TUN feedback - English and Creative Writing

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_{Please note: comments and responses may have been edited. Information was correct at time of response but may have been superseded. We publish the comments in the language in which they have been submitted and the University's responses bilingually.}

 23/24 Semester 2

• REF: 66-2311-1529810 - Hawkstone Trip Feedback

  Your comment: The Writing Retreat organised by the English and Creative Writing department, was an incredibly valuable experience. It really fostered a sense of community for us, and the relaxed balance between rest and work enabled me to complete some daunting work. I felt safe, encouraged, and inspired-- it was just fantastic.

  Our response:

  Thank you for this positive feedback regarding the value of the Hawkstone Writing Retreat. The Department are delighted to hear how much you valued this experience. We are committed to continuing to provide this event for our final year students, not least because it is something we greatly enjoy too. I have passed your feedback to the team involved in running the event and they are delighted. Thank you.

• REF: 66-2401-1496309 - Online VS In-person lectures

  Your comment: It would be preferable if the lectures were in person rather than online. The online format does not suit mine, and many others form of learning, and to be paying such a fee to attend university, I would expect more hours of contact.

  Our response:

  The Department is committed to delivering the best possible student experience for all of our students and we responded to student feedback that demonstrated a clear preference for large group teaching (i.e. lectures) to be delivered via pod-cast style recordings rather than 1-hour in person lectures as students found this format more beneficial. In turn this enabled us to increase the time spent in small group teaching (i.e. seminars and workshops) which has, in our opinion, greater value in enabling our students to develop their skills. However, we are always open to feedback and have been considering a range of ways in which we could address this issue. We will share the options available to us with your Academic Reps at the next SSCC meeting and seek their help in canvassing the student body. In short, we are looking at providing a year-long in person lecture series designed to support your learning across a range of key areas of literary study. This would take place every week during term time, adding additional contact hours and opportunities for extending your learning beyond the modules you are registered for.

 21/22 Semester 2

• REF:66-2205-7587210 - Praise for module

  Your comment: WL10420 I have thoroughly enjoyed this module. Initially, I was slightly hesitant about choosing the module as it is a WL module with a Creative focus (I'm study purely English Literature (course code Q300)). However, this module has been one of the most helpful modules I've taken in my first year of study. I've found the freedom given to Critical students beneficial- my seminar tutor allowed me to create my own questions/choose my own texts for the assignments. This allowed me to choose texts that I was confident with, thus allowing me to give greater focus to my essay technique and critical approach (whereas if I was new to the text/period, I'd have to spend more time researching and understanding the text itself). In this module, I've had the opportunity to practice skills that I've learnt in the core module, Critical Practice, in greater detail. In addition, I've found it really useful to be in a class of Creative students. It has been enlightening to hear their perspectives and learn from their approaches to works of literature. Ultimately, the literature we Critical thinkers analyse come from Creative minds, and thus it's useful to try to think about texts from their perspective, too. Next year (my second undergraduate year) I have chosen the only WL module available to me, purely sue to my experience on this module, Introduction to Poetry, and the first-year WL module with a Critical focus, Literature and the Sea. I would encourage Critical students looking to gain perspective and strengthen their analytical skills to take this module.

  Our response:

  I am very glad to hear how much you enjoyed WL10420 – thank you for your feedback. The value that you note in taking modules, such as Introduction to Poetry, that cross the creative/critical divide is precisely what underpins the ethos of our curriculum: to be a good writer you have to read widely and to be a good literary critic you have to understand the creative process. It is great to hear that you are going to continue taking WL modules next year. We are slowly building the number of modules with “hybrid assessment” which allow students to respond to assessment tasks in either the creative or the critical mode – I am sure you spotted some of these whilst making your module choices for next year, you will find more options like this when it comes to your third year. Once again, thank you for your feedback and your valuable encouragement of future students to follow your path.

 21/22 Semester 1

• REF:66-2111-1596830 - Horror module

  Your comment: I'm enjoying the course, but it really feels like there is a hole in the modules provided. We have a fantasy module, and a scifi module, but I think the course could really benefit from a horror module. Horror requires a very specific set of writing skills that aren't fully represented by other modules.

  Our response:

  Thank you for your comment. The Creative Writing team are always looking for new ways to enhance the curriculum in line with their own research expertise. As stands we do not have a specialist in horror fiction but we appreciate the suggestion and will look for ways of bringing this expertise into our programme of extra-curricular activity. Once again, many thanks for your comment.

• REF:66-2111-1938408 - Online seminars

  Your comment: Online Teams seminar should still be available, it made it loads easier for students with disabilities and it would make it loads easier for those in isolation or those who caught Covid

  Our response:

  Thank you for your Tell Us Now comment. I understand the frustration and concern some students are experiencing regarding in-person teaching. Staff in the Department of English and Creative Writing are working hard to ensure that all of our students are supported in their learning and with this in mind some staff chose to utilise Teams alongside their in-person teaching. However, University policy is very clear that Aberystwyth is not a distance learning institution and that in person teaching is our primary mode of delivery. I understand that this position is very different to students’ experiences from pervious years and will take time to adjust to. If you have concerns regarding your ability to attend please get in touch with your Year Tutor who will be happy to support you. Because we are aware of a number of students who are finding in-person teaching difficult to navigate we are in the process of putting in place bespoke online sessions after reading week which are designed to provide additional support. Information about these sessions will be sent to you via email in due course.

  If you would like to discuss your specific anxiety regarding in-person teaching please contact our welfare coordinator, Val Nolan (pvn@aber.ac.uk). Val will be happy to arrange a meeting with you. Please remember that all in-person teaching takes place in small groups and in strict adherence to University Covid regulations which are designed to protect our community whilst allowing in-person teaching to take place. 

 20/21 Semester 2

 20/21 Semester 1

• REF:66-2012-992614 - Module WRM6140 really helpful

  Your comment: Module: WRM6140: Online which I appreciated to stay safe, this Writer as Practitioner 1 offered a range of support and ideas which were useful to me. I believe the quality of my writing has improved since October, in a stress-free way.

  Our response: 

  The Department and the module team were delighted to receive this feedback on this module which is new and being rolled-out in circumstances very different to those imagined during the design of the programme! It is good to hear that our hybrid, flexible approach to online/in-person teaching is helping our students by making difficult personal choices slightly easier to navigate. We are looking forward to continuing to work with our fabulous MA cohort and to seeing their writing develop further over the coming months.

   

• REF:66-2010-805702 - Difficulty contributing in online sessions

  Your comment: Module: WR20220 I have a small issue that occurred in a teams call, not concerning teaching, because the content was useful, but I found it real difficult/impossible to get into the discussion due to the same couple of people just commandeering the discussion, which really just made me demotivated to even try. So, moving forward, could you please curb some of these people just so everyone can have a say, because I know I'm not the only person who felt that way.

  Our response:

  Thank you for raising your concerns. In the light of your comments the Head of Department has issued a reminder to all teaching staff to ensure that they provide opportunities for all students to contribute during seminars and workshops. All staff received training over the summer in the use of Teams as a teaching environment - we are augmenting this training with additional sessions over the following weeks that will focus on managing the online classroom. Once again, thank you for your useful observations and for bearing with us whilst our staff and students settle into these new ways of working.

   

   

   

• REF:66-2009-4312730 - Online teaching concerns

  Your comment: I am concerned about the impact that online teaching will have on the outcome of not just my degree, but on all students, particularly those who are completing their degrees this year. While I think it was definitely the right decision to move online in terms of safety, I feel like communication between staff and students has been a bit lax at times. Realistically I think it would be extremely ambitious to expect students back on campus before Christmas, and I feel that the decision to examine whether it is safe to return on campus on a weekly basis is a bit frustrating as it seems as if students and staff are being treated as if they are expendable. Furthermore, I have recently been alerted that there is currently no plan to implement a ‘no detriment’ policy for examinations or assessments such as the one used at the end of last academic year. Although I appreciate that this is an unprecedented situation, I think the leadership of this university should consider how these circumstances affect staff and students and their wellbeing. I know it would be greatly appreciated if a ‘no detriment’ policy or any similar plans to assist students and staff in completing and marking work was implemented, as the expectation for both students and staff to complete work online in the same way they would in person with little indication of what will happen will almost certainly take a toll on academic staff and students who are already negatively impacted by the situation.

  Our response:

  Thank you for raising these concerns. Please rest assured that, whatever circumstances are thrown at us due to the ongoing Covid-19 situation, academic staff across the department are determined to ensure that all of our students receive a high-quality education and achieve outcomes reflective of their ability and effort. I am concerned to hear that you feel that communication between staff and students has been a bit lax - this is certainly not our intent - if there are specific issues with teaching staff not being in contact please do get in touch with your head of department so that I can address and resolve the problem. I am confident that the University Executive does not perceive either staff or students as "expendable", indeed the University's commitment to work with local authorities including Public Health Wales and Cyngor Sir Ceredigion serves to demonstrate that AU is responding to and prioritising the health and well-being of our whole community. Nevertheless, I understand your concerns in this regard and I invite you to share these with senior colleagues who are directly involved in decisions pertaining to the pandemic, you can do this via the coronavirus helpline coronavirus@aber.ac.uk. As I am sure you are aware the Department of English and Creative Writing has robust and fair procedures in place for dealing with individual special circumstances - this has not changed, although the way in which we deliver academic and pastoral support is, for the time being, limited to online appointments. If you would like to discuss your academic progress then please do contact your Personal Tutor (check your student record for their contact details), Year Tutor, or Director of Learning and Teaching - who will be more than happy to help. If you have concerns regarding your well-being please contact our Welfare Coordinator. Your comments regarding the no detriment policy are duly noted and I will ensure that this feedback is shared with colleagues in Academic Registry for their consideration. It is inevitable, as you note in your comments, that the current circumstances will have an impact on both staff and students. As your Head of Department I am working hard to ensure that this impact is kept to a minimum and that we can all continue to work in an environment that is positive, supportive, and community focused. Thank you again for your comments and can I please reiterate that you are welcome to discuss any concerns you may have with me directly.