B&FC Scholarship Review 2019

Blackpool and The Fylde College Scholarship Review 2019

BLACKPOOL AND THE FYLDE COLLEGE SCHOLARSHIP REVIEW 2019

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Contents Welcome to the Scholarship Review 2019 Helen Fogg - Director of Higher Education page 6 The Editorial Team

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PAPERS Key characteristics of student peer support relationships: an exploration of mentoring practices at Blackpool and The Fylde College Bernadett Mireider page 12 An exploration of a mature student’s experience studying a HE programme in an FE college: a case study approach Parvonay Amirkhani

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Enhancing the first level of experience: reviewing and adapting academic and digital literacies Hannah Emery page 30 What affects my teaching? Building a co-collaboration approach Colette Mazzola page 36 Improving teaching and learning in STEM through innovative problem-based competitive work: an initial study of student populations Margarita Georgieva and Abdelrahman Abdelazim page 50 Challenges of implementing policy and communication issues associated with the concept of valuing nature Paulina Mackrell

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Anatomy of a found poem: a reflection on professional practice Ashely Lister page 64 On the level: staff perceptions of graduate attributes and the journey towards them in art and design Dr. Jill Fernie-Clarke and Su Em Sans page 70 The VR gallery project: virtual reality as a test space for creative arts students Aaron Tonks page 82 Emblems of Britain: can we reconcile the historic icons and contemporary concepts of British values?

Tracey Eastham page 102 Enrichment of teaching and students’ professional engagement in engineering through academic research: a reflective account Abdelrahman Abdelazim

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FEATURES Focus on Scholars: The People behind the Papers

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British Conference for Undergraduate Research

The Annual Teaching and Learning Conference

page 122

Undergraduate Research Poster Event

page 130

Validation Showcase

page 133

The Scholarship and Research Development Scheme (SRDS)

page 136

Writing for the Scholarship Review

page 139

page 126

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Welcome to the Scholarship Review 2019 Helen Fogg Director of Higher Education

Welcome to the 2019 edition of the Scholarship Review. The AoC Scholarship Framework was launched June 2018, and continues to support and promote scholarship in college higher education. It provides a free toolkit of resources aimed at supporting English colleges with higher education provision to enhance student learning through forms of scholarship and a forum aimed at developing a wider community of college higher education practice.

Our publication the Scholarship Review is one of the mechanisms through which staff at Blackpool and The Fylde College are able to disseminate their research and scholarship outcomes and to share these with the cohesive, self-critical academic community.

This year we begin with Bernadett Mireider’s paper ‘Key characteristics of student peer support relationships: an exploration of mentoring practices at Blackpool and The Fylde College’ which investigates the current informal peer support networks within HE groups at the College and considers the extent to which these could be formalised. It provides an insight into the wide range of peer mentoring practices currently embedded within HE nationally and considers the potential application of specific characteristics of these to current cohorts within the College.

In Parvonay Amirkhani’s paper ‘An exploration of a mature student’s experience studying a HE programme in an FE college: a case study approach’, the potential impact of multiple factors on mature learners is examined in relation to student identity. By drawing upon current literature and policy along with the results of a case study, the paper considers how complexities such as dependants and employment can act as both motivational influences as well as challenges. It encourages the use of appropriate support systems, early intervention and a suitable learning environment that is not aimed solely at ‘traditional students’.

Hannah Emery’s Paper ‘Enhancing the first level of experience: reviewing and adapting Academic and Digital Literacies’ considers how academic skills remain necessary in the HE sector, and also have a significant role in the future workplaces of students. However, the approach to teaching these skills needs to continually shift in order to reflect the changing student population and the societies that the students, their institutions and future employers are part of. To reflect the need for constant reflection on approach, a modification of B&FC’s Academic and Digital Literacies module is considered.

Colette Mazzola’s Paper: ‘What affects my teaching? Building a co-collaboration approach’ focuses on a series of personal narratives that capture teaching and learning experiences through the years and looks at the personal and professional development of the author as well as the changes that this reflective work brings

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into her teaching methods. The text presents enlightening personal reflections on professional practice that present a highly relatable experience of the teaching journey.

Margarita Georgieva and Abdelrahman Abdelazim co-author a paper entitled ‘Improving teaching and learning in STEM through innovative problem-based competitive work: An initial study of student populations’ which examines the impact of competitive problem-based work on secondary school students and their perception of STEM disciplines. Findings show that the level of teachers’ English remains crucial even in fields such as STEM, traditionally seen as less heavy on language skills. The small-scale study also shows that students tend to participate in advanced level STEM activities more readily when they are presented to them as a form of play.

‘Valuing Nature – challenges of implementing policy and communication issues associated with the concept of valuing nature’ by Paulina Mackrell firstly offers an overview of the dependence of human societies upon the Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems, along with current public views and concerns regarding environmental degradation. It then explores the complex concept of value relating to nature and discusses the challenges of communication between policy makers and society.

In Ashely Lister’s piece ‘Anatomy of a Found Poem: a reflection on professional practice’, he reflects on how exploring poetry can help you develop not only your writing but also our ability to think about how we can use words to add clarity and efficiency to our written work. Ashley’s reflection deconstructs a number of poetry formats helping the reader appreciate how examining each sentence and understanding its content and impact on a piece as a whole is an exercise that demands that we think about words with a specificity that conventional writing seldom necessitates.

Jill Fernie-Clarke presents a co-authored piece with Su Em Sans from the Northern School of Art: ‘On the level: Staff perceptions of graduate attributes and the journey towards them in art and design’. This paper investigates the existence, or otherwise, of a consensus about the characteristics of levels of attainment amongst a group of professionals teaching art and design. Following an extensive to the literature review around graduate-ness and academic soundness a ‘Post-It’ learning ladder activity was carried out with academic staff which further developed the notions and perceptions of graduate qualities. The research culminated with an innovative presentation of communal drawings that present a visual impression of the research findings.

Aaron Tonks paper ‘The VR Gallery Project: Virtual reality as a test space for creative arts Students’ uses action research to discover if this technology can be used to enable creative arts students to pre-visualise the scale and impact of their work within a virtual gallery environment in a meaningful way. The outcome of this inquiry concluded that, apart from procedural technical and accessibility issues, students would benefit from the introduction of VR resources as it encourages them to think positively about scale, their audience, viewer experience, impact and the importance of gallery architecture as well as unexpected benefits such as increased confidence in their work. The paper concludes with an appraisal of VR as a space for new ideas and its development as an exhibition space in its own right.

Tracey Eastham’s paper considers if the historic ‘emblems of Britain’ such as those used in heraldic imagery (lions and unicorns), popularisations on Britishness (Winston Churchill and St George and the dragon) and historic references (British empire imagery and insignia) can be reconciled with the contemporary concepts of British Values, and if so, can they be used as a tool to disseminate, further, and open the British values debate.

Our final piece is a short reflective account from Abdel Abdelazim: ‘Enrichment of teaching and students’ professional engagement in engineering through academic research: a reflective account’. It is a personal

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reflection on the importance of developing students to maintain their professional and academic currency, and open their prospects onto a wider range of engagement opportunities.

In addition, we include our standard features: writing for the review, the SRDS scheme and ‘people behind the papers’ and reflect on another successful British Undergraduate Research Conference (BCUR) held this year at the University of South Wales. This year, more students than ever before from three curriculum areas at Blackpool and The Fylde College presented their research at a national forum. This event is an excellent opportunity for undergraduates to experience academic conferencing and networking: a significant enhancement to their undergraduate learning experience.

Our regular feature on the academic teams who have successfully gone through validation and revalidation this year highlights the strengths and commendations from the Lancaster University and Stage 3 panels and reflects the quality of our curriculum developments in the 2018/19 cycle.

We hope you engage with and enjoy this 2019 edition and that it motivates you to consider writing for the Scholarship Review in the future.

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The Editorial Team What we do The Editorial Team oversees and approves the content of each annual edition of the Scholarship Review.

This entails reviewing, checking, editing, amending and refining papers submitted for publication each year.

We meet to discuss papers, articles, features and think pieces and case studies and feedback to authors on how to enhance their papers.

Our remit also extends to the promotion of scholarship and research within the B&FC academic community, and encouraging and supporting staff to publish the outcomes of their research activities. In the forthcoming year we will be working more closely alongside the Senior Tutors Scholarship and Research.

Who we are The Editorial Team is chaired by Helen Fogg, HE Director who is delighted to be working with: Marc Potter, Curriculum Manager: HE, Leadership, Management & Lifestyle, Margarita Georgieva, Senior Tutor: Scholarship and Research, Engineering and Hannah Emery, HE Learning Mentor: Co-ordinator, Student Support and Wellbeing.

Left to right: Marc Potter, Margarita Georgieva, Helen Fogg and Hannah Emery

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Key characteristics of student peer support relationships: an exploration of mentoring practices at Blackpool and The Fylde College Bernadett Mireider

Introduction Social connectedness has a significant effect on mental health and wellbeing (Government Office for Science, 2008; Relationships Foundation, 2017) and a growing number of studies recognise peer relationships and social interactions as vital components of academic success (Cotton, Nash and Kneale, 2016; O’Shea, Bennett and Delahunty, 2017; Frith, May and Pocklington, 2017; Tinto, 2017; Collier, 2017). As the commercialisation of UK Higher Education (HE) and the changing student demographic present new challenges, institutions increasingly focus on the ‘soft’ side of student retention (Advance HE, 2018; The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education, 2018) and offer peer mentoring opportunities to promote engagement, belonging and social integration (Tinto, 1987).

The Higher Education Learning Mentor (HELM) service at Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) is a team of staff who provide academic guidance and study skills support to students. During my work as a HELM, informal conversations with students and staff have confirmed that student peer support activities exist in various guises across several curriculum areas. Social connections and affiliations students adopt informally while on the course play a significant role in progression, integration and achievement and this project brings these relationships into focus by listening to the student voice (Healey, Flint and Harrington, 2014). The intention of this research is therefore to identify key characteristics that help sustain peer relationships in order to inform the development of a system which can formally recognise the efforts of students who contribute to the success of their peers and, consequently, the wider college community.

Literature review Previous studies are mostly concerned with formal student peer mentoring scheme evaluations in relation to transition, retention and attrition rates and examples of papers exploring key characteristics of informal mentoring relationships involving non-traditional students in the UK remain elusive. Student peer mentoring in HE usually refers to academic and social support students provide to students (Frith, May and Pocklington, 2017) and may be described by a variety of terms. Schemes are found along a wide organisational continuum and Garvey, Stokes and Megginson (2018, p.20), similarly to Frith, May and Pocklington (2017, p.3), claim there is no ‘one best way’ in mentoring as success ‘much depends on the environment in which they operate’. For this reason, many HEIs offer multiple types of schemes (Currens, 2017) reflecting institutional or curriculum area needs with the emphasis, for example, on pre-entry support via social network sites, pastoral support (‘buddying’) for new entrants during transition, longer-term informal academic support or partnership-led peer learning. Peer assisted learning (PAL) and peer-assisted study sessions (PASS) place the emphasis on academic support that students provide to each other and align more closely with coaching (Frith, May and Picklington, 2017, p.12). Regardless of the type, student peer

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mentoring is considered a high impact strategy for student progression (Collier, 2017) and plays an important role in actively engaging students in their own learning, encouraging them to shape the learning experience and the education community itself (Relationships Foundation, 2017; Healey, Flint and Harrington, 2014).

Although there is a lack of consensus over the exact definition of mentoring, Kram’s (1983) seminal developmental model proposes that ‘a mentor relationship has the potential to enhance career development and psychosocial development of both individuals’ (p.614), emphasising the dual-function and reciprocal nature of peer mentoring. The psychosocial function includes ‘role modelling, acceptance and friendship, which help mentees develop a “sense of competence” while the mentor gains both internal satisfaction and respect from peers’. This social support function of mentoring in enhancing academic performance, belonging and wellbeing is explored and confirmed by a large volume of studies (Clark, Andrews and Davies, 2011; Frith, May and Pocklington, 2017; Cornelius, Wood and Lai, 2016; Collings, Swanson and Watkins, 2016; Schwellnus and Carnahan 2014; O’Shea, Bennett and Delahunty, 2017). The career development function is facilitated by peer mentors, who promote academic success and support mentees’ efforts of progression and completion. Significantly, Clark and Andrews (2011) claim that ‘participation in mentoring has more positive outcomes for student volunteers than mentees’ as students gain valuable transferrable skills. Collier (2017) defines peer mentoring in terms of experience. Although experience, in the sense of proficiency, clearly applies to cross-level mentoring, it may be problematic to presuppose its central role when students support each other in the same class informally. Different assumptions around peer mentoring may pose certain risks to participants and Ashman and Colvin (2011) insist that roles must be clearly explained and responsibilities relating to boundaries and safeguarding established before the commencement of formal programmes. Moreover, Smailes and Gannon-Leary (2011) point out that e-mentoring and social networking models may necessitate the introduction of institutional policies.

Brockbank and McGill (2012, p.59) build on Morton-Cooper and Palmer’s (2000) classification of mentoring types and describe informal (primary) mentoring as a ‘natural, chosen relationship [where] purposes and functions are determined by the individuals involved; an enabling relationship in personal, emotional, organisational and professional terms’. They include further characteristics such as self-selection and a shared wish to work together. This type of mentoring does not follow a defined programme and has no set purpose, in clear contrast to formal (contract) mentoring which is positioned at the opposite end on the mentoring continuum. In practice, most student peer mentoring schemes show characteristics of both ‘primary’ and ‘contract’ mentoring.

Peer mentoring roles and characteristics Frith, May and Pocklington (2017) claim ‘there is no ideal type of mentoring’ but acknowledge that mentors tend to share certain characteristics. They propose, in line with Terrion and Leonard’s (2007) study, that enthusiasm and the motivation to help other students are essential requirements for the role. Frith, May and Pocklington suggest that any student can become a mentor as long as they have an ‘enjoyment of study’ and wish to share that with others. They propose that students who have had to overcome difficulties, acquire resilience and develop strategies to succeed can make great mentors. Holt and Fifer’s (2018, p.86) large-scale study confirms that the frequency of contact time with mentees, however brief, can significantly affect how supported mentees feel. For this reason, it is recommended that mentors should receive specific guidance around contact times to support social integration.

Townsend et al. (2011) list further desirable mentor characteristics such as flexibility, empathy and the willingness to be matched to a mentee. The importance of personality match is reiterated by Cornelius, Wood and Lai (2016, p.202) who perceive a link between mentees’ input into the matching process and their commitment with formal mentoring. This seems to imply that the self-selection aspect of informal peer support relationships may partly be responsible for their success and should be considered when planning new

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mentoring schemes. Townsend et al. also recommend that mentees are in the same discipline as mentors, are motivated and committed to self-development. Firth, May and Pocklington (2017) further claim that required characteristics can be developed through training and reflection.

Several studies highlight the importance of trust in mentoring relationships. Ashman and Colvin (2011) sorted mentoring roles into five major categories initially identified by Sanft, Jensen, and McMurray (2008): Connecting Link, Peer Leader, Learning Coach, Student Advocate and Trusted Friend. They concluded that ‘the role of trusted friend must be established early on or the other roles are not likely to emerge’ (p.53).

Similarly, Collier (2017) identifies trustworthiness and credibility as main characteristics of effective mentors.

Mentoring scheme characteristics Mullen (2012) points out that voluntary mentoring requires greater commitment and may not occur naturally. For this reason, curriculum areas need to formalise mentoring through learning communities and programmes, and collaboratively agree on expectations. However, evidence suggests that both mentees and mentors prefer mentoring processes to be as ‘natural’ (informal) as possible, therefore organisers are urged to design the schemes in collaboration with future participants (p.13). This view clearly links to the ‘students as partners’ framework (Healey, Flint and Harrington, 2014) and O’Shea, Bennet and Delahunty’s (2017) claim that ‘trust-filled relationships’ based on shared principles create ideal conditions for innovation and shared ownership of schemes.

Clark, Andrews and Davies (2011) recommend longer-term support and state that for a relatively small investment, the impact on transition and student success can be significant. Similarly, a recent report by Thomas et al. (2017, p.12) confirms that ‘one-off activities are insufficient: on-going interventions improving engagement and belonging should extend throughout the first year student experience’, ideally starting pre-entry and including future employment focus. Regardless of the type of mentoring chosen, Andrews and Clark (2011, p.5) emphasise that the introduction of mentoring schemes needs to be carefully considered and supported with training and on-going maintenance, including sufficient funding.

To better understand the range of peer mentoring schemes operated in UK HEIs, Currens (2016) examined current practice across 14 universities. The data indicated an increasing need for the provision and the project found more than 20 schemes, all ‘crafted to meet the specific needs of individual student groups’ (p.24) within four broad categories of provision: academic, skill-based, pastoral and PASS/PAL, further supporting the idea that there is no one ‘perfect’ mentoring type.

Methodology This exploratory study is informed by phenomenological philosophy and aligns with the interpretivist research paradigm (Bryman, 2016). The research positioned the B&FC student in the heart of enquiry to capture students’ perceptions and lived experience of peer support. In order to gain a more comprehensive view, academic members of staff were also invited to contribute. By addressing the research question through a variety of ways the quality and validity of findings could also be cross-checked. Secondary sources provided initial understanding of a complex topic, informed data collection and assisted the constant comparison method of data analysis. The literature review revealed that the number of scholarly articles on informal student peer support is limited and it also became evident that current practices at B&FC were largely unexplored. In this situation, where little is known about a particular topic or a new perspective is needed in a familiar setting, the grounded theory approach proves useful for qualitative data analysis, signifying codes and categories to help develop concepts (Bryman, p.573; Matthews and Ross, 2010, p.144). Currens’ (2016) four-phases methodology was adapted to provide a framework for primary data gathering using questionnaires

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and focus group discussions; Andrews and Clark’s (2011) data collection tools informed categories of questions. Predetermined answers were not provided, as the aim was to understand participants’ own perceptions and interpretations of the peer support experience.

Participants Three curriculum areas with existing peer support activities were invited to participate: Society, Health and Childhood; Creative Arts and Digital Industries and Leadership, Management and Lifestyle. However, after the consideration of gender balance and characteristics of students, a fourth curriculum area, Computing, was included. Applying purposive sampling, Level 5 and 6 peer support groups were identified to enable the in-depth exploration of perceptions specific to students engaged in sustained peer support activities. A total number of 62 questionnaires were completed and returned. Informed by the findings of the initial survey and using theoretical sampling, a focus group of Level 6 students explored emerging themes to provide further insight into students’ perceptions, views and feelings relating to peer support activities. Eight progress tutors who reported student peer support occurrences were also invited to help identify unique and common features of existing mentoring types; all questionnaires were completed and returned.

Results and discussion Responses from students and staff confirmed the existence of various peer support activities at B&FC, although no formal schemes were found. Six courses reported informal peer mentoring practices, three of them involving cross-level cohorts. The findings revealed that perceptions of peer support and mentoring varied widely, reflecting the complexity of typology and lack of consensus over functions and definitions.

The student survey data indicated that the majority of students (73%) are part of a supportive peer group but the distribution of responses varied greatly across curriculum areas, from 100% of students being part of a supportive group (in small classes) to only 30% in larger classes. Although not all students feel part of a supportive group, almost all respondents (93%) receive some form of support from their peers, indicating the significance of dyadic partnerships. That the students who responded were still on-programme in the late stages of the academic year, the findings suggest that ‘social integration and involvement within the university community is a major predictor of student persistence and well-being’ (Tinto, 2017; McBeath, 2018).

The thematic analysis of open-ended questions revealed categories relating to support type, purpose, process, benefits and challenges. Based on students’ responses, the recurring themes were academic knowledge and skills acquisition, emotional support, and social interaction. Most students perceived ‘sharing information and ideas’ as significant. The interactive element of peer relationships was also emphasised, as one student noted, ‘I help others to progress with projects by just talking about it’, indicating the importance of dialogue in peer learning. Several students mentioned group or individual discussions for ‘bouncing ideas off ’ supporting the claim of Brockbank and McGill (2012, p.38) that intentional dialogue is the basis of successful learning and mentoring. Interestingly, there were few comments directly referring to social events as most students do not meet off-campus, reflecting one of the characteristics of non-traditional cohorts (Southall, Wason and Avery, 2016).

Emotional support focused on encouragement, self-belief and trust illustrated by the following comments, ‘Giving me belief that I can do the course’, ‘Chance to talk problems over in an environment of trust’, ‘During difficult times, peers became a lifeline, they supported my every step’. This is consistent with the claim that trust is fundamental in developmental relationships and the focus group discussion emphasized this point further when one participant summed up what makes a supportive group successful, ‘Trust’.

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When students were asked about the process of establishing peer support relationships, several participants noted that peer support is ‘an organic process based on open communication’. Although most peer support started ad hoc, some students indicated that course tutors play an important role in promoting peer support during induction. Tutors’ responses also highlighted a strong understanding of the importance of early engagement through group activities and collaborative tasks. Student survey results confirm that most long-term peer support relationships started during the first taught sessions or near the first assignment submission date. Similarly to Thomas et al. (2017), responses suggest retention is most successfully addressed through continuing support rather than one-off activities, as one of the tutors stated: a peer support culture ‘needs to run throughout the whole duration of the course’.

Perceived benefits Emotional benefits were clearly important not only for stress relief but also for encouragement and fun, underlining the protective function of social bonds and their importance for mental health and wellbeing, relating to the findings and recommendations of the Mental Capital and Wellbeing Project (Government Office for Science, 2008). Students in the focus group also supported this view, saying that ‘if you are not enjoying it you’re not gonna get your work done. So being friends with people makes it more enjoyable’.

Students also noted that peers can ‘provide positive support when feeling drowned in work’, ‘make me feel more confident and better within myself ’ and ‘make me feel happy’. Several students recognised social interaction and engagement as particularly beneficial. Retention, attendance and achievement also emerged as sub-categories, illustrated by the following comment; ‘helps me attend and achieve and meet deadlines’.

One tutor noted that informal impressions of ‘the impact of all forms of peer support and learning suggest an increased sense of belonging as the involvement helps socialise and connect people’ and added that retention rates are positively affected, and there is a link to improved academic success and achievement.

When students were asked about their present motivation, as opposed to in year one, for participating in sustained peer support activities, a genuine wish to help others and receive social support emerged as the two leading categories, before academic or technical support. This finding seems to imply that psychosocial functions remain an important characteristic of sustainable peer support relationships and aspects of friendship, belonging and camaraderie were summarised by the following comment: ‘helpful to share support with people who are in the same boat’. In contrast, academic progression and achievement was the most pronounced element of peer support for one particular cohort, where several students perceived a clear correlation between peer support and the increase in assignment grades, potentially related to an increase in motivation and enjoyment.

Overall, the majority of students acknowledged the significant positive impact that peer relationships make, reporting improved knowledge, confidence and social connectedness as a result. One student commented that peer support boosted ‘group morale’ and made a real difference socially. However, the data also indicated that students do not necessarily associate peer support with transferrable skills development and only a small proportion of participants commented, for example, on improved teamwork and communication skills. This finding has important implications and suggests that unless links between peer support and career related benefits are made more explicit, participants might not think to promote their experiences during applications for jobs or may be reluctant to engage with formal mentoring schemes.

Course embedded peer learning A distinct theme was identified within tutors’ responses relating to course embedded collaborative learning.

Three participants noted that tutor-initiated and assessed group work, discussions or debate form a core part of the course culture, reflecting professional practice. Training on group work is provided on two of the eight courses and one tutor emphasised that ‘students are expected to learn from each other’ as many are working in

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managerial roles, and can ‘share expertise and provide advice to peers with less professional experience’.

Online support A recurring theme was that online peer support is increasingly the norm and plays a vital role in peer relationships. One student commented, ‘Without the encouragement and supportive Facebook class chat […] I would have felt overwhelmed and alone’. The majority of students appreciate the accessibility of help via social media when off-campus. Tutors consider this casual form of online peer support ‘particularly useful near submission times’. The potential for development of online support was perhaps not anticipated at the same extent in the literature review. It seems to appear, that although not without its challenges (Smailes and Gannon-Leary, 2011; Shrestha et al., 2009), e-mentoring may overcome some of the main barriers students noted during the focus group discussion, such as lack of time or willingness to commit to a scheme, and could also offer continuity of support.

Two tutor-assisted online peer support examples were identified, both piloting Microsoft Teams with Level 6 students. While this ‘guided mentoring’ offers the opportunity to collaborate, it also requires additional staff time to establish and facilitate, possibly resulting in disproportionate demand on staff resource.

Nevertheless, both course tutors acknowledged that the outcomes were positive ‘in terms of [students’] marks but also in encouraging collaboration’ and fostering peer relationships. Other participants noted that the lack of responses to messages might cause feelings of exclusion. During the focus group discussion, clear differences emerged regarding attitudes to online support. One student said ‘It’s my regular communication online’ while another student commented, ‘We would never be able to communicate some of the things, […]. You have to be there with them to actually show that visual element’. This confirms that a key recommendation for mentoring scheme design is the flexibility around communication channels and types of support on offer.

The introduction of a peer mentoring scheme The results indicate that a semi-formal mentoring scheme would appeal to most participants and could maximise engagement. The focus group discussion explored this issue more in-depth, particularly in relation to cross-level peer support. Responses varied, some students noting potential difficulties in relation to workload and clashing timetables. Six out of eight tutors stated that peer mentoring could be beneficial.

One tutor felt ‘it would just formalise the informal mentoring which is happening and enhance it’. There could be mechanisms to provide cross-level mentoring but this could be problematic if the students attend on different days. Five tutors would be interested in a scheme that follows a more formal arrangement, especially if it is student-led, with the possible involvement of the Students’ Union. However, the introduction of the scheme would need to be a natural process to retain characteristics of organic peer support practices.

Challenges associated with mentor recruitment and training were noted by several tutors. Concerns related to clashing timetables and balancing commitments, and this is perhaps where online support could be explored. Previous attempts of formal student peer mentoring were found counter-productive by one tutor due to their ‘maintenance and reliance on students’ motivation levels for their effectiveness’. Two tutors noted that much depends on the informal leaders of naturally occurring support groups: while the presence of positive role models can foster a culture of collaboration, a mentor’s lack of motivation can sabotage the mentoring relationship, indicating that in order to achieve consistent results the mentoring process needs to be monitored and managed (Currens, 2016), and therefore indeed formalised in some way.

The findings suggest that successful peer support relationships focus on collaboration and information sharing in a supportive environment where participants are able to discuss personal issues and enhance wellbeing through social interaction. The majority of participants recognise the value of peer support and

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several students noted that ‘without support of each other it would be hard to continue’ and that peer mentoring ‘should be encouraged’.

Recommendations This exploratory research, although limited in scope, revealed that a wide range of student peer support practices exists across the College. Overall, the findings complement those of earlier studies and suggest that there is no one peer mentoring model that would fit all purposes, therefore B&FC needs to offer a range of student support programmes. Peer mentoring could help reach students who would not seek timely assistance otherwise, complement existing support networks and reward participants. However, scheme design needs to be considered with care and institutional commitment would be essential. The following strategies may be of interest to educators looking to develop a mentoring scheme in the specific context of college based higher education with a diverse student cohort.

Raising awareness: The profile of student peer mentoring could be raised considerably if information relating to the wide range of available mentoring and coaching types were widely disseminated. Some of the currently operating peer support activities could be evidenced through reflective journals and allow participants to earn recognition for community engagement and transferrable skills development. This could foster a mentoring culture and promote the recruitment of participants.

Shared ownership and listening to the student voice: New mentoring programmes, although centrally managed, should be positioned at curriculum areas and designed in collaboration with staff and students to ensure the ownership, relevance and focus of each scheme. The Students’ Union will need to be consulted and involved in promotional and recruitment activities, raising the profile of the scheme.

Hybridity and flexibility: As online communication between students is becoming the norm, new schemes will need to involve the option of e-mentoring. A pilot within one curriculum area that already has a strong online presence for new and current students via social media could take place.

Organic nature: A more informal (‘buddying’) scheme involving ‘self-selection’ may be able to retain some of the key characteristics of currently operating peer support groups and place less demand on participants.

These schemes may be launched pre-enrolment and provide short-term pastoral support to new entrants initially. By offering access to dedicated peer mentors throughout the student life cycle on an opt-in basis, some elements of informal peer relationships could be retained. Providers who achieve the balance between natural peer support processes and formal monitoring would be able to maximise the potential widespread benefits of peer mentoring. The resulting scheme could further develop the academic community and enhance the student support provision as it would have the capacity to include social functions, improving students’ sense of belonging, connectedness and wellbeing.

References Advance HE (2018) Global teaching excellence: Identity, belonging, relationship: The soft side of student retention.

Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/training-events/webinar-global-teaching-excellence-identitybelonging-relationship-soft-side-student (Accessed: 2 October 2018).

Andrews, J. and Clark, R. (2011) Peer Mentoring Works! How Peer Mentoring Enhances Student Success in Higher Education: Evaluation Toolkit. Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/system/files/resources/ Aston_Peer_Mentoring_Evaluation_Toolkit.pdf (Accessed: 2 July 2017).

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Ashman, M. and Colvin, J. (2011)‘Peer mentoring roles’, NADE Digest, 5(2), pp.45-53.

Brockbank, A. and McGill, I. (2012) Coaching, mentoring and supervision. London: KoganPage.

Bryman, A. (2016) Social research methods. 5th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

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An exploration of a mature student’s experience studying a HE programme in an FE college: A case study approach.

Parvonay Amirkhani

Introduction Mature students within higher education in the United Kingdom (UK) account for approximately 59 percent of all students (Higher Education Statistics Agency, 2018) although this figure includes both undergraduate and postgraduate study. According to Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS, 2018a, p3), ‘there were 71,325 UK applicants to full time undergraduate courses aged 21 to 25, and 72,550 aged 26 and over’ in 2017.

This is a significant number of mature students encapsulating a diverse range of needs, abilities and characteristics.

Several reports have highlighted the importance of widening participation due to its perceived implications for improving social mobility (Higher Education Policy Institute and Brightside, 2017). Although this remains high on the political agenda, widening participation is aimed essentially at younger students sometimes referred to as ‘traditional’ students. There appears to be limited literature and research available which focuses on policies intended to address improving access for mature students. There is however a wealth of literature which seeks to examine the challenges faced by mature students although arguably studies are typically singular in dimension, with focus on one aspect such as mental health or parenting whilst studying.

Literature review The primary research will examine how various demands impact on the learning journey for mature students within an FE college which provides higher education. It is assumed that these demands are less likely, although not impossible, to occur on traditional students who are under 25 years of age. Mature students in higher education have been the focus of much debate in recent years, specifically around increasing enrolment onto ‘accessible’ Foundation degree programmes (Wagner, 2004; Christie, Munro and Wagner, 2005; Toynton, 2005; Harvey, 2009; Tones et al, 2009). As indicated by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (2016, p14), mature students are less likely to complete their studies, with those students being twice as likely to drop out as their younger ‘traditional’ counterparts.

Much of the rhetoric from policy makers remains focused on younger ‘traditional’ students aged 18-21 with little consideration for mature students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. This is quite apparent when examining the focus of recent higher education policies on improving social mobility (Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2015; Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, 2016).

Woodfield (2011, p. 410) recognises that the experiences of mature students within policy and academic literature is predominantly summarised within a discourse laced with negativity which she refers to as a ‘narrative of disadvantage’. It is not disputed that mature students are more likely to have a varied experience in comparison to their younger counterparts however Woodfield (2011) suggests that this should not necessarily translate into ‘disadvantage’. The negative connotations of viewing mature students as disadvantaged can have

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deleterious effects on their experiences as well as impact on the views of professionals who work in higher education and potential employers.

Learners who are returning to education as non-traditional students may have a multitude of practical industry experience which can be a desirable attribute for undertaking a Foundation degree. However, as acknowledged

by Mallman and Lee (2016), student success is very much dependent on the relationships that are formulated between mature learners, traditional students and the institutions’ ability to create diverse opportunities which meet the various needs and aspirations of its’ learners. What is most apparent within the literature around the topic of supporting mature learners is that research often over-simplifies this matter, failing to take into account the complexities of individuals’ lives which can impact on their learning experience. Irrespective of whether a mature learner is adequately prepared for higher education study, their academic ability or motivation, external factors can still have profound consequences on the learning journey.

Machin (2017) suggests that some disciplines such as social work or nursing have a higher intake of female learners which creates the demand for balancing caring responsibilities. Along with this, the course requirements for disciplines such as social work and nursing usually have a practical placement element which can make this balancing act even more arduous. There is an array of other recognised demands which can be placed on learners, and more so with many mature students. These can include balancing study with family dependents, caring responsibilities, prior work commitments, health, disability or personal concerns such as a lack of confidence or self-belief (Reay, Crozier and Clayton, 2010; MillionPlus, 2012; Jenkins, 2017; Higher Education Policy Institute and Brightside, 2017; MillionPlus, 2018).

Student mental health has been at the centre of several recent reports (Brown, 2016; Thorley, 2017; Unite Students, 2017; Hughes et al, 2018; Neves and Hillman, 2018) with startling figures indicating a rise in undergraduate students experiencing poor mental health. A pre-emptive report issued by the UK Royal College of Psychiatrists (2003; 2011) suggested the Widening Participation (WP) agenda would result in an increase in mental health levels within higher education, in part due to financial pressures caused by rising tuition costs and reduced government funding. Although widening participation may have been credited for the increase in undergraduate students declaring poor mental health, it is unlikely that this can be proven.

Developing a student identity or forming a shared sense of identity can be viewed as a vital aspect of the learner journey which supports the transition into the world of academia, enhancing the likelihood of engagement (Kahu, 2013; Martin et al, 2014). It has so far been established, for many mature students with complex lives the transition into the student identity may not necessarily be straight forward. There is research which suggests that supporting mature learners with the transition into their student identity can encourage the likelihood of students engaging with academia (Martin et al, 2014); thus, reducing non-completion rates through appropriate preparation courses (Tobbell and O’Donnell, 2005).

Taylor and House (2010) further propose the benefits of higher education as transformational in developing self-esteem and confidence for mature students. An earlier piece of research which sought to assess identity through the concept of ‘the self ’ is that of Kuhn and McPartland (1954, p. 69), who created a standardised self-concept test that was applied to 288 undergraduate students in order to determine consensual and subconsensual references. Most interesting from this study was the resulting order in which participants gave their responses; predominantly respondents would exhaust the consensual references before moving towards subconsensual answers. This would suggest that there are certain aspects of one’s identity which can be considered as concrete which will inevitably be given as a response before any fluid concepts of identity are offered.

Norris (2011, p177) warns of policies which are underpinned by ‘cultural assumptions that college is for the young’ as a contributory factor for making mature students feeling marginalised. When this is compounded with

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mature students’ previous negative experiences of education, the result can exacerbate feelings of loneliness and isolation. Richardson, Elliott and Roberts (2017) propose greater levels of loneliness in students correlate directly to increased anxiety, stress and depression. Therefore, it could be considered imperative for institutions to aim at creating policies which produce learning environments that are inclusive for all ages.

This notion supports the research of Christie et al (2008) who suggest that becoming a university student is an intrinsically emotional process, placing responsibility on the institution to effectively manage learning environments.

Methodology The understanding of the phenomena, that is the relevance of the student identity to a mature student, was explored through an empirical study of a mature student’s experience in the context of a singular case study.

The decision to use a case study approach was in large determined by the research aims and the desire to consider the understanding of the topic from a real-life context (Yin, 2014; Thomas, 2016; Tight, 2017).

The literature review has also played a part in determining the methodology, as an opportunity to explore a researched topic in a different manner which may yield real insight.

Themes identified through the review of contemporary literature were integrated into an electronic questionnaire, distributed to undergraduate students who had signed consent forms, giving their preferred email address as contact information. The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify a suitable case study for analysis which was unique however it could be argued that the sample was manipulated through the limited number of questions posed to participants. In one respect, the use of a questionnaire created opportunity to screen for appropriate case studies, although it should be acknowledged that this method is not without its flaws. The questionnaire may have inadvertently excluded participants by focusing on themes identified through the literature review however this was managed to some degree through the inclusion of open questions and some responses offering an ‘other’ option.

It is suggested by Cohen, Manion and Morrison (2018) that case study research often aligns with an interpretive approach. The research intended to explore the experiences of a mature student through a semistructured interview, exploring statements that have been provided by the participant during the completion of an initial questionnaire. The data analysis involved interpreting the data provided by the interviewee using the themes identified within the literature review as a framework. The interpretivist paradigm allows for analysis which is subjective, seeking to give meaning to data through the understanding of current social constructs (Bryman, 2012).

Participants In relation to the use of sampling within case studies, Bryman (2012) suggests that this should be discussed from the perspective of context as well as the sampling of participants. In terms of this research, the sampling of context would be that of the curriculum area within Blackpool and The Fylde College. The curriculum area of Society, Health and Childhood has a higher ratio of mature students in comparison to traditional aged students and therefore was considered to be rich in data. The sampling of participants was undertaken through the identification of a unique element which set the case study apart from others whilst also containing similar attributes to that of the other participants’ responses.

The case for this research has been selected purposively, in part because it contains the complex interplay of demands which is shared with many other mature students and also due to a unique aspect.

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Discussion Themes identified within the literature review were used as a basis for comparison against the data generated from the case study interview. The themes encompass student identity, motivation to study, situational and motivational barriers, as well as mental health and support mechanisms. As the interview was semi-structured, it provided a framework for the data analysis however some aspects of the topics do overlap which further evidences the complex interplay that exists. Not all themes within the literature review could be linked to the data generated by the interview however this is most likely due to the methodology utilised. It would be unrealistic to expect all of the themes to be covered by one person within a case study.

Student identity The interview participant was asked to describe all aspects of their identity which are important to them and make up who they are in the first part of the questionnaire. The participant stated that they were a ‘white British woman, aged 46, mother of 2, grandmother of 2, non-practising Christian’. In this instance, the respondent identified themselves with terms which are cemented into their persona such as being female as well as being a mother and a grandmother, fully supporting Kuhn and McPartland’s (1954) self-concept test.

In response to being asked whether or not they viewed themselves as a student the response given was based around the fact that they regarded their age as a factor which prevented them from identifying themselves as a student: ‘but I don’t particularly view myself as a student, because I’m… maybe that’s because I’m a mature student, I don’t know. I did my studying a long time ago, although I am studying, I don’t really see or class myself as a student.’

As suggested by the participant, this could be due to their view of being a mature student not aligning to a standardised view of a traditional student. It was suggested in the literature review that creating a static student identity can be problematic as a result of the various roles which already exist in a mature student’s life including being a parent or employee (Martin et al, 2014).

Motivation to study The decision to begin a higher education course as a mature student can be influenced by a variety of factors.

The questionnaires sent to participants initially asked them to rate a series of statements, indicating to what degree they agree or disagree. The statements where the participant indicated that they most strongly agreed with were then used throughout the interview to instigate further discussion and exploration of the factors which they feel most influenced their decision to return to study. The responses were divided into two categories of intrinsic and extrinsic motivations which built on the work of Taylor and House (2010) and Bartram (2016).

Although a student may enter into higher education for purely extrinsic motivation, it does not necessarily mean that their motivations will remain static.

The case study participant indicated within their questionnaire that they were strongly motivated for the two following factors, ‘to improve future career prospects’ and ‘to enable a change in the career’. Upon further discussion it became apparent that a stronger intrinsic desire underpinned the previous two selections which centred on improving their self-belief.

Conversely, the extrinsic motivations centred on the participant’s dependants which she described as ‘Children, family, dog’. Her identity as a mother and grandmother was explained as always taking precedence over her student identity. The need to have access to a course which is situated locally meant that she could support her children with transport to appointments and with childcare for her grandchildren.

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Situational and motivational barriers Jenkins (2017) identified a range of challenges for mature students which he described as situational or motivational. The situational challenges for the interviewee included their dependants, finance and the location of the HE provider.

The participant indicated that her children and grandchildren were factored in when considering where to undertake her studies, with financial and emotional support taking priority, ‘they are still reliant on me emotionally and financially and in many ways as well’ and ‘they still need lifts to appointments’. Although locality may be important to mature students in terms of choosing the higher education institute, it is also evident from this response that this situational barrier presented by caring responsibilities requires an evidence led support system to enable mature students to balance this aspect of their lives with their studies.

Mental health Mental health has dominated recent discussions within higher education, although whether that is due to more students declaring a mental health condition, requesting support or as a result of widening access to students who previously would not have considered higher education, requires further exploration. The interviewee discussed their experience of ‘battling mental health’ and how this was then compounded by family matters which impacted on existing anxieties.

The respondent also intimated that some of the topics that were covered as part of the degree were of a sensitive nature which invoked a desire to reflect on their experiences as a parent and thereby questioning previous decisions that they had made.

Support mechanisms Throughout the foundation degree, the participant reported feeling as part of a support network with her peers however due to the BA honours programme not being validated at that time, the learner was given the option to continue on a similar programme where she joined an entirely different group with only a fraction of her original cohort. She has described the change in groups as impactful due to not feeling comfortable in a new group.

There is the possibility that merging into a new group could have influenced the participant’s decision to take a break from their studies as they iterated ‘because the learning you do is self-learning anyway, but it did yeah… it made it harder to come into uni’. This suggests that for someone who has expressed concerns over their mental health and in particular, anxiety, a lack of a supportive environment can be detrimental to those who are already struggling. However, it was acknowledged that the social aspects often associated with being a student was not necessarily of the same relevance as it may be to a traditional student which echoes the statement by Mallman and Lee (2016).

Conclusion The rationale for this research stemmed from a desire to better understand the challenges faced by mature students undertaking an undergraduate qualification in a FE college.

A sense of shared identity is considered by Kahu (2013) and Martin et al (2014) to be vital in enhancing engagement with students, although it has been suggested that higher education environments can be exclusionary when they fail to accommodate the needs of mature learners. With policies and agendas attempting to create diversity whilst aiming only at a minority of the student population, such as ‘traditional’ aged students,

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it could be that this needs to be developed in order to create the discussions which lead to practical changes.

The challenges of balancing study with other demands appears to be present for many mature students within the literature whether this is due to caring responsibilities, employment or health (MillionPlus, 2018). For many this is something which can be managed through the availability of appropriate support systems, either formal, informal or a mixture of both.

References Bartram, B (2016) ‘Economic motives to attend university: a cross-country study’, Research in Post-Compulsory Education, 21(4), pp. 394-408.

Brown, P (2016) The invisible problem? Improving students’ mental health. The Higher Education Policy Institute.

Bryman, A (2012) Social Research Methods, 4th edn. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Christie, H., Munro, M., and Wagner, F. (2005) ‘Day students’ in higher education: widening access students and successful transitions to university life. Institute of Geography, School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh.

Christie, H., Tett, L., Cree, V. E., Hounsell, J. and McCune, V. (2008) ‘‘A real rollercoaster of confidence and emotions’: learning to be a university student’, Studies in Higher Education, 33(5), pp. 567-581.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., and Morrison, K. (2018) Research methods in education. 8th edn., Oxon: Routledge.

Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (2016) Success as a knowledge economy: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice. London: Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Harvey, L (2009) Review of research literature focused on foundation degrees. Staffordshire: Foundation Degree Forward.

Higher Education Funding Council for England (2015) Delivering opportunities for students and maximising their success, evidence for policy and practice 2015-2020. Available at: http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/year/2015/201514/ (Accessed 12 July 2018).

Higher Education Funding Council for England (2016) Higher education in England 2016, Key Facts. Bristol: Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Higher Education Policy Institute and Brightside (2017) Where next for widening participation and fair access?

New Insights from leading thinkers, HEPI Report 98. Oxford: Oxuniprint.

Higher Education Statistics Agency (2018a) Who’s studying in HE? Available at: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/ data-and-analysis/students/whos-in-he (Accessed 12 July 2018).

Hughes, G., Panwani, M., Tulcidas, P. and Byrom, N. (2018) Student mental health: The role and experiences of academics. Student Minds.

Jenkins, A. (2017) ‘Who upgrades to higher level qualifications in midlife?’ British Journal of Educational Studies, pp. 1-24.

Kahu, E. R. (2013) Framing student engagement in higher education, Studies in Higher Education, 38(5), pp. 758-773.

Kuhn, M. H. and McPartland, T. S. (1954) ‘An Empirical Investigation of Self-Attitudes’, American Sociological Review, 19(1), pp. 68-76.

Machin, E. H. (2017) ‘“A bone of contention”: reflections on the experiences of mature learners in social work education’, The Journal of Academic Development and Education, August 8, pp. 1-6.

Mallman, M. and Lee, H. (2016) ‘Stigmatised learners: mature-age students negotiating university culture’, British Journal of Sociology of Education, 37(5), pp. 684-701.

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Martin, L; Spolander, G. C; Ali, I; and Maas, B. (2014) ‘The evolution of student identity: a case of caveat emptor’, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 38(2), pp. 200-210.

MillionPlus (2012) Million+: biggest drop in university applications from mature students. Available at: http://www. millionplus.ac.uk/press-releases-old/2012-press-archive/biggest-drop-in-university-applications-from-maturestudents (Accessed: 26 June 2018).

MillionPlus (2018) Forgotten Learners: building a system that works for mature students, London: MillionPlus.

Neves, J. and Hillman, N. (2018) Student Academic Experience Survey. Advance HE and the Higher Education Policy Institute.

Norris, D. R. (2011) ‘Interactions that trigger self-labelling: the case of older undergraduates’, Symbolic Interaction, 34(2), pp. 173-197.

Reay, D., Crozier, G. and Clayton, J. (2010) ‘‘Fitting in’ or ‘standing out’: working-class students in UK higher education’, British Educational Research Journal, 36(1), pp107-127.

Richardson, T., Elliott, P. and Roberts, R. (2017) ‘Relationship between loneliness and mental health in students’, Journal of Public Mental Health, 16(2), pp. 48-54.

Royal College of Psychiatrists (2003) The mental health of students in higher education. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Royal College of Psychiatrists (2011) The mental health of students in higher education. London: Royal College of Psychiatrists.

Taylor, J. and House, B. (2010) ‘An exploration of identity, motivations and concerns of non-traditional students at different stages of higher education’, Psychology Teaching Review, 16(1), pp. 46-56.

Thomas, G. (2016) How to do your case study, 2nd edn. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Thorley, C. (2017) Not by degrees: Improving student mental health in the UK’s universities. Institute for Public Policy Research.

Tight, M. (2017) Understanding Case Study Research, Small-scale research with meaning. London: Sage Publications Ltd. Tobbell, J. and O’Donnell, V. (2005) Theorising educational transitions: communities, practices and participation.

In: Conference on Sociocultural theory in Educational Research and Practice, 8th-9th September 2005, University of Manchester.

Tones, M. J., Fraser, J., Elder, R. L. and White, K.M. (2009) ‘Supporting mature-aged students from a low socioeconomic background’, Higher Education, 58(4), pp. 505-529.

Toynton, R. (2005) ‘Degrees of disciplinarity in equipping mature students in higher education for engagement and success in lifelong learning’, Active Learning in Higher Education, 6(2), pp. 106-117.

UCAS (2018a) Admissions patterns for mature applicants, 2017 cycle. Available at: https://www.ucas.com/file/ 175936/download?token=UVSBJLVD, (Accessed: 12 July 2018).

Unite Students (2017) Everyone in: Insights from a diverse student population, Unite Students.

Wagner, L. (2004) Foundation Degree Task Force Report to Ministers. Nottingham: Department for Education and Skills Publications.

Woodfield, R. (2011) Age and first destination employment from UK universities: are mature students disadvantaged? Studies in Higher Education, June 36(4), pp. 409-425.

Yin, R. K. (2014) Case Study Research, Design and methods, 5th edn. London: Sage Publications, Inc.

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Enhancing the first level of experience: reviewing and adapting Academic and Digital Literacies Hannah Emery

Introduction The need to equip students with academic skills in addition to disciplinary knowledge is one that has long been debated and researched (DiBenedetto and Myers, 2016; Oliver, 2015; Cumming, 2010; Stoner and Milner, 2008). These skills will lead to capabilities that are crucial within employment: problem solving; reflecting on performance of self and others; learning new processes and managing challenges (Kamsah, 2004). In addition to an ability to contribute to employment, graduates now also need to be able to interpret and manage an abundance of information in order to be ‘active citizens capable of understanding and challenging the social and political world for the public good’ (Star and Hammer, 2008, p.240).

With such an established need for a wide variety of skills, the Academic and Digital Literacies (ADL) module at Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC) was created to support the development of core academic literacies such as referencing, research and analysis skills. The module, split into humanities and science variants, was originally designed to be broad enough to encompass the academic and digital literacies of multiple subject disciplines and therefore generic across a range of programmes. Although the need for such skills clearly remains, student achievement related specifically to the ADL module, and engagement with the content and assessments highlighted the need for a potential shift in approach.

As Kamsah (2004) points out, skills related to higher education (HE) study are related to attitudes as well as knowledge, and are therefore difficult to ‘define explicitly, let alone develop and assess’. The significance of student attitudes and values was key to discussions on potential amendments with curriculum areas within which the module is delivered (Engineering and Science; Computing; Society, Health and Childhood and Leadership, Management and Lifestyle). In order to act upon the contributions of curriculum and the key concerns identified through analysis of module reviews, it became clear that the updated module needed to be flexible yet robust and simplified yet appropriate for HE level.

1. Variance of areas Many argue that generic approaches to the teaching of study skills fail to motivate and retain students (Gamache, 2002; Allan and Clarke, 2007; Wingate, 2007). Research of other institutions ascertained that many modules similar to ADL do indeed vary between curriculums and even courses. Bradford College, Edge Hill, Kendal College and the University of Central Lancashire all offer various core modules that focus on generic skills dependant on the main programme of study.

Although the previous ADL module did acknowledge differing needs and preferences between humanities and science, representatives from curriculum emphasised that an approach that allowed for further application to discipline would be well-received by students. It was also identified that introducing additional variants would have practical benefits in addition to the more arguably abstract reasons relating to motivation and identification

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with the module. For example, the previous ADL design encouraged curriculum areas to align the content with that of another, subject specific module taught alongside in order for a sense of discipline-based meaning to be transferred. However, the mode of study for some programmes, for example Project Management (PM), is part-time, meaning that only one module per semester was taught and such alignment was therefore not possible.

2. Change in title and outcomes The need to change the title from Academic and Digital Literacies to reflect the approach of the new module variations was recommended by multiple colleagues. The reference to ‘digital’ as a separate skill was also suggested to be outdated. Digital literacy is now woven throughout every programme: researching electronic sources; presenting using Microsoft Powerpoint and, for some, using social media as a vehicle to communicate appropriately with peers are all embedded digital skills which will serve as essential for the remainder of the programme and in the workplace.

When selecting a title, it felt important to reassure the students that some of the content may be unfamiliar, and that this is to be expected, but also to clarify that the content of the module variations is not subsidiary and will serve as a crucial basis for the remainder of their programme and future employment. The titles of the four module variations are therefore:

• • • •

Introduction to Academic Study in Society, Health and Childhood Introduction to Academic Study in Project Management Introduction to Academic Study in Computing, Science and Engineering Introduction to Academic Study in Leadership, Management and Lifestyle

The approach implied within the new title is reflected in the adapted learning outcomes, which can be seen in Table 1.

Table 1: Previous and new learning outcomes

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3. Immediacy During reviews with curriculum staff, it was noted that the key challenge of students failing to see the relevance of ADL to their chosen discipline was intensified by the immediacy of the module, which was studied in the first semester of level 4. Although some students did subsequently develop awareness of why its content was necessary, this was not widespread and did not take place until around level 5. This in itself has a concerning implication in that even the students who remained on course until level 5 acknowledged difficulties with engaging with ADL at the time of studying it. Those whose awareness did not develop over time will potentially have been those who did not persevere with the entire programme. ‘Enhancing the first level of experience’ is significant in relation to student retention (Sellers and Van der Velden, 2003 in Medlicott, 2009, p. 6). In addition, although it is difficult to always ascertain and isolate reasons for withdrawal, there is great importance in ‘investigating how their fulfilment, or lack thereof, influences one of the most important student behavioural outcomes—persistence at the institution’ (Pleitz et al. 2015, p.89). It was therefore concluded that to improve engagement with a module so early in the student journey would not only help to promote the skills necessary to achieve in other modules and the future, but also to improve the student experience, satisfaction and retention.

4. Satisfaction, enjoyment and retention An identified challenge related to satisfaction with ADL was sustaining and building on confidence and motivation at the same time as developing skills which an increasing number of students find challenging. It is acknowledged that a perceived ‘overload of tasks’ (Ramsden and Entwistle, 1981) can result in surface approaches to learning (Biggs and Tang, 2011). Curriculum areas supported this assertion, pointing out that the ADL task which required students to critique (later modified to summarise) a peer-reviewed journal article disengaged many students with the general concept of ‘research’, rather than encouraging the use of articles in future study. There were therefore some potential modifications discussed in terms of simplifying the module and assessments. However, although it became evident that ‘overloading’ should be avoided, finding a balance in order for the module to meet its outcomes was identified as crucial. Interpreting sources, articulating ideas and adhering to practices and standards such as referencing and academic writing will inevitably result in some students feeling challenged and moving beyond their comfort zones. However, such challenges are arguably part of higher education: in order to build on academic resilience, it must be emphasised to the students that ‘uncertainty is acceptable’ (Arvanitakis and Hornsby, 2016, p.19). Therefore, although simplifications were made pertaining to the use of language within the learning outcomes and module specification, the main modifications were related to personal meaning. If students are stimulated by the content and feel that the module is relevant and valuable, then their level of motivation and satisfaction will potentially be higher and they will be more inclined to persist (Floyd, Harrington and Santiago, 2009, p. 181).

Kamsah (2004) sees not only skills such as critical thinking as ones that higher education can help to develop, but also ‘affective’ traits such as a positive attitude. In order to pay attention to such traits which are directly related to enjoyment, a sense of autonomy and belief in ability should be encouraged (Freudenberg, Cameron and Brimble, 2010, p. 480). Through offering students opportunities to see the tasks within the module as relevant to their chosen industry and personal specialism rather than outside ‘the preconceived boundaries of their defined areas of interest’, a sense of responsibility and ownership will potentially become more likely (Toynton, 2005, pp. 113-114).

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5. Assessment Reviews with curriculum areas established that students generally engaged well with the poster presentation element of assessment. The assessment easily allowed for application to subject areas and was therefore changed little during the module amendment process. The remaining summative assessments of ADL, however, were the focus of detailed discussions. As discussed above in relation to the theme of enjoyment and satisfaction, the task based on the journal article was noted by some to evoke frustration and apprehension about the remainder of the course. It was therefore evident that any task that might replace this needed to encourage a sense of meaning personal and relevant to the students whilst also making them aware of the skills required within higher education. With this in mind, the focus of the written assignment has now shifted from a source to a concept: the students will be asked to respond to a statement related to their discipline, or a wider relatable issue such as sustainability.

Pleitz et al. (2015, p. 90-91) use the analogy of employment to explain psychological contracts between students and institutions to which expectations, and the clarity of these, are central. If the expectations that a student brings to the ‘relationship’ are ‘violated’, the student is more likely to withdraw. It is therefore crucial to not only make these expectations, and the fixed necessity of meeting those such as research and referencing, completely clear to students but also to intervene if the student does not have expectations that are realistic. In order to do this, Learning Outcome 1 in particular draws explicit attention to these skills in terms of meeting academic expectations of study at higher education level. As Toynton (2005, p. 109) points out, the capacity to carry out the skills is not as significant as the awareness of the skills, their importance and their amenability to being developed (Kamsah, 2004).

The final component of the ADL summative assessment was a ‘pass/ fail’ reflective task that needed to be passed in order to pass the module. Firstly, Society, Health and Childhood (SHAC) identified a clear issue with the reflection: many students in this area struggled with a third assessment and failed to submit it, which resulted in a fail for the whole module. As reflection is embedded throughout the SHAC programmes at each level, it was agreed that the reflection should be omitted from the SHAC variant of the module (with the word count remaining the same) in order for the students to be able to focus more fully on the other skills being addressed. Other curriculum areas felt that the reflection assessment was an important component of the module for their students but that the ungraded outcome and weighting was not appropriate. Some noted that students had also failed the module due to not completing the reflective task, however stated that this was due to the assessment being ungraded. Boud, Cohen and Sampson (2006, p. 6) highlight the influence of assessment, explaining that if it ‘does not appear to acknowledge the expected achievements, then students may be less inclined to take the project seriously’. It was implied through the reviews with curriculum and student feedback that in the case of ADL, the ungraded assessment facilitated a sense that the reflection was not important, when in fact it was necessary for the whole module to be passed.

The modification to the written assessment that will ask students to respond to a statement related to their discipline is aimed, as outlined above, to evoke a sense of ownership and identification with the module which will result in higher levels of enjoyment and subsequent persistence. However, this may not be the case for all students: some may still find the written task, and its ensuing expectations, challenging. It is therefore hoped that the reflective component of the assessment (Learning Outcome 2 and in multiple other modules for SHAC students) will encourage the awareness of skills that has been established as so significant (Toynton, 2005, p.

109). Although sometimes uncomfortable for students, reflection specifically related to learning is particularly useful for self-awareness of learning habits and approaches towards the academic elements of a programme (Park, 2003). If the students experience negative attitudes then their reflections will help them to form ideas around why this might be, and to support them in modifying their expectations and the ‘psychological contract’ which they have made with the College (Pleitz et al., 2015, p. 90-91).

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Conclusion As Arvanitakis, and Hornsby (2016, p.11) point out, debate and research surrounding academic skills often moves beyond the practice of teaching how to research and think critically and ‘takes on a broader, more societal focus’. The Introduction to Academic Study module variations intend to encourage students to begin to appreciate this focus, and its place within their first semester of study. Although the module has been simplified in some ways in order to make the content and assessment more accessible and meaningful, each variation will still aim to challenge the students and encourage the ability and desire to take responsibility for their own learning. The new module variations seek to strike a balance between offering students an enjoyable experience with which they are satisfied, and providing them with a robust opportunity to develop an awareness of core cognitive and affective skills central to success not only at B&FC, but also within future industry and society.

References Allan, J. and Clarke, K. (2007) ‘Nurturing supportive learning environments in higher education through the teaching of study skills: to embed or not to embed?’, International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 19 (1), pp. 64-76.

Arvanitakis, J. and Hornsby, D. (2016) ‘Are universities redundant?’, in Arvanitakis, J. and Hornsby, D. (eds.)

Universities, the Citizen Scholar and the future of higher education. Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.

Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2011) Teaching for quality learning at university. 4th edn. Berkshire: McGraw Hill.

Boud, D., Cohen, R., and Sampson, J. (2006) ‘Peer learning and assessment’, Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education, 24 (4), pp.413-426. Available at: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/ download?doi=10.1.1.203.1370&rep=rep1&type=pdf. (Accessed: 30 May 2019).

Cumming, J. (2010) ‘Contextualised performance: reframing the skills debate in research education’, Studies in Higher Education, 35 (4) pp. 405-419.

DiBenedetto, C. A. and Myers, B. (2016) ‘A conceptual model for the study of student readiness in the 21st century’, North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture, 60 (1a), pp. 28-35.

Ffloyd, K., Harrington, S. and Santiago, J. (2009) ‘The effect of engagement and perceived course value on deep and surface learning strategies’, Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 12, pp.181-190.

Freudenberg, B., Cameron, C., Craig and Brimble, M. (2010) ‘The importance of self: developing students’ self-efficacy through work integrated learning’, The International Journal of Learning, 17 (10) pp. 479-496.

Gamache, P. (2002) ‘University students as creators of personal knowledge: an alternative epistemological view’, Teaching in Higher Education, 7 (3), pp.277–293.

Kamsah, M. Z. (2004). ‘Developing generic skills in classroom environment: engineering students’ perspective’.

Conference on Engineering Education (CEE 2014). Kuala Lumpur, December 2004, pp. 14-15. Available at: https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c30f/0ccb7b3aedf4de73ad96218f7da92aaec7a5.pdf (Accessed: 26 May 2019).

Medlicott, D. (2009) How to design and deliver enhanced modules : a case study approach. Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.

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Oliver, B. (2015) ‘Redefining graduate employability and work-integrated learning: proposals for effective higher education in disrupted economies’, Journal of Teaching and Learning for Graduate Employability, 6 (1), pp. 56-65.

Park, C. (2003) ‘Engaging students in the learning process: the learning journal’, Journal of Geography in Higher Education, 27 (2) pp. 183–199. Available at https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/staff/gyaccp/cjgh_27_2_05lores.pdf (Accessed 26 May 2019).

Pleitz, J. D., MacDougall, A. E., Terry, R. A., Buckley, M. R. and Campbell, N. J. (2015) ‘Great expectations: examining the discrepancy between expectations and experiences on college student retention’, Journal of College Student Retention: Research, Theory & Practice, 17 (1) PP. 88-104.

Ramsden, P. and Entwistle, N. J. (1981) ‘Effects of academic departments on students’ approaches to studying’, British Journal of Educational Psychology, 51 (3), pp. 368-83.

Stoner, G. and Milner, M. (2008) ‘Embedding generic employability skills in an accounting degree: development and impediments’, Accounting Education: an International Journal, 19 (1-2), pp. 123-138.

Star, C. and Hammer, S. (2008) ‘Teaching generic skills: eroding the higher purpose of universities, or an opportunity for renewal?’, Oxford Review of Education, 34 (2) 237-251.

Toynton, R. (2005) ‘Degrees of disciplinarity in equipping mature students in higher education for engagement and success in lifelong learning’, Active Learning in Higher Education, 6 (2), pp. 106-117.

Wingate, U. (2007) ‘A framework for transition: supporting ‘learning to learn’ in higher education’, Higher Education Quarterly, 61 (3), pp. 391-405.

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What affects my teaching?

Building a co-collaboration approach Colette Mazzola

Introduction “The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” (Socrates, as cited in Millman, 2006).

The need for a student centric classroom is essential (Lea, 2015; Krych et al, 2005; Healey, 2014) to build knowledge and prepare students with ‘graduate’ skills for the workforce of the 21st century (Schwab, 2018; Collie & Martin, 2016).

There are inconsistencies in the literature regarding the implementation of a student-centric classroom. Teachers must be confident in their professional abilities and pedagogical approaches (Schatz-Oppenheimer and Dvir, 2014) to ensure that students receive effective learning. It is noted that a novice teacher may use their previous positive and negative experiences to assist them in the construction of their professional identity (Zembylas, 2005). However, until they have a firm grasp on their own identity, it could lead to feelings of insecurity, anxiety, and feelings of loneliness.

The autoethnographic reflective narratives are separated into silos, to effectively answer the research questions.

My first narrative is based upon my secondary school education from 1994 to1999, the second narrative is based upon my return to study 10 years later in 2009 and this data will attempt to explore, how my previous learning experiences affect my pedagogical practice.

The final reflective accounts span from the time I have been employed in Computing at Blackpool and The Fylde College from 2013 to the present day, in order to explore what factors motivate me to change my pedagogical practice and prepare students with ‘graduate’ skills for the workforce of the 21st century.

Key themes and gaps in the literature are (1) Impact of previous learning experiences (Lea, 2015; Krych et al, 2005; Healey, Flint & Harrington, 2014). (2) Development of pedagogy in higher education. (3) Experiencing unpredictable graduate Jobs (Schwab, 2018; Marion, 2014). (4) Building graduate ‘Human’ skills, (Schwab, 2018; Collie & Martin, 2016).

RQ1: How does my previous learning experience affect my pedagogical practice?

RQ2: What factors motivate me to change my pedagogical practice and prepare students with ‘graduate’ skills for the workforce of the 21st century?

Literature Review To ensure continuity of this review, the aims of the research are organised using the following structure, (1) Impact of previous learning experiences, (2) development of pedagogy in higher education, (3) experiencing unpredictable graduate Jobs and (4) building graduate ‘Human’ skills.

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Impact of previous learning experiences The literature indicates that a student’s prior learning experience could impact their study approaches in the future (Gravoso, Pasa, Mori, 2002; Schatz-Oppenheimer and Dvir, 2014) for example if a student thinks of learning as a reproduction of information, this could elicit a surface approach, meaning they will not fully understand the topic. However, a collaborative approach is emphasised as an advantage, as the students could share ideas, opinions, concepts, widen their perspectives, develop teamwork, and absorb information effectively (Gravoso, Pasa, Mori, 2002; Fenwick, 2011).

An empathetic teacher could encourage the students to grow socially, intellectually and emotionally (Wantanabe-Crockett, 2019). “A person who is academically unconfident is unlikely to easily become an autonomous learner, and learner confidence correlates well with academic success” (Coterall 1995).

Development of pedagogy in higher education The classroom can be a ponderous and complicated place (Schatz-Oppenheimer and Dvir, 2014) the question of suitable pedagogy in higher education is itself contested (Ramsden, 2000; Coterall, 1995), and it is hypothesised that didactic traditional-transmissive pedagogical approach of teaching in higher education is even more superfluous, as students are not constructing the knowledge, they are simply receiving it (Lea, 2015; Krych et al, 2005; Healey, 2014). The literature argues that these are extreme viewpoints and that a lecturer’s true purpose is to engineer effective learning activities and environments for the students, which will help engage them with their learning. Therefore, it is recognised that this cannot be achieved formulaically by following a prescribed pathway. Instead, lecturers need to constantly use their professional judgement and adapt to circumstances (Coterall, 1995; Barrington, 2004; Hutchins, 2006; William, 2011).

“There is abundant evidence that the most effective higher education environments are ones in which students are diligently involved as part of a community of learners” (Ramsden 2000).

Creating a community in the classroom is typically the responsibility of the lecturer, adapting their pedagogy to fit the students’ needs. Creating a collaborative and inclusive environment is a challenge however there is evidence from Kings College and Newcastle College who include the ‘students as fellows’ scheme, based on John Lea’s students as producer’s framework (Lea, 2015). The fellowship enables students to create a ritualised community of practice and become co-teachers and active collaborators, essentially working together to develop learning (Murniati & Sanjaya, 2017; Cotterall, 1995).

Using this co-collaborative approach inside the classroom, could change the roles of teachers and students. It is suggested that one of the key reasons for developing a co-collaborative approach, is a belief that students should be active participants in the learning process, rather than passive learners, and partnership is key to developing participation and building student engagement (Bernstein, 2018). Changing to this co-collaborative approach could enable students to build confidence and develop skills, ‘Human’ skills that are anticipated in the fourth industrial revolution (Ramsden, 2008).

Scholars have identified that active learning is a successful pedagogical approach to engage students in their learning. The overarching definition is that if students are participating in meaningful learning opportunities, it allows them to explore a nature of enquiry and think creatively to solve a problem, provide them with complex critical thinking opportunities, and a powerful environment that fosters enhanced communication (Hutchins, 2006). Using a co-collaborative approach engages in active learning with activities such as paired activities, informal small groups, and cooperative student projects (Zayapragassarazan & Kumar, 2012; Prince, 2004; Armbruster, Patel, Johnson, & Weiss, 2009; Dickinson, 1995).

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This creative fusion and development of active learning and a co-collaborative approach could produce active collaborators and co-teachers. There is, however, a legitimate need for teaching staff to specify areas of the curriculum that need to be discovered. The creation of active collaborators and co-teachers could enable the teacher to create a ritualised community within the classroom environment, creating rich student-to-student dialog, active participation and a shared ownership of the learning (Lea, 2015; Krych et al, 2005; Healey, Flint & Harrington, 2014; Collie & Martin, 2016). It could be suggesting that this approach creates a café style pedagogy and encourages social interaction (Cohen et al, 2008).

Scholars posit that the introduction of a flexible pedagogy could reshape the classroom environment, reshape the activities completed and the leadership style of the classroom (Ryan & Tilbury, 2013). The flexible pedagogy framework introduces six pedagogical ideas. (1) Learner empowerment, (2) future-faced education, (3) decolonising education, (4) transformative capabilities, (5) crossing boundaries and (6) Social Learning.

(1) The idea of ‘learner empowerment’ challenges the interaction between students and staff, resulting in the learning being reshaped. The concept of ‘co-creation’ is encouraged and learning becomes active as opposed to static and transmissive (Lea, 2015).

(2) The second idea, ‘future-faced education’ indicates that this style of pedagogy encourages the development of the desired skillset that is needed for industry in the 21st Century (Schwab, 2018).

(3) The third idea, ‘decolonising education’ indicates that flexible learning creates an inclusive community, where students can confidently address and appreciate diverse cultures (Wagner, 1998).

(4) The fourth idea, ‘transformative capabilities’, implies that learning is focused on the ’whole person’ and embeds lifelong learning (Barrie, 2007).

(5) Idea five is ‘crossing boundaries’, which attempts to maximise collaboration and explore different environments and perspectives to provide students with valuable experiences that they can use in industry (Schwab, 2018).

(6) The sixth idea is ‘social learning’ and encourages collaborative interactions and active learning ideas.

Socialisation of the classroom is key for enhanced participation and learning spaces should encourage social relationships. (Zayapragassarazan & Kumar, 2012; Prince, 2004; Benade, 2016; Ramsden 2008).

Experiencing unpredictable graduate jobs There is significant research around the theme ‘future of work’, and what work might look like in the future.

There is evidence that the fourth industrial revolution brings opportunities and limitations for the future workforce (Schwab, 2018; Marion, 2014).

The debate includes technological breakthroughs which are said to be rapidly changing the tasks performed by humans and those produced by machines. There is evidence to suggest that before 2022 there is a clear demand for roles in “Data Analysis and Scientists, Software and Applications Developers, and Ecommerce and Social Media Specialists, roles that are significantly based on and enhanced by the use of technology” (Schwab, 2018).

Therefore, there is a need to develop students to become experts in their field, to ensure their sustainably in the future work place.

Building graduate (human) skills Alongside students becoming experts in their academic field, there is a suggestion that curriculum planning

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should support students to demonstrate and excel in their technical ability and possess ‘human’ skills. The term ‘human’ skills are a formulation of what has previously been stated as transferable skills, soft skills, personality skills or personal skills (Schwab, 2018; Barrie, 2007). Examples of human skills as identified by research are: creativity, originality and initiative, critical thinking, persuasion, negotiation, resilience, flexibility, complex problem-solving, emotional intelligence, leadership and social influence (Schwab, 2018; Collie & Martin, 2016). The explicit implication here is the added pressure for teaching staff to not just incorporate these ‘human’ skills alongside the complex curriculum but to embed them to develop lifelong learning.

There is evidence that some teaching staff in higher education have shared perceptions that their current workloads are unmanageable, and this pressure is turning many professional teachers off teaching all together (Taberner, 2017; Benade, 2016; Andrade & Alden-Rivers, 2019). It could be suggested that there is a need to lessen the workload for teachers and create an environment that shares the responsibilities of learning.

Methodology Autoethnography To investigate the problem and answer the research questions this study used Autoethnography as a methodological approach. Autoethnography is seen as modernistic and a qualitative narrative of inquiry (Creswell, 2014; Denscombe, 2010). Autoethnography could enable a deeper understanding of a person’s philosophies and could empower skillful decisions and better one’s practice. (Robins et al, 2003; Dewey, 1933; Cohen, Manion & Morrison, 2018).

Therefore, Autoethnography is a suitable approach to this study, as this idiosyncratic discovery (Chang, 2015) will enable me to recollect memories and emotions that relate to the research questions and decipher the impact it has had upon my personal journey.

Data Collection and Analysis Data was collected in the form of written personal reflections, recollecting memories from my past secondary school education, my undergraduate education and finally, moments of my teaching. I used a reflective cycle in order to accurately reflect the events and connect to the feelings and emotions that were present at the time (Gibbs, 1988).

Personal Narratives I wrote several personal narratives over the space of two months; these were split into isolated silos, past and present, which helped organise my own thought processes. The past narratives include episodes from my secondary school education between 1994 to 1999. The second narrative reflects upon my return to study 10 years later in 2009. The final reflective accounts, spans from the time I have been employed in Computing at Blackpool and The Fylde College, I started out as a lecturer in 2013, then progressed to Programme Leader in 2015 and now I am a Senior Tutor for learning and teaching.

Data Analysis The isolated personal narratives were written with the aim of eliciting the positives and negatives of the learning experiences, and in order to analyse the research questions. The narratives were handwritten, and I used thematic analysis to identify themes and patterns in the narratives (Denscombe, 2010; Cohen, Manion &

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Morrison, 2018), Coding was performed repeatedly, using highlights to help, group, and organise the themes (Denzin & Lincon, 2005).

Validity To address the validity of my personal narratives, I spoke with my close family and academic colleagues to ensure that my reflections were accurate. When completing the thematic analysis, the narratives were shared with three colleagues at the institution that I am employed, and they were independently coded and grouped.

Once these were complete, a professional discussion took place to discuss the findings, the discussion outlined particular strengths and weaknesses in my narratives, and this enabled me to re-work my narratives to reflect a true and accurate account. This ensured that the codes were accurate and true (Bruner, 1993). With the narratives being cross checked, this made me aware of the effects it could have on members who may appear in the study, therefore the narrative language used was checked to ensure no harm came to any participants (Chang, 2015).

There are limitations to using personal reflection, particularly the shaping of and the selective nature of memories, shaping them to address an issue and it is said that truths could be elaborate to lure in the reader (Chang, 2015; Bruner, 1993). However, on a positive note, it could also uncover taken for granted moments or unconscious memories (Lapadat, 2017, Skies, 2015).

Findings The findings are split into three stages, (1) secondary education (1993 – 1999), (2) Undergraduate education (2009 – 2013) and (3) Work as a teacher 2013 – 2019. These sections are supported by quotes from the narratives.

Secondary school education (1993 – 1999) Drawing on my past educational experiences from school, (1994 to 1999) it could be suggested that the educational schooling system was not fit for purpose.

“I always felt that I was too slow, the teachers projected the work and we were to copy it down”.

Within the reflective account, I noted that my schooling affected my confidence in my own ability, as the lessons were simply transcribing information from a whiteboard, which was pre-populated before a lesson. I further detail that this did not help me learn and the overall impact affected my grades in my final GCSEs.

“I felt that I was too slow, and I had to rush to copy the work down. I did not learn anything and did not achieve good grades”.

This particular schooling experience could be seen as a negative experience and one that did not consider the student in terms of emotional or academic support. It appears that the learning did not encourage participation.

“I felt challenged, as I had to listen to hours of lectures. I felt detached as I could not keep up. I dreaded the teacher asking me question as I was mostly disengaged”

Undergraduate Education (2009-2013) It must be noted that in 2008 I had a daughter, and this changed my perspectives and enhanced my motivations.

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I wanted to have a career that my daughter would be proud of and become a positive role model in her life; this is evident in my reflections “I was motivated and wanted to achieve”.

However, the effects of my schooling had left a lasting effect on me as I felt anxious and unconfident in my abilities and hoped that it was different from secondary school. Nonetheless I had newfound motivation from my daughter and that kept me focused and resilient.

“I did not want the same experience as I did in school therefore, I decided to record all the lectures and listen to them at home in my own time and pace. This was time consuming and exhausting but I was motivated and wanted to achieve”.

Employed in Computing (2013-2019) A film that I have always enjoyed is Mary Poppins, more specifically a quote that stuck with me and I can relate to in all aspects of my life “In every job that must be done, there is an element of fun. You find the fun and -SNAP- the job’s a game” (Travers and Shepard, 1988).

This section includes specific narratives that pushed me out of my comfort zone in term of teaching, to ensure that the students received the most appropriate and engaging learning sessions.

In one particular session, I confidently decided that I needed to develop my delivery style and take a risk, I introduced a new approach to question the students’ knowledge, and this was in the form of a Kahoot Quiz.

This created a positive and engaging atmosphere; the reflections note a ‘well-humoured rivalry’ between the students and this created an open discussion. I used encouragement and praise to motivate the students.

In 2018 I was becoming more confident and I decided that if I can learn from stepping out of my comfort zones, the students might also learn, so I decided to take another risk; to my surprise the students participated and it was a success.

I had noticed that a particular cohort had struggled with a specific part of academic writing, so I shared my own personal struggles and experiences with the students and then asked the students to step out of their comfort zones to try a new technique to see if it helped.

“I asked the students to not use a computer for the session, some confused looks, we huddled around a table in the middle and began a discussion on paraphrasing a nursery rhyme (the students thought I had gone mad!)”

The discussion was open, and all the students participated, I used direct questioning techniques to elicit deeper thoughts and the students demonstrated a deeper and more critical discussion.

“The students stated that they enjoyed the session and I felt an incredible sense of achievement”

The final findings are documented in three parts over the course of a level 4 module. These are partially backed up by visual additions to contextualise the learning and environment.

The reason I changed my delivery was partly instigated by the students; they had complained about a different lesson, where they had been simply copying code from a worksheet, which made them feel demotivated.

I had a conversation with the group and negotiated a plan that I would adapt to meet their needs. Using the environment, I decided to get the students thinking, therefore I used the glass boards to create word clouds

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and asked the students to share what they had learnt so far. I felt anxious that this would be a barrier and the students may not participate, yet the students took ownership and participated.

“They all participated, and it worked very well the students were chatting and adding to the word clouds.

We discussed the reflections and explored previous learning and links to industry “.

Figure 1 - Images of word cloud task I thought “if this works, maybe I can go one step further”, whilst the students were adding their points to the word clouds, I quickly gathered a few ideas in anticipation for the class. I decided to create a project in an attempt to simulate an industrial environment. To build upon the challenge, the students could only communicate with me via email in the class, as this is typical in industry.

The layout of the classroom was a particular strength, as the students began to collaborate and were completely immersed in the tasks (as illustrated in the images below). The atmosphere was relaxed and positive.

Figure 2 - Images of classroom session A week had gone by and after the success of the previous session, I wanted to challenge my teaching style

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further. The session started with the students adding to the word clouds, there was no hesitation and all students participated.

Figure 3 - Images of word clouds task I introduced the students to a live project for a local company, the objective was to re-design and build a new website. I nominated a team leader and noted that all the students must participate. I was surprised at how the students managed this independent project.

“Surprisingly the team leader stood up and began to allocate roles based on the student’s strengths, he split them into smaller groups and negotiated jobs”

The students rarely asked me for help or advice, they worked as a team and communicated excellently, the student decided to use Microsoft Teams and Trello to collaborate on the project. I felt a great sense of pride and was enthusiastic by the student’s commitment to the project.

“I simply observed the session, and this was a very abstract feeling, I was immensely proud seeing my students work collaboratively”

“I entered the room and a student approached me and stated they were excited to continue with the project.

I was impressed “ I prepared the word clouds on the board before the students entered the room and as the group entered the room, they greeted me and headed straight to the boards to add their additions. This seems to have become a routine and one that the students participated in with ease.

I simply handed over to the team leader and he was prepared to take control of the session.

“I noticed that he had stuck different elements of the website on the spare board - he used these to create a dynamic and elaborate discussion regarding the overall design of the website”

I observed the students collaborating and the activity which the students had created and delivered was a great success, the students were attentive and respectful. The atmosphere was relaxed and jovial, all the students participated, and the team leader split the group into smaller groups, and they all worked toward the end product.

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Figure 4 - Images of Classroom collaboration

Discussion This section discusses the findings which are supported by the literature. The questions attempting to be answered are: RQ1: How does my previous learning experiences affect my pedagogical practice? And RQ2: What factors motivate me to change my pedagogical practice and prepare students with ‘graduate’ skills for the workforce of the 21st century?

During the thematic analysis of the findings, there were three distinct themes (1) Fit for Purpose, (2) Labour Intensive, (3) Learning Environments.

Fit for purpose My past educational experience was not fit for purpose. Barrington (2004) believes that a tradition didactic teaching style, does not encourage high-quality deep learning, instead a passive mode of learning. Therefore, it could be suggested that I wanted to create a fit for purpose environment to support my students.

I suggest that the situations that supported me to change my pedagogical practice are varied and dispersed across the reflections. In terms of the role of the teacher, it could be suggested that I became a facilitator to help students take ownership of their learning. Cotterall (1995) indicates teachers should gradually withdraw support in order to build the students autonomy, additionally, Moguel (2004) expresses that teachers should be moving towards collaborative inquiry, instead of individualised instruction to prepare them for their future careers.

Whilst facilitating I used questions, encouragement and praise to motivate the students, this was noted as successful. Dickinson (1995) presents that to motivate and encourage students they must be given the ability to explore the learning. It could be suggested that this communicative facilitation prompted me to change my practice in the moment, providing individualised feedback to the students.

A key abstraction from the findings is where I shared my own personal struggles and experiences, this empathic approach built rapport with the students and supported them in their learning. Watanabe-Crockett (2019) suggests that empathy is important as a teacher as it could encourage the students to grow ‘socially, intellectually, and emotionally’. Therefore, it could be assumed that I respond to situation based on my empathic communication with my students.

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The students expressed dissatisfaction within another session, where they were simply copying code and feltdemotivated. In response to this feedback, I decided to change my pedagogical practice, creating a real-world scenario, allowing the students to take over and create an engaging environment. In addition, I ensured that the students had clear objectives to meet by the end of each session. Ryan and Tilbury (2013) express the importance of crossing the boundaries between real-world scenarios and educational experiences. It could be assumed that I was attempting to cross boundaries with the use of a real-life scenario.

Labour / Hard Work / Monotony After several years of the same mundane note taking exercises, I became unconfident in my abilities. “A person who is academically unconfident is unlikely to easily become an autonomous learner, and learner confidence correlates well with academic success” (Coterall 1995), thus, it could be assumed that since I did not learn in a traditional style, I could be empathetic to the student’s needs.

There are various accounts in the reflection that document how I adapted my practice in the moment, based on student feedback. One change that I made was the use of word clouds on the glass boards, this was used in order to encourage the students to build social interaction and share their knowledge. Ryan and Tilbury (2013) indicate that promoting social interaction could help develop the student’s confidence. Therefore, it could be suggested that I was attempting to build a social and an inclusive environment.

I created a live project for a local company to design and develop a new website for the business, this project was completely student-led. Hutchin’s (2006) data deduces that allowing students to explore a nature of enquiry and think creatively to solve a problem, provides them with complex critical thinking opportunities and a powerful environment that fosters enhanced communication.

This was a change from my typical pedagogical approach and a risk, it could be assumed that I attempted to create activities where students took ownership of their learning and provide space for class discussions, debates, problem-solving tasks and collaboration with peers, therefore transforming the classroom.

Poor learning environment During my high school education, the learning environment was uninspiring and typical of an 18th-century classroom, where students sat in rows and listened to the teacher dictate the curriculum. Hutchins (2006) expresses that this passive mode of learning is ineffective and does not encourage the student to become autonomous. I wanted to create a dynamic, inclusive, and flexible environment, where the students could take ownership and become autonomous.

I adapted my pedagogy to fit the logistics of the environment and the student’s needs. Each reflective account details a different styled classroom; however, I asked the students to step out of their comfort zones. Ryan & Tilbury (2013) theories that teachers should be able to embrace change in their methodologies to create effective learning.

We used a development studio to develop the web site for the company and this room was excellent for collaboration. By giving the students complete autonomy in the classroom, the students took ownership of the room. They wrote tasks on the glass boards, split into smaller teams, and collaborated effectively. This activity enabled the students to become immersed and engaged in learning. Cohen et al (2008) suggests that a café style pedagogy encourages social interaction, which is evident in the development studio.

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Conclusion Throughout this paper I have attempted to uncover what affects my pedagogical practice and discover what motivates me to change my practice and prepare students for a lifetime of work. I conclude that “the secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new” as quoted by Socrates, this is a key point to this paper.

We are aware that teaching with a traditional approach does not always support learning, there is evidence that teachers need to embed more inclusive, flexible approaches to teaching and learning. Furthermore, there is additional evidence that the workforce of the future must be highly skilled in their specialty along with a development of graduate ‘human’ skills.

This paper identifies that although my previous learning experiences were negative and impacted my confidence, it also indicates that it made me an empathetic and approachable teacher. I shared my personal struggles, continually challenged myself, took risks and reflected with students, which enabled a co-collaborative, inclusive classroom, where the students become curious explorers of knowledge.

Let us be open, communicative and involve the students in all aspects of the learning, teaching, and assessment, it is their learning journey after all.

References Andrade, M., & Alden-Rivers, B. (2019) ‘Developing a framework for sustainable growth of flexible learning opportunities’, Higher Education Pedagogies, 4(1), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/23752696.2018.1564879 Barrie, S. (2007) ‘A conceptual framework for the teaching and learning of generic graduate attributes’, Studies In Higher Education, 32(4), 439-458. doi: 10.1080/03075070701476100 Barrington, E. (2004) ‘Teaching to student diversity in higher education: how Multiple Intelligence Theory can help’, Teaching In Higher Education, 9(4), 421-434. doi: 10.1080/1356251042000252363 Benade, L. (2016) ‘Is the classroom obsolete in the twenty-first century?’ Educational Philosophy And Theory, 49(8), 796-807. doi: 10.1080/00131857.2016.1269631 Bernstein, D. (2018) ‘Does active learning work? A good question, but not the right one’, Scholarship Of Teaching And Learning In Psychology, 4(4), 290-307. doi: 10.1037/stl0000124 Chang, H. (2011) Autoethnography as method. Eastern University: Left Coast Press.

Cohen, L., Manion, L., & Morrison, K. (2018). Research methods in education. London: Routledge.

Collie, R., & Martin, A. (2016) ‘Adaptability: An Important Capacity for Effective Teachers’, Educational Practice And Theory, 38(1), 27-39. doi: 10.7459/ept/38.1.03 Cotterall, S. (1995) ‘Readiness for autonomy: Investigating learner beliefs’, System, 23(2), 195-205. doi: 10.1016/0346-251x(95)00008-8 Creswell, J. (1995) Educational Research. Harlow: Pearson Education.

Dankers, M. (2014) ‘Firms of the Future are expected to hire four generations of staff ’, Proquest, 7.

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Denscombe, M. (2010) The good research guide.

Dewey, J. (1933) ‘How We Think: A Restatement of the Relation of Reflective Thinking to the Educative Process’, The American Journal Of Psychology, 46(3), 528. doi: 10.2307/1415632 Dickinson, L. (1995) ‘Autonomy and motivation a literature review’, System, 23(2), 165-174. doi: 10.1016/ 0346-251x(95)00005-5 Fenwick, A. (2011) ‘The first three years: experiences of early career teachers’, Teachers And Teaching, 17(3), 325-343. doi: 10.1080/13540602.2011.554707 Folkenflik, R. (1993) The culture of autobiography, Stanford, Calif.: Stanford University Press.

Gibbs, G. (1988) Learning by Doing: A guide to teaching and learning methods. Oxford: Oxford Polytechnic: Oxford.

Gravoso, R., Pasa, A., & Mori, T. (2002) ‘Influence of students’ prior learning experiences, learning conceptions and approaches on their learning outcomes’, HERDSA, 282- 289.

Healey, M., Flint, A., & Harrington, K. (2014) Engagement through partnership: students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education [Ebook] (pp. 1 -76). Yorkshire: Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://www. heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/resources/Engagement_through_partnership.pdf (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Hutchins, B. (2006) ‘Centre for Excellence in Enquiry-Based Learning’, The University Of Manchester, 1-3.

Krych, A., March, C., Bryan, R., Peake, B., Pawlina, W., & Carmichael, S. (2005) ‘Reciprocal peer teaching: Students teaching students in the gross anatomy laboratory’, Clinical Anatomy, 18(4), 296-301. doi: 10.1002/ ca.20090 Kumar, S., & Zayapragassarazan, Z. (2012) ‘Active Learning Methods’, Eric, 3-5.

Lapadat, J. (2017) ‘Ethics in Autoethnography and Collaborative Autoethnography’, Qualitative Inquiry, 23(8), 589-603. doi: 10.1177/1077800417704462 Lea, J. (2015) Enhancing Learning and Teaching in Higher Education: Engaging with the Dimensions of Practice, Berkshire: McGraw-Hill Education.

Moguel, D. (2004) ‘What Does It Mean to Participate in Class? Integrity and Inconsistency in Classroom Interaction’, Journal Of Classroom Interaction, 39(1), 19-29.

Murniati, C., & Sanjaya, R. (2017) ‘Students as Producers: A Case Study of Technology-Based Projects’, Celt: A Journal Of Culture, English Language Teaching & Literature, 17(2), 121. doi: 10.24167/celt.v17i2.1173 Ramsden, P. (2008) The future of higher education teaching and the student experience. Available at: http://www. bis.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/HE-Teaching-Student-Experience.pdf (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Ryan, A., & Tilbury, D. (2013) Flexible Pedagogical, New Pedagogical Ideas, 1st edn. Heslington: The Higher Education Academy.

Schatz-Oppenheimer, O., & Dvir, N. (2014) ‘From ugly duckling to swan: Stories of novice teachers’, Teaching And Teacher Education, 37, 140-149. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2013.10.011

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Schwab, K. (2018) The Future of Jobs Report, Available at: http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEF_Future_of_ Jobs_2018.pdf (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Skies, P. (2015) ‘Ethical Considerations in Autoethnographic Research’, Specialist Research Ethics Guidance Paper.

Taberner, A. (2018) ‘The marketisation of the English higher education sector and its impact on academic staff and the nature of their work’, International Journal Of Organizational Analysis, 26(1), 129-152. doi: 10.1108/ ijoa-07-2017-1198 Travers, P. and Shepard, M. (2016) Mary Poppins. London: Harper Collins Children’s.

Watanabe-Crockett, L. (2019) The Best Ways of Becoming a More Empathetic Teacher. Available at: https://www. wabisabilearning.com/blog/6-ways-becoming-a-more-empathetic-teacher (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Wenger, E. (2000) ‘Communities of Practice and Social Learning Systems’, Organization, 7(2), 225-246. doi: 10.1177/135050840072002 Wiliam, D. (2011) Embedded formative assessment. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree.

Zembylas, M. (2005) ‘Beyond teacher cognition and teacher beliefs: the value of the ethnography of emotions in teaching’, International Journal Of Qualitative Studies In Education, 18(4), 465-487. doi: 10.1080/09518390500137642

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Improving teaching and learning in STEM through innovative problem-based competitive work: An initial study of student populations Margarita Georgieva and Abdelrahman Abdelazim

Introduction and Literature Review Experiential learning as defined by Kolb (Kolb, 2014) calls for interdisciplinary, experimental, real-world approaches to teaching that take into account the increasingly complex world learners will have to face in the future as well as a range of teaching learning styles (McLeod, 2010). It calls for mixing and balancing content delivery and teaching process management in a purposefully engaged endeavour, preferably working towards a project of professional interest or exploring and reflecting on big picture perspectives through the identification of key details, assessment of comfort zone, examining values and building meaningful relationships (Schwartz, 2012).

The experiential learning model can be applied to a range of levels and audiences (Bassett & Jackson, 1994).

Thus, opening the borders between educational levels and institutions should be a possibility to consider when looking at developing STEM and encouraging students with diverse backgrounds to engage with these disciplines. Bridging the disciplines as well as key stages in education can be key to the involvement and engagement of students across the educational system, from school to college, including both further and higher education students.

Globally, the scholarship of teaching increasingly focuses on experiential learning (Chapman, 1995), project-based and problem-based tasks, as well as an increased student-centeredness (Cantor, 1995). While there is significant research on compact student groups and their successes within such models of education, there is little research on the impact a cross-institutional student-oriented activity will have on students, their engagement and experience, as well as on their scholarship. Compact student groups can be defined as groups that belong to the same institution and/or level of study, and whose members are within a close age range. Such groups may be diverse in terms of learner backgrounds. However, they usually engage in a combination of individual or group learning and form tight-knit communities along with a few teachers teaching them.

The proposed study will enable us to generate data from across schools and teachers, and from our own staff and students, bringing together a number of compact groups and exposing them to the challenge of facing one another as competing teams. This will be a very interesting cross-generational, cross-institutional sample of subjects which can lead to useful findings in terms of the scholarship of teaching.

Grounds The present research is focused on a local school competition, involving LegoÂŽ robots which are built according to predefined specifications and programmed to perform a series of tasks. The competition itself

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is taken to be an informal (Johnson, 2017) learning event, taking place alongside students’ usual formal learning at school, which enables both learners and teachers to explore a range of topics in mathematics, physics, robotics and programming. In addition, it has creativity and innovation aspects attached to the design of the robot itself.

Participating schools are mentored by Engineering staff and students from Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC), who run their local competition rounds. The winners from these rounds come for the final which is hosted at B&FC Advanced Technology Centre. The competition is modelled from an internationally successful competition (www.gccrobo.com) through which the study team has already gained significant know-how. The competition is also supported by the Institution for Engineering and Technology. A website for the competition is created at www.blackpoolrobo.com.

Throughout the different competition rounds, data is gathered on the following:

• • • •

Student engagement and student experience Student performance in mathematics and STEM The perception of Engineering among young learners Teaching methods and innovation

This data is gathered from both students and teachers. It is collected with the help of questionnaires, interviews and through observation. The findings provide understanding of how experience-based, innovative teaching and learning processes work from the point of view of the teacher and the student, and how these affect the actors on the educational stage.

Hypotheses The present work is intended to develop understanding of teaching and learning, and the impact of problem-based competitive methodologies on acquisition and application of mathematical skills and STEM knowledge. Such findings can help with curriculum development as well as with more appropriate targeting for the purposes of student recruitment. The knowledge can be used for cross-curricular bridges and is expected to generate ideas about developing shared modules across curriculum areas.

The research project involves Level 3 students for whom an engagement boost is projected. Their engagement will be as part of work experience and is expected to create an interest for similar projects with their peers and will have an impact on students across B&FC. These students will be able to act as mentors or will be given other tasks, thereby engaging them and enhancing their experience.

Based on this, four hypotheses about teaching and learning have been made:

1. Competitive problem-based environments boost student motivation and engagement uniformly across all age categories and all academic levels.

2. Teachers re-evaluate their teaching practices and find new or different ways of teaching that they have not considered before, or have considered but have not managed to apply in practice. Our hypothesis is that teacher perception of their teaching will change and evolve. Teachers will gain a better understanding of the position of the student, thereby promoting student-centeredness.

3. Student scholarship is improved through practical tasks that require them to use skill sets from various disciplines and that place them in collaborative environments.

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4. An investigation of the impact of mixing college-level and secondary-level students will reveal a greater willingness to engage with peers and a more open, communicative attitude across age groups. It is hypothesised that the impact will be highly favourable, especially as concerns the perception of Engineering among young students.

Methods The initial sample is 11 teams. This represents a total of 55 secondary school students aged between 11 and 15 years old, and 11 teachers in Mathematics, Science or Technology across Blackpool and The Fylde area.

To these are added 11 students enrolled in a 90-credit diploma in General Engineering at Level 3 at B&FC who are set to complete a series of mentorship and training tasks with the teachers and school students as part of their work placement requirement.

With the help of an independent team, surveys are conducted for every competing group. The survey is adapted for the age group of the students and is developed specifically for the students after registration.

A second survey is filled by the teachers. The progress in the competition is monitored by B&FC student mentors and volunteers and has been recorded on video footage. The groups arriving at the finals are interviewed. At the end of the competition, a third survey is given to the students and teachers. The results of the surveys are compared to the observation notes for further analysis and interpretation through inferential and descriptive statistics, as well as an analytical approach that involves secondary data from journals and books on the scholarship of teaching mathematics and STEM, in addition to theories of experience-based learning and problem-based learning.

The collected surveys are anonymous. Confidentiality and anonymity is preserved and the data is being used solely for the purpose of the study in aggregate form. No names of students, teachers or schools are revealed in this process due to the sensitivity of some findings. Where consent is necessary for the interviews, it has been gathered in written form and preserved throughout the event and the subsequent study.

Findings The survey findings reveal three main points of interest:

1. Engagement in STEM subjects is generally high in secondary school students attending the competition and among their teachers.

2. Resources (human and technical) across schools could be boosted so as to provide more opportunities for hands-on work.

3. The importance of English and Mathematics for strong STEM schools is extremely high and may affect the performance of students and teachers.

Students and teachers seem to have a clear and consistent approach to their engagement in STEM. The way students were selected for participation is claimed to have arisen from a spontaneous mix of efforts, willingness and interest, rather than specific selection on the basis of gender or academic standing (excellence). The level of engagement among school students was balanced with teams engaging in an overall even distribution of tasks among team members which they perceive as being fair. Teamwork and communication skills were uniformly at a good level. There was a near-to-perfect gender balance (49% female and 51% male students) across most school teams. Taking the current gender misbalance among college students (the ratio of male to female in the college team was 10 to 1 which does not reflect the

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College’s current percentage of females within Engineering which is 22%, it becomes evident that this gap increases at another point of the students’ journey, somewhere between secondary school and the first years of college, possibly after Year 7 and onwards. The survey results show a high engagement in STEM from both teachers and students with no notable differences between genders.

The competition tasks included mathematics, basic physics and robotics, along with programming experience. Survey results displayed a few tendencies that may have an impact on STEM subjects and student provision in the future. Of concern were teacher comments on their teaching hours, the lack of time and overall lack of personnel to undertake Mathematics and Science classes. Some schools expressed concern over closure of STEM clubs and lack of material resources (computers, iPads, and science kits). Of concern to two of the schools was the high turnover rate among teachers and the lack of younger teaching personnel to renew the current team.

Furthermore, the study revealed a trend that demonstrated the importance of English language skills for teaching STEM subjects and enhancing student motivation. The level of English language skills was monitored through communication and the open ended questions in the survey for teachers. The data suggests that the level of reading and writing skills directly impacts the overall quality of STEM delivery.

Schools which dropped out of the competition are those which displayed lower writing and communication skills among teachers. These were also among the first teams to give up. Direct correlation should be investigated through further investigation on a larger sample.

After an analysis of survey and interview results, the following hypotheses outcomes are noted:

1. The hypothesis concerning motivation by competitive, problem-based work is confirmed as 100% of students respond by self-assessing their interest in competition tasks as extremely high. When asked about their satisfaction throughout their journey, 98% of students report high satisfaction and are able to relate the tasks to their studies. A few students have also noticed how competition tasks may be expressed in real-world solutions, e.g. how industrial automata may be able to lift weights on a larger scale but for similar purposes as their competition assignment.

2. Similarly for teachers, the hypothesis about teaching practices is confirmed. Over 60% of teachers report noticing the teaching methods of their colleagues and learning from them. Close to 100% of teachers report that they would engage differently and more in STEM activities and competitions, especially if these involve external participation like field trips, museum visits or competitions.

3. Both students and teachers expect that they will obtain better results in STEM subjects. However, the results of this are inconclusive as further monitoring is necessary. A rerun of the competition may be able to prove or disprove this hypothesis, provided that the same teams take place in the next competition.

4. The impact of mixing students across educational levels is still to be determined. Among college students, we notice an interest in teaching which was not clearly expressed before the competition.

Two students enquire about the pathway to take for becoming a school or college teacher and express their wish to continue their studies in higher education. Secondary school students are more reserved when asked about their future careers but seems to relate to their elders.

Communication among secondary school students and college students was positive, but our findings need more precision.

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Conclusions The competition revealed favourable tendencies among secondary school students to engage positively in STEM activities. They displayed high levels of understanding and ability to problem-solve in practical tasks.

The importance of human and technological resources, as well as the level of English language and Mathematics knowledge and skills, seem to be of utmost importance for the successful promotion of STEM among secondary school students.

It becomes evident that the issue of gender misbalance in college should be addressed in more depth in order to pinpoint the exact moment of its occurrence. Among the topics that still remain to be addressed is the impact of involving college and secondary schools students in the same competition and the effects this has on learning. More data is needed in this respect. Further data is needed to measure the success and achievement of students in STEM as a result of the competition. Additional items to be monitored would be the specific mathematics, physics, programming and robotics skills and knowledge, and how they develop with time.

As a result of the competition, it is recommended to continue gathering data on participating student team to track their success in secondary school and monitor their destinations, whether at college, university or work placement.

References Bassett, D. S. & Jackson, L. (1994) ‘Applying the Model to a Variety of Adult Learning Situations’, in Jackson, L. & Caffarella R. S. (eds) Experiential Learning: A New Approach. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, pp.

73-86.

Cantor, J. A. (1995) Experiential Learning in Higher Education, Washington D. C.: ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report 7.

Case Western Reserve University (2012) Women in Science and Engineering Roundtable. Available at: https:// case.edu/centerforwomen/wiser (Accessed: 9 January 2019).

Chapman, S. M. P. &. P. B. (1995) What is Experiential Education? in Warren, K. (ed.) The Theory of Experiential Education. Dubuque: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company, pp. 235-248.

Ewert, A. and S. J. (2009) ‘Creating Outcomes through Experiential Education: The Challenge of Confounding Variables’, Journal of Experiential Education, 31(3).

Johnson, C. (2017) The Impact of Informal Education on Formal Education in Science: A Symbiotic Relationship.

Available at: https://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=5306&context=hse_all (Accessed: 9 January 2019).

Kolb, D. A. (2014) Experiential Learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. 2nd edn.

New Jersey: FT Press.

McLeod, S. (2010) Kolb Learning Styles. Available at: http://cei.ust.hk/files/public/ simplypsychology_kolb_learning_styles.pdf (Accessed: 9 January 2019).

Schwartz, M. (2012) Best Practices in Experiential Learning. Available at: https://www.ryerson.ca/ content/dam/lt/resources/handouts/ExperientialLearningReport.pdf (Accessed 9 January 2019).

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Challenges of implementing policy and communication issues associated with the concept of valuing nature Paulina Mackrell

Introduction Human comfort and economic activity greatly depend on the Earth’s ecosystems and the services these ecosystems provide (UNEP, 2019; Robertson, 2011). These services include water, food, climate and flood regulation, as well as leisure and aesthetic enjoyment. Wetlands filter and purify water and offer floods control (Robertson, 2011). Forests provide timber and offer a whole range of valuable goods, including habitat to a great array of species. Mangroves protect coasts and coastal residents from tsunamis and storms. Coral reefs offer attractions for tourists and provide breeding grounds for fish (UNEP, 2019). The list of advantages and benefits provided by nature is endless. Nevertheless, numerous species are still being lost and ecosystems destroyed.

The costs of the losses to ecosystems and species outlined above mostly affect poor societies reliant on natural capital and are often ignored at both national and international levels (UNEP, 2019). One of the reasons for this is that the actual value of natural capital is not reflected in decisions, accounting systems and the market prices (UNEO, 2019; Robertson, 2011). The ecosystem services contribute significantly to global employment and economic activity, especially those associated with food, fisheries and timber production. It has been estimated that over one billion people are employed in the agriculture sector and another 30 million obtain income just from fishing and activities related to fishing (UNEO, 2019). Reports also reveal that almost 95 per cent of the employment in the fisheries sector is set in developing countries. Historically, such losses have been unnoticed. However, the necessity of recognising and appreciating the economic value of these services is currently becoming apparent. There are a number of individuals, including researchers, who strongly believe that there is a need for value of these services to be demonstrated and captured in the accounts and decision-making of governments, the private sector and consumers (UNEO, 2019).

Both services of preservation and protection of the ecosystem are successfully increasing and subsequently becoming a main goal of environmental decision makers, however the implications of embracing this concept are still not fully understood (Fish, 2011). Within the concept of assigning monetary value to nature and implementation of policies lies a great challenge: of how best to explain different data and methods to the general public, decision and policy makers and resource managers. This paper aims to critically examine such challenges to the channel of communication between the policy makers and the society.

Public views and concerns regarding environmental degradation Public concerns with regards to the environmental degradation started to increase in the second half of the 20th century (Shields, 2002). The general public began to develop a clear understanding of the fact that human societies exist within and are extremely dependent upon the services provided by the Earth’s physical, chemical and biological systems, and that such systems are greatly influenced by humans. The rising number of anthropogenic impacts, along with their growing intensity, has indubitably threatened the whole structure

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and functioning of the environmental and socio-economic systems. In some cases this negative increase has led to degradation and extinction of different organisms (Lubchenco, 1998; WAS, 2000, Shields, 2002).

Despite the calls of researchers and numerous academic publications, it was only recently when people realised that the issues they often face on daily basics regarding environment and the economy, and social concerns, are associated and closely linked to their actions. Indeed, humans are part of the ecosystems and there is a high level of interconnectivity between their activities and effects. According to Funtowicz and Ravetz (2001, p.1; cited in Shields, 2002),

‘[…] nothing can be managed in a convenient isolation; issues are mutually implicated; problems extend across many scale levels of space and time; and uncertainties and value-loadings of all sorts and all degrees of severity affect data and theories alike.’

This view could mean that narrow and fractional approaches to problem analysis will not be able to offer adequate explanations and understanding of systems dynamics. Therefore there is a need for new approaches and new perspectives, which could further shape new policies.

Valuing nature Shields (2002) aptly noted that the concept of value and the number of issues associated with it are not new to the general public; there have been struggles with it since the time of Aristotle. The term ‘value’ has many definitions, and it has been referred to in different ways by a number of economists, sociologists, political scientists, psychologists and environmentalists. Values exist around the world, they are present within social systems, they exist in familial units, society’s institutions and communities, and they are often influenced by social factors (Beckley et al., 1999). The social contexts also shape the way individuals prioritise or emphasise some values over others (Boulding and Lundstedt, 1988).

Human societies are being provided with numerous services of the Earth’s ecosystems (MEA, 2005) for thousands of years these ecosystems have been adapted, changed and managed to satisfy human wants and needs. However, this long history does not suggest that ecosystem services can or must be economically valued (and never has done). Without a doubt the quantification and economic valuation of ecosystem services are still perceived as controversial (Sagoff, 2011). Nevertheless, countless decisions made by the general public impact ecosystems and biodiversity daily and often, such decisions lead to detrimental changes and biodiversity losses (Salles, 2011) that cannot be reversed.

Public policy The effects of humans’ harmful actions are being slowly acknowledged, and as a result there has been an increase in talks about the alteration of public policy (Foster, 1997). Arguably, the change has been mostly noticeable in the emergence of a recognition that the environment and the economy are joint together, almost inseparable. As Foster (1997, p. 1) notices,

‘not only do society impact adversely on the environment through our economic activities principally, but our dependence of this environment is seen as principally a matter of our needing its resources, assimilative capacities, amenities and life support systems in order to conduct that activity in the first place’.

Different techniques and concepts of how to value ecosystems (and biodiversity) have progressively developed with backgrounds in the fundaments of economic theory of value (Daily et al., 2000; GomezBaggethum, 2010; Salles, 2011).

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Clearly, in order to reach the general public the change in policy is required (Balmford, 2002). The present state could be regarded as ‘a worrying gap’ between groups supporting the preservation of well-functioning biodiversity and ecosystems and decision makers. There is a need to improve common language to increase the understanding and subsequently highlight the interdependency of the economies and the natural world (MEA, 2005; Balmford, 2002; Braat, 2008; Salles, 2011). Robertson (2011) claims that market-based policy tools are quite often offered as methods to achieve certain protection and conservation of the ecosystem services. He then argues that although monetary valuation and economic modeling provide valuable assistance for institutional and market design in conservation, the economic valuation still needs to surmount major challenges in valuing complex ecosystem service commodities. These ideas (of valuing nature) and policies remain controversial not only between economists concerned about the adequacy of valuation methods, but also among ecologists and researchers, who are anxious about the reduction of the complex ecosystems to a monetary value (Robertson, 2011). Similarly, a large number of the general public still do not feel comfortable with placing an instrumental value on biodiversity (Nunes, 2001). The key concern and common disagreement is that biodiversity has a value on its own, which is also known as ‘intrinsic value’.

Some extremists even believe that instrumental valuation of biodiversity translated in economic/monetary figures, is a ‘nonsense practice’ (Ehrenfeld, 1988; Nunes, 2001). There are also many others who strongly advocate the idea of putting a monetary value on biodiversity, arguing that this only makes obvious the fact that biodiversity is used for instrumental purposes, that could be clearly linked with production and consumption processes (Fromm, 2000).

The general public always had and always will have different opinions and beliefs amongst each other.

However, it could be argued that people may reject a certain idea or policy because they do not understand the technicality of the language used or even the whole concept. ‘The purpose of policy is to codify end state and instrumental fundamental objectives in a manner consistent with the social and political system, and is also representative of the public’s social value set’ (Shields, 2002, p. 154).

Issues with implementation The processes and mechanisms of communication, especially when it comes to the scientific research, are very complex. There are instances in which effective methods and solutions are forced to be rejected for sociological reasons, i.e. because they conflict with the public’s shared set of values and/ or beliefs (Fairweather, 1993). Traditionally, values and science have been treated and spoken about in separate terms.

However, in the eyes of sustainability and sustainable development, scientific objectives and social values are of equal importance (Shields, 2002). When it comes to the sustainable policies, values often shape the objectives, which influence such policies and become standardized in law. The need to understand and be responsive to people’s social values is growing in strength (Peterson and Randall, 1984). In some contexts, values remain abstract and devoid of their full meaning because of the lack of presence of cognitive processes, however, they can always be contextualised through stories (Basso, 1990). Such stories are used by individuals to explain the importance of certain aspects and include the practical application of value. Now and again such narratives are employed in order to communicate and broadcast scientific information to the general society (Kay et al., 1999). Similarly, when a story of an individual adds value in the context to a particular situation, an expert or a scientist can use a certain narrative to communicate indicators and indices in terms of location, size or condition that are important and have a specific meaning to people. An example of this is the employment of the valuing nature concept when it comes to development and implementation of the EU ban of the bee harming pesticides (Carrington, 2018). Green Economy (2012) along with other group of researchers (such like de Zylva) presented their findings to the policy makers, which where then disseminated to the general public highlighting the monetary value and social benefits that bees provide.

Although it has taken a considerable long time, the result was successful; meaning different stake and shareholders took necessary actions (Rogers, 2014).

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As the ‘Reducing the Risk of Policy Failure’ (2000; 2018) report findings reveal, a number of scientists and policy makers share a common assumption that the target group (usually the general public) will be fully aware of, and understand how to act in accordance with the law when it is published (OECD, 2010; 2018).

There should be a new requirement that demands the policies to be supplemented by information campaigns and promotions to guarantee that they are brought to the light of and made as clear as possible and understandable to their target audience (OECD, 2010). The Government rightly argues that in order to support good compliance outcomes work should begin at the regulatory design stage. It is also believed that by enhancing a range of contributing factors, policy makers will be able to develop and put into action more realistic and compliance - friendly regulatory plans (OECD, 2010).

Implementation When it comes to policy design and implementation, it is first important to understand why and how people obey rules. To avoid the risk of policy failure numerous conditions have to be met. The second condition is that the target group has to be willing to act in accordance with the new rule or policy. Sometimes monetary benefits encourage compliance and cooperation. The third condition is that the audience must be able to comply. For some policies, implementation of the policy should contain activities such as the provision of essential information. In order to ensure that the rules will obeyed, policy makers should apply their quality control activities not only to the drafting and the process of publishing a rule, but also, and even more importantly, to ensuring that these three conditions are in place (OECD, 2010).

When it comes to evaluating the outcomes of the policy, decision makers should definitely keep in mind the importance of regulatory compliance, but also the fact that it is not the only factor that determines the rule success and effectiveness (OECD, 2010). The fundamental achievement of regulatory objectives is also subjected to different factors, such as sound problem identification, full diagnosis of the factor and institutional incentives underlying the issue, the choice of putting the policy into practice and the policy instruments (Burney, 2000).

The reality of policy is that the environmental evaluation, including the preference methods, will not disappear. Some might even predict an increase in the use of such policy, especially in the wake of the sustainable development movement (Burney, 2019). Therefore, for practical reasons, it makes sense to develop and improve ecosystem approaches rather than reject them straight away. However, the key is that these approaches need to become more meaningful for the general public and their decisions affecting nature conservation. First, it is necessary that adequate information about the particular feature being valued is provided. The issue of ‘engineering upwards’ society’s preferences for nature conservation potentially could be dealt with by supplementing the briefing about competing resource requests (Burney, 2019).

Common language?

Physical science and the concept of valuing nature are not the only answers to achieving a sustainable future and saving ecosystems (Shields, 2002). Shields argues that instead, there is a pressing need to combine physical science with social science so that society will: have all the information required to manage assets and resources sustainably; be able to communicate information in a politically unbiased way, and make sure the policy and decision makers and the general public are educated (NCSE, 2000; Shields, 2002). Pointers of sustainability can function as groundwork for learning about society, the surrounding environment, and the economy and the interactions between these three fields. When carefully and effectively communicated, these pointers can help to present the information in a politically unbiased manner. They can, and should, be used to involve government and residents in a common dialogue and debate about what “sustainability” and

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“valuing nature” mean to them, with the ultimate aim of developing common political and environmental objectives (Brugmann, 1997).

According to Shields (2002), linking social preferences should be addressed within three domains: policy, values and objectives, and science. Considering the intersection of policy with values and objectives, there should be at least an ethical basis for policy (Shields, 2002). Individuals search for policies that would support their objectives and values (which form the fundaments for those objectives). Science overlaps these two areas. Both social policies and the group of objectives that the public chooses as supportive of their ecological goals have to be achievable and well-matched. However, policies and objectives are informed by the understanding of the surrounding world, as well as the society’s broad concepts and ideas about nature and their relationship to it (Fairweather, 1993; Shields, 2002). If policy makers try harder to understand the significance of relations and connections between the society and environment, and the consequences of choosing one objective over another, they will more likely be able to create achievable and feasible policies.

Vice versa, the general public will be more likely to select achievable objectives if they understand the status and functioning of social, environmental and economic structures and they will be aware of the outcomes and effects of their decisions (Shields, 2002).

Figure 1. The difference between theoretical paradigm and reality

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Whilst the above section highlights the importance in understanding between social preferences, policy and science, Figure 1 presents the challenges to the policy implementation. As Fish (2011) aptly notices, although ‘ecosystem services’ is a widely acknowledged concept, the gradual synchronisation of policy and academic discourses around this imperative raises questions as it gives responses for those individuals working at the crossing point of environmental research and decision-making. It is extremely important to develop a successful communication network and understanding between the economy, ecology and community through mutual efforts of ecologists, ecologists and the public.

Conclusion At the moment there is a lack of a clear conceptual framework and long-term management goals and the actions of decision makers are often misinformed and vague. It has to be ensured that degradation is not just moved from one area of interest to another. As highlighted above (Figure 1) there is a poor interaction and involvement among all stakeholders. Dissemination of appropriate information and use of suitable language, instead of scientific or economic jargon, therefore has to come into practice. Regardless of conflicting (but not polarising) philosophical views of all stakeholders, including the general public, it is clear that ecologists, environmentalists and economists should work towards common goals. However, in order to support the holistic interaction, there is first a need for a nested hierarchy to ensure the aims and objectives are strong and clear. Because the concept of valuing nature is relatively new, there is a need to continually improve valuing methods. It would be beneficial if the ecosystem approach could be encompassed in other sustainability models and also incorporated within the entire lifecycle of products and processes. Salles (2011, p.12) greatly reminds that ‘the choice is not between valuing or not valuing, it is between valuing with explicit and contestable methods and valuing implicitly. But we must remember that biodiversity and ecosystem services valuation would remain meaningless if it does not aim at making better practical choices and actions.’

References Balmford, A., Bruner, A., Cooper, P., Costanza, R., Farber, S. and Green, R.E. (2002) ‘Economic reasons for conserving wild nature’, Science, 297, pp. 950–953.

Basso, K. (1990) ‘Stalking with stories: names, places and moral narratives among the western Apache’, in Western Apache Language and Culture: Essays in Linguistic Anthropology. Tucson: U. Arizona Press, pp. 99-137.

Beckley, T., Boxall, P., Just, L. and Wellstead, A. (1999) Forest Stakeholder Attitudes and Values: Selected Social Science Contributions: Information. Report NOR-X-362, Canadian Forest Service, Northern Forestry Center, Edmonton.

Boulding, K. and Lundstedt, S.B. (1988) ‘Value concepts and justifications’, in Peterson, G., Driver, B., Gregory, R. (eds.), Amenity Resource Valuation. Venture Publishing, State College, PA, pp. 13–22.

Braat, L. and Brink, P. (2008) The Cost of Policy Inaction (COPI) - The case of not meeting the 2010 Biodiversity Target. Report to the European Commission, May 2008.

Burney, J. (2000) Is Valuing Nature Contributing to Policy Development? Environmental Values, 9, pp. 511 – 20.

Carrington, D. (2018) Pesticides. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/apr/27/ eu-agrees-total-ban-on-bee-harming-pesticides (Accessed: 1 July 2018).

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Daily, G. (1997) Nature’s services: societal dependence on natural ecosystems. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Daily, G., Söderqvist, T., Aniyar, S., Arrow, K., Dasgupta, P. and Ehrlich, P.R. (2000) ‘The value of nature and the nature of value’, Science, 289, pp. 395–396.

Ehrenfeld, D. (1988) Why put a value on biodiversity. E.O. Wilson (ed.) Washington, DC: Biodiversity, National Academy Press.

Fish, R. (2011) ‘Environmental decision making and an ecosystems approach: Some challenges from the perspective of social science’, Progress in Physical Geography, 35 (5), pp. 671 – 680.

Gomez-Baggethum, E., de Groot, R., Lomas, P.L. and Montes, C. (2010) ‘The history of ecosystem services in economics theory and practice: from early notion to markets and payment schemes’, Ecological Economics, 69, pp. 1209–1218.

Fairweather, P.G. (1993) ‘Links between ecology and ecophilosophy, ethics and the requirements of environmental management’, Aust. J. Ecol., 18, pp. 3–19.

Fenna, A. (1998) Introduction to Australian Public Policy. Melbourne: Addison-Wesley.

Foster, J. M. (1997) Valuing Nature? Ethics, Economics and the Environment. Routledge, Oxon.

Funtowicz, S., Ravetz, J. (2001) Post-Normal Science: Environmental Policy Under Conditions of Complexity.

Available from: http://www.jvds.nl/pns/pns.htm (Accessed: 1 April, 2018).

Green Economy (2012) Valuing Nature. Available at: www.unep.ch/etb/publications/GE%20Briefs%202012/ Briefing%20paper%20GE_VALUING%20NATURE.pdf. (Accessed: 1 April, 2018).

Kay, J., Regier, H., Blyle, M. Francis, G. (1999) ‘An ecosystem approach for sustainability: addressing the challenge of complexity’, Futures, 31, pp. 721–742.

Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MEA) (2005) Ecosystems and human well-being: synthesis. Washington, DC: Island Press.

Nunes, P.A.L.D. and van den Bergh, J.C.J.M. (2001). Economic valuation of biodiversity: sense or nonsense?

Ecological Economics, 39, pp. 203–222.

OECD (2010) Issues with policy implementation. Available at: www.oecd.org/gov/regulatory-policy/ 46466287.pdf. (Accessed: 1 April, 2018).

Peterson, G. and Randall, A. (eds.) (1984) Valuation of Wildland Resource Benefits. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Robertson, M. (2011) ‘Ecosystems Services’, Encyclopedia of Environmental Health, pp. 225–233.

Rogers, C.B. (2014) Paul de Zylva on bees, valuing nature and the role of NGOs. Available at: https://blogs.ucl. ac.uk/ippr/paul-de-zylva-on-bees-valuing-nature-and-the-role-of-ngos-2/ (Accessed: 1 June, 2018).

Sagoff, M. (2011) ‘The quantification and valuation of ecosystem services’, Ecological Economics, 70, pp.

497–502.

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Salles, J.M. (2011) ‘Valuing biodiversity and ecosystem services: Why put economic values on Nature?’

Comptes Rendus Biologies, Vol. 334, Issues 5–6, May 2011, pp. 469–482.

Shields, D.J., Solar, S.V. and Martin, W.E. (2002) ‘The role of values and objectives in communicating indicators of sustainability’, Ecological Indicators, 2, pp. 149 – 160.

Stone, D.A. (1988) Policy Paradox and Political Reason. Harper Collins, NY.

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Anatomy of a Found Poem: a reflection on professional practice Ashley Lister

Introduction I am a firm believer that poetry is a useful tool to help every writer improve their writing. As a discipline, because of its focus on brevity and exactness, poetry invariably demands that we think about words with a specificity that conventional writing seldom necessitates.

For example, it is important for a poet to think about potential rhymes if working to produce a form, such as the limerick, the five line form of humorous poetry; or the sonnet, 14 lines of rhymes most commonly associated with Shakespeare’s opus; or the villanelle, a 19 line form, the most famous example of which is ‘Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night by Dylan Thomas. However, sometimes the focus on the form of these poems involves sacrificing transparency and honesty for the sake of rhyming. I suggest this is a sacrifice of honesty because no rhyming poet will ever ‘spoon’ beneath the ‘moon’ in the month of August.

Such actions have to happen within the month of June or the rhyme is spoilt. And yet, whilst the form of rhyme dictates certain arbitrary choices of content, this restriction can help a writer consider phrasing, synonyms and the sentiment they are trying to express.

Alternatively, working with syllabic forms brings the focus onto the relevance of each syllable within a word, as with such forms as the haiku, a three line verse which western poets interpret as having a 5 – 7 – 5 syllable format; the cinquain, a five line verse that has a structure of 2 syllables on the first line, 4 on the second, 6 on the third, 8 on the fourth and 2 on the final line; or the renga, a collaborative form of verse which begins with a haiku, and is followed by a waki (two 7 syllable lines), with the pattern of haiku and waki being repeated until the poem is complete.

This focus will invariably include the consideration of appropriate elegant variation, to compensate for too many or too few syllables in a piece, without sacrificing too much to an obfuscation of clarity.

These areas of syllabic and rhyming poetry are relatively straightforward examples of how specific lexical choices can be forced onto the poet because of the dictates of the form. However, the same judicious need for specificity and exactness is still required for the compiler of found poetry.

For those unfamiliar with the term, the Encyclopaedia Britannica defines found poetry as:

a poem consisting of words found in a nonpoetic context (such as a product label) and usually

broken into lines that convey a verse rhythm. Both the term and the concept are modelled on the

objet trouvé (French: “found object”), an artefact not created as art or a natural object that is held

to have aesthetic value when taken out of its context.

(Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2019) I usually tell audiences that I constructed the following piece of found poetry using nonpoetic responses to questions about John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men. The truth is, I was inspired by the responses students had written when I was teaching Of Mice and Men to GCSE English students. However, it would have been

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unethical to use their words verbatim. Consequently, I wrote lines that I thought were amusing, based on similar misconceptions I had seen as errors in student papers.

The poem is called ‘Mice of Men’, based on a student’s misinterpretation of the title of the novel. The whole purpose of the poem is to entertain an audience with these misinterpretations. I shall discuss each stanza, each grouped set of lines, below and explain how and why each line was selected.

Mice of Men This is a story about mice and men It was written by John Stickleback During his great depression

For anyone who has ever read Of Mice and Men, I think it will be agreed that it is not a story about mice and men. Yes, there is a single dead mouse at the start of the story. However, the title comes from Steinbeck’s literary allusion to the Robert Burns’ poem ‘To a Mouse on Turning Her Up in Her Nest with the Plough’.

In the penultimate stanza Burns’ poem contains the lines: ‘The best laid schemes o’ Mice an’ Men / Gang aft agley’, with those final three words usually being translated as ‘go oft awry’. All of which is mentioned to show that, from the opening line, this is a poem making light of common misinterpretations and misunderstandings within this particular text.

The novel was written by John Steinbeck, rather than John Stickleback, but it is easy to understand how a slip of the hand like this can happen. With the un/helpful intrusion of autocorrect it is probably an error that each of us has made. Similarly, without the context of knowing when the novel was written, the grim content makes it easy to believe the story was written by someone suffering from depression, rather than someone living through a historical period identified as the great depression.

This latter example of a mistake is a form of misunderstanding through meaning-making that the linguist Geoffrey Pullum has termed eggcorns (2010). Eggcorns are those mistaken expressions that arise, based on a mishearing but combined with our relentless need to make sense of what we are saying.

To illustrate: the common expression ‘a damp squid’ is formed from a mishearing of ‘a damp squib’. Because squib is no longer a part of common parlance, it is a word that refers to a small firework, we can see how modern users might need to interpret squib as squid. At the surface level of understanding, a damp squid makes more sense: a squid is a sea-bound cephalopod and, because of its natural environment, it is almost certain to be damp. However, the meaning of this interpretation takes on a comic aspect when we accept that a damp squib refers to something that is comparatively useless (because it will be difficult or impossible to successfully ignite a damp firework), whilst a damp squid is simply referring to a squid that is moistened by its environment.

This atavistic need for meaning, or comprehension goes beyond poetry and touches all forms of writing and reading. As the literacy professor, Dr Timothy Shanahan explains:

Extracting meaning is to understand what an author has stated, explicitly or implicitly. Constructing

meaning is to interpret what an author has said by bringing one’s ‘capacities, abilities, knowledge,

and experiences’ to bear on what he or she is reading.

(Shanahan, 2010) Consequently, we can see that it is because we are interpreting and constructing meaning through a potentially flawed lens of understanding that such errors become commonplace.

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Nevertheless, whilst ‘damp squid’ is only likely to amuse English lecturers and other grammatical pedants, phrases such as ‘social leopard’ for ‘social leper’ and ‘lamest terms’ instead of ‘layman’s terms’ are as prone to cause amusement as the distinction between the historical period of the great depression and John Stickleback’s personal depression.

These mistakes are relatively common and we are all prone to making them. Personally, I was surprised to discover that the adhesive product I had been calling ‘duct tape’, was really called ‘duck tape’, because it was made from strips of cotton duck cloth, from the Dutch (doek) for canvas. A tape for repairing ducts seemed more logical to my mind (and, in fairness, it still does) than a tape made for or from ducks. Clearly, because I was unaware of the etymology of this particular borrowing, I had been guilty of contributing to the humorous confusion that is caused by this particular eggcorn.

Amongst its many themes are dead puppies and dead blondes And shooting friends in the back of the head: This is the American dream.

It entertained me to think that someone could consider dead puppies, dead blondes and shooting friends in the back of the head as themes within a narrative. Usually themes are related to abstract concepts such as love, ambition, family or hatred. I also thought there was a brutality in these three terms that contributed to the humorous impact of what was being compiled. It will be noted I’ve adopted the rhetorical device of starting with the least distressing ‘theme’, that is the dead puppies, and then moved on to unidentified blondes before concluding with murdered friends.

Each of these items escalates in severity. However, rather than build this over the three lines of this stanza, the rule of three is concluded by the end of the second line. This allows me to have a third line that gives more humorous impact with the idea shooting friends in the back of the head is the fabled American dream.

The humour in this line is dark, relying on an audience’s knowledge of Steinbeck’s novel, but also supported

by America’s permissive current gun culture and the unfortunate mass shootings that occur there with such distressing frequency. According to the Guardian (2018) a mass shooting is defined as, ‘four or more people shot in one incident, not including the shooter,’ and America suffers from one of these incidents on average nine out of ten days (Morris, S: 2018). Because of this high incidence of mass shootings, it was assumed that audiences would have had little difficulty making this grim association.

You can tell Lennie is like a father to George Because he hits him and shouts at him and tells him what to do.

And kills him.

The transposition of character names at the opening of this stanza contributes to the humour. George is the father figure to Lennie in the novel. As humour goes, this is only subtle and is really intended to be noted by readers going through the poem for a second time.

The second line of this stanza cites three reasons why one character is like a father to the other, but these are reasons that suggest a highly dysfunctional relationship between the writer and their father where such a familial connection is exemplified by shouting and giving orders. This dysfunctional relationship is made to seem even more outrageous when we read the stanza’s final line, which suggests that we can tell they have a father/child relationship because the father kills the son.

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My favourite character is Curley’s wife.

She doesn’t have a name.

This makes it difficult for the men to talk to her.

Because they don’t know what to call her.

Within the novel, Curley’s wife is never named. Steinbeck and his characters refer to her only as Curley’s wife and critics have interpreted this in a variety of ways. The absence of a name for Curley’s wife is seen by some as a way of depicting her lack of independence. Others view this absence of a name as a way of diminishing the woman’s identity to the point where she is nothing more than the property of her husband. There are others who suggest that this lack of a name exemplifies the bottom rung of the ladder in a patriarchal society, and there is a converse argument that says this is not attributed to sexism and is merely representative of the way individuals were addressed during the depression era. Steinbeck himself, when asked why Curley’s wife had no name, said, “For one good reason. She’s not a person, she’s a symbol. She has no function, except to be a foil – and a danger to Lennie” (Parini, 1992).

But, regardless of which explanation we choose to accept for the woman’s lack of a name, the simplicity behind the previous stanza, suggesting that this absence of a name makes it difficult for men to talk with her ‘because they don’t know what to call her’, is sufficiently naïve so as to makes us smile.

Crooks is black because of the colour of his skin in a time when people were meant to be racist.

He lives on his own because the other men think he is black.

The racism within Steinbeck’s novel casually depicts the obscene inequity of America’s racial segregation in the depression era, and it does this chiefly through the way characters interact with the disenfranchise character of Crooks. From a humourist’s perspective, I am moving into dangerous territory discussing race.

I am a Caucasian British male and my knowledge of the experience of black Americans is limited solely to films, novels and news media. Whilst I believe that racism is despicable, I have never been the victim of racism so it is difficult for me to address this subject from a place of personal experience. However, as a writer and lecturer I do have empathy for fellow humans and I firmly believe in the second of Blackpool and The Fylde College’s core values which suggests we should all be: Showing fairness, courtesy and mutual respect.

For the purposes of this poem, because the politeness strategies we use in our language invariably force writers into circumlocution as they try to dance around the periphery of meaning, perpetually in fear of causing unintentional distress or offence, I found it amusing to use the sentiment that Crooks was black ‘because of the colour of his skin’. It is similar in structure to the joke that says: if you’ve ever seen a V of geese flying across the sky, and wondered why it is longer on one arm of the V than the other, it’s because there are more geese on that side.

There is almost an ‘emperor’s new clothes’ feel to each of these lines: which impacts the audience because they are making a valid point by saying absolutely nothing that isn’t obvious. Yes, Crooks is black because of the colour of his skin: but it would be a lot more efficient to simply say he is black, rather than trying to attribute a cause, as though it is a condition. It would also have been possible to perpetuate cultural stereotypes in this stanza but that would have run the risk of being interpreted as indicative of racism and such humour would have lessened the sophistication of the piece by appealing to a lowest common denominator.

When we read the line telling us this was a time when people were meant to be racist, our modern

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sensibilities cringe from the idea that racism could ever have been the accepted norm. I suspect there are many valid arguments that would dispute the notion or normalised racism. However, as racial segregation in America had begun during the reconstruction period of the 1870s, and continued up until the late 1960s, it does seem that these reprehensible attitudes represented popular opinion more often than notions of equity, fairness and inclusiveness.

In the final line of the stanza, when we are told Crooks lives on his own ‘because the other men think he is black’, we are smiling because the author of this line has used a slightly incorrect verb. Crooks lives on his own ‘because the other men know he is black’ would have been a more accurate description of the situation and it is the difference between thinking and knowing that causes us the humorous confusion as we try to make sense of the statement. The humour in this line comes from the idea that someone could suspect another person’s skin colour, rather than simply having the knowledge of that person’s skin colour.

The moral of the story is: Don’t trust a friend called George.

The bastard will shoot you in the back of the head.

The final stanza completes the poem with a definite conclusion. We are introduced to the notion of the story having a moral and we are then told that the moral is: don’t trust a friend called George. The final line, warning us that friends called George will ‘shoot you in the back of the head’ is a warning of such great specificity that it seems unlikely to be applied in any circumstances other than for the characters of this novel.

It will be noted that I went for the cheap laugh of an expletive in the final line of this poem. My intention in writing this poem was to amuse and I understand that different audiences have different reactions to humour.

A substantial number of people find the vulgar and the scatological to be humorous and I have no qualms about pandering to this audience if it has a positive impact on the poem’s reception.

Indulging an audience’s need for the vulgar is not a modern phenomenon and we can see this by looking at Jonathan Swift’s poem ‘The Lady’s Dressing Room’

Thus finishing his grand survey,

Disgusted Strephon stole away

Repeating in his amorous fits,

Oh! Celia, Celia, Celia shits!

Swift, J. Our amusement at inappropriate language continues today, which is why some comedians have made a career based on the utterance of expletives, and why our first response to a toddler innocently swearing is (usually) to laugh before we chastise them.

I should mention that one of my favourite pieces of feedback to this poem came from an audience member who said it reminded him of a title he had fondly studied during his own school days. Sadly, the poem’s audience will now be diminished as Of Mice and Men was removed from the English Literature syllabus in 2014.

Overall, I consider this to be a successful poem. I have performed this piece to a wide range of audiences and it has now been published in Teaching as a Human Experience: An Anthology of Contemporary Poems, edited by Dr Patrick Blessinger.

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As I said at the beginning of the article: I am a firm believer that poetry is a useful tool to help every writer improve their writing. The focus on specificity, ensuring that exactly the right word has been chosen, lends a lot to achieving clarity and ensuring there is little scope for ambiguity in interpretation. Reading poetry, seeing how writers can achieve so much in so few words, can be seen as an exemplar for efficiency and excellence in communication. Working with found poetry, examining each sentence to understand its content and impact on a piece as a whole, is an exercise that demands that we think about words with a specificity that conventional writing seldom necessitates.

References Burns, R. (1994) Collected Poems of Robert Burns. Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Ltd. Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019) Found Poem. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/art/found-poem (Accessed: 3 June 2019).

Morris, S. (2018) ‘US Gun Control’, The Guardian, 15 February. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/ us-news/ng-interactive/2017/oct/02/america-mass-shootings-gun-violence. (Accessed: 6 June 2019).

Parini, J. (1992) ‘Of Bindlestiffs, Bad Times, Mice and Men’, New York Times, 27 September. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/1992/09/27/movies/film-of-bindlestiffs-bad-times-mice-and-men.html (Accessed: 6 June 2019).

Pullum, G. (2010) ‘Eggcorn Makes the OED’, Language Log, 16 September. Available at: https://languagelog. ldc.upenn.edu/nll/?p=2633 (Accessed: 6 June 2019).

Shanahan, T. (2010) ‘Reading for Meaning: key findings from the IES practice guide’. Available at: https://ies. ed.gov/ncee/wwc/Docs/PracticeGuide/wwc_rc_pg_chair.pdf (Accessed: 13 June 2019).

Steinbeck, J. (2006) Of Mice and Men. London: Penguin.

Swift, J (2019) ‘The Lady’s Dressing Room’. Available at: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/50579/ the-ladys-dressing-room. (Accessed: 6 June 2019).

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On the level: Staff perceptions of graduate attributes and the journey towards them in art and design Dr. Jill Fernie-Clarke and Su Em Sans This paper investigates the existence, or otherwise, of a consensus about the characteristics of levels of attainment amongst a group of professionals teaching art and design at levels three to six within a specialist art and design institution. The members of staff in this sample group included both long-standing and new members of staff some of whom work simultaneously at other institutions. Thus, the group consisted of people with a range of teaching experiences in a range of contexts. The investigators asked participants to consider and record their thoughts about the characteristics of the trajectory from level three up through levels four and five to level six.

The requirements of a level three award are clearly set out in the documentation related to the qualifications awarded at that level such as the Edexel Extended Diploma in Art and Design (UK). It logically follows that levels four and five are placed in between these requirements and those expressed in the subject benchmark statements for level six in terms of expectations and achievements. The aim here was to investigate, with little priming, and at a particular point in time, staff perceptions of level and their understandings of the accomplishments and attributes that students, having achieved these levels, would typically exhibit. In particular the notion of ‘graduate-ness’ and graduate attributes.

The one day staff development event at which the qualitative primary source material for the investigation was collected was held externally to the institution in order to ensure focus amongst participants. The venue ensured that staff were meeting on ‘neutral ground’ on neither higher nor further education territory. The aforementioned primary source material took the form of spontaneously written ‘Post-its’ and communal drawings outlining what members of staff perceived to be appropriate at each level. The research was carried out with participants who, at the time of the event at which the data was gathered, were either teaching exclusively at further education (FE) levels two and three or exclusively at higher education (HE) from level four up to level six. Participants worked in mixed groups with FE and HE staff conversing about level.

One of the initial purposes of getting FE and HE staff together to discuss their perceptions of graduate attributes and notions of level, was to explore the ways in which assignment briefs are written and the expectations inherent within them. Prior to the event there was a suspicion, on the part of the senior management, that some FE work was exceeding the level it was meant to be addressing whilst in contrast HE staff were commenting informally on the lack of preparedness of students for HE. Contradictory and anecdotal evidence on these topics were seen to be detrimental to a seamless progression through the levels especially from level three to level four. In order to investigate these issues it was decided by members of the senior management team to get those members of staff delivering the FE courses and HE programmes of study to meet together in order to discuss notions and perceptions of level and investigate the existence, or otherwise, of the consensus described in the benchmarks. In that the event was instigated by senior managers it could be looked at as ‘contrived collegiality’ (Hargreaves & Dawe 1990, 227-241).

A consideration of notions of level has meant that we have, by necessity, been drawn to the language of level, looking at the words lecturers use to express distinctions, or similarities, between levels and the implications

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this has for how this is communicated to students through written assignment briefs, as learning outcomes and related assessment criteria.

Following the collection of the raw material (Post-its and drawings) a literature review was undertaken in order to distil the existing scholarship on graduate attributes into a framework to facilitate the analysis of the information gathered at the event.

Literature Review The first emergent theme discerned in literature on ‘graduate-ness’ was that of ‘academic soundness’ and the second was social and economic benefits that that could bring. Looking back several decades the seminal Robbins Report (1963) emphasised the responsibility the higher education sector has to create graduates who are both academically sound and able to make an effective contribution to professional work and society (Robbins 1963), it emphasised the important contribution of higher education to the economy. Becker defined this as creating ‘human capital’ as a means of promoting growth (Becker 1975). The Dearing Report (1997), in response to the demands of employers, stated that employability was a key factor in the learner journey through a degree route of study (Dearing 1997).

Continuing in the vein of employability the third major emphasis in the literature is on ‘soft’ and transferable skills. The recent BIS White Paper, Success as a knowledge economy: teaching excellence, social mobility and student choice 2016, refers to preparing students for the modern workforce and states that undergraduates need to develop the ‘soft skills that employers consistently say they need’ (2016, 43). Although the higher education sector has been addressing the issue of employability by including generic transferable skills into the curriculum, employers are still concerned that graduates are not ‘work ready’ (Harman 2016).

Schleicher’s comment: ‘We live in a fast-changing world, and producing more of the same knowledge and skills will not suffice to address the challenges of the future’, verifies the need to adopt new modes of thinking in higher education. (Schleicher 2016). Barrie notes that the ‘academic community does not share a common understanding of graduate attributes as the core outcomes of university education’ (Barrie 2006, 238). Therefore, it is imperative that staff perceptions of graduate-ness and graduate attributes is enhanced and understood to be an important factor in maintaining the standard of UK higher education in the 21st century.

Considering graduate attributes, there is now a move towards further development of metacognitive skills, which, alongside subject specific, cognitive and employability skills, have a relevance to the discipline of art and design. For example, Hughes and Barrie have defined this approach through the formulation of a graduate attributes framework which incorporates understanding of ‘global and moral citizenship, ethical and social awareness, self-management and autonomy’ (Hughes and Barrie 2010, 325-334). Kuh has also identified that ‘knowledge of human cultures and the physical and natural world; intellectual and practical skills; personal and social responsibility’ is pivotal to enhancing graduate-ness (Kuh 2008, 4). Taking this further, the Chavan Committee of India has highlighted a need to recognise the development of human personality, covering five domains: ‘intellectual, physical, emotional, psychological, and spiritual’ (Chaven et al, 1999). The above skills can be classed as additional transferable skills, which go beyond the auspices of employability and are effectively appropriate to creative disciplines. Overall, this puts into perspective a need to review the academic infrastructure, in relation to the interrelationship between academic, subject specific and transferable skills, in order to provide art and design graduates with the attributes to meet the demands of the 21st century. One factor that is impeding this process is that many HEIs, consider that transferable skills are secondary to academic and subject-specific skills. A more integral approach would allow for a more effective development of graduate attributes. Barrie has stated that:

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graduate qualities are described and defined differently in different universities and education systems and a bewildering array of terms has emerged as a result. Such terms include generic, core or key competencies or skills, personal or transferable skills and generic attributes of graduates (Barrie, 2006, p. 217).

Alongside the generic degree level skills we can discern an acknowledgement of subject specific skills in the literature relating to graduate skills.

The literature review, which followed the collection of qualitative data, identified six potential avenues of enquiry into staff perceptions of level and the development of graduate-ness; the first of these is the ‘academic soundness’ of graduates (Robbins 1963). The nature of ‘academic soundness’ is perhaps debatable but for the purpose of this analysis refers to underpinning traditional skills such as reading, writing, critical thinking and numeracy. The second, again taken from Robbins, is the social contribution made by graduates in terms of their professional work. The third refers to the ‘soft skills’ important in interpersonal relationships; the fourth, metacognitive skills demonstrated through the use of concepts and intellectual reasoning. The fifth area relates to subject specific skills, those particular to art, design and media; the final area suggested by the literature review is that of the development of personality, the unique interaction of intellectual, emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects in an individual. The material gathered during the staff development day on graduate-ness and perceptions of level was analysed for relevance to these six areas.

‘Post-it ‘analysis in the light of a literature review Below are transcriptions of the written statements about the characteristics of level made by members of staff working in mixed FE/HE groups; these have been divided into the six areas suggested by the subsequent literature review. As indicated above, the review of relevant literature was undertaken after the staff development event; the extent to which the qualities expressed on the Post-it learning ladder cohered with the notions of graduate qualities was revealed by the following analysis and grouping of the content.

Academic Soundness: It was recognised that there may be some crossover between this area and metacognitive skills involving abilities in research or critical analysis and at level six there was a link with personality development. At levels one to six Academic Soundness was expressed as follows: Level one - Skills to learn; maths, english and functional skills, describe and explain ideas.

Level two - Writing skills; attaining of maths and english, Developing learning skills; select, apply, identify and investigate.

Level three - Application skills; academic skill development, ability to think, thinking skills (listed) and research skills.

Level four - Analytical skills; critical analysis, research skills. Refine knowledge; develop knowledge of underlying principles.

Level five - Utilising prior learning; critical analysis, understanding critical and contextual studies, conceptual understanding, understanding key aspects of field of study, understanding of theories. High levels of academic rigour; concept development and application, in-depth academically, focused researcher.

Level six - Detailed knowledge of theory; systematic understanding, sustain arguments. Abstract concepts; respond to intellectual concept; sophisticated research abilities.

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Social Contribution: Level one - Socialisation; respect for self and others, to participate.

Level two - Respect; understanding their role amongst peers, awareness of critical feedback, employability and progression skills.

Level three - Life skills, teamwork and professional skills; employability skills, life skills.

Level four - Personal responsibility; culturally and socially aware.

Level five - Ethics; empathetic skillsk, increasing professionalism.

Level six - Employability; ownership, personal responsibility; culturally and socially aware, further training of a professional nature; industry ready.

Soft Skills: Level one - Communication; explain ideas (basic), describing, respect and respond to peer criticism, respect for self and others, socialisation.

Level two - Respect; ability to listen and respond. Develop maturity; self-organisation, awareness of critical feedback, understand their role amongst peers. Basic communication; follow instructions.

Level three – Life skills; money, time management, life choices, perceptively articulate, ability to think personal organisation, the art of discussion, social maturity and self- awareness.

Level four - Manage workload; multi-task, awareness of industry sectors, awareness of potential careers, knowledge of underlying principles, communicate accurately and reliably, collaborator and cultural knowingness.

Level five - Networking for future roles; utilising prior learning, professional transferable skills, ethics, selfmanagement, understanding key aspects of field of study, some personal autonomy; increasing independence, critical awareness, problem solving, technical competence, personal organisation, increased professionalism, knowledge and critical understanding of well-established principles.

Level six - In-depth aesthetic sensibility, problem solving, very good presentation skills, clear communication skills, decision making, sophisticated research abilities, employability, and communication skills.

Professionalism; initiative, willing to take risks, sustained levels of engagement and concentration, culturally and socially aware, systematic understanding, understanding of professional context, detailed knowledge of theory, sustain arguments, respond to changes, respond to intellectual concepts, understanding of historical and theoretical context, confident and articulate, highly sophisticated technical ability, highly independent.

Metacognitive skills: Level one - None noted.

Level two - Investigate; identify; select and apply; draw conclusions; analytical discussions, critique choice, decision making, analytical and critical thinker.

Level three - Concept development, ability to reflect, ability to thin, critical analysis, exploring technical skills, analytical thinker; formative thinker, independent thinker; reviewer; refiner, reflexer and evaluative.

Level four - Analytical skills, autonomy to learn, problem solving, making informed judgements, evaluate and interpret coherent arguments, develop lines of argument, ability to think conceptually, take risks in work, intro to setting own design brief, decision making, self-evaluation, critical analysis, some element of innovation, communication of ideas.

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Level five - Set own briefs, reflective analysis, technical innovation, understanding critical and contextual dimensions, conceptual understanding, high levels of academic rigour; independent concept development and application, synthesis and innovation, refining, independent in thought; critical and conceptual thinker.

Level six – Enquiry, conceptual approaches, abstract concepts, respond to intellectual concepts, apply rigorous design process, in-depth aesthetic sensibility; highly sophisticated technical ability.

Subject Specific Skills: Level one - Evidence of potential in art and design to progress; use techniques.

Level two - Play and understand media; awareness of skills in art and design, building on art and design skills and basic drawing ability.

Level three - Creative academic skills development, subject awareness, designer awareness, basic art history knowledge and work with a range of media.

Level four - Technical material skills; general printing skills, refining techniques and knowledge and finding place in specialism.

Level five - Technically competent; production and development of work.

Level six - Creative ownership; highly sophisticated technical ability, career industry ready.

Personality: intellectual (covered by metacognitive); emotional; psychological.

Level one - Developing confidence and curiosity.

Level two - Take instruction, discovering their own potential and worth, self-esteem, and achievement on a personal level.

Level three – Passion, motivation, self-awareness and maturity.

Level four - More confidence, recognise aspirations, self-driven, motivated passion, open-mindedness and maturity to choose.

Level five – Confident and empathetic skills.

Level six – Passion, respond to change, resilience, determination, self - driven/ directed, confidence, initiative and personal responsibility.

As the result of this transcription it is interesting to note the following:

•

•

•

•

The quantity of material under ‘soft’ and ‘metacognitive’ skills.

The paucity of comments that related to subject specific skills.

The amount of repetition that appears to reinforce the notion of a consensus.

The clarity of the perceived progression and acquisition of skills and abilities from levels one through to six.

An important aspect of the learner journey in art and design and their progression through a degree route of study is the differentiation between levels from induction to outduction (levels four to six), which can be termed ‘undergraduate levels’. This differentiation clearly defines progression in learning towards graduate-ness. Davies has stated that ‘Each level should be qualitatively more sophisticated than the previous one to enable teachers and students to track the development of learning’ (Davies 2003). Overall, there appears to be a definitive gap in the literature concerning the differentiation between levels at undergraduate level. However, the UK Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) code of

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practice, subject benchmark statements and quality descriptors, in line with The Framework for Higher Education Qualifications in England, Wales, Northern Ireland (FHEQ) and Scotland, (FQHEIS), do provide a strong reference base to aid the formulation of level descriptors for undergraduate study. Clear definition is given of what should be expected of the learner on the completion of levels four, five and six of a degree route of study. In relation to streamlining the differentiation of levels, Moon recognises that:

when the descriptors are used for writing learning outcomes, it is important not just to look at the descriptors for a particular level, but look at the same descriptors for the level below and that above the level under consideration (Moon, 2002).

Therefore, in addition to focussing on level descriptors for levels four to six, and with regard to induction into higher education, it is important to consider level descriptors for level three, in relation to writing learning outcomes for the level four stage of study.

Teaching and learning in higher education has been based on an ‘outcome’ based modular and credit accumulation system since the 1990s, being implemented to provide a more student-centred approach, which promotes independent learning. In relation to the academic infrastructure, some academics have recognised the value of learning outcomes. ‘One of the great advantages of learning outcomes is that they are clear statements of what the learner is expected to achieve and how he or she is expected to demonstrate that achievement’ (Kennedy, Hyland and Ryan 2006, C3.4 –1, 2.2. p.6.).

Addison stated that:

Learning outcomes provide consistency and reliability because they ensure clarity, coherence, accessible goals, a framework for assessment, measurable evidence of learning and thus a fair assessment process (Addison 2014, 313-325).

However, generally speaking, many academics consider that learning outcomes are too prescriptive and have been implemented merely as a monitoring and auditing tool for quality assurance. Staff perception and response to an ‘outcome’ based system has been particularly contentious, in relation to the discipline of art and design, as is evident in the substantial amount of literature on the subject. In relation to learning a creative discipline, Furedi responded to the prescriptive nature of learning outcomes by stating ‘Creativity cannot be forced and students often develop their insight in ways that cannot be communicated to a predetermined formula’ (Furedi 2012). Similarly, Northwood argues that ‘One must recognise complexity and uncertainty, and encourage students to think outside the box’ (Northwood 2013, 140). In this respect, Megginson considered the notion of emergent learning outcomes, as a means of recognising the inclusion of emergent learning, particularly relevant to the discipline of art and design (Megginson 1994, 29-32). Hussey and Smith supported this notion, arguing that learning outcomes encourage minimum attainment and can deter deep learning, believing that ‘The most fruitful and valuable feature of higher education is the emergence of ideas, skills and connections, which are unforeseen, even by the teacher’ (Hussey and Smith 2002, 220-233). The UK QAA Subject Benchmark Statement, Art and Design: Draft for consultation (2016), verifies this by stating that the practice of art and design ‘demand high levels of self-motivation, intellectual curiosity, speculative enquiry, imagination, and divergent thinking skills’ (QAA 2016, 10). However, Davies has identified that ‘articulating outcomes that involve the development of intuition, inventiveness, imagination, visualisation, risk-taking etc. is challenging’ (Davies 2012).

On the formulation of level descriptors with reference to UK QAA subject benchmark statements and quality descriptors, HEIs can determine relevant module learning outcomes and align them with assessment and grading criteria, which should clearly represent progression in learning from one level to the next. The UK QAA Code of Practice for the Assurance of Academic Quality and Standards, states that subject benchmark

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statements ‘allow for flexibility and innovation in programme design’ (QAA 2015, 2), which gives HEIs the scope to create outcomes appropriate to specific disciplines and should have, in effect, allowed for effective articulation of learning outcomes for the discipline of art and design.

However, HEIs have based the process of developing and writing learning outcomes on different taxonomies, which relate to assessment. The most commonly used taxonomies are Blooms Taxonomy of Cognitive Objectives (1956, updated 2001), based predominantly on the cognitive domain, and Biggs Solo Taxonomy (Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes 2003), based on constructive alignment, which addresses the differentiation between levels of learning, to define progress from surface to deep learning. However, within the art and design discipline, many academics have considered that these taxonomies are too restrictive, in relation to the emergent characteristics of creative work. This is evident in the terminology that is prescribed.

With reference to Blooms Taxonomy, Hussey and Smith (2008) cited that terms such as ‘describe’, ‘understand’, and ‘analysis’, recognise the progression of cognitive skills, but do not cover emergent learning suited to the discipline of art and design (Hussey and Smith 2008, 112). Davies also states that cognitive terms such as ‘creativity’, ‘imagination’ and ‘originality’ should be associated with creative disciplines (Davies 2003). With regard to addressing this issue, Harris referred to a language that should be developed to recognise meaning and interpretation in art and design, noting that process is as important as output for creative disciplines. Therefore, she proposed to create a ‘language of creativity’ which could be classed as a ‘taxonomy of creativity’ (Harris 2008, 80-86).

Pictures of ‘graduate-ness’- brief analysis As part of the staff development event, where the data on which this paper is based was collected, the same groups of staff who wrote the ‘Post-its’ were asked to draw their ideas of ‘graduate-ness’. These communal drawings, illustrated in Figures 1-8 confirm the notions expressed in the Post-it notes. There was an overwhelming, overarching focus upon generic rather than subject specific skills. The drawings expressed a holistic view of the graduate with a wide set of skills, transferable and future facing

Figure 1: Staff drawing representing graduate-ness, including passion and listening skills

Figure 2: Staff drawing representing graduate skills and highlighting academic soundness

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Personality and soft skills appeared as passion and listening skills and these were the graduate features that were most often indicated, both appearing in five of the eight drawings.

Figure 3: Staff drawing representing graduate-ness

Figure 4: Staff drawing representing graduate skills

Academic soundness is there in terms of knowledge; critical thinking and knowledge aspects highlighted six times. Social contribution is indicated in the mention of social intelligence. This demonstrates that in the minds of the staff involved the characteristics of degree holders are linked with generic, higher level skills.

The drawings also confirmed the areas of accomplishment found in the literature review and further confirmed in the Post-its. It is interesting that there may be an unconscious gender bias as four of the eight drawings feature caricatures which are predominantly male or androgynous.

Figure 5: Staff drawing representing graduate skills

Figure 6: Staff drawing representing graduate skills

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Figure 7: Staff drawing representing different aspects of graduate-ness

Figure 8: Staff drawing representing graduate-ness and the concept of progression and maturity

One shows disembodied female lips. Three representations are genderless; one shows a ‘knickerbocker glory’ the ingredients of which are separate components of the graduate; another shows a vaguely floral arrangement of different aspects of graduate qualities.

Written text was used to label the drawings in all but one of these examples. The final genderless representation is text free and conceptual showing the transition of an acorn to an oak tree indicated by actual oak leaves stuck on to the paper; the concept of progression and maturity expressed visually.

Conclusion In conclusion, the members of staff who contributed to the staff development event described in the introduction demonstrated a consensus and a collective in-depth understanding of notions of graduate attributes which related to views expressed in relevant literature.

The lack of emphasis on subject specific skills in the data collected reinforces the idea that within the academic infrastructure for the discipline of art and design at degree level there could be more discussion and recognition of level in relation to subject specific and practical skills. It is apparent that a new terminology needs to be adopted to give recognition of emergent learning and the process of creative practice. This is perhaps supported by the lack of responses received from our participants regarding the subject specific skills.

It is also evident that staff perceptions of graduate attributes have been fostered to promote the instigation of new modes of thinking in higher education, in relation to the learner journey and graduate-ness for the 21st century. Staff here have recognised the credibility of adopting a redefined academic infrastructure, which embraces transferable skills as integral to the curriculum, in order to facilitate graduate attributes more effectively. Staff appear to have an understanding of the differentiation between undergraduate levels of learning and alignment of learning outcomes, to ensure that the curriculum promotes progression in learning towards graduate-ness.

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References Addison, N. (2014) ‘Doubting Learning Outcomes in HE contexts: from performativity towards emergence and negotiation’, International Journal of Art & Design Education, Vol. 33. Issue 3, pp. 313-325. Available at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Nicholas_ Addison/publication/281631889_pre-pubDoubting_Learning_Outcomes_in_HE_Contexts/ links/55f1552908aef559dc470860.pdf?origin=publication_list (Accessed: 10 December 2016).

Barrie, S. C. (2006) ‘Understanding what we mean by the generic attributes of graduates’, Higher Education, Vol.51, Issue 2, p.215-241.

Becker, G. S. (1975) Human Capital: A Theoretical and Empirical Analysis, with special reference to Education. 2nd Edition. National Bureau of Economic Research. Columbia University Press, New York and London.

Chavan, S. B. et al. (1999) 81st report on value-based education (Item No. 8 presented to Rajya Sabha on 26 February 1999). New Delhi: Government of India.

Davies, A. (2000) Effective Assessment in Art and Design: Writing Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria in Art and Design. Project Report, London: CLTAD, University of the Arts London.

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Davies, A. (2003) Writing Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria in Art and Design.

Available at: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/67278/Writing-Learning-Outcomesand-Assessment-Criteria-in-Art-and-Design.pdf (Accessed: 19 November 2016).

Davies, A. (2012) ‘Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria in Art and Design. What’s the ecurring problem?’ Networks, Issue 18, July 2012. Available at: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/ projects/networks/issue-18-july-2012/learning-outcomes-and-assessment-criteria-in-art-and-design.whats-the-recurring-problem (Accessed: 19 November 2016).

Dearing, R. (1997) Higher Education in the Learning Society. Available at: http://www. educationengland.org.uk/documents/dearing1997/dearing1997.html (Accessed: 4 December 2016).

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Furedi, F. (2012) The unhappiness principle, Times Higher Education (THE), 29 November. Available at: https://www.timeshighereducation.com/the-unhappiness-principle/421958.article (Accessed: 10 December 2016).

Hargreaves, A. & Dawe, R. (1990) Paths of professional development: Contrived collegiality, collaborative culture, and the case of peer coaching, Teaching and Teacher Education, Vol 6, Issue. 3, Amsterdam: Elsevier Ltd, pp. 227 – 241.

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Harman, M. (2016) Creative and arts graduates have the soft skills needed to make them ‘work ready’.

The Independent Newspaper, 22 June. Available at: http://www.independent.co.uk/student/career-planning/creative-arts-graduates-soft-skills-graduate-employment-university-subjects-work-ready-a7095311. html (Accessed: 14 January 2017).

Harris, J. (2008) ‘Developing a language for assessing creativity: a taxonomy to support student learning and assessment’, Investigations in university teaching and learning, Vol. 5, No. 1, pp.80-86.

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Moon, J. (2002) Linking Levels, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Criteria. Available at: http://www.ied. edu.hk/obl/files/pratical_guide_2.pdf (Accessed: 24 November 2016).

Northwood, D.O. (2013) ‘Learning outcomes – some reflections on their value and potential drawbacks’, Working Transactions on Engineering and Technology Education, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 137-142.

Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2016). Art and Design: Draft for Consultation, April 2016. Available at: http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/SBS-Art-and-Designconsultation-16.pdf (Accessed: 10 December 2016).

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Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2008) Subject Benchmark Statement: Art and Design.

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Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (2015). Code of practice for the assurance and academic quality and standards in higher education: Sections B1, B3, B4 and B6. Available at: http://www. qaa.ac.uk/assuring-standards-and-quality/the-quality-code (Accessed: 24 October 2016).

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The VR gallery project: Virtual reality as a test space for creative arts students Aaron Tonks

Introduction A good sized studio and exhibition space can allow creative arts students to test and previsualise how their work may look in an exhibition environment. However, because of the constraints of college provision and resources, these spaces are not always readily available. What if there was a way to address this issue, without having to provide actual physical space? It seems that there might be, through virtual reality (VR) technology.

This action research aimed to find out if we can use VR technology to help enable creative arts students to previsualise their work within a virtual gallery environment in a meaningful way, to experiment with scale and audience experience and to test the possibility that VR could provide an alternative space to the traditional art gallery and artist’s studio.

This paper is structured as follows. A literature review investigates the importance of scale in aesthetics and the potential barriers that affect student’s attempt to experiment with it. It goes on to discuss gallery architecture and its effect on audience experience and previsualisation and the use of VR as a creative tool for curators and artists. A methodology section describes the qualitative action research undertaken and is split into individual inquiry activities. An analysis and results section highlights emerging themes, concepts and barriers and the discussion and conclusion attempts to resolve the findings within the framework of the literature review. Finally, recommendations will be given, as to how VR technology could be embedded into creative arts education and areas for further research will be proposed.

Literature Review Virtual Reality (VR) technology has arrived at a point where it can deliver a totally immersive and ‘real’ experience that is completely believable and at a price point accessible by individuals, not just large companies (Pino, 2018). VR in artistic and curatorial practice is still in its infancy and there is not a lot of literature that analyses it in this context. However, there are many academic sources in aesthetics, design and curatorial practice that can be applied to this research.

Scale In the context of this project, scale is defined as the size of artworks in relation to us, the viewer (the human).

Scale is not always considered as an important aesthetic element in an artwork by gallery visitors, who may be in awe of the realness, expressiveness and brush strokes within a painting but somehow miss

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the significance that the size of the work has on their experience, even if it is affecting the way they are viewing it. However, it is indeed the “dominant element of the artworks’ aesthetics” as Eli Anapur (2016) discusses in an article for Widewalls. He looks at both large and miniature pieces and talks about the association between the scale of a work and the human body as being connected through aesthetic relationships. “Paying attention to and elaborating on scale in art is therefore an important aspect in any artistic evaluation and criticism.”

This idea is supported by Kee (2012) who describes a number of ideas behind the production of large scale artworks such as “the desire to attract audience attention... ...the rising popularity of installation works” and cost of “labour and materials”. Kee goes on to talk about canvas size as a metaphor and a belief in representation and makes the assertion that large works can create a space for crowds to gather in an art gallery, a place that can be confusing and overwhelming.

The importance of scale as a defining and singular aesthetic value was notably illustrated by the Turner Prize nominee, Glenn Brown’s Loves of Shepherds painting (see figure 1 and figure 2). At the time, Brown was accused of plagiarism. In his defence Nicholas Serota (2000) argued that “He [Brown] uses other artists’ work, but that doesn’t mean to say you could possibly mistake his work for theirs... he takes the image, he transforms it, he gives it a completely different scale.” The painting is 336 x 219.5 cm whereas the original illustration is tiny and in this instance the difference in size is the defining aesthetic difference.

Figure 1.

Figure 2.

Glenn Brown’s Loves of Shepherds Painting, 336 x 219.5 cm (figure 1) and Anthony Robert’s Illustration, approx’ 27 x 20 cm (figure 2) on the right.

Barriers that affect student’s attempt to experiment with Scale Scale is an inescapably important part of an artwork. It affects the way the viewer approaches and understands it. However, evidence from some exhibitions that students exhibit in, shows us that there is a tendency for them to work at a consistently smaller scale than more experienced artists (see figure 3 and figure 4).

There are a couple of reasons for this. The first is that not all art students have the opportunity to present their work in a gallery space until the end of their study and because they do not necessarily have any prior experience of exhibiting, they do not know how their work is going to look in a given space and scale is not necessarily something they would consider.

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Figure 3.

Figure 4.

In this typical example, you can see that the professional artist (figure 3) uses a variety of sizes to present his work, whereas art students (figure 4) tend to produce smaller and more consistently sized works.

The second reason is cost, as alluded to by Kee (2012), is a major concern for students, especially photography students where an image printed on a large scale can cost anywhere upwards of £100 for a basic A1 print and double again for framing. They are unlikely to spend the extra money on the materials needed to make a large piece if they are not confident it is going to work at that size.

Whilst the size of work, creative arts students produce, can be constrained by studio space there is nothing to physically stop them from producing large scale art, but the smaller spaces in which they work are more conducive to smaller pieces and they cannot always stand back, to what may be an appropriate viewing distance and appraise the impact of what they are creating. The impact of size on the audience is only something that can be felt when it is actually in an exhibition or at least viewed in a large studio, and that is very hard to do without the space to do it.

Audience experience The experience of visiting a gallery or art exhibition is an important element that can be designed and influenced by the curator. That experience is often governed by the physical structure of the gallery building.

Newhouse (2005) explores the layout of galleries and exhibitions and discusses how various different elements affect the viewing experience. Newhouse, does not talk about the size of artworks as being the most important element, she talks about the importance of the relationship between the artworks and the exhibition space. To emphasise this importance she says that “just as the most beautiful gown looks dreadful if it doesn’t fit, great art is diminished when seen in places that are too big - or too small - for it”. The value of architecture is something that cannot be ignored during a visit to an art exhibition and impacts on the audience experience.

Unfortunately, because of the constraints of rigid buildings, artworks are not necessarily exhibited in the clearest and most expressive way and galleries often have to crowd many works into a given space. For some people, this can make a visit to a gallery an overwhelming and uncomfortable experience.

Berger (1972) noted that “Visitors to art museums are often overwhelmed by the number of works on display, and by what they take to be their own culpable inability to concentrate on more than a few of these works... ...Consequently the confusion remains on the walls of the galleries”. However, as discussed in the previous paragraph, exhibitions are often constrained by gallery design and not necessarily exhibition design.

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The Museum of One Painting has gone some way to resolving this issue. By exhibiting only one painting at a time. The gallery was created to encourage people to ‘study and experience [paintings] in a relaxed way’ (Greenberg, 1996). However, the cost of bricks and mortar makes this approach unsustainable financially and is unrealistic in the real world.

Previsualisation In order to make best use of available space in a way that compliments the audience experience, a number of strategies have been used to help plan the layout of exhibitions. This has ranged from sketches and scale drawings to foam board models. Tom Dukes, the curator at Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool currently uses Sketchup and Photoshop software to help plan his intended exhibitions.

Figure 5.

A foam and card model of B&FC’s gallery made by Mark Swift, L4 BA (Hons) Graphic Design, B&FC. These methods are able to help a curator work out how to fit an exhibition into a given space, but beyond practical experience, it is very difficult for them to fully appreciate the impact it would have on the visitor.

Exhibition installation always includes a certain amount of in-gallery repositioning, because it is only then that the true impact can be assessed and is not always practical for large or heavy artworks.

Like a curator, a student must also consider the impact that their artwork would have on the viewer. Which is going to be fairly difficult as they may well have an idea on how the size of their work impacts on the viewer, but they have almost no control over where that happens unless they are commissioned to produce a piece for a particular area. In that case, they are going to use similar methods to the curator to previsualise how their work is going to look through the eyes of the viewer.

Virtual reality 3D Software such as Unreal Engine 4 (Unrealengine.com, n.d.) and Ikono Space (Ikonospace.com, n.d.) can allow a user to build a virtual version of a gallery, populate it with digitised versions of artworks and view/ previsualise it, very realistically, by using a high performing VR headset.

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Figure 6.

Figure 7.

A 3D Model of B&FC’s gallery produced in UE4 (figure 6) and the actual exhibition, Humans Being, Jeffrey Hammond, The Gallery, B&FC (figure 7).

VR galleries are becoming a thing in of themselves. They are not a new idea and there are many web based examples available. But a very real virtual visit to a gallery, that only a high performing VR headset can give, is a new idea that can be designed to distribute the experience of an art collection to a wider audience such as in the Kremer Museum (Thekremercollection.com, n.d.) or allow people who are physically unable to attend a real gallery to experience art from the comfort of their home such as Salford University’s What’s in Store VR gallery (Metaobjects.org, 2017). Because there is no physical boundaries to gallery design within this technology, there is no reason why these spaces cannot be designed to offer the perfect viewing experience as described by Brian O’Doherty (1999).

O’Doherty (1999) talked about the ideal gallery as that which ‘subtracts from the artwork all cues that interfere with the fact that it is art. The work is isolated from everything that would detract from its own evaluation of itself ’ and this includes people! He goes on to talk about the photographic installation shot as describing the perfect viewing experience, but this time devoid of the viewer! “...eyes and minds are welcome, space occupying bodies are not... ...you are there without being there - one of the major services provided for art by its old antagonist, photography”. This current state of affairs can feel very clinical and O’Doherty’s philosophy is contradicted by the fact that most galleries display many works about many differing ideas alongside one another as alluded to by Berger (1972).

VR technology can be used to test the ideas laid out above but arguably, one of the most exciting directions of this research has been the possibility to explore VR as a platform for new ideas for exhibiting works of art in new and unexplored ways or within installation art.

Figure 8.

Hyperplanes of Simultaneity by Fabio Giampietro & Alessio De Vecchi.

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Figure 9.

Thresholds by Mat Collishaw.

At this time, few fine artists have utilised this technology in art installation and exhibition. Notable examples by, Lumen Prize winning ‘Hyperplanes of Simultaneity’ by Fabio Giampietro & Alessio De Vecchi (Lumen Prize, 2016) and ‘Thresholds’ by Mat Collishaw’ (Collishaw, 2017) show its potential (figure 8 and figure 9).

But VR is arguably still at its early development stage and anyone involved now (like our students) have the opportunity to be key in its future evolution.

Gallery theory and thinking as set out by Newhouse, Greenberg and O’Doherty provides us with a secure and relevant lens through which we can assess the effectiveness of VR in this area of the creative arts.

Annipur’s dominant element, Kee’s belief and viability of representation and Serota’s transformative scale all tell us that size is important and we know it is something that is often overlooked. We can say with conviction that it is an essential element that underpins aesthetic value and in the context of this project is something that can be tested and analysed because VR puts us in a position to try and understand it.

Methodology This research aimed to find out if we can use VR technology to enable creative arts students to previsualise their work within a virtual gallery environment in a meaningful way to experiment with scale and audience experience and to test the possibility that VR could provide an alternative space to the traditional art gallery and artist’s studio.

Action research was used to evaluate this technology, the themes identified within the literature review and its possible positioning within creative arts education. Qualitative enquiry methods were used to gather evidence and further the research and in order to triangulate, took the form of group interviews, flexible questionnaires and case studies as set out by Forster and Eperjesi (2017). It explored meanings and experiences of students, practitioners and gallery visitors in relation to the importance of virtual reality technology in a creative artistic space.

A focus group was set up for in-depth discussion and feedback and a wider range of participants, including students, artists and the general public were included to broaden the range of views through questionnaires and group discussions. A case study was produced to test possible outcomes. All methods were used to approach the project from a number of angles.

All enquiry methods were immediately preceded by a hands-on demonstration of the technology and a tour of a bespoke VR gallery simulation. The equipment used was an Oculus Rift headset powered by an MSI GT62VR Dominator Pro laptop. UE4 was used to create all the virtual test galleries including those made during the case study.

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Focus group 1 The focus group was made up of a broad range of ages, sex and backgrounds and were selected on the basis of interest and volunteered to be involved. They were all level 6 photography students and recruited because they were accessible and produced artworks (digital photographs) that could easily be modified for use in VR simulations.

The focus group was presented with a VR gallery that exhibited artworks, that they had submitted earlier, in two separate galleries. In Gallery A (figure 10) the artworks were presented at a size the students would normally print at and in Gallery B (figure 11) the artworks were scaled and presented at a monumental, wall filling size.

Figure 10.

Gallery A contained small works.

Figure 11.

Gallery B contained large works.

The students were asked to look around Gallery A first and Gallery B second. The students viewed the VR galleries and then were asked to share their initial reactions, views on the scales and size of the images and provided information that informed the next stage of the research The immediate problem, with this fairly new technology and highlighted by the focus group, is that not many people have had previous experience in it and those that haven’t may not give an objective and reliable esponse to any questions about it. This may be because they are in awe of the technology and may be blind to the content and may not be able to give meaningful feedback and data on which to base an accurate conclusion.

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Questionnaire 1 Following feedback from the focus group, a VR gallery was prepared and high quality photographs by a well known international and professional photographer (figure 12) were exhibited in the space, in an exact replica of a real exhibition.

Figure 12.

Recreation of an exhibition of photographer, Sean Conboy’s work.

This VR gallery was presented at the UCAS, Create Your Own Future, fair at Manchester (November 2018) and the visiting public were asked three main questions: on a scale of one to four - Have you been exposed to a VR experience before? What did you think of the experience? and What did you think about the [art] work?

Immersive group In response to the UCAS questionnaire, it was decided to set up a subdivision of the focus group that was to be exposed to VR to a greater extent than the others. This group was called the ‘immersive group’ and could be relied upon to have ‘got over’ the initial experience of VR because they had more exposure to it. It was made up of three individuals and they were given greater access to equipment and software to ensure they were exposed to VR more than the rest of the group. They also became the participants in the case study.

The first piece of software that they were asked to test was Ikono Space, an exhibition design and visualisation software that has recently been developed (Ikonospace.com, n.d.).

Ikono Space field test It was identified that usability and accessibility may be a major hurdle to overcome, if VR technology was to be included as a creative arts resource in education. With this in mind the usability of Ikono Space’s gallery building software needed to be tested.

The field test was designed to see how people who do not have a technical background in 3D design learned and utilised Ikono Space for the first time. This was measured against UE4 or Maya that are both fairly complex pieces of software and can be overwhelming and unusable for a novice.

The three participants were asked to use Ikono Space to create an exhibition space, without any technical help for a single piece of their own work and save the results. Each student spent about an hour on their designs. They worked as a grouped and helped each other to work out how to use it and used a video tutorial, made by Ikono Space to help get them started. Their finished galleries were appraised and a discussion recorded their thoughts and feedback.

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Questionnaire 2 An exhibition private view, provided an opportunity to gather feedback on two of the project’s main aims; Could VR enable creative art students to previsualise their work within a gallery environment and could they use it to pre-visualize the impact that a large or small artwork would have on the audience experience. An extra space was added to the simulation to show some of the artwork in their own rooms in order to gather feedback and preferences for the collective or singular exhibition of artworks (see Figure 13 and 14).

Figure 13.

The VR version of he B&FC college gallery was updated to exactly reflect the framed paintings exhibited as part of ‘Humans Being’ by Jeffrey Hammond.

Figure 14.

The VR simulation also included an extension of three exhibition spaces each designed to hold a single painting taken from the main exhibition space.

The 11 respondents represented a broad range of age groups (18 - 80) and were all connected to the arts, either as producers or consumers. They were asked a series of questions about the effectiveness of VR to replicate the gallery experience and the effect of size and scale on the experience and whether they preferred the collective or singular exhibition of artworks.

Questionnaire 3 Using feedback collected from Jeffrey Hammond’s exhibition a VR gallery was created for a group of L5 BA (Hons) Photography students. They were asked to submit a single, sequence or series of images for exhibition within it beforehand and each was represented in their own room in the simulation.

A questionnaire was designed to find out whether the VR exhibition encouraged the participating students to

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think about how the gallery space affected their work, what the perceived impact of scale had on their work and whether the experience had positively affected the student’s future design choices. There were eight respondents in the age range of 19 - 55.

Case study A case study was created in an attempt to put into practice, a possible way in which we may try and include or embed this VR technology in creative arts teaching at degree level education. The immersive group was chosen for this task.

The case study asked the three participants to produce a gallery specifically for their artwork. Two of the participants worked one-to-one with a tutor/facilitator to help them through the design and build process in UE4, and discuss and reflect on their experience. They were able to view their designs as they progressed, through a VR headset. The third participant worked on their own initiative and did not view their design in VR during the build process.

They were observed during the task and afterwards asked to reflect on the following points; practicality (the process), preconceptions, perspectives and creativity.

Focus group 2 A meeting with the focus group was organised to discuss and analyse the case studies and responses were recorded via a flexible questionnaire. The questions were split into two parts. The first were based around the effectiveness of the case studies and the second, about how it may benefit them in the future and how they think the technology could be utilized practically in education in the future.

Analysis and Results The data was analysed on a timeline that followed the direction of enquiry and thematically identified issues that affected the final assessment.

The immediate problem with this fairly new technology and highlighted by focus group 1, is that not many people have had previous experience in VR and those that haven’t did not seem to give an objective response to any questions because they were (possibly) blinded by the technology and therefore more unlikely to give meaningful feedback and data on which to base an accurate conclusion. This issue was confirmed with questionnaire 1, and was overcome by including the question; ‘Have you experienced VR before?’ in all subsequent questionnaires and used to moderate the ‘first timers’ response.

A number of accessibility issues were observed during the demonstration part of questionnaire 1. The significant one being a difficulty to perceive a sharp image by people with impaired eyesight.

The Ikono Space field test identified several barriers to using this software such as; centering and spacing artworks across the walls and difficulty with selecting closely placed objects. However, feedback from the participants was very positive and showed us that there is software available that can make the design and build process more user friendly and effective for relative novices. Unfortunately, Ikono Space is very expensive and therefore a barrier to student access. The alternative would be UE4, which is free but comparatively complex and a number of hours training would have to be completed before the user could start to design effective exhibition spaces.

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Figure 15.

A gallery created using Ikono Space by first time user Helen Kay.

The responses recorded in questionnaire 2, circulated at the Jeffrey Hammond ‘Humans Being’ exhibition positively supported two of the project’s main aims. It showed that VR can be used to previsualise and experiment with the scale of artworks and can enable the impact of different sized artworks to be previsualised and gauged. The questionnaire also showed that the majority of viewers preferred to view the artworks individually and overwhelmingly felt that the work commanded more attention when viewed this way. Observation and questionnaire responses also identified blurred and warped visual issues, similar to questionnaire 1 for some users that negatively affected their experience.

Figure 16.

The VR headset and test gallery in use at the private view for Jeffrey Hammond’s exhibition, ‘Humans Being’.

The results from questionnaire 3 showed us that the students noticed that the simulation had an appreciative effect on the basic visual aspects of their artworks including scale and impact. Comments, about the experience affecting their future practice, revealed that they were responding and thinking critically to the experience. The participants unanimously believed that the VR exhibition helped them consider how they might exhibit their work in the future, including the idea of universal accessibility and equality.

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Figure 17.

Installation view of the gallery prepared for L5 BA (Hons) Photography students.

Figure 18.

Installation view featuring the work of L5 BA (Hons) Photography Student Denise Schofield.

The case study provided an insight as to how VR may function in a practical educational/development context. The participants were encouraged to produce a gallery in UE4 specifically for their artwork and investigate curation and installation ideas unique to VR. In this instance, the process was facilitated by a tutor for two of the students (see figure 21 and figure 22).

The study showed that the student’s initial designs were based on common preconceived ideas and both participants designed fairly tradition galleries. However, after questioning the reasons for this and offering insight into the possibilities and technologies that were available to them, they developed original and unique spaces that enhanced their work. We can come to this conclusion because the gallery built without direct tutor support looked fairly traditional (figure 23).

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Figure 19.

Case study 1. Helen Kay. This space was designed to be light, open and airy, and allow the viewer to see all the artwork from a central point, but each in its own space.

Figure 20.

Case study 2. Nikki Wilcock. This gallery was designed to reflect the photographic subject matter and it was important that the viewer see the images in a particular order.

Figure 21.

Case study 3. Carl Jones. This gallery was built without assistance or questioning and whilst it is highly detailed, is arguably the most traditional out of the three.

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All three participants involved in the case study were able to produce an effective VR gallery for their work.

The technical process did not throw up any major issues except for the practicality of needing a UE4 facilitator to work one-to-one with two of them. However, as we have already seen, Ikono Space can provide a more user friendly (but expensive) platform for creating exhibition spaces.

Focus group 2 felt that a VR gallery gave a student the ability to explore context, space and scale. They were confident that VR could be used as a meaningful tool, was not a gimmick and the things that were holding them back from using it were accessibility and cost.

Figure 22.

Some of the focus group participants in action.

Discussion and Conclusion The results support the idea that VR can impact positively on an individual’s artistic practice. VR can enable creative art students to previsualise their work within a gallery environment and experiment with the scale of their artworks. It can give students access to a tool that would encourage them to think about scale beyond the table top and enable them to pre-visualize the impact that a large or small version of their artwork would have on the intended audience. However, there are a number of themes that should be discussed before recommendations can be made; accessibility, positive outcomes, unexpected outcomes and VR as a space for new ideas.

Accessibility Accessibility is something that must be addressed as it has been a recurring theme in the questionnaire responses and observed during demonstrations. One issue is that people with impaired vision have to remove their glasses before putting the Oculus Rift headset on. The Rift has a very rudimentary focus system and some users are unable to perceive a sharp image, especially if they are long sighted. Other headsets may offer a solution, for example, the Oculus Go (Oculus.com, n.d.) has a spacer that allows the user to keep their glasses on and test subjects have had a fairly good experience compared to the Rift. The Rift replacement, the Oculus Quest (Oculus.com, n.d.) uses the same system as the Go and may provide us with a solution.

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The other accessibility issue is one of cost and access to a headset and computer needed to drive it. The headset cost is slowly dropping and cheaper, less portable alternatives to the test laptop are available, but it would still (at this time) need an outlay of close to £1000 for a satisfactory functioning unit. Also, the nature of VR means that anyone that does not have a headset is locked out of the experience and onlookers talked of getting bored whilst waiting to have a go. It was suggested that a mirrored display would at least allow them to see what was being looked at by the participant and engage in the experience.

The software, used to create a VR gallery is also a barrier. Unreal Engine 4 (UE4) is a fairly complex piece of software and the user would need to be fairly proficient to utilise it successfully and Ikono Space, whilst easier to use, is very expensive costing £130 a month for the pro version. UE4 would be the obvious choice going forwards but there would need to be a certain amount of guidance, support and specialist knowledge in order to allow this to happen.

Positive outcomes The research raised a number of unexpected but positive outcomes. The first is that when the students viewed an exhibition that contained their work, through a VR headset, not only did it help them to think about and test the viewer experience, it also encouraged them to think more carefully about who their work is aimed at. The upshot of this is that a better understanding about who your audience is, allows for more thoughtful and targeted approach to the site of an exhibition, layout and marketing.

The second positive but unexpected outcome was that students who have had their work exhibited in one of the VR galleries and have had the opportunity to use the headset to see it, said that the experience increased their confidence in their own work. That confidence translated itself in two ways. Firstly, some of the participating students felt that they are no longer afraid to make larger pieces because they know that it is going to work at a particular size. Secondly, it encouraged some of the participating students to approach galleries and curators in order to exhibit their work publicly because they are confident it will work in that context. Traditionally, this confidence is something that could only come with time and experience, and often fell foul of the ‘can’t do it without experience, can’t get experience without doing it’ conundrum. But it seems that VR is able to provide some of this experience and it is arguable that exhibiting in a VR gallery is certainly better than not exhibiting at all, especially with regard to the experience of actually doing it and the confidence gained from actually achieving it.

The final positive outcome is a raised appreciation about the importance of the gallery architecture. As we have already discussed, a real exhibition is confined by the rooms and building in which it is contained, but using VR technology to help place artworks in a replication of a space that already exists does not help us to appreciate this particular aspect. It is only when the technology is utilised to create original spaces does it become a significant principal. This is potentially quite important, because if we are going to encourage students to design spaces for a specific exhibition or artwork, then it may be necessary to provide additional training or guidance in basic architectural concepts and design. Electronic galleries however, do not need to obey the laws of physics and can be any shape and work in anyway the artist wants, so maybe a naive approach, in this context, is a good thing, at least in the initial stages of design.

A space for new ideas The case study showed how imbued students are with preconceived ideas about what a gallery should look like and how pointed questions can encourage a student to move away from them. Nikki’s design (figure 23) exemplifies this more readily than the other two participants as she has taken advantage of the technology to create a gallery that reinforces the ideas conveyed in her artworks and in doing this, has managed to completely disregard traditional gallery ideology and architecture. However, it does not completely dismiss

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O’Doherty’s (1999) idealistic view as VR allows the viewer to move through the exhibition devoid of a body when immersed in the simulation.

Figure 23.

The Nikki’s case study gallery attempted to create a narrative in support of the exhibited photographs.

The case study showed that the participants could produce a gallery specifically for their artwork, not the other way round! In reality, the artist cannot (always) change a space to suit the work and sometimes will even have to adapt their own work to fit a venue. This is an innovative idea that has developed over the course of this research and raises the question as to why there are many examples of VR galleries out there that offer a great immersive experience, but are based on traditional galleries. For example, many of them include spot lit white walled rooms filled with framed paintings - Berger’s (1972) “confusion [still] remains on the walls of the galleries”. Even the Kremer museum has many features borrowed from classical gallery architecture.

However, VR offers us the chance to do something about it and create an exhibition experience with its own aesthetics, artistic language and philosophy.

Since this project began VR technology has been used to create and test this idea through a number of experimental gallery designs. For example, VR helped artist Libby Nightingale to create an exhibition, similar in concept to Nikki’s, but this time in a space based on the layout of her home, around which the ideas for her artworks had been formed (figure 24).

Figure 24.

A gallery created for Libby Nightingale’s Invisible Mother series of photographs.

Indeed, all the experimental galleries attempted to challenge convention in some way; some tried to remove the environmental claustrophobia felt by some visitors in conventional galleries (figure 25) whilst others

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attempted to develop the ideas of the Museum of One Painting and created galleries containing a single artwork (figure 26) in attempts to increase its value and meaning by isolating it “from everything that would detract from its own evaluation of itself ” (O’Doherty, 1999). Others tried to create spaces that revealed the artwork slowly, one-by-one and introduce elements of exploration and discovery to the exhibition experience (figure 27). In most cases, the galleries tried to achieve each of these things.

Figure 25.

This gallery attempted to create an open and non-claustrophobic viewing experience.

Figure 26.

This experimental gallery attempted to create a space that embodied the ethos of The Museum of One Painting.

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Figure 27.

Figure 28.

Figure 27and 28. This gallery attempted to create a space that encourages exploration and discovery.

Recommendations VR technology could be provided as an additional resource to support the current provision for the development of creative arts student’s skills and knowledge or be embedded in future learning outcomes aimed at the public presentation and dissemination of artworks. The headsets, computers and software are readily and commercially available and the college would not need more than a couple of setups per applicable subject area for effective introduction. However, one-to-one or small group tutor support would be essential for students to gain the most benefit, both technically and ideologically.

Future research Areas for further development would be the potential for gamifying the process, thereby circumventing the need to learn complex 3D design software. There is much scope for experimentation and development of new VR exhibition spaces that move away from the traditional idea of the gallery and explores the aesthetics, artistic language and philosophy of this new medium.

References Berger, J. (1972) Ways of Seeing. London: Penguin books.

Collishaw, M. (2017) Thresholds. Matcollishaw.com. Available at: https://matcollishaw.com/ exhibitions/thresholds/ (Accessed: 28 March 2019).

Anapur, E. (2016) ‘How scale in art influences the viewing experience’, Widewalls, 27 November. Available at: https://www.widewalls.ch/scale-in-art/ (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Forster, C. and Eperjesi, R. (2017) Action research for new teachers. London: SAGE.

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Greenberg, R., Furgusen, B. and Nairbe, S. (1996) Thinking About Exhibitions. London: Routledge.

Ikonospace (2019) Build virtual exhibition in 3D. Available at: https://www.ikonospace.com/ (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Kee, J. ‘Why Chinese Paintings Are So Large’, Third Text, Nov 2012, Vol. 26 Issue 6, pp. 649-663.

Lumen Prize (2016) Hyperplanes of Simultaneity • Lumen Prize. Available at: https://lumenprize.com/artwork/ hyperplanes-of-simultaneity/ (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

Menin, A., Torchelsen, R. and Nedel, L. (2018) ‘An Analysis of VR Technology Used in Immersive Simulations with a Serious Game Perspective’, IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications, 38(2), pp.57-73.

Metaobjects (2017) MetaObjects - University of Salford Art Collection - VR Gallery. Available at: http://www. metaobjects.org/work/university-of-salford-art-collection-vr-gallery/ (Accessed: 28 March 2019).

Newhouse, V. (2005) Art and the Power of Placement. New York: Monacelli Press.

Oculus Oculus Go: Standalone VR Headset Oculus. Available at: https://www.oculus.com/go/ (Accessed: 5 June 2019).

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O’Doherty, B. (1999) Inside the white cube. Berkeley: University of California.

Pino, N. (2018) ‘Oculus Rift review’, TechRadar. Available at: https://www.techradar.com/uk/reviews/gaming/ gaming-accessories/oculus-rift-1123963/review (Accessed: 1 December 2018).

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The Kremer Museum (2019) The Kremer Collection. Available at: http://www.thekremercollection.com/thekremer-museum/ (Accessed: 17 July 2019).

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Emblems of Britain: can we reconcile the historic icons and contemporary concepts of British values?

Tracey Eastham

Introduction In November 2014, the Department for Education published its guidance that all schools must ‘actively promote’ the ‘fundamental’ British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs (Department for Education, 2014). These values were based on those first set out by the government in the ‘Prevent’ strategy in 2011 and have a strong basis in the government’s attempts to counter radical extremism. Since then, they have taken out the word ‘fundamental’ with its negative connotations and now the promotion of British Values is integrated into the curriculum of all schools and childcare providers in the UK, which includes from early years (PACEY, 2019) to Higher Education (Office for Students, 2018). At B&FC, for example, it is written that we are ‘committed to […] the promotion of British values in all our activities’ (B&FC, 2016).

How such values can be embedded into curriculum, and what their relevance to all Britons is, and has been, open to debate. Educators from a variety of levels have voiced concern that the government approved list of British values are ‘ill-defined and vulnerable to misinterpretation’; that they lack uniqueness to Britain; and that the enforced inclusion into the curriculum actually becomes a tool for division, unthinking conformity, and contributes to a general lack of debate or awareness (Burns, 2015).

Therefore, this research came from a central question. Can we reconcile historic ‘emblems of Britain’ such as those used in heraldic imagery (lions and unicorns), popularisations on Britishness (Winston Churchill and St George and the dragon) and historic references (British Empire imagery and insignia) with contemporary concepts of British Values, and can they be used as a tool to disseminate, further, and open the British values debate?

Fig 1. ‘Rule of Law’, 2019

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A recent pioneering survey, ‘Can Art Aid in Resolving Conflicts?’, reviews examples of art projects that have been used as a tool for enabling debate and connections between disparate groups of people. ‘The multi-layered quality of art enables the construction of complex bridges and interesting connections’ (Nes, 2018, cited in Lemeshtrich-Latar, 2018, p. 9). Of particular interest is the perceived enablement of ‘emotion’ and ‘tension’ that art brings to the table, which is something that is commonly now avoided in the field of education. Indeed, the holistic view of education that incorporates a full understanding of the role of emotion in learning is a move towards a comprehensive pedagogic model that differs from the data-driven model which develops ‘rule based learners’ that may be observed in HE colleges today (Kort, Reilly and Picard, 2001; Kort and Reilly, 2019). In terms of resolving conflict, and approaching ‘troublesome concepts’, emotion is a key tool that teachers, particularly in college HE environments need to be prepared for and embrace (Hockings, 2010).

Discussion Britain has a long heritage of extolling British values through the formation of public institutions, our royal ties, our political sets, geo-political states, and legal arrangements. Accompanying, and inextricably linked to these, is often a set of British emblems, logos, images and heraldic designs that have longevity, if not universal popularity. Indeed, many ‘images of Britain’ are associated with embarrassment or shame. Nationality, or patriotism, is often seen to be ‘something slightly disgraceful’ (Orwell, 1941). Our long heritage of extolling ‘our’ values is associated with our equally long history of colonialism, and racial arrogance.

Moncrieffe and Moncrieffe from the University of Brighton have conducted research into the representation of British Values in schools and found that:

The dominant images of cultural icons involving people across the display boards were Queen Elizabeth II and former Prime Ministers Winston Churchill and David Cameron. Collectively, these images alongside national symbols i.e. union flag and cultural symbols i.e. the red poppy, appeared to appeal to the past; to blood ties; to shared practices and understandings for upholding the meaning of British identity in the present (Moncrieffe and Moncrieffe, 2017).

There are claims that an understanding of British values needs to ‘go beyond symbols and stereotypes’ and that we should not ‘confuse British values with British symbols and stereotypes’ (Vincent and Hunter-Henin, 2018). However, there is general acceptance that opening the ‘British values’ debate is an essential part of its intrinsic intention (Joas, 2001; Maylor, 2014; Elton-Chalcraft, 2017; Bryan, Revell, & Elton-Chalcraft, 2018): can we really integrate British values when we can’t condone the emblems of its past?

Fig 2. ‘Individual Liberty’, 2019

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Following the government’s desire to drive and enable a more multicultural society, the push to teach a set of prescribed values feeds into an ongoing dialogue surrounding ‘Britishness’ that links to the socio/cultural division in the wake of the 2016 EU referendum and the ongoing negative associations of patriotism and nationalistic ideology. This may be condoned by the presence of iconography, heraldic displays, and emblems which purport to a more historical interpretation of British society and culture. However, one might also relate the attempt to define Britishness within a set of prescribed values alongside iterations of social conservative ideology and think of language used by, for example, John Major’s ‘Back to Basics’ campaign of 1993, which was launched in Blackpool.

The old values – neighbourliness, decency, courtesy – they’re still alive, they’re still the best of Britain.

They haven’t changed, and yet somehow people feel embarrassed by them. Madam President, we shouldn’t be. It is time to return to those old core values, time to get back to basics, to self-discipline and respect for the law, to consideration for others, to accepting a responsibility for yourself and your family and not shuffling off on other people and the state (Major, 1993).

This is a pertinent example, as this speech was widely mocked for the tone of ‘prescriptive morality and traditional family values’ (Chambers, 2001, p. 146) that led to divisions and resignations within the Conservative party because of media outcry at seemingly hypocritical personal antics of Conservative MPs. ‘Britishness’ and British values, then, are still under consideration, and there is a problem on relying too heavily on politically motivated intentions for embedding them. According to Uvanney Maylor, ‘without an agreement as to what “Britishness” and “British values” are, teachers’ efforts not to undermine British values might actually serve to accentuate “difference” and create racial tensions’ (Maylor, 2014).

This points to a central problem of interpretation, or more particularly, to authority of interpretation.

Democracy and Mutual Respect, for instance, cannot be embedded or taught in a forceful way without informed acknowledgment and discussion (open debate) of student’s and staff ’s prior knowledge, opinions, and experiences. Knowledge of these biases are key to avoid the curriculum being restricted to too narrow ideologies that do not allow for debate (Apple, 1979). But how can differing values, experiences, and familiarity (that are intrinsically abstract) be incorporated within a classroom?

Fig 3. ‘Democracy’, 2019 There is a profound base of literature and academia around the formation of national identity through language: ‘ideology is […] a question of who is saying what to whom’ (Eagleton, 1996) but also through visual images: ‘[images are] conceptions of social, cultural, and political value’ (Mitchell, 1986, p.2). In addition, Merquior (1979) talks about ideology being based on ‘collective beliefs’ that are familiarly communicated through coats-of-arms, heraldic displays, framing devices and banners. These commonly have natural images

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embedded into them which Bermingham (1986) asserts is a method of ‘naturalising’ reality to comply with and articulate ideology. The ‘emblems of Britain’ are a strategic tool to articulate and disseminate ideologies of previous definitions of Britishness that we may want to distance ourselves from, or perhaps regain, now.

In spite of its controversial connotations, historic British iconography can be a valuable tool in order to unlock personally held beliefs and prejudices in a process that is vital in engaging students with an informed understanding and retention of British Values.

Fig 4. ‘Mutual Respect’, 2019 As part of this research project, students were engaged in a questionnaire construction human research survey that collected qualitative and quantitative data. This initial survey engaged 21 participants from a small random sample (based on voluntary participation) of the B&FC student population and was restricted to current higher and further education students in the Creative Arts and Digital Industries (CADI) curriculum area.

Summary of Results The survey was sent to all CADI students, who were sampled through the virtual learning environment. 21 students completed the survey. CADI students are, arguably, well suited to the topic of this questionnaire as they are likely to have a strong propensity to engaging with visual iconography as well as to having a relatively developed sense of social, cultural and political connotations, as manifested in imagery.

21 students took part in the survey and answered a series of qualitative and quantitative questions in a mixed methodology approach that built on previous qualitative debate. An earlier pilot with higher education (HE) performing arts students informed the creation of the survey questions which was then opened up to the whole CADI HE cohort. The developed questionnaire intended to provide some clarity to the difficulty of defining the relationship the participants understood as existing between the historic imagery associated with Britishness and the contemporary meaning of the British Values. This difficulty and apparent contradiction was perceived during the initial open debate session and was consequently found within the collected data of the later questionnaire.

Of some initial interest was the result that only a limited number of the student participants listed the correct British Values, which points to a possible lack of knowledge or retention of the relevant terminology and also to the importance of changing our approach to how they are disseminated or taught within CADI at least.

This justifies the initial intentions of this research within an educational setting.

In terms of a general perception or feeling towards British Values the participants were, on the whole, split

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into two factions; those who used positive language to relate to British Values were those who felt we are connected to the images of the past and vice versa. 10 out of 21, for example, felt that British Values were a “move away from British values of the past” and that we have “moved beyond historical images” with students asserting, for instance that “Britishness and the emblems are all facades and mean nothing” or that “the England flag just makes me think of racist people”. 9 out of 21, on the other hand, felt that a contemporary understanding of British Values needed to incorporate historic imagery and their various connotations for reasons such as ‘we do have an amazing history which must also not be forgotten’. 12 out of 22 participants were ‘proud of being British’ On the whole, what came across as a general summary of these results was the frequency of language and results that were contradictory, changeable or confused or complex in nature. Students who felt that we had ‘moved beyond’ historical images and commented negatively on the social connotation of Britishness also inputted that they were ‘proud of being British’. This approach is exemplified by the comment:

Unfortunately, I instinctively relate a lot of heraldic designs and British imagery with either the far right or a nostalgic view of the British Empire and the negative connotations that come with it. I suppose it depends on the context. The coats of arms on display in the old court room at Lancaster Castle are interpreted very differently to a St. George’s flag hanging out of a bedroom window for example. Although I enjoy the ceremonial nature of many British customs (such as Black Rod and the opening of parliament) I don’t feel that our history or customs impact on the person I am or the values I hold. Regardless, I don’t think our historic imagery has any real bearing on what it is to be a 21st century Brit.

Analysis and Artwork Interpretation 21 responses provided a small sample, as it was restricted to one curriculum area and also due to the voluntary and potentially emotionally invested subject content, the results are highly selective and probably disproportionate. However, some of the qualitative findings chimed with the general tone of confusing dichotomy that was experienced within a debate with performing arts students. Here, and seemingly from the survey results, Britishness is something inextricably linked to, and aspires to move beyond, its history.

Britishness is something to be ashamed of, yet this drives an intent to ‘move beyond’ historic moral and socio/political transgressions whilst still, in part at least, incorporating dialectical and controversial historic imagery.

As part of this creative research project four new pieces of work were produced, each one based on one of the British values and informed from the student survey and initial debate findings. The works reference traditional and historic British images as well as attempting to represent the contemporary meanings of British values through a process of layering and entanglement. Images that are unclear, that hint at historical familiarity whilst allowing for an open and subjective reading, reflects the contradictory dichotomy that many students and staff feel towards the British Values. It is hoped that this process of ‘figuring out’ the artwork will allow for informed debate with a classroom setting and lead to a greater retention of information and a more fully embedded approach.

Images were collected and transferred into a subjectively accumulated design that was then hand-cut out of gold paper. Cut paper was used because it gives a visceral skills-based presence for students and staff to instigate involvement and ‘draw them in’. Gold was chosen because of the historic use of such a colour in heraldic and framing devices. The format of the artwork directly referenced the historical associations that were being held aloft for critique. It is of further intention to produce a series of screen-prints of the images for use as a teaching resource within further and higher education progress tutorials.

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These artworks were presented at the AoC College HE Research and Scholarship Conference in March 2019 as well as the B&FC Scholarship Symposium in June 2019. Feedback is currently in the process of being collated however some initial comments about the artworks from colleagues at the AoC conference include:

• • • •

‘They are challenging the current narrative around British Values’ ‘They represent the confusion about what British Values actually mean’ ‘[they represent] Future possibilities for British Values’ ‘[they represent] the complexity and individualisation of people’s interpretation of the values’

Classroom impact The images within the artworks have gone through a process of multiple layering and entanglement and are therefore not fully legible. Enough is clear to make an informed judgement of the social, cultural and political connotations being made yet the gaps in legibility allow for an open-ended interpretation. The works, therefore, can provide links to student’s previous knowledge and allow for an emotionally invested interpretation. In this sense, it is hoped that the artwork enables the contribution of holistic and ‘comprehensive’ pedagogic elements that strengthen the pastoral support that progress tutors already deliver.

It is hoped that this fragments the enforced tone of the Department for Education’s prescribed set of values somewhat and allows for discussion and debate among students and staff in a way that instigates a greater retention of knowledge. The artworks can act as a conversation starter and debate enabler and rather than British Values being taught by the teacher, British Values are come across and be enacted within a classroom setting in and amongst discussion and conjecture around the images.

Conclusion Teachers across all areas and levels of education are mandated to embed British Values into their curriculum delivery. Inevitably, this requires and necessitates the use of images and words, icons and vocabulary, and therefore emblems and ideology. British values are old and entrenched in historical mire, transgressions and shame yet aspirational and an attempt for (if failed) ‘community cohesion’ (Wood, 2008).

Educators cannot enforce mutual respect, or teach individual liberty just as much as they cannot reliably represent the rule of law or democracy in its consistently changing interpretations1. Indeed, there are numerous examples of British society, culture and politics that (subjectively) contradict the Department for Education’s ‘British Values’. However, being intrinsically interdisciplinary and more ‘comprehensive’ in approach, art is a tool for debate, discussion, and therefore understanding. It is therefore hoped that these artworks can be used to, at least partly, contribute to B&FC’s commitment to promote ‘British values in all our activities’ (B&FC, 2016).

1

For more on this idea, see the 2019 Reith Lectures by Jonathan Sumption where he argues that the growth of the law since the 19th century, driven by demand for greater personal security and less risk, means we now have less liberty (The Reith Lectures: Laws Expanding Empire, 2019).

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References Apple, M. (1979) Ideology and Curriculum. Boston: Routledge and Kegan Paul.

Bermingham, A. (1986) Landscape and Ideology: The English Rustic Tradition, 1740-1860. London: Thames & Hudson Ltd. B&FC (2016) Equality, Diversity and Wellbeing. Available at: https://www.blackpool.ac.uk/sites/default/files/ related-documents/Equality%20Statement%202016-2020%20_0.pdf (Accessed: 9 October 2018).

Revell, L., Bryan, H. and Elton Chalcraft, S. (2018) ‘Counter terrorism law and education student teachers’ Induction into UK prevent duty through the lens of Bauman’s liquid modernity’, in Trimmer, K., Dixon, R. and Findlay, Y. (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Education Law for Schools. 1st edn. London: Palgrave. pp. 547-558.

Burns, J. (2015) Ignore Rules on Promoting British Values, Teachers Urged. BBC News, 30 March. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-32120583 (Accessed: 18 June 2019).

Chambers, D. (2001) Representing the Family. London: SAGE Publications.

Department for Education (2014) Guidance on promoting British values in schools published. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/guidance-on-promoting-british-values-in-schools-published.

(Accessed: 8 July 2019).

Eagleton, T. (1991) Ideology, an introduction. London: Verso.

Elton-Chalcraft, S. (2017) ‘Fundamental British Values- a politicization of the curriculum’, Warwick University Seminar Series, 1 November.

Hockings, C. (2010) Inclusive learning and teaching in higher education: a synthesis of research. Available at https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=2ahUKEwjynPbYhZnjA hUbURUIHUo6DOYQFjAAegQIABAC&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heacademy.ac.uk%2Fsystem%2Ffiles %2Finclusive_teaching_and_learning_in_he_1.doc&usg=AOvVaw0EES51Vibhovp0zWR49dWN (Accessed: 3 July 2019).

Joas, H. (2001) The Genesis of Values. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Kort, B., Reilly, R. and Picard, R. W. (2001) ‘An affective model of interplay between emotions and learning: Reengineering educational pedagogy-building a learning companion’. IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies. Madison, WI, USA, 6-8 August. Available at: https:// ieeexplore.ieee.org/abstract/document/943850 (Accessed: 9 July 2019).

Kort, B. and Reilly, R. (2019) ‘How People Learn: Cognition, Affect, and Learning – The Role of Emotions in Learning’. Research supported by National Science Foundation [draft]. Available at: web.media. mit.edu/~reilly/pedagogy.pdf (Accessed: 9 July 2019).

Lemeshtrich-Latar, N. (2018) Can Art Aid in Resolving Conflicts? London: Thames and Hudson.

Major, J. (1993) Mr Major’s Speech to 1993 Conservative Party Conference. Blackpool, 8 October 1993.

Maylor, U. (2014) ‘Promoting British values opens up a can of worms for teachers’, The Guardian, 12 June.

Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/teacher-blog/2014/jun/12/promoting-britishvalues-opens-up-a-can-of-worms-for-teachers (Accessed: 15 October 2018).

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Merquior, J.G. (1979) The Veil and The Mask, Essays on Culture and Ideology. Boston: Routledge & Kegan Paul.

Mitchell, W.J.T. (1986) Iconography: Image, Text, Ideology. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.

Moncrieffe, M. & Moncrieffe, A. (2017) ‘Examining the representation of fundamental British values: What are the most prominent images used for display boards in the primary school?’The BERA Blog. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/examining-the-representation-of-fundamental-british-values (Accessed: 18 June 2019).

Office for Students (2018) Prevent duty monitoring in higher education in England. Supplementary information note. Available at: https://www.officeforstudents.org.uk/media/19b94eed-d2ad-4a9b-bb92-ee0b410a1f1f/ ofs2018_35_a.pdf (Accessed: 9 July 2019).

Orwell, G. (1941) The Lion and The Unicorn: Socialism and the English Genius. London: Penguin.

PACEY (no date) British values and the Prevent duty. Available at: https://www.pacey.org.uk/working-inchildcare/spotlight-on/british-values (Accessed: 9 July 2019) The Reith Lectures: Laws Expanding Empire (2019) BBC Radio 4, 25 May. Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/ programmes/m00057m8 (Accessed: 18 June 2019).

Vincent, C. and Hunter-Henin, M. (2018) ‘The problem with teaching ‘British values’ in school’, The Conversation, 6 February Available at: http://theconversation.com/the-problem-with-teaching-british-values-inschool-83688 (Accessed: 15 October 2018).

Wood, R. (2008) The Mantra of Our Time: ‘British Values’ Good, ‘Multiculturalism’ Bad. Available at: http:// www.irr.org.uk/news/the-mantra-of-our-time-british-values-good-multiculturalism-bad/ (Accessed: 18 June 2019).

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Enrichment of teaching and students’ professional engagement in engineering through academic research: a reflective account Abdel Abdelazim

Introduction Video optimisation broadly, and the work on encoding/decoding specifically, have impacted the way we use and experience media, from the ways in which we watch the news and films on Netflix to the ways in which police forces process surveillance video and security footage. Research in video encoding and decoding is a branch that sits in many disciplines studied at B&FC, including electronic and computer engineering. At its core, it combines complex algorithms and minute detail with a continuous scholarly updating process.

It requires a good knowledge of coding and the capacity to look at the bigger picture where programming and developing translate into innovative software and hardware applications. Staying up to date with the latest developments in research and implementation is also crucial.

In my own experience, my academic orientation in video encoding and decoding was nurtured and developed through a combination of personal interest and collaboration with my mentors and the professors I met in higher education. Meeting the right people, establishing the right dialogue and finding one’s own supportive, positive and motivating team is a crucial step. Continual support, dialogue and engaging, exciting work together is what encourages students to become young researchers, and helps them develop intrinsic motivation to continue.

The attraction of the industry is very strong. Yet the future is increasingly situated on the crossroads between industry and higher education as business, research and development have been and will continue to grow hand-in-hand. Looking back, what mattered the most to me as a student, and later on as a young researcher, was learning from the right people, while simultaneously keeping in touch with industry and professional engineering bodies like the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) of which I have been a member since 2006. This combination of professional contacts and academic sources of information is particular to the way we build our professional networks in engineering and it helps researchers stay at the forefront of current developments. What used to be state-of-the-art technology only a couple of years ago is now outdated and part of the historical background sections in my papers, rather than part of our findings and future research plans. That is why establishing professional communities and joining professional networks is a crucial step for each student.

The latest paper I presented in the USA at the International Symposium on Electronic Imaging (Parameter optimization in H.265 Rate-Distortion by single-frame semantic scene analysis, 2019) is a good example of what the output of our research effort in this field can be. Collaboration with Portsmouth University colleagues involved research and development of joint solutions which required detailed study, but overall impacted the way we see our fields and generated impactful dialogue in curriculum planning. Parts of our

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newest degree ideas sprang from discussions that took place around this topic. New module delivery structures took shape and were integrated into our proposed modules. Overall, the broader effects and impact of the work may not become immediately apparent from the title, yet the dialogues with specialists in the field confirmed that the potential new pathways we have been developing can be successful.

The research process and the methodologies we use are discipline-specific and are based on testing, examining, combining algorithms, analysing results, comparing efficiency and using advanced mathematics and advanced software tools. Essentially, this is work that is done on computers either independently or as a team, with each researcher spending time on his/her own to test, examine and analyse a certain aspect of the topics. It takes a number of years and many co-authored publications to arrive at a consistent body of knowledge in a certain narrowly specialised research direction within the broadly defined areas outlined previously. It is usually the scholarly work of a team over a long period of time and in a certain field of concrete application that may lead from highly-specialised theoretical findings to the development of concrete applications. This may give rise to patents that can in turn result in the creation of start-ups or trigger industry game-changers.

It is very important to develop students from their early college/university years, to maintain their professional and academic currency, and open their prospects onto a wider range of engagement opportunities. This is how early research careers are built through the continual support of teaching teams that integrate their research into their teaching and promote the development of research projects within engineering project modules at undergraduate, then graduate, and post-graduate level. Simultaneously, engagement with professional bodies and organisations such as IET is crucial to maintaining their fresh ideas and boosting their enthusiasm through contacts with groups of like-minded individuals. By encouraging them to contribute to formal or informal learning circles and participate in engineering societies, we also create for them a pool of research options ready to be explored. In my own career in Engineering since early 2000, I have taken the lead in managing and even becoming the founder of learning and research collectives, communicating and disseminating my own ideas and achievements. These were activities which became stepping stones towards bigger research projects. I believe that if we encourage similar engagement in our own students, we will also be able push them further academically and, possibly, towards careers in research.

While action research on teaching and learning methodologies remains important for teaching institutions like B&FC, there is a new trend currently in formation and on an international scale. Finding unique and niche opportunities to grow in a specific research direction can nurture a student’s identity. Students may become research assistants to those who teach them and spend a certain amount of their independent learning hours on research tasks that contribute to institutional ranking and impact. We are trying, as of this academic year, to promote such participations across B&FC Engineering. Looking at the discipline from a broader perspective, specialist fields like engineering and science will always benefit immensely from additional research in their subject-specific subfields regardless of whether they are taught at a university or a college.

Hence, the balance between the different kinds of research orientations (teaching-specific or subject-specific) may need to shift towards the subject area, rather than the broader education-related aspects of scholarly engagement.

Part of the shift in research focus may originate in the engagement of students who examine their own practices in class to identify potential fields and topics of research interest they can carry through their early years in higher education, supported by their tutors who become co-authors of joint publications. It is something that the Engineering Department at B&FC is now set to implement, whether in the form of books of abstracts, conference participations or other publications. Students can implement their research at their workplaces or continue to develop it on a post-graduate level. This goes hand in hand with the consultancy

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role most educational institutions play alongside their industry partners. This is rapidly becoming one of the most important points of focus for higher education providers with the development of subject-specific research groups that unite teaching staff, students, lab personnel and potential or current employers. It is clear that if an institution is to be the leading contributor to local industry and business excellence (whether through supply of qualified personnel or through consultancy effort), it must commit to operating a shift in the way it sees its research effort. The engagement of its people will have to operate on multiple dissemination platforms – online, conferences and forums, publications – and that engagement will have to be more active and lively, in organised clusters of subject-specific research activities that drive excellence, creativity and innovation in these fields. This is essentially a team effort, rather than an individual journey, and it will also affect the cohesion of its people, bringing about greater synergies across the institution.

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Focus on Scholars

This feature of the Scholarship Review showcases the individuals who have contributed to this year’s edition through their projects funded by SRDS, research papers, case studies, features and reflective think pieces.

A big thank you to all contributors.

The People Behind the Papers

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Scholarship Profile:

Bernadett Mireider Biography Bernadett Mireider is a HE Learning Mentor with a passion for understanding and enhancing the student experience. Prior to joining Blackpool and The Fylde College, Bernadett worked as Senior Lecturer for the University of Central Lancashire, teaching at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and supported learning at the British International School Muscat, in the Sultanate of Oman.

Bernadett is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, holds a PGCE in Higher Education and an MA in Industrial Design.

She was educated in Hungary, Switzerland and Sweden and her academic interests draw on a cross-disciplinary field relating to creative collaboration, art and design, relational thinking and social responsibility. Bernadett enjoys empowering students through intentional dialogue and believes in the transformative power of education.

Scholarship Profile:

Parvonay Amirkhani Biography Parvonay Amirkhani is Programme Leader for Fd and BA (Hons) Youth Studies and Fd Working with Young People and teaches across Fd Health and Social Care and also Fd and BA (Hons) Family Support and Wellbeing. She graduated from Blackpool and The Fylde College with a first class honours in Health and Social Care following a 12 year career working with adults with learning disabilities. Parvonay has since completed her PGCE before undertaking an MA in Higher Education at Oxford Brookes University. Parvonay commenced a lecturer role for Society, Health and Childhood at Blackpool and The Fylde College in 2016. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, holding research interests in student wellbeing and mature students in higher education. Since June 2017, Parvonay has been a volunteer helpline operator for Lancashire NHS Trust Mental Health and Wellbeing Helpline.

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Scholarship Profile:

Hannah Emery Biography Hannah Emery graduated with a BA (Hons) in English Literature from the University of Chester in 2004, and since then has also completed her PGCE at Blackpool and The Fylde College. Hannah began working as a Higher Education Learning Mentor (HELM) at the College in 2007, and is now the Coordinator for the team.

Hannah has a particular interest in writing: in addition to contributing to various academic writing projects at the College, she is a women’s fiction author with the digital-first imprint of HarperCollins. She is currently working on her third novel and will also begin her MA in Creative Writing at Manchester Metropolitan University in September.

Scholarship Profile:

Colette Mazzola Biography Colette Mazzola is a Senior Tutor and a PhD student at Lancaster University (Technology Enhanced Learning). Beginning her teaching career in 2013, Colette teaches a diverse range of subjects including: Web programming, Cyber-psychology, Graphics and Design, Motion Graphics and Digital Animation. In 2015, Colette achieved the status of Higher Education Fellow with the HEA. In her role she is constantly researching recent technologies, developing, and refining prototypes and breaking them down to create scaffolded resources for her students. She actively presents research at conferences, she has already presented at three national conferences, Higher Education Academy STEM Conference (Creativity in Teaching, Learning and Student Engagement (2018), Achieving Excellence in Teaching and Learning (2017)) and The Association for Learning Technology Annual Conference (Beyond islands of innovation and how Learning Technology has become the new norm(al).

Colette recently presented at the Association of Colleges (AOC) HE Research and Scholarship Conference at Newcastle University on 10th May 2019 and is due to present at EDULEARN19, 11th annual International Conference on Education and New Learning Technologies which will be held in Palma de Mallorca (Spain) on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd of July, 2019.

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Scholarship Profile:

Dr Margarita Georgieva Biography Margarita Georgieva obtained her PhD from University of Nice Sophia - Antipolis (France) in 2011. She is also a certified mediator and project manager. After gathering experience in teaching and education management across Europe and the Middle East, she joined Blackpool and The Fylde College in January 2018 and is now Programme Leader for HE. Margarita is interested in experiential learning, informal and natural education and innovative teaching experiments across all educational disciplines. She is the author of two books with Palgrave Macmillan and Cambridge Scholars Publishing and has numerous articles in the humanities with a recent interest in pedagogy and teaching.

Scholarship Profile:

Dr Abdelrahman Abdelazim Biography Abdelrahman Abdelazim is Curriculum Manager of Advanced Engineering. He holds a BEng (Hons) degree in Digital Communication and a PhD degree in Engineering, both from the University of Central Lancashire. From 2012 to 2017 he worked as an Associate Professor of Computer Engineering and Head of Department at the American University of the Middle East.

Between 2008 and 2012 he worked as Lecturer in Electronics within the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences.

His experience includes leading the implementation of a number of academic and industrial digital communication projects. His research interests are in the area of reducing the complexity of Video Coding Encoders in real-time Scalable and Multi-view.

Abdelrahman is a member of the IET since 2006. He is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

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Scholarship Profile:

Paulina Mackrell Biography Paulina MacKrell has been at Blackpool and The Fylde College for a number of years, currently working in the curriculum area of Leadership, Management and Lifestyle as a lecturer. Paulina’s academic background is interdisciplinary. She graduated in Tourism Management, which she followed with the undertaking of a PGCE, then a Masters of Arts in Research Methodologies and Globalisation and Development, and finally a PhD in Human Geography. Her research encompasses interdisciplinary studies, mainly focusing on domestic tourism, human geography, migration and motilities.

Whilst being a lecturer, Paulina has also worked as a researcher for many projects, inter alia, for the department of Geography and Environmental Sciences at Liverpool University, and Keele University (Rural Space, Migration and Mobility). She is a Royal Geographical Society Fellow and Advance HE Fellow. Most recent publication: New representations of rural space: MacKrell, P. and Pemberton, S. (2018) Eastern European migrants and the denial of poverty and deprivation in the English countryside.

Scholarship Profile:

Ashley Lister Biography Ashley Lister studied at Blackpool and The Fylde College for a Lancaster University degree and graduated with first class honours in English Language, Literature and Writing. After studying his PGCE at Blackpool and The Fylde College, he secured a teaching post with Professional Studies. Ashley is the author of several academic articles, more than fifty full-length titles of fiction and non-fiction, and countless short stories. In 2018 Ashley completed his PhD at Bolton University with a thesis that explores the relationship between plot and genre in short fiction. Part of the ideas that support his thesis are incorporated into his latest non-fiction title, How to Write Short Stories and Get Them Published, which will be released in December 2019 and is published by Little Brown. He is currently one of the Programme Leaders for BA (Hons) English: Language, Literature and Writing and BA (Hons) Scriptwriting for Stage, Screen and Gaming.

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Scholarship Profile:

Dr Jill Fernie-Clarke Biography Dr Jill Fernie-Clarke is currently Head of Curriculum for Creative Arts and Digital Industries at Blackpool and The Fylde College (B&FC). She was educated in Newcastle, Manchester and Leeds and her career has been focused in specialist arts education institutions and departments. Previous roles include Head of Research at Leeds College of Art; Vice Principal and Head of Creative Research Development at Cleveland College of Art and Design and member of the Executive Board at the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD). Jill’s research interests include representations of the low-other and collaborative practice in arts education. When working as a Curriculum Manager at B&FC in 2006, following her PhD which looked at representations of ‘low life’ in popular prints, she initiated the Blackpool Vistas project which used images of the town, made by staff and students, to re-present it in a positive light.

Scholarship Profile:

Su Em Sans Biography Su Em Sans studied at Grays School of Art in Aberdeen, where she gained a first class honours degree in Visual Communication. She worked as a Graphic Designer within the creative industry for over a decade, before teaching graphic design at Aberdeen College, moving on to become a Lecturer in Graphic Design at The Northern School of Art, Cleveland, UK. As a Progression Tutor since 2014, she has been responsible for providing additional academic support to all students, and has been awarded fellowship status through the Higher Education Academy.

Su has also achieved awards for her design and has had work exhibited in the National Portrait Gallery. She continues to practice as a designer, ensuring her value to the subject of art and design remains current and relevant.

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Scholarship Profile:

Aaron Tonks Biography Aaron Tonks is a Specialist Practitioner for BA (Hons) Photography and is the coordinator for the school gallery. He graduated from the Arts Institute at Bournemouth with a BA (Hons) in Photography, and has an MA in Visual Design as Creative Practice from Lancaster University, specialising in gallery ideology. Aaron has played an active role in the development of the school gallery since its inception in 2009. In September 2015 he was given the honour of coordinating and curating the gallery and is committed to promoting the venue as an established platform for diverse and exciting exhibitions.

Scholarship Profile:

Tracey Eastham Biography Born in Preston in 1983 Tracey graduated from Wimbledon School of Art, London in 2006 with a distinction for her Master’s degree.

She completed her teaching qualification in 2012 and has worked within Further and Higher Education since 2008. She moved to Blackpool and The Fylde College in 2012 and is now the Higher Education Senior Tutor for Scholarship and Research. Tracey was awarded a Higher Education Academy (FHEA) Fellowship in 2014 and has presented academic papers at the 2016 and 2019 Association of Colleges Conferences.

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British Conference for Undergraduate Research 2019 University of South Wales, April 2019 For a second consecutive year, a record number of Blackpool and The Fylde College undergraduates submitted abstracts and were selected to attend the British Conference for Undergraduate Research (BCUR) this year at the University of South Wales to share and disseminate their scholarly research to the wider national and international academic undergraduate community.

Undergraduate Research Undergraduate research and inquiry is an essential component of any higher education programme as identified in the Framework for Higher Education Qualifications (FHEQ) and all Level 6 QAA Subject Benchmarks. New models of curriculum… should all… incorporate research-based study for undergraduates.

(Ramsden 2008, pp. 10–11) Undergraduate research is research conducted by students at undergraduate level that makes an original, intellectual or creative contribution to the discipline. This could be through dissertations or projects or by taking part in research that goes on in their college or university through other means such as internships and co research activities. Students undertaking high quality undergraduate research have presented at conferences, been published in peer reviewed academic journals and have even secured patents.

‘The mentoring and collaboration dimensions of undergraduate research can foster ownership for

learning and encourage a commitment to high standards and accountability.’

(Lopatto, 2003)

‘Undergraduate students are not often valued as, or considered to be, researchers. Evidence

suggests, however, that by providing undergraduates with research opportunities we upskill our

students, create researchers of the future, and benefit academics and institutions.’

(McInnes, 2018)

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Sharing scholarly research to the academic undergraduate community at the University of South Wales

Students from Leadership Management and Lifestyle In 2019 four students from Leadership, Management and Lifestyle submitted their abstracts. Three students were able to showcase their research through academic posters and one student presented at a workshop.

FdSc Physical Activity Health and Nutrition

• Jessica Gray - ‘Exploring the nutritional matrix of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders’ BA (Hons) Hospitality and Events Management

• John Best - ‘What is the potential for the re-invention of guesthouses in Blackpool?’

• Heather Roberts - ‘Facilitating female leadership in hospitality’

BSc (Hons) Physical Activity Health and Nutrition

• Bo Speakman - ‘Not so innocent smoothies: An investigation into the common perceptions of sugar in commercially available drinks and general sugar knowledge in students involved in a range of education levels.’

Students from BSc (Hons) Project Management Students on the BSc (Hons) Project Management have a well-established tradition of attending and presenting their research outputs at BCUR. In 2019 six students from the Project Management Centre of Excellence within Blackpool and The Fylde College were accepted to present their dissertation research at the British Conference of Undergraduate Research;

• Phoebe Brown - ‘The technology effect: An investigation into technology optimism in the research and development projects of BAE Systems’

• Daniel Ware - ‘Once bitten, twice shy: Do personal financial behaviours and the associated heuristics of project managers have an impact of decision making in projects?’

• Jade Easter - ‘Conflicting priorities and team performance: A vicious circle?’

• Devon Knowles - ‘Lost at sea? - Not for profit marine conservation projects vs traditional projects.

Is being guided by a professional body the only path to success, or is something missing?’

• Joshua Wilkinson - ‘Do they know you don’t know that they don’t know? A study into how emotional intelligence could help define customer requirements within project management.’

• Liam Westwell - ‘Confidence misconception - Masking incompetence within project management.’

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Students from Engineering and Science For the first time, a Science student was represented at BCUR. This student presented their research at the event through a workshop session, and is currently undertaking Master’s level research in a similar area.

• Thomas Clough - ‘Early stage microbial biofilm formation and biodegradation rates of monolayer graphene polyethylene terephthalate and polyethylene terephthalate composite films in the marine environment’

Students from Computing Until 2019 only seven students from Computing have presented their research at BCUR all through poster presentations at both the University of Bournemouth and Sheffield. This year fourteen students, including for the first time from the Network Engineering degree programme submitted their abstracts and were invited to present. Three students were unable to attend the event, however six students presented posters at the event, and for the first time five students presented workshops at the event.

BSc (Hons) Software Engineering & Games Development

• Connor Magson - ‘Does direct guidance of the player affect player-experience positively?’

• Jamie Day - ‘Curbing repetitive behaviours in gaming’

• Jordan Hill - ‘The practical application of virtual reality in the training of emergency service personnel’

• Lorna Parry - ‘Exploring the use of assembly within video games through programming the Super Nintendo’

• Sophie Maxwell - ‘Using virtual reality to develop a mindfulness safe space’

• Christopher Smith - ‘Analysis of ethically challenged automated games software and the identification of recursive artificial behaviour’

Connor Magson, Computing

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Jamie Day, Computing BSc (Hons) Web Technologies and Digital Media

• Carl Green - ‘The impact of mobile learning on academic performance: A student perspective’

• Jake McCarron - ‘Online collaborative environments - Marrying feature sets with user experience’

• Jordan Goldspink - ‘UX vs UCD’

• Joanne Bell - ‘Virtual learning environments’

BSc (Hons) Network Engineering (Systems Administration)

• Joshua Pearson - ‘Comparison of latency between a static and dynamic flow entry in OpenFlow SDN’

References McInnes, L. (2018) ‘The benefits of undergraduate research’, The British Educational Research Association, 26 March. Available at: https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/the-benefits-of-undergraduate-research (Accessed: 20 June 2019).

Lopatto, D. (2003) ‘The Essential Features of Undergraduate Research’, The Council on Undergraduate Research (CUR) Quarterly, 24(1), pp 139–142.

Ramsden, P. (2008) The future of higher education teaching and the student experience. York: The Higher Education Academy.

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Blackpool and The Fylde College Annual Teaching and Learning Conference 2019 The theme for this year’s conference was ‘Sustainable Education’. QAA 2014 defines Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) as “the process of equipping students with the knowledge and understanding, skills and attributes needed to work and live in a way that safeguards environmental, social and economic wellbeing, both in the present and for future generations1” Suitably, the conference this year took place at the College’s Lancashire Energy HQ (LEHQ) on 27 June.

LEHQ is a BREEAM Excellent rated building, meaning it has been independently assessed as being highly energy efficient with a sustainable environment designed to enhance the wellbeing of those studying and working there.

Sustainable Development

Haleh Moravaj, Manchester Metropolitan University (Photo: Andrew Davies)

With over 100 Higher Education (HE) colleagues in attendance, we welcomed our first keynote speaker of the day, Haleh Moravaj, Senior Lecturer in Nutritional Sciences at Manchester Metropolitan University.

Haleh captivated the audience with her presentation “Embedding sustainability through creativity, community, collaboration and purposeful fun”.

The presentation focussed on a practical, interdisciplinary example of education for sustainable development at Manchester Metropolitan University, MetMUnch. In 2011 MetMUnch was created as a unique healthy food, nutrition and sustainability, student led outreach enterprise, developing action-led, multidisciplinary social impacts. It enables students to gain practical, creative and organisational enterprise skills, whilst addressing health, ethical and environmental sustainability issues in a fun and student friendly fashion.

Our second keynote was delivered by Dr Valerie Todd, Head of Research and Scholarship, Blackburn College who led us through her highly relevant and engaging research “A longitudinal study of student engagement, retention and achievement in College-based higher education: The role of academic self-efficacy and ownership of the learning process”

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Dr Todd provided an overall analysis of her research and presented outcome data which had enabled her to identify processes that increase academic self-efficacy, active engagement and promote independent learning in non-traditional students.

Throughout the day there were seven workshop presentations available, from which the delegates could select several options that covered a breadth of topics as outline below:

• The concept of applied sustainable development.

Alina Prylipko, Maritime Operations

• Higher Education re-imagine to support teachers and students: An exploration of an innovative fit for purpose pedagogy.

Colette Mazzola, Computing and Digital Technologies

• Project-based learning for sustainability and distributed models of education.

Margarita Georgieva, Engineering and Science

• Sustainability, public participation and the difference between theoretical paradigm and reality.

Paulina MacKrell, Leadership, Management and Lifestyle

• Collective biospheres: interdisciplinary approaches for sustainable development.

Tracey Eastham, Creative Arts and Digital Industries

• Gearing-up graduate employability for the future

Clifford Mitchell, University Centre, Blackburn College and Keele University

• Resilience Revolution (Practitioner Workshop)

Toni Roethling, School Lead, HeadStart, Blackpool

Toni Roethling, HeadStart (Photo: Andrew Davies)

Helen Fogg (Photo: Andrew Davies)

The day was further enhanced by presentations on British Conference for Undergraduate Research from Chris Willitts and Lee Holroyd, Computing and Digital Technologies and the Undergraduate Research Poster Event as covered elsewhere in this review.

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The day concluded with three presentations from both curriculum and service area staff who have received funding from the Scholarship and Research and Development Scheme during 2018-19:

• Emblems of Britain; how can we reconcile the historical icons and contemporary concepts of British Values?

Tracey Eastham

• Blackpool Robo 2.0 improving teaching and learning in STEM through innovative problem-based competitive work.

Margarita Georgieva, Nicole Dean and Dr Abdelrahman Abdelazim

• Key characteristics of student peer support relationships: An exploration of peer mentoring practices at Blackpool and The Fylde College.

Bernadett Mireider The feedback from our external guests, presenters and delegates was very positive and we are now looking ahead to next year’s conference.

Conference Workshop (Photo: Andrew Davies)

1

HEA/QAA (2014) ‘Education for Sustainable Development: Guidance for Higher Education Providers’

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Blackpool and The Fylde College Annual Scholarship Symposium 2019 Undergraduate Research Poster Event June 2019 saw our fourth Undergraduate Research Poster Event, which was held as part of the Annual Teaching and Learning Conference. Seventeen undergraduates from across the subject disciplines, distilled their dissertation and major project research to produce a research poster, which was then shared and discussed with academic staff at the event. The research topics were as ever varied and wide ranging, reflecting the diversity of undergraduate scholarship at Blackpool and The Fylde College. Three posters were selected by a panel of judges as winners of the best research on the day.

Undergraduate Researchers 2019 1. ‘What is the potential for the re-invention of guesthouses in Blackpool?’

John Alexander Best, BA (Hons) Hospitality and Events Management 2. ‘Plastic Footprints. An examination of how organisations are reducing plastic waste’

Stephanie Ann Blears-McCann, BA (Hons) Business Financial Management 3. ‘The impact in-work poverty has on employee voice and the influence this has on

unemployment rates in Blackpool’

Carolyn Foy, BA (Hons) Business Financial Management 4. ‘Not so innocent smoothies: An investigation into the common perceptions of sugar in commercially

available drinks and general sugar knowledge in students involved in a range of education levels’

Bo Speakman, BSc (Hons) Physical Activity Health and Nutrition 5. ‘Exploring the nutritional matrix of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders’

Jessica Ann Gray, FdSc Physical Activity Health and Nutrition 6. ‘The impact of mobile learning on academic performance: A student perspective’

Carl Green, BSc (Hons) Web Technologies and Digital Media 7. ‘Electronic visitor and employee booking system’

Stephen Smith, BSc (Hons) Web Technologies and Digital Media 8. ‘New tricks, old platforms: Developing low-level skills through programming

the Super Nintendo’

Lorna Parry, BSc (Hons) Software Engineering and Games Development 9. ‘Comparison of latency between a static and dynamic flow entry in Openflow SDN’

Joshua Pearman, BSc (Hons) Network Engineering (Systems Administration) 10. ‘Children’s balance bike project’

Alfie White, BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering

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11. ‘Planning, design, development and execution of a high-end photography capable drone

Matthew Lewthwaite, BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering 12. ‘Walking disability aid’

Georgina Bradshaw, BEng (Hons) Mechatronics 13. ‘Children’s balance bike’

Liam Winder, BEng (Hons) Mechatronics 14. ‘An investigation and development of an efficient energy source from waste system for

implementation into a College building’

Kristy Turner, BEng (Hons) Mechanical Engineering 15. ‘Securing success through cultural awareness’

Rebecca Waite, BSc (Hons) Project Management 16. ‘Study of students viewpoints on e-cigarette usage’

Jacob Roylance, BA (Hons) Health and Social Care 17. ‘Period poverty, creative industries response’

Antonia Wruk, BA (Hons) Fine Art Professional Practice

Judging the posters (Photo: Andrew Davies)

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Undergraduate Research Poster Winners 2019

‘New tricks, old platforms: Developing low-level skills through programming the Super Nintendo’ Lorna Parry, BSc (Hons) Software Engineering and Games Development (Photo: Andrew Davies)

‘Exploring the nutritional matrix of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders’ Jessica Ann Gray, FdSc Physical Activity Health and Nutrition (Photo: Andrew Davies)

‘Period poverty, creative industries response’ Antonia Wruk, BA (Hons) Fine Art Professional Practice (Photo: Andrew Davies)

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Validation Showcase Congratulations to all the staff involved in curriculum design who have researched, analysed, designed and progressed their curriculum through very successful validation and revalidation this academic year.

In curriculum design, the integration of market research and pedagogic design principles are distilled and synthesised to create curriculum which meets the needs of students, employers and communities.

This has been another successful year with many of the programmes validated having no or few conditions reflecting our maturity and excellent academic curriculum design practice.

HNC Computing Pearson GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE •

•

•

Very thorough and contemporaneous developments in the subject discipline reflecting a high degree of knowledge and scholarship.

Outstanding Teaching, Learning and Assessment strategy that clearly explains the professional pedagogic strategy for the HNC. Excellent documentation.

FdA and BA (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE • • •

•

This is a model of how to construct an impressive programme with only a small number of staff.

Considerable thought has gone into the design and structure of the programme.

A coherent, well-balanced and academically rigorous course that should provide students with an excellent grounding in criminological theory; contemporary crime issues and priorities; new ways of thinking about crime and social harm; knowledge and understanding around different aspects of the criminal justice system and related issues; practical experience of the criminal justice system; and a range of skills including critical thinking and analysis, reflexivity, research skills, academic study skills, and communication skills.

The focus on employability and the many links with practitioners and criminal justice organisations should be commended.

Left to right: Marc Potter, David Hayes (Photo: Andrew Davies)

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BA (Hons) English: Language, Literature and Writing Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE • A unique and exciting programme, which is well balanced and feasible.

• Staff positivity, enthusiasm and confidence.

• Staff inspiration of students who are happy and engaged.

Left to right: Ashley Lister, Jill Fernie-Clarke (Photo: Andrew Davies)

BA (Hons) Filmmaking Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE • • •

•

The passion and commitment of the staff to make the programme work.

The logic of the scheme as a whole.

Students who are positive and articulate about the staff, programme and Blackpool and The Fylde College.

The facilities.

BA (Hons) Graphic Design Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE •

•

•

Enthusiastic, young team who are proud of the programme and have an appetite to improve.

Inclusive, diverse students who were very complimentary about the staff.

‘Blackpool Cares’.

Left to right: Paula Smithson, Michael Lambourne, Gaby Wills (Photo: Andrew Davies)

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FdSc and BSc (Hons) Human Biosciences Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE • Internal student recruitment processes have been optimised.

• Engagement with employers.

Left to right: Storm Isles, Jagjit Walia, Lisa Miller, Samuel Bentley, Linda Martin

FdSc and BSc (Hons) Materials Science Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE

• Ability to engage very closely with industry.

• Developing a programme based on strategic abilities around apprenticeships.

• Detailed and well presented documentation.

BA (Hons) Photography Lancaster University GOOD / INNOVATIVE / COMMENDABLE PRACTICE • • • •

•

Staff dedication to student support and the ability to drive the confidence of students.

The leadership and ‘Living Well’ ethos that drives learning, students and team working.

The model of interconnectivity and the linkages between levels.

Creativity plus technical ability as a teaching and learning ethos and the benefits of the theory/ research aspects of the curriculum.

The realistic approach to industry.

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The Scholarship and Research Development Scheme (SRDS)

Blackpool and The Fylde College has established a fund to support the scholarly activity of members of academic and support staff who wish to enhance their scholarship and develop their role in the College.

The Scholarship and Research Development Scheme (SRDS) was developed and piloted as part of the Teaching Quality Enhancement Project during 2007. Since its inception the scheme has supported a wide variety of projects centered in and around the development of subject expertise and the scholarship of teaching and learning.

What is Scholarship?

There have been various debates about what actually constitutes scholarly activity and in particular how scholarship is actually relevant to vocationally based higher education. Blackpool and The Fylde College has developed a hierarchical model of scholarship (see Fig 1) which can be used as a framework upon which to organise scholarly development and to inform teaching and learning quality enhancement.

Fig 1: The Blackpool and The Fylde Hierarchical Model of Scholarship

New Knowledge (Discovery & Conception)

Action Research (Integration, Application & Communication)

Reading and Research

Reflective Teaching Practice

(Integration & Application of Knowledge)

(Informed Teacher)

Scholarship is the driving force that influences and informs the development of curriculum which is not only about what we teach and who we teach, but also how we teach.

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What Kind of Activities Can Be Classed as Scholarship?

Scholarship can be informed and generated by participation in a variety of different activities including:

• Attendance at scholarly events, exhibitions and conferences.

• Organising or speaking at a scholarly event, exhibition or conference.

• Consultancy relevant to subject expertise.

• The writing of conference papers, poster presentations, refereed articles for academic journals, chapters for academic texts, or contributions to professional or academic publications or exhibitions.

• Professional and industrial updating, workshop attendance or employer engagement.

• Field research, including visits to centres of academic excellence, good practice or with specialist facilities.

• Action research relevant to teaching and learning in HE.

• Authoring appropriately challenging, well referenced and contemporary course materials to support flexible learning.

These activities might in themselves be scholarly, but it is in the reflection, dissemination and incorporation of what has been learned into curriculum which defines scholarship. That is the fundamental difference between staff development and scholarship.

What is the Difference between Staff Development and Scholarship?

The hallmark of true scholarship is in the production of scholarly artefacts or outputs, some examples of which are listed below:

• High quality appropriately referenced teaching and learning materials to support flexible modes of study in HE.

• Published work (paper, journal article, academic poster or book).

• Published conference/exhibition papers or posters.

• Dissemination workshops.

• The development of materials for the purpose of sharing good practice.

• A report detailing quantitative and qualitative evidence to inform College strategy and operation.

• A report detailing quantitative and qualitative evidence to support improved learner experience.

• A detailed action research report to inform Curriculum Area strategy and operation.

How Do I Apply for Funding?

Applications are welcome from full time and part time staff involved in teaching and the support of learning.

Applications for funding must be made on the Scholarship and Research Development Application form obtained from the HE Directorate.

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What Type of Projects Does the College Provide Funding For?

• Pedagogic research linked to the professional standards and Curriculum Area / College professional and Quality Improvement Plans (QIP).

• Subject updating through industrial placement and industry led development, conference attendance and presentation.

• The development of lecturer skills to support flexible modes of study, work-based and placement learning, online learning and the development of quality teaching and learning materials of appropriate challenge, differentiated and available for asynchronous access.

• Good practice sharing activities.

• Collaborative research with Lancaster University or other external partners.

• Collaborative research and development projects with industry.

• The production of scholarly resources such as text books, e-books and journals.

• Curriculum Area / College centred entrepreneurial activities.

• The development of new curriculum from concept phase through to validation/revalidation.

When is Funding Available?

Applications for funding can be submitted at any time during the academic year, but these must be supported by a clear timetable of activities and with the endorsement of the Head of Curriculum Area.

In order to facilitate forward planning and timetabling it is highly recommended that project proposals and applications for funding are made well in advance of the start of the academic year.

The SRDS panel meets four times per year to consider applications. The panel dates are available via the HE Directorate.

Project Support The HE Directorate can help you to formulate your project objectives, proposal, application for funding and subsequent project planning, implementation and evaluation. Bespoke one-to-one coaching and mentoring is provided.

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Writing for The Scholarship Review Instuctions for Authors Authors are invited to submit original work for publication in the next edition of the College’s Scholarship Review Journal.

Contributions are invited from members of staff who are currently engaged in action research and scholarship.

We would be delighted to receive:

• Full academic papers

• Short abstracts

• Case studies

• Reflective accounts

• Action research projects

We would also be pleased to hear about any experiences you have had:

• Writing journal articles, textbooks or chapters in textbooks

• Presenting a paper or poster at a conference

• Engaging in professional practice

• Curating or exhibiting artwork

• Script writing and directing

• Broadcasting via local or national TV and radio stations

• Consultancy work with local and national employers

• Consultancy work with voluntary sector organisations

We would like to support you in producing a scholarship showcase in the journal. Whatever you are doing, if you are doing it well, this is an excellent opportunity for you to showcase your work, share good practice and motivate your colleagues and students.

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How do I go about contributing?

For further details and to submit an abstract, idea or full paper, contact the HE Directorate (highereducation@blackpool.ac.uk).

Producing an Academic Paper for the Scholarship Review Your paper should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words.

You need to include a short abstract summarising your paper in no more than 300 words.

• Use conservative British, not US spelling, for example programme not program; centre not center; analyse not analyze, etc.

• Use single ‘quotes’ for quotations rather than double “quotes”, unless the ‘quote is “within” another quote’.

• Only use the upper case for the first word in paper titles and all subheadings.

• All acronyms should be spelled out the first time they are introduced in text or references.

Thereafter the acronym can be used if appropriate for example: College Higher Education (CHE).

• The preferred local (national) usage for ethnic and other minorities should be used in all papers.

• Material to be emphasised should be italicised, please use such emphasis sparingly.

• When referring to numbers in a study the abbreviation (n) should be used similarly % for percent should be used.

• When referring to decimals the form 0.05 (not .05) should be used.

Referencing Please use the Harvard system of referencing.

The name of the author and the date of publication provide a key to the full bibliographical details, which are set out in the list of references.

For example: Schön (1983) cited in the main text, appears in the references as follows: Schön, D. (1983) The Reflective Practitioner. How professionals think in action, London: Temple Smith.

References should be indicated in the typescript by giving the author’s name, with the year of publication in parentheses. The references should be listed in full at the end of the paper.

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Tables and figures should be referred to in text as follows: figure 1, table 12. Each table and/or figure must have a title that explains its purpose without reference to the text.

Criteria for acceptance of articles The abstract must provide a clear and complete summary of the aims and scope of the paper.

The subject of the study should be exciting and innovating.

The issues/questions/problems that led to the study must be clear.

The relevant research literature the study relates to and builds on must be discussed and analysed.

The methodological and/or theoretical approaches that informed the study should be made clear.

The paper should discuss how the findings have been, or can be, used in improving learning and teaching.

Producing an Abstract Abstracts are written to provide a brief summary of your research. The research you present may be taken from your dissertation thesis, some action research that you have completed as part of your job role at the College (lecturing, management or administration) or your own contemporary review or analysis of developments in a specific subject area or discipline. A good abstract should provide sufficient information so as to allow the reader to quickly ascertain the paper’s purpose and usefulness.

Abstracts are normally submitted to the editorial boards of academic journals or conference organisers; they are used as the basis for selecting for publishing or presentation. Abstract length varies by discipline and publisher requirements, but typically ranges from 100 to 500 words (one page).

A well written abstract should convey the overall theme or ‘flavour’ of the research and should include details regarding the; background, relevance, introduction, objectives, methods, results and conclusions of the study.

Producing Case Studies and Reflective Accounts Case studies can be a way of sharing the results of small scale action research or reflective activity with peers.

They are particularly useful for showcasing innovative practice and can be used as a means of capturing experiences or critical learning incidents such as for example, your management of an unusual occurrence or circumstance, a story of individual student success or the impact of your scholarly activities on the student learning experience.

Each case study should be between 500 and 1000 words and should be organised as follows:

• The Title

• Author’s name, department and email contact

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The Case Study outlining:

• The context

• The initial prompt/problem

• Strategies and interventions employed and rationale behind them

• The impact of the intervention

• An analysis of costs/benefits

• An evaluation

• Recommendations

• References

Producing Action Research Reports Action research reports should be between 1,000 and 3,000 words and should be organised as follows:

• The Title

• Author’s name, department and email contact

The Action Research Report outlining:

• The context

• The initial prompt/problem

• Literature review

• Strategies and interventions employed and rationale behind them

• The impact of the intervention

• An analysis of costs/benefits

• An evaluation

• Recommendations

• References

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Notes

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Notes

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Notes

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