Special Issue - Creative Higher Education Curriculum and Pedagogy - Editorial

Agusita, Emma; Naudin, Annette

Abstract

Research in Art, Design and Media (ADM) Higher Education matters because it has the potential to enhance educational practice from the perspective of creative pedagogies and the cultural and creative industries. Specifically in practice-based ADM education, there is often a tension between theory and practice, and a lack of opportunity to reflect critically on our curriculum and pedagogy (Orr and Shreeve, 2017). In this special issue of Makings, we wanted to explore challenges, debates and practices across contemporary ADM Higher Education. We sought to reflect a diverse range of national and international contributions, from established researchers to academics whose main role is to teach, and who have no or little experience of academic writing. For that reason, the call for this special issue included a writing workshop to encourage and support those with less experience of academic research and writing. The outcome is a range of contributions including conventional articles, blog posts and an audio piece. 

These are challenging times for Higher Education, at least in the UK where we are experiencing cost cutting measures resulting in the shutting down of arts, humanities, and social science courses (Jack Grove, Times Higher Education, May 2022). This will inevitably have an impact on the cultural and creative industries workforce. Furthermore, Covid-19 coronavirus resulted in additional difficulties for teaching creative subjects which tend to rely on access to specialist resources, collaborative practices and experiential learning. As Terri Newman (2020) points out, our usual teaching habits changed dramatically since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly collaborative and practical methods of teaching such as those used in many Art, Design and Media courses. ADM teaching and learning often requires a dynamic relationship between space, those collaborating within that space (learners and teachers) and the culture which they create collectively. Much of this has come into question, causing academics to reflect on their teaching practice. Bridgstock (2019) suggests that there is already relatively little literature which reviews how and what we teach, including the extent to which our curriculum reflects cultural and creative industries work. This special issue, which began at the tail end of the pandemic, is an opportunity to reflect and process the educational developments which have taken place over the last few years. The contributions in this special issue, encompass a range of concerns, ideas and opportunities, for creative Higher Education teaching and learning practices.

• Journal Article Type: Editorial
• Acceptance Date: Feb 20, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 27, 2023
• Publication Date: Feb 27, 2023
• Deposit Date: Mar 2, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 2, 2023
• Journal: Makings
• Electronic ISSN: 2752-3861
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 1
• Keywords: Creative Education, Higher Education, Curriculum, Pedagogy
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/10485748
• Publisher URL: https://makingsjournal.com/issues/volume-4-issue-1-2023/