Hi Nick,
Thanks for this - I like your thinking, as ever, and your language. I too have reservations about 'provision' as I think that in some contexts it can leave the *recipient* very passive (or otherwise demanding in a problematic sort of way!) - disempowered, rather than creative, critical agents. So yes, seeing the university as a host who offers space and stimulus for generating exciting things is, for me, a great shift. University as a stage, or better, theatre in the round?
To this end, I'm hoping that our workshop might begin with a freewrite or small group listening activity on the question 'what really matters to you about university?'. This might get people thinking about it at that level in order to then help us consider how our practice with students makes manifest our ideals for the institution.
Best,
Eloïse
Sent from my Windows Phone
________________________________
From: Nicholas Bowskill
Sent: 29/06/2013 15:27
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: criticality and creativity - 'University as Platform'
Hi,
Been thinking about this for some time. I started thinking about the idea of creativity and criticality at the institutional level as well. The institution is after all part of the infrastructure and context within which change is to happen. This led me to the idea of the 'University as a Platform.' I've written an opener on this on the Shared Thinking blog (more already in the pipeline and grateful for any feedback on this list).
See http://www.sharedthinking.co.uk/archives/490
The key idea is that we are no longer just 'providers' of courses. We are instead hosts for creative acts and the sharing of different perspectives. This is in the same way as YouTube can be seen as a facility for others to develop and share creations. I see both as facilitators of generative development and social criticality.
This is what I had in mind when we created Student-Generated Induction. Here is the idea that the induction & transition is changed to be a space for social exchange with the university as a platform facilitating that exchange of perspectives as a creative act of criticality. This is one in which students question their social and shared course/institutional context.
Nick
Sent from my iPad
On 27 Jun 2013, at 16:00, John Hilsdon <[log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>> wrote:
Hi Eloise
Coming late to this … I think a good place to start would be with your participants. Operating on a Learning Development principle, my suggestion would be to offer a very brief introduction and then ask folk to generate definitions of creativity and criticality in terms of their own disciplines (in your area of specialism, what do you understand by the terms … ?) - and then think about the practices supporting criticality and creativity in which they are involved . It might then be worth getting them to differentiate between ‘ideal’ notions and what they observe in practice (e.g. among their students and/ or colleagues) … then perhaps suggest they think about what would be needed to nudge practice more towards their ideals
V best
John
From: learning development in higher education network [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Eloise Sentito
Sent: 18 June 2013 17:21
To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>
Subject: criticality and creativity
Hi all,
I’ve been asked to co-facilitate an all-day workshop for staff here at Plymouth on criticality and creativity in a fortnight and I’d like to garner some ideas from you. I think we want to get people to question these notions – does that go without saying? (Does anything go without saying?)
I’m particularly interested in political and philosophical contexts, e.g. ‘critical’ as in critical theory; ‘critical’ as in post-Enlightenment reasoning (ref our very own Gary Riley-Jones); ‘critical’ as in heresy; ‘critical’ as in – what else? and wondering about interdisciplinarity and Renaissance thinking/ways of being (ref our very own Gary Riley-Jones and Stella Cottrell)…
Although these and DPR give me some fertile ground for sowing seeds in, I’m not quite sure where to start. Anyone?
Eloïse
Learning Development with Plymouth University
www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk<http://www.learningdevelopment.plymouth.ac.uk/>
________________________________
This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.
________________________________
This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.
________________________________
This email and any files with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the recipient to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient then copying, distribution or other use of the information contained is strictly prohibited and you should not rely on it. If you have received this email in error please let the sender know immediately and delete it from your system(s). Internet emails are not necessarily secure. While we take every care, Plymouth University accepts no responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan emails and their attachments. Plymouth University does not accept responsibility for any changes made after it was sent. Nothing in this email or its attachments constitutes an order for goods or services unless accompanied by an official order form.
|