In the midst of a full day marking Year 1 ‘online encyclopaedia entry’ assessments I took a break this afternoon for an impromptu meeting with a couple of colleagues to discuss plans for our new Ocean Science degrees (starting in September 2015). After a long, fairly rambling discussion of module names and potential staffing we came to the tricky topic of what we could offer as a so-called Plymouth Plus module. These modules are to be taken by Year 1 students in a four week intensive format at the start of Semester 2 (so in February). The idea is that the students should study something outside their main subject area and the Plymouth Plus module is the only thing they will take at that time throughout the four week period.
My view is that these modules are going to be really challenging to deliver because it will be necessary to occupy the students continuously and the module delivery will have to be a very rich mix of activities and not simply a series of lectures.
Anyway, after quite a lot of to-ing and fro-ing we came to the idea that I would run a ‘Weather and a Climate’ module. This is an idea I have already given some thought to and have a few ideas about it in mind, and the more I think about the idea the more exciting the prospect becomes. Make no mistake, designing and running this module will be a major challenge, but I’m already coming to love the idea of having my own intensive module on this topic into which I can throw all kinds of creative ideas and learning activities. I think it could be a vehicle through which I can actually regain some academic identity. It’s a great project to get my creative juices flowing and for the first time in a while, it’s a project that I am really rather excited about.
Tim O'Hare 