David Dennison and Adam Mead
This poster examines the ways
in which studio practice in the visual arts can be integrated within a holistic
approach to learning: it discusses the role of expert technical staff in the
context of a broader programme of work and makes specific reference to first
year students and their transition to HE studies.
We argue against looking at
any aspect of the curriculum (e.g. contextual and critical studies,
professional development, studio practice and creative development) in
isolation. Instead we should look to create an experience that encourages
students, particularly new students, to engage with all aspects of the
curriculum and, at the same time, encourage their social and academic
integration into the programme.
We draw references from a
range of writers: Tinto (1975), Grossman, Hammerness and
McDonald (2009), Martinez (2001) and Thomas
(2002) who
all promote, in subtly different ways, an emphasis on integration, group
support, academic support, shared values and a community of learning. We
discuss how expert technical staff can give valuable feedback without the pressure
of the formal critique (Day, 2012) and how they can encourage the development
of peer group support that now seems an essential aspect of success in HE (University of Leicester, 2010).
With specific reference to
our own subject area, Photography, we discuss how a balance of new technologies
and traditional methods can engender a balanced and productive approach to
creative practice, examples of which can be seen on the course blog:
Adam Mead is a Demonstrator on the BA(Hons)
Photography and MA Photography programmes in the School of Journalism &
Media.
David Dennison is a Lecturer on the BA(Hons)
Photography and MA Photography programmes in the School of Journalism &
Media.
Themes
Learner experience and engagement; innovations and impact.
References
Day, P. (2012)
‘The Art Group Crit. How do you make a Firing Squad Less Scary?’
Available at: http://arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue-18-july-2012/the-art-group-crit.-how-do-you-make-a-firing-squad-less-scary
Grossman, P., Hammerness, K. and McDonald, M. (2009) ‘Redefining
teaching, re-imagining teacher education’ Teachers
and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 15:2, 273-289.
Martinez,
P. (2001) 'Improving student retention and achievement - What do we know and
what do we need to find out?' LSDA
Thomas,E.A.M.
(2002) ‘Student retention in Higher Education:
The role of institutional habitus' Journal of Educational Policy vol.17
no.4
Tinto,V.
(1975) 'Dropout from Higher Education: A Theoretical Synthesis of Recent
Research' Review of Educational Research vol.45
University of Leicester
(2010). An initial analysis of a survey of students withdrawing early from
their courses at the University of Leicester during 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Wenger, E (1998) Communities
of practice: learning, meaning, and identity. Cambridge University Press.
