Category: TPP

The UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) 2011 and the new PSF 2023 are both frameworks designed to support the development of anyone working in higher education. While both frameworks share many similarities, several key differences set them apart; I will remark on the ones that stand out the most.

One of the significant changes between the UKPSF 2011 and the PSF 2023 is the increased emphasis on inclusivity and diversity. The PSF 2023 explicitly recognises the importance of creating inclusive learning environments and promoting diversity and equality. It also includes a new category of Core Knowledge and Skills for Inclusivity, highlighting the importance of understanding and addressing issues related to race, gender, sexuality, and other forms of identity.

Another important change in the PSF 2023 is the introduction of a new category of Recognising and Valuing Teaching. This category recognizes the importance of acknowledging and rewarding the contributions that teaching staff make to the wider academic community.

It is interesting, as it also encourages HE institutions to provide opportunities for staff to engage in scholarly teaching and to share their expertise with others.

The PSF 2023 also places a greater emphasis on the role of technology in teaching and learning; maybe after the experience of the pandemic, it just makes sense to have technology at the centre and driving force of education. It recognizes the increasing importance of digital skills and the need for teaching staff to use technology effectively in their teaching practice. As well as to embrace digital innovation and use technology to enhance the student learning experience.

The PSF 2023 represents a significant evolution of the UKPSF 2011. It reflects the changing nature of higher education and the increasing importance of inclusivity, diversity, recognition, and technology in teaching and learning. As such, I believe it will provide a valuable and updated framework for supporting the ongoing professional development of those working in the HE sector.

As someone who has worked in higher education for a few years, I have seen first-hand the importance of the professional values outlined in the UKPSF 2011. I also believe that I have been practising those values in my past position in HE abroad and in my current teaching practice in the UK.

I consider these values crucial to ensuring that all staff involved in teaching and supporting learning can provide the best possible experience for students.

One of the key professional values emphasised in the UKPSF 2011 is a commitment to maintaining high standards of teaching and learning. This means taking a proactive approach to staying up-to-date with the latest developments in teaching and learning and seeking opportunities for professional development and growth. I believe this to be very important in a Music Production course, as the technology used in our practice evolves rapidly as the industry.

Also, to recognise the importance of creating a welcoming and inclusive learning environment for students from all backgrounds and taking steps to ensure that all learners can fully participate in the learning experience.

Finally, the UKPSF 2011 emphasises the importance of ethical and professional behaviour in the higher education setting. This means demonstrating honesty, integrity, and accountability in all aspects of teaching and supporting learning and always following a high standard of professional conduct.

Overall, the professional values outlined in the UKPSF 2011 are vital to ensuring that higher education institutions provide high-quality teaching, engagement and learning experiences for everyone. It would be interesting to compare it with the upcoming PSF.

In the last block, for one of my units, I had to divide the class into groups for their assignment. After a couple of weeks, once I got to know the students and their skills, I made the groups in a way I believed was balanced. For the most part, the groups worked, with some small issues in a few groups, but all of them delivered a well-produced piece of music.

For this new block, one of the units I’m leading also has a unit-long group project, so I wanted to approach the group-making process a little bit differently. First, I wanted to include the students in the process. Second, I wanted students to feel more comfortable in their groups in regard to the role they want to take part in and the style of music they will be producing.

I had some ideas on how to do this; I wanted to make this as fair as possible for everyone in the class. Obviously, some smaller social groups have already been formed by the students. So I wanted the groups to be formed not only with their closest classmates but with anyone with the same goals in mind regarding the project.

The first day of class came, and I opened the discussion on how should we make the groups. A few students responded that they would like to work with someone who would like to do the same style of music and with the same production style. A few of them already knew who they wanted to work with. They knew this was coming, so they had already formed some groups. Accepting those groups would have been a bit complicated as some students would have been left out.

So we came up with the idea of writing what they wanted to do in the project on a piece of paper. What Style/Genre do they want to produce if they want to go more into Acoustic or Electronic production, and if they know what role they want to take part in the group, as co-producer, engineer, composer, etc. And to write their names on the back. There was a problem; there were around 8 students that did not show up to class that day. So we would have to take them into consideration somehow.

Once we had the pieces of paper, I created the groups according to their affinity. Now, as you may see in the picture, it is evident that some students wrote exactly the same to be included in the same group, making the groups exactly as they wanted. But, in my favour, the students that did not have a group were included in teams where they would fit in just fine.

Afterwards, we included the absent students in some groups and formed new ones with the rest of them according to their interest in music and past projects. In the end, everyone present was happy and comfortable with their group, but I don’t know about the absent students; we might have to accommodate some groups next week.

As a music production tutor, I have been accustomed to teaching small to medium size classes. From the beginning of my teaching career, I have had classes of 15 to 25 students. Even if the cohort size was larger, it has always been defined by the room size of the resources available for the lectures. As all my classes have been based in the recording studio or a computer lab, the room capacity has always been the limit.

During one of our PGCert sessions, we discussed different size teaching scenarios. I realised that I had never taught a large-size class. But I have given sporadic lectures to large audiences but never led a complete unit or module to a large class.

Large group teaching can present some unique challenges, but with the right approach, it can also be a rewarding experience for you and your students. This made me ask myself, in which scenarios could a large-size class (30+ students) could be beneficial or appropriate in a Music Production course?

I thought of two potential scenarios where a large-size class could be beneficial or appropriate, with some concerns/disadvantages, in a Music Production course:

100% theory-based units: units in music business, industry, and music distribution. Popular music studies, music culture and research skills. But if any of those classes want to introduce critical listening into the curriculum, we could run into the problem of not having adequate space for listening.

Guest Lectures and Workshops: Hosting guest lectures and workshops from industry experts can be an excellent way to expose students to different perspectives and new methodologies in Music Production. A large-size class could be appropriate in this scenario, as it would provide an opportunity to invite more prominent industry professionals and accommodate a larger audience. On the other side, this would limit the workshops and lectures to be more theory or discussion-driven and less hands-on.

Those would be the only scenarios I could think of. All the other lectures that have a technical component in the curriculum or the learning process would be really difficult to have them in large groups. First, as mentioned before, the resources and room capacity; it’s really difficult to lead a 30+ class in a computer lab, and it’s pedagogically impractical to have so many students in a recording studio; we would be throwing hands-on learning down the drain.

Where possible, a large-size class can present unique advantages and challenges in Music Production teaching. Still, it can also be an opportunity to engage with a diverse and larger group of students and explore new teaching approaches. It must be accompanied by designing a well-structured curriculum thought for larger groups. Engaging students through hands-on activities and fostering peer learning and collaboration. Could it work in some of our units? Maybe. Would I like to teach creative technical classes in a bigger group? Definitely not. Would I like to take a theory-based class in a large group? I really don’t know, my approach to teaching is based on creative technologies, but it would be a good experience.

I don’t remember if it was the first or the second session in our PGCert class, but someone mentioned something about students being shy to comment about other students’ work, so they did write anonymous feedback in their class. This gave me an idea for my upcoming crit sessions at the end of block one.

Imagine a space where you can get constructive criticism, share your opinions, and give suggestions without any fear of judgement or retaliation. It’s a win-win situation for everyone involved. People can speak their minds freely and receive valuable insights to help them improve, grow, and achieve their goals. Myself as the facilitator could set some ground rules, like no personal attacks or disrespectful language and being careful about the wording if there are any negative comments.

 The key here is to focus on the content, not the person, and provide helpful and constructive feedback to help the individual grow and improve. During the crit session, we would listen to every project one by one, with everyone providing anonymous feedback as the piece of music is playing. This probably needs to happen in the digital domain, maybe through Miro or Paddlet.

I believe this kind of anonymous feedback critique session can be a great way to learn and grow personally and professionally. It can also help build a supportive community where everyone can share their experiences and help each other along the way. Especially having a few students that are still afraid and shy about showing their work.

Let’s see how it goes.