Module: EDU6109-20 Culture, Creativity and Society Perspectives in Art Education

Credit Value: 20

Module Tutor: June Bianchi

Module Tutor Contact Details: J.Bianchi@bathspa.ac.uk

1. Brief description and aims of module:

The Module will enrich understanding and appreciation of the role of culture and creativity in learning within arts education and wider society. It will extend your knowledge of cultural and creative dimensions of education with children, young people and adults, through empirical and theoretical exploration of innovative arts education within both formal and informal contexts.  Educators are increasingly aware of the need for multimodal learning, and the module will engage with a diversity of experiential, interdisciplinary cultural and creative approaches.  It fosters critical reflection on arts practice in relation to relevant theoretical perspectives, within and beyond educational and cultural institutions, and community-based settings.  Exploration of culture and creativity across diverse educational and cultural contexts promote a critically reflective approach to arts educational perspectives and practice, in relation to relevant theoretical and socio-cultural literature and resources.  The module’s synergy of theoretical and empirical elements will enhance awareness of strategies to support children, young people and adults in cultural and creative endeavours across a range of levels and contexts, and within a changing society.

2.Outline syllabus

University-based seminars and workshops, and fieldwork visits to cultural centres such as museums, galleries and theatres, will develop an understanding of your own cultural and creative processes, and those of practitioners and participants within educational, recreational and professional settings. You will gain knowledge, skills and experience, as participant and researcher, through an investigation of cultural and creative perspectives and practices, considering their significance within society and across diverse learning contexts. 

No previous experience is required; the module can be studied independently, or combined with other education modules or complementary curriculum areas such as the Arts or Humanities.  It will provide insight into the significance of culture and creativity as aspects of arts education and professional practice across a range of societal contexts.  The module’s theoretical and empirical focus is relevant to careers in education, child/social care, arts administration, working in a community/cultural setting, as well as enriching individuals’ awareness of the potential for innovative responses in addressing the ever-changing nature of education and society. 

3.Teaching and learning activities

There are four integrated aspects to the module:

1.  Taught sessions: on-campus seminars and workshops extending empirical and theoretical knowledge of cultural and creative arts educational perspectives

2. Fieldwork: organised sessions to visit cultural centres off campus as well as individualised visits to conduct independent research in educational and cultural settings.

3. Reading, coursework research and participation in cultural and creative arts educational theory and practice

4. Production of two interconnected assignments based on a response to activities 1-3

Intended learning outcomes

The two integrated Assignments will demonstrate your ability to actively engage with arts education through: observing/developing/implementing/initiating a Case Study that critically explores and evaluates selected perspectives on culture, creativity and learning.

Assessment Item 1:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Case Study Proposal  (2,000 words)

• % Weighting: 40

Assessment Item 2:

• Assessment Type: CW

• Description: Case Study Presentation (3,000 words)

• % Weighting: 60