Networks Issue 01 Summer 2007

Perception/Interpretation/Impact Dr Bernadette Blair examines the design studio critique and the value gained through formative feedback.

Qualitative or Quantitative John Danvers reveals his new paper examining the systems of assessment in arts education.

Student Voice Marica Maddox shares experiences and expectations in her award winning essay.

Welcome to readers of the first issue of Networks, the magazine of the Art Design Media Subject Centre (ADM-HEA)

This magazine replaces our old style newsletter and is part of a suite of new materials launched by the Subject Centre this week. The magazine is divided into sections for news, events, features, projects and reviews. It also includes a section for the ‘Student Voice’ to reflect the Subject Centre’s increasing work with students in our subjects.

The Subject Centre team has seen some changes during the past six months. Michael Kent and Stephen Mallinder joined us and will be working on research into the student learning experience of media and communications.

Alison Crowe took up a new role as Projects Manager after four years as Subject Centre Administrator and after nearly seven years as Director of the Subject Centre and many more as Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Architecture at the University of Brighton, Professor Bruce Brown stepped down to take up a new appointment as the University’s Director of Research Development. Bruce will be staying on as a Co-director of the Subject Centre and we welcome Professor Stuart Laing, Pro-vice Chancellor at the University of Brighton as our new Director.

The Subject Centre has recently published the results of three major research projects: ‘Emerging Practices in Entrepreneurship Education’, ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ and ‘Distributed e-learning in art, design and media’. Several new projects are under way including collaborations with Foundation Degree Forward and Skillfast-UK. We are also looking forward to the outcome of our 14 short film projects exploring the student experience of HE in further education colleges.

This year the Subject Centre funded and contributed to the Group for Learning in Art & Design (GLAD) conference. This highly successful event will result in a publication examining current practice and future directions in art and design HE. In July the Subject Centre is co-hosting, with the Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning through Design (CETLD), the 2007 European League of Institutes of the Arts (ELIA), Teachers’ Academy. The response to the call for papers and workshop proposals for this event was overwhelming with over 120 submissions from academics from around the globe. Plans for a conference exploring entrepreneurship education to be held in 2008 are also now well underway.

In response to demand from the art, design, media communities, the Centre has held a number of network meetings across the UK. It is hoped that these events provide opportunities for the exchange of ideas and the development of collaborative activities.

I believe that over the last two years the Subject Centre network’s activities have provided opportunities to explore, shape and raise the profile of higher education in art, design and media. We hope that you will continue to take part and we welcome your suggestions for further initiatives.

Finally, I would like to thank all those colleagues who have contributed case studies, resource reviews, feature articles and reports enabling colleagues to benefit from your experience and expertise. We are also grateful to those of you who have hosted meetings and acted as peer-reviewers. It’s a pleasure working with you.

David Clews ADM–HEA Subject Centre Manager

1

ADM–HEA News

MediaComms Review: student learning experiences in media and communications

students studying and graduates having recently completed higher education courses in art, design and media. We believe it is the only study of its type and that it uniquely shaped the discussions and recommendations contained in the ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ report.

// The Higher Education Academy (Academy York) has commissioned three Subject Centres; the UK Centre for Materials Education, the Bioscience Subject Centre and the ADM–HEA to undertake pilot studies of the undergraduate learning experience in their subjects. As the range of subjects within the ADM footprint is broad and since its last major study focused on the occupational subjects, the ADM–HEA will focus the pilot on media and communications subjects. This will include all the media practice subjects, media and communication studies.

The MediaComms Review team aims to run a similar programme during this year and this presents new challenges. There are a wide range of subjects in the media and communications footprint ranging from occupational qualifications to academic studies with blended versions in between. Students may study on these courses as single or mixed honours degrees. They are delivered in all types of environments; in polytechnic institutions, in humanities and art design and media departments, in specialist institutions and colleges and in FE colleges.

Media and communications degrees can be studied throughout the UK in the major metropolitan universities and small colleges outside urban centres. The research team will be working hard to identify a credible sample and will be assisted in this by working closely with the now merged Media Communications Subject Association (MeCCSA) and the Association of Media Practitioners (AMPE). We will also consult widely across the sector, with teachers and academic managers in HEIs and FECs offering HE.

The three studies will share some common features, including a standard data set drawn mainly from UCAS and HESA records. The intention is not to undertake a critical analysis and there is no intention to make recommendations, rather it is to draw together data, to give an overall picture of the scale, distribution and composition of student populations. It is important that the MediaComms Review is presented carefully and we are clear about who the audience is. The ADM–HEA is not undertaking this work because we believe there is anything wrong in these subjects or that anything needs ‘fixing’, but believe there is a lack of a general understanding about how these groups of subjects have emerged and grown. In particular, we want to draw attention to why they are popular and dispel the robust but mythological view of being academic and irrelevant to modern commerce and cultural enterprise.

Despite the emphasis on HESA and UCAS data as the foundation of the review, our main question will be: What is the range of learning experiences of students studying on undergraduate media and communications programmes in the UK? We will use the National Student Survey data but are aware that this alone may give a very partial view of student experiences. One of the central features of the review will be a focus on student perceptions. Our model for obtaining student input derives from the ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ project. The ‘Student Voice’ aspect of this project aimed to reveal the expectations, experiences and perceptions of entrepreneurship education of

The first stage of the report will be delivered to the Higher Education Academy in York in early 2008. The HEA will publish all the reports, however the Subject Centre aims to continue working on the project with the MediaComms academic community into the early part of 2008 to produce a broader and more detailed report that will be shaped to this community’s needs. In particular, we would like to describe these subjects in the context of the family of subjects covered by the Art Design Media Subject Centre, including the fine arts, design, art history and design history.

ELIA Teachers’ Academy // From the 11 to 14 July 2007 the University of Brighton’s Faculty of Arts & Architecture will host the European League of Institutes of Arts (ELIA) Teachers’ Academy. This event, which is supported by the Subject Centre and the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Through Design (CETLD), is the third in an ongoing biennial series.

The theme is one of creativity and how this is translated educationally in terms of the distinctive relationship between learning, research and teaching within Higher Arts Education. The event will aim to stimulate and engage teachers and researchers in discussion with their peers at an international level around the contested position of creativity. This will encompass a wide range of disciplines, including those outside of Higher Arts Education. It will also explore how related issues such as sustainability and the importance or otherwise of market and audience have an impact on creative practice both professionally and educationally.

Over 120 workshop proposals were received following the call and it is expected that the sessions will offer opportunities to share and enjoy a broad range of formal and informal presentations, work in progress and more mature research projects.

For further information and booking details, please contact: elia@elia-artschools.org or visit the website: www.elia-artschools.org

To contribute to the focus groups, or share your own local or regional data with the research team, please contact David Clews, the Subject Centre Manager at: d.clews@brighton.ac.uk or telephone: 01273 623908.

More information on the project, including dates of consultations and focus groups will be posted on the ADM–HEA website when available: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

ADM–HEA News 02/03

Illustrations by Michael O’Shaughnessy

ADM–HEA Research Report Launched ‘Creating Entrepreneurship: entrepreneurship education for the creative industries’ was launched on 21 May 2007 at the offices of National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA) in London. // The report was presented by David Clews, Subject Centre Manager and Michael Harris, Senior Research Fellow at NESTA. The presentation was followed by a discussion led by a distinguished panel about what educational provisions should be made to help students to grow their own creative businesses. Panel members included Professor Bruce Brown, Director of Research and Development, University of Brighton and Subject Centre Co-Director, Stuart Cosgrove, Head of Programmes (nations and regions), Channel 4 and Sir Christopher Frayling, Rector, Royal College of Art. The audience was drawn from businesses and agencies within the creative sector as well as representatives from a number of higher education institutions.

Professor Brown said that the quality of educational provision in the UK compared favourably with other countries and was not in doubt, however the challenge was to harness this expertise appropriately and provide an effective and sustainable framework to develop students’ entrepreneurial skills.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Sir Christopher Frayling emphasised the value of the practitioner/teacher in the role of visiting or part-time lecturers whose professionalism resided in their own practice. He saw these individuals as occupying an important role for students in helping to bridge the gap between academic education and industry; a relationship that he felt was currently under threat. He also highlighted the need to embed effective careers advice into courses, a theme that was picked up in later discussions concerning longer-term support for graduates. Stuart Cosgrove expressed the view that there is a need to form more interrelationships between education and business thus enabling students to build effective networks prior to and following their graduation.

Other questions raised by the audience focused on widening participation and the development of positive behaviour in students – the need to instil confidence, self-esteem and good communication skills.

As enterprise and entrepreneurship has grown as a focus for national policy across the UK, policymakers have urged education at all levels to address the entrepreneurial capacity of learners through enhancing learning environments, the curriculum and through building stronger links with industry. A pressing need to address entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries has emerged. A lack of effective entrepreneurship has been identified in recent studies by NESTA and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport as a barrier to the future development of a world-class creative industries sector.

ADM–HEA has worked closely with NESTA and others including The Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) to find ways in which the learning environment and curricula can be shaped to deliver more effective entrepreneurship education across the Higher Education sector and for specific subjects. The ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ project brought together a range of agencies to focus the debate on what can and needs to be done to develop effective entrepreneurship education in art, design and media subjects across the UK Higher Education sector.

The ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ report was informed by extensive reviews of policy relating to enterprise and entrepreneurship education from government agencies across the UK and reviews of contemporary literature on entrepreneurship education. A survey of over 80 art, design and media courses determined the type and range of existing entrepreneurship education. Student and graduate focus groups in over 15 Higher Education Institutions, involving around 150 students provided a student voice in the research and closed seminars with senior academics and creative industry practitioners assisted in shaping the recommendations.

The research showed that there is evidence that Higher Education can contribute to developing entrepreneurial capacity in the UK and contrary to popular opinion, there are high levels of activity in art, design and media higher education aimed at enhancing the entrepreneurial capacity of creative graduates. There is also diversity in the methods and types of programmes, much of it is supported by initiative funding such as the Higher Education Innovation Fund, although it is increasingly being brought into core teaching. Yet students still have mixed views on entrepreneurship as the popular stereotypes focus attention on a very narrow view of the concept. Despite long traditions of practice-based learning and engagement with the creative industries, there are significant barriers to strengthening entrepreneurship education in art, design and media education. Institutions and departments are inhibited by sector-wide quality assurance and academic management processes and by a lack of strategic support and development. Further, there is a widespread view in the creative industries that forming collaborations with higher education remains difficult despite the value of these collaborations to entrepreneurship education.

It is anticipated that ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ will inform a forthcoming government green paper, the first assessment of the state of the UK creative economy and the creative industries within it.

Above: Torunn Kjolberg

New Initiatives: Art Design Media Learning and Teaching Workshops ADM–HEA is undertaking a pilot project to rebuild its network of workshop facilitators able to offer engaging learning and teaching workshops addressing themes and topics pertinent to enhancing the student learning experience in higher education in art, design, media, art history and cultural studies disciplines.

Our primary aims will be to provide the subject community with information about the range of experience and expertise across the disciplines and make available a choice of innovative staff development workshops to art, design and media departments. It is also hoped that the project will enhance communication amongst the sector community, facilitate the sharing of knowledge, as well as lend support to career development.

ADM–HEA has invited proposals from staff teaching and supporting higher education in further and higher education institutions to plan and facilitate short, focused, professional development workshops, longer half-day or day-long events intended to inform and support learning and teaching in art, design and media.

The Subject Centre will provide a brokerage service between those with areas of experience/ expertise willing to act as workshop facilitators and those requesting workshops on a range of subjects related to learning and teaching in art, design and media subjects.

We would interested to hear from any staff involved in the delivery of higher education in art, design and media subjects who feel they have experience/expertise that could inform the planning, delivery and content of workshops aimed at benefiting the broader subject community.

For further information about becoming a workshop facilitator or about organising a workshop please contact Debbie Flint at: d.flint@brighton.ac.uk or telephone: 01273 643179.

Subject Centre Funds PhD Scholarship // The Subject Centre is jointly funding a PhD studentship with the University of Brighton’s Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning Through Design (CETLD): www.cetld.brighton.ac.uk Torunn Kjolberg, who recently completed a MA in Fashion at the Faculty of Arts and Architecture, will be undertaking research work to examine how undergraduate fashion and textile students use visual research and archives in their learning. Her work will attempt to define what visual research means for design students and ,in particular, fashion and textile students. Students across the creative and performing arts and design commonly use visual materials as a way of exploring and testing ideas. These materials range from collecting visual references to sketches, diagrams and technical drawing. They use a wide range of media from freehand drawing through to photography and computer graphics.

Although the occupational and professionally related skills developed through this are generally well understood, far less is known about how visual research helps students to learn. Torunn’s study will focus on the use of collections and archives and, in particular, the collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), one of the collaborative partners in CETLD, and how these inform changes in the conceptions of design.

Supporting Torunn’s PhD will augment the already wide range of visual research related work recently commissioned by the Subject Centre as well as broadening the Subject Centre’s direct involvement with students.

In the early stages of her project Torunn will be supervised by a team drawn from the Subject Centre, the Faculty of Arts and Architecture and the V&A. She expects to complete her doctorate

by July 2009.

To download a PDF copy of the report visit: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/admhea-projects. For hard copies please contact the Subject Centre on 01273 643119, or email adm@heacademy.ac.uk

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

2

Sector News Above: Regeneration in Action A derelict X-ray factory in Smethwick before its conversion to artist workspaces. Image courtesy of Julian Bull, 2003.

The Leitch Review and Higher Education in Art, Design and Media // In 2004 the government commissioned Sandy Leitch to prepare a report on skills in the UK, paying particular attention to the challenge of ensuring the work force will be sufficiently skilled to contribute effectively to economic growth in the future. The final report was published in December 2006.

Most major agencies believe that the review is significant and that it should have wide-ranging effects on the way industry, education and government commissions deliver, monitor and enhance skills acquisition in the future.

At the first ever ADM–HEA Review Group participants acknowledged that Leitch had identified a major problem for the UK in maintaining and enhancing its position in the global economy. The report identified the growth in participation in HE but also noted that most people who will be part of the working population by 2020 have already completed their formal education. Leitch also noted that despite the gains and improvements in education at all levels, an unacceptably large number of young people still leave school with poor literacy and numeracy skills.

Although the report was generally welcomed, the Review Group felt it lacked clarity and focus and may not lead to the improvements that it claims are necessary. In particular, basic competencies of literacy and numeracy and “higher level skills” are discussed but little is done to dispel the drive for HE to focus on occupational skills. This presents a particular problem for the creative industries where, whilst occupational skills are clearly needed to practice successfully, it is intellectual and critical skills that drive creativity, and are at the core of most creative and cultural industry activities. The lack of a lead in this area has led at least one Sector Skills Council to claim the review endorses its mandate to be the validators of all vocationally orientated qualifications.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

The review largely fails to articulate the need for more differentiated approaches. This is believed to be of particular importance for creative and cultural industries where massive differences in scale, type of activity and distribution across the UK demand focused policies and strategies for training, education and CPD. The lack of industry training has been identified, together with poor leadership and management skills as a major barrier to developing a sustainable world-class creative industry.

The Review Group also considered that the review is weak on advice to policy makers. It observed that employers have shown themselves unable to predict the skills they need for the future but the review leaves the door open for future policy to be based on employers’ perception of needs.

Some felt that such advice would lead us deeper into being reactive or into being a re-branded version of the tried and abandoned Industrial Training Boards. In the end, the question remained as to whether the focus of the report was on basic skills that are the province of the schools sector, industry-based occupational training or building the intellectual capacity of the workforce and those who will be future innovators.

Key recommendations emerging from the group were a need for educational agencies and academic developers to work together to present evidence and recommendations for shaping the debate, policy and strategies for art, design and media HE to deliver a sustainable and appropriate education to new students and for practitioners in mid-career. Most importantly, we should harness our close links with creative and cultural industry practitioners, business and owner-managers to propose effective forms of education and CPD. Contributors to the Review Group included: David Clews, Subject Centre Manager, Prof. Simon Lewis, PVC and Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at Nottingham Trent University; Liam Scanlan, Director of the School of Media at the Arts Institute Bournemouth and Prof. Clive Richards, Dean of the Faculty of Art and Design at Coventry University. The Leitch Review of Skills report can be downloaded from the Treasury web site at: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/independent_reviews/ leitch_review

MeCCSA merges with AMPE // In September last year MeCCSA (Media, Communication and Cultural Studies Association) and AMPE (The Association of Media Practice Educators) merged to form MeCCSA with AMPE. The new organisation “recognizes the role of practice in teaching and research in media, communications and cultural studies” and continues to “represent the interests of all who are concerned with these areas”.

MeCCSA with AMPE held its first conference in January this year and the range of research and variety of topics emerging clearly reflected the breadth and diversity of the new association.

Several presentations related explicitly to the theory and practice of higher education teaching and learning, exploring alternative pedagogies for media, communications and cultural studies subjects.

A recurrent theme related to relationships between higher education and the so-called “creative industries”. Presentations highlighted and examined a varied set of methods, from problem-based to simulated work-related learning, developed to support students in their preparations for self-employment.

Other papers explored pedagogical approaches to developing skills in critical reflection and analysis, and, in particular, media literacy. While it is clear that no one approach to learning and teaching in higher education will fit the wide range of practices represented by MeCCSA with AMPE, the conference provided an excellent opportunity for teachers to share their experiences and critically reflect on their own practice.

The Subject Centre invites participants to write case studies describing and evaluating learning and teaching initiatives. If you are interested in sharing your practice across the art, design and media subject community please refer to our website for further details and guidelines at: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/resources

‘The Power of Art’ published by the Arts Council

FDTL 4 conference Bristol Spring 2007

// Arts Council England has produced a report examining the impact of the visual arts on regeneration, health, and education and learning, as part of a wider review that aims to establish a reliable means of evaluating their overall longterm influence.

// The Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL) was established in 1995 to support projects aimed at stimulating development in teaching and learning in higher education, and to encourage the dissemination of good teaching and learning practice across the higher education sector. It is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Department for Employment and Learning (DEL). FDTL4 funding began in October 2002.

The ‘Power of Art’ draws on research by Prevista and presents 20 case studies varying from a ‘creative playground’ at a Hackney school to the Liverpool Biennial exhibition, recommending that a consistent framework for measuring the social impact of visual arts projects should be embedded in the sector. This would allow the collection of more robust data on the economic and social contribution made by visual artists in delivering access and social inclusion across society, rather than the qualitative and anecdotal evidence now available.

Such an evaluation has been hampered in the past by the mismatch between ‘official’ sources of data and the reality of artists’ working lives. As the then Culture Minister, Estelle Morris said in 2003: “I know that arts and culture make a contribution to health, to education and crime reduction, to strong communities, to the economy and to the nation’s well-being, but I don’t always know how to evaluate it or describe it. We have to find a way of describing its worth.”

The full report is available at the Arts Council England website at www.artscouncil.org.uk.

FDTL4 Subject Centres, including the Art Design Media Subject Centre, contributed – either directly or through commissioning colleagues from within their discipline communities – to investigations and research in teaching and learning. As a result of that work a series of evidence-informed reports were presented at the Bristol conference.

This two-day conference for FDTL projects, Subject Centres and Senior Advisers, Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) colleagues, National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) project bidding teams and e-learning project teams provided an opportunity to showcase completed projects, share findings and take the opportunity to discuss ways forward.

The over-arching report for the three art, design and media FDTL 4 projects can be found on our website at www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/projects The three projects were: ADEPTT: Art and Design: Empowerment of Part Time Tutors: ADEPTT was designed to support the knowledge of part-time staff, and develop teaching skills through a training programme and through the production of support materials for staff. The project was led by the University of Hertfordshire in partnership with the London College of Fashion, the University College for the Creative Arts, and Loughborough University. Visit the project website at: www.adeptt.ac.uk

Life, Work, Art: This project supported the Department of Fine Art at the University of Newcastle in sharing good practice and in preparing students for careers in the creative and cultural sector. This involved the building of relationships between the region’s Higher Education art and design departments and specialist careers services. The priorities were centred on ‘Linking to Work’ and ‘Skills’. Project website: www.ncl.ac.uk/lifeworkart/about.htm Writing Purposefully in Art and Design (WritingPAD): WritingPAD was designed to disseminate good practice in supporting art and design students in their written work. It aimed to look at what was currently seen as good practice within the sector, and to create flexible models that could be used in many different contexts. The initial three institutions - Goldsmiths College, Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design and The Royal College of Art - were joined by six further institutions from across the country in the second year, and a further six in the third. The results of this collaboration were disseminated across the wider art and design sector to encourage best practice, and to stimulate further debate. Project website: www.writing-pad.ac.uk A common theme in all three projects was the identification and dissemination of what clearly exists as good practice in individual institutions.

All three also address widening participation, access for international students, and lifelong learning. In short, these three projects were not only looking at what an art, design and media education should be, but also aiming to narrow the gap between individual examples of good practice and the generality of art, design and media education.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

3

Events Above & left: Portfolio reviews in progress on the day.

Portfolio Advice Day Held recently at the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, Portfolio Advice Day was part of the Government’s drive to open up further and higher education to students from non-traditional backgrounds.

An Arts Aimhigher London project, the event involved tutors from a range of art and design colleges including University of the Arts, London; University College for the Creative Arts; the University of Brighton; Kingston University; and the Arts Institute Bournemouth - providing advice, insight and guidance to students from schools and further education colleges. It was not intended as a recruitment event for individual higher education institutions, but meant to raise awareness of the subject areas and increase the self-confidence of applicants.

This was a great day, with the ICA bursting with energy and life and with many students experiencing the venue for the first time.

Recent studies of university choice indicate that issues of class, the complexity of application procedures, and the lack of good sources of impartial knowledge are the main limiting factors in students’ choices of course and institution when they approach higher education.

It is hoped that the Portfolio Advice Day will be the basis of a broader national initiative that will include the production of a range of resource materials for both staff and students across related disciplines.

An evaluation report can be found on the ADM–HEA website at http://adm-hea.brighton. ac.uk/events/portfolio-advice-day. If you would like to become involved, please contact Carolyn Bew: c.bew@brighton.ac.uk or telephone: 01273 643175.

Tutor’s perspective: Luce Choules Graphics Lecturer, Kingston University I find myself thinking that if each major town or city promoted an event such as the Portfolio Advice Day, many more students would find it easier and more helpful to discuss aspects of portfolio submission. My ‘call for action’ on the evaluation sheet for this latest success at the ICA, was ‘imagine if this event was countrywide’.

For the most part, I felt that I had taken part in a highly constructive day. It was well organised and thoughtfully conceived, with very attentive student helpers delivering bottles of water for our parched throats in addition to acting as stewards.

I also met some fantastic people from other institutions, and as I am fairly new to HE teaching I learned a great deal by observing my temporary colleagues between advice sessions.

My only slight disappointment was that a small number of students had no portfolio of work with them to discuss, and in the absence of a body of work I could give only abstract advice.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

At one point during the afternoon session, I saw a nervous young man who introduced himself immediately as someone who didn’t want to go straight from school into a university course – ‘the route [he] was expected to take’. He mentioned that his teacher had suggested he apply anyway, and then defer for a year or two. He felt this was misleading advice and that he would only be a ‘statistic’ for his school’s university application record. He wanted to be employed for a year or two instead, and didn’t want to attend an interview knowing that his ‘heart wasn’t in it’.

I met some fantastic people from other institutions and, as I am fairly new to HE teaching, I learned a great deal by observing my temporary colleagues between advice sessions.

Although he displayed a promising portfolio of work, I found myself forced to suggest that he apply to university at a later date, with the proviso that he might need to attend an evening class to keep his work up to date. He was surprisingly relieved and said it was the first time that he thought that HE study was an option for him.

The sadness from my perspective was that he appeared to be a natural learner, with strong ideas, integrity and dedication – just the kind of student that one would want to see at interview.

The above observations by no means reflect all of the day’s activities, but the experience did prompt me to wonder whether FE tutors might appreciate a seminar or conference event that would allow them to share information with HE tutors involved in the interview process as part of a mutual exchange programme.

Tutor’s perspective: Lawrence Zeegen Academic Project Leader, University of Brighton Getting involved in the Portfolio Advice Day at the ICA was a way of dealing directly with some of the issues facing young candidates in art and design who want to embark on study in Higher Education.

Reviewing work informally, while offering impartial and practical advice to students who are keen and motivated but often under-prepared and poorly informed, should help make a positive difference in their applications, whilst also improving the quality of their portfolios.

Reviewing work informally, while offering impartial and practical advice to students who are keen and motivated but often under-prepared and poorly informed, should help make a positive difference in their applications and in the quality of their portfolios.

Working alongside colleagues from other wellregarded courses and institutions, rather than competing with them, was invaluable too – we all worked together to promote the range of disciplines in art and design and the diversity of approaches to each subject.

Much lip-service is paid to widening participation in Higher Education these days, and here was a real opportunity to help make a difference. For me and two of my staff team, it was a challenging yet rewarding day – book me again next year!

ADM–HEA Network meetings The Subject Centre is currently running a series of network meetings across the UK with the primary aim of disseminating the broad range of experience and expertise available within the subject community.

Each event, which runs for three to four hours, aims to inform and support learning and teaching in art, design and media. These are hosted regionally, although the agenda for each host institution reflects both regional concerns and national initiatives. Events are open to the entire UK community, so that colleagues can participate in any meeting where the given agenda is of particular interest.

Further network meetings have since taken place at Bath Spa University, the University of Ulster, Kingston University and Institute of the Arts Bournemouth. Areas of discussion have included issues particular to higher education courses run in further education establishments such as the 14-19 creative and media diploma, and the parity of professional teaching qualifications across both further and higher education. Of particular interest was the proposal to run an art, design and media fellowship scheme, and a special interest group is currently being formed to carry this forward.

It is anticipated that further events will involve the dissemination of conference proceedings and discussion of national policy, as well as alternative views of higher education, as informed by such agencies as the Sector Skills Councils, Design Council, the Cox Review, CETLs, and the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.

Details of future events can be found on our website at: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/events All events are without charge, and reasonable travel and subsistence expenses will be paid for colleagues wishing to attend.

A pilot event was held at York St John University on 23 November 2006 and brought together staff from both York St John and partner colleges to discuss areas of common interest, share ideas and facilitate the development of prospective projects.

The event included an insightful presentation from Susan Orr on her current project in Assessment and the ‘Crit’, in collaboration with University of the Arts London’s Margot Blythman and Bernadette Blair from Kingston University.

In particular the event would discuss the expectations that HE places on school-learners to ‘show’ accumulated knowledge in building an Art and Design portfolio – documenting a history of thinking and influences, presenting concept development, and demonstrating the production of a cohesive body of work.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Events 08/09

David Clews, Art Design Media Subject Centre

CHEAD resolves to press for greater attention to knowledge transfer The Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) heard from a range of commentators at its Knowledge Transfer Seminar in November 2006.

Dr Marilyn Wedgwood and David Clews said that there was evidence of significant activity in entrepreneurship education but HE management structures and HE funding mechanisms may be inhibiting collaboration.

Sir George Cox reminded the audience that graduates in art, design and media had skills that could benefit creative industries and other sectors of the UK economy. Professor Robin Baker reported how pressure from emerging economies required urgent action on the part of UK governments, funding agencies and institutions.

Malcolm Newbery and Martin Simcock gave an industry view. Newbery lamented the lack of text-books and case studies that focused on the ways in which creative enterprise works and grows. Simcock called for greater diversity in the student population. He said that the predominance of smart, well-educated white young people in fashion and textiles education draws our attention away from the potential of developing new markets, products and services at home and abroad.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Armed with information and their own experiences delegates discussed how teachers, departments and institutions should respond.

There was concern that the good work done in courses to support knowledge transfer, entrepreneurship education and innovation remained below the radar of policy makers and the view that education was not provided for industry needs was misplaced. There were also concerns that the drive towards vocational skills now neglects the need for change in the future. Observers noted that the Leitch Review acknowledges the way education has responded well to the “higher skills” agenda but calls for attention to future-proofing education to meet the needs of industry.

There was concern that the DCMS in particular, have done some extremely useful work on developing the creative industries and with the ADM–HEA, has articulated what HE has and can do, there is now a sense that they have “moved on” and the new Minister for Creative Industries, Shaun Woodward, unlike his predecessors, has taken little action based on reports commissioned by his Department and others.

Finally, it was acknowledged that there is good work being done in teaching, learning and assessment arising out of collaborations and knowledge transfer and that work still needs to be done on demonstrating what is actually effective in enhancing graduates opportunity to grow sustainable enterprises. However, as Malcolm Newbery reminded us: there is a pressing need for information now, from which students can learn.

Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design

Enhancement in Art, Design and Media in Scotland The one-day conference at the University of Dundee on 26 October 2006 addressed the Art, Design & Media sector’s adoption of specific Enhancement Themes as catalysts for sharing and disseminating good practice in learning and teaching.

Report by Professor Gareth Fisher, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design.

For more information on the Enhancement themes go to: www.qaa.ac.uk/scotland/qualityframework/ enhancementthemes.asp

Above: The Custard Factory played host to this year’s Annual Forum, VISUAL.

The Quality Enhancement Framework has been operating within Scottish Higher Education since its inception by the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council (SHEFC) in 2003. Enhancement is described within the Enhancement Led Institutional Review (ELIR) documentation as ‘deliberate steps taken by an institution to bring about continuous improvement in the effectiveness of the learning experience of students’. The Enhancement Themes have been designed in consultation with the Higher Education sector to facilitate cross-institutional dialogue and to complement the new institutional review processes rather than creating definitive recommendations to be followed. As a means of collectively addressing and evaluating shared priorities across the HE sector, the themes function as the catalyst for the exchange of information and models of best practice and innovation in learning and teaching. Whilst the initial enthusiasm for the Enhancement Framework has steadily grown since 2003 through a network of conferences, workshops, seminars and publications, the challenge is to build on this and embed the ethos of enhancement throughout HE and our sector at every level.

The Art, Design and Media sector in Scottish HE considers that it leads the field in terms of progressive assessment procedures, communication with learners, the flexible delivery of courses, pastoral support and personal development through self-reflective practice.

However, it is perceived that the sector may not be as effective in articulating best practice and innovation to each other, our students, our peers in other sectors and bodies such as the Scottish Executive, SHEFC, and the Quality Assurance Agency (QAA).

VISUAL On 11 May 2007 the ADM–HEA held its Annual Forum, at the Custard Factory in Birmingham.

This well-attended event focused on issues of visual analysis, communication, literacy and research with presenters leading six parallel discussion groups exploring areas of debate which cut across all art, design and media practice subjects, media and communications and history of art and design.

The six sessions focused on: • The idea that we are currently witnessing a cultural shift toward the image from the written word, enabled by the rapid change in the technologies associated with communication design.

• An exploration of the ways in which documentary video can be used as a “creative academic research tool” and how such technologies can support learners with primarily visual learning preferences.

• Physical and technological spaces and what the organisation of these might mean for the delivery and development of future curriculum delivery and practice-based research.

• The possibility of integrating personal portable multi-media devices into educational practice to enhance learning through social networking, blogging and personal movie creation.

• An examination of the language and function of drawing as a fundamental discipline for creative development; a means by which to encounter the world and as the embodiment of visual thinking.

• A practical exploration and discussion relating to the ways in which technology can enhance inclusive teaching, learning and assessment in art, design and media.

The ADM–HEA was pleased to meet many new colleagues at the event and feedback received so far indicates that people found the day both stimulating and thought-provoking.

For further information, on VISUAL, please visit: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/events

The conference aimed to address this lack by creating a model for cross-institutional debate amongst Scottish HEI providers and students.

The aims of the event were to encourage a culture of exchange and mutual support towards a long-term engagement and to assess how the best and most relevant aspects of the Enhancement Framework have been adopted towards the improvement and strengthening of the Art, Design and Media sector. The keynotes and papers written by delegates in response to this event can be accessed at: www.adm. heacademy.ac.uk/events/enhancement-in-artdesign-and-media-in-scotland NETWORKS MAGAZINE

4

Features

Perception/ Interpretation/ Impact

The focus of my doctorate thesis is the formative verbal feedback design students receive in studio crits and the learning achieved through these experiences.

A focused study of six undergraduate design courses in three university art and design faculties in the south-east of England was undertaken, the data collected through the observation of crits at each Institution, one to one interviews with students at all levels on the identified courses, small focus group interviews, and interviews with the teachers running the crits on these courses.

The full findings of this study are published in my EdD thesis but I would like to précis some of the findings in this article.

My rationale for carrying out this study was:

Dr Bernadette Blair examines the design studio critique and the learning value of formative feedback

• a review of practice. The crit, as a learning and teaching tool has, unlike much pedagogic development and practice, stayed more or less the same for the last 50 years. (Sheffield Architecture review. 2004) • that with the exception of architecture, there has, within design disciplines, been minimal research into the role and function of the crit in student learning. Why has the practice remained the same? Is the crit as sound educationally as we believe? Does the ‘if its not broken don’t mend it’ scenario ring true?

• my own research interest in formative assessment in Art and Design.

The studio crit is a key arena where this takes place. Prior research (Blair, 2003; 2004) indicates that the verbal feedback students receive in studio crit sessions, together with written feedback, concludes that students’ interpretation and understanding of verbal formative feedback is not always the same as their tutor.

The research questions that the student interviewees on each course were asked included: • What they thought the functions and definitions of a crit were.

• What perceived learning they gained through the crit experience.

• In their perception, did the formative feedback result in a more informed understanding of their work.

Tutors were asked: • What they thought the functions and definitions of a crit were.

• What they perceived as the learning which should be gained through the crit.

• What their own memories of crits were as students and whether they thought this had influenced their orchestration of crits, or their own behaviour and conduct during crits.

The data analysis indicates that the crit has a series of functions: • A critical analysis of the work by tutor and peers.

• A presentation of the work and of ideas by the student.

• A simulation of the professional/real world environment of the discipline.

• An opportunity for the student to both explain ideas and work and to receive feedback from tutors and peers.

• An opportunity for the student to reflect on their work and that of their peers.

The study also indicated that the learning, which takes place, is variable.

It cannot automatically be assumed that by engaging with the activities, as listed above, learning will necessarily follow. The student’s persona of themselves, prior experience or understanding – in this case of the crit, can affect the cognitive resources applied to the crit activities. The learning which takes place is not always, as might be expected, just dependent on the nature and quality of the current feedback given. The students’ perception of their role in the crit together with their perception of self can distract the student from the task in hand and block any learning experience. »

The studio crit is an established and important part of a studio-based culture, where teachers and students can discuss, experiment with and develop ideas and concepts within a ‘supportive environment.’ The study examines the role and nature of the formative feedback received by students and given by tutors and sometimes student peers at the crit, and examines how design students interpret the formative verbal feedback they receive at studio crits and how they perceive the impact this has on their current and future learning.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

“Creative individuals tend to be self-confident, independent, uninhibited and curious, willing to speculate and take risks.”

Features 12/13

University of Brighton

The study identified 4 main categories which can have an impact on the student learning experience in the studio crit: The evaluation of their work and evaluating other students’ work was agreed to be the most positive function of the crit. However, it did seem from my findings that most of this evaluation came from the tutors. The development of students’ critical analysis through evaluation of their own or their peers’ work was shown to be limited, even at level 3. Pope (2005) suggests this is because, The requirement for students to assess themselves and their peers, who will also assess them, can create a stress in the student. That stress will derive from inexperience, possibly the fear of hurting others, or being hurt by others (p.54.)

Students also voiced examples of subjective, negative feedback from teachers, which could block and interfere with any learning experience, It takes me a whole weekend to sift through the abuse to get back to the positive and negative things which related to my work. The personal issues, the humiliation in front of everyone else and it takes you a while to get over it as an individual. ([student J] Blair,B. 2006) Even though feedback could be negative and students did comment, as shown above, on how this could have a negative impact on their confidence, all students wanted to be given honest, clear messages. Some felt that the feedback they received was not as clear as it could be, I think I could learn more and I could get more views through greater straightforward feedback … then I would know what to do. Not like ‘do they mean this’ or just having thoughts about what do they mean. ([student K] Blair,B. 2006) Students wanted honest comment and did not want praise, which might shroud accurate feedback. One European student was critical of the ‘Englishness’ of the feedback given at crits to students, They said ‘oh it’s great work and I thought no, that work is really rubbish and it is not good at all ... the British are really polite so instead of saying it’s rubbish they try and say it in a really nice way. To me it is straightforward – if it’s bad it’s bad.’ ([student K] Blair,B. 2006) Cameron & Pearce’s (1994) study into formative assessment concluded that verbal praise and supportive feedback without substance has little effect on performance.

Obtaining clarification of the project brief and what they were required to do was an area students stated as important. How tutors gave verbal feedback, both in manner and articulation, was regarded by students as an important factor in how they responded and acted upon this feedback, When you’ve got two contradictions between people saying different things, you lose their confidence in a way as well. ([student D] Blair,B. 2006)

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Students at all levels, but particularly at level 1, seemed to be heavily reliant on a trust in their tutors’ tacit knowledge above any self-evaluation or peer feedback. However there was also an element of negativity and a lack of understanding voiced about the trust or tacit knowledge of teachers, It’s sort of a losing battle really to argue with your tutor, who knows better than you. ([student E] Blair,B. 2006) This last student’s comment indicates a ‘blind’ acceptance of what the teacher has said without question or clarification. Oak (1998 p.417) sees this as posing ‘ an interactional dilemma for the students’. Do they, as this student implies, say nothing and is this because they disagree with the comments but lack the confidence to say so, or is it because they agree with the feedback?

Confidence in their own abilities or in the process was the category where the most negative comments were voiced, Creative individuals tend to be self-confident, independent, uninhibited and curious, willing to speculate and take risks. (Dineen & Collins. 2005, p.49) If this is the case, then the relationship between self-confidence and the quality of the student’s creative performance is critical to the quality of the learning experience of the individual student. An under-confident individual anxious about the task is more likely to seek out more predictable, non-challenging and unimaginative solutions.

If a student’s cognitive resources are interfered with in one or more of the crit activities, through either a negative experience or a misunderstanding of the formative feedback, or by being so apprehensive that they cannot listen to or absorb the feedback comments on either their own work or the work of others, then this can impair the student’s performance and learning experience. This can result in the level of learning being affected. If students are learning in a supportive and what they perceive as a non-threatening environment, then motivational beliefs (Pintrich & Schunk, 2002) are likely to be higher and they are more likely to ‘make sense of the tasks in hand’ (Marton & Saljo 1976) and learning is more likely to take place.

Every student interviewed, without exception commented on how difficult they found the experience of standing up in front of a large group and presenting their work.

It’s that feeling that you might not be able to express yourself at the right time and yeah, having the courage as well. Some people who are more shy can’t take it, standing in front of so many people and expressing it. ([student M] Blair,B. 2006) Students stated that for much of their presentation they were literally overcome with fear. They did not hear or remember what they had said or what had been said about their work, or even sometimes the comments made about other students’ work.

Cumbria Institute of the Arts

The thesis analysis found that students became very inward looking just before, during and straight after their own presentation and become oblivious to what else is happening and being discussed around them: There is a pre-presentation period where you are so worried about your own presentation you are not even thinking about anybody else’s work or about things which might be raised there. ([student B] Blair,B. 2006) It’s one of those stupid things that once they say ‘that’s it’ I thought ‘oh, that’s better and suddenly my head came back again. I can actually talk. I can’t remember what I said at my presentation at all; it’s all a blur. ([student F] Blair,B. 2006) Because for a major part of their presentation many of the interviewed students were in a heightened state of anxiety, their learning must be impaired. Why does the crit scenario have such extreme emotive responses from students? There does not seem to be any other scenario in studiobased education where this takes place. Ramsden reminds us, Good teaching … is nothing to do with frightening students. It’s everything to do with benevolence and humility. (1992. p.98) The key factor which my study contributes to the empirical study of art and design student learning is how the perception of self, even for students who are being given good constructive feedback from peers and teachers, can still get in the way of the students’ ability to receive and absorb this information. This can result in the quality of the learning experience being impaired.

The learning benefits of a good crit should equip students to: • reflect on their own learning in relation to their peers; • learn from their peers; • clarify ideas; • practice presentation skills;

References Blair, B. (2003). Interpretations of Assessment: A study of students’ understanding of the assessment criteria used in art and design undergraduate education, (unpublished EdD paper) Institute of Education. London University.

Blair, B. (2004). ‘Interpretations of assessment: a study of students’ understanding of the assessment criteria through the practice of formative feedback’. In A. Davies (Ed.) Enhancing Curricula: towards the scholarship of teaching in art, design and communication in higher education. Proceedings of 2nd International Conference. London: Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art and Design. (CLTAD) Blair, B. (2006), Perception, Interpretation, Impact – An Examination of the Learning Value of Formative Feedback to Students through the Design Studio Critique, EdD Thesis, Institute of Education, University of London.

Dineen, R. & Collins, E. (2005). ‘Killing the Goose: Conflicts between Pedagogy and Politics in the Delivery of a Creative Education’. Journal of Art and Design Education. 24 (1), 43–51 Marton, F & Saljo, R. (1976). ‘On qualitative differences in learning – outcomes as a function of the learner’s conception of the task’. British Journal of Educational Psychology. 46, 115–127 Oak, A. (1998). ‘Assessment and understanding: An analysis of talk in the design studio critique’. In S.Wertheim, A. Bailey, M. Corston-Oliver (Ed.) Engendering Communication – proceedings from the fifth Berkeley Women and Language Conference, Berkeley California: University of California.

Pintrich, P. R. & Schunk, D. H. (2002). Motivation in Education: theory, research, and applications. Upper Saddle River, N.J: Merrill/Prentice Hall.

Pope, N. K. (2005). ‘The impact of stress in self and peer assessment’. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education.

30 (1), 51–63 Sheffield University – School of Architecture. (2004) Review of the Review. Available at www.shef.ac.uk/architecture/main/ activities/sr_revr.shtml. Last accessed 23 January 2006 Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to Teach in Higher Education.

London: Routledge

• develop their critical awareness; • receive feedback from their tutors and peers; • test ideas in a supportive environment without the pressures of the ‘real world’.

The crit is viewed by students as an experience which ‘has to be gone through’, but without many positive benefits being cited by the students except the opportunity to view the whole group’s work in one place, at the same time.

This study has highlighted the need to continually review the design curriculum’s modes of feedback and hopefully this research will link and extend the limited debate within the design disciplines with the current debates on the studio crit also being developed in architectural education. •

Contributor details Dr Bernadette Blair is Director of Academic Development and Quality Assurance in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture at Kingston University, London. She has over 25 years experience teaching across all level of design and plays a central role in her institution’s learning and teaching community. She is currently a partner in a three Institution, one year ADM–HEA funded project investigating the role of the crit in art and design education. For further details contact Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture, Kingston University, Knights Park, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey KT12QJ, UK. Telephone: +44 (0)20 8547 8485; Fax: +44 (0)20 8547 7069 Email: b.blair@kingston.ac.uk

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Features 14/15

Qualitative rather than Quantitative The assessment of arts education

John Danvers is Deputy Head of the School of Art and Performance and a Teaching Fellow at the University of Plymouth. He is leader of the MA Fine Art programme and teaches fine art practice and critical studies at graduate and post-graduate level.

He has recently published a book entitled Picturing Mind: Paradox, Indeterminacy and Consciousness in Art and Poetry, published by Rodopi.

This paper addresses concerns about quantitative systems of assessment on a taught MA programme in Fine Art. It is clear, however, that the issues raised have significance and application across a broad spectrum of art, design and media subjects and levels.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

// In January 2006 I was asked to write a position paper for discussion by my Faculty Graduate Affairs Committee. A proposal had been made to employ a quantitative system of assessment (Fail/Pass/ Merit/Distinction & percentage marks) within all Faculty of Arts taught MA programmes. I was asked to give reasons for maintaining the current Pass/Fail system in MA Fine Art. In doing so I’ve had to trace some relevant historical and background factors as well as presenting various threads of argument about knowledge and learning. As the paper raises a number of significant issues I’m circulating it as a contribution to the ongoing debate about assessment in the arts. I apologise for the length of the paper!

This paper registers a number of concerns about moving from the currently validated Pass/Fail grading system used within MA Fine Art, to a Distinction/ Merit/Pass/Fail system that necessitates the use of percentage marks – a move from a predominantly qualitative system that foregrounds verbal reporting on achievement, to a quantitative system that foregrounds numerical scores as a measurement of achievement.

I would like to argue in favour of retaining the qualitative system. In order to do this I’d like to raise a number of issues that arise in relation to learning, knowledge and interpretation in the field of art education, beginning with a brief historical survey.

Brief genealogy: competition, quality control & gatekeeping Broadfoot (1996) and others (Hoskin, 1979; Ball, 1992) have described how the development of assessment procedures in the nineteenth century was determined to a large extent by the need to establish competences in the rapidly growing professions and commercial institutions of the time: “this concern was reflected in the [introduction] of qualifying examinations for entry to particular professions and institutions [...] The pressure of numbers, together with the need for comparability meant that such examinations were formal written tests”. (Broadfoot, 1996: 31) This development driven by the demands of employers and professional bodies to impose strict selection regimes on the workforce, has continued, though with some changes of emphasis. For instance, Broadfoot (1996: 28) argues that, as the competitive element of assessment has increasingly come to dominate over its role in the attestation of competence, content has tended to be determined by its legitimatory power rather than its relevance to particular tasks [...] the preoccupation with the reliability of assessments has tended to eclipse concern with validity.

In other words the pressure for ever more reliable, hence quantifiable, assessment systems has pushed aside the question as to whether such systems are valid or effective, let alone meaningful. This competitive model, so fundamental to capitalism, in which educators act as gatekeepers for entry into the higher echelons of commerce and professional employment, continues to dominate all levels of education.

In a recent authoritative series of papers on assessment from the LTSN Generic Centre, (Brown 2001: 6) the three main purposes of assessment are given as: • to give a licence to proceed to the next stage or to graduation; • to classify the performance of students in rank order; • to improve their learning.

Note the importance of the gatekeeping function, and the classificatory and competitive imperatives displayed in the first two bullet points. Note also that the improvement of learning is third in this list! Brown points out that these purposes “may overlap or conflict”. There is evidence that quantitative and summative assessment does not improve ‘deep’ learning to the extent that formative and qualitative assessment does, indeed there is some evidence that it impedes deep learning and encourages surface learning. (see below) The reliance on quantitative assessment data in fields in which the body of knowledge is largely quantitative and clearly determined, may be justified or even necessary – though the number of subjects where such conditions pertain is very small: eg. mathematics, ‘hard sciences’, statistics and maybe aspects of technology, engineering and medicine – though even here there is much that is unquantifiable and contested. To transplant or impose such quantitative methods on other fields is, however, not justified, effective or necessary (except to satisfy the need for gatekeeping, competition and selection as outlined above).

There is no intrinsic educational value to such methods, and indeed they seem to fly in the face of government educational rhetoric that currently prioritises ‘student-centred learning’, ‘creativity’, ‘choice’, ‘life-long learning’, and ‘widening access or participation’ – all of which seem to be at odds with ladders of selection, hierarchies of achievement and the privileging of kinds of knowledge that are quantifiable and suitable for statistical analysis.

The marginalisation of non-measurable, or difficult to measure, qualities and aptitudes is only one of the negative effects of over-reliance on quantitative assessment.

As Broadfoot (1996: 8) points out, formal assessment particularly in summative and quantitative modes is now so integral to mass education that “any attempt to release education from the constrictions of assessment procedures [...] would be likely to result in the collapse of the system itself”.

Nevertheless, it seems to me we should avoid the use of such modes where possible, and retain or privilege formative and qualitative modes at every opportunity.

Formative & summative assessment, deep & surface learning Given the importance of qualitative enquiry, experiential learning, inter-subjective dialogue and creative practice in arts education, it is surprising, and seemingly inconsistent, that, when it comes to assessment, quantitative modes are prioritised. This is even more surprising when one considers the rhetoric of many contemporary critical discourses (as taught within most HE institutions) which place emphasis on hermeneutics, constructivism, pluralism and relativism – all of which point to the conditional nature of knowledge and the provisional nature of interpretations and judgements. It seems odd that programmes of study which, for instance »

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Features 16/17

Above: Students at Cumbria Institute of the Arts.

advocate qualitative enquiry, discourse analysis and perspectivism, should employ modes of assessment that are rooted in positivist beliefs in objective measurement and statistical data.

It is itself a narrative episode in the continuum of learning. A verbal record or report can convey the nuances, complexities and provisional quality of such a narrative, in a way that a numerical score cannot.

It is widely accepted in educational development circles that ‘deep’ learning is what educators should be developing in their students, as opposed to ‘surface’ learning. The latter is characterised as the passive accumulation of information, to be memorised and reproduced at assessment points.

The former, characterised as active understanding – the ability to identify underlying principles and patterns, and to apply knowledge to new situations.

It is self-evident, (and research supports this view), that a reliance on, or the giving of too much value to, summative assessment, particularly of the quantitative kind, engenders and reinforces surface learning, while formative, qualitative assessment tends to promote deep learning. Surface learning involves reproducing information or opinions. It promotes a convergent learning process, largely determined by the teacher and the requirements of assessment. Deep learning is about making sense and meaning. A more dynamic, open and divergent process largely determined by the learner.

Deep learners also tend to learn how to learn and are therefore more capable of critical independence and self-direction.

Within art(s) education, numerical scores or grades are usually accompanied by verbal reports and feedback, and this is often used as an argument in mitigation of the negative effects of quantitative assessment. However, the value placed on the scores within the institution and, inevitably, within the student group who have been compared and ranked in a way that is absolute and fixed, marginalises and devalues the qualitative commentary.

While formative assessment informs and energises learning, summative assessment often distracts individuals from their learning. Individuals can become alienated from the learning process and side-tracked by the pursuit of false goals – including the acquisition of marks or grades (rather than understanding and skills), learning objectives determined by, and for, others (hurdles to be jumped), and the meeting of arbitrary deadlines that take little account of differences in the speed at which individuals learn, and that reinforce short-term ‘surface’ learning rather than long-term ‘deep’ learning.

Given these widely acknowledged correlations between summative/ quantitative assessment and surface learning, and between formative/ qualitative assessment and deep learning, it is, again, surprising that summative and quantitative modes dominate the education system.

Quantitative & qualitative assessment Observation, evaluation and measurement in the fields of art and learning are not precise or objective processes. They are value-laden subjective processes involving two or more, often unequal, centres of power – most obviously student and assessor. Qualitative assessment methods usually comprise verbal descriptions and analyses of student behaviour and production (spoken and written), providing a critical commentary, advice and other feedback, useful as a formative aid to learning. Quantitative assessment comprises numerical scores or grades that are intended to measure relative achievement of pre-specified outcomes or criteria, and which provide comparative data for ranking students against each other in a given cohort, or even across cohorts, year groups or different subjects.

As far as the arts are concerned, in the latter case qualitative interpretations or judgements are somehow translated into numerical scores. It is obvious that there are profound differences between measurement and critical evaluation and interpretation. As I understand it ‘assessment’ comes from the Latin root, assidere, meaning ‘to sit beside’ – in our case, ‘to sit beside the learner’ – observing, reflecting upon and commenting upon, what is done, how it is done and what is produced in the process of learning.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

The zone of interpretation If, as Barthes, Eco, Dickie, Rorty, Danto, Gadamer1 and many others would argue, the audience/observer is fundamentally implicated in the making of meaning in art, if the artwork is both the material event or object and the unfolding of interpretations that accompany it, then we are all participants in the making of the work. Therefore we cannot remove ourselves from this implication, we cannot divorce ourselves from complicity in what is a hermeneutical process that, by definition, is unfixed and provisional. There is no terminus to interpretation, and no measurement that can be made that could constitute a summative view. Likewise there is no place to stand outside the zone of interpretation, no neutral position from which to make measurements. Just as Heisenberg and Bohr argue that the observer affects what is observed (in relation to sub-atomic particles) so it can be argued, perhaps with more certainty that this is true in the field of art and learning (where learning can also be considered as a site of interpretation, or, as Ricoeur puts it, “a conflict of interpretations”). To put it bluntly, every time we attempt to measure or quantify a process of learning as manifested in a set of behaviours, a text or an artwork, we are attempting to measure a process in which we are deeply implicated. We cannot separate ourselves from the mutuality of learning – a process of interdependent dialogues, interpretations and actions.

Formal assessment is now so integral to mass education that any attempt to release education from the constrictions of assessment procedures would be likely to result in the collapse of the system itself.

Quantitative assessment excludes the nuances of multiple interpretations and evaluations in favour of an absolute unitary measurement. Any attempt at ‘objective’ measurement (quantitative assessment) is intrinsically flawed and it inevitably leads to reification, abstraction and generalisation – the opposite of what is probably intended (namely, specific and precise data based on empirical evidence).

Assessment: advocacy, debate and enforced consensus I have observed, and reluctantly participated in, too many summative assessment meetings to believe they are anything but erratic, inconsistent and, at times, absurd. Such meetings reflect the impossible demands of two conflicting systems of assessment, the qualitative and the quantitative, and they highlight the inherent difficulties in translating qualitative interpretations and provisional judgements into quantitative scores and absolute measurements. Participants arrive with more or less certainty about the fairness of the marks they wish to give to each student’s work.

On most occasions they leave the meeting more or less certain of the fairness of the marks that have been finally awarded – even though it is not unusual for there to be major differences between the two sets of marks.

These differences emerge as the result of the adversarial process of advocacy and argument that characterises most assessment meetings.

This process is a mixture of negotiation, rational argument and peerpressure, centred on subjective opinions about the degree to which students have achieved particular learning outcomes, as manifested in the artwork or texts presented for assessment. It is not unusual for two markers to present initial marks related to one student’s work that may differ by 5 to 10 percent – say 55–65, (I’ve been at meetings at which the discrepancy has occasionally been from 45 to 65 percent). After much argument, counter-argument and compromise the mark finally ‘agreed’ might well be 60% – a mark that neither of the markers originally thought appropriate and which now hovers on the borderline between grades/classifications rather than firmly within one.

In most assessment meetings there is an alternating pattern of convergence and divergence of opinions, values, interpretations, assumptions, prejudices and insights – energised by the particular dynamics of the group. However this rhythm of debate and open-ended exchange is subject to a strictly enforced necessity for convergence, that is, the need to arrive at a definitive single mark – the holy grail of quantitative assessment. In some ways the process would be much more transparent and informative to the student if the marks of each assessor were published and a cluster of marks were awarded for each unit of assessment – not one! This would reflect the variety of evaluations and suggest that the process, and the mark, is conditional rather than absolute.

The continuum of learning: indeterminacy & divergence If learning is a continuum of cognitive processes, manifested in actions and constructs, then the outcome of learning is more learning, a continuance of action, construction and reflection. Outcomes may well be unpredictable, unknown at the outset of an activity or only become apparent long after the supposed period of learning. If assessment is to engage with, and be indicative of, this dynamic continuum then describing qualitative processes of change, transformation and unfolding possibility is likely to be more useful and achievable than attempting to measure the quantity of accumulated knowledge or competences, let alone more abstract qualities such as creativity and imagination.

Feyerabend raises another issue that may be relevant here. In, Against Method, he discusses the incommensurability of many scientific methods and theories – “the lack of a common measure”. It is arguable that there may also be incommensurability between the work, ideas, actions and understandings, of individuals with different notions of what art practice is, what it is for, how it should be done and therefore how it can be interpreted and evaluated. These individuals may be students (peer-to-peer), staff (assessors in a position of power) and students interacting with staff in an assessment event.

Broadfoot (1996: 8)

The indeterminacy and unpredictability of learning is very apparent in art education, and in other subjects in which creative practice is at the centre of the curriculum. Outcomes-based assessment inevitably privileges and »

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Features 18/19

“It is very difficult to identify any significant educational value that can be ascribed to quantitative and summative modes of assessment in arts education.”

reinforces outcomes-based learning, and outcomes-based learning tends to develop convergent thinking at the expense of divergent thinking. I have argued elsewhere (Danvers 2003: p. 50–51) that divergent learning and teaching, develop and promote divergent thinking, and are very distinctive characteristics of art education: Learners are encouraged to progressively extend the arena of possibilities within which they operate, not to seek enduring solutions or answers but to open up unfamiliar territory and new ideas. By encouraging divergent thinking, trying out different ways of doing and making, and exploring different meanings and interpretations, learning is experienced as a continuum of changing opportunities for revision, renewal and selfconstitution. Individuals explore and articulate a range of different ideas and material constructs within a framework of collective experimentation, risk-taking and mutual responsiveness. Outcomes are sought which are more rather than less unpredictable. The emphasis is on inventiveness, innovation and going beyond the status quo. Individuals and groups within a particular cohort may develop radically different modes of learning and signification grounded in divergent beliefs and values. In contrast to convergent learning in which learners are drawn towards a common body of knowledge, beliefs and values – towards definite conclusions and pre-established solutions – in which differences of opinions, ideas and practices may be discouraged, and risk-taking minimised.

This quote is extracted from a paper that seemed to articulate commonly held views amongst academics in the arts. One of these views was that indeterminacy and improvisation were two other important characteristics of learning in art (and design): Art and design practices often tend to manifest high levels of indeterminacy, and make use of improvisatory modes of thinking and action. On many occasions artists may have no clear objective in mind when they embark on a piece of work – other than to produce ‘something’ or to ‘see what happens’. While making use of established patterns of production and ways of thinking, they respond to all kinds of stimulii and changing circumstances. Both the responses and the stimulii may be unpredictable – indeed the unexpected is something that is actively sought. The focus and ‘content’ of the work may emerge in the process of making rather than as a pre-determined objective. Deterministic, goal-orientated ways of thinking and making are often counter-balanced by periods of activity in which outcomes cannot be determined, and open-ended ‘play’ is a more accurate description of what takes place.

Playing with ideas, processes, images and materials, the individual may suspend critical, analytical and rationalistic abilities in order to ‘see what happens’, to let things develop in ways which accommodate chance, randomness and intuition. When something emerges that is interesting or unexpected, or with a strong sense of ‘rightness’, it is only then that critical reflection is re-engaged and an understanding of what has happened may develop. Periods of working ‘in the dark’, or when ‘not sure of what is happening’, can be as exciting and productive as periods of lucid control.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

These situations are highly complex and unstable, requiring flexible thinking and responsive handling of material processes. Meaning and making are in a state of flux, with countless possibilities rapidly presenting themselves.

Decisions may have to be made with little time for conscious thought.

Developing the ability to improvise (with ideas as well as materials), and to generate and make use of situations in which indeterminacy prevails, are key aspects of learning within art and design. The need for time and opportunities to develop these abilities can run counter to the increasingly deterministic emphasis on goal-orientated behaviour in which linear systematic processes lead to predictable outcomes. [my italics] (ibid: p. 53) It is odd therefore that more resistance has not been evident in art education to the rapid increase in both outcomes-based assessment and quantitative assessment – the latter an apparent attempt to measure learning processes that are often indeterminate, and to impose summative judgements on open-ended enquiry.

Each perspective needs to be considered on its merits, as shedding light from a different angle, and in relation to other perspectives, as providing a more rounded picture. No perspective should be considered as definitive or as representing the final word on a particular topic.

Perspectivism Two other views that have wide currency in philosophy and critical theory also have a profound bearing on assessment: perspectivism and revisibility (or what Rorty sometimes calls ‘fallibilism’). Perspectivism involves a belief that knowledge is always partial, incomplete and contingent. There can be no absolute, objective or complete view of any subject, topic, idea or issue.

Our learning is always informed and guided by earlier learning, by our needs, intentions and expectations, and by our beliefs and values. Each perspective needs to be considered on its merits, as shedding light from a different angle, and in relation to other perspectives, as providing a more rounded picture.

No perspective should be considered as definitive or as representing the final word on a particular topic. There can be no neutral, omniscient or ‘objective’ view. Multiple perspectives are to be welcomed. Diversity, difference and pluralism are factors to be affirmed in all educational contexts. While qualitative assessment can take account of different perspectives and articulate nuanced judgements or opinions (in joint reports and numerous formative feedbacks), single numerical scores or grades cannot.

Revisibility Given the relative, fluid and perspectival condition of knowledge, it follows that all views, theories & opinions are subject to revision. Indeed effective learning, if it is to avoid dogmatism, prejudice and eventually bigotry, involves a constant willingness to revise, re-think and re-formulate – to be open to new ‘facts’ and ideas, and to seek out alternative perspectives that are challenging and revitalising. This inherent revisibility of knowledge has implications for our thinking about assessment. Judgements can only ever be tentative and conditional, subject to continuing revision over time. Assessments are made from a particular perspective, at a specific moment in a continuum of changing views. Any mis-representation or reification of this process (for example, by representing a particular judgement as final and summative, or as a fixed measurement or a quantitative ‘fact’ rather than as a qualitative opinion) ought not to go unchallenged.

As Esser-Hall puts it, “interpretation has no final result and each ending holds a new beginning”. (Esser-Hall 2000: 289) Hence, a continuum of exchanges of interpretations, none of which can be identified as summative. So also, with learning and art-making, and the assessment of these: there can only be a process of reiteration, translation and unfolding of understandings, interpretations and provisional judgements – always open to revision.

It is not surprising that contradictions and tensions are likely to arise from the adoption or imposition of assessment regimes which do not reflect current ideas about knowledge and learning.

Conclusion It is my belief that the dominance of quantitative and summative modes of assessment in arts education is largely the result of governmental and institutional demands for statistical accountancy, quality-control accountability and hierarchical ladders of progression (and exclusion).

It is very difficult to identify any significant educational value that can be ascribed to them. Consequently we should resist the deployment of such modes wherever possible, and certainly we should not acquiesce to these kinds of demands without questioning their validity.

All of the above concerns, and the educational beliefs and values from which they arise, lead me to consider the use of a threshold mode of summative assessment (Pass or Fail), with the focus on a written report, to be preferable to a hierarchical grading system that focuses on the numerical scoring of quasi-measurements. •

While this paper articulates my own personal viewpoint it is informed by comments and concerns raised by staff and students on taught postgraduate courses with whom I’ve had contact over the years (particularly as an external examiner).

A number of students made the point that a Pass/Fail system tends to avoid the artificial pressures of more complex quantitative systems usually used at BA level – they emphasised the usefulness of narrative feedback as opposed to the generally debilitating effects of relatively arbitrary numbers and a false sense of competition.

Footnote 1. I’m thinking here of: Barthes’ notion of the ‘writerly text’; Eco’s ‘open work’; Dickie’s ‘institutional theory’ of art; Rorty’s conception of art (and science) as descriptive narratives; Danto’s theory of art as an evolving social-historical construction; and the hermeneutical theories of Gadamer and Ricoeur.

References Ball, C. (1992) Ladders and Links: Prerequisites for the Discussion of an International Framework of Qualifications, Wellington, N.Z., New Zealand Qualifications Authority Broadfoot, P. (1996) Education, Assessment and Society, Buckingham & Philadelphia, Open University Press Brown, G. (2001) Assessment: A Guide for Lecturers, Assessment Series Guide No. 3, Learning and Teaching Support Network, Generic Centre Danvers, J. (2003) ‘Towards a Radical Pedagogy: Provisional Notes on Learning and Teaching in Art & Design’, The International Journal of Art & Design Education 22:1 (p.47–57) Esser-Hall, G. 2000 ‘Perpetual Beginnings: The Role of Phenomenological Hermeneutics in Art Education’, The International Journal of Art & Design Education 19:3 (p.288–295) Feyerabend, P. (1975): Against Method, Verso Hoskin, K. (1979) The examination, disciplinary powers and rational schooling, History of Education 8 (2): 135–146

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

5

Student voice Marica Maddox, winner of the 2005/6 ADM–HEA essay competition.

Photo: University College for the Creative Arts

The Higher Education Academy Subject Centres have shared the strap-line ‘enhancing the student experience’ for some years. The aim of this new section is to provide a forum for students to articulate their own expectations and ambitions for enhancing the curriculum.

To this end we provide opportunities for students to act as reporters at national conferences and events.

As part of this initiative, student reporters were commissioned to offer their views on the 2007 Annual Forum: VISUAL, recently held at the Custard Factory in Birmingham.

If you think your students might be interested in contributing to or participating in ADM–HEA resources and events in the future, please direct them to the website or ask them to contact us at the Subject Centre on: 01273 643119. Read student reports on the website at: http://adm-hea.brighton. ac.uk/resources/student-voice/conference-reports

The Student Essay Competition 2005/6 The annual essay competition, which is open to all students on a higher education course, asked students to discuss ‘how their experience of their course compares with any expectations they may have had’. It is the fifth year the Higher Education Academy Subject Centres have run the competition, providing a unique opportunity for students to reflect on their experience, offering valuable and often candid perspectives into what learning in a University or college feels like. This is the first time the Subject Centre has published the essays, providing an important glimpse into the experience of students from which we can learn.

A total of thirteen essays were submitted to the Subject Centre, and we have published the winning essay here. This essay and the four short-listed essays can be accessed on the Subject Centre website as can details of the 2006-7 competition: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/ resources/student-voice While the essays offer individual perspectives and do not attempt to reflect the views of students across the sector, it was encouraging to see essays submitted by full-time and parttime, mature, international, undergraduate and postgraduate students, and across the range of disciplines supported by the Subject Centre. We have deliberately kept the editing of the essays as light as possible to keep the voices of the students true to their original submissions. We hope you enjoy the essays, encourage others to read them, and promote participation in the competition in the future.

Dr Roni Brown University College for the Creative Arts

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Winning essay: Marica Maddox MA Animation, University College for the Creative Arts Q. How does your experience of your course compare with any expectations you may have had?

A. Not many people get a second chance in a lifetime, but I feel that my experience on my MA Animation course is just that. // It had been two years since I completed my BA degree in Studio/Fine Arts in the United States. Attending this University to play basketball and study art, I wasn’t able to concentrate on my artwork as much as I would have liked. Instead of lectures our work was very concentrated on our practice, where we would spend three hours a day learning and refining the taught techniques. The Arts Department would occasionally bring in well-known practicing artists to do shows, but we never had the opportunity to be taught by them. Having had this past experience with art, I knew that applying to a school in another country, to study in a field where I had no experience, and that was focused on the arts, was very ambitious.

Refused by many other schools that doubted I could make the transition from artist to animator, I was very excited to learn that I had been accepted to attend the course in the UK in the fall of 2005. I was on my way to becoming an animator! A believer in fate, I felt as if I had been given a second chance at life.

Coming to the UK as an international student to study for an MA in Animation with only a BA in Studio/Fine Arts under my belt, I was expecting this to be the most difficult experience one could possibly ever have. After speaking with several of my friends whom had already experienced an MA course, I was told that it would be heavily self-directed and challenging. I thought that there would be short lectures everyday where we would be given assignments and sent on » NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Student voice 22/23

After completing my first semester on my course, I feel this experience has been a breath of fresh air. My experiences in the first semester as a MA Animation student have definitely outweighed the expectations I had of this course.

“I am now well on my way to fulfilling my dreams of becoming an animator, with great staff and a support group cheering me toward the finish line.”

our our merry way to complete them with no help from anyone. But despite the expected difficulties I was still excited to have the opportunity to be studying in another country in a field that I have always wanted to pursue. Fortunately, I wasn’t the only international student studying for a degree in a new field. There were many other students at this school in the same situation and this was very helpful.

Now after completing my first semester on my course, I feel this experience has been a breath of fresh air. My experiences in the first semester as an MA Animation student have definitely outweighed the expectations I had of this course.

Although my expectation that the course would be challenging and require independent learning was true, everything else was very surprising. The course began with three-hour lectures and threehour tutorials twice a week. Lecturers that work and teach in the animation field, were brought in by staff to teach us every week. This has allowed us to create work to a standard expected in the animation field today. One lecture was for coursework and the other was to help us to get organised for our main project. I wasn’t expecting there to be so much coursework in addition to our final project work, but everything was broken down so that if we managed our time well, it was easy to cope with all the assignments.

Staff would sometimes join the MA and PhD lectures together so we could learn from one another. This was intimidating at first but after the PhD students warmed up to having MA students in attendance, it resulted in us having the more experienced PhD classmates as tutors. Tutorials were also set up with staff to give us guidance and help with our main projects. Having staff as well as PhD students around for support was very helpful.

One very well accomplished PhD student, who had been teaching at our university as well as others for two years now, took several of the MA students under his wing. Equipped with a Foundation in Film & Video, a BA in Film & Video, and a MA in Animation and now studying for his PhD in Animation, he is able to help with coursework as well as our main projects. Professionally he has worked in film and television studios in the UK, Africa, Germany and the US. I feel as if I have been given a gift because when staff aren’t available, I am able to gain help from this student. For example, I was able to go to him for questions about the basics of putting an animation film

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

together, filming, and many other techniques. He would create book and website reading lists and offer support and guidance. Having someone who knows what the school and staff expect has allowed me to be better prepared for my tutorials with staff. I think this is a very good learning situation that should be implemented into more universities for MA students.

Many of my fellow classmates have also excelled because of this additional support. This arrangement benefits PhD students as they gain teaching experience and the staff benefit as they receive additional support while at the same time retaining control of tutorial discussion. Having experienced professionals around is something that I have found essential to the production of my work. I am now well on my way to fulfilling my dreams of becoming an animator with great staff and a support group cheering me toward the finish line. Studying in the UK has also allowed me to visit other countries, something I would have never done otherwise. This experience has been the chance of a lifetime, a paradise, compared to the battle that I was expecting. •

6

Projects

New Visual Research Projects At the end of 2006, ADM–HEA invited teams and individuals delivering any art, design and/or media subjects (including cultural and communications studies, art and design history) to submit proposals for projects, funded to a maximum of £15,000, related to visual research in learning and teaching. Themes were nontext based assessment, technical skills, visual research, and the use of new technologies.

The focus is on learning and teaching across as broad a range as possible of the art, design and media subjects and projects will run until the end of March 2008. The four projects selected by peer review were: Sketchbook: an online visual research resource Dr. Julia Gaimster, Academic Development Manager at University of the Arts London will be developing an online resource that enables students to view exemplars of the visual research process utilised by practitioners across a range of disciplines in art and design. Students will access the resource to develop, store and share their own research journals and enable social networking.

Visual Assessment Practice, University of Brighton Conducted by Pauline Ridley of the Centre for Learning and Teaching at Brighton on behalf of the LearnHigher Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL), this project is an extension of a wider initiative, part-funded by the CETL, seeking to address the current shortage of effective support for students and staff engaged in visual assessment. It aims to develop and establish examples of good practice using an interactive assessment ‘timeline’ multimedia tool with resources to aid students in their achievement of specific assessment tasks.

Visual research methodologies: supporting scholarly research in MA courses Hilaire Graham, Director of Teaching and Learning, is leading the MA course team at University College for the Creative Arts to develop an understanding of the nature of visual research through such tools as a digital video workshop, based on the notion of documentary, psychography and cultural geography. On-line case studies and visual research workshop models aim to inform and develop MA students’ research skills in the creative arts.

A Reflexive Archive: Contexts of Practice in Art and Design Based at Nottingham Trent University, Professor Terry Shave is leading a collaboration of staff at Kingston University and Norwich School of Art and Design to develop a model for supplementing a live talks programme by professional practitioners with a student-led online forum.

Developments will include the use of a visual log to capture student learning experiences and workshops with students to develop visual and haptic responses.

For a full list of Subject Centre funded projects visit: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/ adm-hea-projects

Employer engagement, work-related learning and the student experience This year ADM–HEA is supporting three projects exploring how higher education in art, design and media subjects engages with employers and creative industry, and the impact of these engagements on the student learning experience. The Subject Centre is collaborating with Skillfast–UK, the Sector Skills Council for apparel, footwear, textiles and related businesses, to fund and support a major research project. The project will examine ways that higher education in these subjects forges and sustains relationships with employers, and ways that employers contribute towards provision of work-related learning. The project aims to identify a range of effective models and will result in a set of resources for staff and recommendations for policy makers.

The Subject Centre and Foundation Degree Forward (South West of England) are jointly funding and guiding a project to gauge a regional perspective on collaborations between higher education in art, design and media and creative industry. This project will also examine how national policy frameworks relating to these collaborations have been adapted to regional needs. The outcomes of these two projects will be available in June 2008.

At an institutional level ADM–HEA is supporting a research project led by the HELP CETL (Higher Education Learning Partnerships – Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning) based at the University of Plymouth. HELP is undertaking a study of students’ changing perceptions of enterprise and entrepreneurship education at Somerset College of Arts and Technology. This project completes in November this year.

Collectively these projects will form a valuable set of informed recommendations and transferable models for the support and development of effective education for the creative industries.

Skillfast–UK: www.skillfast-uk.org Foundation Degree Forward: www.fdf.ac.uk HELP CETL: www.help-cetl.ac.uk

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Projects 24/25

Neil (Nibby) Williams and Charlene Hickey with their Greetings Card and Certificates from Abbey Business 2004. Photo: Swansea Institute of Higher Education, University of Wales.

Distributed e-learning in Art, Design & Media Findings from the national research project into distributed e-learning in art, design and media have recently been published. The research represents one of the most extensive subject reviews of e-learning practice in British higher education to date and it is likely that its impact will extend beyond the sector to act as a model for other subject areas.

What we did The project team was assembled to reflect the research focus on empirical, real-life inquiry, bringing a wide range of skills to the task. The team worked together for eighteen months, using multiple research approaches that included the design and implementation of a national online survey as well as case study and focus group methods. They also produced guides to undertaking research for colleagues working in their own institutions, and four case studies were commissioned. These provided in-depth accounts of significant e-learning innovations in real-life learning and teaching settings. The team members travelled to institutions in which the case studies were set and to those where focus groups were held. Colleagues and students across the country engaged enthusiastically with the research activities, inviting us into their institutions and providing important opportunities to gain insights into their views and experiences.

This cooperation was crucial in securing access to research sites, and we are very grateful to all involved. The online survey had a very high response rate – another indicator of the positive engagement of sector colleagues with research and development activities.

All the research evidence was carefully assembled, and an archive of all the data is currently being catalogued. The research archive includes: field-notes; recordings of interviews and focus group interactions, with their transcriptions; focus group documents that record the structured tasks participants undertook; complete case studies with extensive appendices; quantitative and qualitative survey data. Once catalogued the data can be made available for further use (and NETWORKS MAGAZINE

even re-interpretation), in line with best research practice. For the project, analysis was undertaken cumulatively as evidence was collected, then through team meetings that debated the key emergent issues. It was therefore possible to deal with the large amounts of evidence that accumulated, and to share responsibilities for interpretation across the team. This sharing of ideas was important in verifying results, as was the triangulation provided by employing several different research methods.

The three research methods used - case study, online survey and focus groups - each provided a different perspective on current e-learning practices, activities and approaches. However, the issues that each method highlighted were comparable with one another and a consensus emerged on the most significant e-learning issues for the sector. Ultimately, the project team felt that their key findings were verifiable and justified, and that they could confidently draw conclusions and recommendations from them.

So, what did we find out?

The online survey produced some surprising and some expected results. A very high number of our respondents reported that they had access to and used personal computers in their work.

As we might have expected, the most prevalent use of a VLE involved Blackboard, and there was a relatively high level of user satisfaction regarding its support for learning. However a far wider range of technologies were used by respondents in their everyday lives than at work, with mobile technologies in particular seeming to be underused in learning contexts. One issue that emerged was that word-based ‘text’ is the main medium of communication involved in ICT interactions, and this medium is privileged in most mainstream softwares in use. It is not necessarily the most useful one for all areas of the art, design and media sector, though, and may produce effects that we have to actively challenge.

Specialist computer applications were found to counter this trend to some degree, and a wide array of ‘bespoke’ art, design and media software

was being used by respondents to support sector learning activities.

Almost three quarters of respondents recorded that they spent between two and five hours using computers during the average working day.

Almost another quarter recorded six or more hours of computer use, so huge investments of time and energy are being made. This all begs the question of exactly what people are doing with their computers. Fortunately, findings from the survey and the other research methods began to provide us with answers! The four case studies sponsored as part of the research showed the wide range of e-learning activities that colleagues are initiating within their own institutions. Crucial to these activities were the project leaders’ experience, understanding of context and awareness of the particularities of the situation.

All of the initiatives were in response to change and all showed a determination to make the most of a situation through using new technologies.

Constraints on teaching time and the need to provide students with an aestheticallyinformed approach to their work resulted in the development of a technology-rich learning environment at London College of Fashion. Here a valuable resource was developed that preserved the practical, tactile nature of textiles learning and supported the critical reflection that is integral to practice. At Bournemouth Media School the project team developed an online self and peer assessment tool that supported group work, a key vocational skill. Independent and flexible learning was supported by the development, with students finding that opportunities were enhanced for formative feedback; they also found the process of peer assessment positive and helpful, and tutors reported growing maturity in students’ review of their peers.

A third project at Southampton Solent University introduced and evaluated an online module, and was run across several BA courses. This level 2 module was research-focused and was designed to prepare students for their upcoming dissertation, with a focus not only on research methods but on strengthening critical thinking and reflection. Clear indications of the strengths and problems of online activities came out of the research, with significant pointers for the future. At Cumbria Institute of the Arts a fourth investigation was undertaken, with a focus on the impact of introducing new technologies

into graphic design studio spaces. The learning opportunities and challenges presented by this newly flexible, technology-rich environment were examined, with staff and students commenting on their impact and potential.

The focus group research undertaken for the project enabled the gathering of rich, qualitative data on the user experience of e-learning in the sector. Respondents came from diverse roles and a wide constituency was represented. It is important to note this range of contributors because there was a high degree of consensus on the main issues that emerged. Significant points included: the importance of recognising ‘the happiness factor’ in e-learning and the fear of technology that users sometimes have; well-developed descriptions of key drivers and motivators for e-learning use; issues of equity and access, particularly in terms of training opportunities; and how respondents perceived e-learning in the overall context of learning.

What happens next?

ADM–HEA intends to disseminate the results in a series of publications and conference papers throughout this year and to target wide and diverse audiences through this mix of media.

This article has given you a preview of key points, and will now outline our conclusions.

The evidence allowed some firm recommendations to be made, and these are intended to support purposive and useful developments in e-learning for the sector.

The recommendations cluster around key issues including: the capability of e-learning to change core processes and practices; the potential to develop new specialist activities, with enhanced vocational opportunities; the need to develop coherent sets of principles for e-learning competence for staff, and to find ways of supporting them in achieving these. It will be interesting to see how these ideas are received, and whether they are acted on. Overall the research showed us an art, design and media landscape that is both reeling under the impact of change and rapidly meeting the challenges presented. The resourcefulness and creativity of our colleagues and students are their greatest assets, and are exactly what is needed for successful innovations in e-learning!

Emerging Practices in Entrepreneurship Education Sally Kellet recently completed this research study whilst based at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN). Sally is the founder of ‘Creative Warriors’ which is an innovative new resource in creative enterprise education, providing an online resource of start up stories for enterprise educators and encouraging learner engagement through sharing enterprise knowledge within a network of ‘Creative Tribes’.

Each of the eleven case studies included in the research provides a distinct model for delivering entrepreneurship education to art, design and media students in higher education.

The report includes a description of key programmes delivered by support agencies including the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA), Creative Pioneer Programme, the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship’s (NCGE), Flying Start Programme and Manchester Acme’s Creative Advantage Programme.

The Swansea Institute of Higher Education case study describes a professional studies programme for artists and designers entitled “Marketing and Self Promotion” and has two core modules developed through research and alumni contributions.

In addition to ‘Creative Warriors’ there are two further pilot projects based at UCLAN: ‘Headspace’ and ‘White Space’, both of which use ICT tools to help students learn about creative business.

Based at Manchester City Art College, The ‘Virtual Company’ is a programme to manage and deliver focused work-experience opportunities, innovative training, education solutions, and business incubation.

The ‘Emerging Practices’ research supplements the ‘Creating Entrepreneurship’ report published on 22 May 2007. These reports add to the growing body of resources and research offering evidence of collaboration between industry and HE. They demonstrate how art, design and media educators are innovating in the delivery of programmes aimed at equipping graduates with the skills and attitudes that will allow them to develop their creative talent after they leave education.

To learn more about all eleven case studies and to obtain a full copy of ‘Emerging Practices in Entrepreneurship Education’ visit the ADM–HEA website at: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk More information on ‘Creative Warriors’ can be found at: www.ncge.com/communities/ education/newsreader/showarticle/108 or at: www.creativewarriors.co.uk More information on NESTA’s Creative Pioneers can be found at: www.nesta.org.uk/programmes/ creative_pioneers More information on NCGE’s Flying Start programme can be found at: www.flyingstart-ncge.com More information on Headspace can be found at: www.myheadspace.org

Dr. Cheri Logan Cumbria Institute of the Arts NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Projects 26/27

Above: Leeds College of Art & Design

CHEAD/ACE research on widening participation Following research commissioned by the Council for Higher Education in Art and Design (CHEAD) and the Arts Council England (ACE) on widening participation in Higher Education Art and Design, and undertaken by Dr Caroline Hudson, a report on widening participation in art and design has now been published.

The research spans large-scale quantitative and micro-level qualitative evidence. Widening participation is defined in the research as ensuring that all individuals have equal opportunities to participate in education and to achieve, regardless of particular circumstances such as socioeconomic status, age, ethnicity, gender, sexuality or disability.

The report presents clear evidence that Art and Design has focused on tailoring assessment procedures, the curriculum and teaching and learning strategies to reflect widening participation issues, and that the range and creativity of activity in these areas suggests that practice in Art and Design is ahead of that in some other subject areas.

The CHEAD/ACE questionnaire illustrates that, on the whole, respondents – largely managerial staff – did not think that ethnicity or age were barriers for applicants to, or students at, their institutions.

The analysis of UCAS statistics indicates that across socio-economic groups, the largest number of applications and accepted applicants in HE Art and Design came from the higher and lower managerial and professional groups, and from white female students under 21. However, the qualitative research revealed that institutions are developing a range of initiatives which aim to increase the number of students from lower socio-economic groups.

The CHEAD/ACE questionnaire illustrates that, on the whole, respondents (largely managerial staff) did not think that ethnicity or age were barriers for applicants to, or students at, their institutions.

But it may be the case that some staff awareness of the experience of mature and minority ethnic students could be developed. As one minority ethnic, single parent, mature student put it:

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

In my culture it (Art and Design) is not considered a job[…] it is not a job like doctors, solicitors, lawyers, they are considered the really good jobs. When I have gone to college and done Art, I tell my family and it is like, ‘Oh well, that is not a real degree.’ Do you know what I mean?

I have had to come across that […] they are looking at it as a hobby, not as a career. They are like, ‘That is nice. What are you going to do next?’... It was kind of disappointing, because they didn’t look on what I was doing as important.

There were differences between staff and student accounts of widening participation. For example, the majority of students focused more on the literacy demands of Art and Design than many staff tended to. And while students tended to reveal the influences of teachers and lecturers on widening participation, staff accounts placed greater emphasis on institutional procedures. This suggests that some staff may under-estimate their impact upon students’ decision making about and experience of HE Art and Design. Some staff were explicit that the widening participation agenda is growing and that their institution was not well equipped to manage this growth.

Overall, findings underline the range and complexity of widening participation issues, and the need for further research and input from policy makers.

The full report of this project, which was supported by the ADM-HEA, can be found on the website at www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk

View-finder: student experiences of HE in FE In October we announced details of the Subject Centre’s HE in FE Project. We contacted almost 150 further education colleges in England and invited proposals from individual staff and departments to make short films or audio files exploring student experiences of studying art, design, media, art history and cultural studies subjects.

Our aims were to support exploration of student experiences, to gather, develop and showcase examples of good / innovative practice and to engender further discussion and debate related to issues emerging from higher education delivered in further education colleges.

We received a wholehearted response, receiving proposals from colleges across England and funding has been awarded to twelve colleges; fourteen projects began in February. The institutions awarded funding are: Cornwall College, East Lancashire Institute of Higher Education at Blackburn College, Harlow College, Herefordshire College of Art and Design, Leeds College of Art and Design, Liverpool Community College, Northbrook College, North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, Somerset College of Arts and Technology, South East Essex College, St Helens College and Sutton Coldfield College.

The project holders are exploring a wide range of themes including partnership working and progression, work-based-learning, employability and entrepreneurship, widening participation, contextual studies on practice-based programmes, diversity and learner support, adult entry to HE in FE and flexible learning.

Students at the colleges will be playing an active role in all aspects of the planning and production of the films and audio files. We are expecting the resulting collection to form a rich resource for all colleagues interested in the student experience of higher education in further education colleges. The resulting films and audio pieces will be showcased this summer. Visit: www.adm. heacademy.ac.uk/projects/adm-hea-projects/ he-in-fe-projects-2007 for more information.

E–Portfolios in Art, Design and Media

These various aspects of e-portfolios will be examined through a consideration of the needs of stakeholders in art, design and media higher education – including those from formal learning and teaching contexts (learners/tutors), those from beyond the academy (in the realms of work and creative enterprise) and those who mediate between the two (Skill Sector Councils, professional associations).

Following the completion of the successful Distributed e-learning project, Cumbria Institute of the Arts has begun a major new project on behalf of the Subject Centre. The project, led by Dr Cheri Logan, will explore the use of E-Portfolios in the context of art, design and media higher education.

The project will aim to represent the diverse range of subject areas including fine and applied arts, design disciplines and media practice. It will also aim to reflect the varied modes of higher education learning now available, including undergraduate and postgraduate study, foundation degrees, diplomas, full and part-time programmes of study and work-based learning.

An “electronic portfolio” or “e-portfolio” is a collection of materials (text, images, multimedia, etc.) collated and stored electronically. In the context of higher education e-portfolios could be seen as both platforms that support individual learner pathways and as tools that facilitate negotiation between higher education institutions and the wider social world, including professional and working domains.

If you have experiences and interests related to the focus of this project and you would like to be involved please email the Subject Centre: adm@heacademy.ac.uk.

The Project will complete in December 2007.

Recognition of the potential of e-portfolios as learning tools is variable across higher education, and developments are predominantly related to Personal Development Planning (PDP). Use of e-portfolios is thus frequently pursued as an isolated activity rather than integrated into the disciplinary culture of courses (Ward, Jackson & Strivens, 2005). This diminishes their potential to contribute to discipline-specific practice and to link to the professional aspirations of learners.

The project will explore the potential of e-portfolios to promote this professional link and to assist individual learners in establishing personal and practitioner identities. It will also investigate the ways in which electronic platforms can enhance the professional portfolios of art, design and media graduates, focusing on functions that promote individualised learning and offer flexibility in tailoring presentations to specific audiences.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

7

Reviews

“Some say they have 20 years’ experience of teaching – but in reality they have only one; they have simply repeated it each of the following 19 years.”

Changing Higher Education: the development of learning and teaching Editor Paul Ashwin Publisher/distributor Taylor & Francis Group Ltd, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxford OX14 4RN www.routledge.com Publication/release date 2006 ISBN 9780415341295 Price £22.99

The title of this book – Changing Higher Education – hints at a double meaning. It describes many of the changes that have affected learning and teaching in HE over the past 30 years or so, whilst also considering how they might evolve in the future. More actively and engagingly, its authors also offer pointers for staff wishing to examine and change how they facilitate students’ learning.

Review by Jonathan Hewett, City University

At a recent conference, participants were discussing the importance of encouraging experienced academics to develop their teaching. One rose to say: “Some say they have 20 years’ experience of teaching – but in reality they have only one; they have simply repeated it each of the following 19 years.” That remark came from Lewis Elton, a leading figure in the development of teaching and learning in HE, and whose work underlies much of this book.

In his introductory chapter setting the framework for the rest of the book, Paul Ashwin highlights the huge changes that HE has undergone in recent decades. It is not only about the growth of universities, student numbers and diversity, nor confined to policy and funding issues. These are important and have an impact on teaching and learning, but perhaps the most fundamental shift Ashwin charts is a shift in focus (in thinking and research) from “what the teacher did and how they [sic] organised the curriculum for students” to “how students experience their learning environment”.

Against this background, eight chapters go into more thematic detail to cover the development in HE of three main areas: students’ learning; learning technologies; and teaching. An underlying coherence is formed by the connection the authors share with Lewis Elton: they have all been his students and/or colleagues, and draw on his invaluable research and development in this field.

“Aren’t we all learner-centred now?” asks David Boud, who shows how ‘learner-centred’ has meant different things to different people. Combining research findings and his own experiences, he argues that teaching and learning should be viewed “within its broader context and network of social relations” – including where power lies and how it is exercised.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Academics have long wielded power over students through assessment – but we may be missing out if we fail to use participative forms of assessment – essentially self- and peerassessment, individually and in groups. Vivien Hodgson uses examples from learning sets and online discussions to argue that it can encourage critical and creative thinking more effectively than traditional forms of assessment. That rings true from my own experience of peer assessment and group work, although both need careful attention to the quality of feedback.

The learning of postgraduate research students is the theme of another chapter. I admit to less experience in this field, but it seems this has been true of too many established supervisors! Twenty years on, “the loud cries of the few stalwarts devoted to trying to improve the learning/support of PG research students” have only begun to be heard, says Pam Denicolo. She fears that funding constraints will lead institutions to lay new courses as a veneer on established practice.

The impact of increasing numbers of nontraditional learners is outlined clearly by Will Bridge. What struck me was their influence on teaching and learning for the whole university population – through greater use of APEL (assessment of prior and experiential learning), for example, and the need to deal with wide variations in knowledge when students start a course. Many non-traditional learners also have plenty to offer, such as input from their life and employment experience; let’s make better use of this potential.

Diana Laurillard’s chapter provides a superb introduction to e-learning. She notes how learning quality has often lost out to other drivers of change in this field – and makes a powerful pedagogical case for paying it due attention.

As part of her argument, Laurillard shows how poorly equipped academic professionals tend to be as teachers, rather than as researchers.

David McConnell concentrates on networked e-learning, touching on key issues faced by learners, such as the social context, collaboration, design and assessment.

Academics have long wielded power over students through assessment – but we may be missing out if we fail to use participative forms of assessment Two chapters concentrate on the development of teaching, but with themes of particular relevance to teachers as learners. One shows how and why professional teaching status (and accreditation) has developed in HE – a theme that Liz Beaty weaves effectively with academic identity, changes in HE, and government policy.

In the other, Lorraine Stefani outlines interesting debates centred on the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). How far do academics understand what it means to take a scholarly approach to learning and teaching, for example?

Crucially, she addresses the role of educational development and the difficulties of placing its role in institutions generically or by discipline.

In a concluding chapter, Ashwin sets out two scenarios and four questions that draw on the developments charted by his fellow authors.

His “bleak future” is dominated by isolation and alienation, while his “bright future” involves integration and critical engagement. Ashwin’s four key questions – to ask in a critical examination of the development of learning and teaching – concern the values and purposes of underlying models of learning and teaching; collective or individual activity; power relations; and models of change.

Its cover blurb claims this book offers “an insightful framework through which to understand and question current and future developments in learning and teaching in HE”.

This is an ambitious and wide-ranging agenda for a slim volume (152pp), but one that it addresses directly and effectively.

For newer teaching staff, Changing Higher Education provides a valuable and concise introduction to contemporary debates in teaching and learning, usefully set in the context of developments in recent years. This is not a ‘how to do it’ book for lecturers, but its top-quality contributors include plenty of references to follow up; its pithy content add value for others, too. It would remain unopened, I fear, by Elton’s academic who has taught the same thing in the same way for 20 years. •

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Reviews 30/31

On Becoming an Innovative University Teacher Author John Cowan Publisher/distributor Open University Press McGraw – Hill Education Publication/release date 2006 ISBN 335 21992 6 Price £25.99

John Cowan’s extensive experience in higher education is embedded in this book.

Grounded in personal experience and linked to models of learning and pedagogy, it offers us a practical approach to support staff in helping students become effective learners.

Review by Barbara Thomas, University of Bolton

One of the difficulties staff face on starting to develop as teachers, and in this case as “Innovative Teachers”, is to make and understand the shift between their expertise in their specialist subject with its underpinning theories into that of the pedagogic theory which underpins teaching.

Following on from the popular first edition of the same title John Cowan has embedded his HE experience by presenting us with a book which offers a practical approach to support staff in helping students become effective learners.

This is achieved through setting out a number of questions and offering experiences and approaches to support the resolution or at least different ways of approaching those questions.

The key difference in this edition is the focus on the “why” rather that “how” approach making “reflection for, in and on” core to the book.

Content The first 7 chapters focus on reflection and the “why” approach. There is a clear sense of developing reflexivity from its meaning in higher education, what this offers higher education followed by a journey through applying different approaches using models of reflection, the effect of analysis and evaluation on learning and encouraging reflection in students.

The relationship of the Kolb cycle versus the Cowan Diagram is discussed and his personal approach to reflection for, reflection in and reflection on, with roots based in Schönian and Kolbian models, has a more natural relationship to approaches to teaching and learning in Art, Design and Media where the traditional circling Kolb cycle of conceptualisation, active experimentation, experience and reflection is less representative of the continuing exploration and consolidation which Cowan has built into his diagram. A key factor in Cowan is the resonance the approaches he employs have with the experience of working in a subject area where the development of ideas outside known boundaries is encouraged. There is detail about engaging students through the use of reflective cycles and cross references between chapters ensure the reader is reminded of how

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

the present is based on what has been discussed before. He goes on to discuss relationships and perceptions between the teacher and student and offers a cautionary note about making assumptions about students (including overseas students) and reminds us later about the key qualities of effective teaching – empathy, regard and congruence.

The book then moves to look at how ideas for teaching can be adapted to suit an individual and leads us into “why” and “how” innovation in teaching should happen and the evaluation of that innovation. The transferability through application of this framework is shared and referenced to Constructive Alignment (Biggs) and how staff/students develop an understanding of what staff hope students will achieve.

Throughout this section there is a recognition, articulated through personal thoughts, that there may be other ways of doing things but that any change is a major challenge for staff who will be dealing with higher level outcomes in curricula and managing information rather than skills.

A strength of the personal approach which Cowan uses is to refer to methods, in what has traditionally been a theoretical approach, to support ideas and development in teaching and learning. There is reference to the concerns from staff about a theoretical approach outside the ‘comfort zone’ of personal disciplines. The links to staff development and accreditation of teaching programmes require us to review the learning factors which mitigate against the introduction of new teaching methods.

The book also recognises that the broader range of student abilities will require a need for innovative assessment approaches as part of overall innovation. This is further explored in the use of self assessment as a tool for learning and methodology for action.This is further developed as a methodology for action research going beyond feedback and evaluation and the value of these approaches in self evaluation. Chapter 11 introduces us to other theories and references

There is much to recommend this book, it is practical in its approach, setting out clear guidelines on how staff can help students become effective learners.

and useful readings from key texts relating to specific issues to which he has applied his model of reflection, the pedagogic literature linked to current thinking on student learning.

Conclusion The book is grounded in personal experience linked to models of learning and pedagogy. It addresses the individual who wishes to start or continue with reflective engagement in educational development. Although not subject specific there is much to recommend this book, it is practical in its approach, setting out clear guidelines within each chapter on how staff can help students become effective learners.

It recognises the right of the reader to disagree and define their own personal approach, enabling the choosing of individual approaches which is a particular strength of the approach Cowan takes.

Arguably this approach may be obvious but for new staff, joining pre-determined and situated groups this book offers an opportunity to review their teaching and learning methodologies. The practical approach to reflection – what is it for and how teaching develops from this make it easier for the reflection to happen and leads the reader to want to investigate the pedagogy of learning and teaching. This is a very personal reflection on the experience and journey of supporting students through developing innovation grounded in practice and which is about a university teacher who goes the extra mile in supporting the student learning experience. Throughout this book Cowan’s approach to teaching, learning, listening and understanding provides the motivation to improve. The final chapter brings together those aspects he has chosen to reflect upon throughout the book as a very personal approach – it is always about more rather than less. •

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

8

Staying in touch

If you have any thoughts or comments about Networks Magazine, we’d love to hear from you.

Become a contributor to future issues by submitting: • your ideas, • your enquiries, • workshop proposals, • proposals for features, case studies, resource reviews for the magazine or our website.

You can also subscribe to receive the Subject Centre Weekly e-Bulletin and further issues of this magazine to keep you up to date with: • ADM-HEA and sector news, • details of events, projects and resources,

Online Visit the Subject Centre website at: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk or alternatively, email us at: adm@heacademy.ac.uk Join the email list The Subject Centre also runs an electronic mailing list (hosted by JISCmail) through which we send a Weekly e-Bulletin.

The Weekly e-Bulletin contains news and information about our activities as well as calls for papers, events and other sector-related announcements. Membership of the list enables you to post announcements, raise discussion topics and exchange information with colleagues across the art, design and media sector.

To join the list, follow the instructions on the JISCmail website at: www.jiscmail.ac.uk or send an email to: jiscmail@jiscmail.ac.uk with the subject, “join adm-hea yourfirstname yourlastname”.

• news of available funding, • networking opportunities.

By post You can contact the Subject Centre at: Art Design Media Subject Centre University of Brighton Faculty of Arts & Architecture 68 Grand Parade Brighton BN2 9JY Telephone: +44 (0)1273 643119 Fax: +44 (0)1273 643429 Join the postal mailing list To receive future copies of this magazine and details of forthcoming events, contact us through the details listed above, or visit our homepage at: www.adm.heacademy.ac.uk and click the ‘join our mailing list’ tab.

NETWORKS MAGAZINE

Contributors Carolyn Bew, ADM-HEA. Dr Bernadette Blair, Kingston University.

University of Brighton.

Dr Roni Brown, University College for the Creative Arts.

Julian Bull.

David Clews, ADM-HEA. Alison Crowe, ADM-HEA. John Danvers, University of Plymouth.

Prof Gareth Fisher, Duncan of Jordanstone College, University of Dundee.

Debbie Flint, ADM-HEA. Jonathan Hewett, City University.

Dr Cheri Logan, Cumbria Institute of the Arts.

Leeds College of Art & Design.

Marica Maddox, University College for the Creative Arts.

Michael O’Shaughnessy, Manchester Metropolitan University.

Swansea Institute of Higher Education, University of Wales.

Barbara Thomas, University of Bolton.

Edited by Alison Crowe and Debbie Flint.

Designed by Blast www.blast.co.uk Printed by Team Impression www.team-impression.com This magazine has been printed using soya based inks, and is made from 100% elemental chlorine free pulp that was sourced from well-managed forests and controlled sources.