Masterclasses - University of Staffordshire

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Masterclasses

Our masterclasses will be conducted in line with the latest official guidance from the UK Government and other relevant authorities, we will therefore offer these as either virtual or face-to-face events and as always we will continue to ensure your health, safety and well being while delivering a first-class educational experience.

Our masterclasses are designed to give your students an insight into what university is really like. They are made up of half- or full-day mini lectures and interactive workshops that are linked to the national curriculum.

What is a masterclass?

Masterclasses are comprised of half or full day mini lectures and interactive workshops that are linked to the national curriculum. These are contextualised programmes, which can be delivered both on and off campus, with clear links to the wide range of careers in these areas.

All of the Masterclasses begin with a clear overview of the session to provide the context to the learning in the Masterclass. The learning and employability skills outlined below along with career pathways and employment options that use these skills will be continually reviewed and reinforced throughout the Masterclasses.

Effective Learning and Teaching strategies that will be employed include the use of case studies and problem based learning; peer and collaborative learning; reflective practice, laboratory and field work; interactive sessions and debating; learning networks.

Masterclasses will support the development of graduate entry level skills.

Subject specific knowledge, skills and understanding

The Masterclasses are developed across a range of subject areas to broaden and deepen knowledge and understanding, providing skills for future learning and employment. The rich diversity of the curricula allows for core subject knowledge and skills alongside engagement in current development with the ethical and philosophical issues this might raise.

Intellectual Skills

Several of the Masterclasses focus on students applying skills in data and evidence analysis and manipulation, critical thinking and reasoning and problem solving. Taking account of complexity and diversity and using reasoned arguments.

Transferable Skills

Skills essential for future learning and employability such as communication to a range of audiences, presentation, organisation skills, technology, numeracy, IT skills and the ability to use these skills critically.

Practical/ Experimental Skills

Opportunity to develop and practice key experimental techniques. To obtain, record and analyse data. To gain an understanding of good laboratory practice and working in both a safe and ethical manner in the laboratory/field setting (science-based masterclasses only).

Personal and Professional Development

In addition to gaining knowledge, the Masterclasses will require active participation, students can be motivated to engage in new ways of thinking and acting. Students can increase self-awareness, reflect, adapt and do things differently. Opportunities to work collaboratively in learning networks with peers and to interacting with professionals delivering the Masterclasses.

Our masterclasses

Business, Marketing and Finance

A Rollercoaster Year

In this masterclass, students will explore the challenges faced by visitor attractions and what opportunities there are for further development within the attractions sector.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Electric Dreams Webinar

One hour webinar suitable for students studying or interested in Business, Marketing and Finance, which will challenge participants to develop plans for a new electric car.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Ethics in Business

What is an ethical business, and why should businesses be ethical? Students will be tasked with the job of organising the recruitment and selection of an individual for a new position within a company.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Give it some Gousto

Have you ever bought something online and before the sale is complete a message offers you a range of other items to buy, telling you that “people who bought this item also bought…”?

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Leading Across Cultures

This masterclass will give students an understanding of cultural diversity and why leading effectively across cultures is more important than ever.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Negotiation – The art of persuasion

As a business professional, entrepreneur or financier, being an effective negotiator is an important skill to acquire when dealing with both colleagues and clients. Negotiating conditions of sale, prices, lease details, service delivery and other legal contracts can set the foundations for business success. An understanding of when and how to negotiate along with confidence in negotiation skills can be developed within this masterclass.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Show Me The Money! Digital Dollars

In today’s society the creation of wealth is achieved in new and exciting ways. It is much more than selling a product for a fixed price - technology has enabled us to make money without making physical products.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Social Media and Fake News

This masterclass challenges students to research social media platforms and identify appropriate platforms and messages while exploring a fake news scenario.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Careers Information, Advice and Guidance

Benefits of Higher Education (Post-16)

This session is aimed at Post-16 students and will cover the benefits of Higher Education.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Benefits of Higher Education (Pre-16)

This session is aimed at pre-16 students and will cover the benefits of Higher Education.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4

Budgeting

This session will help students to think about how they perceive money. It will get them to think about budgeting and tips to save money, both now and in the future at University.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Employability

Explore our Employability session to learn more about developing the skills and attributes employers value in the workplace.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Everybody needs to write

This podcast will encourage you to develop your writing. It shows how even famous authors find writing difficult and outlines their tips for successful writing.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Higher and Degree Apprenticeships

This session will provide a brief overview of everything you need to know about Higher and Degree Apprenticeships.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Personal Statements

Find out useful hints and tips on writing your UCAS personal statement!

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Student Finance

This session will provide you with an overview of everything you need to know about Student Finance.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Student Life at University of Staffordshire

In just three minutes Education Studies student, Imogen, gives us an insight into her life as a student and why she chose University of Staffordshire.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Study Skills/Academic Research Masterclass

Students will engage with a variety of specialist academic resources. They will develop their research skills, including analytical thinking and critical evaluation, as well as furthering their knowledge of research methods, interpreting and presenting findings.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

UCAS Process

This session will guide you through how to complete your UCAS application to stand the best possible chance of securing a place at university.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

UCAS Reference Writing

This session will provide you with advice and guidance on writing your students' UCAS references.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Where to Go, What to Study

Choosing what course to study can be a difficult decision, this session will provide you with some helpful advice to start you on your journey.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Computing and Games

AI and Robotics

Students will take part in a choice of activities that provide an overview of AI and Robotics.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Cyber Attack

Students will take part in the narrative of a fictional cyber-attack that gives them first-hand experience of cyber security and the careers within its sector.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Networking

You will learn about the importance of networking and cyber security. You will also learn about Career pathways in Networking and the range of roles in this area.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Creative Arts and Media

Acting Techniques

We will introduce you to exciting actor training techniques which gives creative freedom to the actor when working on a text.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

An insight into the creative industries: present and potential futures

Get an insider’s view and understand more about the creative industries.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Discover Art & Design Masterclass 1

Students will explore a range of different approaches to contemporary Art & Design through a variety of interactive workshops which will give students hands-on experience in the different fields within the discipline.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Discover Art & Design Masterclass 2

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Entrepreneurship in the Creative Industries

During this workshop, students will have a live brief, followed by exploring how to work as a team in relation to creative ideas generation, as well as having to do a simple budget and examine values and vision statements.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Feature Film Production

These 2 x one hour workshops will introduce you to the world of Feature Film Production.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Flash Fiction

Flash Fiction: In this fast-paced session, you’ll learn from our team of published and award-winning writers — all of whom are masters of their craft. You’ll leave with a completed “short-short-story” — also known as a Flash Fiction — and in the process you’ll discover how to make every word count!

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Gothic Literature and the Vampire

A narrated PowerPoint with activities – this is aimed at uncovering the roots of Gothic culture and thinking about the vampire figure as a particular example of its literary manifestation.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Lights, Camera, Action! Film & TV Production

Students will discover how films are made as they get hands-on experience with the equipment and roles involved in film and television production.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Making an Audio Production for Streaming and Download

In this workshop we’ll introduce you to Podcasting and how to get your podcast listened to via streaming platforms.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Music and Sound

Tour our state-of-the-art facilities and discover what its like to work with audio for TV and film. Throughout the day, students will experience our Logic Pro X audio workstation and will have the opportunity to adapt a demo song using our electronic music production platform.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Preproduction for Short Films Masterclass: Idea Generation and Storyboarding

This one-hour workshop will introduce you to creating concepts for short films and then take those concepts and turn them into professional storyboards!

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

So you want to work in the sports media

Try your hand at writing a football match report

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Storytelling and Sense-Making: why and how we tell stories..

In this dynamic and interactive workshop, we look at storytelling across mediums.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Health, Sport and Exercise

Careers in Health Care Masterclass 1

During this masterclass students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a number of areas including Nursing, Midwifery, and Operating Department Practice. These sessions will take place in our specialist healthcare facilities which include our simulated clinical labs.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Careers in Health Care Masterclass 2

During this masterclass students will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience with a number of professional-area based sessions including Basic Life Support CPR, Infection Control, Injection Administration and Monitoring SATS.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

I am a Champion

Students will explore topics in Sports and Exercise with practical hands-on activity, discovering the wide range of career pathways that are available.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

So you want to work in the sports media

Try your hand at writing a football match report

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Humanities, Social Sciences and Education

Discover Humanities Masterclass

Explore a diverse range of History, International Relations and Global Politics themes to complement your A-Level History and Politics curriculum.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Education for a Sustainable World - A Home for Monty

Students will then be introduced to ‘Monty.’ Monty is a creature called a Snook and he has become lost and the students have found him. Monty needs a home and asks them to help.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Education for a Sustainable World- Using ‘Loose Parts’ in Education

Architect Simon Nicholson in 1972 developed the Theory of Loose Parts; materials that can be moved around, designed and redesigned, and tinkered with to create infinitely more opportunities for creative engagement than static materials and environments.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Flash Fiction

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Gothic Literature and the Vampire

A narrated PowerPoint with activities – this is aimed at uncovering the roots of Gothic culture and thinking about the vampire figure as a particular example of its literary manifestation.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Special Educational Needs in Education- Clay and Play

This session is designed to be a multi-sensory experience for students so that they can assess and evaluate how learners with special educational needs and disabilities may experience the world.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Terrible Teachers

Based around the ‘Horrible Histories’ model, we will be looking at childhood, education, schools and teachers from the past.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

The Forest School Approach

In this session, you will explore what creativity and adaptation means in outdoor learning and how to apply it to wider education studies.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Wellbeing and Mental Health - Colours of Hope

Students will explore how to use colour and art to express their feelings and emotions.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Law, Policing, Forensics and Criminology

Biological Analysis Methods

This masterclass will enable students to gain hands-on practical experience with a range of analytical methods to conduct biological testing on forensic specimens.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Chemical Analysis Methods

This masterclass will enable students to gain hands-on practical experience with a range of analytical methods to conduct analytical chemical testing on forensic specimens.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Contempt of Court and Social Media

This session will introduce participants to the balance that is struck between freedom of expression and protecting the integrity of court trials from things published, including on social media, that may damage the fairness of the trial.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Court Room Trial

Students will explore the issues that influence both the trial and sentencing of an accused individual with reference to a specific offence, such as drug related offences, sexual offences, racially aggravated common assaults, domestic offences, or a specific civil issue.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Crime and Media

Students will examine the relationship between crime and the media and the way that public knowledge of crime and justice predominantly derives from the media, whether that is traditional or, more recently, online media.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Crime and Sentencing

What is the difference between a trial and sentencing? How do judges and magistrates decide what sentence should be in a particular case? Should everyone who commits the same crime get the same sentence?

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Crime Scene Processing

This masterclass will enable students to gain experience in investigating specific types of crime scenes and analysing evidence relating to different types of offences, such as murder, drug trafficking and serious assault cases.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Digital Forensics

This Digital forensics practical provides an opportunity to look through some mobile phone data using a forensic tool to search for evidence, extract and present.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Does the punishment fit the crime?

Students will examine the relationship between a crime and its level of punishment in relation to the justice system. How serious should a crime be in order to warrant a custodial sentence? Is it clear what level of punishment is appropriate for different criminal offences?

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Forensic Analysis Workshop

This masterclass will enable students to gain experience analysing evidence relating to different types of offences, such as murder, drug trafficking and serious assault cases.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

How are laws made?

This session will give participants an understanding of the role of Parliament in the legislative process, other themes such as the question of whether judges make law will also be explored

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

International Human Rights - Universal v Cultural Relativism

Should all rights be universal to all? Or are rights relative to the individual? Should culture play a part? What rights should be restricted if any? On what grounds? How do you balance all these intersectional factors within a global context? 

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Law and Morality

This session will examine the link between law and morality. It will be partly interactive and will invite participants to express their opinions and argue for particular points of view.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Policing and Criminal Investigation

Students will gain experience in investigating specific types of offences, such as murder, drugs and missing persons cases. Specific case types can be requested in advance, to ensure learners gain maximum benefit from the masterclass.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Probation Services: How do we manage offenders?

Students will examine the way that we manage criminal offenders in the United Kingdom and the nature of HMI Prisons while considering the varied roles and careers within the justice system.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Protest Law and Public Order Offences

What is the distinction between a peaceful protest and a riot? When does a peaceful protest become a riot? Do our political and moral compasses influence our views on what is a peaceful protest and what is a riot? How may new laws affect our rights to assembly?

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Youth Offending

Students will explore the issues of criminal behaviour and criminal responsity when considering the prosecuation of young people with reference to actual case studies.

Key stage: Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

Science and Engineering

Discover Engineering

Students will explore a range of different approaches to contemporary Engineering through a variety of different interactive workshops which will give students hands-on experience in the different fields within the discipline.

Key stage: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5

How to use drawings to research child development

In this session we shall look at how these drawing can help us understand the cognitive and emotion development that occurs during childhood.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Outbreak

By exploring the narrative of a fictional 'outbreak' of disease, students will apply knowledge of science and develop skills in reasoning, problem-solving, and communication, while learning about a wide range of careers involving Biomedical Sciences.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Researching stress

The aim of this masterclass is to introduce students to some of the research methods used in biological psychology.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Researching the impact of screen time on children’s development

A short psychology masterclass exampling the impact of screen time on children's development.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

Using virtual reality in Psychology

The aim of this masterclass is to introduce students to the use of virtual reality in psychology.

Key stage: Key Stage 5

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