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The call for session proposals for this event has been extended to allow for additional parallel sessions.  The deadline for proposals and delegate registrations is now Wednesday 19 May 2010.

Colloquium: Teaching Philosophical and Religious Studies ‘Beyond Boundaries’

Wednesday 9 June 2010

Baker Hall, City North Campus, Birmingham City University 

Confirmed speakers include:

·         Bob Brecher (Director of the Centre for Applied Philosophy, Politics and Ethics, University of Brighton) - ‘Philosophy outside Philosophy’
·         Stuart Hanscomb (University of Glasgow, Dumfries Campus) - ‘Teaching critical thinking’ 
·         Kate Loewenthal (Emeritus Professor of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London) - ‘Research, funding and publication in religious studies and philosophy’
·         Bernard Moss (Director of the Centre for Spirituality and Health, Staffordshire University) - ‘Teaching the unteachable? the challenge of teaching spirituality in secular contexts’

A great deal of the learning and teaching of philosophical and religious studies (PRS) in higher education takes place outside of ‘core’ PRS departments – for instance, by means of specialist PRS courses which are an element of other degree programmes (e.g. ethics for medical students) or PRS components in interdisciplinary programmes (e.g. area studies).  However, recent research by the Subject Centre for PRS revealed that many academics teaching PRS outside ‘core’ departments suffer from a sense of isolation from the PRS community and lack of discipline-specific support.  

[For further details of the Subject Centre’s ‘PRS beyond boundaries’ project, please visit our website: http://prs.heacademy.ac.uk/projects/beyond_boundaries/]
 
This one-day colloquium event is an opportunity for those who teach PRS subjects in such contexts to come together to discuss the distinctive challenges and opportunities of teaching ‘PRS beyond boundaries’, and to explore how these might be addressed most effectively.  The event will provide an opportunity to:

·         network with and learn from colleagues working in comparable situations

·         share experiences, ideas, and effective practices

·         inform and influence future support for ‘PRS beyond boundaries’ teaching and teachers

The event will also include a chance to find out more about funding opportunities available from the Subject Centre to support development work in this field.

Call for proposals

Proposals are invited for papers / workshops / presentations / discussion groups – we particularly welcome proposals for interactive sessions which will explore practical concerns, diverse approaches and solutions in the learning and teaching of PRS subjects in a ‘beyond boundaries’ context.  Topics may include (but are not restricted to): 
·         trends and ‘hot topics’ in teaching ‘PRS beyond boundaries’ (for example)
o   critical thinking
o   education for sustainable development
o   globalisation, citizenship, ethics
o   spirituality
·         distinctive challenges, rewards and benefits of teaching PRS (for example)
o    in an interdisciplinary context
o   to non-PRS students
o   as a non-PRS specialist
·         methods for teaching and assessing ‘PRS beyond boundaries’ – what works and what doesn’t?
Sessions will be 45 minutes in length; at least half of this time should be given over to discussion.
 
To discuss your interest in contributing to this event, or to submit a proposal, please contact Dr Clare Saunders on: [log in to unmask]  Submissions should include your name, email address and institution along with a 150 – 200 word description of your proposal. Please indicate your preferred session format (workshop, symposium, roundtable discussion, presentation, etc.).  The extended deadline for proposals is Wednesday 19 May 2010.
 
After the event, contributors will be offered the opportunity to write up their session for consideration for publication on the Subject Centre’s website and/or in our journal, Discourse: Learning and Teaching in Philosophical and Religious Studies. 
 
Those submitting proposals are also asked to register via the URL below. 
Event registration
This event is provided at no charge to those involved in teaching and learning in UK HE.  A £25 fee will be charged to non-UK HE delegates; please note this fee will also be charged for non-attendance and late cancellations (after Wednesday 26 May 2010).  The deadline for registration is Wednesday 19 May 2010.
 
Lunch and refreshments are included. Places will be allocated on a first come first served basis. 
 
This event is organised by the Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies and sponsored by Birmingham City University. 
 
For more details, or to register, visit http://prs.heacademy.ac.uk/view.html/prsevents/471
 

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