Teaching and Learning > DISCOURSE
Editorial: Volume 10 Number 2
Author: Clare Saunders
Journal Title: Discourse
ISSN: 2040-3674
ISSN-L: 1741-4164
Volume: 10
Number: 2
Start page: 4
End page: 5
Return to vol. 10 no. 2 index page
The past few months have been eventful ones in UK higher education, including the publication of both the longawaited Government White Paper, and the assessment framework for the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework—the latter for the first time including an assessment of 'research impact… including on [higher education] teaching or students…'. Such developments will doubtless wield significant influence over 'the higher education experience' in the coming months and years.
Perhaps partly in response to these changes, the current issue of Discourse contains a number of articles reflecting critically on the nature of our disciplines. A collection of papers arising from the Subject Centre's January 2011 workshop on 'Teaching Religions of South Asian Origins' (Beckerlegge; Robinson & Cush; Salter; Takhar & Jacobs; Webster—see Russell for a helpful overview) explore the contested nature of boundaries, both between religions and disciplines, and the role of uncertainty in students' learning—themes that are also implicit in Bullivant's analysis of atheism and non-religion in the Religious Studies curriculum.
Other papers in this edition interrogate the notion of 'academic community' and explore how collaborative learning can be fostered in philosophy and theology curricula, whether in the classroom or online (Danka & Saatsi; Larvor, Lippitt & Weston;Williams). The issue also includes a number of papers which explicitly address the challenges currently facing our disciplines (with a focus on philosophy)—encompassing critical analyses of the role of philosophy in education, from the winner of the Subject Centre's 2011 student essay competition (Hancocks) and a teacher of philosophy in schools (Harvey); plus a survey of the health of the discipline in newer universities (Addis). Other topics include fostering students' disciplinary skills in reading (Smith), and source criticism and research (Sumner).
Finally, a few words about the Subject Centre. It is with great sadness that we report the untimely death of our colleague Gabriel (Gaby) Vanhegan (1979-2011). Gaby was both an extremely talented 'techie', and an unfailingly kind and supportive colleague and friend—he is greatly missed.
As we enter 2011/12 the Subject Centre enters its 'transition period' in preparation for the handover of discipline-level support to the new Higher Education Academy (HEA) structure. The end of 2010/11 saw several colleagues leave the Subject Centre—Gary Bunt, Richard Gunn, Danielle Lamb,Amy Russell and Emma Tsoneva have collectively contributed over twenty years' invaluable experience to the Subject Centre, and many readers will have benefited directly from their expertise.
In 2011/12 the Subject Centre will continue to publish Discourse; run events such as our popular 'Aspiring Academics' workshop; and offer support for individual academics and departments. We will also continue to work closely with all of you, and with the HEA, to ensure continuity of support for our disciplines in the future.
With best wishes for the new academic year, Clare.
clare@prs.heacademy.ac.uk
Return to vol. 10 no. 2 index page
This page was originally on the website of The Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies. It was transfered here following the closure of the Subject Centre at the end of 2011.
