Supporting Philosophy, Theology,
Workshops
There is lots of good teaching in our disciplines, and in many ways, those engaging in philosophical enquiry are uniquely positioned to discuss what it is to teach, and to learn, in a changing educational environment.
With learning and teaching issues of increasing importance, built into university strategies and government policies, and with students taking more of a view on the ways they are taught than ever before, it has never been more essential for individual departments to be able to articulate the values that underpin their teaching methods. Furthermore, the scholarship of teaching attracts more research funding than ever before into departments.
The Subject Centre for PRS runs workshops to facilitate reflection on these issues. These are offered free of charge, and can be tailored to the specific needs of your department. The list below is not exhaustive. These workshops have been developed in response to departmental requests regarding the particular needs and interests of their staff and students, and using a wealth of experience gained from the international philosophical community engaged with issues of pedagogical research.
While generic 'skills training' provided by staff developers can be useful, it often misses out on much of what is special about philosophical study, and fails to harness the particular expertise already present. In our workshops for academic staff, we aim to encourage individuals to think about teaching at a meta level, to share experience and expertise, to develop as teachers, and to help colleagues develop in a spirit of intellectual collaboration. The workshops are all designed around practical activities and discussion to facilitate this. We hope that these members of staff will go on to add to the repository of knowledge about the philosophy of pedagogy and its practical application in philosophy departments nationwide.
We also offer workshops directly to students, covering such issues as employability, making the most of feedback, and participating in seminars and tutorials. These can extend the development opportunities you offer to undergraduate and postgraduate students, again providing subject-specific support that tends not to be available within institutions. If, having seen students participate in these, you would like to continue to offer them on an annual basis, we can support the setting up of an ongoing programme, run from within your department, including contributing methods and materials.
For further information about our workshop programme please contact Dr Clare Saunders by email or by phone on 0113 343 1166.
Transition
Transition is a much-discussed issue within universities, especially with current reports that 22% of undergraduate students will not complete their degree courses. In philosophy, transition can pose particular challenges, as students may not have studied the subject before, and even if they have, the demands at degree level are very different. The Subject Centre has designed two workshops to address some specific demands of undergraduate philosophical study.
Making the most of seminars and tutorials - for students
Making the most of assessment feedback - for students
Employability and Continuing Professional Development(CPD)
With the growth of fees and the emphasis on usefulness of skills gained by reading for a degree, it is imperative that departments show students how they can take control of their own professional development in order to identify and articulate the skills they are acquiring. The Subject Centre has developed a workshop to address these issues for undergraduates, along with a companion workshop for staff that can be taken up in conjunction, or separately, showing how these agendas can be addressed, and another on CPD for research students or early career academic staff.
Employability and Pesonal Development Planning (PDP) in a philosophy degree
Planning and managing an academic career
Learning and teaching issues in course design and delivery
The Subject Centre runs workshops on a range of issues relevant to learning and teaching in philosophy and history and philosophy of science (HPS). These may be particularly useful to support postgraduate tutors and early career lecturers, although wide participation from your department helps to promote the sharing of good practice between more experienced teachers. The workshops can also be helpful in times of curriculum or course review or redesign.
Maximising student engagement in seminars and tutorials
Teaching in the context of research
Giving timely and helpful feedback on coursework
Philosophical themes in academic practice
Philosophers have much to bring to the current debates surrounding the purpose of higher education and the best ways for students to learn. Philosophy as a discipline brings insight and clarity into the discussion about what education is and should be. The Subject Centre has developed workshops that allow participants to explore the links between issues in pedagogy and philosophical themes.
e-Learning
Academics are under increasing pressure to use technology in their teaching, and yet often in philosophy the advantages to students or staff are not immediately apparent. The Subject Centre offers workshops on ways that technology can be used in ways that complement the methods of learning and teaching within the disciplines.
Using textual materials in e-learning - beyond 'shovelware'
Using electronic Multiple-Choice Questionnaires (MCQs) to develop thinking skills