Faculty Day : Thoughts

Last week I was at the Faculty of Education (Anglia Ruskin) presenting at the Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference(largely an internal event).

The first session (by Professor Anne Campbell of Leeds Met) was largely focused on the integration of practitioner research with practice in HE. My own (with Ian Tindal on a remote link) session added a personal journey aspect to this theme. The afternoon was spent looking at Early Childhood research from Carole Aubery.

Some key thoughts then …

Anne Campbell introduced her session with definitions of work based learning – and articulated the definition as being – “learning situated in the context of practice”. This got Tim and I chatting about WBL definitions … My preference of definition lies with David Gray who locates work based learning as being through, at and for work. It may seem pedantic to look at definitions, but  I find Gray’s definition broader such that it can take account of learning which is perhaps more indirect and incidental yet applicable. It also fits fully with the Ultraversity model of learning where learners learn for their work (to improve their practice), through their work (their work is the object of research as a vehicle for learning) and at their workplace (the workplace is the real word laboratory).  ‘Through, at and for’ seems to offer a wider scope for WBL than does ‘situated’.

The day brought  discussion of  how to link research and practice. It was good to see some evidence of research that can be used to improve practice. This did cause me to think though, is research on practice led by the desire (or rather need) to produce research or the need to improve practice? As in most things I ask, the answer is probably both. Leading on from this is thought for the place of reflective practice. If research and practice inform each other, what is the role of reflective practice, it was rarely mentioned at the conference, the emphasis was on research in a more formal sense. But if the aim of the linking of activity is to improve practice then we must not down play reflective practice.

An incidental, though a significant incidental of the day was the connectedness that I felt – physically being in the Faculty and being able to instantly identify elements of my online practice which complement the norms located institution, is reassuring since it adds a level of certainty that we perhaps lack as a result of remoteness. Not really a tangible outcome, but a satisfying buzz.