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MFD10010

Academic Year 2026/2027

Music, Film and Drama: Making, Doing, Interpreting (MFD10010)

Subject:
Music,Film & Drama
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
Music
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Laura Anderson
Trimester:
Autumn
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

Music, film, and theatre constitute three distinctive art forms, and as such they each rely upon (and sometimes break) the conventions specific to their medium. Nevertheless, they also share elements of formal structure, thematic content, and perhaps most importantly, an emphasis on temporality, with the expectation that an audience would experience and understand these art forms in real time. These three art forms also influence, intensify, and transform each other, both in situations where they are directly combined, and more generally through dialogue between texts. In this module, we explore the similarities and differences between these art forms, as well as the ways that they interact, by examining three stages of the artistic process: making, doing, and interpreting. Our study of making focuses on aspects of authorship, form, and content. During the doing unit, we turn to elements of collaboration, temporality, and medium. Finally, we consider interpretation as a way of exploring audience, critical interpretation, and cultural impact.
Students will be provided with a weekly resource pack on Brightspace (UCD's virtual learning environment), which will consist of musical and audiovisual examples, reading materials, and PowerPoint slides.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

In this module, students will learn to recognise and appraise disciplinary-specific approaches to music, film and drama. They will define and discuss processes of making, doing, and interpreting as they apply to each of these three arts. They will understand and employ a strong working vocabulary of the key terms and concepts used to analyse the creative arts. They will begin to critically evaluate and interpret the cultural and artistic impact of specific works of music, film, and drama.

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages 2

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 3

Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation 1
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Specified Learning Activities

38
Autonomous Student Learning

40
Lectures

11
Tutorial

11
Total

100

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module will be delivered through lectures, tutorials, and additional resources on Brightspace. Students will be provided with a weekly resource pack on Brightspace (UCD's virtual learning environment), which will consist of musical and audiovisual examples, reading materials, and PowerPoint slides.

Note on the use of AI: Red (CAH Traffic Light System: students must not use generative Al in this module's assignments for any
purpose).

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade Component repeat (in-module) Offered
Reflective Assignment: Learning Journal (1650 words) Week 12 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
 No
Assignment(Including Essay): Assignment Week 6 Standard conversion grade scale 40% No
50
 No

As part of UCD's student support, under the Additional Consideration policy, extensions may be available for the following assessments in the module: Assignment (including essay/poster), Portfolio, Reflective Assignment, Report(s), and Individual Project.


Carry forward of passed components
Yes
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Spring No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, on an activity or draft prior to summative assessment
• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Formative feedback on draft texts will help preparing the final version. The final version will receive feedback together with the grade.

Name Role
Sorcha Ní Néill Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Autumn Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 09:00 - 10:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 1 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 12:00 - 12:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 2 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 11:00 - 11:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 3 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Wed 13:00 - 13:50
Autumn Tutorial Offering 4 Week(s) - 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 Thurs 16:00 - 16:50
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