Writing from practice: turning degree apprenticeship experience into publishable research

This editorial advocates for recognising and publishing the rich insights generated through Degree Apprenticeships. Positioned within a wider special issue on vocational research, it explores how apprentices\u27 lived, work-integrated learning experiences yield practical and theoretical value. Degree Apprentices create actionable knowledge by integrating academic theory with workplace practice, solving real problems and fostering professional growth. Yet these valuable insights often remain unshared. This editorial calls on educators and employers to support apprentices in capturing and communicating these experiences through accounts of practice. Such accounts, though not traditional research papers, offer reflective, meaningful narratives grounded in real-world contexts. They can take the form of case studies, project evaluations, or critical reflections. The article outlines accessible frameworks to support apprentices in writing for publication and encourages a culture of reflective inquiry. Ultimately, it champions practitioner-led knowledge creation that enriches vocational pedagogy and contributes to a growing body of work-based learning literature

Autonomous Syllabus: An open access curriculum for eco-social design practice

Autonomous Syllabus: An open access curriculum for eco-social design practice Anna Schlimm (Anna [email protected]), London College of Communication, University of the Arts London Ella Britton ([email protected]), London College of Communication, University of the Arts Londo

Call to action: shape the future of JVRP

As we bring our editorial issue towards a gentle close, this article invites readers to actively shape the journal through meaningful engagement beyond authorship. We emphasise the value of becoming a peer reviewer and highlight how dialogue and diverse perspectives enhance academic and practice-based contributions alike. The piece outlines accessible submission pathways including research articles, accounts of practice / reflections, poster presentations, and hackathon-inspired special issues designed to encourage participation from a broad community of work-based learners and practitioners. Particularly through the latter, JVRP aims to serve as a dynamic, collaborative platform that supports professional growth and sector-wide innovation. With storytelling, emotional reflection, and narrative clarity at its core, this article offers practical guidance for prospective contributors. It sets the stage for the two example submissions that follow - one written and one visual - intended to inspire readers to find their voice and contribute to this evolving, inclusive community

Data Collection for Educational Game Jams

Data Collection for Educational Game Jams Joe MacLeod-Iredale, Manchester Metropolitan University, [email protected]

Editorial: GLAD-HE 2024 Post-Conference Publication

GLAD-HE 2024 Post-Conference Publication “Gathering Pace” Editorial Jess Power, Louise O’Boyle and Davina Whitnall   “To gather means to come together, assemble or accumulate (often from scattered sources), to collect, to harvest, to increase in force or to summon up.”   Group for Learning in Art and Design (GLAD HE) Corresponding editor: [email protected]

Ethical considerations in vocational and work-based research: a scoping review

Workplace-based research (WBR) becomes a vital aspect for trainees to learn through inquiry within their professional settings. However, WBR presents unique ethical challenges due to several contextual factors. This study explores the ethical principles and dilemmas involved in WBR, focusing on informed consent, confidentiality, autonomy, and power dynamics in the workplace. Using desk-based research, the study identified conceptual background for ethical practice in WBR. It argues that ethics in WBR must go beyond standard protocols, adopting a context-sensitive approach that protects both researcher and participant welfare. While the study is theoretical in scope, it recommends an operational ethical frameworks for future empirical research in vocational and workplace-based research

The purpose and power of vocational research

As the second editorial in the inaugural issue of the Journal of Vocational Research and Practice (JVRP), this article explores two central commitments shaping the journal’s identity: challenging disciplinary boundaries and fostering radical inclusivity. It critiques the dominance of academic singulars and the exclusion of applied, work-based, and practitioner knowledge, positioning Work-Based Learning (WBL) and Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) as legitimate, interdisciplinary fields. Drawing on Bernstein’s concepts of classification and framing, the piece exposes the structural barriers that marginalise non-traditional voices and epistemologies. It advocates for a publishing space where pracademics, early career researchers, and professionals outside the academy can share critical, contextual insights without compromising rigour. Indigenous Knowledge and bricolage, as concepts, are highlighted as examples of alternative, valid epistemologies often excluded from dominant academic discourse. This editorial invites readers and contributors to help reframe knowledge legitimacy and embrace a more porous, practitioner-informed research landscape

How is AI Transforming Game Art Higher Education? Innovation, Ethics, and Future Directions

This study examines the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in game art higher education, with a focus on its impact on creativity, pedagogy, and ethical considerations. The research is centred on Generation Z students enrolled in the BA (Hons) Animation and Games programme at Arts University Plymouth, a cohort inherently familiar with digital and AI technologies. Utilising a mixed-methods approach, including case studies, surveys, and interviews, the study investigates AI’s potential to enhance artistic workflows, streamline iteration, and support creative ideation while maintaining human agency. The findings reveal that AI functions as a valuable augmentation tool rather than a replacement for human creativity, offering efficiency gains and expanding artistic possibilities. However, concerns regarding originality, authorship, and ethical use persist, necessitating structured integration within educational frameworks. The study advocates for a balanced adoption of AI in creative education, ensuring both innovation and critical engagement with its broader implications

Book Review: Grimwood, M and McHanwell, S. (2024) Evidencing Teaching Achievements in Higher Education. Critical Publishing.

Book Review: Grimwood, M and McHanwell, S. (2024) Evidencing Teaching Achievements in Higher Education. Critical Publishing. Christopher Little Manchester Metropolitan University Corresponding author: [email protected]

A phenomenological reflection on approaching attitudes towards race in research

Through a phenomenological lens, this reflection explores the interplay between research ethics, researcher positionality, power and researcher identity during a semi-structured interview on International Student diversity in Higher Education. The phenomenological process of bracketing, i.e. the act of suspending biases or attachments, provides scope to evaluate researcher ethics during data collection and subsequently, during data analysis when met with racist language from the perspective of a researcher, specifically a researcher belonging to an ethnic minority group. This reflection advocates critical reflection on researcher identity throughout the research process to enable the researcher to better anticipate and prepare for challenging or confrontational interview responses. Furthermore, this reflection emphasises the significance of open questioning during data collection as a tool for increasing understanding of interviewee perspectives and avoiding confrontation whilst increasing the validity of findings.   Key words: Ethnicity; Linguistic Ethnography; International student diversity; Phenomenology; Power; Reflective practice; Reflexivity; Researcher positionalit