It is interesting how a formal qualification has inspired me to do something creative like write a blog but actually it is part of the assignment, which got me thinking about just how far education has come and really how accepting it has become of more informal ways of portraying thoughts…or has it?
I would like to pose a question…what do you think about using more informal means of communication/writing to complete assignments for formal qualifications? Good, bad, irresponsible, irrelevant, indifferent?
Well…I hope to share with you my thoughts and in return hope that I can hear some of yours.
Since I can remember, through GCSEs, A levels and even a former qualification completed with trinity, I have had to officially reference my work down to the last quote and sites such as Wikipedia were always a big no-no. And suddenly I am faced with this amazing opportunity where this blog itself, full of my own thoughts and opinions no less, will count towards at least a section of my overall assessment for possibly my most in depth and formal qualification yet!
I have to say, I am a big fan of this concept and would be very supporting of this attitude towards many other qualifications…I may even be very bold and say all!
Let me ask you this… In whatever profession you currently stand, did you learn more from books and facts and figures or more from doing, living, and being the job? I know what my answer is.
Let's take this blog for an example. When writing this or any blog, I feel a true sense of freedom with my words and don't feel restricted by any criteria that I need to meet because it's my honest thoughts based on my real experience, wether it is right or wrong is not the point, it harnesses my experiences and provides a platform on which I can present them and what I have learnt from them.
Shall we also look at the other side of the spectrum… What if the thoughts and opinions I have based on actual experience are not valid? Isn't it possible with the greatest of respect to anybody reading this or agreeing with my first stance, that some people's experiences and opinions on their profession are affected or biased by years of experience, although it is possible to be passionate and entirely in love with your job, it is also possible to feel the opposite way. And this does not necessarily make for the most constructive study or comment in whatever particular area you have chosen. How do we vet this? Is it even possible?
Then we come to marking against criteria, how would an examiner or higher body then mark somebody's opinions and experiences!? Which if any boxes will this blog tick for me?
Personally I believe that real experience is priceless wether it is positive or negative. Everything gained from working within a particular field, in my case music, can build up knowledge and skills in a person. It is really what that person decides to do with them that determines their value. But surely even by providing a channel through which people and professionals feel free to speak their opinion is going to rock the boat a little and inevitably open up some cans of worms that have long needed straightening out…even if they are the cans at the back of the cupboard that nobody dares touch anymore!
I say bravo! To my qualification with trinity and any others that are taking this brave step into alternative and honest ways of approaching key and professional subjects. I like it. And I have thoroughly enjoyed writing about it…let's see how this blog does…mark away trinity!
Thoughts…?
Interesting question. I think it comes down to the type of work being assessed. I teach BTEC qualifications, and always make my students give references in academic pieces, but so much of their course is also grounded in practical work. On the other hand, many of them use blogs to create and maintain rehearsal diaries so I think it has its place in assessing reflective and self-critical perspectives, which much of the CME appears to be based on.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, a friend of mine is just coming to the end of his PhD as a research engineer, and the amount of academic references he has used in his dissertation is probably staggering.
In summary - for "new" learning and research, academic papers certainly have their place. For reflective journals, blogs are most fitting for me. Even Captain Kirk had a captain's log...
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