EDM198: The Creative Educator

Module code: EDM198

Module provider: Institute of Education

Credits: 20

Level: Postgraduate Masters

When you'll be taught: Semester 1

Module convenor: Ms Suzy Tutchell, email: s.tutchell@reading.ac.uk

Module co-convenor: Dr Rebecca Berkley, email: r.m.berkley@reading.ac.uk

Pre-requisite module(s):

Co-requisite module(s):

Pre-requisite or Co-requisite module(s):

Module(s) excluded:

Placement information: NA

Academic year: 2024/5

Available to visiting students: No

Talis reading list: Yes

Last updated: 21 May 2024

Overview

Module aims and purpose

In this module we explore the value of creativity in education, how it manifests and can be facilitated in different disciplines. You will interrogate your own understanding as a creative educator through practice-based approaches in the arts to develop and challenge possible educational futures in your own contexts. The module draws on research, practice and social debates around creativity, imagination and cultural integrity in education. It explores the transformational agency of creative learning and competencies across diverse and different educational models and contexts. You will develop your understanding with particular reference to key theoretical approaches and research in the creative arts with an emphasis on practical responses and policy perspectives. The module will consider the psychological significance of creativity/ies in human nature and its potentialities for health and well-being. This will include understandings of creativity in educational futures and consider what alternatives they offer within and beyond formal education. Through this module, you will explore the ways in which children and young people use their imagination in creative learning and make sense of their practical and arts rich experiences.

Aims:

• To reflect critically on the wider educational and psychological contexts of creativity and imagination which meet the needs of 21st century learners
• To compare and contrast educational approaches to creativity and imaginative learning
• To develop pedagogical techniques, theories and concepts in creative learning and teaching to facilitate interdisciplinary approaches as creative educators
• To encourage creativity via the arts and understand the variety of roles for the arts in education, how they can benefit other areas of the curriculum and how they can promote inclusion

Module learning outcomes

By the end of the module, it is expected that students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate a critical rationale for adopting and/or a critique of a particular position towards a creative educational provision, such as policy, curriculum, assessment, teaching approaches
2. Draw reflectively and critically upon their own educational experience and literature about the nature of creativity in education and educational provision
3. Compare and contrast critically being a creative educator in and from different contexts
4. Critically reflect upon the theoretical models and exemplar creative practices in educational contexts

Module content

• Creativity as a context for learning across disciplines
• Appreciative enquiry for research and pedagogical change
• Reviewing and challenging existing practices in education
• Reigniting a creative curriculum
• Creative and cross-curricular approaches in wider educational and community contexts
• Creative arts as a basis for basic human need
• Creative and cultural education beyond the classroom
• Global and international approaches to creative learning and teaching
• Thinking skills and creativity in the internet age, educational technology and communication

Structure

Teaching and learning methods

The taught sessions will include lectures, group discussions and guided independent study. There will be a combination of practical workshops, interactive seminars, focussed group tasks and field-work. Each week, there will be a relevant piece of research which students will discuss. On this module you will also engage with high profile local arts education providers, visit cultural and educational places of interest and benefit from the varied expertise and experience of our academics.

Study hours

At least 18 hours of scheduled teaching and learning activities will be delivered in person, with the remaining hours for scheduled and self-scheduled teaching and learning activities delivered either in person or online. You will receive further details about how these hours will be delivered before the start of the module.

Please note the independent study hours above are notional numbers of hours; each student will approach studying in different ways. We would advise you to reflect on your learning and the number of hours you are allocating to these tasks.

Semester 1 The hours in this column may include hours during the Christmas holiday period.

Semester 2 The hours in this column may include hours during the Easter holiday period.

Summer The hours in this column will take place during the summer holidays and may be at the start and/or end of the module.

Assessment

Requirements for a pass

Students need to achieve an overall module mark of 50% to pass this module.

Summative assessment

Penalties for late submission of summative assessment

The Support Centres will apply the following penalties for work submitted late:

Assessments with numerical marks

• where the piece of work is submitted after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): 10% of the total marks available for that piece of work will be deducted from the mark for each working day (or part thereof) following the deadline up to a total of three working days;
• the mark awarded due to the imposition of the penalty shall not fall below the threshold pass mark, namely 40% in the case of modules at Levels 4-6 (i.e. undergraduate modules for Parts 1-3) and 50% in the case of Level 7 modules offered as part of an Integrated Masters or taught postgraduate degree programme;
• where the piece of work is awarded a mark below the threshold pass mark prior to any penalty being imposed, and is submitted up to three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline), no penalty shall be imposed;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension to the deadline): a mark of zero will be recorded.

Assessments marked Pass/Fail

• where the piece of work is submitted within three working days of the deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): no penalty will be applied;
• where the piece of work is submitted more than three working days after the original deadline (or any formally agreed extension of the deadline): a grade of Fail will be awarded.

The University policy statement on penalties for late submission can be found at: https://www.reading.ac.uk/cqsd/-/media/project/functions/cqsd/documents/qap/penaltiesforlatesubmission.pdf

You are strongly advised to ensure that coursework is submitted by the relevant deadline. You should note that it is advisable to submit work in an unfinished state rather than to fail to submit any work.

Formative assessment

Formative assessment is any task or activity which creates feedback (or feedforward) for you about your learning, but which does not contribute towards your overall module mark.

Students will engage in peer and self-review to determine their progress against their own learning targets in response to weekly tasks and group critiques. They will also receive mid-module supervision feedback from the tutor following a 500-word extract of their ongoing portfolio.

Reassessment

Additional costs