It is evident that much of the 20/21 academic year has been spent reacting to the challenges presented by the pandemic. However, the research undertaken by Teams Darjeeling and Matcha revealed tentative signs of how course design in creative disciplines could evolve as a result of teaching online. PUBLISHED ON 30th August 2021 | Photo …
Campus: What is the role of the campus in an increasingly blended environment?
More than anything, the move to online teaching forced all students and tutors to reflect on the role that the university campus plays in the student experience. Team Rooibos investigated how the role of the campus may change as a result of a prolonged period of online delivery, and their research helped clarify aspects of …
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Course delivery: How could tutors’ time be allocated more effectively in a blended approach to teaching?
If you’ve done any university teaching in the 20/21 academic year, you’ll likely have experienced demands on your time that significantly exceed your contracted hours. While this is in some ways understandable due to the unprecedented nature of the crisis, it is unsustainable. Team Chai’s research investigated ways in which tutors might allocate their time …
Theories: How can theories of learning help us develop an effective approach to blended learning?
Despite the extensive research into learning that has occurred during the last two centuries, many educators and learning designers often fail to make practical use of learning theories. This is a shame, because learning theories are like tools that can help unlock a whole range of barriers to learning. Given the turmoil that the Covid …
Discussions in online collaborative work, cohesion and learning in higher education (and cake)
Abstract Online collaboration is becoming an ever more prevalent and feasible option in education. As technological options and distance teaching methods improve, the value of using online platforms to teach, learn and collaborate is becoming increasingly recognised. This paper examines and reflects on its place and use in creative education. Using video-conferencing software Zoom, these …
Walking towards a more embodied pedagogy
Abstract With rapidly growing numbers of HE students declaring poor mental health, the responsibility of HEIs to provide more pastoral care is evident; in many cases, resources are severely limited, and there is a clear need for creative responses to this increasingly common barrier to learning. Almost all learning environments in HE are sedentary (lectures, …
Distance Learning in Creative Arts Education: understanding the benefits of time and distance in the delivery of HE at the Open College of the Arts
Michael Young founded the Open College of the Arts (OCA) in 1987 with the aim of widening participation in the arts without prior qualification or restrictions. This article draws on my experience as a programme leader and tutor with the OCA and research from students and staff sharing a qualitative assessment of our flexible, open-access, …