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As a part of my teaching in 2022, I undertook multiple modules in the Introduction to Teaching and Learning course to inform, improve, and reflect upon my own teaching practice. Completing a total of 5 modules of this course awards the HEFi Horzion Award. The modules I have completed are: ITL001 - Introduction to Teaching and Learning ITL003 - Small Group Teaching (Seminars) ITL004 - Principals of Assessment and Feedback ITL006 - Inclusive Teaching* ITL009 - Teaching International Students (in progress) *As a part of ITL006, I was awarded a badge to certify my commitment to the University of Birmingham Inclusive Educator initiative. It confirms that the badge holder has reflected on the definition and qualities of the UoB Inclusive Educator. They have identified and reflected on an example of their current inclusive practice. 
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On 17th December I passed an exam in PRINCE2® Project Management Foundation Level, run by People Cert, and funded by Midlands4Cities Arts and Humanities Research Council. The PRINCE2® Foundation Certification is suitable for individuals who want to demonstrate they have sufficient understanding of the PRINCE2® methodology and can work effectively as part of a team or with a project management team within a PRINCE2® supporting environment. See my certification below. The course included 15 hours of online learning, 3 days virtual course with a PRINCE2® Representative, and a PRINCE2® Method workbook and textbook, all of which were completed and revised by the candidate. This training will support me during the remainder of my PhD and in my future career - be that academia or as a linguistic consultant. 
The Eff Test is a qualification that involves specialist training to understand and measure advertising and marketing effectiveness followed by an examination to test the knowledge and skills obtained. Designed by expert advertising professionals, the certificate is granted by the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising (IPA) incorporated by the Royal Charter. I passed the exam, which awarded me with a completion certificate and a qualification for measuring advertising effectiveness.
Achieving the qualification is evidence that I have the knowledge and skills to:
Read more information about The Eff Test Certificate here. Introducing new book Unpacking Creativity: The role of figurative communication in advertising11/10/2019
from text to sound to imagery to movement. It can also involve the consumer in very different ways than what it used to (think back to when we would have to read advertising).
Advertisers are becoming increasingly aware that their audience are critical of their craft. In recent years, advertising has shifted from selling a product to selling an experience. It is moving toward, or has already reached, integrating advertising a product, service, or experience with a story or activity that involves the consumers themselves. Research has shown that figurative language including metaphor and metonymy is frequently used in print advertising (Forceville, 1996; Perez-Sobrino, 2017; Littlemore and Perez-Sobrino, 2017). The new ways in which advertising is reaching its audience must also be explored in order for academia to keep pace with the changing world. As such, Jeannette Littlemore, Paual Perez-Sobrino, and myself - Samantha Ford - have come together to write a collaborative monograph on the role of figurative communication in advertising in the modern world. With the book, we hope to draw together key insights into how academics and advertisers alike may work together (as in the EMMA project) to improve the way in which advertising may be used for the better; to raise awareness of important issues and highlight essential services that will improve our lives, and not just to sell products. For more information, visit the EMMA website.
During my MA, I worked as a Research Associate on the EMMA project, collaborating with the Big Cat Agency. This role has inspired my PhD as a Collaborative Doctoral Award for which I received from the Midlands4Cities Arts and Humanities Research Council (M4C AHRC). My thesis will involve working with Big Cat Agency on a collaborative PhD entitled: The creativity of figurative messaging in advertising: a collaborative investigation into its application and measurement of success in real-world advertising campaigns. 
The annual Undergraduate Research Scholarship has a range of academic projects that undergraduate students can apply to get involved with. The project I applied for in June and July in 2016 was called math, music and metaphor. It looked into the use of metaphor by children and teachers in math and music classes, specifically at how they use metaphors not only in their spoken language but also as part of their gestures, to aid learning.
In the video, Paula Perez-Sobrino, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, reflects on my assistance in the scholarship scheme. Working side by side and closely with such a promising student, Samantha, it was actually a really wonderful experience. "I wanted to have an insight into the academic world, and be able to work on a project with academics on a project that I was interested in, specifically about metaphor, and learn about the types and applications of metaphor in the spoken word, but also in gestures. It was that kind of information I could use for my future studies such as my dissertation now my master's degree next year." - Samantha Ford Paula Perez-Sobrino, Post-doctoral Research Fellow, reflects on Samantha's assistance in the scholarship scheme: "Thanks to Samantha's help, we were able to transcribe all the data we had at the time; we had a lot of hours of recording. And thanks to her help, we were able to put them together to annotate it. We're now putting together a proposal for ESRC and thanks to all the help within the scheme, we were able to be in a better position to apply for that sooner." "The project helped us as academic staff to forge closer relationship with the students and it was also highly rewarding to see how our personal research research interest is also inspiring university students that hopefully will become Junior researchers." "Working side by side and closely with such a promising student, Samantha, it was actually a really wonderful experience." |
Photos from wuestenigel (CC BY 2.0), wuestenigel
