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Genre Shift Workshop: Reimagining The Wizard of Oz through Media Arts
The Genre Shift workshop has been designed to immerse Year 7–8 students in both making and responding within the Media Arts Curriculum 2.0. This integrated approach ensures that students not only develop practical skills in media production but also engage critically with media texts as informed audiences. It supports students in deepening their understanding of how visual storytelling, genre conventions, and audience engagement shape meaning in media artworks (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
Finally, students will evaluate their own poster designs, considering how effectively they have communicated their chosen genre shift and targeted a specific audience. By presenting and annotating their work, students will be encouraged to justify creative decisions and articulate how their design aligns with media conventions (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
The Role of Visual Presentation: The Value of a Full-Colour Brochure
Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1998).
Sweller’s (1998), Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) provides a strong theoretical foundation for using a full-colour brochure in the workshop. CLT explains that learning is most effective when instructional materials are designed to reduce extraneous cognitive load, allowing students to focus on essential content without becoming overwhelmed. The brochure serves as a structured, visually appealing support tool that aligns with Sweller’s (1998) principles, ensuring that learners can process and retain information more efficiently.
Addressing economic concerns:
A non-printable, slideshow-based version ensures that the workshop can still be delivered in schools where printing resources are limited.
The adaptability of the resource means that it remains accessible across various school settings.
As media arts makers, students will reimagine The Wizard of Oz movie poster by transforming it into a new genre, such as horror, science fiction, or romance, through the creation of a film poster.
This creative reimagining builds on the Exploring and Developing Practices strand of the curriculum by encouraging students to experiment with media codes and conventions including composition, colour, character representation, and text, then applying this in practice fo a desired outcome (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
The workshop includes scaffolded options ranging from genre-specific templates to open-ended digital or hand-drawn poster tasks, ensuring both accessibility and challenge. Through this differentiated design process, students will strengthen their conceptual thinking and technical skills, applying genre knowledge to communicate their reinterpretation effectively (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
As audiences, students will critically analyse a short film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and annotate its original movie poster using media-specific language. This analysis is supported by a guided PowerPoint presentation and class discussion that explores genre, audience, representation, and narrative. Students will revisit the media text with a more critical lens, applying their understanding to identify the symbolic, technical, and written codes at work. This reflective practice aligns with the developing practises strand of the curriculum, where students examine how media artworks reflect ideas and influence audience interpretations (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
Finally, students will evaluate their own poster designs, considering how effectively they have communicated their chosen genre shift and targeted a specific audience. By presenting and annotating their work, students will be encouraged to justify creative decisions and articulate how their design aligns with media conventions (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
Genre Shift Workshop: Reimagining The Wizard of Oz through Media Arts
The Genre Shift workshop has been designed to immerse Year 7–8 students in both making and responding within the Media Arts Curriculum 2.0. This integrated approach ensures that students not only develop practical skills in media production but also engage critically with media texts as informed audiences. It supports students in deepening their understanding of how visual storytelling, genre conventions, and audience engagement shape meaning in media artworks (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
Finally, students will evaluate their own poster designs, considering how effectively they have communicated their chosen genre shift and targeted a specific audience. By presenting and annotating their work, students will be encouraged to justify creative decisions and articulate how their design aligns with media conventions (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
As media arts makers, students will reimagine The Wizard of Oz movie poster by transforming it into a new genre, such as horror, science fiction, or romance, through the creation of a film poster.
This creative reimagining builds on the Exploring and Developing Practices strand of the curriculum by encouraging students to experiment with media codes and conventions including composition, colour, character representation, and text, then applying this in practice fo a desired outcome (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
The workshop includes scaffolded options ranging from genre-specific templates to open-ended digital or hand-drawn poster tasks, ensuring both accessibility and challenge. Through this differentiated design process, students will strengthen their conceptual thinking and technical skills, applying genre knowledge to communicate their reinterpretation effectively (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
As audiences, students will critically analyse a short film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz and annotate its original movie poster using media-specific language. This analysis is supported by a guided PowerPoint presentation and class discussion that explores genre, audience, representation, and narrative. Students will revisit the media text with a more critical lens, applying their understanding to identify the symbolic, technical, and written codes at work. This reflective practice aligns with the developing practises strand of the curriculum, where students examine how media artworks reflect ideas and influence audience interpretations (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
Finally, students will evaluate their own poster designs, considering how effectively they have communicated their chosen genre shift and targeted a specific audience. By presenting and annotating their work, students will be encouraged to justify creative decisions and articulate how their design aligns with media conventions (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025).
The Role of Visual Presentation: The Value of a Full-Colour Brochure
Cognitive Load Theory (Sweller, 1998).
Sweller’s (1998), Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) provides a strong theoretical foundation for using a full-colour brochure in the workshop. CLT explains that learning is most effective when instructional materials are designed to reduce extraneous cognitive load, allowing students to focus on essential content without becoming overwhelmed. The brochure serves as a structured, visually appealing support tool that aligns with Sweller’s (1998) principles, ensuring that learners can process and retain information more efficiently.
Addressing economic concerns:
A non-printable, slideshow-based version ensures that the workshop can still be delivered in schools where printing resources are limited.
The adaptability of the resource means that it remains accessible across various school settings.
The Powerpoint
Genre Shift Workshop: Curriculum Alignment 2.0
The Frameworks
The Gradual Release of Responsibility Framework (Pearson et al., 2020).
The I Do, We Do, You Do model, rooted in the Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) framework (as first named
by Pearson & Gallagher 1983), is a structured instructional approach that moves the cognitive workload from teacher to student in a purposeful and scaffolded manner (Cimino, n.d.).
1. I Do (Focused Instruction)
In this phase, the teacher models the task, strategy, and concept via the powerpoint and introduction video. Clear, explicit instruction is delivered with verbalised thinking, demonstrating the processes of what's expected step-by-step.
2. We Do (Guided Instruction)
The teacher and students work together annotating the collaborative movie poster, with the teacher guiding students through the process, checking for understanding, and correcting misconceptions using Blooms Taxonmony framework here.
3. You Do It Together (Collaborative Learning)
Students collaborate with peers to apply knowledge or practice skills, drawing on each other’s understanding of the task. The teacher facilitates but steps back to observe the initial ideas.
4. You Do It Alone (Independent Practice)
Students apply what they’ve learned independently, demonstrating skills aquired to create their final piece of work.
Image: ©shanihodson2025
HITS Alignment with the Genre Shift Workshop
Setting Goals (Standard 1)
The workshop includes clear learning intentions and success criteria, ensuring students understand what they will achieve by the end of the session.
Explicit Teaching (Standard 3)
The lesson begins with an interactive PowerPoint presentation on The Wizard of OZ, and Genre & Audience, introducing students to Media Arts..
Worked Example (Standard 4)
To scaffold student understanding, an example of a Genre Shift movie poster is provided.
Collaborative Learning (Standard 5)
Students work together in a group annotation activity, analysing The Wizard of Oz movie poster.
Questioning (Standard 7)
Throughout the session, targeted questioning is used to elicit student responses about Genre and Audience.
Metacognitive Strategies – Self-Evaluation (Standard 8)
After completing their portraits, students engage in a self-evaluation task to reflect on their work.
Differentiated Teaching (Standard 10)
The workshop includes differentiated workbooks to cater to different learning needs.
(Department of Education and Training Victoria, 2020).
Image: ©shanihodson2025
Remembering: Students recall prior knowledge of Media Arts. They identify key facts about The Wizard of OZ and Genre & Audience.
Understanding: Through group discussions, students interpret how the design of the movie poster influences the intended audience and communicates the genre of the movie.
Applying: Students apply their knowledge by creating a genre shift movie poster.
Analysing: Students compare their own portrait with their peers and discuss the success of the genre shift. They discuss how the different elements including colour palette, font and composition have influenced the intended audience.
Evaluating: Through self-evaluation, students assess their artwork,
identifying strengths and areas for improvement.
Creating: Students generate an original genre shift movie poster, making
independent design decisions.
(Anderson et al., 2001).
Image: ©shanihodson2025
Standard 1: Know students and how they learn (1.2,1.5, 1.6) - The workshop is designed with the assumption that Year 7
students have limited prior knowledge of the Media Arts.
Standard 2: Know the content and how to teach it (2.1, 2.2, 2.5) - The workshop is aligned with the Victorian Curriculum 2.0,
addressing the four strands of Visual Arts: Exploring, Developing Practises, Creating,
and Presenting.
Standard 3: Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning (3.1, 3.2, 3.4, 3.6) - The lesson includes clear learning intentions and success criteria (HITS Standard 1: Setting Goals). A worked example of a movie poster is provided (HITS Standard 4), giving students a visual and conceptual guide before they begin their own work.
Standard 5: Assess, provide feedback, and report on student learning (5.1, 5.2, 5.3) - Students engage in self-assessment and reflection, identifying what they would improve in their work. Teacher feedback is provided through formative assessment strategies, such as questioning, peer critique, and discussion.
Standard 6: Engage in professional learning (6.2,6.3) - The use of AITSL-aligned teaching strategies, HITS, and Blooms Taxonomy reflects a commitment to evidence-based teaching practices.
(AITSL, 2017).
Image: ©shanihodson2025
the foundational skills of Digital Literacy, Literacy, and Numeracy from the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 can be integrated to enhance student learning.
Literacy is embedded through the analysis and discussion of the example movie poster, requiring students to articulate their observations using subject-specific vocabulary related to the codes and conventions of media arts. They will also engage in annotation and written reflection as part of their response to the artwork.
Digital Literacy may be incorporated through the interactive PowerPoint presentation, where students engage with digital media to explore the wizard of oz, and audience & genre, as well as digital extensions, such as creating movie posters using design software.
Numeracy is relevant within media arts when discussing In Media Arts when analysing statistical audience data or understanding time codes and frame rates in editing.
By incorporating these foundational skills, the workshop aligns with the Victorian Curriculum’s foundational skills approach, ensuring students develop competencies that support their broader learning across subjects.
(Department of Education and Training Victoria, 2025).
Image: ©shanihodson2025
Lev Vygotsky’s (1978) theory of scaffolding and the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD) provides a strong foundation for structuring my workshop.
According to Vygotsky (1978), learning occurs most effectively when students are guided by a more knowledgeable other, gradually gaining independence in mastering new skills. Scaffolding instruction ensures that tasks are slightly beyond the learner’s current abilities but achievable with support. The workshop will apply scaffolding through structured guidance, modeling, and gradual release of responsibility to foster deeper learning (Vygotsky, 1978).
Image: ©shanihodson2025
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