Tuesday 22 February 2022

Thinking around Ethics

Some thinking on Ethics ahead of our session on Monday Feb 28th, looking in detail at the Ethics Applciation process within Module Two (MORE)


Ethics are central to our lives and practice, not something only addressed through research (just that ethics become neccesarily visible then perhaps)

Ethical considerations, address how we are mindful of our actions, words, practice and the potential impact is has on those around us, and how these considerations cannot avoid the social, cultural and historical contexts from which they emerge. 

Ethical procedures, address the ways in which we may go about informing and 'safe-guarding' others of our practice-research. The MORE application process we use in Module Two is just this, the ethical procedures that the university requires you to undertake in order to approve your proposal for a research inquiry.

 

Within the framework of designing your research project in module two you are asked to attend to the Ethcial Procedures of your proposed research project by completing the MORE application online (dates as indicated on your schedule - note that this has an earlier deadline than the submission of the rest of your work for module two this term). 

You are asked to discuss the Ethical considerations of your proposed research project within the body of your written research proposal. 

 

You can use the MORE application - the questions asked, your responses to them, to help you to frame the research proposal as a whole. The questions asked around the Aims of your research, what methodologies you will use, what data collections methods, who your participants will be, are all to be addressed in your proposal. 



             Consider these ideas in relation to the research you are proposing:

What hierarchies exist, 

what stereotypes, 

exclusions, 

expectations, 

what do you think about these as you design a research project proposal (Ethical Considerations) 

and 

what actions do you take to recognise your own privilege and minimise potentially negative impacts on others as a result of your research (Ethical Procedures).


The thinking leads to the actions you take. 

The ethical considerations of your research (discussed in your research proposal) lead to the choices you make about the ethical procedures you will engage with (outlined in your MORE application).


What are some of the ethical considerations of your research at this stage?

 

 

 

Dance Umbrella Panel Discussion TODAY

Middlesex University are hosting an exciting and timely panel discussion as part of Dance Umbrella 

 

4.30pm (UK) details below, 

 REGISTER FOR FREE TO ATTEND ON ZOOM



 

Pivoting Your Practice: A festival and artist’s perspective with Freddie Opoku-Addaie, Tania Wilmer, Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui 

Tuesday 22 February, 4.30pm (90 minutes) 

Zoom | BSL interpreted & captioned 

 

An exclusive in conversation with artists Sarah Golding and Yukiko Masui and Dance Umbrella’s Artistic Director/CEO Freddie Opoku-Addaie and Executive Director Tania Wilmer. Aimed at final year students, the panel will discuss how a dance company and festival have adapted to make, produce, present work and survive during the pandemic, and what the future looks like for the sector. This will be followed by Q&A. 

 

You will be contacted on the day of the event with the Zoom link. 

 

Monday 21 February 2022

First Sunday Discussion Group this term

 We had a great Sunday discussion group last night on zoom enjoying lots of contribution from everyone around the notions of Knowledge, Learning and Information. 


There were references made to

 'single narratives' stemming from the TED Talk by Chimamada Ngozi Adichie I posted last week...

if you haven't made time to watch this yet...DO!

 

Independent Learning and Critical Thinking...

what do these mean to you right now?

 

A philosophy of ideas and self reflection...

how do you relate to this in terms of this programme?

 

Listening - taking time and allowing texts to really speak to you...

what connections are you finding with scholarship and other artists/practitioners in your field and beyond?

 

 

What do you consider your role to be within this trialetic of knowledge, learning and information within your practice and studies?  

 

 

Please share your responses through your blogs and other thoughts that you came away from the discussion with...

 



Friday 18 February 2022

KORTEXT - FREE TEXT BOOK PER MODULE

 

 STUDENTS WANTING TO GET YOUR FREE KORTEXT BOOK - WHEN IT IS NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE -  

MODULE THREES!!  

PLEASE COMPLETE THIS FORM ONLINE AND THE BOOK, I AM ASSURED WILL BE SENT TO YOU THE NEXT WORKING DAY. 


https://mdxl.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a9sEXCE0ZoSaTga

 

 

 

 

 

 

THERE ARE OF COURSE OTHER TEXTS DEALING WITH TRANSFORMING QUALITATIVE DATA THAT YOU CAN ACCESS ONLINE IN THE MEANTIME...

 

 

THESE TITLES ARE ALL AVAILABLE ONLINE THROUGH AN MDX LIBRARY SEARCH AND OF COURSE YOU WILL FIND OTHERS THROUGH YOUR OWN RESEARCH

 


Qualitative data analysis : practical strategies

Bazeley, Patricia.
2013
 


Thursday 17 February 2022

Research Methods - Interviews

 

As you are planning your research inquiry (Module two) or embarking on it (Module three) you may be considering using interviews as a data collection method. 

This TEDTalk with Dave Isay offers a great example of the value and power of interviews, the role of the interviewer, the ethics around interviews for you to consider and think further on as you develop your research or approach interviewing people. 


REMEMBER THE AIM OF THE INTERVIEW IS NOT TO GET PEOPLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS!!!




https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=dave+isay+ted+talk

 

 

what are your thoughts? 



Sunday 13 February 2022

Moving into Week 3...thinking about multiple perspectives

 As we move into week 3 of the term and you are begining to feel your way into the module you are engaged with this term, you will all be looking in different ways within and outside of your own experiences to acknowledge the voice of others and the possibility of seeing your practice from another perspective. 

 

This TEDtalk from Feminist author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie offers an excellent reminder of the need to be open to different perspectives, to avoid the 'danger of a single story'. 

 


 

 https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story?language=en

 

What are your thoughts? 

What assumptions are you making within your practice?

Wednesday 9 February 2022

Programme Voice Group - Meet your Student Voice Leaders (student reps)

 

 

A notice to invite you to connect, share feedback, offer positive learning experiences, express concerns as we continue to review and improve the MAPP programmes


The Programme Voice Groups (PVG’s) are one of the main formal channels of communication between staff and students. in order to support the programme. They are a forum in which students (through the Student Voice Leaders) and staff working and talking together can constructively discuss areas of good practice as well as areas needing improvement, with the collective aim of enhancing the student experience. Student and Staff should both be given assurances they will not be penalised for raising issues at a PVG.

PVG’s occur each term and your Student Voice Leader will ask for programme feedback from you to report to staff at the pre-meeting to develop and agenda, for the issues to be addressed at the main meeting. You will also be given feedback from both staff and the Student Voice Leaders on the outcomes of the feedback.

 

Your Current Student Voice Leaders

Ben Warbis and Natasha Goldstein-Opasiak (module three)
 
blog addresses to connect with them:
 
or via their MDX uni emails:

BW297@live.mdx.ac.uk
NG574@live.mdx.ac.uk
 

The next Programme/Student Voice meeting is  March 21st 2022

 

Do get in touch with Ben or Natasha no later than March 7 for your views to be heard and represented at this meeting.

 

Tuesday 8 February 2022

Module One and Two

 Yesterday we had two sessions: one with a focus on the RPL process, which you typically undertake in the first term of study on MAPP and one with an introduction to the aims and content of module two. 


Connecting the conversations of both sessions was the space for reflection, evaluation and analysis in learning. 


Through the RPL process you are asked to:

- critcally reflect on areas of prior learning - we discussed how these may be made up of prior EXPERIENTIAL learning (learning through doing in practice) and prior ACCREDITED learning (learning that has already been recognised at level 7 through another course or framework). 

- evaluate your learning experiences in relation to scholarship - the work of other theorists, scholars, practitioners and artists who have published work in relation to your Areas of Learning

- analyse the learning from particular areas or moments in your practice - rather than describe an experience


In Module Two you are invited to:

- consider an area of your practice in more depth by critically reflecting on your learning to date, identifying what you would like to get to know better/more about within your existing practice

- evaluate how this area of inquiry has relevance to your professional practice and continued professional development

- analyse the existing literature/scholarship already published in this field in order to 'map' the broader context of your proposed inquiry


One process looks back, the next looks around you, both apply concepts of critical reflection, evaluation and analysis.


Both sessions were recorded and are available for you on UniHub today.


Please comment below with your thoughts on either session, how are you thinking about your learning? what are you noticing in the field around your practice? 



Tuesday 1 February 2022

Module One - Reflection

 We had a good session with some of you joining us this term on Module One - there were not many of you with us live, so hopefully you will get a sense of the discussions from my summary on this blog and the recording which is now on our MAPP ACI Unihub page for you, while you were not a part of the conversations unfolding...


In summary we discussed the following:

Practice - what consitutes you / your practice - consider this away from your identity of Dance Teacher, Choreographer, Community Dance Practitioner... what are the things that make up YOUR practice, that you define, value, act upon...what do you practice?


Embodiment - the underpinning philosophical lens of the MAPP programmes - seeing experience as knowledge through reflection.


Reflective Practice - the theoretical framework of this module - check out your module reading list and spend some time getting to know the work of key theorists in this field. Work through the tasks in the Module Handbooks designed to encourage you to think reflectively within your practice.


Identifying Areas of Prior Learning Experiences - check out your RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) Claim Handbook - begin unpacking your CV, peeling yourself away from the identity of job roles and looking more deeply through critically reflecting on your own learning experiences.


Those that were a part of these discussions do comment below with your own thoughts to add here and leave the link to your blog address where you can continue the conversations and others can be a part of them by commenting further.