Towards a manifesto to advance imagination & creativity in HE & educational practice @academiccreator #creativeHE @circle_sfu > Join us!

A recent article in the Journal of Creative Behaviour, proposed a Socio-Cultural Manifesto for the purpose of advancing theory and research in the field of creativity studies (Glaveanu et al 2019). It set out a number of propositions or beliefs about creativity held by the signatories and briefly explored the implications of these for researchers in this field of study. We found the document useful to test our own views on creativity and it was gratifying to discover that our own explorations of the meaning and practice of creativity are closely aligned to the socio-cultural perspectives offered in the manifesto.

Manifestos are common in the field of education. Such documents identify and justify concerns, new needs and interests and propose changes to current practice. They provide a platform around which interested practitioners and institutions can cohere. A nice example is the Learning Outside the Classroom manifesto prepared by the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (https://www.lotc.org.uk/), which sets out the case for why learning outside the classroom is important, how such learning might be achieved and what practitioners, schools and other organisations can do to promote and realise the ideals contained in the manifesto.

Another example, initiated by a group of educational practitioners, is Manifesto 15 (https://manifesto15.org/en/).

The need for higher education to pay more attention to the growth of imagination and the creative development of learners has been recognized for many years. As we get deeper into the 21^st century the future has turned out to be even more uncertain, turbulent, challenging and disruptive than we ever imagined at the start of the millennium. An education system that does not commit to the development and recognition of learners as whole, imaginative and creative beings is not enabling them to prepare themselves for a future that none of us can imagine.

As a starting point for collective, bottom-up action the Creative Academic, #creativeHE and CIRCE networks will, through an open discursive process, develop a manifesto

to Advance Imagination and Creativity in HE Learning and Educational Practice. The Manifesto, and some of the related discussions, will be published in the April issue of Creative Academic Magazine (CAM#13) during World Creativity and Innovation Week (April 15-21, 2019). This will be our collective contribution to this important annual global event.

Important questions

Q1 What are the most important reasons for why higher education needs to take seriously the development of learners’ imaginations and creativity and invest in educational practices that encourage and facilitate such development?

Q2 What are the important values, propositions and principles that need to underpin such a manifesto to encourage higher education to invest in educational practices that facilitate the development and recognition of learners’ imaginations and creativity.

Q3 What actions might be undertaken at the level of individual practitioner, department/ subject group, institution and whole system, to realise aspirations contained in the manifesto for a more creative future?

Join us at https://www.facebook.com/groups/creativeHE/

Norman Jackson & Chrissi Nerantzi

Co-Founders Creative Academic, co-facilitators #creativeHE

Gillian Judson

Director Centre for Imagination in Research, Culture and Education (CIRCE)

 Background reading
Glaveanu,V.P., Hanson, M.H., Baer, J., Barbot, B., Clapp,E.P., Hennessey, B.,  Kaufman, J.C., Lebuda, I., Lubart, T., Montuori, A., Ness, I.J. Plucker, J., Reiter‐Palmon, R.,  Sierra, Z., Simonton, D.K., Neves‐Pereira, M.S. and Sternberg, R.J. (2019) Advancing Creativity Theory and Research: A Socio‐cultural Manifesto Journal of Creative Beahviour  1-5 23 January 2019  Available at: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jocb.395?fbclid=IwAR1OpJ2bmqneyQJECMchh7OpBHGRhg6e0ueTDZIz7mdXJHZ470xStsxpJUU

Jackson, N., Oliver, M., Shaw, M., & Wisdom, J. (Eds) (2006) Developing Creativity in Higher Education: An Imaginative Curriculum. London: RoutledgeFalmer.

Jackson N J (2008) Tackling the Wicked Problem of Creativity in Higher Education Surrey Centre for Excellence in Professional Training and Education Available at: http://imaginativecurriculumnetwork.pbworks.com/f/WICKED+PROBLEM+OF+CREATIVITY+IN+HIGHER+EDUCATION.pdf

Example Educational Manifestos

Learning Outside the Classroom MANIFESTO  Council for Learning Outside the Classroom Available at: http://www.lotc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/G1.-LOtC-Manifesto.pdf

CONNECTED LEARNING MANIFESTO

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1UNWboiHEfzuDiEzABZhpLR9FGe26-XJNzwEc9qSEdsY/edit

Manifesto 15 Evolving Learning https://manifesto15.org/en/

 

 

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Congratulations to Orlagh on her Principal Fellowship of the HEA

I decided to apply for Principal fellowship of the HEA as I felt it would be a good opportunity to consolidate my personal development in my career and highlight my commitment to learning, teaching and the student experience. Having chosen the presentation route, I was aware of the need to ensure that I was mapping practice against the D4 criteria throughout. I was systematic in my approach to this and referenced against the standards all the way through the presentation, ensuring that I was able to also demonstrate Impact and provide evidence of this.

The whole experience has given me the opportunity to evaluate and critically reflect on practice. Having undertaken some analysis during the evidence gathering stage, I have been able to review areas of activity that require change and development. Overall, I found the experience to be very rewarding. Having always considered myself a reflective practitioner, applying for Principal fellowship has prompted my development of a more formal and systematic process of reflection, which I feel will undoubtedly have a positive impact on my future practice!

CELT welcome new staff member Ben Walker to the team.

Hello, my name is Ben Walker and, as of 1 March, I am a Senior Lecturer in Academic Continuing Development here at CELT.

Before my arrival at MMU, I was a senior lecturer working in higher education research at the University of Lincoln where I undertook funded research and produced resources and an accompanying academic development programme for personal tutoring. Prior to working at Lincoln, I was a course leader within college-based higher education, specifically for the Postgraduate Certificate in Education course in partnership with Sheffield Hallam University. Going further back, I was Head of English and a full-time teacher of English for several years.

My doctoral research is focussed on academic and pastoral support of students informed by critical pedagogy. I have designed and delivered various staff development activities for teachers and personal tutors and am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA). I am chair of the UKAT (UK Advising and Tutoring) Professional Development Committee, for whom I am the coordinator of their national webinar series for HE staff and the originator of the current Tutoring Matters series. I also happen to be a drummer in a Sheffield indie band…

I am passionate about the impact the support side of a lecturer’s role, including personal tutoring and coaching, can have on students individually, as well as institutions more broadly, and I am committed to developing this field further.

Suffice to say I am very excited about working with you all!

Ben’s contact details below:-

Telephone extension number: 1141

Ben’s email address click here:

 

Educational Escapes Seminar – Monday 18th February – 12.00-13.00 hrs in JD E249

Araida Hidalgo-Bastida has organised an additional Educational Escapes seminar for Monday 18^th February at 12pm until 1pm in John Dalton E249. 

We are calling this special event “Canadian Escapes” as we are privileged to host Dr Tranum Kaur from the University of Windsor in Canada who will be speaking on “  Best practices for integrating international students in a Canadian higher education institution”.

 A short summary of the session is provided below together with Dr Kaur’s biography.

 Best practices for integrating international students in a Canadian higher education institution

 As per the Canadian Bureau for International Education (http://cbie.ca), 494,525 international students were enrolled across educational institutions at various levels in Canada in 2017, representing 34% increase since 2014. The Master of Medical Biotechnology (MMB) Program offered at the Chemistry/Biochemistry Department, University of Windsor, Canada is an accredited graduate level professional program. International students registered in the MMB program have diverse educational backgrounds (physicians, dentist, biochemist, pharmacist, biotechnologies etc.), and disparate levels of “soft skills” such as communication and leadership skills. Variations in freshman academic preparedness entails unprecedented challenges ranging from unfamiliarity with Western pedagogical/assessment methods to issues related to plagiarism. Particularly, in international programs, teaching practices require modifications to accommodate multicultural class environments. Attendees in this interactive session will benefit from discussions around pedagogical practices for integrating international students in higher education.

 Please come along, listen and ask questions:-.

Dr. Tranum Kaur

As a University teaching faculty, Dr. Tranum Kaur have over 12 years of teaching experience to undergraduate and graduate students. Has designed, developed and delivered several new courses and promoted active pedagogical learning practices such as facilitated discussion forums, case-based team presentations, field trips, and clicker-based evaluation quizzes. Dr. Kaur have participated in numerous educational workshops and conferences as part of her continuous professional development.

As the Master of Medical Biotechnology (MMB) Program Academic Director, Dr. Kaur has extensive experience in MMB program’s academic and administrative management including substantial curriculum revisions, providing academic advising, and oversight of overall program direction. She is passionate about aligning curricula with employability skills, and student’s success.

Dr. Kaur is a recipient of several prestigious awards including Excellence in Mentoring (2018), Roger Thibert Teaching Excellence (2017), and Dean of Science Recognition (2015) Award.

 

 

Making a difference symposium organised by the Association of National Teaching Fellows @ntf_tweet

Two-day event at Birmingham City University on 28^th-29^th March on the topic of ‘Making a Difference’

You are warmly invited to book on to this symposium, organised by the Association of National Teaching Fellows but open to everyone at Edgbaston, with the daytime events at BCU Edgbaston, the dinner at Edgbaston Cricket Club and accommodation (if required) bookable at a discount at Birmingham University’s new Edgbaston Conference Centre.  Supported by AdvanceHE, the event is very competitively-priced due to the generosity of BCU’s Vice-Chancellor, NTF Philip Plowden who is not charging NTF for the use of rooms on their campus. There is a full programme of workshops, plenaries and panels, including keynotes by Theo Gilbert, the Times Higher Innovative Teacher of 2018 on ‘Making a Difference though Compassionate Teaching’ and NTFs Haleh Morajev and Viv Rolfe in tandem on ‘Making a difference to students’ and staff wellbeing’.  A full day strand on day one led By Pauline Kneale, Jenny Winter and Ruth Pilkington is based on their HEA-funded project on Evaluating Teaching Impact, and the Friday morning offers an option for those aiming to achieve personal chairs led by the Professors in Preparation network.  The whole two-day event is £250, with reductions for day delegates and NTF/CATE winners.

The event is bookable via the AdvanceHE website   https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/node/813​​

Learning and Teaching Development Programme – Spring 2019

Welcome to CELT’s learning and teaching development programme for spring 2019.

The programme has been designed  to provide  a mixture of sessions which are particularly useful at this time of year alongside those which may help you think ahead to planning for future academic years.  In the former category, there is a strong focus on preparing for assessment, and in the latter, there are sessions on employability, inclusive and creative teaching and the use of technology.  The programme also contains longer units which can be taken with or without credit.

We know it is difficult to fit professional development into busy timetables; the sessions are generally short and focused, and some are offered online in order to provide flexibility.  All of the sessions can be used to support applications for professional recognition for Fellowship or Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, or as part of a programme of personal study towards credit for out FLEX units which contribute to the PGC and MA in Higher Education.

If you would like to view the spring brochure.  Please click here:-

If you would like to register for any of the workshops on offer. Please click here:-

 

 

 

 

There will be several events offered each day during the festival, at both the All Saints and Crewe campuses. The call for contributions is now open and we would like to encourage you to contribute to the Festival. We’re looking for short sessions which will enable participants to either:

1. Give people an idea or discuss a hot topic in a World Cafe style session; you’ll have ten minutes to make a pitch to a small group, and then they will move on, and you will get another group. This could be a taster for a longer workshop or research presentation
   or
2. Find out how to do something you can do: make formative assessment work well, get groups to work together effectively, use Lego in teaching, or use an innovative form of summative assessment, for instance – we’re looking for practical sessions lasting one or two hours here
   or
3. Learn about a learning, teaching or assessment idea you’ve implemented successfully and evaluated – we’re looking for short research presentations, preferably around 10-15 minutes, though we’ll have spaces for very short Pecha Kucha style sessions, and some longer ones if appropriate

Please use the following form to propose your session or request something of interest/external speaker using the link below.

Please submit your proposal by 25th February 2019

Feedback will be received as soon as possible after this date.