Feedback - not alone

Throughout the course we see you as 'In conversation...' with us, with each other and with the handbooks. So how does feedback fit in with this?

How do we stand with feedback - 
Firstly, feedback is not about telling you how to get an 'A' it is about helping you develop your ideas and work from the place it is when you receive the feedback. So it is not about correcting the work in terms of telling what to do but it is about developing your work. This means that where ever your work is we will always support you in developing it further. Of course as Supervisors we will let you know if you are working at a level that will not pass. We will not be letting you march of the edge of a cliff!! but the Supervisors role is about working with you to go further so feedback will not likely ever be 'Yes, this is right.'!!

Secondly, so feedback is a conversation and on-going process which is why have a 'Feedback response sheet'.  This is so that we can document the conversation in brief. It is also so that you can direct your own feedback.
The feedback response sheet is sent with any drafts you send for feedback - you should use the sheet to ask questions that direct feedback such as
'I have used quotes to give examples of XXX but I wonder if too much of the essay is in the voice of others because of it.'
or practical questions
'I was not sure how to quote an interviewee I have used "" instead of '' for quotes from interviewee and put them I the bibliography but their interviews are not published so should they be in the bibliography?'

The Feedback response form should also be used after a Skype Supervisor tutorial (one-to-one) summarise the discussion and inform a blog about the tutorial.

The Feedback Response Form is therefore a document of learning, discussion and conversation for you to refer to as you study.  It supports the idea you are not alone in your study (you are in conversation) but not being alone does not mean you are just waiting to be told what to do.

A note: emailing your tutor should not be your first response to not understanding something!! First go back to the Handbook that is what they are for to explain the course, ideas and direct, then read some blogs of people who have done the Module you are on. Then have some time to think.

* feedback response templates can be found on UniHub or create one yourself as a word.doc

Discussion, literature and getting started

Monday 13th  is the start of our 12 week term at BAPP. Last week we had some discussion group skype chats and generally got back into our Inquiring Selves. We had two Coffee shop Discussion Group chats.

On Monday 6^th in the morning we discussed connecting ideas and mapping how things fit into a bigger picture .

On Tuesday 7^th in the afternoon we discussed getting started, scheduling and library access.

Across both discussion the idea of Literature Reviews came up again and again.

I have noticed in the past that people start talking about the start of the module as if it was the start of a treasure hunt. As if  you are looking for clues for things you have to find to be told what to write so you can pass. People have talked about the module as if they were on their own having to invent or forage for any information they can get to know what the key is to passing.

For instance often people reflect by saying “I came across an article by Gill Jones that said…” = this gives the impression you happen to find something.

Instead this should read “Gill Jones (2009) suggests that…” = you did the research and you know what you are talking about.

You don’t need to invent answers or hunt for someone who can tell you what to think so you can write it down and pass. Many people before you have thought about similar subjects. They have thought about things, raised questions, explored ways to look at the subject and mapped how their thinking fits with other people who have done the same thing. It is not about the luck of ‘coming across’ something it is about looking up key words and seeing what people have said or choreographed or created in order to better understand your own experiences. So not looking for articles that say what you think already BUT looking at what people have said about a topic that is new to you that expands your understanding of it. In other words it’s not a treasure hunt for evidence you are right about something. It is an inquiry into how what you have thought and experienced fits with other people’s thoughts and experiences.  That is a literature review.

A literature review gives context to an idea because you look at many peoples ‘take’ on the idea.

It can help you connect ideas in new ways seeing how other people have made connections. It can give you structure helping you find out the areas within a topic that other people have noticed or organised into.

It can help you challenge your assumptions.

 It gives you a range of perspectives, so it is not just the loudest voice is right. Or the highest hit on Google is the authority on something.

It is about you having considered knowledge about things because you have thought about a lot of other people’s ideas in relation to your own.

Also think about this: just because it is the first time you have heard something does not mean it is the first time it has been told to you. Someone with the answer is not always someone amazingly wise, often it is someone who told you something at the right moment for you to hear it. So it is not just about what people say it is about how meaningful you allow it to be.

Getting started back into things, connecting with people, and many of the other points we discussed we talked about all seemed to be about looking beyond your panic for the loudest voice to tell you what to do to get 100%. Instead this is about respectfully listening and contributing to debate. Start looking at the MDX library on-line where you can use Summon to explore journals and books. Visit each others blog and start discussions there. Not “can anyone tell me how to start Module Two?” but “I just finished reading Jenny Gladsons’s book (Maths in the Magic of Dance, 2017)  about dancers in North Carolina who have used dance to develop a math curriculum for Kindergarteners, I had not thought about how closely dance and maths are linked. I am interested in other people’s experiences with arts in school?...”

Other people have posts about our discussions on Monday and Tuesday. Have a look at their  links. Have a look at what they say and please leave comments on the post you read. Please comment here too.

Please leave a message on these comments with a book or choreography that you have found interesting as you are studing and say why.

http://meganlouch.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/monday-6th-february.html

https://alyshiawaite.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/first-coffee-shop-chat-of-2017.html

http://lizziebell92.blogspot.co.uk/2017/02/back-to-business-first-coffee-shop-chat.html?m=1

http://lawrencemassie.blogspot.com.ee

http://oneillhannah25.blogspot.co.uk/?m=1

http://charlieormerod.blogspot.com

https://bensbappblog.blogspot.com

Welcome back to the new term February 2015

Welcome back to the new term. Feedback and marks will take a little time before they are posted. But as the first week begins start to look at the next module handbook, work out deadlines for handing in work – hand-in dates are same for each module. Maybe up-date your blog and visit some other blogs. It is always useful to visit the blog of someone who has done the module you are about to start.

Looking forward to reading some posts and hearing how you are preparing for the new term, what you learnt last term and how its going in general.

Just a reminder my skype office hours this term are

Monday & Wednesday 10am to 11am

Tuesday & Thursday 12noon to 1pm

It is best to make an appointment if you would like a one-to-one tutorial but if you need a quick check-in feel free to just skype me during these times. Once feedback for the module you have just done is sent out It is a good idea to schedule a one-to-one to discuss your feedback and how it applies to the module you are starting.

Adesola

Structures for people on Module One & Module Three to think about…

Common structures are:

A timeline – starting at the beginning (September) and working to the end. This gives your work a story like feel. It can become very narrative. There maybe danger of getting lost in the story and ignore the meet and bones of the learning also remember you do not have a lot of words.

Theme based  - finding two or three key ideas and gathering the learning and experience that happened around them. {I recommend you do this}

Concrete evidence based – giving concrete examples of things and elaborating on the ideas and learning that manifested them.

A representational object  – making something that sums up the learning both in its content and in its own form. This might be useful if you need to make something to understand what you think. That is for people who do not think in words. Like myself. I make or do things to understand what I think and then explain it back in words once I know what I think! This is something that I have found takes quite sometime to master because at first you can make something you and other people who think that way can understand but that everyone else finds “too abstract”. So it is important you support your work by using the written summary to explain your process and what it means to you.

Either way ~I think it will be really important to get started and then you will have time to get feedback.

The Summer begins….

Just finished sending out feedback today. Make sure you received it! This is your feedback only, your grades will be announced by the University next week. You can find them in the usual manor on the MDX web-site. 

Often I am asked what your grade means. Here is a helpful table:

For reference:

1^st/Distinction                        2i/Merit                                2ii/Pass                                    3^rd/Pass                                 Fail

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

Please note:

17-18 – Compensation Allowed

19 – Compensation not allowed

20 Fail – Incorporating failure to participate in assessment necessary to achieve all learning outcomes. Compensation not allowed


As the summer begins I really want to keep the blogging going. I hope you will help me in making my blog a place people come to read, share and COMMENT!!! 

Looking forward to sharing the summer with you. 
Any thoughts? 

Adesola

Notes on sending work for feedback

Please do not send documents called 'Proposal' or 'AOLs' or 'Reflection' because everyone doing the same tasks. The title of the document is as much for the person receiving it as it is for you. If I get three documents called 'Proposal'. I then open them and hope that the persons name is clearly on the document!! But no!!! Often it is just the written work no page numbers or footer or header with the persons name and id number. I write this for both my BA and MA courses because they are both in professional practice and it is good practice to do the above in general. Send people things with your name on them!
Akinleye_blog post.doc
then when it is opened your name again and page numbers in case they need to print it out.

I think this is important because it means what you send is intended for the person reading it. This shows you have taken a moment to think about how the thing you are sending will be experienced by the reader and it means it does not look like you did something and sent it the first moment you thought you wanted reassurance it was ok.

Get what I mean? What do you think? Have you experienced the same thing? Do you suddenly realise you did this too!!!!!!
Adesola

House Keeping / Getting started

Just a reminder that:

My on-going call in times are Wednesday 8am to 9am & Friday 7:30pm to 8:30pm
If you need to talk to me at a specific time other than these or want to organise a SKYPE call please e-mail me four days in advance of the date you want to talk. This way we can make sure we are both on the same time zone, etc...!!!

If you are sending me work (try to) attach it as a Word document in an e-mail. Make sure all your work has numbered pages and your full name in the footer. Please, send work in this form even if you are also sending hard copies; this means I can mark the work and send it straight back to you. It is quicker and easier to comment onto the work.

PLEASE, make some comments on my blog. I am interested to know what you think of the films I put up. Are you using Reflective Diaries? What kind? Any tips?