Challenges in Interdisciplinary Learning

This event offers an opportunity to explore interdisciplinary learning from different perspectives. Professor Pam Shakespeare from the Profession Learning Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning, The Open University, will open the day. Developing a practice curriculum is complex, needing to recognise that practice involves many stakeholders and that any interdisciplinary learning needs to acknowledge this and to be understood to be useful by a spectrum of people. Antonia Clews, Bath Spa University, will speak on the role of the teacher practitioner.This session will explore some of the techniques used within10by10* to work with teacher-practitioners  – those who teach creative practice and work in [creative] industry, and some of the key findings.There appears to be a lack of criticality about the teacher-practitioner role, a lack of support to enhance the relationship, and a difficulty in articulating the processes involved in working across the boundaries between practice and teaching; where one site of practice and its context may inform the other.  *10by10 is an educational research and development project for teacher-practitioners supported by Artswork [Bath Spa University¹s Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in the creative industries] and the ADM HEA 10by10: http://10by10.info  Kate Irving, University of Chester, will speak on work-based learning as interdisciplinary study. This workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to consider how work based learning (WBL) can provide valuable opportunities for integrating learning from both disciplinary areas and the “curriculum” of the workplace. The session will also discuss how assessment can be designed to enhance student interdisciplinary learning in this context. Participants will be invited to consider these ideas in relation to their own experience of undertaking and delivering WBL. Stephen Powell, University of Bolton, the Institute for Educational Cybernetics, will speak on inquiry- based learning. The session will offer a case study of a cross-institutional initiative to develop courses that use inquiry based approaches to learning focused on student’s workplaces and practices.  The model developed, including the role of the teacher in negotiation of learning contracts, facilitating online community, and patchwork text assessment will be described and discussed. Di Stoncel, University of Northampton, will consider interdisciplinary learning on, and beyond, PGCerts. This event will take place at the University of Bolton in the Deane Suite Boardroom – http://www.bolton.ac.uk/AboutUS/CampusMaps.aspx The price for this event is £95 and this includes lunch and refreshments.