Academic Taster Sessions

Architecture: How do architects play with light?
Architecture is one of the most complex and beautiful design disciplines, yet when we look at the finished building, we often see only an arrangement of bricks, mortar and glass. This session explores how architects use light and its relationship to atmosphere, proportions and the built environment. Participants will work on their own designs, requiring a pencil and some A4 paper at the ready.
 
Biomedical Science: The Magic of Stem Cells 
This session will introduce the wonders of stem cells and their amazing potential to regenerate our bodies. Students will learn what stem cells are, how many types there are and where they come from, as well as some interesting applications in medicine. The session is interactive and makes use of Kahoot! Expect quizzes and group discussion, to reflect on the properties and the ethics concerning stem cell applications.
 
Fine Art: Drawing Workshop
This session brings students into the studio to draw. Whether drawing is new or very familiar, we focus on observing and recording using a range of materials and techniques. Led by artist tutors, they will be guided to explore drawing as a quick notational activity and a completed outcome. Different sessions will focus on either life drawing with live models, experimental drawing that might include shadow or string marking or landscape sketching. Please note, this taster session is delivered on campus.
 
Fine Art: Printmaking
This session offers a range of printmaking skills from monoprints to risographs. Skilled artist tutors and technicians will guide students through the process from image construction to printed outcome. A wonderful way to learn about the possibilities of printmaking, as well as refining skills they may already have. Please note, this taster session is delivered on campus.
 
Game Development: Introduction to Game Design
Participants will have a go at designing systems that make up the core loop of a game. They’ll learn some practical techniques, based on behavioural psychology, used by designers to motivate players. By the end of the session, they will understand more about being a games designer and have a framework to build upon for future game development.
 
Nutrition and Human Health: Supermarket Sweep: Understanding Food Labels
In this session, students will learn about the nutritional values of various foods and how they can be categorised. Students will be given a random selection of different types of food packaging and tasked with sorting the foods into one of two categories based on their understanding of the food label. Students will also be challenged on how often they read food labels and their understanding of the nutritional value of food.
 
Wildlife, Ecology and Conservation Science: What lurks in our waters?
Water is just H2O, right? It is true that almost all of our water is made up of hydrogen and oxygen, but there are many other elements and compounds dissolved in water. Some of these are vital for life, such as essential metals, but others are more sinister and can be toxic to our health and the wildlife found in our waters. This lecture will explore where these toxic compounds come from and the effects they may have. Clean water is vital for a sustainable future.

Midwifery: Breastfeeding
This session will explore the attitudes of women, families and society to infant feeding. Read through a short article with drawings and discussions in small groups.
 
Midwifery: Physiology of Birth
Exploring the physiological processes that occur during the labour and birth process. The session includes both video and small group discussions.
 
Physiotherapy: Think like a physiotherapist: How do we walk?
Session capacity: 15 students
This session will focus on movement analysis, one of the fundamental skills of a physiotherapist. It will explore theory and practical aspects of walking and think about the key skills a physiotherapist needs to assess and rehabilitate someone to help them with their walking. Please note, this taster session is delivered on campus.

Sport and Exercise Science: Elite athletes: Nature or nurture?
Session capacity: 15 students
In this session, we will explore the levels of performance required by elite athletes in sports that rely on aerobic endurance, and those that rely on anaerobic power and strength. We will attempt to understand if the ability to perform at those levels is a result of the physiology you are born with (nature) or the physiology you develop through training (nurture).

Therapeutic Radiography: How technology and science target cancer
In this session, students will explore the technology and physics that are used to treat cancer. They will work in groups to consider how X-rays are needed to see tumours in different areas of the body. Once they have identified the tumour, they will learn how X-rays are used to deliver targeted cancer treatment (radiotherapy).

Business Management: How do businesses get started?
Do you need to be someone ‘special’ to start your own business? Are entrepreneurs born or made? This session will give participants a sense of what it’s like to ‘be your own boss’.
 
Childhood: Children and Inclusion
All children are different and unique! This session examines the topics of inclusion and diversity, and how these can be supported when working with children. This session has an accompanying ‘Lesson in a Box’, so can be taught independently of an academic, should it be required.
 
Childhood: Children and Learning
Children are learning from the moment they are born, so in this session we will look at what children can learn from their environment. This session has an accompanying ‘Lesson in a Box’, so can be taught independently of an academic, if required.
 
Childhood: What is ‘childhood’?
It’s time to question our ideas of what it means to be a child! This session explores many different sociological and psychological constructions of childhood to try to decide what childhood actually is.
 
Childhood: What shapes children’s lives?
Each child’s life is different depending on a wide range of factors, from family members, relationships and exposure to media, to physical and mental health. We will look at some of these factors that could affect a child’s life and we will discuss how these relate to the areas of education, society and welfare, and disability, health and wellbeing, and how we can view a child’s life holistically.
 
Creative Writing: Creating Fantastic Characters
Session capacity: 20-30 students
An interactive workshop focusing on characterisation and fantasy writing. Students will explore creative writing techniques working up to creating memorable and complex characters.

Criminology: Why do some people commit crimes and others do not?
When reading a newspaper or watching television, it is likely there will be some representation of ‘crime and deviance’; county lines drug dealing, illegal raves and political protests which extend into criminal activity. Criminologists try to understand why only some people engage in these activities while most conform to mainstream norms and values. This raises the question of who determines mainstream norms and values, and how we reach an agreement. Participants in this session explore theories seeking to explain crime and deviance.
 
English: Who’s afraid of the dark? Horror fiction and its youth audiences
Children’s horror is now a recognised category in mainstream entertainment, with many popular children’s and young adult books relying on horror tropes to attract their respective audiences. Adult views on horror becoming a dominant mode of enjoyment for young people are complex, ranging from the argument that horror is ‘good’ for children to more serious concerns about the potential damage. These responses often reveal more about adult perceptions of children and horror than the stories themselves or indeed ways that young individuals might engage with forms of fictional horror. This session will explore these issues, offering an insight into the English degree module Stranger Things: Young Adult Fiction.
 
English: What is language? How do we study it? Why is it a science?
There are many facets to analysing language, from how it’s produced and describing the air stream from our lungs, to how we acquire it as children, and the impact it has on social cohesion and identity. We explore what it means to produce language and challenge our own perceptions on language myths such as ‘women talk more than men’ and ‘not pronouncing your t’s is just lazy’. You may just be surprised by the answers.
 
Law and Politics: Human Rights: The Power Walk
An on-your-feet exercise which helps students to understand first-hand the difficulties faced by people living in more challenging circumstances. Suitable for Year 9+ and includes a free book for all participants.
 
Law and Politics: Model United Nations: Climate Change
Session capacity: 20-30 students
Mini-simulation using the official Model UN format. A lecture-style session suitable for larger groups which uses video clips of youth activists to frame a discussion around the complexities of international environment law, concluding with some positive outcomes from recent court cases.

Law and Politics: Model United Nations: Zombie Apocalypse
Session capacity: 20-30 students
Mini-simulation using the official Model UN format. A lecture-style session suitable for larger groups which uses video clips of youth activists to frame a discussion around the complexities of international environment law, concluding with some positive outcomes from recent court cases.

Law and Politics: What are human rights?
A session based on materials created by Amnesty International to introduce students to the concept of human rights.
 
Law and politics: What can the law do to fight climate change?
A lecture-style session suitable for larger groups which uses video clips of youth activists to frame a discussion around the complexities of international environment law, concluding with some positive outcomes from recent court cases.
 
Politics: Are elections fair?
How do UK general elections work? Why does the number of seats a political party gets in parliament not reflect the number of votes they received? Is it really ‘one person, one vote’? Are there better ways of electing our representatives? In this session, participants are introduced to the mechanics of UK general elections and how the first-past-the-post electoral system affects the way our politics operates. Participants are also encouraged to think about the nature of political representation, and the pros and cons of different methods for electing our MPs. This directly relates to content taught on the University of Suffolk’s Politics degree under the Politics, Crime and Policy module.
 
Politics: Human Nature, Power and Authority
Why do we have governments? Why do some people have power over others? Why do we obey those in authority? Where do societies and states come from? In this interactive session, participants are introduced to core ideas in political theory, including human nature, power, authority, the social contract and the state. This directly relates to content taught on the University of Suffolk’s Politics degree under the History of Political Thought module.
 
Politics: The South China Sea Dispute and International Diplomacy
Who do global resources belong to? Where should countries’ territorial limits end? Do more powerful countries have a right to take from less powerful countries? How effective are diplomacy and international organisations in preventing conflict? This interactive session introduces students to the study of international relations and global politics. Participants are tasked with studying diplomatic tensions in the South China Sea in order to identify who the key international players are, what resources are at stake and how effective international diplomacy is at preventing conflict. This directly relates to content taught on the University of Suffolk’s Politics degree under the Current Political Disputes module.
 
Politics: Who voted for Brexit?
Who voted for Brexit and why? Were certain groups of people more likely to vote remain or leave? Can we predict what people think about politics based on their demographic and social profiles? In this interactive session, participants are introduced to the study of electoral behaviour and public opinion through analysing political polling and the EU referendum. Participants are encouraged to draw their own conclusions from public opinion research, as well as reflect on how effective political polling is at understanding voter behaviour.
 
Sociology: Are things getting better? Worldwide Happiness and Wellbeing
This session will explore how we can subjectively measure happiness and wellbeing. It will outline changes in the objective wellbeing of people across the world in the 21st Century. The session is interactive and will allow participants to check their own knowledge of how well we are living.
 
Sociology: Thinking about Inequality and Prejudice
This session will focus on important aspects of the real world that are complex and challenging, such as inequality and prejudice, with attention on social categories, including class, gender and ethnicity which often intersect. It will deepen students’ understanding about social inequality and prejudice by exploring contemporary social issues.