Infographics as module guides
Christopher Hall, Sheffield Hallam University
The poster shows how we have introduced Infographics as a method of relating key information about core modules to Undergraduate Film & Media Production students. Introduced in 2012 these infographics supplement other forms of course information. Popular with visually literate and orientated students they have also gained commendation from our External Examiner. Key course information is now presented on Open Days and in course publicity in the form of infographics.
Enabling Environment = Creative Community
Angela Pickard, Canterbury Christ Church University
This session will explore ways in which an enabling environment that is premised on pedagogy practice and research can be created in order to develop and maintain a creative community or ‘community of practice’ (Lave and Wenger 1991) and argues that teaching itself is a creative act and learning is a creative activity (Pickard and Maude 2014). Feldman et al. (2004) contend that community and creativity arises from interaction between the ‘intelligence’ of individuals and that those relationships with one self and collaborations with enabling others are therefore paramount. Particular choices of teaching approaches such as the facilitation of support/guidance challenge and learning from ‘more knowledgeable others’ as in scaffolding (Bruner 1966; Vygotsky 1978) can be particularly helpful in creating an enabling environment encouraging learner independence and motivation and developing a creative community. Examples from Dance Education students will be used to illustrate perceptions and expectations of an enabling environment and understandings of the importance of collaboration creativity and community.
The value of peer mentoring in the quest for skill acquisition an technical and artistic development
Nina Atkinson, Canterbury Christ Church University
‘Mentoring’ has become a common term in the dance industry. Its presence infers personal professional career support in a one-to-one capacity. The style of ‘peer mentoring’ is increasingly popular and has proven to give positive results. Often peer mentors are able to be more frank and can connect with the mentee concerning their socio-cultural perspective. Certainly experts in the field of mentoring support this method and my personal experience substantiates this claim.
I am currently pursuing an investigation with Canterbury Christ Church University students to explore this notion in my Limón technique classes. The students’ ability will be evaluated by myself as tutor and my colleague Dr Angela Pickard as second marker.
I anticipate that mentees will benefit from one-to-one attention consequently research will also focus on the mentors ability to ‘see’ and articulate ‘how’ a mentee might develop as well as refine their own physical embodiment.
Serious Play® : Teaching and Learning Journalism with Lego® in higher education
Bianca Mitu, University of Wolverhampton
This session will explore the potential of using Lego® as a tool for reflective practice with journalism students at the University of Wolverhampton and the University of Huddersfield. The paper will explore multiple ways of using Lego® in lectures and will show evidence of the Lego® play efficacy value and impact on learning in higher education. Furthermore this study will highlight the advantages and opportunities created in class by Lego® play to: activate students aid reflection link theory to practice connect with peers team work inclusion engagement and interactivity. However this session will also discuss some of the challenges and possible risks that lecturers face when using Lego® play with 1st students as I identified them in my sessions with Broadcast Journalism students and Media and Communication students this academic year at the University of Wolverhampton and University of Huddersfield.
The Salon Conversation: playing in the ‘ruins’ of the seminar
Kath Abiker, Canterbury Christ Church University
The delivery of a workshop centred around exploring learning and teaching strategies to deliver seminar activity using the enlightenment form of a ‘Salon Conversation’ to do so. By the end of the workshop participants will have:
- received a short introduction to the ‘Salon Conversation’ as a project as a response to Barthes essay ‘To the Seminar’ and Jaques Derrida’s text ‘Memoirs of the Blind with the pedagogic rationale for it’s use in Arts and Humanities contexts;
- engaged in discourse using the ‘Salon Conversation’ as a structure and explored it’s uses and values;
- exchanged strategies and techniques for engaging students in seminars to provoke critical discourse around practice based research and research activity.
'Ditch the exam board and create your own!' A-level students and mimetic learning
Syed Haider, Vyners School and Sixth Form College
In his paper 'Mimetic Learning' Christoph Wulf (2008) foregrounds the productive nature of mimetic learning insisting that this type of learning does not just denote imitation or copying. Instead Wulf argues mimetic learning is an embodied practice in which learners are invited to relate to other people and other worlds thereby enhancing their own world views actions and behaviours. Taking inspiration from Wulf and extending his reference to examiners (as 'other people') and the context of an exam board (as the context of an 'other world') I devised a project in which students engaged with revision through appropriating the roles of examiners and simulating the processes by which examiners devise exam papers and accompanying texts. This mini-project lasting two-weeks encouraged students as active learners to engage with texts ranging from past papers model answers mark schemes and examiners' reports. By creating a structured and systematic scheme of work students were inspired to look at the process of examination not as something that is done to them but as a composite series of decisions made to enable them to perform to their best ability. 'Ditch the exam board' evaluates the success of this project with an aim to inspire teachers beyond English and Media Studies which are my areas of specialism.
Managing students’ expectations of placements: the use of e-portfolios in placement preparation
Marga Menendez-Lopez, University of Surrey
Humanities graduates usually experience a longer transition from university to graduate employment and a wider range of ‘bridging’ activities compared to vocational degrees. In humanities sandwich degrees it is necessary to manage a much wider range of student expectations while offering the opportunity to explore different placement opportunities.
The Professional Training Year at Surrey is modular and credit-bearing; the placement preparation in the second year at the School of English & Languages is compulsory and includes individual and group tutorials on careers and professional-related skills and areas. These are linked to reflective tasks that are flexible enough to cater for the differences while guiding the student to consider particular issues. The e-portfolio function in the university’s VLE is used to embed these tasks in the university’s Personal Development Planning (PDP) provision. This presentation will look at the placement preparation curriculum and how its assessment is embedded in the PDP e-portfolio.
Feeling It: Emotional intelligence in teaching and learning
Emma Brodzinski, Royal Holloway University of London
Within my home department our NSS scores have been falling. In Spring 2016 we will be running ‘Feeling It’ a project to engage in consultation with staff and students as to the quality of relationships and teaching within the department.
As a drama department we are looking to make use of the rehearsal studio as a place of exploration and to see if we can translate data into embodied learning and vice versa. The presentation will draw on research into emotional intelligence in education to provide a context for the research project and give an account of the project so far sharing our methodologies and findings and inviting thoughts and comments from peers in the wider academic community.
Contemplative pedagogies - collective/co- mindfulness as pedagogic space
Pratap Rughani and Graham Barton, University of the Arts London
Our working lives are played out at an increasing pace – with immediate response expected. In this quickening pace what happens to the deeper thinking that underpins our pedagogy and aspirations? How do we contemplate our experience and the ethics of what informs our practice of teaching / making / researching in the digital world and the potentially fragmented environments of blended teaching? These questions resonate with recent writings and research into contemplative pedagogies (O’Donnell 2015; Ergas 2013) and point to the need for appreciative but critical engagement with the use of mindfulness and contemplative practices in higher education. Seeing the potential for teaching as a collaborative endeavour with students this workshop will ask participants to consider their use and development of contemplative space both in their own pedagogic practice and the potential for co-creating such spaces in collaboration with students. In this workshop we explore the importance of surfacing the process of contemplating our own teaching / making / researching practice – using approaches to reflection and mindfulness practice.
Providing feedback using an assessment database tool to provide timely and meaningful assessment – IRAD (Interactive Rubric Assessment Database); the tool and the challenges
Lisa Webb, Coventry University
Providing feedback to students in a timely meaningful and practical way presents various challenges to academics who often manage complex workloads. The IRAD (Interactive Rubric Assessment Database) tool offers a range of solutions to support the academic process and meet the needs of students. Various studies suggest that students value different aspects of the summative assessment process and the IRAD tool provides a practical solution which benefits both them and staff. This poster session will present the IRAD tool as piloted in the Faculty of Arts & Humanities at Coventry University showcasing its use functionality and benefits and will explore developmental opportunities for database technologies.
