LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS IN CREATIVE AND ACADEMIC PRACTICESREFLECTIVE REVIEWEDU130 PGCHE Assignment 9 by Darren Whittington 08/15 EVIDENCING AREA OF ACTIVITY 1: Design and plan learning activities andor programmes of studyThrough the implementation of the learning theories learnt throughout the PGCHE I have been able to better contextualise the modules I teach, align the MIFs more appropriately with the learning outcomes and deliver briefs, lectures and seminars that are more engaging for students(evidenced in Assignment 3 MICRO TEACH K1-4 & V 1,3). The theories have also helped transfer this knowledge through industry engagement giving agencies a better understanding of how to structure and design briefs that engage in the learning process leading to quality feedback for students(evidenced in Assignment 2 ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK 4 K2-5 & V 1-4) and also approach the type of agencies that want to engage in the process of developing the learning journey that will stay in touch with the creative industries future requirements.Due to increased cohort sizes on the horizon I have also implemented technological solutions to help deliver lectures and seminars that require industry engagement(evidenced in Assignment 8 SYNOPTIC DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNING & TEACHING ACTIVITY 5 K1-6 & V 1-4) and feedback to help alleviate time constraints on visiting lecturers and give students greater ownership of the engagement process and create an environment that encourages deeper learning prior to a lecture improving the contextual understanding of the sessions and in turn the absorption of understanding and questioning of the knowledge transferred.EVIDENCING AREA OF ACTIVITY 2: Teach andor support learningI have developed a mentoring approach to the way I teach, with a priority on giving the learner more ownership of their learning journey which has in turn developed better engagement by the student and absorption of knowledge. This has been balanced with a greater understanding of the NUS Charter and the concerns and priorities of students with the way they are assessed through formative feedback in a timely manner and the studies into timely feedback(evidenced in Assignment 4 BEST PRACTICE K1,3,5 & V 1,3,4).Implementing the Equalities Act 2010 has influenced the way I now approach the crit environment in a much more inclusive way(evidenced in Assignment 5 INCLUSIVITY K1-6 & V 1-4), taking into account the recognised disabilities and restructuring of sessions that need to be more open and student led, here the mentoring approach discussed by Barrett has helped develop a better way of working with students who have disabilities to encourage them to ask questions and take-part in a forums of open debate with one to one tutorials both online and in-class to support it.Over the past year I have also developed stronger ties with industry using their employees as mentors for the creative courses I teach on, helping students develop new life skills and relationships that will help elevate their understanding of the projects set and an ability to contextualise them within the real world environment. This includes agency visits to London, a highly successful placement scheme and visiting lecture series developed from the relationships created by the course and the students alike(evidenced in Assignment 8 SYNOPTIC DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNING & TEACHING ACTIVITY 5 K1-6 & V 1-4)EVIDENCING AREA OF ACTIVITY 3: Assess and give feedback to learnersDeveloping the quality of feedback in a timely manner has been a priority in my teaching. A core aspect of this is giving the students structured points of reference to reflect upon by developing new frameworks to help engage industry in nurturing talent with a structure to the commentary on student work. This has been an in-depth discovery phase for my teaching based on peer observations and a key part in knowing the learners have learnt, creating new ways to record feedback and structure projects that build in formative feedback at key stages whether using peer evaluation or tutorial based sessions (evidenced in Assignment 2 ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK 4 K2-5 & V 1-4). Feedback has also transcended technology through peer led formative assessment and created new ways of recording feedback that enhances the understanding for students in how to use feedback as a point of reflection and development(evidenced in Assignment 7 CRITICAL EVALUATION OF TEACHING PRACTICE 4 K1-6 & V 1-4).The over-arching aspect of the development of formative feedback has been to encourage experimentation, analysis and evaluation throughout the learners journey and enhance the student experience with clear guidelines on how work is assessed and to structure modules more clearly around the learning outcomes for the learner and rewriting these outcomes as a matrix that can be used across the School of Communication that becomes a point of reference and guidance on expectations for every element of the module, improving the quality of the assessment by all teachers, VLs & ALs following the QAA standards of practice.EVIDENCING AREA OF ACTIVITY 4: Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidanceWith increased cohort sizes on the horizon the way we teach will need to change and as such the learning environment needs to adapt to cater for it to ensure the quality of feedback and contact time required. Through the PGCHE I have developed new strategies to counter this using technological solutions to create online communities that are encouraged to share knowledge and pro-actively approach industry and originators of knowledge to self direct study and curate their own learning strategies(evidenced in Assignment 8 SYNOPTIC DEVELOPMENT OF LEARNING & TEACHING ACTIVITY 5 K1-6 & V 1-4).This is also evidenced in the way modules are developed with industry to improve the employability skills of students( Assignment 4 EMPLOYABILITY K1-6 & V 1-4) and give them insights into the changing environments within the communications industry. This is also backed up with a placement scheme that is embedded within modules and is helping courses within the School of Communication at Falmouth University reach 98% employability scores in the DHLE and c. 98% in the NSS over the past 3 years.Through research throughout the PGCHE it has become clear that Falmouth University has a high proportion of recognised disabilities at c.30% and as such has influenced every aspect of the way we support students and increase the availability for personal tutorials, electronic resources to record or revisit lectures together with a flexibility with how students choose to interact with presentations(evidenced in Assignment 2 ASSESSMENT & FEEDBACK 4 K2-5 & V 1-4).EVIDENCING AREA OF ACTIVITY 5: Engage in continuing professional development in subjectsdisciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practicesEmployability is at the heart of the School of Communication and everything I teach relates back to a skill required by industry, we even embed the modules within industry and have the course evaluated by industry leaders to make sure what we teach is relevant and focused on the future of industry requirements(evidenced in Assignment 6 PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE K1-6 & V 1-4). This close relationship gives us as practitioners the ability to be transient between front-line business and gauge trends that are coming and how approaches are changing, this access allows us to develop material quickly and build in flexibility to briefs year on year and change the way they are delivered and by whom, making us curators of knowledge as well as developer of transferable skills.This closeness to industry has created research areas that help grow the creative industries in Cornwall as aligned with the Falmouth University Strategic plan. This engagement locally is helping grow Cornwall as an new innovation sector which has global reach and as such creating new mentors that can engage with the courses and help develop new ones that are relevant for the sector, as such Im currently rewriting BA(Hons)Digital Media using industry insights but with a focus on developing talent that will stay locally.Recent conferences such as Exploiting the digital economy at Falmouth University have introduced new techniques to learning and skill sets required by industry which helps me identify knowledge gaps and build in time to re training myself to better understand the impact these changes will have for students future employability.REFERENCESAssignment 2. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-2c22zxAssignment 3. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-3c10myAssignment 4. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-4cjp2Assignment 5. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-5c1eh5Assignment 6. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-6c9xhAssignment 7. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-7cfwkAssignment 8. Available at: http:darrenwhittington.wix.compause#!assignment-8c10bz