Application Form
Teaching Fellowship Award Scheme 2009 - 2010
Signed forms to be returned to:
Margaret Powderley
EDaLT
4th Floor, Rolle Building
Plymouth Campus
Deadline: Monday 6th April 2009, 12pm (Please note that no applications
can be accepted after this time.)
Title of proposed project: CeramicCornwall
Name(s) of Applicants for Teaching Fellowship: Wendy Wilbraham
Project leader contact details: Wendy Wilbraham
Faculty/School: Faculty of Arts, Science and 6th Form, Cornwall College, Camborne Campus
Ext:
01209 616379
Fax:
Email: [email protected]
Other staff supporting project (but not applying for teaching fellowship):
None
Proposal (maximum two sides)
Please give an overview of what you want to do and indicate how this relates to the following
criteria:
How does the proposed project
 enhance the quality of learning and teaching at an individual and subject level;
 contribute to the achievement of the Faculty and University Teaching & Learning Strategies (please
remember to refer to the new University T & L Strategy, a draft copy of which can be found under “Support for
Teaching Fellowships” via the EDaLT Website http://intranet.plymouth.ac.uk/edalt/intranet.htm).

develop materials or ideas that can be applied by other colleagues to enhance learning and
teaching more widely;
 result in outcomes that can be used for academic publications or conference presentations?
Please include details about aims, context, methods, outcomes and dissemination and an
approximate timetable for the project.
Context/rationale
The initial idea for this proposed activity developed from conversations while writing an FdA in Contemporary Ceramic
Practice relating to the need to work towards a robust employers forum and the marketing of a niche course. The twin
issues that we needed to overcome are firstly that the majority of our employer links are with self-employed freelance
designers so time is an issue for them, and secondly our geographical location limits employers who are able to
contribute to our programmes. It was decided that developing an online community of practice (WENGER, E.,
Communities of practice, http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm, date accessed 2nd April 2009)
would be beneficial on both counts and this was supported by the validation panel; however, through further
discussion we realised that this could be a much more ambitious project since such a resource could potentially have
multiple-applications. It could provide external examiners and link tutors with access to ongoing student work at their
convenience rather than annual snapshots. The resource would also enable moderation across the partnership, an
initiative that is already underway for the written aspects of the FdA Graphic and Communication Design course
through the Critical and Contextual community of practice using the Knowledge Exchange Network (KEN). By
becoming a repository for student work, students would be able to reflect on their creative development (PDP) with
input from established practitioners, and if they were given continuing access into level 6 and beyond, we would have
an integrated alumni community and be able to develop the employer network further. In terms of developing an
identity for the course within the wider ceramic community, visitors to the site would be able to gain a sense of the
creative journey students have undergone and the course would be firmly positioned within the industry sector in a
way that would benefit students beyond university. Being an independent maker can be a lonely business and the
community of practice would provide a domain for students, new and established makers and arts agencies in a
developing market, thus presenting an exciting opportunity for students to engage in a dialogue with a broad range of
industry professionals, both drawing from and contributing to an expanding body of knowledge.
Project Aims
The project aims to enhance the curriculum in line with the University L&T Strategy Key theme 9, through the
exploitation of new technologies by developing a sustainable culturally diverse community of practice and embedding
professional practice within the FdA Contemporary Ceramic Practice programme.
We envisage this project comprising of two phases. Firstly to set up a website to store student work by course and by
year for the purposes of the employers forum, moderation through a community of practice (already extant in the
University of Plymouth Art and Design Subject Forum) and developing the foundations for an alumni community. This
will be in place for the start of the course in September 2009. Staff, students, members of the employers forum,
examiners and moderators would have full access. The second phase, to be completed by January 2010, would be to
develop public access areas to the site including discussion forums, links to forthcoming events etc. The project
therefore investigates a way of increasing and promoting dialogue between students and practitioners to support and
encourage professionalism and a free exchange of ideas regionally, nationally and globally in line with key theme 10.
The Arts and Media Department already has established links with colleges in Denmark, Belize, Zanzibar and the U.S
which it could use to internationalise this project. Contemporary ceramic practitioners, although dispersed, are a close
knit group and this project works with the established ethos of collaboration within the discipline. The ultimate aim of
the project is to establish a resource grounded in the pedagogy of communities of practice (WENGER, E.,
Communities of practice, http://www.ewenger.com/theory/index.htm, date accessed 2nd April 2009) that encourages
participation and works towards developing a vibrant self-sustaining community. The ongoing maintenance of the
website would become the responsibility of students, supported by staff, through their professional development
modules.
Contribution to the wider learning and teaching community
We believe that this research project will make a significant contribution to the achievement of the Faculty and
University Learning and Teaching Strategies and is consistent with the University’s learning and teaching philosophy
by developing an effective learning environment which will empower students, through and beyond the university
experience. In brief the outcome would be a cutting edge multiple-application resource tailored to a specific discipline
that would provide a model of practice applicable to other colleges, particularly those in rural areas, having dispersed
employers linked to their courses or seeking to engage with cultural diversity.
The finished website will maximise the student experience through proactive employer engagement and provide in
addition a rigorous and robust quality management system. The reciprocal relationship with established makers and
agencies would insure that staff and students are being provided with the most up to date industry specific
information, thus signalling the relevance between the education delivered and the profession (Key theme 3).
The use of web technologies would enable engagement with both local and international communities (key themes 10
and 5). Importantly, the project will enable the course to embed enterprise at the heart of the curriculum through its
ability to respond to “the changing needs of individuals, professional bodies and the workforce” (key theme 1) by using
the website to inform the industry relevance of teaching practice.
Outcomes
The main outcome of the project will be the CeramicCornwall website as a sustainable community of
practice.
The development of the site will form a discussion paper presented at the UPC Art and Design Subject
Forum. The project could also be submitted as a paper to a suitable international teaching and learning
conference, for example the annual ELIA Teachers Academy, and as a case study submitted to the HEA
Art Design Media Subject Centre online.
Finally, as new technologies like Skype and Twitter become more mainstream the website, once
established, can be further developed and enhanced.
Personal and professional development intentions
Please describe briefly how you intend to use some of the fund for your own personal development.
I believe that this project will enhance both my teaching by ensuring that I have the most up to date and
relevant industry information to inform the development of FdA Contemporary Ceramic practice
curriculum.
The project will develop my web skills and enable me to explore the potential of new technologies for
teaching and learning.
Outline costings
Amount required
Brief description
Staffing
(Please explain
whether for time
release, research
assistant or admin.
support. Include
number of hours
and rate of pay)
Wendy Wilbraham Project management
Time release 25 hours @ £40 per hour
Website designer
75 hours @ £40 per hour
£1,000
£3,000
Materials
none
Training and professional development costs
Staff training to use the site is nil since training can be provided in house through the
College’s CPD programme.
Students can be introduced to the site as part of College induction and their skills developed
through the professional practice modules on their course
Other costs
£1,000
Cost of web domain through Drupal
Local travel 5 trips to UoP @ £52 each
£260.00
£5,260
Total Funding requested
Applicants for Teaching Fellowships, please confirm that you have attached
□
a short curriculum vitae highlighting your learning and teaching track record (max. 2 sides A4)
If there is more than one applicant for a Teaching Fellowship each member of the group
should provide this information.
□
a letter of commitment and support from your line manager.
If successful, we intend to publish this form internally. We may also want to use the information
provided for publicity purposes. Pleas tick this box if you do not want this information to be included
in such activities.
□
Application deadline Monday, 6th April 2009, 12pm