How is everyone getting on?

I have completed feedback and a weekend of writing about WBL within HE awaits me. How is everyone getting on?

The best advice is not to take things to the last minute as that is when the slight 'panic' sets in and it is actually more difficult to deliver university or work-related products. Try to build in time to calmly proofread the final when you are well-rested and have had a bit of a visual break from it - then you can see the piece of work better and make more effective judgments.

Remember to send a digital back up copy of your work to your Academic Advisor next week. Send your paper copy into Avni - she does not need a digital copy.

Quick note from Blaxter,Hughes and Tight book

I hope everyone is doing well - just wanted to notes taht the Blaxter et al book, How to Research, has good sections on case studies and qualitative analysis.

p. 71 "This might be the reseracher's place of work...or another insittuion or organisation, a school... O it might be just one element of such an organization:aclass,a work team, a community group... case studies ar often used to illustrate problems or indicate good practice."

BUT in describign what you ar doing - make choices and back up those choices - it can't be everything.

p.205 is the qualitative analysis section - more important within the project - but folks might be able to say now generally about expectations and approaches - for example mixed, qualitative or quantitative...

PEAR

Many of you might have had the pes system for writiing in secondary school - point, example, analysis Danielle and I just invented PEAR point, example analysis and reserach (literature that you use to back up or explain you reasoning).

FYI I am in tomorrow and Wednesday , I am in Hitchin all day Thursday and working from home on Friday. Please send draft proposals in so that I can do them before the long weekend.

I also found a consent form to send out in Avni's email tomorrow, also so more marking criteria etc.

Cheers

Final Weeks DRAFT feedback and Passing in

Right - we are sending out an email via Avni tomorrow just to confirm HOW to hand in for the module and to remind folks of the procedures for passing in by the 6th of May.

PLEASE send me any Project Proposals in draft form for feedback AND the titles and rationale for degree if I have not gotten it - again for feedback.

Chickenshed Learning set is still on for Tuesday at 4pm at the Chickenshed. 

2 ways to hand in - in display folder so the pages are securely fastened - Peter mentioned he is not that fond of plastic sleeves, Rosemary has advised a slim-line folder as preferred. For me, work that is neatly printed and presented.


1. As in Guidlines - with the components in a folder in that order.- 1. in portfolio style from guidelines so Section 1 Learning blogs and Critical Commentary (taken from Blogs and printed out), Section 2  Research and DEvelopment Materials (Activities 1,2,and 7) Section 3 Project Prooposal, Ethical Issues and Ethical Release form signed by you Section 4 Rationale for Award Title  and Learning Agreement Cover Sheet (signed by you and employer or professional with whom you have discussed the project). If you use this structure - when referring to things in your proposal say - look at Activity 1 (which is in Section 2) rather than a particular Appendix.


2. Turn in he document as a Proposal with addtional bits in the one document as Appendices.

I would choose the 1st but others might want to make one document for convenience.

Info from Campus Session 5

Critial Commentary for Learning Diaries

Commentary using your learning diaries (blogs) – summing up and evaluating the entries using critical analysis (is there any learning theory or theory about professional practice or work based learning that might apply?) use examples…

Seeing progression of thoughts, confidence, ability, knowledge, etc. from the earlier part of the module to the conclusion AND providing evidence of this

Using comparisons – compared to learning in the workplace, the 3002 module, the BAPP network (how have you used it as a virtual community of practice?)  

The Final Project Proposal 

It is an explanation of what you are going to do for your project and how you are going to do it, with some expectations stated (you cannot predict the results before you carry out the project)

Beginning middle and end - structure is important – use headings for sections, summarise and use examples

Research element - well thought out and critically evaluated (approach, methods)

Ethics - always when dealing with human subjects…
Worker-researcher

The Final Project Proposal – progress!  

You have made a lot of progress in the module – celebrate this (sensibly and with evidence) in your Learning commentary and Project Proposal

Your BAPP work should be aligned with your professional work (both what you are doing now and aspirationally)  and organisation – or if you are self employed – may have implications for your community of practice or your professional network – this should have positive aspects. 

The Final Project Proposal - pitfalls 

 

Have vague and ill-defined aims
Lack detail about the research design
Be overly ambitious and unrealistic in terms of scope and timetable

(Fox, Martin and Green, Doing Practitioner Research, 2007)

FYI

Cinematographer
Anna Valdez Hanks
Tuesday 27th April 201  2-4pm   Rm138   Cat Hill

Anna Valdez Hanks is a freelance camera assistant working in film and television. She has graduated through the grades of the camera department and currently works primarily as a focus puller and operator. Her recent operating credits include the BBC's Occupation and Channel 4's Endgame.

In the past few years Anna has been the cinematographer on a number of short films, some of which have been screened at festivals such as Cannes, Berlin, and the Soho Rushes Festival, as well as on Channel 4. Anna works in film and HD.

PAGE 12 IN THE HANDBOOK GIVES A MORE EXPLICIT GUIDE FOR THE PROPOSAL

HAVE A LOOK AT PAGE 12-13

Intro
Aim
Your role as worker researcher
project feasibility
project report/product
References
Appendices - reflect the process of your learning

FYI MDX website for criteria when looking at academic writing

http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/regulations/allprogs/gradcrit.htm.

We are Level MU 3 (Level 6)  http://www.web.mdx.ac.uk/regulations/allprogs/modlevdes.htm

Learning objectives for the module p.12 in the Handbook.

Back from Easter - Reminder about last Campus Session

Right - back now. Nothing as exciting as Berlin... but I just went to a mini-conference at the Hendon Campus (Alan also attended a few events even though he is on holiday). The conference had to do with work-based learning and was useful becaseu it discussed work-based larning and professional practice awards with examples form other universities such as Derby and University of West England.

I am looking at research proposals people have sent in - if you have not sent a draft in yet - NOW is the time to send an email to discuss your progress. I am doing that with several people now. Refer to the Guidelines for what you need to pass in AND you should have some learning blogs up for alllto see. I am looking forward to seeing them myself - sorry I have had my head in the research books and the occasional chocolate easter egg. I went to see Darwin's 'pod' over the holiday and learned about how actors are sent audition scripts - over email for overnight consumption!

IN BRIEF this is what you should have ready by the 6th May.

Portfolio Part 1
Learning Diary (Blog entries 5 x 200 words)  1000 words (also can be audio-visual format
Critical Commentary on learning in this module (Blog) 500 words
Portfolio Part 2
Research and Development Materials (Activities 1, 2 and 7) 1500 words
Portfolio Part 3
Project Proposal 2500 words
Ethical Issues relating to Project Proposal 500 words
Ethics Release Form-Form to fill in
Portfolio Part 4
Rationale for your Award Title-500 words
Learning Agreement Cover Sheet-Form to fill in

I will also try  to get something up about qualitative analysis on my blog.

Reminder about the last Campus session - we will be going over the Learning Agreement, the rationale for the learning diary entries and the whole portfolio/proposal that you will be assessed on (see above).

Comment for questions or get in touch directly p.nottingham@mdx.ac.uk

Web sources for learning like academic writing skills

JUst found this site amongst the others - has some good resources for academic writing etc.

http://www.learnhigher.ac.uk/learningareas/academicwriting/resourcesforstudents.htm

The eureka moment - the 'ah ha' moment - and inspiration

For some of you who have a topic but are still working to zone in and turn that topic into a project - that has an approan and methods (i.e. what are you doing for your project?) here are some websites.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/science/science-news/3322773/Relax-the-brain-for-that-Eureka-moment.html

The eureka moment is when an idea comes to fruition. When I did work in a studio, I would sit and look at things I pinned up and let my mind wander a bit - along with concentrating by writing things through, brainstorming, and concept mapping (wrting the ideas that connect and take your ideas further).

Also the ah ha moment!

http://men.webmd.com/news/20040413/scientists-explain-aha-moments

http://www.thinkingmanagers.com/management/evaluating-business-ideas.php

You may have heard of Edward De Bono as a 'thinker' and lateral thinking.

http://www.edwarddebono.com/concept5.htm

This is a  blog from a designer - of interest to those designers among us...

http://www.gavinelliott.co.uk/2009/06/30-designers-1-question-where-are-you-most-inspired/