Second Marking at BNU

Second Marking at Bucks

All the marks given out to students at Bucks New University have to be second-marked. Second Marking is the process whereby students' work is marked by a second tutor after having sight of the original marks. Second markers ensure that the initial marker has applied standards consistently across the group being marked.

Second markers check our grades, making sure we're awarding marks appropriately, and also keep an eye on making sure that our standards are consistent with other universities and colleges in the UK, all in accordance with Bucks New Uni regulations.

Animation MA Module and Grade Structure

Kiwi by Oliver Canovas

Our online MA in 3D Animation at Bucks New University is a unique course, still the only online MA in animation in the world.

Priced at just £7,200 for the full 18 months, it is a gateway to a career in the animation industry and also a passport to teaching animation at university level.

Inside the MA are five modules; four run consecutively throughout the year, and the final module runs for the full 18 months of the course.

Marking The Animation Masters Degree at Bucks

How does the Marking Work on our MA in Animation at Bucks? Marking can be appear to be a rather opaque process, so it's helpful to clarify some of the basics for our students.

The Master's Degree at Bucks is worth 180 credits overall, and has two components, academic and practical, with a roughly even balance between the two.

There are five Modules in the MA, each worth 30 credits, apart from the 18 month long dissertation module which is worth 60 credits.

Second Marking with Niki Brodie

Nicola Brodie

Last week we did some second marking of the MA work done by our Master's Degree students at Bucks. Second marking at Bucks is part of the process by which we ensure that our academic standards are being rigorously applied. Was the marking fair? Is it reasonable? Were the correct criterial applied?

Looking at your students' work through the eyes of another is a valuable exercise; it is a reminder of how personal marking can be, and how important it is to apply rigidly objective criteria. We don't always get it right, which is why second marking - also known as marking moderation - is so important.

How do we judge a great piece of animation?

Guilty....of not knowing The Twelve Principles of Animation

What are the criteria to apply to judge a good piece of animation? How do we critique an animator's work? Below are some of the things that we look for at Bucks when giving feedback to our students on their work. We don't pretend that this is an exhaustive list, but we think it's a pretty good start. Well-read animators will notice that these criteria have a lot to do with the Twelve Principles of Animation set out by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnstone in their classic book - The Illusion of Life. Every student should own a copy, or at least check one out from the library.