Treasure Island Pedagogies: Episode 36, the one with the Marimba

Posted on: 11 November 2024 by Dr Tunde Varga-Atkins in General

Host and Guests In Online Meeting
(Host and Guests in Online Meeting)

In Episode 36, in addition to lightbulb moments, treasure island pedagogies/props and luxury items, our discussion covered synchronous online learning via low latency technology for musicians and ensuring our students have the experience of developing skills to put them at advantages for employment, and the value of accredited micro credentials, trading simulations and game-based learning, and incorporating education for sustainability in education.

Speakers: Dr Madina Tash, Ben Redman  

Date: 11 November 2024

Treasure Island Pedagogies: Episode 36 podcast

(Treasure Island Pedagogies Episode 36 - Podcast Transcript)

Read or listen to find out our guests’ lightbulb moments, teaching props, pedagogies and luxury items that they would take to their Treasure Islands for precious contact time with students. 

Dr. Madina Tash

  • Original discipline: Corporate Finance
  • Current Role: Lecturer and Director of the Bloomberg Financial Markets Lab
  • Lightbulb moment:  During a chance encounter with a former classmate from my second postgraduate programme, I learned that she was struggling to secure a job in the industry despite holding both undergraduate and postgraduate degrees and being multilingual. This stark reality made me realise that higher education often falls short in preparing students to navigate the complexities of the contemporary labour market. This realisation profoundly reshaped my approach to teaching, motivating me to place employability at the forefront of my pedagogy. Over time, this focus led me to explore experiential learning and the integration of industry-relevant tools, such as the Bloomberg Terminal, into my teaching practice. This journey culminated in the establishment of the Bloomberg Lab at the University of Sussex, providing students with hands-on access to the tools and skills demanded by employers and the use of Bloomberg Market Concepts micro-credentials as a prerequisite for assessment in the Financial Institutions and Markets module. This ensures students acquire foundational industry knowledge while engaging with cutting-edge tools.
  • Teaching Prop or Pedagogy: Trading simulations and games that incorporate experiential learning as well as sustainability. I am just developing a game just like this!
  • Luxury item: A custom-designed trading simulation tailored to specifics of the modules that I teach. This interactive tool enhances student engagement by combining theoretical concepts with playful, practical application. It serves as both an engaging learning tool and a means to test students’ understanding of core theories while fostering decision-making and problem-solving skills.

Ben Redman

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Scotland, UK

  • Original discipline: Music and Music Education
  • Current Role: Lecturer, MEd Learning and Teaching in the Arts programme.
  • Lightbulb moment: Discovering Low-latency technology to connect musicians remotely in real time (it’s different to using Zoom!); this became the central focus for my PhD. LoLa (Low-latency technology), so I can rehearse and perform synchronously with other musicians.
  • Teaching Prop or Pedagogy: the CRAP-test (currency, relevance, authority and purpose) to develop criticality in students.
  • Luxury item: iPad so I can listen to music, read books, browse photos and videos, learn via the internet, and connect with friends and family.

Links / resources

Madina's Links:

Ben's Links

Facilitated by Dr Tünde Varga-Atkins, Sound: Chris Loxham/Sandra Samaca, Web design: Dennis Wong, Neil Murray @LivUniCIE