April 2016 Update

I've been very remiss over the past few month, failing to update this blog through a very busy time. So a couple of April 2016 catchups...

First, we had a very successful Tempus ALIGN planning meeting in Poznan on the 18th and 19th of February, hosted by Zbigniew Palka and his AMU team. Thanks to all for the generous AMU hospitality. Lots of Tempus ALIGN work done, with solid plans for the progression of WP4. Next - site visits to Ukraina, Russia and Armenia in June and September!

Olexandr, DQ and Palka - Poznan

The Tempus ALIGN Poznan planning team

Second, a small IADT team has been working hard over the past few months on a Digital Skills in Action (DSA) case study. Our DSA project is a National Forum-sponsored initiative, involving all of our Leinster Pillar One cluster partners (IADT, NCAD, TCD, UCD and Marino). The IADT case study centres around an analysis of the digital aspects of our 'Intro2FACT' first year module. I presented our case study on the 11th March, at our IADT TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) Day.

Below is my interpretation of the 'All Aboard' digital skills metro map - my view of the digital skills required by (or used by) first year students in our Faculty.

my adaptation of the All Aboard digital skills metro map

The 'real' All Aboard metro map can be accessed through the link below...

http://allaboardhe.org/digital-skills-framework/

Assessment and Evaluation Module

A final two days on IADT's Assessment and Evaluation course, as reflective essays, other submissions and our normal work tasks hang over us...

Here are the Assessment and Evaluation gang on the roof of The Cube...

The Prezi of our 'alternative methods of assessment' presentation is at... 

http://prezi.com/81ggyv0n85k6/alternative-modes-of-assessment/

IADT/UCD Science Research Presentations to WIT

Wednesday 17th April - Thanks to Dominic Mullan for the invite to present my work on RaiseYourIQ's Innovation Voucher and on The current IADT/UCD Science Research Projects. Presentation seemed to go well!

Then up to the Animation studio to present IADT/UCD Science Research Projects to Annie Doona, Bernard Mullarkey and Professor Peter Robertson. All very impressed!

Here's an image of one of the scenes in Eilis Hennessey's 'Friends Fight Stigma' project. Backgroiunds by Rebecca Nalty, characters by Sarah Walsh and Animation by Dee Mc Donnell, Sarah and Jamie Greene.

Revisiting Practice Research

Revisiting Practice Research Gradcam

21st March, 10.30-4.00pm

What has come to be termed Practice Based Research has been in a feature of third level and research cultures of the last 15 years. Yet it’s emergence has not been a greeted with consensus nor has it been without challenges in both its traction or implementation. Each institutional setting has performed PBR in different ways.  Across many of the institutions involved in Art and Design on the island of Ireland, PBR has been adopted at the PhD level though Level 9 is now a prospect.

In this context, GradCAM with the Learning and Education in Art and Design (LEAD) network are hosting a platform that takes stock of where we are and where we have been with regards to this emergence and its surrounding debate. It will allow for a focused discussion on the nature and problems of conducting PBR in the Creative Arts, Art and Design and Media at this current moment. We are inviting a number of partners and contributors across the network to present position papers on what they understand by PBR or Practice Led Research and all of the permutations in between. However, rather than only leave it at this top level discussion for senior staff and supervisors, we also seek presentations from researchers recently graduated that ground and anchor the actualities of PBR in these institutions.

I like the way the descriptor has refused to describe such research as 'practice based' or 'practice led'. An incredibly interesting discussion and an obvious sense that IADT is trailing far behind in this postgraduate area.