Introductory description

In this project you will have the opportunity to apply your learning from the course by participating in a specific project for a creative or media organisation. Working as a member of a small team you will deliver a strategic solution to a genuine issue or challenge faced by the company. Your project may relate to business planning and development, product development, research or marketing strategy. Working in association with colleagues from your client company, your team will put their ideas and learning into practice to meet the objectives of the brief.

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

In the first part of the module you will work as a member of a small team to deliver a strategic solution to the ‘real’ issue or challenge faced by your company. Your project may relate to business planning and development, marketing or strategy. Working in association with colleagues from your ‘client’ company, the team will put their ideas and learning into practice to meet the objectives of the brief. The project will inevitably involve a plurality of approaches, drawing on different disciplines. However, all projects will test your abilities in five inter-related areas: planning; implementation; problem-solving; communication; and evaluation. The team is invited to deliver the outcomes of their work in a presentation and report to their ‘client’ company.

The second part of the module requires the production of a written assignment. This is a reflective account of the process and issues that arise from working as a member of a creative team to deliver a project within the creative and media industries. You will be required to reflect upon the roles, team dynamics and management issues that emerge from your experience and connect them to theories and concepts that you have encountered elsewhere on the course.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate an understanding of the organisation’s strategic objectives
• Demonstrate knowledge of the organisation’s structure and an understanding of how this relates to its operation and performance
• Demonstrate an understanding of the processes and systems through which creativity is managed by individuals, teams and organisations
• Critically evaluate and reflect on their performance as a member of a creative team
• Gather, interpret and present evidence, in order to deliver the project brief
• Work collaboratively with others to respond to the project brief
• Communicate what they have learnt both orally and in writing
• Solve problems, arising from a practical project with the organisation

Indicative reading list

Armstrong, M. (2013). How to manage people. (Kogan Page: London)

Belbin, R. Meredith: (1993) Team Roles at Work (Butterworth-Heinemann: Oxford)

Bolton, Gillie (2010) (Third Edition): Reflective Practice: Writing and Professional Development (Sage: London)

Born P. (2012) Community Conversations (BPS Books: Toronto & New York)

Boud, D., Keogh, R., Walker D., (1985): Turning Experience into Learning (Kogan Page: London)

Brandler, S. & Roman, C. (2015) Group Work: Skills and Strategies for Effective Interventions (Routledge)

Brookfield, Stephen (1987): Developing Critical Thinkers: Challenging Adults to Explore Alternative Ways of Thinking and Acting (Open University Press: Buckingham)

Brookfield, S. (1987): Developing Critical Thinking (SRHE/OUP: Milton Keynes)

Cartwright, R.(2017) Mastering team leadership. (Macmillan International Higher Education)

Davis, Howard & Scase, Richard (2000): Managing Creativity: The Dynamics of Work and Organization (Open University Press)

Dyer, W.G., Dyer, J.H.(2013) Team building: Proven strategies for improving team performance. (London: John Wiley & Sons)

Johns, C. (2004): Becoming a Reflective Practitioner (2nd ed.) (Blackwell Publishing: Oxford)

Johns, C. (2006) Engaging Reflection in Practice: A narrative approach (Blackwell Publishing: Oxford)

Handy, C. (1995): Beyond Certainty - The Changing Worlds of Organisations (Hutchinson: London)

Katzenbach, J.R., Smith, D.K.(2015) The wisdom of teams: Creating the high-performance organization. (Harvard Business Review Press)

Kolb, D. (1984): Experiential Learning: Experience as the Source of Learning and Development (Prentice Hall: New Jersey)

Lyons, N. (2010): Handbook of reflection and reflective enquiry; mapping a way of knowing for reflective enquiry (Springer)

Mackay, A. (2016) Motivation, Ability and Confidence Building in People (Routledge: London)

Moon, J. (2004): A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning (Routledge: Falmer, London)

Moon, J. (2006) Second Edition: Learning Journals: A handbook for academics, students and professional development (Routledge: London)

Moon, J. (2013) Reflection in Learning and Professional Development: Theory and Practice (Taylor Francis)

Patterson, K. (2002). Crucial conversations: Tools for talking when stakes are high. (Tata McGraw)

Marques, J. and Dhiman, S. (2018). Engaged Leadership. (Cham: Springer International Publishing, -
Hill Education)

Rickards, T & Moger, Susan, (1999): Handbook for Creative Team Leaders (Aldershot: Brookfield, Vt.: Gower)

Rosenberg, M. B. (2004). Nonviolent communication. (Sounds True)

Schon, D., (1983): The Reflective Practitioner (Jossey-Bass: San Francisco)

Thompson, L (2004): Making the Team: a guide for managers (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall)

Thompson, L. & Hoon-Seok Choi (Eds). (2006): Creativity and Innovation in Organizational Teams (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates: Mahwah N.J.)

Subject specific skills

Understanding the design and purpose of a brief and what makes a good brief. How to negotiate the relationship between client and ‘service provider’. Project management, implementation and delivery skills. Time management skills. Research design. Market research and data analysis skills. Business development skills. Team working, communication, report writing and presentation skills. Understanding of diverse creative, cultural and media organisations and industry practices and challenges.

Transferable skills

All of the above skills. Additionally students are encouraged to develop their reflective practice skills. Reflective practice is a method that encourages learning from experience. The act of reflection is a valuable way of developing insight and understanding through the analysis and evaluation of experience. It encourages autonomous learning, the development of understanding and critical thinking skills. Team work and collaboration are key.