Apologies, did not realise attachments did not send. Pasted in below:
The one hour undergraduate seminar is a key component of the BA Media Production/Film & TV Studies courses at Lincoln in the critical theory units. As such, it is a key investment by students and staff in teaching and learning.
The aim of this project is to research the views of students and teaching staff about the seminar and to seek suggestions for its improvement. In this case the 'seminar' will be considered to be all activity post-lecture and pre-final assessment; in other words preparation for the seminar by staff and students and post seminar activity.
The project's objectives will be to:
1) Gather student views on their preparation for seminars - particularly the use of online resources
2) Discuss with students their views on the learning potential and experience of the seminar
3) Ascertain their post-seminar activities - further reading, discussion, tutorials, email contact with seminar tutors and so on.
4) Discuss with critical studies staff their suggestions for improving seminars and their current experience. (This might also include making use of peer observation, where agreeable, to observe current practice.)
5) Compare critical studies practice at Lincoln with comparable Media Production courses in the U.K. e.g. Bournemouth University, University of Westminster and University of Bedfordshire.
Student and staff views will be sought through a series of focus groups. Both groups will be conducted by peers. Student groups will be led by level 2 or 3 students; five paid volunteers will be sought from students who either wish to use this research method in their Independent Study project or are already doing so. (In this way it is hoped that the research project itself will be both a way of promoting student led research and a learning opportunity specifically for those wishing to conduct audience research as part of coursework.) Staff focus groups will be led by the staff researcher, Tom Nicholls. At the end of the process a brief conference will be held to share the focus group experiences between staff and students. Should the take-up by students for focus groups be poor, a questionnaire will be substituted as a means of gathering data and opinions.
In parallel with these activities, a number of visits will take place to comparable institutions and courses to consider what strategies are employed elsewhere in the sector.
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From: Aspects of academic research & teaching within Media on behalf of Tom Nicholls
Sent: Wed 06/05/2009 21:32
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Critical Theory Seminars in Undergraduate Media Practice Courses
As part of a research project at the School of Media, University of Lincoln, I
would like to visit a number of Institutions offering Undergraduate Media
Practice courses during May, June & July. The day visits would be to discuss how theory
seminars are conducted on Media Practice courses with staff, and if available,
students. For the purposes of this study 'seminars' are taken to be all
activities post-lecture or large group session and pre-assessment task.
The project's aims are to research the views of students and teaching staff
about the seminar and to seek suggestions for its improvement.
I've attached an outline of the aims and objectives of the study.
It would be very useful to compare pedagogic practice across the country.
Please contact [log in to unmask] if you are interested.
Tom Nicholls
Senior Lecturer in Media Theory,
School of Media,
University of Lincoln
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