Learning as a Creative and Developmental Process in Higher Education

A Therapeutic Arts Approach and Its Wider Application

Judie Taylor, Clive Holmwood

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2018
• ISBN:
  9781351392556
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Education
• Subtopic: Education Theory & Practice

Much has been written about the importance of creativity in learning and education over the last few decades. This unique book extends beyond the usual focus on implementing creative methods in learning, teaching and assessing within higher education, to an examination of creativity as central to a learning process which is transformational for the student. More specifically, Learning as a Creative and Developmental Process in Higher Education examines the importance of a facilitative tutor-student relationship and environment which contextualise this creative process of teaching and learning.

Bringing together unique teaching and learning approaches developed by experienced academics, this book discusses a number of complex issues, including approaches to an understanding of the student's self-concept as learner; the nature of the curriculum; the potential of metaphor and creativity; and a multi-modal approach to learning and teaching. Contributions to the book also examine some of the challenges and tensions of such an approach within the context of arts-based subjects in higher education institutions. Using a unique and coherent thematic structure that is based upon the student journey as a transformational process, this book provides a new way of understanding the student journey through higher education.

Including an examination of the parallels between educational and arts education and arts therapies disciplines, this book will be of interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students involved in the arts and the arts therapies, as well as those studying creativity in teaching and learning in higher education. It should be of particular interest to those involved in the teaching and training of teachers and lecturers in higher education.

Section 1

Separation

The pre-liminal phase

Rites of passage, the student journey …

The anthropologist, Van Gennep, observed that the ritual ceremonies which accompany the landmarks of human life differ only in detail from one culture to another, and that they are in essence universal. He identified three phases of separation, liminality, and incorporation which collectively he termed the ‘rites of passage’. ‘I propose to call the rites of separation from a previous world, pre-liminal rites, those executed during the transitional stage liminal (or threshold) rites, and the ceremonies of incorporation into the new world post-liminal rites’. (Van Gennep 1960:21). Where limen means a threshold, doorway or crossing place (Turner 1982:25), the person separates from a previous or ‘pre-liminal’ world and detaches from an earlier aspect of life. There may be a period of disorientation until the individual is able to readjust and eventually integrate into new structures in the post-liminal phase.

The emphasis in this section is upon ‘separation’ as the student moves away or separates from their previous lives and education with associated changes in behaviour and status signified in symbolic actions and rituals. With a possible move away from home and former friendship groups, the fixed points of the student’s former social structures change. As they meet new friends and move into the role of the university student, they may find the experience differs from their previously held expectations. With this in mind, this first section considers the challenges of these ‘new’ experiences and of a new teaching pedagogy that students encounter as they begin their higher education journey. The student is encouraged to reflect upon their move into university, their beliefs about the nature of learning and the curriculum, their role as student and their readiness to meet the demands of lifelong learning in a complex ever-changing world.

In Chapter 1 Judie Taylor discusses a facilitated arts space in which students reflect upon their transition to HE. It builds upon a previously co-authored chapter (Taylor and Barnsley 2014) where one student discusses the transformational impact of the workshop. Extracts from her story highlight the potential of the arts in mastering threshold concepts, in this case relating to a shift in her understanding of her role as an independent learner and the nature of the curriculum.

In Chapter 2 that follows, Martyn Parker-Eames assists undergraduate first-year students in grasping the art of reflection, not only as a cognitive activity but also as an embodied and creative experience. He takes the students to an island on a Viking’s day out and through working with metaphor they are able to safely explore the personal and social impact of making the transition to university. Extracts from the journey are interwoven into Martyn’s discussion to show how he carefully marks out the creative space and crafts the workshop to keep students safe and engaged.

In Chapter 3 Katy Tozer explores the importance of states of uncertainty and ‘not-knowing’ and how they can be harnessed to promote learning in HE. However, she argues these terms have been largely constructed as negative phenomenon within the mainstream UK educational system, with many students fearful of not being provided with solid and safe answers. This tension creates challenges for students and tutors but also for institutions who are in a competitive marketplace. Her discussion is informed by existentialist theory and philosophy, an understanding of conscious and unconscious processes and pedagogical approaches to the epistemological construction of knowledge.

Finally, to complete the Separation section, Drew Bird and Clive Holmwood discuss the value of play within the HE curriculum. They suggest that there has been an artificial divide between the concepts of play and work with work being seen to have more value, so for many new students play within the curriculum might be an unfamiliar approach. They not only discuss the importance of play in child development and learning but also how it links to the imagination, creativity and creating meaning, and so highlight how play underpins practical and philosophical approaches to teaching and learning within HE. They illustrate their discussion with examples from practice, with a particular emphasis on engaging the learner in HE through storytelling and the use of games to structure improvisation.

References

Van Gennep, A. (1960) The Rites of Passage. London: Routledge.

Taylor, J. and Barnsley, R. (2014) ‘Lifewide curriculum’ an Experiential Workshop to Introduce Students to Transformational Learning, in Jackson, N. and Willis, J. (eds) Lifewide Learning and Education in Universities and Colleges, available at www.learninglives.co.uk/e-book.html (accessed 25th April 2018).

Turner, V. (1982) From Ritual to Theatre: The Human Seriousness of Play, New York: PAJ.

Chapter 1

Supporting the student transition to higher education

Arts-based reflections on the ‘lifewide curriculum’

Judie Taylor

Introduction

There is often a gap between student and tutor expectations of higher education (HE). Many students will be more familiar with a school experience of ‘compliance and dependency’ (Scales 2017:78), and so arrive in HE (where they might be expected to be more independent as a learner) with an ‘uncritical reliance on the external authority’ (Baxter Magolda 2014:2). There is an increasing recognition that such an instrumental way of learning will not prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century; as Goodman (1994) states, in order for students to become self-reliant graduates they will need to develop as ‘self-reliant learners’ (in Scales 2017:120). This difference in expectations may cause some confusion and uncertainty, and it is not uncommon that students feel lost and are ‘unaware of what is expected of them’ Kandiko (2012:11). It is therefore important that tutors explore ways to facilitate the student’s successful transition into HE.

For some years, I had programme responsibility for the delivery of personal development planning (PDP) and ‘employability’ in the BA (Hons) Creative Expressive Therapies (likely to be renamed the BA (Hons) Arts, Health and Wellbeing). With this in mind, I asked first-year students in an arts workshop to explore possible definitions of the term ‘lifewide curriculum’ (Jackson 2011 a and b). The aims of the workshop were to encourage students to reflect upon their expectations of and transition into HE, introduce some of the principles underpinning PDP and consider the idea of ‘positioning’ (Pegg et al. 2012:46) themselves in readiness for their future.

In retrospect, the workshop was inviting students, as on a liminal journey (where limen means a threshold, doorway or crossing place (Turner 1982:25)), into the uncertainty of a liminal space (Meyer, Land and Davies 2006:22) where their ‘taken-for-granted’ (Robinson 2011) views about education would be challenged. I was aiming to stretch students’ understanding, as in a ‘zone of proximal development’ (Vygotsky 1978), so they would emerge with a shift in perspective and new understanding.

The workshop did stimulate some interesting discussion and received positive feedback; indeed, one student, Ruth, contacted me afterwards to tell me how transformational the workshop had been for her. She had suddenly realised how reliant she had been on tutors whom she had expected to give her all the answers, and she was beginning to recognise the importance of her own voice and agency in the learning process. In order to capture some of her experience, Ruth and I subsequently co-authored a chapter (Taylor and Barnsley 2014) and she later facilitated a similar workshop for HE tutors at a University of Derby Learning and Teaching Conference and presented at the Learning Lives Conference¹ in London in 2014.

This chapter examines the background and rationale for the original workshop and frames it as part of a liminal journey within a constructivist (Scales 2017:46) model of education. Learning is seen as a lifewide and lifelong process through which students develop as independent learners in preparation for meeting the challenges of a complex world. In the arts workshop, students were invited to engage with their imagination and create their own meaning, which enabled Ruth to transform her expectations of HE so she was able to fully cross the ‘threshold’ into the community of practice of the Therapeutic Arts. Extracts from the previous chapter (Taylor and Barnsley 2014) have been included here, and Ruth’s own words indicate the significance of her journey and the importance of her own voice and perspective as a student.

The transition to HE as a liminal journey

If we accept that undergraduate students arrive with a ‘reliance on external authority’ through having experienced learning structures largely provided by colleges and schools (Scales 2017) and with the question ‘Is this on the test?’ at the forefront of their minds ( James and Brookfield 2014:20), it is unlikely that they will have developed an ‘academic self-concept’ (Cozolino 2012:155) as an independent learner.

When crossing the ‘threshold’ (Turner 1982:25) into HE, it is therefore important that students ‘separate’ from the dependency of their previous experience of education, make the journey through the ‘doorway’ into a liminal space (where their existing expectations are challenged) and then incorporate some of this new learning into their role as a student. Students may encounter this journey as ‘troublesome’ (Cousin 2006:4) in that it may be unsettling and create anxiety and uncertainty.

The situation becomes even more complex when the student’s age is taken into account.² Not only are students making the transition to university, including a possible move away from home, family and friends, it is also likely that they are making the transition from Erikson’s (Erikson 1959 cited in O’Regan 2010) fifth stage of development, with its polarity of ‘identity versus role confusion’, and progression into adulthood. O’Regan (2010) in her study ‘Graduate Transitions to Employment’ states that little work has been done on the emotional impact (my italics) of the transition from home to university, and that it is an area which can be seen as an ‘absent presence in career theory’ (2010:275).

It is also important to recognise that not all students will be at a similar ‘stage’ of personal, educational and social development, and some will be more prepared or more autonomous as learners. In terms of their personal development, those students who have developed a ‘trustworthy “I” as an “autonomous individual” capable of initiating and completing satisfying tasks’ are more likely to be able to meet the challenge of independent learning and ‘of chipping (their) own niche in the surrounding social landscape’ of the university (Kroger 1996 cited in O’Regan 2010:7).

O’Regan goes on to state that the ways in which students manage the transition to university may also be an indicator of how they will manage their transition to future careers and employment and create a niche for themselves on leaving university (O’Regan 2010:7). The student’s transition or liminal journey into HE is therefore seen as part of a longer lifelong journey, in turn with its own series of ‘thresholds’ and uncertainties. The challenge for educators, then, is to embrace teaching and learning methods which most enable students to prepare for their lifelong journey.

Learning for a complex world: the ‘lifewide curriculum’

In HE, we are now educating young people who might be working beyond 2060, which along with the speed and nature of change have all led to the recognition of a need to prepare students (as far as we can) for some of the challenges they will face. While the notion of ‘lifelong learning’ is well established (Scales 2017) and it is acknowledged that learning continues through the lifespan, Jackson (2011b) has complemented the term with ‘lifewide’ learning and the ‘lifewide curriculum’, an understanding of which, he argues, will enable and empower learners in preparing for the complexity and uncertainty of their future lives. Jackson acknowledges the contribution that Dewey made in originally devising the term ‘lifewideness’ (Dewey 1938 cited in Jackson 2011b).

The lifewide model reflects a move away from a purely content-based curriculum or the ‘singular’ knowledge (Trevitt 2010:5) of more traditional models of education. The value of such knowledge is questioned, as it is linear, may soon become obsolete and can now be readily accessed through internet searches. While it is acknowledged that students will need to learn certain bodies of knowledge such as technical or medical procedures, it is nevertheless important that learning is seen as a complex process and that systems which encourage passivity in students are challenged.

Lifewide learning includes ‘multiple knowledges’ (Trevitt 2010:5) and is seen to take ‘place in a variety of different environments and situations’ such as work placements, hobbies and social life, and is therefore ‘not confined by the formal educational system’ (Skolverket 2000 cited in Jackson 2011b). Learning extends beyond the ‘formal’ college curriculum, in part reflected in the current emphasis on employability and PDP, some aspects of which may be accredited within university awards³ and assessment structures. ‘Lifewide curriculum’ also emphasises the importance of a student’s personal growth and development, their ability to take responsibility for their own learning and actively construct meaning as in a constructivist (Scales 2017:46) model of education. The development of their ‘capability’, ‘qualities’ and ‘confidence’ enables students to navigate their own learning journey, ‘act in the continuous stream of situations that make up [their] lives’ (Jackson 2011b:113). Pegg et al (2012:46) would in turn suggest that such characteristics enhance the students’ employability and ability to position themselves in an ever-changing world.

Lifewide learning has become such an important concept that it was chosen as the central learning paradigm in a study commissioned by the EU as outlined in the report ‘The Future of Learning: Preparing for Change’ (Redbecker 2011). Irrespective of changing political agendas and boundaries, these principles remain important: rather than embracing a traditional view of education with fixed content and largely classroom-based teaching, the report states that there is a need for lifelong learners who can integrate their learning from other environments and experiences so they can ‘flexibly respond to change, are able to proactively develop competencies and thrive in collaborative learning and working environments’ (Redbecker 2011:1).

The Lifewide Curriculum workshop was devised to prompt student reflection and discussion in order to capture some of this complexity. The conventional wisdom may be that the tutor would give students a definition of the term ‘lifewide curriculum’ and then invite student debate. However, students were asked to use creative and embodied methods, to be curious about what the meaning of the term might be and to actively construct their own definitions. Metaphor was used as a means to facilitate student ‘mastery (of ) threshold concepts … and (promote) emergent understandings’ (Meyer and Land 2006 cited in Cousin 2006:4). I, as a tutor, tried to create a learning space where students felt able to cross the threshold into uncertainty and safe enough to remain curious, while I, too, had to avoid the temptation of giving them too many answers!

The context for the workshop

The workshop took place early in the autumn semester of a first-year module entitled Working Creatively with People, with approximately 45 students. In the first semester students participate in arts-based (art, drama, environmental sculpture, music and dance) workshops facilitated by a tutor where there is an emphasis on the process of creating and expression rather than on the end pro...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• List of figures and tables
• Foreword
• List of contributors
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Section 1 Separation: the pre-liminal phase
• Section 2 Transition: the liminal phase
• Section 3 Incorporation: the post-liminal phase
• Afterword
• Index