Mid-Term

 As we come to the mid-term break next week, a few notes;

 

Trust yourself - remember you may be new to BA study, you are not new to your practice!

Don't panic - take a deep breath, step back, take a walk, meditate, dance, sing, cook...let things settle and process

re-read your module handbook - you will take new things from it at this point

read material from your module reading list  - the essential texts are critical to the learning of each module

work on your drafts - start writing!!!

plan your time/schedule the next 6 weeks to the final submission date of Dec 10 - come back to don't panic!!

diarise dates of sessions to attend - make space to be a part of the discussions

catch up on recordings of sessions you may have missed - these are all on BAPP ACI Unihub page

think about how it might be useful to use tutorial time from this point - to have feedback discussion with your supervisor on your draft work is key now

blog about your week of catching up, moving forwards... 

 

 

READING MATERIAL: MODULE THREE

WE ARE AWARE THAT THE KORTEXT FOR MODULE THREE Wolcott, Transforming Qualitative data -  IS NOT AVAILABLE ONLINE I AM LIAISING WITH OUR KORTEXT LIBRARY TEAM TO HAVE THIS TEXT SENT TO THOSE ON MODULE THREE (HARD COPY) 

PLEASE go to this link to add your full postal address for the book to be sent to you!

https://mdxl.eu.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_a9sEXCE0ZoSaTga  

IADMS conference starts tomorrow - ONLINE!!!

 Many of you interested in and planning or undertaking research into areas of 

Dance, 

Health, 

Well-being, 

Injury prevention, impact, management, 

impact of COVID on dancers... 

The 31st Annual conference from the International Association of Dance Medicine and Science opens tomorrow and it is digital/online on format - register if you can - look at who's presenting, look into their areas of research..

 

 

https://iadms.org/our-programs/

module three - data and analysis

 Today we had a discussion about data and analysis with a Module three focus.

Emily and Alice shared what 'data' - material, information, thoughts, opinions gathered through field research feel like for them, they noted assumptions they may have been making about their area of research, their own bias and expectation as well as unexpected surprises from the data.

Recognising your own assumptions, challenging your expectations is all GREAT RESEARCH - This opens the door to you re-considering, thinking differently, being pushed further in your own learning - this is the intention of research and the crux of this programme!!

The process of analysis is about stepping back a little and letting your research speak to you... ALL OF IT (not just want participants said in interviews) listening, reading more, listening, questioning further, listening and acknowledging what you are learning from your research.

 

We spoke about the need to ensure YOU are in your research - Pedro suggested coming back to your Module One work to remind you of how you were positioning your professional practice, and to remember that your BA degree is in YOUR professional practice - not the subject of your inquiry.  It is about what you are learning about your practice through the process of the research inquiry.

 

Some questions to consider...

How is this process changing your practice? 

How might you come to your practice differently as an impact of undertaking the research?

What shifts in your thinking are you noticing?

 How is your practice evolving?

 

 

What are your thoughts?

Ethics

Following our discussions around Ethics this week I wanted to share this TED Talk where Professional Ballroom Dancers Trevor Coop and Jeff Fox discuss the ethics within their practice. They comment on the assumptions that are inherent in watching this dance form, the gender stereotypes that are re-inforced, the invisibilizing of the existence of some people from the form. 

 

 

https://www.ted.com/talks/trevor_copp_and_jeff_fox_ballroom_dance_that_breaks_gender_roles?utm_campaign=tedspread&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=tedcomshare

 

 

What is interesting in relation the ethical considerations of your research through this programme is the process of thinking through and questioning of your practice. 

What hierarchies exist, what stereotypes, exclusions, expectations, what do you think about these as you design a research project proposal (Ethical Considerations) and what actions do you take to recognise your own privilege and minimise potentially negative impacts on others as a result of your research (Ethical Procedures).

The thinking leads to the actions you take. 

The ethical considerations of your research (discussed in your research proposal) lead to the choices you make about the ethical procedures you will engage with (outlined in your MORE application).

What are some of the ethical considerations of your research at this stage?

Literature

Today we had a discussion about Literature - what that looks like in terms of the kinds of resources we call literature, what the role of literature is within research and learning, what the role of literature is within the different modules of study on the BAPP programme, searching techniques, respecting the body of work that is behind a single article we may pick up, acknowledging the work of those you engage with through citation, developing discussions with the work you are engaging with (not reading to 'back up' your own thinking, or to grab a quote!)...

The session was recorded and is on unihub for your reference - those that were a part of the discussion please do blog your thoughts around this, examples of how you might try engaging in conversation with a piece of literature you are interested in...

Writing, accounting, narrating...

 After the great sessions with Peter and Sam this week, I've been thinking a lot about writing and the roles it plays, creatively - being part of artistic process, academicially - a way of articulating experiences through reflection, and wondering about other relationships that people have with writing. 

I wanted to share this TEDtalk from Writer, Sakinah Hofler, sharing her experiences of Creative Writing as Bearing Witness to experience. 

https://www.ted.com/talks/sakinah_hofler_how_to_use_creative_writing_to_bear_witness

 

 

What are your thoughts?

 

Module Three - What are you doing?

Great session this week hearing what those in module three are doing as they begin their research projects. 

We discussed data collection - as the phase everyone is in at this point in the term and noted the learning that is happening in the process of gathering information through interviews, focus groups and surveys, that often it is the learning of your Self through these processes that is the learning which contributes to the development of your Professional Practice, not the 'thing' you are investigating. 

 

Do keep a reflective journal throughout the process of the module to capture these experiences and take this learning back into your practice. Remember that the value of undertaking this research inquiry, and the BAPP programme as a whole is to support you in growing in your practice, not becoming an expert in research or in your inquiry topic. 

Keep observing your own assumptions, questions, challenges faced and responded to...it's all part of the process

Module three students, particularly those not able to be in this session in real-time, do blog about your own inquiry process and comment here to connect. 

The recording from this session is on unihub.