Nicole's BAPP Blog

The dictionary defines an artefact as "any object made by human beings, especially with a view of subsequent use." This task is an opportunity to graphically, visually or write an artefact mapping my practice based inquiry.  I have been exploring images correlating to my practice based inquiry title. Transition from a dancer to a dance captain is a focus topic. *I thought of the image 'passing a baton' like relay racers representing a passing of information and a change of movement. * 'Jumping over a river/gap' the image of being half way or passing from one ground to another for me represents a leap for change. *the theory of evolution shown as a monkey to a human or a child to an adult *Train tracks reaching a merge point. I believe using a picture or a artwork is the best way to present my inquiry because it will show the whole topic and process available to keep referring back too. Additionally I am a visual type of learner therefore ...

The submission portfolio content for module three uses three ways to communicate the research project and inquiry title: The essay, artefact and oral presentation. Supervisor Maria advised us to think about what is important for us to communicate? Maria advised us to consider how we feel most comfortable communicating according to the means available and the audience I am presenting the research project too, which relates to module one reflecting on different types of learners -  Gardner 's(1983) multiple lenses of learning- visual, auditory and kinaesthetic. 1. The Essay- I find this means of communication the hardest to develop, it is fundamental to structure the content to present the literature review, overview of the inquiry process and analysis of the data to someone who may not have any prior knowledge about the field of my inquiry. 2.Artefact- There are many different modes of presenting the artefact for example a picture, video, written, choreography, painting, scu...

I took a look at Adesolas blog 'Thoughts on people and interviews' I have decided to blog about my views on the link in relation to my inquiry. https://www.ted.com/talks/dave_isay_everyone_around_you_has_a_story_the_world_needs_to_hear *My experiences lead to my inquiry idea *Using existing professional networks initially made the data collection possible for my research project. *The individuals used for my data collection formed a new layer to my existing circle of networks- The networking process has given me an 'in' to a number of dance captains who I could contact and reach out to for support if I develop to the dance captain position. *The use of networking as a community for dance captains is even more important from discovering the lack of literature available to look at about the position for guidance. Additionally the lack of support in the position in terms of a preparation and procedure carried out in the role or a transition period or even a handbook...

On march 12, 2019 Adesola described the central place of analysis by thinking about it as a 'meaning making process'. Module 2 highlighted that quantitative data is counting the numbers and putting them in a graph or pie chart to see what they represent. Qualitative data tries to understand what the information is saying and finding meaning of what I am doing for my inquiry. Analysis of the inquiry can be looked at from many perspectives some we discussed on the skype call: *How did I utilise the data collection tools *Reflecting on how I performed as an interviewer *How would I feel if I was the one being interviewed *What does the data indicate to me personally *Could I make an analysis chart/table *What information wasn't I expecting *What do I wish I had thought of before since completing data collection *Did the interview/questionnaire trigger past experiences  The analysis process is about recognising the information as it comes up, comparin...

  I completed all of the 4 interviews on 22nd February and I must say I felt such pride and accomplishment. The open-ended structure of the course sometimes makes me feel like im going around in circles, so the organisation and time scale structure of a Gantt chart has been very helpful. I also finished annotating the recorded interviews today so I feel well on my way to the analysis process! Reflection Deciding to distribute the questionnaires first was a useful change to my initial plan, some of the data I expected to obtain wasn't clear or detailed enough for analysis, therefore the questionnaire results altered my interview questions. In addition because I didn't get as many responses to my questionnaire I decided to interview 4 people rather than 2 like I initially planned.  I also decided to write 'Notes for Participants-  Please think about the emotions and feelings you had attached to the experiences you describe as a dance captain. Also try to expand on you...

As suggested by Adesola's blog I watched the TED YouTube video about 'The Power of Collaboration.' with Dr. Shelle VanEtten de Sanchez https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=387&v=VmQVNE-MbKI Networking is not always an easy task but it is so important to continue to get work as a freelance dancer. I never really saw it as a collaboration till I watched this video. The talk has encouraged me to look deeper into collaboration in relation to my inquiry: How do dance captains collaborate? Why is collaboration important? How can collaboration be improved? Dr. Shelle offered 5 essential tips which I have found really helpful... 1. Let go of your ego, let other people edit my ideas. In my professional practice as a freelancer dancer I believe I am good at adapting to change in each job I do and listening to suggestions how to make myself better. 2. Practice makes perfect, we can learn and practice and perfect how to collaborate as it is an ongoing process. D uri...

The skype call today was to see how how we were getting on with our inquiry. *Maria, the supervisor who lead the call reminded us to identify... 1. What is the problem you are addressing/ formed the inquiry title? 2. How have you choose to look at it? 3. Why is it important for your practice? 4. How are you going to use the analysis of the information? *The concept that the inquiry needs to be zoomed in on to make the inquiry more specific but could also cause a shift resulting in unexpected the questions evolving from the inquiry. Zoming in on the inquiry is important for framing the interview/survey questions and narrowing the literature search. *The literature review is a development from module 2, it can outline the original talking points of literature within the general field of the inquiry but it should also go into more depth in particular the themes emerged from data collection. * It is also important to zoom out too (especially if you feel stuck), looking at the i...

Making the questionnaire user friendly......... 1. Time is always limited in the arts industry so I have tried to make the questionnaire a completion time of 15-20 minutes. 2. I will aim to send the questionnaires on a Saturday, Sunday, Monday or Tuesday as I know these are common days off for theatres/productions. 3. I have designed the questionnaire so there is only one word answer or multiple choice to save time, this will also help me to compare the data quantitatively in a graph or pie chart format. 4. Many of the dance captains are not native English speaker, I have used simplistic language for those who have English as their second language. 5. I want to accommodate different mediums participants could receive and fill out the questionnaire. a) Print out the questionnaire to fill out circling by the multiple choice options and writing their answers in pen and then scanning the document back to me b) Not everyone will have access to a printer, therefore I have sug...

The most challenging area of module 2 for me was the Methodological framework so I am trying to straighten out my thoughts.... What is the theoretical underpinning of my inquiry? My beliefs..... I believe there are a set of skills that are required for dance captains to carry out their duties for the production. I believe this to be true because I have experienced dance captains and had the opportunity to observe their approach to the role. I also believe that the transition process from dancer to dance captain is the key time where the learning of the duties and the ability to identify and develop skills to perform the duties should form. I also feel from from the existing literature on Web 2.0 platforms that there is a lack of support or training for dance captains to transition successfully and therefore causing problems with the relationship between the dance captain and the dancers and the management team (from my experience). The assumption that because a person is good at r...

Understanding and evaluating theoretical paradigms and methodological approaches to my research... What are the ethical implications of myself being an insider researcher to the inquiry and what ethical considerations should I take into account? The responses the participants give are based on the questions I ask, I do not want to offend the participant or breach confidentiality. The aim of the inquiry is to gather more knowledge, not to just confirm my beliefs and existing insight on dance captains. What is the significance of interviewing to gather data? Interviewing is important so I can guide the participant to talk about their feelings and experiences as a dance captain. It will also allow me to observe personality/communication skills that they are not aware of. For example if they clear and confident speakers it would suggest their confidence to communicate.  I have decided to only interview dance captains I am no longer working with or know anyone in the team, this i...

I am blogging to ask for any acting or previous dance captains to comment bellow! Networking has been important throughout the BAPP course, module one taught me to establish my existing networks and how they are beneficial and very important to my professional practice. Now as a freelance dancer it is even more important and in this final module I want to exhaust all networks for my inquiry. Being part of the blogging community will hopefully help me to find more candidates to fill out the questionnaires or interview for my inquiry about dance captains. I have been using my networks within the freelance dance community and now its time to reach out to the blogging BAPP community! Networking is about establishing a connection and becoming part of a community, networking has helped me to get jobs, confirm queries from finding out where the best place to take class is in different countries to learning how to do a self-employed tax return! So what im trying to say is networking can ...

When I began to brainstorm interview questions for my inquiry I was getting carried away. Over excitement is inevitable with a practice-based inquiry because it is a topic I really care about. Therefore I thought a blog to structure key points to think about to form an approach and guidelines to consider when creating interview questions would be helpful.... *Interviews are a qualitative method of research therefore I need to be mindful to ask questions and value the participants thoughts, feelings and lived experience. *Try not to make assumptions- my thoughts are not what every dance captain might think or believe to be true *There are both mental and physical elements to the duties of a dance captain so I need to equally inquire about their approach to both aspects. * Ask questions about the dance captains job which can help me grow as a freelance dancer, this is important to identify opportunities, learning and reflect upon the inquiry process. *Narrow down my unique learning...

WHAT I WISH I DID DIFFERENTLY.... 1. I wish I has started to write my practice-based inquiry essay earlier within the module. 2. Read more of the suggested reading list for a greater understanding of the advanced terminology. WHAT I NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON FOR MODULE THREE... 1. I need to work on the structure of my essays- sharing my thoughts and experiences and then backing them up with a theory or theorist. 2. Reading the essay content more carefully to ensure I write along the right track. IMPROVEMENTS I HAVE MADE SINCE MODULE ONE... 1.I believe I have used my professional networks more effectively to assist my inquiry making process. 2. Citing essays was a much faster process this module.

The topic of the skype call was:What happens if you are unable to interview as a form of data collection for module 3? 1. Literature- information about others experiences or personal experiences e.g. journals/diaries, interviews published in magazines or articles.  2. Seminars- talks within the field of inquiry; group talks and also on Web 2.0 platforms e.g. YouTube and websites/blogs. 3. Critical reflective journals of my experiences.  Comparing themes presented across these different platforms is the analysis process which gives meaning to the whole data collection process. This skype call prompted us to consider how interviews may not be the best method to collect data, but why?  We discussed how sometimes people are not always good at seeing what is happening in their life. Also we talked about if it was really necessary to generate new material if there is already lots of data in my field of inquiry?  In my literature review I have est...

From the core reading list for module 2 I read the chapter 'The Review of the Literature' (Doing your research project- a guide for first time researchers, Bell, 2005) The important parts that stood out for me are that...I am the researcher collecting facts that must be select, organised and classified into a coherent pattern = the aim is to produce a critical review, not a list of everything I have read! I will now approach all the articles, interviews, books and blogs I have read with a who, what, why, when to question assumptions and querying claims if no evidence has been provided. My framework provides a map of how research is conducted and analysed the 5 points below give me ideas about structure for the review, drawing together and summarising my findings and the facts from established artists.  1.   Established dance captains identify what they feel are the most important responsibilities of their job, this helps me to gauge an overview of the field of inquiry...

Module 2 handbook has a lot of content so I decided to print it out and add notes. Each time I repeat the cycle reading the 6 steps to build a practised based Inquiry, I use a different colour for my notation. This distinguish the progress I made and to address the questions/wonders I have made each time I re-read. Initially I wanted my Inquiry to be about 'how do dancers respond to a dance captain?' I soon discovered when trying to find literature relating this inquiry there was not enough established artists who had wrote about it to help me progress in my inquiry. I found a great project report where Jill Gorrie chronicles her advancement from dancer to dance captain to choreographer. ('From dance captain to choreographer- crossing the professional bridge', Jill Gorrie, 2014) This literature gave me the historical context of when the dance captain role was formed and all of the duties/ responsibilities of the job set by Actors Equity Association. The idea of a dan...

Where to start when mapping out and beginning to find an Inquiry??? READ, READ, READ!!!  Literature review is an overview of the field of my Inquiry, reading to find out what I can learn from what is already out there! Seeking alternative retrospectives from people who are more experienced and done the research in the field of my inquiry, I can use Web 2.0 such as blogs or google scholar articles and reviews and also my current networks in my professional practice. I am trying to build a broader picture of the world around my inquiry. After reading the handbook a couple of times I kept coming back to the idea of 'What is the role of a Dance Captain'. Starting to read literature about Dance Captains it has opened up many different approaches I could take to assess Dace Captains... for example.... What are the differences between a Ballet Mistress and a Dance Captain?... How do dancers respond to a dance captain?...What are the qualifications and qualities need to become a d...

Tuesday's skype discussion with all modules was helpful to remember that all the topics talked about relate to every Module. We touched on how ethical procedures are a set of rules that are set to be followed, reflecting on how policies and codes of conduct are constantly changing and being improved in my professional practice. By contrast ethical considerations are more personal and related to your own expectations, standards and morals. Forms of  pre-existing networks and discovering new ways of networking was also spoke about by some Module One students. This was a really helpful reminder that I can use my professional networks to help me get more information to help with my Inquiry and that I already have a group of people within my professional practice who I will be able to participate in my data collection for Module 2. Use your networks! Charlotte reassured me that it is OK that my inquiry is constantly changing and that each day more questions are being formed and no...

I felt module one was a real roller  coaster ride, getting started to start was my biggest downfall and my lack of organisation   didn't  help me find the beginning. So how I will make this time better.... This year the welcome back Skype call was Adesola walking us through the myunihub, I had the chance to familiarise myself with all of the folders on the BA professional practice page. I have already filled out my study plan although I am sure this will change as the weeks go on.   Organisation and being ahead of the deadlines is my aim for this module and I am pleased to say I have already read through the Module 2 handbook :) I will keep looking at myunihub to be comfortable accessing anything I may need at speed, especially with the student library I want to be able to sit down for a 2 hour study period and crack on straight away without spending the time to find where I can access the reading I need. Bring on Module 2!