Call for Co-Facilitators for International Collaborative Questioning Groups (Jan–Dec 2025)

Elon University (USA) and the University of Leeds (UK) are launching ‘international collaborative questioning groups’ constituted by staff from both institutions

Animating and shaping Arts and Humanities Pedagogies – Call for Co-Facilitators for International Collaborative Questioning Groups (Jan–Dec 2025)

Co-Convenors:

• Prof Stephen Bloch-Schulman, Professor of Philosophy (Elon University, USA)
• Dr Oliva Choplin, Associate Professor of French and Associate Director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning (Elon University, USA)
• Prof Peter Felten, Executive Director, Center for Engaged Learning; Assistant Provost, Teaching and Learning (Elon University, USA)
• Prof Karen Burland, Professor of Applied Music Psychology; University Academic Lead: Student Opportunities and Futures (University of Leeds, UK)
• Dr Martin Ward, Associate Professor of Chinese and Japanese Translation; AHC Faculty Academic Lead for Global Campus Experience; COIL lead for Experiential Learning at Leeds (University of Leeds, UK)
• Prof Edward Venn, Professor of Music, Director of Pedagogic Research in the Arts (PRIA), (University of Leeds, UK)

What might the future of arts and humanities pedagogy look like? How can we articulate the role and value of disciplinary practices stemming from the arts and humanities, and how are these values and practices embedded and modelled within curricula and learning opportunities? What are the critical, social and cultural issues that animate and shape discourse and practice around arts and humanities pedagogies?

Elon University (USA) and the University of Leeds (UK) are launching ‘international collaborative questioning groups’ constituted by staff from both institutions. (These groups are reminiscent in structure and purpose of the ISSOTL international collaborative writing group process (https://issotl.com/icwg/). The purpose of the groups is to provide crucibles to interrogate – from a range of disciplinary, pedagogical and geographical contexts – leading questions that have the potential to inform and shape pedagogical discourse and practice within the arts and humanities. Such questions might emerge from research, teaching and learning, or practical contexts, or a combination of the above. There are no required outputs from the process – the stimulation of discussion is an end in itself – but the collaborations may lay foundations of future pedagogic workshops/activities, grant applications, and/or research outputs.

We are calling for co-facilitators to propose themes and lead a collaborative group during the 2025 calendar year. Facilitators will be

• engaged with arts and humanities pedagogical practice and/or research 
• committed to collaborative SoTL
• interested in exploring the impact and potential of arts and humanities pedagogy
• committed to working in international partnerships.

Prior experience of leading such groups, and the experience and/or willingness to work with alternate/creative forms of scholarship (e.g., digital, visual, and/or multimodal forms of scholarly communication) are desirable but not essential. There is no renumeration for the role, but co-convenors will support co-facilitators for the duration of the project.

Indicative themes for groups include, but are by no means limited to:

• Collaborative Online Learning (COIL) in the arts and humanities
• Articulating the value of arts and humanities education
• Experiential learning in the arts and humanities
• Arts and humanities pedagogy and UN SDGs.

Expressions of interest should consist of a short (c. 250 word) paragraph outlining the theme you would like to explore in your group and its relevance to contemporary and future issues in arts and humanities pedagogy, and be sent to PRIACentre@leeds.ac.uk

Timeline

Nov 2024: call for co-facilitators

Fri 10 Jan 2025, 5pm EST: deadline for expression of interest

Fri 24 Jan, 5pm EST: Co-facilitators and themes announced. Co-facilitators to work with Elon and Leeds co-convenors to draft call for participants.

Fri 14 Feb, 5pm EST: Deadline for call for participants

March 2025: Co-facilitators to work with participants and co-convenors to map out provisional activities for the year

Fall 2025: Groups to report on activities to co-convenors; where appropriate workshops and events to be run, outputs to be disseminated

Dec 2025: Closing webinar for all group co-facilitators, participants and co-convenors to discuss future opportunities (both internal and external) and prospects.