> ----------
> From:         Martin Barker
> Reply To:     Martin Barker
> Sent:         Tuesday, June 11, 2002 16:54 PM
> To:   [log in to unmask]
> Subject:      LTSN research project
>
>  <<Questionnaire1.doc>>
> Dear colleagues
>
> This message is particularly directed to those of you who are involved in
> teaching film modules or courses within British Higher Education.  I am
> writing to ask if you would be willing to help with a small research
> project for which I have just received a little bit of funding from the
> Art, Design & Communication Learning and Teaching Subject Network.  The
> aim
> of the project is to explore ways of handling the old problem of the clash
> which is so often experienced between students' private experiences of and
> involvements with films, and the kinds of academic questioning and
> analysis
> which we seek to involve them in, at University. With this message you
> will
> find a short questionnaire, which I would greatly appreciate you or
> appropriate colleague(s) completing for us.
>
> This is a problem which we have regularly experienced over many years, as
> (we know) have many others, and we are looking for ways in which it can be
> effectively managed and the two kinds of knowledge set into a productive
> relationship with each other.  It is obviously important that, for the
> sake
> of contrast, the way we do this experimentally here is different from any
> attention you give to it  so that we can investigate what differences, if
> any, are introduced by the 'experimental condition'.   For that reason, I
> can't here lay out how exactly we will be attempting this.  However, once
> the research is completed, we have committed ourselves in our application
> to the LTSN both to publish the methods we have tried out, and to share
> all
> the results in detail with the collaborating institutions.
>
> We are in fact looking for three institutions in all whose first year
> intake is large enough to generate statistics which could be compared with
> our own (we expect to have over 200 students on our first year Film
> course,
> but are not necessarily assuming numbers as large as this, on yours).  The
> project, which will last one year, would involve a small amount of
> cooperation on your part in encouraging students on your first year Film
> course, to fill in a pretty simple web-based questionnaire, whose web
> address we would supply to you.  We would need them to complete two
> questionnaires, one at the beginning of the year, the other at the
> end.  And obviously it matters to us to get as high a rate of returns as
> possible, for the sake of maximum validity.
>
> This is honestly all we would ask of you, other than asking if we could
> swap copies of the details of our respective first year Film courses, so
> that we could look at the ways in which your first year curriculum
> addresses, if at all, this issue of what we have called 'vernacular
> involvements' in film.   No costs will fall to you, except the (hopefully
> small) time-cost of explaining to your students what this is all about (we
> would send a few briefing notes to help with this), and encouraging them
> to
> complete the questionnaires.
>
> I am obviously keen to get arrangements set up as soon as possible, and I
> would very much appreciate an early reply to this message.  I will be
> happy
> to discuss the idea further with you, if you want more information, my
> email and phone numbers are as below.
>
> Many thanks in anticipation.
>
> Martin Barker
> Professor of Film & Television Studies
>
> email@: [log in to unmask]
> phone: 01970-622369 (work)
>          01970-625694 (home)
>
>
>
>
>
>