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1 – 10 of 25Barbara Workman, Pauline Armsby, Alan Durrant and Philip Frame
The purpose of this paper is to discuss three case studies reflecting areas of innovation and creativity which CETL funding made possible through a work‐based learning CETL. CETL…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to discuss three case studies reflecting areas of innovation and creativity which CETL funding made possible through a work‐based learning CETL. CETL sponsored evaluations of funded projects and teaching initiatives informed further curriculum developments.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a case study approach the paper explores the experiences of three different projects and the impact upon staff and students in a CETL for work‐based learning. Three case studies are used, the first describing progression from a Performing Arts Diploma to a degree, facilitated by the use of learning technologies and social networking; the second considers the impact upon experienced professionals and stakeholders involved in a new Doctorate programme by Public Works. The third case study demonstrates the importance of rewarding investment in and evaluation of learning approaches, assisted by learning technology, with the resultant development of a model which facilitates reflective learning from work activities. Case studies were focused on teaching and learning practice.
Findings
These were all programme developments which arose from practitioners and impacted upon academic practice and curriculum development. They impacted upon future learning initiatives thus demonstrating that the CETL investment impacted a wide range of learning activities at different academic levels. Dissemination of impact beyond the original project was evident through qualitative feedback and practitioner practice.
Social implications
This was more of an analytical exploration of funded innovations in teaching and learning than formal research and therefore is not presented as traditional research. However, a case for case study approach in included, but data methods not explored.
Practical implications
The CETL funding of teaching and learning innovations impacted upon work‐based learning and the student learning experience within several schools across the university. These innovations have become significant for future WBL curriculum developments within the University. It is also evidenced that additional funding for five years of the CETL project enabled projects to grow and develop over a period of time. Therefore the indications are that sustained funding and evaluations at development points contribute to embedding and enhancing academic curriculum innovations.
Originality/value
This paper highlights the importance of long‐term investment in teaching and learning initiatives and the impact that such investment can have over a period of time, particularly in relation to CETL funding, of which the long‐term effects on teaching and learning in HE are as yet unknown.
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Peter Bryant, Adesola Akinleye and Alan Durrant
Using data drawn from two cohorts of learners studying the Bachelor of Arts (Professional Practice) programme at Middlesex University, the purpose of this paper is to critically…
Abstract
Purpose
Using data drawn from two cohorts of learners studying the Bachelor of Arts (Professional Practice) programme at Middlesex University, the purpose of this paper is to critically analyse the effectiveness of work based learning in improving the skills bases of early career arts professionals in the twenty‐first century and to explore the changing place and role of “traditional” concepts of knowledge and teaching.
Design/methodology/approach
This study utilised a collaborative action research approach in order to categorise and theorise the themes that have emerged from the practice of delivering the programme, and to provide data that informed the on‐going curriculum development.
Findings
The study identified three emerging themes in terms of the role of knowledge attainment for the early career arts professional undertaking work based learning. First, knowledge attainment processes shift from a push model to a pull model, second the authors noted a change in the inequalities in knowledge attainment facilitated by the use of the web 2.0 platforms and third it is argued that there are recognisable differences in the value and use of experientially gain knowledge in the establishing and in the established practitioner. The study then suggests changes that may occur in terms of curriculum design, delivery and pedagogy to support establishing arts professionals through a work based learning programme.
Originality/value
There is a limited research discourse on the authenticity of the use of work based learning with early career professionals. Further, the study of this emerging cohort for work based learning programmes at Middlesex University points to a wider discourse in terms of positioning work based learning in volunteer environments, third sector and other creative industries contexts where the notion of work is challenged and the connection of learning to practice less firmly set in the established identity of a workplace.
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Paula Nottingham and Adesola Akinleye
The purpose of this paper is to present and examine the addition of a “professional artefact” to the course requirements for the BA Honours Professional Practice (BAPP) (Arts…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present and examine the addition of a “professional artefact” to the course requirements for the BA Honours Professional Practice (BAPP) (Arts) programme at Middlesex University.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper takes a case study approach using reflection, indicative theories and consideration of student work to evaluate the introduction of the “professional artefact” into the BAPP (Arts) curriculum. Following pragmatist and phenomenological descriptions of the lived experience as embodied (Dewey et al., 1989; Merleau-Ponty, 2002) and using learning models based on experience in the workplace (Boud and Garrick, 1999), the paper's methodology takes the work-based principle of “experience as knowledge” to examine the impact of the professional artefact on students learning.
Findings
The professional artefact has proven to be a useful way for the learners on the course to reflect on the purpose of their own study and the ways in which work-based learning can be incorporated into their practice through embodied “ideas”.
Practical implications
The paper suggests that the inclusion of a professional artefact to the curriculum provides a flexible means for bridging academic and workplace learning. The inclusion of the professional artefact could be recommended as a strategy for other work-based learning programmes.
Originality/value
The added value for professional practice is that the professional artefact provides a flexible and creative means of communication for emerging and establishing workplace professionals.
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The governance of our towns and cities requires an approach that connects people with nature and places. Digital technology can be the glue that does this, if it serves the needs…
Abstract
The governance of our towns and cities requires an approach that connects people with nature and places. Digital technology can be the glue that does this, if it serves the needs of the various stakeholders, including urban communities. It means identifying the potential connections across people, digital, and place themes, examining successful approaches, and exploring some of the current practice (or lack of it) in spatial planning and smart cities. This can be considered using a range of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies with other methodologies which combine the use of socioeconomic and environmental data about the urban environment. This ambient domain sensing can provide the ecological and other data to show how digital connectivity is addressing the placemaking challenges alongside providing implications for urban governance and communities.
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A special meeting of members was held during the course of the Institute's Northern Printed Circuit Symposium on Tuesday, 20th November. The meeting was held to consider, and if…
Abstract
A special meeting of members was held during the course of the Institute's Northern Printed Circuit Symposium on Tuesday, 20th November. The meeting was held to consider, and if thought fit, to vote on two proposals of the Executive Council which were essentially:‐
Using document analysis and surveys this chapter presents a case study about a new master’s degree program in library and information science and its curriculum which was…
Abstract
Using document analysis and surveys this chapter presents a case study about a new master’s degree program in library and information science and its curriculum which was developed cooperatively from 2009 through 2012 by four EU higher education institutions for, and with, universities in three former Soviet countries in the Caucasus and Central Asia. Events that led to the collaboration are presented along with how faculty members were taught to teach new courses. It also discusses findings and results of an assessment of impact and satisfaction levels of the project. Stated project objectives and anticipated outcomes were compared with student expectations in order to provide a better understanding of the critical factors that might determine success of the new program. Although the project’s documentation was extensive, analysis and conclusions from it were limited to education and knowledge transfer goals of the program. Results from the study shed light on how to adjust course content to better meet student expectations and how to implement ongoing evaluation of courses at the international level. Since cooperation between institutions is always highly demanding, in particular when it is among institutions from different countries, the evaluation of this project will be of interest to anyone trying to improve cooperative agreements for educational purposes. Low response rates to the surveys limit the conclusions on general indications of effectiveness. This chapter provides only an early look at the impact of the program, and outcomes analysis based on a larger sample remains to be done.
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