Shreeve “ Analysing the experience of practioner tutors in Art and Design”
I found my first task to read Shreeve, a hugely insightful and a wonderful introduction to the PG Cert course.
Shreeve explores and describes 5 different approaches to teaching; from being a ‘practitioner’ passing on knowledge to students to a more inclusive teacher in which teaching and learning roles merge between student and teacher. I found the interviews with tutors honest & helpful in understanding the subtle differences and dynamics between being a practioner and tutor. Working as a part time lecturer and tutor myself and not being attached to one university, Shreeve prompted me into self-analysis, encouraging me to consider my own personal journey as a learner, a tutor and a practitioner.
I initially thought that I fitted into category one: an asymmetrical relationship between practice and teaching with the focus on practice. I quote some of the tutors who fitted into category one:
P76 “I would rather they saw me as a professional working in the industry passing on some of his knowledge
P77 “ I just enjoy working with lots of different young people, with students, teaching them how to do it, passing on the knowledge”
Figure 1. Asymmetrical rocks that don’t roll – does asymmetry imply an
inability to understand other perspectives as a teacher I wonder?
I did relate to category one, but felt on reflection that perhaps I fitted more into category three, in which a ‘symmetrical relationship’ exists between practice and teaching (where practice and teaching are seen as two different things and a tension exists between them.) I feel I currently have my foot in two camps as I also related to these tutor quotes:
P80 “ It’s quite interesting, which camp do you put yourself in, are you in the camp of education/teacher or are you in the camp of a more independent artist`’
P92 “ It’s about helping students to understand the processes and thinking what goes into practice”.
Figure 2. These patterns suggest to me different ways of presenting the same material – either to different learners or in different contexts.
I was very interested in the section where Shreeve explored how productive it can be to relate teaching to ones own practice. Recently I taught on the LCC MA Moving Image course and found that the best way to communicate “How to pitch a project”, was to demonstrate examples of my own pitches relating my experiences and explaining the importance of presentation skills in a pitch. I felt I communicated this effectively to the students who could see current projects explained and processes revealed, which they found useful and related to their own forthcoming pitch.
P92” When you talk about your own work you can talk about it much more specifically as you know, what you did and why you
did things”
P93 “ This understanding is bought about through the tutors own experiences as well as using artifacts they have created through practice.”
It was also a good icebreaker and introduction to my peer group to hear their views about what they had read: Brookfield, Ramsden and Dall’Arba, It inspired an interesting group discussion which lead to my peers sharing their teaching experiences, which I found very useful. It also inspired me to read D’Alba’’s ”Improving teaching: Enhancing ways of being a University teacher”
I found D’Alba’s paper on Martin Heideggar’s views relevant:
“Our very ‘being-in- the world” is shaped by the knowledge we pursue, uncover, and embody. (There is) a troubling sense in which it seems that we cannot help practicing what we know, since we are “always already’ implicitly shaped by our guiding metaphysical presuppositions”
I found Shreeve’s phenomenographic analysis of the different ways in which practice/teaching relationships can be experienced, fascinating and there seems no limit to the amount of variations. To quote Shreeve:
P99 “ there are different ways in which practice/teaching relations can be experienced. These are more complex than simply melding or gluing practice and teaching together or making simple transition from practice to teaching.”
To conclude, the quote which gave me the most encouragement and illuminated why I have embarked upon the PGCert course was taken from Dall’ Alba-I hope for similar insight and inspiring outcomes.
P9 “This year has been both an interesting and surprising journey for me…and learning about educational practice, the educational literature and my own teaching practice has been a revelation.”
I hope for a similar inspiring outcome.
Figure 3. These images, which have differing symmetry, remind me that different perspectives are fascinating and that there is no singular way to interpret the world and teaching.
This is an inspiring response. At any point while reading Shreeve did you feel confused or irritated or bored? If at all, why? I am asking because post-posting I often regret what I have written because my ideas change, but maybe I am fickle.
Hi Mark,
That’s great that you read Dall’Alba too…I found it really interesting. Reading your post it strikes me that the Shreeve text seems very apt for you given that it sounds like you have one foot in industry and one in education. Your description of the categories of practitioner tutors made me wonder where I might fit in.
I’ve had a cursory read of the Shreeve text and found I identified most with Category 2: Moving Across (which was actually a bit of a surprise!). One element of this category that I particularly identified with (and which you’ve discussed above) is the idea of incorporating your own ‘real life’ examples in your teaching. For me, the benefit of using my own examples is that I find students are more willing to take on board what I’m saying if I can demonstrate firsthand knowledge/experience. I think this is summed up nicely by the quote below from Shreeve’s text:
“If I show them I’m a practitioner, and this is what I do, here’s my proposal, here’s my treatment, then I think they trust me more, they believe what I say. And actually, they are more inclined to have a go at it.” (p.22)
I know this idea of using your own examples came up in our group discussion. I think I remember you saying that maybe it would be good/interesting to also incorporate others’ examples (correct me if I misremembered). Do you think there are benefits to using others’ examples or case studies rather than your own?
Hello Mark! When you explained Shreeves’ categories during our discussion I was wondering (maybe I even asked) whether being in one category is better than being in another. I had a quick look at her text (not sure I get phenomenography despite looking it up) and I am still not sure. She says something about there not being a ‘value judgement’ and only a ‘hierarchy of expansion’ (p.86) and again I am not sure I fully understand … It sounds like being in the ‘Integrating’ category would be a good thing, where the gap – if that’s the right word – between teaching and practice almost disappears. I was wondering whether you are now aspiring to move away from the category you inhabit into another? I was also wondering whether one person can be in several categories at different times and whether this might not be even an appropriate way of doing things.
When we discussed ‘your’ text in ‘class’ my first thought was: ‘oh, that won’t apply to me because I’m not a practitioner’. I meant not being an art/design/film practitioner. My first reaction is also related to the fact that my main practice at present is being a curator and that is not what I am teaching. But our discussion, your post, my attempt at understanding Shreeves (I like my lists, and brackets) made me ‘critically reflect’ on this idea that I am not a practitioner, and that what I am teaching relates little to my work. And of course that is rubbish. A large part of my work as curator is doing research, finding out empirical facts, putting them in a bigger context and also finding ways of talking about objects, telling stories in an interesting way. And I also write, although not as much as I would like (and without much support from the museum). And I give a lot of presentations in different contexts. So I am a practitioner, if you don’t use the word just for artists and designers. And the things I practice – maybe not enough – I also teach. What category am I in, though?
Thanks for your reply’s, not having blog’d, posted on Facebook, Twitter, Instragram etc it’s a new thing having to read people’s opinions…interesting experience. I’ll try and reply to some of the points raised.
Wendy – I didn’t have any of emotions you listed, the opposite in fact. I found that Shreeve’s inspired me and made me reflect on my personal relationship between being practioner and tutor. (Q) Do I ever regret what I’ve written (blog /email) …(A) ”No”, however I often re-read and wish It was better written.
Hannah – (A) yes I feel I have 1 foot dipped into the teaching world and the other foot firmly planted in the directing world. I was interested that you reflected after reading Shreeve’s that you felt you fitted into category 2 & I liked the Shreeve’s quote you picked which summed up your current feelings – in that your moving across from practioner to tutor & Yes I do feel its important to show other peoples work – Up to now I tended to get invited to colleges to show my work and set a project so it has made sense to use my own case studies and a few BTS (behind the scenes) films. However moving forward I want to show other directors / designers case studies and examples of work etc.
Beatrice- Yes Shreeves terminology mean’t I read with online dictionary on a 2nd screen. You ask if I’m thinking of moving from one of Shreeves category to another, as I posted I felt that at start of reading I fitted into category one but by the end & reflecting on my position as practioner / tutor – category three feels right and happy to stay put for a few years.