LED Showcase Conference Thursday 03 December 2020

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Celebrating LED Research

Community

On-Lin e

Outdoor Learning

Research & Practice in Higher Education LED Showcase Conference On-Line Thursday 03 December 2020 09:30-16:00 ed



Welcome to the LED Showcase Conference... I would like to welcome you to the LED Winter conference. We encourage you to interact with our presenters who are looking forward to sharing their research and projects with you. The LED research centre was established at the end of 2017 and we are strengthening our streamlined three themes to ensure that we have a distinctive and coherent Research centre. This conference is an opportunity for us to showcase some of the projects within each theme – Research and Practice in Higher Education, Outdoor Learning, and Community. The University is encouraging all staff to align to a research theme in one of our Research centres or hubs. We hope that in addition to attending this LED research centre conference, some of you may find a 'research home' in one of our themes and enjoy the intellectual stimulation, professional and personal collaboration and friendship that this will afford. Each theme supports both emerging and established researchers and our philosophy is to learn from and encourage each other to fulfil our three aims: · · ·

To build capacity to engage in and publish high quality research To support partners in developing research-informed practice To enhance University programmes

Our aim is that everyone - external partners, stakeholders and staff at the University of Cumbria should find some resonance with their own professional practice. The Research and Practice in Higher Education is a particularly inclusive theme with strong links to CAPE (Centre for Academic Practice Enhancement) celebrating Teaching and Learning expertise. We look forward to working with you throughout the conference and in the future.

Sally Elton-Chalcraft Professor Sally Elton-Chalcraft (Professor of Social Justice and Director of the Learning Education and Development Research Centre)


Programme 09.45

Agency and Autonomy in Outdoor Learning 11.30 – Brief introduction to theme and conference thread (Professor Heather Prince, Outdoor Learning theme lead, Professor of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Institute of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies (IoSNROS), University of Cumbria) 11.35 Presentation and Discussion: ‘Progression towards what? Agency and autonomy in Outdoor Learning’ (Dave Harvey, PgR (reach, capacity and potential for outdoor learning), IoSNROS, University of Cumbria; previously Head of Centres, Brathay Trust and currently working with Institute for Outdoor Learning and governor, Langdale Primary School) 12.00 : ‘Does using the outdoors during a teacher education programme impact future practice?’ (Lisa MacGregor, Senior Lecturer in Early Years and Primary Education, Institute of Education, University of Cumbria) 12.15 (pre-recorded): ‘Can teacher-student relationships through outdoor learning enhance student engagement?’ (Rebecca Hordern, PgR, IoSNROS, University of Cumbria; secondary school teacher) 12.30 – 13.00 – Discussion of thread & future directions (Professor Heather Prince, Outdoor Learning theme lead, Professor of Outdoor and Environmental Education, Institute of Science, Natural Resources and Outdoor Studies (IoSNROS), University of Cumbria)

Including CAPE AHE & TEAN’ (Dr Iain MacDonald, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria; Dr Amanda Chapman, Isabel Lucas, CAPE, University of Cumbria)

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Presentations Session 1

Community

Theme Lead: Dr Tracy Hayes (until December 2020) This theme takes a transdisciplinary approach to research participation and engagement in communities, with a focus on inclusion and finding effective ways to access and to listen to communities’ voice. It will complement and collaborate with community research, participation and engagement activities across the University and the surrounding communities. This includes community-based / community settings, schools, voluntary and community organisations, working closely with the cross-curricular network Participatory Action Research and Creative methods (PARCM). The aim is to develop and support a programme of researcher-community engagement research projects. 1.1

09.55-10.10

Authentic Family Learning: Real Life Reading and Writing in the Community

eaker:

, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria

This talk is based on the findings of a doctoral study where Authentic Learning (Peterson, 2007) and Critical Pedagogy (Kincheloe, 2008) were employed to support adult literacy in a community setting. Authentic Family Learning (Hardacre, 2018; Hardacre and Kinkead-Clark, 2019) involves literacy activities that are not simply based on real life interactions but, in fact, are real life interactions. This means that rather than looking at a text produced specifically for improving literacy, learners, instead, conduct real life activities such as writing letters to their child or creating classroom displays. This approach is particularly well-suited to community-based learning as the myriad of real-life literacy interactions learners are involved with provide rich opportunities for authentic literacy activities. Additionally, by making use of authentic interactions rather than classroom-only activities, such as worksheets and set texts, the family learning tutor limits the potential for inadvertently replicating the negative experiences many adult learners recall from their earlier education. This approach is underpinned by the work of New Literacy Studies scholars such as Street (1998), Barton and Hamilton (2000) who approach reading and writing from a sociocultural point of view. This positions literacy as more than the straightforward mastery of procedural skills but as a social practice which results from an evolving understanding of the domains in which a person reads and writes. It is also rooted in the Friereian (1968) idea that as we read and write the word we simultaneously read and write our world. The presentation will chart the use of Authentic Learning through an engaging description of the ups and downs of the doctoral study and will provide a range of resources for delegates to use in their own practice after the talk. References Barton, D., Hamilton, M. and Ivaniéc, R. (2000) Situated literacie : reading and writing in context. London: Routledge. Freire, P. (1970) Pedagogy of the Oppressed. New York: Herter and Herter. Hardacre, C. (2017) 'An Authentic Approach to Family Learning' in Stuart, K. and Maynard, L. (eds.) Empowerment and Agency. London: Routledge. Hardacre, C and Kinkead-Clark, Z. (2019) ‘Authentic Family Learning: Reconceptualizing Intergenerational Education Initiatives in Jamaica and England Through Cross-Cultural Conversation’, Journal of Childhood Studies, 44(5), pp. 85–102. Kincheloe, J. (2008) ‘The Vicissitudes of Twenty-First Century Critical Pedagogy’, Studies in Philosophy and Education, 27(5), pp. 399-404. Kreber, C., Klampfleitner, M., McCune, V., Bayne, S., & Knottenbelt, M. (2007) ‘What do you mean by “authentic”? A comparative review of the literature on conceptions of authenticity in teaching’, Adult Education Quarterly, 58(1), pp. 22 –43. Street, B. (2003) ‘What's "new" in New Literacy Studies? Critical approaches to literacy in theory and practice’, Current Issues in Comparative Education, 5(2), pp. 77-91. Biography Charlotte Hardacre is a Lecturer in the Department of Health, Psychology and Social Science at the University of Cumbria, where she has been a faculty member since 2014. She teaches a range of undergraduate modules on the Working with Children and Families degree programme, with a focus on intergenerational learning and cross-cultural education. She is also a family learning practitioner, facilitating courses in primary schools, in which children and their parents learn together. Charlotte completed her doctoral research in this field in order to understand the role of authenticity in family learning. She is the convener of the Practitioner Research and Creative Methods Hub at the University of Cumbria and a member of the Collaborative Action Research Network’s steering committee.


1.2

Using ethnographic approaches with multiple methods to investigate a complex and dynamic social process within a real-world context

10.10-10.25

This talk focuses on evaluation of ethnographic approaches applied in a recent case study research project, and aims to provoke a wider discussion around research in real-world, social contexts. Sustained immersion of the researcher in the field using participatory observation is a hallmark of ethnographic studies. However, contemporary ethnographic studies also often combine methods that focus on social interaction, maintain iterative interaction between different parts of the research, and acknowledge the role of researcher as a primary instrument in the research process (Walsh and Seale, 2018). I set out to design a flexible, qualitative approach that would offer opportunities to deepen understanding of the dynamic and complex interactions in a social context through richly detailed descriptions and explanations. I incorporated these reflexive, educational ethnographic approaches into a case study design to investigate the dynamic nature of the social and physical learning environment in a single primary school setting. My research was of a case study primary school that had been working to develop children’s beliefs about intelligence for several years prior to my engagement with them. The school staff were trying to develop an approach to teaching that encouraged the belief that intelligence is malleable (Dweck and Yeager, 2019). Problems that ignited my interest included possible misinterpretation of theory and the complexity of the influences of the social learning context. I intend to focus this talk on three methodological aspects of my experience in developing ethnographic approaches within this study; combining multiple methods, ethical challenges and reporting a non-linear research process. First, I will explain how I adopted a multimethod approach, to bring together information from a variety of sources in the real-world context, to investigate these problems from various angles and perspectives. However, there is a danger in this type of iterative, multimethod approach that the volume of field notes and other data can become overwhelming. I will share how I learned to create some order in this complex, problematic and sometimes contradictory process. I will then go on to highlight some of the other challenges that sustained engagement, developing relationships in the field and the fluid nature of the research design offered. I will share some of the complex ethical implications, in terms of both procedures and practices, that were provoked by my decision to adopt these ethnographic approaches (Guillemin and Gillam, 2004) and some of the strategies that helped me to navigate this terrain and report my findings. References Dweck, C. and Yeager, D. (2019) ‘Mindsets: A view from two eras’, Perspectives on Psychological Science, 14(3), pp. 481-496. Guillemin, M. and Gillam, L. (2004) ‘Ethics, reflexivity, and “ethically important moments” in research’, Qualitative Inquiry, 10(2), pp. 261-280. Walsh, D. and Seale, C. (2018) ‘Doing Ethnography’, in Seale, C. (ed.) Researching society and culture. 4th edn. London: Sage Publications Ltd., pp. 257-274. Biography Pippa Leslie worked in Primary and Early Years settings as a teacher, leader and advisor in the UK, and then in a consultancy role to communes in Scandinavia. She continues to work closely with schools in her current academic role and leads the Masters in Education Professional Practice programme at the University of Cumbria. Pippa’s particular research interests include collaborative professional learning, learner motivation and assessment. She is an established Philosophy for Children practitioner and believes in the importance of transformative learning through dialogue, reflection and enquiry.


1.3

Tolerance and mutual respect: How do teachers of Religious Education construct the values?

10.25-10.40

Speaker: Rebekah Ackroyd, PgR, Institute of Education, University of Cumbria Since 2011 the Teachers’ Standards have required teachers not to undermine fundamental British values, which include tolerance and mutual respect. Events including the Trojan Horse affair contributed to an increased interest in articulating a set of national values, which culminated in the production of guidance regarding how teachers could promote fundamental British values as part of SMSC in 2014. Concurrently, philosophers and theorists have debated the meanings of the terms tolerance and respect, with some including Anker and Afdal (2018) emphasising the contribution empirical research brings to such discussions. This paper presents the findings from a pilot study undertaken in January 2020 as part of a doctoral thesis. The paper focuses on exploring how teachers in this study construct the concepts of tolerance and mutual respect and looks at how their constructions compare to constructions of the values from within the philosophical literature. The data collected and discussed in this paper comprises: twelve lesson observations of RE and Citizenship lessons; semi-structured interviews with three RE teachers; and, three focus groups with pupils. Consultation of documents including schemes of work and evidence of activities related to promoting tolerance and respect has also contributed to developing an understanding of the context of the department and school. The research aims to construct a ‘thick description’ (Geetz, 1973) of understandings and practices in the case study school. This research offers an original insight into how two values, which form a key component of a national policy agenda, have been enacted at the local level. Existing research has focused on overall understandings and enactments of fundamental British values in schools. This research addresses a gap by exploring how teachers and pupils interpret and enact two of the values in the context of their school. Whilst the research does not seek to be generalizable, it aims to be of interest to RE and Citizenship teachers and policy makers. It is hoped that the findings may facilitate reflection on educators’ own understandings and practices of promoting tolerance and respect. By highlighting the complexity and potential contradictions inherent within promoting tolerance and respect, the research emphasises the contribution which empirical research, alongside philosophical debate and critical engagement with existing research, brings to improving the understanding of values education and social justice (Anker and Afdal, 2018). References Anker, T. and Afdal, G. (2018) ‘Relocating respect and tolerance: A practice approach in empirical philosophy’, Journal of Moral Education, 47(1), pp. 48–62. doi: 10.1080/03057240.2017.1360847. Department for Education (2011) Teachers’ Standards. Department for Education. Available at: https:// assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/665520/ Teachers__Standards.pdf (Accessed: 5 December 2019). Department for Education (2014) Promoting fundamental British values as part of SMSC in schools. Department for Education. Available at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/ attachment_data/file/380595/SMSC_Guidance_Maintained_Schools.pdf (Accessed: 5 December 2019). Geertz, C. (1973) The Interpretation Of Cultures. New York: Basic Books. Biography Rebekah Ackroyd is a full time PhD student in education based in Lancaster. She has a background as a teacher of Religious Studies and has worked in schools in Birmingham, Lincolnshire and currently teaches in Blackburn. Her research looks at how tolerance and mutual respect are understood and promoted by teachers of Religious Education (RE). More widely, her research interests include: Islamophobia, values education, educational leadership, educational inequality and creativity in teaching and learning. Twitter: @rebekahackroyd.


1.4

The use of Social Network Analysis (SNA) techniques to explore lived experiences 10.40-10.55 and gain authenticity through interviews with participants in qualitative, narrative, and human inquiry research’

Speaker: Lisa Reed, PgR, Institute of Education, University of Cumbria Capturing the authentic voices of participants through the research process can be problematic (Kvale, 1996). Michael Eraut (2000), through extensive research of workplace learning, highlights a problem arising in using semi-structured interviews alone: ‘they are more likely to refer to formal learning than non-formal learning’ (p.119). He suggests the use of mediating objects to help participants ‘…make sense of their experience and understand issues and alternative perspectives more clearly.’ (2000: p.120). The use of adopting techniques developed through SNA and network mapping in my research is an attempt to follow this advice and I draw on the work of researchers, such as Gauntlett (2007), who are developing thinking in related research methods involving mediating artefacts in interviews. References Eraut M. (2000) ‘Non-formal learning and tacit knowledge in professional work’, British Journal of Educational Psychology ,70, pp.113-136. Gauntlett, D. (2007) Creative Explorations: New approaches to identities and audiences. London: Routledge. Kvale, S. (1996) Interviews - An Introduction to Qualitative Research Interviewing. London: SAGE. Biography A PhD candidate within the Institute of Education at UoC who has been teaching Science in secondary schools for almost 20 years. Current research is focused on the constructs of capital, agency, and resilience which are explored through the professional relationships and social networks of middle leaders in schools.


Session 2 Agency and Autonomy in Outdoor Learning Theme Lead: Professor Heather Prince (and Deputy Theme Lead Tracy Hayes from January 2021) Outdoor learning involves facilitated experiences in the outdoors normally in formal and non-formal education. It includes outdoor and environmental education, adventure, recreation and physical activity for a range of outcomes such as health and wellbeing, personal, social and intellectual development, and enhanced relationships with nature and place. Outdoor learning is important on a global scale to build positive values and a sustainable future, particularly for children and young people. 2.1

11.35-12.00

Progression towards what? Autonomy as a goal for outdoor learning Dave Harvey, PgR (reach, capacity and potential for outdoor learning), IoSNROS, University of Cumbria. In the UK, the notion of progression in outdoor learning (OL) is almost taken for granted. The recently launched UK Outdoor Citizen campaign calls for ‘progressive experiences from birth to adulthood that build on each other to develop knowledge, skills and familiarity with the outdoors (Outdoor Citizens, 2020), and the English Outdoor Council (2015), in their Guide to High Quality Outdoor Learning, suggest progression as a core theme. However, progression is a contested term and in the field of OL can be interpreted in a range of different ways depending on time frame, potential outcomes and opportunities. A number of challenges are evident: clarifying and articulating what progression means in terms of OL; interpreting progression for practitioners working in a range of contexts; and understanding how the idea of progression can be utilised to lend coherency to the various sectors with an interest in the natural environment and learning and development. In this presentation I add to the debate by building on the OL progression model developed by Loynes (2019). I suggest that while human development is an appropriate high level goal, a more pragmatic approach is needed to achieve it and propose autonomy as that focus. Autonomy, the ability to choose to take part (or not) in worthwhile activity (Castillo, 2009) is the result of an empowerment process that involves the development of individual agency, i.e. the capacity to act amid the various structures present in one’s life (Maynard and Stuart, 2019). OL practitioners can contribute to this process whatever their particular objectives are by raising awareness of the opportunities that people have post-programme and increasing the skills and knowledge that they need to access them. By encouraging autonomy I argue that we are more likely to foster progressive experiences in the outdoors across the life course for personal, social and environmental benefit. References Castillo, M.R.M. (2009) Autonomy as a Foundation for Human Development: A Conceptual Model to Study Individual Autonomy. Working Paper MGSoG/2009/WP011. Available at: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm? abstract_id=1525630 (Accessed: 01/11/20). English Outdoor Council (2015) High Quality Outdoor Learning. Available at: https://www.englishoutdoorcouncil.org/wpcontent/uploads/2049-High-quality-outdoor-learning-web-version.pdf (Accessed: 16 October 2020). Loynes, C. (2019) A National Framework for Outdoor Experiences. Unpublished presentation. Ambleside: University of Cumbria. Maynard, L. and Stuart, K. (2018) Promoting Young people’s Wellbeing through Empowerment and Agency: A critical framework for practice. Abingdon: Routledge. Outdoor Citizens (2019) Outdoor citizens: about the campaign. Available at: http://outdoorcitizens.uk/ (Accessed: 18 October 2020). Biography Dave Harvey is currently studying for a PhD at the University of Cumbria looking at the reach, capacity and potential for outdoor learning. Prior to starting his PhD he was Head of Centres for Brathay Trust, leading and managing provision in three residential outdoor centres, and is a past Chair of the Association of Heads of Outdoor Education Centres. He is actively involved in developing the field of outdoor learning with the IOL and is a Foundation Governor at Langdale C of E Primary School.


2.2

Does using the outdoors during a teacher education programme impact future practice? (Lightning Talk and questions)

12.00-12.15

The amount of outdoor learning varies considerably from school to school. Teacher education programmes need to address the challenge of preparing student teachers to make the most of the learning potential of the outdoors. An outdoor classroom was designed and developed at a university campus as a resource for teacher education programmes. The classroom primarily supports planning and micro-teaching activity by student teachers, but is also used for visiting children and teachers. A survey of student teachers revealed their primary concerns for outdoor learning focussed on safety and weather, but resources and planning were also identified by them as possible constraints. Practical learning activities using the outdoor classroom were valued by student teachers. In student teacher interviews, following a teaching placement in schools, the students felt that the engagement with the outdoor classroom had increased their confidence for planning and teaching in the outdoors. Teaching is a complex activity and learning to teach requires ‘enactment’ of core practices such as planning and facilitating learning (Grossman, Hammerness and McDonald, 2009). Although enactment is largely achieved through work-based learning on school placements, some level of simulated enactment, for example through micro-teaching of peers, can be a powerful learning experience for student teachers. This is particularly important in outdoor learning where student prior experiences will vary considerably, where risk is perceived to be high, and where school placements vary considerably. References Council for Learning Outside the Classroom (2008) Benefits for early years of learning outside the classroom. Available at: https://www.lotc.org.uk/why/early-years/ (Accessed: 7 November 2020). Grossman, P., Hammerness, K. and McDonald, M. (2009) ‘Re-defining teaching, re-imagining teacher education’, Teachers and Teaching: Theory and Practice, 15(2), pp. 273-289. Humberstone, B. and Stan, I. (2011) ‘Outdoor learning: primary pupils’ experiences and teachers’ interaction in outdoor learning’, Education 3-13, International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, 39 (5), pp. 529-540. Rickinson, M., Dion, J., Tearney, K., Morris, M., Choi, M.Y., Sanders, D. and Benefield, P. (2004) A review of research on outdoor learning. London: National Foundation for Educational Research and King’s College. Waite, S. (2011) ‘Teaching and learning outside the classroom: Personal values, alternative pedagogies and standards’, Education 3-13: International Journal of Primary, Elementary and Early Years Education, 39(1), pp. 65-82. Biography Lisa MacGregor has been a senior lecturer in Education at the University of Cumbria since 2012. She has taught across a range of different education-focussed programmes, primarily 3-11 QTS teacher training, specialising in the Early Years. For the previous 20 years, she taught in primary schools across England, teaching children from the Early Years up to Year 6. Her main passions are getting children outdoors learning and developing student teachers' confidence to teach children outdoors.


2.3

Can teacher-student relationships through outdoor learning enhance student engagement?

12.15-12.30 (

Education may play a key role in supporting young people through the transition period between childhood and adulthood, and equip them with the skills, knowledge and capabilities to succeed in their future. Yet for many young people, they often question ‘What is the point of school? The current often oppressive environment of schools through narrowing views and curriculums, can lead young people to feelings of apathy and disconnection from school and learning. However, the literature I have reviewed shows that positive teacher-student relationships can assist young people who feel disengaged from school to not only achieve higher academically but to also develop socially and emotionally and to connect or re-connect with school and learning. Focusing on secondary schools and year 7’s, my research seeks to address the statement that: “fostering positive relationships between teachers and young people draws them into the processes of learning by promoting emotional well-being and resilience, thus creating positive learning environments”. By examining the formation of teacher-student relationships from the perspective of the students, my research is considering not only if it is possible to foster positive relationships between teachers and young people through the use of outdoor learning spaces, but what the extent and impact of these is. Two preliminary small data collections have already been carried out in two secondary schools. Both studies support my main study in informing the focus of further research to explore the context of the learning, nature of the activity and the environment in which it takes place (in relation to the development of positive teacher-student relationship), as well as the factors influencing the building of such relationships and the effect they will have on student engagement and learning. In order to further investigate teacher-student relationships and to provide insight into their formation and effects, my research is collecting data that allows for the voices of the students to be taken into account, along with feedback from teaching staff. Key questions: 1. How do young people view teacher-student relationships and their impact/effect on their engagement in learning? 2. From the viewpoint of young people, what difference does the use of outdoor learning spaces make to the teacher-student relationships compared to classrooms? 3. How can the use of outdoor learning spaces foster positive teacher-student relationships to improve student engagement in their learning? Biography I am Rebecca and I am a part-time PhD student at the University of Cumbria and a part-time secondary school teacher. My research came about from my experiences as a teacher and my frustrations that years of successive policies and new ideas don’t appear to have worked to engage students in learning or school, and that issues of disadvantage are still holding back some students. I have had a passion for the outdoors since I first joined the Brownies and would much rather be outdoors than sat at my desk. I volunteer as a Scout leader and Duke of Edinburgh leader and assessor and believe that the outdoors can be a motivator for young people, improving their skills, confidence, and relationships. I wanted to investigate using outdoor spaces rather than adventure activities within the school curriculum to improve engagement for young people through teacher-student relationships.


Session 3 Research and Practice in Higher Education Theme Lead: Dr Iain MacDonald and Deputy Theme Leads Dr Amanda Chapman and Isabel Lucas This theme explores aspects of Higher Education with a particular focus on Assessment in Higher Education and Teacher Education. Our two independent networks are ‘housed’ in this theme – Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) and Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN), both of which have an annual conference and an international network of members. Our theme provides a space to critically investigate, through rigorous research, all aspects of HE pedagogy. 3.1

Evaluation of A Peer Mentoring Scheme and the Impact on Third Year Students

12.00-12.15

Speaker: Rachel A. Newcombe, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria Background: The role of a newly qualified Radiographer has altered dramatically recently and graduates are working heavily with students from their first day as employees. This is happening before any formal mentor training is delivered. If a mentor does not have the appropriate skills to mentor, a barrier to successful mentorship exists (Straus, Chatur and Taylor, 2009). With this in mind, a peer mentoring scheme was developed whereby third year students mentored first year students from the Diagnostic Radiography programme. Methods: With institutional ethical approval, peer mentorship interactions were observed and two focus groups and one semi-structured interview were undertaken with the third year students to explore their experience of peer mentorship. Recorded data were transcribed verbatim and the process of thematic analysis allowed the generation and exploration of themes (O’Leary, 2017). Results: Data analysis revealed 3 key shared experiences of acting as a peer mentor; immediate benefits, benefits for future clinical role and challenges associated with acting as a mentor. Participants all agreed that acting as a peer mentor had been a beneficial experience which had aided their confidence with their current stage of study and they felt they had gained new, employable skills. Conclusion: Although the peer mentoring scheme was not without challenges, the opportunity for a final year student to experience being a peer mentor was overall beneficial to them and had a place within the Diagnostic Radiography curriculum. The research highlighted areas where the scheme can be improved which in turn should reduce the challenges future cohorts face. References O’Leary Z. (2017) The Essential Guide to Doing Research 3rd edition. London: Sage. Straus, S. Chatur, F. and Taylor, M. (2009) ‘Issues in the Mentor-Mentee Relationship in Academic Medicine: A Qualitative Study’, Academic Medicine, 84(1), pp. 135-139. Biography Following 10 years clinical practice as a Diagnostic Radiographer at a busy teaching hospital, specialising in student supervision, projectional imaging and CT, I made the career move into teaching in 2012 teaching undergrad anatomy and technique and post grad student supervision.


3.2

The Production Board: How introducing professional practice can enhance the learning outcome for students in a HE context

14.15-14.45

Speaker: Bettina Talbot, Institute of the Arts, University of Cumbria This short presentation looks at the Production Board as a summative or formative assessment tool in the first third of a module. Broadly speaking the Production Board is a presentation by students. They formally pitch their documentary project to a panel of tutors – the Production Board. The pitch is based on pre-production paperwork such as their proposal, research, schedule, budget, kit list and other relevant documents. With particular reference to the documentary module I am teaching, the Production Board, combined with producing a documentary for their module assignment, reflects an authentic assessment style replicating industry standards. The Production Board grew out of discussions with my line manager. The problem I was coming across when starting to lecture three years ago was that students did not fully engage in the different documentary production stages. Their main focus was to get out and film instead of developing their idea and scheduling it sufficiently to make the production work, which would follow industry procedure. In the following paper I will discuss the result from my action research into the effectiveness and acceptance by students. The survey suggests that most students understand the Production Board as a useful assessment tool in their production process. They recognise the authentic and industry-relevant nature of the Production Board. They also agree that the associated workload is adequate. One area that needs more attention according to the student feedback is the way group work is assessed. The questionnaire was answered by eleven of thirty-six students of the Documentary Module, which is just over 30% of those questioned. The survey was conducted in an open and anonymous way, outlining good practice statements and transparency before Covid-19 restriction came into effect. One of the limitation of the survey is that the participating students might display a certain proactive and critical awareness in general and hence are more prone to value critical assessments of their work and might not be representative of the entire student cohort. More engagement with the students needs to take place. In this presentation I will outline the creation and, at times, laborious implementation process of the production board. Biography With over 14 years of professional experience in the UK Broadcast Industry I worked on science and engineering documentaries mainly and a substantial period producing docu-drama segments for various documentary formats. Some of my filmography can be found on IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm4327666/ For the past three years I have been a part-time (0.5) lecturer in the Media Arts Department at the University of Cumbria. My main research and lecturing activities is in factual, non-scripted filmmaking. I work across the Wildlife Media and Film and TV course.


3.3

14.45-15.15

Using Online Methods and Social Media for Data Collection and Recruitment Speaker: Kelly Fielden, Institute of Health, University of Cumbria Aim Whilst conducting research online is not new (Lupton, 2020), the COVID -19 pandemic has meant that many researchers have been forced to move their data collection and recruitment methods to online platforms and formats. Punch (2014) suggests that since the beginning of the 21st century, there has been a shift in the way people think about and use the internet. He considers that individuals have moved from being passive users to instead, creators of content (Punch, 2014). The use of apps such as Facebook and Twitter have opened up the opportunity for people to establish connections with others worldwide. Recent times have seen significant growth in the use of social media and it is now common place in our daily lives (Social Media Research Group, 2016). In addition, online data collection methods such as virtual interviews can be regarded as a different way of collecting interview data. These methods, however, can be sometimes be viewed as a less than ideal substitute to the traditional face to face method (Braun and Clarke, 2013). The aim of this presentation is to outline some of the considerations needed when using online data collection and recruitment methods for conducting research. It will also discuss the use of Social Media in particular, Twitter, and demonstrate how it can be used to optimise participant recruitment. These methods will be discussed in the context of the researcher’s own PhD study and experiences when using these forms of virtual methods. This will include the use of online methods for a basic quantitative survey as well as conducting online qualitative interviews. It will also consider some of the strengths, challenges and ethical considerations that need to be taken into account when conducting research within these virtual environments. References Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2013) Successful qualitative research: A practical guide for beginners. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Punch, K. (2014) Introduction to social research: Quantitative and qualitative approaches. 3 rd edn. London: SAGE Publications Ltd. Lupton, D. (2020) Doing fieldwork in a pandemic . Available at: https://docs.google.com/document/ d/1clGjGABB2h2qbduTgfqribHmog9B6P0NvMgVuiHZCl8/edit?ts=5e88ae0a# (Accessed: 07 November 2020). Social Media Research Group (2016) Using social media for social research: An introduction. London: Government Social Research Profession. Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/social-mediaresearch-guidance-using-social-media-for-social-research (Accessed: 07 November 2020). Biography Kelly is a Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy within the Institute of Health at the University of Cumbria. Kelly has a Bachelor of Applied Science from the Queensland University of Technology and a Masters in Occupational Therapy from the University of Sydney in Australia. Kelly became a qualified Occupational Therapist in 2006. She began her occupational therapy career in paediatrics soon after graduating and remained working in paediatrics for the majority of her professional career until her appointment at the University of Cumbria in 2015. Kelly is a PhD student investigating the role of anatomy education in the 21st century within United Kingdom (UK) based occupational therapy education programmes. Her research is aiming to utilise a hermeneutic phenomenological approach to explore this topic from student, lecturer, practitioner and expert perspectives in the occupational therapy profession within the UK.


The LED Research Centre website is in its early stages of development but we will be working to populate it with examples of R&D (research and development) projects and useful resources for researchers and practitioners. Check it out at www.cumbria.ac.uk/LED Contact LED@cumbria.ac.uk for general enquiries or the Director, or research theme leads directly. Director LED Research Centre Professor Sally Elton-Chalcraft email: sally.elton-chalcraft@cumbria.ac.uk Theme Leads Community: Dr Tracy Hayes (until December 2020) email: tracy.hayes@cumbria.ac.uk Outdoor Learning: Professor Heather Prince email: heather.prince@cumbria.ac.uk (and Deputy Theme Lead Dr Tracy Hayes email: tracy.hayes@cumbria.ac.uk from January 2021) Research and Practice in Higher Education: Dr Iain MacDonald email: iain.macdonald@cumbria.ac.uk and Deputy theme leads: Dr Amanda Chapman email amanda.chapman@cumbria.ac.uk or Isabel Lucas email: Isabel.lucas@cumbria.ac.uk The LED Research Centre also hosts two international research networks: Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN): www.cumbria.ac.uk/TEAN Pippa Leslie pippa.leslie@cumbria.ac.uk Assessment in Higher Education network (AHE): https://aheconference.com Professor Pete Boyd pete.boyd@cumbria.ac.uk

16 December 2020 Shared-story approaches: you tell me yours, and I’ll tell you mine‌ Dr Tracy Hayes 20 January 2021 My presentation will cover the research undertaken during my doctorate: Dr Hugh Moore Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN) Conference Thursday 06 May 2021 & Friday 07 May 2021 On-line Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) Conference Wednesday 30 June 2021 to Friday 02 July 2021 Manchester


For further details www.cumbria.ac.uk/LED

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