Programme Director Degree Apprenticeships - BSc Business Management (Social Change) and Lecturer Non-Profit Management Practice, School of Business and Management
The scholarship projects I have participated in during my career thus far have been centered on designing pedagogy for classroom modules using a combination of the flipped classroom and Information Communications Technology (ICT). I designed modules centered on workshop-style learning, contributing to several conferences and current academic papers in progress. Importantly, I have the opportunity to share my module design and practice among colleagues in my School under best-shared practice forums. It is a great opportunity to share knowledge and exchange with colleagues across the spectrum of academic disciplines and share and learn techniques with one another.
Another aspect of scholarship most recently is co-publishing scholarship on British Educational Research Association (BERA) regarding silence and listening in the classroom. It relates to awareness for practitioners of the varied types of silence students display in the classroom and how we, as teachers or facilitators, react to them. Importantly, some solutions and interactions can be incorporated into the module design to address the silences or welcome them.
As program director for the BSc Degree Apprenticeship program, my scholarship also engages with the program's design and its engagement with employer partners. Engaging with a community of employers influences how the curriculum is designed for the program and how it combines theory and practice. As students are employed with employers throughout their placements and university studies, it has been great to incorporate pedagogy in the program's curriculum where theory and practice meet.
My personal and professional growth seem similar, and my work in scholarship contributions to my career progression is always building. Combining what I do with a plan for my career progression and help and guidance from colleagues and mentors helps make the journey better.
The impact of my scholarship is seen in my practice, and I am currently working on ways to show evidence for this, particularly as I experience the impact and engagement with students in the classroom. The classroom experience has been enjoyable; watching students engage in the classroom activities, and their enthusiasm to engage with me and the material in the classroom is rewarding. Seeing the immediate and direct impact of the pedagogical design for the modules is rewarding when students participate and are engaged. Additionally, relating to my program directorship experience, watching the first graduating class for the program and seeing the benefits of a focused pedagogy combining theory and practice have been rewarding. Many are already off to a good start in employment and successful career progression, which indicates a successful impact of the program.
Scholarship is an important aspect of an academic career for several reasons; it enriches both personal and professional growth, encourages engagement with the current status of the world, and helps to remove the stereotype of academics tolling away in the isolated protected “Ivory Tower”. Engaging in scholarship rightfully places academia in the everyday discourse as it engages and influences all aspects of society.