Open Units

Bristol Futures Open Units are innovative, interdisciplinary units for undergraduates. They include a range of new learning resources that complement the structured learning environment.

 

AI and Creativity

The rapid development of AI technologies is reshaping the world we live in. These digital tools have begun to push at the limits of our existing ideas of intelligence and work, and they demand new frameworks and paradigms. Discourse abounds regarding AI’s supposed capacity to be creative. The creative sector must thus acclimatize to this rise of AI and promote ethical and informed usage of AI in our everyday lives. The unit will introduce students to critical approaches to developments in AI. We adopt a multi-disciplinary approach to discussing AI, incorporating angles from philosophy and anthropology, as well as music, film/TV, and theatre. Students will learn the skills to critique the deployment of AI discourses within the political sphere, where such technologies rely on exploitative circulations of material supply chains and environment-damaging energy use. Practical and creative experimentation with AI will enable students to develop these understandings of creative technologies.

This unit introduces you to theories and practices of creativity alongside developments in AI as a way of emphasising the porous boundaries between disciplines. The philosophical and anthropological grounding of contemporary notions of AI and creativity will be developed first, before you will encounter practical implementations of these technologies within artistic fields. The unit will explore theoretical approaches alongside the practicalities of the creative industries. You will be given a sense of how critical thinking is vital for these industries, as well as how industrial policy determines the manifestations of creativity in society.

 

Choral and Orchestral Ensemble Performance

Work as part of a university-wide musical ensemble led by highly experienced members of staff. Rehearse and perform as part of a large ensemble, building core competencies of practical musicianship. You will engage fully, including attending rehearsals and performances. There will be a formative reflection on what you have learned but no graded assessment.

To participate, you will need to join one of three staff-led ensembles: the University Symphony Orchestra, University Singers or University Chorus. Student-led ensembles cannot be included in this unit.

Places in the University Symphony Orchestra and University Singers are strictly limited. To join these you must already be an expert musician (usually ABRSM Grade 8 or equivalent) and successfully audition. Taking this unit does not entitle students to automatic entry into these ensembles. Find out more and sign up to audition: Symphony Orchestra and University Singers auditions. Example performances: Symphony Orchestra Summer Concert (YouTube, 55mins) and University Singers lunchtime concert (YouTube, 37mins).

Alternatively you can sing in the non-auditioned University Chorus. You will need to be a competent musician (you can read staff notation and can sing in tune). Find out more and join: University Chorus information.

In this unit, you will:

  • Demonstrate technically competent skills on instrument or voice, displaying effective communication with the conductor and ensemble in performance
  • Respond thoughtfully to constructive criticism of your playing/singing in workshops and rehearsals
  • Develop and display a confident attitude towards presentational aspects of a public performance
  • Work well with others and across communities, as laid out in the University's Bristol Skills Profile

 

City Futures: migration, citizenship and planetary change

This unit brings together a range of materials, from environmental and geological studies on human induced climate change, to science fiction, cli-fi (climate fiction) and city-writing, in order to consider how cities are located at the centre of our shifting theories – both scientific and creative – about what it means to belong to and belong on a changing planet. Each week, you will venture out to location of the city and take fieldnotes (notes, photos, videos) which you will upload to Padlet and discuss in seminar with your course mates. Additionally, depending on availability, you will visit specific locations as a class (e.g. the M Shed Museum, Henrietta Lacks statue).

Your learning on this unit will allow you to:

  • Write reflectively on major global issues related to environmental history, citizenship, and migration, while relating them to the city of Bristol and your own position as a student.
  • Collect a range of materials and sources, from textual to sociological and ethnographical, as well as to use these materials to write essays and in the creation of final video projects.
  • Create video essays using basic editing tools.

 

Creative Futures: tools for changing the world

In order to innovate in any field, from healthcare to engineering, education to the arts, we work, consciously or not, towards ideas of better futures. But better for whom? Whose ideas are those? Where do visions of the future come from? Futures are not homogeneous, equal, or universal.

In this unit you will;

  • Explore the current field of futures from radically different perspectives
  • Use your creativity (no previous training needed!) to respond to the discussions, experimenting with different creative tools each week
  • Explore how creative methods can drive innovation that considers the planet, communities and people
  • Learn techniques, skills and tools that you will be able to apply to any degree program

The course is delivered by The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship with access to prototyping workshops and relevant resources.

 

Decolonise the Future!

How should we, as global citizens, face the long-lasting legacies of empire and colonialism in the present day? How can we deconstruct the ways such pasts have long been remembered, framed and justified through colonial lenses and within structures of power, institutions and hierarchies?

In short: how can we decolonise our societies and work towards a better, more equal future?

In this unit you will:

  • Learn about the history, theory and practice of decolonisation through specialised study of examples and case studies
  • Consider key themes which may include decolonising history, heritage, public history and museums, decolonising universities, curricula and education, decolonising environmental activism, art and art history, literature and public spaces
  • Develop a proposal to decolonise a topic or example of your choice

 

Natural History and Nature Connectedness 

Nature is central to our health and wealth, yet we’re amid a biodiversity crisis with nature declining across much of the world. While the UK is a nation of nature lovers with a strong natural history story, we are one of the most nature depleted countries on Earth and rank among the worst globally for our connectedness to nature.

We want to create a more positive narrative.

We aim to reconnect you with the natural world through observation, inquisitiveness, and exploration of why nature is good for us. We'll explore how natural history weaves through society and extend beyond your degree programme. We’ll also consider how we can use nature as a fulcrum to be proactive about our wellbeing. By understanding the vital interconnectedness of the natural world, we can better grasp the threat posed by climate change and recognise that nature is our ally in this fight.

This unit creates a unique opportunity for you to work collaboratively across disciplines on topics that are important to all of us. Knowledge, skills and values gained during this unit can then be taken back into your studies on your chosen degree, but also beyond your studies. This unit is an introduction to learning about the natural world, but also a powerful way to explore your place within it.

 

Science of Happiness

The Science of Happiness unit aims to introduce students to scientifically validated strategies for living a more satisfying life. Throughout the unit, students will explore the latest results from research in psychological science about how to be happier, how to feel less stressed and how to flourish, even in a challenging environment. There will be opportunities to put many of these happiness-boosting strategies into practice, via weekly small group meetings led by senior student mentors, regular course activities and a final group project.

The Science of Happiness course forms a key component of the University of Bristol’s integrated whole-institution approach to supporting student well-being. No background in science is required as the lectures are easily accessible, but students must fully engage with the unit in order to earn the 20 credit points, as there is no final examination other than a final piece of coursework. Rather, credit is awarded on a pass/fail basis depending on the proportion of attendance (minimum 80%) at lectures, weekly small group meetings and completion of weekly exercises, plus successful completion of the final group project. Students who fall behind can still pass by completing written exercises at the end of term to account for absences.

You will:

  • Learn what happiness is and what scientific evidence there is that it can be changed for the better
  • Understand how the brain distorts information that contributes to unhappiness
  • Discover what activities you can engage in that contribute to increasing happiness and mental well-being
  • Conduct a group project aimed at increasing the well-being of yourselves or others

 

Sustainable Development

Resolving environmental challenges and securing a good quality of life for all human beings are some of the most pressing issues we face as a global society. In this unit we explore the history and key concepts behind Sustainable Development, the main objectives outlined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and some of the practical approaches taken toward realising them. 

The challenges covered in this unit relate to climate change and biodiversity loss, global inequality, and the decarbonisation of energy. They are examined using five core themes:

  • Science, local knowledge and the arts
  • Economics, policy and politics
  • Law and civil society
  • Technology and innovation
  • A just transition

In this unit you will: 

  • Develop a broad understanding of the key challenges of Sustainable Development and how different disciplines and approaches seek to address them 
  • Build critical comparison of different Sustainable Development approaches and activities 
  • Appreciate the potentials, tensions and controversies in the theory and application of Sustainable Development agendas
  • Experience a collaborative and interdisciplinary working environment

 

Understanding Global Problems Using Data: inequality, climate change and the economy

This course will help students to understand, analyse, present and communicate data related to the following broad themes:

  • Sustainability and climate change and the problem of global cooperation 
  • Inequality, institutions and policy 
  • The causes and effects of innovation, such as growth and instability 

The course is based around practical work using global economic data and it introduces you to some basic economic ideas with an emphasis on models that are applied and policy-oriented. The course has been created specifically for students who are not economics specialists and it does not require any previous knowledge of data methods or economics.

Participating in this course will:

  • Help you to understand data and basic statistics so that you can make sense of current arguments related to economic and social policy
  • Develop confidence in the formulation of well-evidenced and articulate contributions to debates on the policy responses to the major challenges of inequality, innovation and sustainability 
  • Develop basic theoretical frameworks and tools that are used in modern economics to understand the economy, including game theory, asymmetric information and incomplete contracts