Working with a bunch of new and seasoned authors and publishing a modest-sized edited collection against all odds is indeed an extraordinary experience! After the persistent hard work during the eventful last two years, our book Applied Pedagogies for Higher Education: Real World Learning and Innovation across the Curriculum (Palgrave Macmillan) is finally on the market!
Dawn Morley (University of Bournemouth) and I initiated this book project in 2018 when we were both working at Solent University, Southampton. I can still picture those days when we drafted, revised, and re-drafted our plans and sketched content summaries on a large whiteboard hanging on wall. It was an enriching experience of co-creating a serious discourse on an emerging but apparently ‘vague’ educational paradigm through debates, dialogue, and negotiation. Thanking doesn’t do enough to express my gratefulness to Solent University for extending generous support and encouragement in this venture.
The book documents our response to the increased emphasis on applied learning in higher education. We argue that traditional definitions and use of real-world curriculum need to be expanded beyond popular concepts of applied learning, such as placement and work-based education. The authors in their chapters draw evidence from a rich variety of academic disciplines and critique Real World Learning across a wide spectrum of curriculum and extra-curricular viewpoints. They also participate in mixed methods primary research to inform experiential perspectives of Real World Learning concepts.
The book is open access and available on the Springer Link website.
You can watch the virtual recorded presentation ‘Real world learning – curriculum design for developing attributes for employability and life-long learning’ by Dr Dawn Morley at Advance HE’s Annual Teaching and Learning Conference 2020, Teaching in the spotlight: Creative thinking to enhance the student experience: From curriculum design to student success.
Happy reading!