module specification

This module is practice-based and vocational as well as creative and innovative in developing new forms of practice. It will enable students to either develop a fully operational practice initiative within the discourse of commons or develop an imaginary one using real practice models. The module has components in form of lectures and seminars and one to one design tutorials where the concepts and ideas of the practice are formed. Within tutorials students discuss the role of partnerships, collaboration and co-production and their relationship to supporting institutions. Students will be encouraged to publicly present their practice in real-life scenarios. The course will already have key institutional partners which may not be obviously commons but will act as support to the development of the students’ ‘Commons’ practices/ initiatives.

The module aims to give students the power to imagine or create a practice within which to initiate their own commons projects, developing appropriate practice models based on the country and context in which they will be located. Students will devise appropriate practice policies related to equality, ethics and inclusivity and learn fund-raising skills. Students will gain a critical understanding of the role and position of their practice within the field of commons and as part of a larger global network. They will develop skills for co-operative and collaborative working and designing which sit within the commons discourse; and develop models to assess impact via monitoring and evaluation methods.

Lecture based learning Semester 1:
1- fundraising preliminary;  LO1,LO4
2- fundraising advanced; LO1,LO4
3- impact analysis for commons projects; LO1,LO8
4- peer-to-peer knowledge sharing of case study practices; LO1,LO4
5- ethics in collaborative practices; LO1,LO2
6- legal models of practice and governance; LO1,LO3
7- peer-to-peer financial models. LO4,LO6

Tutorials on practice will make up the rest of the semester 1 teaching of this module.

Tutorials semester 2:
Tutorials on practice will make up the Semester 2 teaching for this module. Students will be drawing from the core module: History and Theory of Commons to contextualise their practice. LO5,LO7

All lecture material will be accessible online and lectures will be video or voice recorded enabling remote learning.

There is a range of learning and teaching methods.

Peer review and critiques
Students will be asked to critique each other’s practices. There will be group activities in developing their practice which will allow them actively to engage with peer reviewing each other and critique. Students will also pitch their practice to relevant external bodies and the MA’s collaborator institutions.

Public student presentations
These enable students to interrogate their own practice and develop presentation skills appropriate to their unique project and character. The public nature of the presentations will provide platform for debate and engagement in the wider world.

Self-directed study
This is core to the module and used as the basis for tutorials, discussions and critiques. Students will be encouraged to engage with personal development planning (PDP) to enable them to reflect on, plan and review their own personal development as an ongoing process.

On completion of this module the students will be able to:
1 - best practice models for commons projects;
2 - ethical policies for such practices;
3 - legal forms and procedures for best practice;
4 - methods for sustainability of practice;
5  - innovation in practice models as infrastructure for implementing commons projects;
6 – peer-to-peer financial models and their relevance;
7 - promotion and communication of the work and the cause;
8 - impact analysis.

Assessment will have vocational components and will be tested within live contexts to prepare students for their future practice. Students will be asked to submit:

1 - completed application form for a legally constituted practice/ initiative;
2 - completed application of any other form of funding for the practice or the project;
3 - concept for a digital platform visualised in a form chosen by the student;
4 - completed ethics and equality policies for the practice;
5 – 20-minute presentation of the student’s practice.

Student progress is monitored and discussed in regular tutorials, group critiques and presentations, where formative feedback is provided (verbal and written) on an ongoing basis, summative feedback will be provided at the end of the projects and/or module corresponding to published assessment criteria.

Core Text:
Hyde, R. (2013). Future practice. New York: Routledge.
Gambrill, E. (n.d.). Social work ethics.
Schön, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner. 3rd ed. New York: Routlage.
Sadan, E. (2004). Empowerment and community planning.
Gross, F. (1999). Citizenship and ethnicity. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press.

Other Texts:
Brown, L. (n.d.). Feminist practices.

Journals:
Eng, T. and Wong, V. (2006). Governance mechanisms and relationship productivity in vertical coordination for new product development. Technovation, 26(7), pp.761-769.

Websites:
http://www.spatialagency.net/
http://www.onthecommons.org/work/what-commoning-anyway#sthash.MoSh4Cue.dpbs
https://www.artscatalyst.org/notes-field-commoning-practices-art-and-science