This document provides an overview of Module 1 of the BAPP Arts course, which focuses on professional communication. It discusses key topics like professional profiles, communication technologies, and reflective practice. Students are asked to consider how they currently communicate as arts professionals and how ideas from the readings could help them evaluate their practice. They are also invited to contribute their own research on the future of the web to be included in future versions of the course reader. The document outlines various discussion points from past class sessions around topics like using social media, balancing personal and professional online identities, and applying theories of connectivism and collective intelligence to their work.

1. Module 1 BAPP Arts Part 1: Professional Communication
Dr Paula Nottingham BAPP Arts 21/1/17
Thinking about
recent
examples
Professional
Communication
BAPP Arts +
Arts

2. What forms of social
media do you use?
How do you communicate
as an ‘arts’ professional?

3. From the Module 1 Handbook
• Part 1 Professional Communication Technologies
..................................... 12
• Ethical Considerations
................................................................................ 13
• Overview of Tasks for Part 1 – Professional Communication
Technologies 13
• TASK 1a: Professional profile
...................................................................... 13
• TASK 1b: Professional communication technologies
...................................14
• TASK 1c: Audio-visual
................................................................................... 14
• TASK 1d: 2d images
....................................................................................... 14
• Summary of tasks for Part 1
.......................................................................... 15
Tasks are there to help you go through the materials – they are not
marked but the blogs = writing/ideas/mages/links that you do can be
used as evidence of your thinking in the final submission.
In Part 2 reflective practice you will also be doing a private journal to
add to your thinking on the public learning blog – but you can start now
collecting things – and many are starting to take notes of interesting
ideas – so part of the journal thinking about connections.

4. From the Module 1 Reader 1
• Different positions and interpretations (the discourses)
................... 3
• 1. Architectures of participation
........................................................... 3
• Other readings of interest
......................................................................................
5
• 2. Remixable data and transformations
............................................... 5
• Further reading
................................................................................................
.. 6
• 3. Harnessing collective intelligence
................................................... 6
• Further reading
................................................................................................
.. 8
The Readers have ideas to help you think about the
three main topics – so Reader 1 has ideas about
professional communication/social media/Web 2.0. You
can also Google and use the library’s Summon tool for
finding interesting ideas that relate to Module 1…

5. Professional communication is the 1st topic in Module 1
WBS3730. The idea is to apply the ideas to what you do in
terms of communicating with others.
Professional communication
has a lot on common with the
other topics in Module 1
reflective practice
and
professional networking
At the end of the module you will be
summarising/synthesising your
thinking about these 3 topics
Key words:
 communication
 professional
 language
 audience

6. How does this the way you do things affect the
way you communicate?
Does social media make you ‘narrow minded’?
Theme for today Module 1?
http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/22/health/facebook-study-
narrow-minded-trnd/index.html

7. What does being a professional mean to you?
How does this affect the way you communicate?
In your own words…
Discussion points for evaluating/analysing your
practice?
1.
2.
3.
4.

8. What does professionalism mean to you and how
does this affect your communication?
Discussion about CVs or blog introductions….
http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2015/02/modules-1-1st-campus-
and-online.html
A great sources for defining what it means to be a ‘professional’
http://devmts.org.uk/profnal.pdf Lester (2015)
A music Teacher’s perspective for being a professional
http://www.thecuriouspianoteacher.org/home/being-professional-the-
characteristics-of-a-profession
And further a field – creative professionals ‘out there’ – how do they
interact online (communication links to networking)
http://www.theguardian.com/culture-professionals-
network/2016/feb/05/how-should-we-support-creativity-susan-jones

9. To think about …
How do ideas, e.g. Reader 1 or other theories or
research you have found, help your evaluate your own
practice?
Professional + communication – your own definitions
for both? How do they go together? What do others
say?
What is Web 2.0? How does it operate in your
professional practice?
Why should you and others on the BAPP Arts course
know about it in terms of communication?

10. What is the Web?
Why should we know about it?
Was the idea of the web invented?
Tim
O’Reilly……
tries to explain
what Web 2.0
is so that we
will understand
how we want to
engage with it.
The ‘inventor of the web’ Tim Bernes-Lee is
another good source.
http://webfoundation.org/about/sir-tim-berners-lee/

11. http://www.
bbc.co.uk/gu
ides/z9r72hv
#zyf8d2phttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/courtney-price/netiquette-
pointers-for-social-media-users-and-bloggers_b_7786356.html
Netiquette: pointers for Social Media Users and
bloggers - most are very aware of being online
BBC Bitesize netiquette
New
technologies
are constantly
changing…

12. Siemens says we can apply principles to our activities - Principles of
Connectivism (Siemens, 2005). How do they relate to BAPP Arts?
1. Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinions – BAPP Arts network offers differing ways of
seeing the world
2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources – the web has many
links to expertise
3. Learning may reside in non-human appliances computers!
4. Capacity to know more is more critical than what is
currently known – using ideas to think about our experience
and practice
5. Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning – engaging with each
other and those on the web
6. Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill - awareness of
disciplinarily, interdisciplinarity and transdisciplinarity – we work in sectors but our knowledge can be
organised as we need
7. Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities - changing
notion of knowledge – learning for the moment and future
8. Decision-making is itself a learning process - Making choices for professional practice and the
coursework for BAPP Arts
Siemens, G. (2005) 'Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age', International Journal of
Instructional Technology and Distance Learning, vol. 2, no. 1, pp. 3-10.

13. At the conference I went to in NYC in September 2016 called
Designs for Elearning - Siemens said that today he is thinking
about the well-being of those who are ‘connected’ and being
“human in a digital world”.
I am using the author’s name when talking about ideas –!
Think of publicity gossip – we like to know who said what!
http://www.slideshare.net/gsiemens/being-human-in-a-digital-
age
Other recent slideshares
http://www.slideshare.net/gsiemens/presentations

14. 3 main ideas in Reader 1
1. Architectures of participation
Ullrich et al. (2008) describes this process as the
‘architecture of assembly’ where the methods by which
people access and use Web 2.0 platforms (such as
Facebook) make ‘data and functionality accessible’.
How do you use the various social media platforms
like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram etc.?
Do you use them differently for you professional
work than you do for social or private
conversations?

15. 2. Remixable data and
transformations
Valtysson (2010) suggests that the blurring of the
distinctions between the people who make media and the
people who consume it encourages people to engage and
participate in the media…
Many newspapers and television shows now
have audience participation elements. How
does this change the way that we understand
the world? How do you engage with social
media?

16. 3. Harnessing collective
intelligence
One of the many studies into the effectiveness of Web 2.0 in building
and developing communities (Feenberg & Bakardjieva 2004)
identified that Web 2.0 allowed communities to develop beyond their
‘existing professional networks’ and offer a ‘social space for people,
strangers and almost strangers with diverse backgrounds to come
together as equals, as generators of ideas, to deliberate and act
collectively’ (Feenberg & Bakardjieva 2004, p. 38).
Where do you find your ‘collective
intelligence’ on the web?
Does the web help us understand global
issues? Local issues?

17. NEW Discussion points from session to think about this study period
1. Many people use social media everyday – for personal and private use -
sometimes separating separate audiences on different platforms
EXPLORE MORE? What about your audiences?
2. Sometimes we – as professionals- actually look up directors and those
with whom we will be working in order to “get to know their face” by
recognising their online photos
EXPLORE MORE? – How important is it for us to do our ‘research’ of
others to find out who they are and what is important to them?
3. While communicating on the World Wide Web is important for
organisations and theatre schools – associated with the ability to network
with parents – sometimes older methods of communication like brochures
or posters work well when there is face-to-face interaction and/or people
who do not use platforms like Facebook
EXPLORE MORE? What is your experience with using ‘old school’
methods

18. An invitation to add your voice to the debate
Reader 1 p. 11 –
The Future of the Web: your own contributions to Reader 1
We realise on the BAPP Arts programme that the Web and the use of technology
in professional practice is constantly changing….
As a part of Module 1 this year, we would like you to develop some additional
thinking about the how the Web has changed and to gather some resources
about the Web as it is seen and used today. If we all work collectively, the
materials can be put up on our blogs and then be put into a future version of
Reader 1. Please blog about your research on this topic during Module 1 and
gather explanatory and critically engaging resources from thought leaders using
public search engines like Google and Middlesex University‘s own library search
engine ‘Summon’. We are looking forward to adding your sources and
commentary to Reader 1 in future.

19. Back to the ‘future’ M1 blogs
All the blogs are on Paula’s blog – send your address if you have not already
Paula’s blog
http://paulanottingham.blogspot.co.uk
Adesola’s tutor blog
http://adesolaa.blogspot.co.uk
And website
http://www.dancingstrong.com

20. Discussion from 21st February 2017
1. Social media makes business communication easier
e.g. having separate accounts for personal/prof twitter
2. You can promote yourself
3. Ethical considerations – these are about how you think
about what you say and the permissions you have – e.g.
using pictures of children or your privacy settings (this
relates to the ideas of the web and the ‘human in the digital
world’ (Siemens, 2016)
4. Reader 1 can be overwhelming! These are sample ideas
that you can apply to your practice – so take them slowly
and look at other sources of ideas for your arts sector
5. The idea of mixable data can be applied to your work
6. Share the appropriate message to your audience e.g.
talking to parents - consider how you are perceived by
others.

21. Discussion from 21st February 2017
1. Where do you get your news from?
2. Mobile phones and aps make communicating easier
3. The industry is connected – e.g. casting directors - and
avoiding that ‘one bad ping’
4. You can be involved in anything you want
5. Collective intelligence compared to Face Book groups
could become ‘narrow minded’ (from previous article)
6. Being paper-free also means everything is digital – how
is this for older people or those who cannot afford
technology in our society (inequality in a global world?).
7. How is communication affecting this generation at
work and in the personal domain? e.g. auditions are now
online and instant – you have to see and answer calls
continuously in your private time

22. Discussion points past sessions…
1. Blogs – the first part of Module 1 is in the first 3 weeks but the 3 themes
go on throughout the study period – you choose when but the blogs go
into the work that is presented at the end (in your online portfolio).
2. Look at others’ blogs as a reference and for conversations
3. Professional communication – is it just online or is face-face
interaction/performance still important in your work?
4. Personal space (e.g. FB) versus public professional online?
5. Employers Googling you – is it fair that they use your online presence
for decisions about your professional work?
6. Using ideas – use ideas form Reader 1 and simply use the author’s
names and dates when you mention the ideas (the essence of Harvard
referencing)
7. If you have some ideas you need to look up – try Summon in the
university Library – it works a lot like Google
8. Comment on others blogs – the blog list is up on Paula’s blog and on
the BA Professional Practice Arts (135W99X) site.

23. Discussion points past sessions…
1. This new way of working can be a bit daunting – but it can also bring
a sense of liberation – as you are at the centre – you can develop
your ideas about your work in the way that you want to
2. Ideas are at the centre of the course – use the Readers, Google, or
use ideas from your experience – relate what you do to the ideas in
Reader 1 and the Reading list (online) because applying the ideas is
how they come alive
3. Many have not been taught to do a CV – or have just done
performance CVs - you might need to try a different way of formatting a
CV if you are doing something different – like teaching
4. Hyperlinks to the sources – yes you can go to these and read the
originals – or go online on the Reading list – you probably won’t have
time to read all of these sources! But try a few. You might also have
some good sources to share!
5. Tasks and blogs are not marked separately – so experiment and
share. Waiting to put up your blog is fine in these first couple of weeks
as you are figuring out what your bog should look like.
6. Talk to others on the course in M2 or M3 about BAPP Arts!