare and do interviews. Students are also able to edit news items for television. Students learn to work with digital camera for television. They are able to make a commentary and learn to work in team.
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation:
Continuous assessment and evaluation by assignments.
European Integration-Belgium in Europe
Study materials
Course material
Powerpoints, handouts and articles on Blackboard.
Leonard, D. Guide to the European Union. The definitive guide to all aspects of the EU. The Economist, London, 2010 (10th ed).
Nugent, N. The government and politics of the European Union. Mac Millan, London, 2010 (7th ed).
Cook, B.A. Belgium. A History. Studies in Modern European History, vol. 50. Peter Lang, New York, 2004.
Teaching organisation
Tutorials (7 hours)
Theory (14 hours)
Independent study (91 hours)
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
In this course, we analyze the creation and development of the European Community and Union. We examine the institutions and political actors of the E.U., as well as its policies and policy processes. Special attention is attributed to recent developments.
Complementary students are briefly initiated into Belgium’s history. With its linguistic, religious and social crossings Belgium is often considered an embryo for the current Europeanization of other regions.
Evaluation
Oral examination
International Publishing 1
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
This course deals with the most important criteria to make a news selection. In this way, you get an insight in the methods (inter)national newspapers use for their daily news selection. You will learn how to collect news from the out- to the inside via press releases, press conferences, spokespersons and informants. Simultaneously, you will learn how news travels from the in- to the outside, with the main focus on the fact that everything has a story in itself, but that not every story is worthy to be told and that the story of the journalist is just as important as that of the source. The main questions – what makes news news and why – will be answered.
You will also see how a journalistic text is structured and built, how to write heads and leads and how to structure the body of a text. Furthermore, you will learn how to write short and longer pieces, reports, interviews and pieces about the background. The starting point is the news of the day and the focus is on the handling of news.
At the end of this course, you will have acquired a basis journalistic attitude: hear, see and write. This entails that you keep up to date at all times, by watching the news, reading newspapers, browse the internet,…
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation: Continuous assessment.
International Publishing 2
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
This course deals with the most important criteria to make a news selection. In this way, you get an insight in the methods (inter)national newspapers use for their daily news selection. You will learn how to collect news from the out- to the inside via press releases, press conferences, spokespersons and informants. Simultaneously, you will learn how news travels from the in- to the outside, with the main focus on the fact that everything has a story in itself, but that not every story is worthy to be told and that the story of the journalist is just as important as that of the source. The main questions – what makes news news and why – will be answered.
You will also see how a journalistic text is structured and built, how to write heads and leads and how to structure the body of a text. Furthermore, you will learn how to write short and longer pieces, reports, interviews and pieces about the background. The starting point is the news of the day and the focus is on the handling of news.
At the end of this course, you will have acquired a basis journalistic attitude: hear, see and write. This entails that you keep up to date at all times, by watching the news, reading newspapers, browse the internet,…
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation: Continuous assessment.
Current Affairs 1
Study materials
Course material.
Reader.
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
Depending on the current affairs a selection of recent topics will be dealt with. Students are confronted with facts and interpretations concerning social, economic, cultural and political developments such as the Middle East, globalisation, financial crises in capitalist systems, The Water Issue, migration etc.
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation: Continuous assessment.
Current Affairs 2
Study materials
Course material.
Reader.
Prerequisites
You should have reached an intermediate level in English.
Content
Depending on the current affairs a selection of recent topics will be dealt with. Students are confronted with facts and interpretations concerning social, economic, cultural and political developments such as the Middle East, globalisation, financial crises in capitalist systems, The Water Issue, migration etc.
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation: Continuous assessment.
English for Journalism 1
Study materials
Course material.
On Blackboard, you can find self-study help.
Prerequisites
European Reference Frame: A2
Content
Your oral skills will be improved by means of group/individual presentations. Occasionally, you will be confronted with English audiovisual material. In this way, your listening skills will get better. Throughout the course, you will get writing tasks linked to moments of feedback afterwards. After the first period, you will be able to participate in a small newspaper project. You and your peers will have to simulate an editorial office, which has to result in a newspaper.
Finally, you will learn how to make a telephone call and how to write a business letter and e-mail.
During this course, we will revise parts of the basic English grammar- and spelling rules. We will also deal with some basic and journalistic vocabulary. Your oral skills will be improved by means of group discussions/conversations and by a group presentation.
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation: Continuous assessment. The appointed tasks will be graded and you will also have to take a few grammar/vocabulary tests.
English for Journalism 2
Study materials
Course material.
On Blackboard, you can find self-study help.
Prerequisites
European Reference Frame: B1
Content
Your oral skills will be improved by means of group/individual presentations. Occasionally, you will be confronted with English audiovisual material. In this way, your listening skills will get better. Throughout the course, you will get writing tasks linked to moments of feedback afterwards. After the first period, you will be able to participate in a small newspaper project. You and your peers will have to simulate an editorial office, which has to result in a newspaper.
Finally, you will learn how to make a telephone call and how to write a business letter and e-mail.
During the lessons, you will be confronted with current affairs. We will explore aspects of the Anglo-Saxon world in order to give you a better understanding of the English spoken news coverage.
Evaluation
Permanent evaluation: Continuous assessment. The appointed tasks will be graded and you will also have to take a few grammar/vocabulary tests.
Digital photography
Content
Join international photographers for a series of inspiring tutorials on the most area of photography.
Master every discipline, explore different approaches, hone your skills, and develop your own personal style.
Learn about key exponents and current trends. Also, the most famous photographers from Belgium and your own country, need to be discussed by means of a presentation.
Master camera technique and explore the rules of composition and timing as they relate to each subject.
Find fresh approaches and create images that really stand out from the crowd.
Discover the secrets of the professionals and go behind the scenes on specially commissioned photo shoots to learn how an idea progresses to a final image.
For all of this, you need a digital camera! ( or you can rent a camera in the school’s media center)
Study materials
Course material Digital Photography
Recommended study materials
Books
The digital Photography Handbook, Doug Harman ( 2013, Quercus)
The complete photographer, Tom Ang ( 2013, Dorling Kindersley)
Teaching organization
Tutorial, Theory, Independent study
Prerequisites
You should be able to express yourself in English.
You can use a digital camera ( the basics and camera essentials).
Every lesson you must have a (little) digital camera with you (from yourself or from the media center)
Final competences
At the end of this course, you are be able to make strong stories of images.
Each student creates a portfolio with his own results.
Evaluation
Continuous assessment: the assignments will be graded.
Tasks about:
- controlling the exposure
- adjusting settings of white balance
- shooting at night
- using close-ups
- black and white photography
- taking pictures of people
- serials with documentary aspects
- 'the decision of moment' and street images
Learning outcomes
In this course, you'll find all you need to take great photo's, including:
- how to use professional photo techniques
- overcoming some common problems, for example low light, blurred images, poor framing, under- and
overexposure
- inspiration photo ideas to improve your creativity
- practical advice on getting the best results
- explanations of depth of field, exposure, white balance, ISO, shutter speed, rule of thirds...
- making serials with documentary aspects, 'the decision of moment', street images, and portraits.
Teaching organization
° Theory: Basic information about photography.
° Tutorial: Exercises and tasks for portfolio.