The cheat sheets engaging visual layout, colour-coded sections, and concise explanations make it an ideal primer for entry-level learners in Media Arts. The inclusion of icons, real-world examples, and clear headings supports scaffolded learning and would be especially useful for Year 7 classrooms. The resource feels more like a working tool than a worksheet, something students would actively reference throughout a unit or task (Lees, 2025).

By empowering students with the language of Media, this resource can build confidence and fluency in classroom discussion and production-based tasks. For example, Students could research a favourite film and annotate it using the cheat sheet categories. or advanced learners might explore how a change in media code shifts representation or audience response.

When used within the Gradual Release of Responsibility model the cheat sheet could act as a core reference for the teacher modelling (I Do), class analysis (We Do), and independent media critiques (You Do) (Pearson et al., 2020)

Damien Lees’ Media Cheat Sheet is a concise and visually engaging learning tool designed to support students, and act as a teaching scaffold for educators. The cheat sheet is primarily used in building foundational knowledge of media terminology, codes, conventions, and production processes.

The resource aligns closely with the Media Arts curriculum for Years 7–10 (Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority, 2025), particularly within the strands of Explore and Develop, Create, and Present. The cheat sheet is publicly available on Damien Lees website which is an educational resource website: www.damienlees.com.au a site designed specifically for teachers of Media, Art and Design.

The resource covers key media terminology, concepts, and frameworks relevant to years 7 - 10 and Units 1–4 of the VCE Media Study Design (2024–2028).

The cheat sheet is widely recognised and frequently shared among Victorian media teachers for its clarity, accessibility, and alignment with the curriculum.

The resource was designed by Damien Lees, an experienced Australian Media and English teacher. It reflects deep pedagogical understanding and curriculum knowledge. The cheat sheet is carefully structured into key areas: Camera Techniques, Editing, Lighting, Sound, Narrative Structure, and Representation. The fonts are legible, the layout balanced, and examples contextualised with visual cues—making the resource both cognitively accessible and visually appealing (Lees, 2025).

From a pedagogical standpoint, the resource supports explicit instruction, aligned with the I Do, We Do, You Do model (Pearson et al., 2020). Students can access terms at different levels of complexity, and interleaved learning, as students refer to the sheet repeatedly across lessons.

The sheet also lends itself well to formative assessment, with opportunities to quiz students, prompt annotations, or check understanding through exit slips.

The clarity of media-specific vocabulary also supports teachers who may be new to teaching Media, acting as a backbone to lesson planning or assessment rubrics (Lees, 2025).