WEEK 7, 13/11/17

This session, taught namely by Gilly King, discussed the history of Roehampton in the nineteenth century and the lives of the Lyne-Stephens family that lived and were buried within the grounds of Grove House. We toured from Grove House to the Lyne-Stephens mausoleum within Froebel college. As before with the previous talking tours around Roehampton campus, I have developed a greater ability of retaining informartion when jouting notes isn’t easily allowable. Likewise, Gilly King as an informative speaker has enabled me to confide in her greater knowledge for further research materials and resources for studying the family.

As I am intrigued in doing my research project on Grove House, after the lecture I went to the library to further reading around the topic. This has further increased my independent study skills. It has also enlightened me on the lack of information avalible online for such niche topics, urging me to invesigate the archives at a later date.

This session can be explored in research via analysing the relationship the family had archetectually on the development of the land of the University of Roehampton: ‘How did the Lyne-Stephens presence in Grove House affect the archetecture of what is now dubbed Froebel College?’

WEEK 6, 09/11/17

This week we learnt from Kornelia Cepok to use and access the campus archives, including ones at Froebel, Whitelands, and Digby Stuart. Resulting, we also learnt about the historical context of the listed colleges for when these items are dated, namely the history of Froebel and Whitelands college, and their teachings.

From this, I learnt new research techniques and skills in gaining access to archives. This included how to access archived items, like in the Foyle Special Collections Room in the University Library. Likewise, I learnt how to handle archived items: with gloved or clean hands, book supports and weights, and other specialist equipment. I also learnt how to contact archivists of the different colleges via email or number.

I also developed my existing skills on critical thinking in deciding on if any archive items would be necessary, via the temporary online resource of the Froebel Archive Catalogue.

From this week’s topic about the archives, I could develop research into how past students’ academic work and lives compare to modern students: ‘How do Froebel students and their academic lives of today differ from ones in the early 20^th century?

WEEK 5, 30/10/17

Within the session, we learnt about the Roehampton’s and British universities’ development from interwar years, due to social and cultural changes after the First World War. We also looked at a famous pupils, Eunice Kennedy Shiver and Richmal Crompton. Due to unavailable preparatory reading, we unfortunately learnt with little depth and vague context.

Despite this obstacle, I still learnt key research techniques I can apply to my project. By our class cross-examination of Kennedy and Crompton, I learnt and practiced creating a biography, contextualising figures, and different approaches to take to gain relevant information to study, all via questions. For example, where they were born; why they studied at school; did their attendance effect the school’s prestige?

We also discussed what creative outlets could we use for our project tom develop engagement. This inspired me to a multitude of possibilities: of educational podcasts, posters, short films, and moreover. However, I decided I was most likely to produce a small, condensed hand companion to building or architectural piece.

From this session, I can research educational prestige: ‘Why did Eunice Kennedy Shiver choose to study at Sacred Heart and what effects this had on the school?’

WEEK 4, 16/10/17

This week we learnt about the development of female higher education through nineteenth to twentieth century.

The handouts supplied within class proved useful research resources for further analysis. The late-eighteenth to mid-twentieth century timeline detailed major events relating to higher female education in Britain; this is extremely useful for further research into this, or for contextualising other spheres of research I may do. Similarly, the handouts of the newspaper article and novel extract proved resourceful. It held insight into an educated male versus an educated female contemporary reception of the ongoing events, and of the nature of the sexes.

As an addition to their potent usefulness, reading these within class also exercised my speed-reading skills, of which I am not strong. This will later be useful when gathering a quantity of sources to analysis for my project. It also improved my critical thinking due to the validity of certain handouts and creating a ranking of the most influential listed events.

From this all, I can develop research into which factors helped improve gender equality within higher education: ‘How ground-breaking was Whitelands College within the development of higher female education in Britain?’

WEEK 3, 09/10/17

Our lecture was an outside walking tour of Roehampton campus wherein we visited the Whitelands chapel, the Digby Sacred Heart chapel, and the Southlands Methodist chapel. Their respective religious representatives talked about the historical roots of their religion in education – particularly female – and how they came to form Roehampton University today. The Whitelands representative was unavailable so we had to investigate what we could without context.

They presented using the Roehampton Archives as sources, acting as an examplar for me in my research. By signposting where to gain access to the Archives on campus, they gave me the ability to find this information and encouraged further research into the history of our campus. When given a handout by the Digby chaplain, I learnt to identify architectural iconography within the Digby chapel and others. This would be a valuable skill set for further research into religious buildings. I am confident that now informed by the two other speakers and handouts, I could understand more of the Whitelands chapel than on our first visit.

From this, I could begin research into the religious influence in standardising and improving British female education: ‘How far did Digby Sacred Heart chapel aid improving female education?’

WEEK 2, 02/10/17

Our lecture and reading was on Georgian Britain, particularly London, and its lovely English Country House, including its architects and inhabitants. This gained invaluable research resources. Firstly, the ‘Old Bailey Online’ proved a useful academic website for mini-essays on eighteenth century London context, and its relation to Roehampton Country houses. Secondly, the less useful ‘British Library’ website held vaguer overviews into Georgian London yet primary sources scanned alongside the articles. This allows easy access for rich evidence of my research questions later: for example, posters used in Country House influence on London entertainment.

I was set a mini-presentation on Henrietta Ponsonby, an eighteenth century historical Roehampton figure. Researching Henrietta’s life and scandals further developed my skills in discerning reliability of accounts, thus strengthening my useful research skills in analysing source reliability. Sourced only with the ‘Oxford Dictionary of National Biography’, I realised my overreliance in one article as truth despite it being a trusted, biographic website. I will not make that mistake in my research.

Lastly, from this session I could develop research into how influential Classical reception was to Georgian Country Houses: ‘Were Classical artefacts and styled architecture valued more as fashionable than historical?’

WEEK 1, 25/09/17

The session was an introduction to the course wherein assessments – including using Mahara as a blog entry website – were outlined, the histories of universities were discussed, as well as the changing role and meaning of being a university student. This was through discussions of the Moodle article, ‘A Higher Purpose’, and other introductory reading. Finding the introductory reading online and reading these alone without discussion was useful in developing my self-reflection, analysis, and independent study skills.

As I was not initially enrolled into this module, I caught up on the first session via other students’ brief summaries of the lecture, and the Moodle site, whilst in the Roehampton Library. This set-back furtherly developed my independent study skills.

Being enrolled into The Roehampton Campus Project Moodle site enabled me to view a wealth of online research resources, which will be useful for any topic I decide to research within this module and for future studies: this included the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sir John Soane Museum Catalogue, and much more.

From this session, I could research what purpose higher education held historically for the four different colleges: ‘What purpose does higher education have for Digby Stuart college throughout time?’