Within Higher Education, the specialist versus generalist discussion is
dominated by discourse around the merits of acquiring in-depth specialised
skills (BIS, 2009; BFI, 2017). Here in the UK, we are told that students care
most about outcomes and future employment (HEPI-HEA, 2015) and that
HEIs are well placed to fill the gap between education and industry. Within
film production degrees, Cohort Specialisms provide a vehicle to teach
these highly specialised skills; enabling groups of students to attain
industry-based expertise through parallel pathways that negate mobility
between them. However, existing research into cohorts, also known as
learning communities, stems from North American studies based on
undergraduate Liberal Arts degrees, or adult post-graduate courses, and
may have little relevance to our own HE system. With mounting pressure
upon academics, particularly through initiatives to assess teaching quality
(UK NSS and TEF), there is clearly a need to understand the impact of this
distinct organisational pedagogy, from the student perspective. In
response to the UK NSS, this study offers another platform for student
voice and explores undergraduate experience on a UK film production
degree that utilises Cohort Specialisms. Applying Q Methodology to elicit
students’ subjective views, provided unexpected findings that challenge our
understanding of student needs. Despite being enrolled on a highly
specialised course, not all students welcome the opportunity to gain
specialist skills; many yearn for a more general education and to pursue
knowledge for its own sake. This questions government rhetoric that
drives employability agendas into the curriculum, submerging the student
view that welcomes learning in its own right. Hence, this thesis opens up a
discussion around the role of highly specialised organisational pedagogies
– Cohort Specialisms – within Creative and Media degrees, and other
subject fields. It posits a definition of cohorts that promotes exclusivity and
is more aligned with UK Higher Education