Figure 5: JESHOOTS.COM. ca. 2017. White work table with notes, smartphone and laptop
Week 1
Joining the Creative Events Management MA, feels like the first blank page we try to fill when writing an assignment, the theme of which we like a lot; chaotic but also fascinating. It is true that the process of learning at a master’s level is not the same as in the bachelor’s studies. I remember my mother talking about reflection when taking a master’s degree, and trying to understand its meaning. Now the time came for me to also adopt this practice while studying in Falmouth University.
I believe that reflection is a key way of learning at a master’s level, as it is involved in the process of meaningful learning when a learner takes a deep approach (Moon 2004: 75), which is the point of master’s studies. Sometimes it may feel a bit chaotic having to do the research and the understanding on your own, but it is maybe through this process that we truly captivate knowledge.
While progressing with the first week’s material, I’m trying to understand what to expect during the following period of the MA. I think that the process of learning will be similar to how Ramsey Musallam describes it in his Ted Talk:
- Stage 1: Curiosity generated from something that I read and questions arising concerning what works and what doesn’t in real life events
- Stage 2: Doing some research for academic sources and embracing the mess of not being able to find enough information, or finding a large amount of information
- Stage 3: Intense reflection: Gathering of the information needed concerning a specific area of events studies, revising it and linking it with my previous knowledge (Musallam 2013).
I think that the last part is crucial when it comes to learning at a master’s level, as the way we use understanding and knowledge, links reflection to the process of learning (Moon 2004: 75). So, using my prior experience and linking it to each week’s material, may turn some knowledge, that I didn’t consider meaningful enough, to meaningful knowledge, because it is now viewed with a different frame (Moon 2004: 88).
To my mind, the purpose of learning in this level of studies, is to generate new and meaningful ideas, that relate to what inspires me and to achieving my career goals, which will be based on already existing knowledge that is combined with new knowledge, through a process of framing and reframing (Moon 2004: 76).
Let’s see what’s next!
References
MOON, Jennifer A. 2004. A Handbook of Reflective and Experiential Learning: Theory and Practice. London: Routledge.
MUSALLAM, Ramsey. 2013. ‘3 rules to spark learning’ [online lecture]. TedTalks. Available at: https://www.ted.com/talks/ramsey_musallam_3_rules_to_spark_learning [accessed 16 March 2022]