British Society for Literature and Science
Symposium on Teaching
University of Westminster, Regent Street, London – 8th November, 2014
CALL FOR PAPERS AND PARTICIPATION
Literature and Science is currently gaining popularity amongst undergraduates, but opportunities for discussing how – and why – to teach it remain thin on the ground. This one-day symposium, led by the British Society for Literature and Science and supported by the University of Westminster’s Centre for the Study of Science and the Imagination, is designed to help further that discussion.
We are keen to hear from as many different perspectives as possible, and therefore invite contributions from anyone with experience as a teacher, postgraduate teaching assistant, student, or administrator of an undergraduate course on (or containing elements of) Literature and Science, broadly defined.
For this event, we have adopted a different format from the standard academic twenty-minute conference paper, and will ask speakers to present in a more informal tone and for different lengths of time depending on the session. These shorter, less formal presentations will minimise preparation time for speakers as well as increasing discussion time for all participants.
With this low-preparation, discursive format in mind, we warmly solicit expressions of interest (not more than 200 words, including a brief biography and details of experience with Literature and Science teaching) from potential speakers. These should be sent to Dr. Will Tattersdill (w.j.tattersdill@bham.ac.uk) not later than October 10th 2014. Subjects we are anxious to discuss include, but are not limited to:
- Why Literature and Science is worth teaching to undergraduates (and why it might not be)
- Reflections on how, if at all, Literature and Science needs to be taught differently from other undergraduate programmes.
- Particular difficulties encountered in convening a Literature and Science course, be they conceptual, administrative, logistical, or pedagogical.
- Experiences collaborating with academic staff from other disciplines, including the sciences.
- Student reactions to Literature and Science material, positive and negative.
We are committed to inviting contributions from those teaching literature and science across all historical periods, working across international educational contexts as well as within the British higher education system. There will be invited speakers as well as this open call, and current undergraduates will hopefully be among the delegates.
Many of us teach literature and science on our own initiative, coping individually with both the joys and challenges raised by the endeavour. This is an important chance to consolidate those experiences and build strategies – and collegial networks – which will continue to drive the field forward at its grass roots: undergraduate teaching.
Professor Martin Willis
Chair in Science, Literature and Communication
Department of English, Linguistics and Cultural Studies
University of Westminster
32-38 Wells Street
London W1T 3UW
Director, Centre for the Study of Science and Imagination (SCIMAG) – www.westminster.ac.uk/scimag
Editor, Journal of Literature and Science – www.literatureandscience.org
The University of Westminster is a charity and a company limited by guarantee. Registration number: 977818 England. Registered Office: 309 Regent Street, London W1B 2UW.