This document provides an introduction to a university unit on practicing ideas and approaches to theory. It outlines the aims of the unit, which include developing intellectual curiosity, critical analysis skills, research skills, and the ability to articulate ideas. Expectations for the unit include seeing the learning contract and not talking over each other. Students had questions about the homework, assignments, differences between seminars and lectures, and the relevance of some future lectures to performing arts students. They also asked what "practicing ideas" entails and why the philosophical side of things is being taught.

1. Introduction to the unit:
what is a university?
Practising Ideas: Approaches to Theory - Seminar
Dr Louise Douse

2. Write down two questions you have from this mornings
lecture
Textwall code: 2337 Number: 07537 402 400
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3. What is an education?
(a) What’s the point of education?
(b) Does education achieve its aims?
(c) How would you change the system to make it better?
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4. Ken Robinson – How schools kill creativity –
TED Talk 2006
See video link on BREO
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5. • What do you think the aims of our classes are?
• What do you think the aims of these classes should be?
• What do you think are the best ways to achieve these aims?
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6. Aims of the unit?
• Develop your intellectual curiosity
• Equip you with a core set of intellectual skills enabling you to
evaluate and interpret a range of creative and philosophical texts
• Develop your skills of critical analysis in your subject area
• Enable you to identify connections between texts from your discipline
and wider cultural and historical movements
• Develop your research and study skills
• Develop your ability to articulate ideas and arguments in speech and
writing
• Equip you with skills to evaluate your progress
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7. Expectations
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8. Expectations
• See Learning Contract
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9. TextWall Questions
• What was the homework for Lyndsey?
• I didn't have a clue about the assignments we will be doing! Bibles
and stuff?!
• Expectations- not to talk over each other. I struggle to hear when
people do
• What is the difference between a seminar and a lecture?
• - what relevance do some of the future lectures have to performing
arts? I have noticed that some of them were a little irrelevant in my
opinion. Obviously I may be wrong but then again we were with
students from other departments? Do all of these become relevant to
us?
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10. TextWall Questions
• what does "practicing ideas" actually entail?
• Why do we have to learn the philosophical side to things? Why are
English with us?
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