Edublog

A bespoke blog to accompany a presentation I am giving at the TILT Festival of Learning

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Play galvanises creativity, inspires action and triggers different ways of building knowledge. It’s also an insurrectionary force that challenges bureaucratised and siloed thinking and practice

Brookfield, 2019

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Busily putting the final touches to the Powerpoint presentation ...

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Students should be encouraged to run with their curiosity, feel at ease in a state of questioning, take in different perspectives, examine things from all angles, challenge assumptions., and actively listen

Burvall & Ryder, 2017:56   

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A longer description

There is a long-standing assumption about formal education; a belief held by policy-makers and those working in higher education that studying is an erstwhile endeavour with little time for fun. As Professor Bill Lucas eloquently observes ‘at university, it is all too easy for a learner’s spirit  of enquiry, playful experimentation and curiosity to be stifled by a  misplaced perception that ‘student engagement’ and ‘student satisfaction’ will only be achieved if courses are delivered in unplayful ways’ (cited in James & Nerantzi, 2019:vii).  

This serious, rule-bound version of learning can be manifest in  numerous ways: from the large group lecture that encourages passive learning,  to the silence of the examination hall, or the conventional small group seminar, predicated on students’ ability to read and be able to discuss an often impenetrable journal article. Moreover, with the marketisation of higher education, there is a growing seriousness of learner’s intent as the amount  of their financial investment becomes apparent.

These (admittedly) thumbnail sketches still hold true in some university  settings, shaped by the conviction that the primary function of the academy  is ‘to educate, not entertain’. And yet there is an emerging body of  scholarly literature, and innovative practitioners across the sector, demonstrating  that academic practice can and should do both (Burvall & Ryder, 2017; James  & Nerantzi, 2019).

This hands-on workshop seeks to explore what happened when I allowed my  final year undergraduates to take responsibility for their learning in a  playful way, reimagining the classroom as a ludic space for empowering  practice. I intend to share some insights into how reconsidering my own  pedagogy has transformed my classroom practice, principally drawing upon a World  Café constructivist style of teaching (Hindley, 2019).

Underpinning this philosophy is the conviction that the best ideas and  solutions often occur in relaxed environments (for example, in a coffee shop  or waiting at a bus stop) outside of regimented, formal structures (Estacio  & Karic, 2015). The World Café attempts to recreate this informal setting  (often through the use of music, artefacts, games, food and drink) with  participants actively engaged in a series of small group conversations with  the intent of transforming individual understanding into something collective  and more valuable (Prewitt, 2011).    

Based on my experiences and the feedback provided by students, I see  potential in asking questions about the wisdom of the discursive forms of the  academy (Wharton, 2013) and whether this is indeed the best way to teach  millennial and Gen Z students (Strawser et al. 2018). By facilitating student-led  forms of learning that emphasise play and creativity in an informal and inviting  environment, it is my contention that students are able to engage in ways  that are stifled by a more traditional and/or conventional academic seminar  (Hindley, 2019).

Adeline Koh (2014) writes that ‘play is serious business’. This  workshop seeks to explore that assertion and run with it, considering ways in  which it can be applied to today’s educational environments.

 References:

Burvall, A., and Ryder, D.  (2017). Intention: Critical Creativity in the Classroom.

Estacio, E.V., and Karic, T. (2015). The  world café: an innovative method to facilitate reflection on  internationalisation in higher education. Journal of Further and Higher  Education. DOI: 10.1080/0309877X.2015.1014315.

Hindley,  D. (2019). What does internationalisation mean at a disciplinary level? Some  critical reflections on the design and delivery of an international  perspectives module involving final year undergraduate Sports Education  students, in Kirk, S., Newstead, C., Gann, R., and Rounsaville, C. (eds.).  (2019). Internationalising the Curriculum: Internationalisation at home  and engaging academic staff. Nottingham: Nottingham Trent University. http://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/35939  

James,  A. & Nerantzi, C. (2019). The Power of Play in Higher Education:  creativity in tertiary learning. Milton Keynes: Palgrave Macmillan.

Koh,  A. (2014). The Political Power of Play. Hybrid Pedagogy. Available at:  http://hybridpedagogy.org/political-power-of-play/

Prewitt, V. (2011). Working  in the café: lessons in group dialogue. The Learning Organisation,  18(3): 189-202.

Strawser, M.G. (eds.).  (2018). Transformative Student Experiences in Higher Education: Meeting  the needs of the twenty-first century student and modern workplace,  London: Lexington Books.

Wharton,  R. (2013). Building in the humanities isn’t new. Hybrid Pedagogy.  Available at : http://hybridpedagogy.org/building-in-the-humanities-isnt-new/

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Abstract

What has a banana costume, Jenga, modelling clay, a cake with Mexican flag icing, traditional Argentine music, and beer pong all got in common? All will be revealed in this workshop at the TILT Festival of Learning that aims to explore how by facilitating student-led forms of learning that emphasise play and creativity in an informal and inviting environment, students are able to engage in ways that are stifled by a more traditional academic seminar.

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TILT Festival of Learning

Yesterday I attended the annual TILT Festival of Learning. Here are my (in no particular order) five ‘takeaways’ from the event:

1. Visual imagery works much more effectively than text in Powerpoint (Note to self: I need to master some software than enables me to put this into practice).

2. Professor Sally Brown is a connoisseur of ice cream flavours (and colours) a la the UKPSF framework.

3. That we need to think carefully about the discourse of plagiarism (that is replete with criminal language such as witness statements and punishment) and to place greater emphasis on supporting students with learning academic literacy than on the detection of academic misconduct.

4. Why do we keep returning to the default of the academic essay which many students find alienating and doesn’t allow them to articulate effectively their thoughts and ideas? We saw some excellent examples of ‘Regenring’ at NTU, including a double-sided jigsaw.

5. Academic articles contain more bananas and pomegranates than apples and pears.  

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Large enrolment courses in higher education are the bane of active learning pedagogy. It is in this environment that the traditional lecture seems most appropriate, yet even the most engaging lecture is limited in how much it can support and facilitate widespread student involvement and interaction.

Trees & Jackson (2007:21)

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‘Yay! Not another academic essay!’ Blogging as an alternative academic genre

I wrote about my experience of using blogs in the classroom with a fellow NTU colleague, Lisa Clughen. You can read the fruits of our labours in a special issue of the Journal of Writing in Creative Practice, which is hot off the press. You can read the abstract here.

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An excellent example of using Twitter as a backchannel to facilitate discussion

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Busily working away in Boots Library on the presentation ...

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Our understanding of learning has expanded at a rate that has far outpaced our conceptions of teaching. A growing appreciation for the porous boundaries between the classroom and life experience, along with the power of social learning, authentic audiences, and integrative contexts, has created not only promising changes in learning but also disruptive moments in teaching

Bass (2012:1)

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A longer description

The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) has become an important field of inquiry, focusing on the development of new and critical pedagogic approaches in higher education (Wood & Cajkler, 2018). And yet, Boshier (2009:2) claims 'SoTL lurks at the periphery of university life and discourse', adding that most academic staff do not know what it means. 

This paper is a response to such a provocation, reflecting upon my experiences as a sport sociology lecturer experimenting with the use of educational technologies (digital backchannels, blogs, and Student Response Systems (SRS)) designed to enhance student interaction. 

Literature on the use of social media and SRS in higher education tends to provide descriptive narratives of how the approaches were used and discussion of the assumed pedagogical benefits in the classroom, typically a lecture theatre as an efficient means of accommodating large cohort sizes. Research suggests that the effectiveness of the lecture as a means of teaching and learning is impaired as, inter alia, it promotes passivity and diminished concentration on the part of the student (Biggs & Tang, 2007). 

Notwithstanding these challenges, Cavanagh (2011) believes that if collaborative learning and active student engagement can be fostered, then higher student motivation and heightened critical thinking skills will result. Terrion and Aceti (2012) similarly stress the importance of student engagement to learning, before proposing the use of technology as a means to enhance student engagement. Here the expanding literature indicates that SRS, digital backchannels, and lecturers’ use of social media platforms have the potential to positively impact the classroom environment and student learning (Clinton, 2018; Dervan, 2014; Howell et al. 2017; Quinn, 2017). Benefits included: increased attendance, increased attention, a nonjudgemental opportunity for students to share their opinions (due to anonymity), and increased engagement. 

In light of such reported advantages, a number of questions arise. Why isn’t the application of such techniques more widespread? Critically, does the theory actually work in practice? And, from the perspective of the instructor, what are the practical challenges of embedding new technologies in the classroom? This paper aims to provide some tentative answers to these, based on my own reflections ‘playing’ with a triad of digital technologies, as well as considering the contribution to student engagement and learning. 

References: 

Biggs, J. and Tang, C. (2007). Teaching for Quality at University. 3rd edition. Maidenhead: Open University Press. 

Boshier, R. (2009). Why is the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning such a hard sell?, Higher Education Research and Development, 28:1, 1-15. 

Brooks, K., Nichols, C., and Priebe, S. (2004). ‘Remediation, Genre, and Motivation: Key concepts for teaching with weblogs’, Into the Blogosphere, June 2004. Available from: https://conservancy.umn.edu/bitstream/handle/11299/172833/Brooks_Remediation%20Genre%20and%2 0Motivation.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y [19 March 2018]. 

Cavanagh, M. (2011). Students’ experiences of active engagement through cooperative learning activities in lectures, Active Learning in Higher Education, 12:1, 23-33. 

Clinton, V. (2018). Reflection versus Extended Quizzes: Which is Better for Student Learning and SelfRegulation? Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, 18:1, 1-10. 

Dervan, P. (2014). Enhancing In-class Student Engagement Using Socrative: A Report, All Ireland Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, 6:2, 1801-18013. 

Gehlen-Baum, V., Pohl, A., and Bry, F. (2011). Assessing Backstage – A Backchannel for Collaborative Learning in Large Classes: a formative study on its usability and influence on students‘ questioning. Centre for Academic Development and Quality Conference proceedings at 14th International Conference on Interactive Collaborative Learning, Piestany, Slovakia, 21st -23rd September 2011. 

Hall, R.H., Thomas, M.L., Collier, H.L., and Hilgers, M.G. (2005). A Student Response System for Increasing Engagement, Motivation, and Learning in High Enrolment Lectures. Conference proceedings at the 11th Americas Conference on Information Systems, Omaha, USA. August 11th -14th 2005. 

Howell, P.B., Sheffield, C.C., Shelton, A.L., and Vujaklija, A.R. (2017). Backchannel discussions during classroom observations: Connecting theory and practice in real time, Middle School Journal, 48:2, 24-30. 

McGuire, M. (2017). ‘Reblogging as Writing: the role of Tumblr in the writing classroom’. In Bryant, K.N. (ed.). Engaging 21st Century Writers with Social Media, Hershey: IGI Global, 116-131. 

Quinn, R. (2017). Clickers in the Classroom: Study into the use of interactive quizzes in a practical environment, The Journal of Academic Development and Education, January 2017. 

Selwyn, N. and Stirling, E. (ed.). (2018). Social Media and Education: Now the Dust has Settled. London: Routledge. 

Smith, L.A., Shon, H., and Santiago, R. (2011). Audience Response Systems: Using ‘Clickers’ to Enhance BSW Education, Journal of Technology in Human Services, 29:2, 120-132. 

Terrion, J.L, and Aceti, V. (2012). Perceptions of the effects of clicker technology on student learning and engagement: a study of freshmen Chemistry students, Research in Learning Technology, 20:2, 1-11. 

Wood, P. and Cajkler, W. (2018). Lesson Study: A collaborative approach to scholarship for teaching and learning in higher education, Journal of Further and Higher Education, 42:3, 313-326.

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Abstract

Has the comment ‘lectures could be more interactive’ ever appeared on your end of module evaluations? Have you toyed with the idea of trying something different but returned to the status quo because of time constraints, or fear of failure? My presentation at the TILT Festival of Learning (Tues 26th June) connects my experiences as a sport sociology lecturer with a term of experimenting with backchannels, blogs, and student response systems.