Dr Stuart Hanscomb
- Senior Lecturer (Social & Environmental Sustainability)
telephone:
01387702059
email:
Stuart.Hanscomb@glasgow.ac.uk
Biography
Stuart took his degree in philosophy and psychology at Hull University, and wrote his Ph.D. on Existentialism at Durham University. He has lectured in the Philosophy Dept. at Durham, and lectured/tutored in both philosophy and psychology at a number of other institutions including City University (London), The City Lit. (London), Birkbeck College, Stirling University and Edinburgh University. He has also worked as an academic consultant and trainer for marketing company Mountainview (London) who specialize in the role of emotion and the unconscious in processes of persuasion.
Research interests
Research interests
Current areas of research are the psychology and philosophy of higher education (esp. student experience, emotion and authenticity); virtue theory; critical thinking, and existentialism.
Grants
Research Projects
2011-12. HEA funded project (with Benjamin Franks) into the student experience of 'feedback vivas', later published as 'Learning through reflective dialogue: assessing the effectiveness of feedback vivas' (Discourse, Vol.12, 2012)
2009-10. Dumfries & Galloway Integrated Degree Development. Funded by the South West Articulation Hub, this project aims to develop integrated degree level provision at SCQF level 9 with a focus on providing a direct articulation route for new (and recent) HND diplomats from local colleges and the local area. The broad vision is that Crichton values and contemporary imperatives (e.g. critical thinking, communication, self-development, sustainability, citizenship) are applied in vocational and other placement/project settings in order to add and superadd intellectual, reflective and skills-based learning to existing competencies.
2007-8. Glasgow University funded research into the personal development and employability needs of taught postgraduate students at Glasgow University, Dumfries.
2006-7. Project, funded by The Higher Education Academy Subject Centre for Philosophical and Religious Studies, exploring the relationship between Crichton's Core Courses and the educational aims of critical thinking and personal development (or what has been called 'critical being'). He contributed to an initial paper, principally authored by Ben Franks, on philosophy and interdisciplinarity, (Discourse, Vol. 6, No.1); wrote a further conceptual piece on philosophy and 'critical being' (Discourse Vol. 6, No.2), and, with Angela McClanahan, conducted an empirical investigation student experiences of core courses (results reported in Discourse Vol. 7, No. 1).
2001-3. Project funded by marketing psychologists Mountainview (London) into aspects of emotions, historical conceptions of the self and processes of persuasion. The end product provided part of the the foundation of a training package that has subsequently been sold to a number of corporations including HSBC and Mars.
Supervision
Dissertation supervision
- Levels 3 & 4 dissertation supervisor of topics relating to teaching and research interests.
- Level 5 (PG) dissertation in topics related to environmental communication, environmental ethics, and philosophy of education
- Wang, Hui
Developing a comprehensive critical thinking test for China.
Teaching
Undergraduate
- Level 1: Philosophy 1
- Level 2: Issues in Contemporary Society
- Level 2: Human Nature & Well-Being
- UG Summer School (Access)
- Academic Writing Skills
Postgraduate
- Environmental Communication
- Environmental Ethics & Behaviour Change (with Dr. Sean Johnston & Dr. Benjamin Franks)
- Critical Thinking & Communication
Additional information
Conference Papers and other talks
'Critical thinking & well-being'. At the RSE Humanist Research Workshop: Humanism in Public Spaces, University of Glasgow, January 2015.
'Authenticity, freedom and the self'. At University of Aberdeen Catholic Society, April 2014.
'The nature & purpose of concurrent teaching in teacher education' (with Carlo Rinaldi). At the Teacher Education Enhancement Network conference, May 2013.
'Learning through reflective dialogue' (with Benjamin Franks). At the University of Glasgow Learning & Teaching Conference, April 2012.
'Feedback and Graduate Attributes'. At the University of Glasgow Learning & Teaching Conference, April 2011.
'Crichton Combined Degree Programme'. At The Crichton Campus: The Next Decade, Crichton Foundation, June 2010.
'Critical thinking's appeal and relevance beyond philosophy'. At Teaching Philosophical and Religious Studies ' Beyond Boundaries', HEA, Birmingham City University, June 2010.
'An Interdisciplinary Campus: Conceptual underpinnings, research evidence and true stories of curriculum innovation in a small higher education establishment'. At My Subject, Your Subject: Interdisciplinary Curriculum Innovation Beyond Subject Teaching, Wolverhampton University (Telford Campus), July 2008.
'Feedback & Motivation'. At University of Glasgow Learning & Teaching Conference, March 2008.
