2.1: Creative Arts approaches to teaching and learning: Modes of engagement through visuals online mediums
Creative Arts
Jayne Smith and Rebecca Thomas University of Hertfordshire
This presentation will focus on two different innovative approaches to teaching within the School of Creative Arts at the University of Hertfordshire. One of these approaches involves working with fashion students in Sweden employing digital media to convey basic fashion industry skills and terminology such as the English names for specific parts of garments and the terms employed in measuring the body. This involves students using a combination of digital and physical learning strategies so as to develop industry-level skills. The second aspect of the talk will look at work with photography students who are using mobile technology in the classroom engaging with a variety of online platforms enabling an instantaneous response. This means that comments upon what the students send out are themselves often received in real time. The pros and cons involved in these two pedagogic methods will also be discussed and assessed.
2.2 Selfish: Returning students’ ‘own’ to ownership through an example of research-informed teaching in performance
Dance Drama & Music
Simon Piasecki and Kris Darby Liverpool Hope University
This 'How To' session will share research-informed teaching practice that constructs an artistic discourse of the Self in order both to share the imperative and passion for research practice with the student but also to develop their sense for ownership and personal enquiry and as such improve participation retention and employability.
The session is concerned with emphasising the power of autobiographical contexts in developing student's ownership of their own satisfaction in study; this naturally improves retention and employability because they self-locate in the material and relate themselves to professional example but it also antagonises the idea that study content is given or delivered returning us to the cruciality of the exchange.
We will share some adventurous material and techniques in teaching contexts of Self Identity Place and Space that may be useful also to other Humanities based disciplines.
2.3: An innovative Iliad: creating a map of Homeric London
Classics
Antony Makrinos University College London
This class is part of innovative practice in teaching Homer from Translation and in particular the Iliad to a group of 37 undergraduate students for the course Greek Authors: Homer (CLAS7112). The aims of the class are to combine the teaching of Homeric research performed by the students in museums and galleries all over London and the aim is to produce a “Homeric map of London”. The students will present their research in class and they will be invited to share their findings with their peers in a presentation.
This class is designed to provide the students with a learning experience which will promote research-based teaching in Classics as part of the Connected Curriculum. The class enables students to think critically on the relationship of the Homeric world and especially the world of the Iliad with contemporary culture in London.
2.4: Kingston University and the Women’s Institute (WI) celebrating 100 years of Craft
Art & Design
Samantha Elliot Kingston University
This innovative project linked 11 final year knitwear students with 21 WI members selected from around the country enabling the sharing of craft skills intergenerational learning partnership pedagogies developing communities of practice and a broadening of research skills enriching the student experience and providing a platform for the students to demonstrate “soft skills’. The members benefited from an insight into current design practice and the student’s further benefited from a wealth of knowledge (both cultural and skills based) with the oldest member involved in the project being 86.
The outcomes were showcased at a number of events including:
- Kingston Internal fashion show;
- The Women’s institute AGM at the royal albert hall attended by the HRH the Queen;
- Knit and stitch show Alexandra palace;
- Knit and stitch show Harrogate.
The project was shortlisted for a guardian higher education award and won the Rose award 2015 for the category ‘best project of the year’.
The project is underpinned by pedagogic theory and draws on current research presented by the HEA on partnership based pedagogies. A film which documents the entire project will form the focus of the presentation supported by ongoing research including qualitative data received after the project completion date which is expected to result in a paper.
2.5: The value of Newsday as a teaching tool on Journalism courses
Journalism
Aleksander Kocic Edinburgh Napier University
From its earliest conceptions journalism education has been about training students to work for newspapers. Over time schools have added training in broadcast advertising and public relations some have added design programmes management sequences and emphases on various types of reporting. Throughout its history however a central theme of journalism education has been that of a professionally oriented programme focused on educating students for jobs in the media industries. Now more than ever journalism graduates are expected to have the capacities to engage immediately and effectively in the professional setting where they secure employment. This is so in large part because companies cannot afford the cost of training newcomers in generic employment skills. In order to provide that service the higher education sector places great emphasis on teaching skills suitable for entry-level jobs. This emphasis on employment-related skills has sparked a renewed debate about the right approach to the teaching of journalism. One of the most comprehensive teaching tools available to journalism educators is Newsday which bridges most if not all of the above mentioned levels. Although widely popular both amongst the educators and the students Newsday as a teaching tool is inadequately researched and this paper is an attempt to remedy that.
2.6: The opportunities and challenges for employability-related support in arts and humanities degrees
Interdisciplinary
Simon O'Leary Regents Unviersity London
The aim is to further explore the findings from my recently published paper on graduate employability in the Journal of Education and Work and to initiate some follow-up work specifically on the Arts and Humanities: O’Leary S. (2016) Graduates’ experiences of and attitudes towards the inclusion of employability-related support in undergraduate degree programmes; trends and variations by subject discipline and gender Journal of Education & Work. Abstract at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13639080.2015.1122181
2.7: Opening doors to teaching: Language Teacher Training at UG Level at Bristol – a case study
Languages
Jonas Langner and Andrea Zhok University of Bristol
Teaching together with translating is one of the employment options most closely associated with an Modern Foreign Language degree or at least one where the language skills acquired are an intrinsic part of the profession in question. Yet British undergraduate language degree programmes rarely offer students opportunities to facilitate the transition to postgraduate study and a teaching career.
With our unit we have set out to attempt to bridge this gap by providing a balance of theoretical and practical knowledge aimed at those students wanting to pursue a teaching profession so that they can make informed decisions about their future in the employment market. Over 5 years our Teaching Modern Languages unit has provided an opportunity for final year students who are interested in receiving formal training in language teaching. The unit is open to most students in the School of Modern Languages and is currently offered in the following languages: French German Italian and Spanish.
This is an opportunity to try teaching for the first time however the unit often taps into the students’ desire to continue with teaching after working as language assistants on their year abroad.
The unit - which is co-taught by a team of colleagues - mixes a variety of teaching methods (lecture seminars and tutorials) as well as practical real-life teaching tasks. Through co-operation with a select network of local secondary schools students are required to observe teaching and then team-teach a lesson. This combination of theory and hands-on experiences is also reflected in how candidates are assessed: a more traditional academic essay is accompanied by a reflective and detailed lesson plan.
Students taking this unit are offered a direct path into teaching thanks to our collaboration with the Graduate School of Education in facilitating entry to PGCEs or Teach First (or TEFL) programmes which has led to a significant number of students actually entering the profession
