Chew

Chew is a series of playful interventions involving multi-sensory, participatory approaches that were interspersed throughout the session ‘Distracted Pedagogy' at the conference. The interventions encourage focus to oscillate from the mind to the body and from thought to action. The interventions draw attention to materials and bring ‘process’ into the space of theory through embodied cognition. Chew aims to tackle the impact of material processes on pedagogical practices; developing research through embodied learning and critical methodologies in relation to subversion, diversion and repetition. Chew asks whether material engagement can help to divert passive thinking into research. It aims to provide a space in which material can draw attention to the individual’s sensual, intellectual, and subconscious thinking through embodiment, subversion, diversion and repetitive actions. It involves four x 3-minute prompts of multi-sensory approaches that are designed to encourage focus to shift from the mind to the body, and from thought to action. Participants are given gum to chew and Playdough to manipulate throughout the interventions. Chew highlights issues of student-centred learning within hybrid and material pedagogical methodologies. The activities allow a chewing through making. The interactions are intended to enable a material processing of theory; a constant oscillation between making and language