Dr Damian Tambini is Associate Professor, Director of the Media Policy Project and Programme Director: MSc Media & Communications (Governance). His teaching balances the importance of contemporary debate with facilitating the acquisition of lifelong skills and theoretical understanding and encourages students to contribute to the debates around them through discussion, disagreement, blogging and writing consultation responses.
‘There’s a lot I like about teaching’, begins Dr Tambini, ‘our students are incredible and in my classes a global discussion takes place on some fundamental issues. Of course, we all experience some division or tension between teaching and research but I feel the situation can be a win-win as well, engaging with conversations in classes like this can help you think again as you work through cutting edge ideas you’re planning to publish.’
He reflects that working amidst students from so many different cultures is fun, but also raises questions of how to manage classrooms where fundamental differences in view exist not only around the issues, but sometimes around expressing personal arguments in an academic setting. ‘We have students from every region of the world, some from cultures where it’s less accepted for some groups; students or women for example, to speak out,’ he explains, ‘I hope my teaching helps to give my students a voice. It’s one of the things I love the most about teaching, personally, to see someone gain a voice and let them know they have permission to speak. Politically, it’s also really important.’ He recognises that it’s not just cultural differences that can make students reluctant to speak out, ‘every year I see some students come with a lack of confidence or lack of ability to speak in a group. I use different strategies to involve students and have learned tricks to engage students and facilitate seminars so there are no awkward silences. I also try to encourage dissent. I want to be challenged if a student disagrees with me and can prevent evidence back to me to question my arguments.’
As he works hard to make sure students find their voice- even in dissent- he’s highlights that this alone doesn’t give students all they need to approach the subject. A good theoretical understanding is crucial and students should see it underpinning their approach to debates. ‘I like to engage students by using role plays and case studies on big questions, for example about media freedom and regulation. The skills I want students to develop aren’t just for the exam. They’re skills to take out with them out into their work or their role as citizens; with the skills and the theoretical understanding they can take part in political debate’
As well as supporting students to do this in class, running the Media Policy Project provides a window for students and the public to see into his fast-changing field. ‘I view the blog as beneficial for my students and part of my teaching’, he explains, ‘information can be posted on the blog immediately whereas it could take two years to be published in a book.’ The blog has also given students the opportunity to provoke debate by sharing their own work on it. ‘Universities have the reputation of being ivory towers- but students are desperate to look outside. They need links around them, and not just because they’re so close to joining the labour market,’ he adds.
This commitment to supporting students to engage with the debates in the field they’re working in has also led him to innovations in assessment. ‘I have asked students to write consultation responses on one of my courses. Sometimes we also find that a student can get really interested in an open consultation and they’ll send in their well-researched response. We’ve had our students responses cited in European Commission and Ofcom documents. This is very motivating for students’.
‘Since I started teaching as a full time member of staff in 2006 I have learned tricks to engage students, become more structured in my approach,’ he reflects. ‘Our student body has also changed, though we need more scholarships if we want to help more underrepresented groups in our classrooms. Over this time, I’ve been able to see the wider impact of what we do with students here. Students have gone on to work in many areas of my field and part of the reason they’ve been able to do that is through studying with us. That’s a great pleasure.’
We thank Dr Tambini for his time and insight.
