Journal articles by Michaela Baker
Harvey, M., Walkerden, G., Semple, A-L., Mclachlan, K., Lloyd, K. and Baker, M. (2016). A song and a dance: Being inclusive and creative in practicing and documenting reflection for learning As the number of students engaging in higher education increases, so too does their diversity. Ad... more As the number of students engaging in higher education increases, so too does their diversity. Additionally, there is growing pressure on universities to be er prepare graduates for the varied paths they will pursue beyond study. In responding to these conditions it is important to develop pedagogical approaches that are both inclusive and engaging. One adaptation needed is in relation to the practice and documentation of reflection for learning. Reflection is widely practiced across higher education, and is favoured by the Work- Integrated Learning eld for the ways it helps students make sense of their learning. e ongoing reliance on journals for practising and documenting reflection has several bene ts; however, a diverse student body, engaging with diverse learning experiences, is likely to bene t from being offered diverse, flexible ways of engaging with reflective practice. Informed by student and practitioner reflective data gathered at an Australian university, this conceptual paper accepts the challenge to “disrupt” (deFreitas 2007) the text and “move beyond the diary” (Harvey et al. 2012) to present an argument for the value and role of alternative modes of reflection, spanning arts-based, embodied, mindful and technological approaches. Underpinning this advocacy of diverse mediums for reflection are the principles of inclusivity and universal design.
Lloyd, K., Clark, L., Hammersley, L., Baker, M., Rawlings-Sanaei, F. & D'ath, E. (2015). Unintended outcomes of university-community partnerships: Building organizational capacity with PACE International partners. Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education
Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) at Macquarie University provides experiential opport... more Professional and Community Engagement (PACE) at Macquarie University provides experiential opportunities for students and staff to contribute to more just, inclusive and sustainable societies by engaging in activities with partner organizations. PACE International offers a range of opportunities with partners overseas. Underpinning PACE is a commitment to mutually beneficial learning and engagement. To align with this commitment, PACE-related research engages partner perspectives and those of students and academics. The dearth of scholarly research on partner perspectives of community engagement (Bringle, Clayton & Price, 2009) underscores this imperative. Drawing on interviews and focus groups with partner representatives this article examines some of the apparently unexpected benefits of engagement with PACE that community partners report have contributed to their improved organizational capacity. We conclude by speculating that what can be perceived by universities as unexpected and unplanned by-products of student engagement, may actually be intended and strategically planned outcomes of community partners.
Baker, M., Beale, A., Hammersley, L., Lloyd, K., Semple, A-L. & White, K. (2013). Ethical Practice in Learning Through Participation: Showcasing and evaluating the PACE Ethical Practice Module Asia-Pacific Journal of Cooperative Education
In 2008, Macquarie University instituted the Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) initia... more In 2008, Macquarie University instituted the Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) initiative. This initiative embeds units in the curriculum that involve learning through participation (LTP) that is mutually beneficial to the student, the University and the organisation or community in which student participation activities take place. Ethical practice is thus an integral part of this initiative. The issue of ethical practice in LTP 'has not been comprehensively addressed in the literature to date' and warrants further examination. This paper discusses the development of the innovative PACE Ethical Practice Module to teach ethical practice in participation units. We evaluate the effectiveness of the Module using a mixed methodology and present preliminary findings on students' perceptions before and after their participation activity, and evaluations by academic convenors of participation units. We conclude by discussing the implications for future iterations of the Module and teaching ethics in PACE. (Asia-
Book chapters by Michaela Baker
Toward a Negative Aesthetic of Sustainability
An Introduction to Sustainability and Aesthetics: The Arts and Design for the Environment , Jan 2, 2015
This book introduces the idea of sustainability and its aesthetic dimension, suggesting that the ... more This book introduces the idea of sustainability and its aesthetic dimension, suggesting that the role of the aesthetic is an active one in developing an ecologically, economically and culturally healthy society. With an introduction by Christopher Crouch and an afterword by John Thackara, the book gathers together a range of essays that address the issue of the aesthetics of sustainability from a multitude of disciplinary and cultural perspectives.
Outlooks and opportunities in blended and distance learning (A volume in the Advances in Mobile and Distance Learning (AMDL) Book Series)
means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the publ... more means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the publisher. Product or company names used in this set are for identification purposes only. Inclusion of the names of the products or companies does not indicate a claim of ownership by IGI Global of the trademark or registered trademark.
Conference Proceedings by Michaela Baker
Baker, M., Corderoy, E., Hammersley, L., Lloyd, K., Mclachlan, K., Semple, A-L. & White, K. (2014) Building capacity through ethical understanding and practice Moore, K. (Ed). Work Integrated Learning: Building Capacity – Proceedings of the 2014 ACEN National Conference. Tweed Heads, 1st- 3rd October, 2014, pp. 78-83.
Lloyd, K., Clark, L., Hammersley, L., Baker, M., Powell, A. & Rawlings-Sanaei, F. (2014). Unintended outcomes? Building organisational capacity with PACE International partners Moore, K. (Ed). Work Integrated Learning: Building Capacity – Proceedings of the 2014 ACEN National Conference. Tweed Heads, 1st- 3rd October, 2014, pp. 84-89.
Harvey, M., Baker, M., Fredericks, V., Lloyd, K., Mclachlan, K., Semple, A-L. & Walkerden, G. (2014). Reflection: Alignment of practice as a strategy for building capacity for learning Moore, K. (Ed). Work Integrated Learning: Building Capacity – Proceedings of the 2014 ACEN National Conference. Tweed Heads, 1st- 3rd October, 2014, pp. 168-172.
Reflective practice can play a key role in the collaborative education curriculum as it supports ... more Reflective practice can play a key role in the collaborative education curriculum as it supports learners with developing a capacity to build cognitive bridges between the theory of the classroom and their professional or community experience. The argument presented is that a whole of institution and aligned approach to reflective practice may build capacity for learning and foster a deep approach to learning. The holistic approach adopted by the PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) initiative at Macquarie University provides the case material of a program that is core to a university's vision, and through which the embedding of reflective mechanism(s) is a requirement. A holistic approach to the practice of reflection is achieved through the alignment of policy, infrastructure and practice. Good practice examples of resources and strategies that can each contribute to building capacity at an individual, program and institutional level are outlined. Evaluative data and outcomes will be considered as a means for demonstrating the potential for success with institution-wide reflective practicean approach that may offer synergistic and positive outcomes well beyond the Macquarie experience.
Baker, M., Beale, A., Hammersley, L., Lloyd, K., Semple, A-L. & White, K. (2012). Ethical practice in learning through participation: Showcasing and evaluating the PACE Ethical Practice Module Collaborative Education: Investing in the future – Proceedings of the 2012 ACEN National Conference
In 2008, Macquarie University introduced the Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) initia... more In 2008, Macquarie University introduced the Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) initiative, which embeds units in the undergraduate curriculum that involve learning through participation, including service learning and work-integrated learning (WIL), that is mutually beneficial to the student, the University and the partner organisation. Ethical practice is thus an integral part of this initiative. However, the issue of ethical practice in these approaches to learning has not been comprehensively addressed with research ethics in undergraduate curricula also warranting further examination and integration . To support both students and staff at Macquarie University, we have collaboratively developed and begun to trial an innovative, holistic module to teach ethical practice in Participation units. It includes ethical theory, applied ethics, research ethics and ethical practice in PACE. The significance of this module lies in its flexibility, accessibility, and applicability to a multi-disciplinary and institution-wide audience. In this paper we evaluate the effectiveness of our module and present preliminary findings, which comment on the flexibility and usefulness of the module in supporting and preparing students for participation activities. We also reflect on how this module can be developed further and suggest avenues for future research.
Collaborative Education: Investing in the future – Proceedings of the 2012 ACEN National Conference
The WIL literature discusses the importance of engaging with partners in an ethical way ). Howeve... more The WIL literature discusses the importance of engaging with partners in an ethical way ). However, how higher education institutions choose ethical partners is an area that is neglected. It might be argued that much institutional concern is about finding enough partners to meet student demand. However, it is also necessary to ensure that partners align with the mission and vision of learning through participation, as well as those of the higher education institution. This is necessary to make sure the partners we choose to work with do not prompt ethical queries or issues which could be damaging to both student and institution. This paper examines the partnerships literature and how other organisations make choices about ethical products or organisations. These case studies demonstrate that the choice of an ethical partner has at least two dimensions: what constitutes an ethical partner and how to determine whether or not a potential partner is ethical. The development and implementation of policies and procedures to facilitate decisions is required. In this paper I present a case study of how we are developing a framework to guide the formation of 'ethically aligned' relationships with partners.
Harvey, M., Baker, M., Bosanquet, A., Coulson, D., Semple, A-L. & Warren, V. (2012). Moving beyond the diary: innovation in design and delivery of reflection Collaborative Education: Investing in the future – Proceedings of the 2012 ACEN National Conference
Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experience . Cu... more Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experience . Current learning and teaching design across WIL often relies on reflective journals or diaries as the dominant form for documenting and assessing reflection (e.g., Clarke and Burgess; Stupans and Owens; McNamara, 2009). However, there are challenges inherent in this practice, such as what aspect of reflection is assessed and that the reliance on a particular genre of writing may be unfamiliar to both students and assessors (Winchester-Seeto, Mackaway, Coulson and Harvey, 2010).
Conference Presentations by Michaela Baker
Foxes, Fables and Folktales: Animal ethics and the negative aesthetic in Margaret Wild's *Fox* and the folktale tradition
In this paper we examine the way in which nonhumans are considered on a continuum from non-entiti... more In this paper we examine the way in which nonhumans are considered on a continuum from non-entities (e.g. insects, vermin) to self-entities (e.g. domestic pets and the great apes). Nonhumans’ , position on this continuum determines the existence and level of empathic engagement we have with them. By acknowledging and disrupting this continuum, creative works are able to bring an empathic and ethical concern to bear on those animals who are typically presented as non-entities or estranged entities. We have called this a negative aesthetic engagement in earlier works [1] and will retain that framework to demonstrate the way in which creative works offer, even force, an empathic response to non-humans across the continuum. As our previous encounter was with a modern work, we apply our methodology to a very old style of storytelling the fable or folktale., which offers potentially the most complex demonstration of the way in which the nonhuman is portrayed empathically and ethically. Aesop’s Fables are among the oldest fables to which we have access and their style has remained a staple component of storytelling. We thus examine an Aesop fable together with Margaret Wild’s illustrated children’s book, Fox, which demonstrates the animal as central to the fable. By reading via the negative aesthetic, these works demonstrate the way in which animals are presented as relational and through this relationality as entities deserving empathy and eliciting ethical engagement.
[1] Corderoy, E. and Baker, M. Toward a Negative Aesthetic of Sustainability. In Crouch, C., Kaye, N., & Crouch, J. (eds) (2014). An introduction to sustainability and aesthetics. Boca Raton: BrownWalker Press.
Tim Winton's 2001 novel, Dirt Music, is an exploration of the enduring issues surrounding the int... more Tim Winton's 2001 novel, Dirt Music, is an exploration of the enduring issues surrounding the interaction between humanity and the non-human environment, including both flora and fauna, and demonstrates the need for them to be examined in a contemporary setting. Winton's novel, through its representations of incidents involving the interaction and representation of humans and non-human nature, embodies the idea of the ethical and the aesthetic as one. The portrayals of these interactions operate in a way that, "while it cannot be logically framed as a theme or propositional content, can nonetheless be witnessed: 'it shows itself' [(Wittgenstein, 1999, 6.522)]" (Stengel, 2004, p. 615). It is this 'showing' of itself that evokes both an ethical and an aesthetic response in readers. We contend that Winton evokes this response in his readers via a negative aesthetic.
Papers by Michaela Baker
Moving beyond the diary: innovation in design and delivery of reflection
Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experience (Cal... more Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experience (Caldicott, 2010). Current learning and teaching design across WIL often relies on reflective journals or diaries as the dominant form for documenting and assessing reflection (e.g., Clarke and Burgess; Stupans and Owens; McNamara, 2009). However, there are challenges inherent in this practice, such as what aspect of reflection is assessed and that the reliance on a particular genre of writing may be unfamiliar to both students and assessors (Winchester-Seeto, Mackaway, Coulson and Harvey, 2010). Acknowledging the evidenced-based practice of the application of reflection in the design and delivery of WIL (Coulson, Harvey, Winchester-Seeto and Mackaway, 2010) this symposium accepts the challenge of exploring different and innovative ways of engaging with and documenting reflection. The paper opens the session with an overview of the role of reflection in learning through WIL, outlines the cha...
Moving beyond the diary: innovation in design and delivery of reflection
ABSTRACT Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experi... more ABSTRACT Reflective practice is widely considered for its contribution to learning through experience (Caldicott, 2010). Current learning and teaching design across WIL often relies on reflective journals or diaries as the dominant form for documenting and assessing reflection (e.g., Clarke and Burgess; Stupans and Owens; McNamara, 2009). However, there are challenges inherent in this practice, such as what aspect of reflection is assessed and that the reliance on a particular genre of writing may be unfamiliar to both students and assessors (Winchester-Seeto, Mackaway, Coulson and Harvey, 2010). Acknowledging the evidenced-based practice of the application of reflection in the design and delivery of WIL (Coulson, Harvey, Winchester-Seeto and Mackaway, 2010) this symposium accepts the challenge of exploring different and innovative ways of engaging with and documenting reflection. The paper opens the session with an overview of the role of reflection in learning through WIL, outlines the challenges of traditional approaches to reflective practice and presents the possibilities of moving beyond reflective journals or diaries to innovation in delivery through mediums such as art, twitter, dreams, dance, poetry, music, photography and video. The accompanying workshop offers participants the opportunity to experience some of the innovative approaches to the practice and documentation of reflection. Processes using art, story and mindfulness will be briefly explored for their potential to engage the diversity of students in reflection for whole person learning (Yorks and Kasl, 2002), premised on the tenet that experiential knowledge is the foundation for all ways of knowing (Heron, 1992).
Reflective practice can play a key role in the collaborative education curriculum as it supports ... more Reflective practice can play a key role in the collaborative education curriculum as it supports learners with developing a capacity to build cognitive bridges between the theory of the classroom and their professional or community experience. The argument presented is that a whole of institution and aligned approach to reflective practice may build capacity for learning and foster a deep approach to learning. The holistic approach adopted by the PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) initiative at Macquarie University provides the case material of a program that is core to a university's vision, and through which the embedding of reflective mechanism(s) is a requirement. A holistic approach to the practice of reflection is achieved through the alignment of policy, infrastructure and practice. Good practice examples of resources and strategies that can each contribute to building capacity at an individual, program and institutional level are outlined. Evaluative data and outcomes will be considered as a means for demonstrating the potential for success with institution-wide reflective practicean approach that may offer synergistic and positive outcomes well beyond the Macquarie experience.
Reflection: Alignment of practice as a strategy for building capacity for learning
Conference papers & presentations by Michaela Baker
Reflective practice can play a key role in the collaborative education curriculum as it supports ... more Reflective practice can play a key role in the collaborative education curriculum as it supports learners with developing a capacity to build cognitive bridges between the theory of the classroom and their professional or community experience. The argument presented is that a whole of institution and aligned approach to reflective practice may build capacity for learning and foster a deep approach to learning. The holistic approach adopted by the PACE (Professional and Community Engagement) initiative at Macquarie University provides the case material of a program that is core to a university’s vision, and through which the embedding of reflective mechanism(s) is a requirement. An holistic approach to the practice of reflection is achieved through the alignment of policy, infrastructure and practice. Good practice examples of resources and strategies that can each contribute to building capacity at an individual, program and institutional level are outlined. Evaluative data and outcomes will be considered as a means for demonstrating the potential for success with institution-wide reflective practice – an approach that may offer synergistic and positive outcomes well beyond the Macquarie experience.
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Journal articles by Michaela Baker
Book chapters by Michaela Baker
Conference Proceedings by Michaela Baker
Conference Presentations by Michaela Baker
[1] Corderoy, E. and Baker, M. Toward a Negative Aesthetic of Sustainability. In Crouch, C., Kaye, N., & Crouch, J. (eds) (2014). An introduction to sustainability and aesthetics. Boca Raton: BrownWalker Press.
Papers by Michaela Baker
Conference papers & presentations by Michaela Baker