Digby Warren | London Metropolitan University (original) (raw)

Papers by Digby Warren

Perceived outcomes for students included becoming more motivated, independent and empowered learn... more Perceived outcomes for students included becoming more motivated, independent and empowered learners ready to face the world, more aware of self and the world around them, feeling valued and respected, and growing in confidence, self-esteem and capacity for critical thinking. It was in the curriculum space of interaction among teachers and students that lectures could, in the face of work constraints, still exercise relative academic freedom and find inspiration and opportunities to advance educational practices connected to their values and HE social responsibility.

This book explores ways in which pedagogical research, theory, models and frameworks can be used ... more This book explores ways in which pedagogical research, theory, models and frameworks can be used pragmatically to enhance teaching practice in higher education. It provides practical strategies, ideas, techniques and approaches drawn from literature and real-life experience, using examples from a variety of disciplines. Cross-cutting themes include developing resilience and care for ourselves, our colleagues and our students, engaging with diversity in teaching and promoting dialogue and enquiry. It also addresses the dimensions of the UK Professional Standards Framework. This is essential reading for lecturers on Higher Education Academy-accredited programmes, such as PGCTLHE, PGCAP, PG Cert HE, and for staff seeking HEA fellowship through experience-based routes, or who wish to develop more scholarly approaches to their practice.

Explores different concepts and paradigms of ‘curriculum’ and various models and methods for cour... more Explores different concepts and paradigms of ‘curriculum’ and various models and methods for course and learning design and curriculum evaluation, with varied examples and references to sources where good case studies from a range of disciplines can be found. The chapter is premised on the holistic notion of ‘curriculum’ as a contextualised practice that encompasses knowledge domain, educational values and principles, teaching, learning, assessment and evaluation.

Creativity in the Classroom Case Studies in Using the Arts in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education 2013 Isbn 9781841505169 Pag 257, 2013

Looking across the chapters in this book, we can identify a number of common themes in relation t... more Looking across the chapters in this book, we can identify a number of common themes in relation to the goals, methods, challenges and outcomes of arts-enriched pedagogies as applied to professional and other (non-arts) disciplines. Collectively, the approaches illustrated in these case studies represent various types of ‘arts-based inquiry’, a term borrowed from the research literature that Louise Younie (Chapter 2) has aptly extended to the learning and teaching domain. In her definition, arts-based inquiry refers to ‘student practical engagement with any art form – poetry, photography, painting, narrative, sculpture, dance, music, etc. – as they reflect on their experiences’. It offers opportunities for students ‘to engage in their own creative process’ and to ‘draw out’ the learning they have acquired.

Considers the complexities of academic supervision that operate at a variety of academic levels, ... more Considers the complexities of academic supervision that operate at a variety of academic levels, arguing that at the core of the process is an interpersonal relationship that has the potential to enable and validate learning or, conversely, to hinder and subdue it. Their chapter outlines what this complexity means for the practice and process of academic supervision, explores some new perspectives on the different elements that constitute the process, and suggests some practical responses to the many challenges generated by the complexity of supervision today

Journal of Further and Higher Education, 2021

ABSTRACT Black and minority ethnic (BME) students are less likely to achieve a first or upper-cla... more ABSTRACT Black and minority ethnic (BME) students are less likely to achieve a first or upper-class second degree than White students. This evaluation investigated the experiences of BME Health and Social Care students at a London university of the hidden curriculum, thematically analysed through a critical race lens. Four overarching themes were identified, (1) super-visible ethnicity, (2) the negative depiction of BME lived experiences, (3) self-depreciation and self-confidence and (4) separation. Recommendations at an institution-level are made in the areas of staff diversity, language support, student registration experiences and canteen costs. Recommendations at a course-level are made in the areas of co-creation of the curriculum, student belonging, academic and literacy skill development. The recommendations are underpinned by a critical pedagogy, including culturally sensitive teaching strategies and the development of meaningful staff-student partnerships. The recommendations made may be applicable to other Higher Education Institutions with a diverse student cohort where the attainment gap is prevalent.

SOCIETY. INTEGRATION. EDUCATION. Proceedings of the International Scientific Conference, 2017

The paper analyses the engagement of students and teachers in developing a community of practice ... more The paper analyses the engagement of students and teachers in developing a community of practice and the role of the institution in the process. Our research is based on surveys of students and teachers conducted in 2016 as part of the EU-funded Erasmus+ research project Internationalisation and Modernisation of Education and Processes in the Higher Education of Uzbekistan (IMEP). The questionnaires, developed by the project team of researchers, aimed to identify the areas of successful student engagement and where students did not engage actively in teaching, learning and other university and extracurricular activities. Our surveys of students and teachers provided us with the necessary information in order to establish the reasons for successful and less pro-active engagement of students. The results of the surveys also showed some differences in the level of engagement of teachers and students in the process of teaching and learning and how both groups viewed their involvement an...

With current moves to widen participation, a more diverse student body is entering higher educati... more With current moves to widen participation, a more diverse student body is entering higher education. In this context, a key challenge is assisting learners to develop academic literacy, so as to enable their deeper engagement with university study. This entails making transparent to students the knowledge-making and communicative practices of the subject area, hence the discipline-based approach to developing academic literacy advocated here.

Fostering student engagement is a core rationale of the PASS (Peer- Assisted Student Success) sch... more Fostering student engagement is a core rationale of the PASS (Peer- Assisted Student Success) scheme investigated here, an institutional partnership with trained peer mentors (Success Coaches) who provide course-embedded and individual support. Their stories, analysed thematically, illustrate why they became agents, their contributions to student engagement and the benefits they have gained. Inspired by their own experiences as first-years to become helpers who could empower others by sharing what they have learnt, they also provide a feedback loop between students and lecturers, while helping to create a friendly and engaging environment. Many Success Coaches become involved in other ways too, as representatives, ambassadors, trainers or in student societies. Their histories testify to increased self-confidence and understanding of their subject, and development of transferable skills - thanks to the opportunities afforded by their role, from the perspective of self-determination theory, to experience aspects of autonomy, relatedness and competence - while facilitating first-years’ engagement and development.

The Journal of Educational Innovation, Partnership and Change, 2017

As Keenan (2014) reports, peer-led learning schemes are gaining momentum globally, bringing benef... more As Keenan (2014) reports, peer-led learning schemes are gaining momentum globally, bringing benefits to both ‘peer leaders’ and their mentees. Such schemes can also be vehicles for student engagement and supporting successful transition. In its Peer-Assisted Student Success (PASS) scheme, London Metropolitan University has developed a course-embedded model in which trained ‘Success Coaches’ provide academic and personal guidance to first-years on all undergraduate degree programmes via in-class groups and one-to-one support. Another distinctive feature is its adoption of a coaching philosophy in the role of student mentoring. This case study explores the experiences and benefits accrued by both first-year students and Success Coaches from this coaching style, drawing on rich data collected via focus groups using images as a form of ‘arts-based inquiry’. Themes emerging from the data illuminate the nature of the peer relationship. The paper also considers implications, for peer-mento...

Arts and Humanities in Higher Education, 2002

The current ‘widening participation’ and ‘key skills’ agendas in higher education present the cha... more The current ‘widening participation’ and ‘key skills’ agendas in higher education present the challenge of developing curriculum models that can accommodate a more heterogeneous student body. Drawing primarily on the South African experience, and similar findings from Australia, this article examines various forms of provision in terms of intended target group, assumptions, goals and curriculum context. A distinction is made between separate, semi-integratedand integratedapproaches and associated models. On the grounds of both educationally relevant theory and actual practice, it is argued that ‘separate’ provision of the ‘academic support’ type has a limited impact, and that a mix of semi-integrated and integrated models of curriculum provision offers better prospects for helping a wide spectrum of students to succeed at university. Some implications for teaching and curriculum development are illustrated with reference to the Arts and Humanities.

From a holistic perspective, "curriculum" may be defined as the nexus of teachi... more From a holistic perspective, "curriculum" may be defined as the nexus of teaching, learning, knowledge and context. Curriculum development - comprising the processes of designing, implementing, evaluating and adjusting programmes of study - is thus an ideal vehicle for fostering the scholarship of teaching and learning, especially since it is closely connected with lecturers' primary allegiance to their subject areas. The value of such an approach is illustrated through a case study of a module that forms part of a postgraduate qualification in higher education teaching and learning. Through undertaking a real course design and/or evaluation project, participants have an opportunity to develop a scholarly approach via the application to practice of curriculum and pedagogic theory and possible linkage of teaching with their research interests. Peer assessment is incorporated as another means to promote critical engagement with the curriculum field. The module is reviewed with reference to its theoretical content, delivery, assessment and feedback from participants and external examiners. Participants found that the module enhanced their intellectual grasp of curriculum issues and their capacity to cope with the challenges of teaching

Innovations in Higher EducationTeaching and Learning, 2016

Transnational arrangements between different types of higher education institutions provide an in... more Transnational arrangements between different types of higher education institutions provide an interesting example of partnership working, being business arrangements with learning as a core organising principle. Successful partnerships both learn and work together and can become mutually transformative, sources of growth for the individuals and institutions involved. Individual projects early in the lifecycle of a

The Business Education Research Group (BERG) was formed in December 2003 to focus on educational ... more The Business Education Research Group (BERG) was formed in December 2003 to focus on educational research and the experiences of students within the business domain. In the wake of the UK Government decision to increase HE participation through widening participation, BERG carried out research to examine business students’ expectations of the Higher Education experience. In addition, students’ reasons for non-attendance at lectures, the usefulness of new technology for students, the characteristics of academically excellent students, transferable skills and the value of work experience placements have all been explored and investigated. This paper provides a thematic representation of BERG research completed and published by summer 2008.

South African Historical Journal, 1991