The Contemporary Academic in Context
| Module title | The Contemporary Academic in Context |
|---|---|
| Module code | EFPM900 |
| Academic year | 2019/0 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Professor Anna Mountford-Zimdars (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 1 | 1 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 50 |
|---|
Module description
This module is for academics and academic-related professionals who teach or support learning, and/or undertake research/scholarship in a research-intensive university. Drawing on relevant research, and your own professional experience, this module will locate your professional practice and development within the wider context of UK HE policy, education and research, as well as the more local institutional contexts and priorities which will shape your professional career development. Through looking at research on academic identities and communities, and the nature of professional practice in teaching, learning and research in HE, the module also seeks to enable you to reflect upon and engage critically with your own professional practice and career development. It is designed to complement your work and to develop a supportive community amongst academics who are relatively new to the University. There are no co- or pre-requisites and no prior learning is assumed.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module aims to provide an understanding of the principles of academic practice and its political and social contexts. Its purpose is to support you in building on your existing skills and knowledge in order to become effective academics and professionals operating in your departments, in the university and in the national and international context. It is intended to enhance your confidence and effectiveness through informed reflection on your own practice and to enable you to thrive within a research-intensive university such as the University of Exeter.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge of, and contribute to, key debates about academic practice, at local, national and international level;
- 2. Demonstrate critical understanding of the organisational culture of the University of Exeter and the requirements placed on academic staff, and the ability to relate this to the broader social and political context of higher education in the UK and beyond
- 3. Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of selected techniques/methodologies applicable to academic practice in relation to areas such as teaching and learning, research, administration and external work;
- 4. Explore critically, with originality, an individual area, relating to the contemporary academic in context, relevant to your own practice
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 5. Demonstrate critical awareness of higher education policy and its implications for professional academic practice;
- 6. Demonstrate critical and analytical engagement with relevant literatures, and the capacity to evaluate the arguments of others;
- 7. Demonstrate critical awareness of similarities and differences in the cultures of different subject disciplines;
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 8. Engage in independent study informed by the presentation and analysis of materials and issues in group discussion;
- 9. Reflect on your own personal and professional values in relation to teaching and research, and their implications for practice;
- 10. Reflect critically on your own professional practice, including the relationship between your personal teaching and research plans; and
- 11. Prepare, select and organise material to present an extended study which communicates clearly and effectively.
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, it is envisaged that the syllabus will cover some or all of the following topics:
- the social, cultural and policy context of the contemporary university, in particular research-intensive universities such as the University of Exeter;
- the nature of contemporary academic practice in all its dimensions: research, teaching, citizenship/leadership, and business and community relations; and
- the relationship between research and teaching and how to negotiate them as a new academic.
Additional elements will be designed in collaboration with you, as participants, in order to reflect your own priorities and the needs of your department, as determined in prior and on-going discussions between you and your Academic Leads.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 22 | 278 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 21 | 3 study days (each of approximately 7 hours), involving whole group sessions, comprised of a combination of activities, such as interactive lectures, discussion groups, collaborative small group tasks, poster presentations, and panel discussions. |
| Scheduled Learning & Teaching activities | 1 | Individual tutorial |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Preparing a poster relating to your Extended Study |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Undertaking reading relating to your Extended Study |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Undertaking data collection and analysis (or equivalent) relating to your Extended Study |
| Guided Independent Study | 58 | Writing your Extended Study |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poster and oral presentation | 1 hour plus feedback | 8, 9 | Oral peer and tutor feedback |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 100 | 0 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Extended study, consisting of ONE of the following options: | 100 | 1-11 | Written tutor feedback | |
| 1. A long written project report/essay | 0 | Option 1: 4,500 words maximum | ||
| 2. Two shorter written project reports/essays on different topics | 0 | Option 2: 2 assignments totalling 4,500 words | ||
| 3. A shorter written project report/essay PLUS a digital project presentation (e.g. video, podcast or wiki) on the same topic | 0 | Option 3: A minimum of 2,000 written words, plus the equivalent of 2,500 words in another medium (e.g. 10 minutes of video) | ||
| 0 | ||||
| 0 |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extended study, consisting of ONE of the following options: | Extended study, consisting of ONE of the following options: | 1-11 | Resubmission at next assessment deadline (minimum 3 months later) |
| 1. A long written project report/essay (4,500 words) | 1. A long written project report/essay (4,500 words) | ||
| 2. Two shorter written project reports/essays on different topics (2,500 words each) | 2. Two shorter written project reports/essays on different topics (2,500 words each) | ||
| 3. A shorter written project report/essay (2,000 words minimum) PLUS a digital project presentation (e.g. video, podcast or wiki) on the same topic (2,500 words equivalent) | 3. A shorter written project report/essay (2,000 words minimum) PLUS a digital project presentation (e.g. video, podcast or wiki) on the same topic (2,500 words equivalent) |
Re-assessment notes
As per the TQA manual.
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Barber, M., Donnelly, K., Rizvi, S. (2013). An avalanche is coming. Higher education and the revolution ahead. Available at: http://www.ippr.org/files/images/media/files/publication/2013/04/avalanche-is-coming_Mar2013_10432.pdf?noredirect=1.
Barnett, R., Parry, G., and Coate, K. (2001) Conceptualising Curriculum Change. Teaching in Higher Education, 6:4, 435-449. Available at: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/13562510120078009.
Bolden, R., Gosling, J., O’Brien, A., Peters, K., Ryan, M., Haslam, A., Longsworth, L., Davidovic, A., Winklemann, K. (2012) Academic Leadership: changing conceptions, identities and experiences in UK higher education. Available at: https://www.lfhe.ac.uk/en/components/publication.cfm/S3%20-%2004.
Debowski, S. (2011). The New Academic: A Strategic Handbook. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Eley A., Wellington, J. Pitts, S. Biggs, C. (2012). Becoming a Successful Early Career Researcher. Abingdon: Routledge.
Moore, J., Higham, L., Sanders, J., Jones, S., Candarli, D. and Mountford-Zimdars, A. (2017). Analysis of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF2) provider submissions | Evidencing teaching excellence, Higher Education Academy. Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/evidencing-teaching-excellence,
Morley, L. (2003) Quality and Power In Higher Education (2003) Buckingham: SRHE/Open University Press.
Ramsden, R. (2003) Learning to Teach in Higher Education (2nd edn) London: Routledge/ Falmer.
Participants will also need to construct an individual list of references of books, journal articles and policy literature according to their portfolio plan.
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
Times Higher Education Supplement (THES) website: https://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/
Advance HE - Higher Education Academy (HEA) website: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/
The WonkHE website: http://wonkhe.com/
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | none |
| Module co-requisites | none |
| NQF level (module) | 7 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 20/5/2008 |
| Last revision date | 04/02/2019 |
