Humanities - previous Student Interns
Purity Oby Ikezogwo 2008/09
During her internship Purity was a final year student on the BA International Business, Finance, and Economics programme at the Manchester Business School. Following graduation in 2009 she planned to work (preferably with a management consultancy or investment bank) or undertake a Masters in Development Economics.
Prior to her internship with the CEEBL, she worked as a Peer Mentor with the Business School. Her role involved organising and co-ordinating support sessions for first-year students and providing them with an academic and personal example of life at university.
In addition, she was also a Student Ambassador with the Widening Participation scheme at the University of Manchester.
What does EBL mean to you?"EBL encompasses virtually every existing form of pedagogic practice: seminars, case studies, group projects, dissertations; but what makes EBL "student-centred", as it is commonly referred to, is the process of learning: the tasks are sufficiently open-ended, as to allow the student to take responsibility for directing their learning, but also stimulating enough to encourage students to explore their academic disciplines, even beyond the initial task. EBL provides students with transferable skills that encompass not just subject-specific attributes, but also generic ones like time-management, research and communication skills, big-picture thinking, sound judgement and leadership skills - all of which are attributes and skillsets that employers seek in graduates. What EBL means to me, I can best highlight through my experience on the Manchester Leadership Programme in 2007. Of all the projects I have done at university, this one stood out because the process was different - from us choosing our own topic, to engaging in team meetings and discussions to narrow down the topic to a coherent and concise subject. It was not so much the learning and discovery, or the research it involved, but the process through which my team and I were able to make that journey of erudition, taking it in turns to hold the steering wheel, with minimal (if any) input from our tutor."
Emma Barnes 2008/09
Emma completed her BA (Hons) in Linguistics in 2008 and during her internship undertook a Masters in the same subject to further her understanding of the areas which interest her.
Before starting university and during the academic breaks Emma worked as a Software Trainer whilst also tutoring GCSE and A Level students. She has also worked with a charity who arrange activity holidays for children with additional needs. Her various experiences have made her particularly interested in how people with different abilities and backgrounds are able to learn and the possible approaches to effective learning. Emma was the Student Governor of London's largest FE college, meeting monthly with the board of executive, local business representatives and councillors and fortnightly with student representatives from all faculties of the college, she also represented her college at conferences and forums.
Emma's passion for EBL and its role in modern universities stems from her own experience with an EBL unit and her experience with learners in different settings.
What does EBL mean to you?"Sometimes when doing work we forget what we're doing, or where we are, or what the goal is. It's a natural reaction to start working our way back and asking questions to make sense of what we're doing. This reflects how abstracted some of the methods for learning which we use are, based on traditions or practicalities. EBL, to me, is the most natural way of learning, we ask ourselves questions, set down our aims and take steps to getting where we want to be. EBL is about leading your own learning and also gaining life skills while doing it."
Anthony Richardson 2008/09
Anthony graduated in English Literature and French in 2008 and was completing an MA in Creative Writing during his internship. He has worked with the Widening Participation programme on residential weeks with year 12 students from Manchester and he was also a facilitator for the CEEBL MAP Easter School.
Kathy Mair: 2007/08
Having completed her undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature, she is currently studying for an MA in Medieval and Early Modern English Studies. She hopes to carry on studying to doctoral level as she is considering a career teaching and researching in higher education.
Previously Kathy has been involved in both Peer Mentoring and PASS Courses in the English Department. She is also a Residential Hall Tutor on the Fallowfield Campus.
Louise Goldring
Louise Goldring: 2006/07
Louise was a student within the English and American Studies department undertaking an MA in Post 1900 Literatures, Theories and Cultures during her year as CEEBL Intern. She also completed her undergraduate degree at The University of Manchester and during that time spent two years as a Peer Mentor for first year English students in which her role included facilitating tutorial sessions and providing students with a support network for both academic and social life.
During her time at The University of Manchester Louise has also worked for the Widening Participation team and Students in Schools scheme promoting Higher Education both within schools and at University open days. She has also taken part in a Higher Education conference at the GMEX centre in March 2006.
Jamie Wood
Jamie Wood: 2006/07
During his Internship, Jamie was a third year PhD student in Classics and Ancient History, writing on the history of Early Medieval Spain, which built upon work undertaken at BA and MA levels in Manchester.
At undergraduate level he acted as a student mentor and assisted on departmental open days. He has undertaken various teaching responsibilities over the past three years, leading seminars on a number of different courses and taking some lectures. This semester Jamie also begins working as a Graduate Teaching Assistant facilitating courses for postgraduate students in Presentation Skills. Additionally, he has held positions as a Residential Tutor at two halls of residence in the Fallowfield Campus.
Jamie went on to take up a post at the Centre for Inquiry-Based Learning in the Arts and Social Sciences at the University of Sheffield following his year as a CEEBL Intern and submitting his PhD thesis.
Mary Whowell
Mary Whowell: 2005/06
Mary completed her degree in Geography in 2004 and her MA in Human Geography in September 2005. She began a PhD in the Department of Geography at the University of Manchester which she is now undertaking at Loughborough. Her central research focus is the Cambodian sex industry.
Mary is also interested in the dynamics of the UK based sex industry and works in a voluntary capacity with male and female sex workers. As part of her role for CEEBL Mary produced a student guide to Enquiry-Based Learning (see Resources section of website).
