A few days ago, a co-authored article with title ‘Press Play: An experiment in Creative Computing using a novel pedagogic approach’ was published online at AngloHigher®, the magazine of global English speaking higher education. In 2012, The Faculty of Engineering and Computing at Coventry University will be moving to a purpose built £60 million pound building. Ahead of this, the Faculty Management team have requested that academics begin to think radically about the new forms of teaching and learning that might occur in symbiosis with a bespoke, technologically smart building. To improve student retention, engagement, and satisfaction, the hope is that the pedagogic approaches deployed in the new facility will respond to the expanded role of technology in teaching and learning, the diversity of the student intake, and the realities of 21st century student life.
This article is about a response to the issues: an experimental six week teaching activity conducted by the Faculty's Creative Computing subject group, in collaboration with their 2009 first year undergraduate intake. The 'six week challenge' met with positive feedback both from students and independent experts. While it generated challenges, these are more than compensated by the increased, 'hands-on' engagement of students, the integration of different modules so that students can see how they complement each other, and the leveraging of higher achievement in a shorter time. A shift in faculty thinking has given us an opportunity to develop a six-week block of 'activity-led learning' which integrates content from different modules. We have used this time to allow the students to learn by discovery, while combining skills that will become important in each of their modules.
The paper can be found online at:
http://www.anglohigher.com/magazines/viewpdf_mag/31/24
The paper can be found online at:
http://www.anglohigher.com/magazines/viewpdf_mag/31/24