University of Greater Manchester eLearning Portal

September 2022 Semester 2

The module is designed to enhance and consolidate your communication, research, and critical writing skills. The discipline involves the study of cultural and creative processes that goes beyond the history of textiles and theories of art and design. You will focus on extending various aspects of theoretical knowledge through the exploration of a self-selected research project and as a result this will strengthen your critical analysis and investigation skills. You will discuss and analyse historical, cultural, social and/or political contexts, which affect our readings of fashion, craft, design and textiles. You will experience learning in different environments with attention given to one-to-one research tutorials tailored to the specific needs of the student. In addition group seminars and workshops will provide support for academic study skills and online forums and access to digital resources will support you throughout the module. You will be actively encourage to conduct independent study visits to relevant galleries, museums and archives in order to review and retrieve primary research (text and image). In addition you will be encouraged to attend events and conferences that support your academic development and construction of theoretical knowledge. Graduate Attributes: Effective Communicator, Confident.

This module builds from previous critical theory modules and directly reflects the learning and knowledge built by the cohort throughout their studies, specifically related to the context of textiles and surface design; it purposely encourages you to develop their personal area of research which directly responds to their needs and interests and to enable links between academia and practice. 

Components of the module are designed to enable progress from week 1 – 15, lectures and working research groups support and enable critical thinking and awareness, skills sessions encourage you to apply such skills to their academic writing skills to present research in an appropriate format.  Workshops and tutorials are a key component of the module and offers opportunity for tailored feedback to their personal research areas. 

This module enables students to consolidate skills developed and to convey their understanding of academic research and writing skills whilst via a piece of academic writing. Through lectures and seminar discussions, research tasks individually and in groups, through skills sessions students will build a weekly understanding of their personal research area and how to utilise the research and skills developed along the way.