{"id":3647,"date":"2024-06-12T11:38:50","date_gmt":"2024-06-12T10:38:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/sossteachlearn\/?p=3647"},"modified":"2025-04-03T11:00:57","modified_gmt":"2025-04-03T10:00:57","slug":"student-photo-competitions-mixing-creativity-with-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.manchester.ac.uk\/sossteachlearn\/2024\/06\/12\/student-photo-competitions-mixing-creativity-with-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"Student photo competitions: Mixing creativity with learning"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Written by\u00a0Dr Panos Sousounis<\/strong><\/h6>\n

Senior Lecturer in Economics and BA (Economics and Social Studies) Programme Director<\/em><\/p>\n

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\"EconLens<\/p>\n

Student photography competitions can serve as a powerful medium to relate the abstract principles of economics to real-life scenarios, creating a bridge between theoretical knowledge and practical understanding.<\/p>\n

Engaging with the subject matter through photography (or some other artistic means) not only enhances students’ grasp of economic concepts but also fosters creativity and critical thinking.<\/p>\n

At the same time, having an element of ranking instils some much needed, healthy competition among students in preparation for graduate life.<\/p>\n

Helping to evolve what we mean by \u2018learning\u2019<\/h3>\n

Using photography in teaching is by no means an innovation. A few others have done it, and we have long been entertaining the idea of using more creative approaches and accessible forms of art like photography in classes.<\/p>\n

However, this competition was an attempt at engaging students with the material in a non-conventional way. It aimed to gauge the potential of using more creative and innovative methods to assess students\u2019 understanding of basic economics concepts, especially in broad based degree programmes.<\/p>\n

For our photo competition, EconLens: Capturing Economic<\/strong> Realities<\/strong>, we used a very broad theme to encourage wide participation, including from non-economics students and PGRs.<\/p>\n

With the clue being given in the title, students were subtly prompted to think beyond their strict disciplinary, cultural, or personal confines about the various ‘economic realities\u2019 that continuously exist and are lived by different people around us\/them.<\/p>\n

For any reader thinking of using photography as a T&L tool, more specific themes can be used to focus attention and learning on particular areas and\/or topics.<\/p>\n

In economics, for example, a long list of concepts could be used as themes, such as scarcity, choice, opportunity cost, supply and demand, trade, unemployment and market equilibrium. By seeking out real-world instances of these abstract ideas, students gain a tangible understanding of how economics operates in daily life.<\/p>\n

Students learn to see beyond conventional graphs and data, understanding that economics also involves human stories, behaviours and environments. This creative approach can inspire innovative solutions to economic challenges, as students learn to view problems from multiple perspectives.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s more to it than just photography<\/h3>\n

Reflecting on the first EconLens photography competition, there are several aspects that stood out from conversations with participants as particularly rewarding.<\/p>\n