Blending the Future: Reclaiming Agency through the Braided Rope Model

Join Dr Jo Bowser-Angermann to explore how to navigate the transition from structured pedagogy to self-directed andragogy. In an era of increasing curricular restriction and bite-sized assessment, how do we ensure adult learners aren't left untethered? The UK Government’s Lifelong Learning Entitlement (LLE) promises flexibility, but true success in Higher Education requires more than just access; it requires Epistemic Agency. At this launch event, Dr Jo Bowser-Angermann introduces her braided Rope Model, a framework designed to move beyond linear or cyclical teaching methods. Unlike traditional models, the braided approach emphasises that pedagogical structure and andragogical flexibility are continually intertwined. This context-dependent integration allows educators to provide the essential tether of support while simultaneously fostering the academic freedom and autonomy adult learners need to thrive. What to expect: • Discover how to integrate structure and flexibility within single learning activities to meet the shifting needs of adult learners. • Move toward a transformative curriculum that values the unpredictability of empty spaces over tick-box compliance. • Strategies for educators to act as subjects in their own practice, resisting the disorienting dilemma of top-down, scripted delivery. • A roadmap from teacher-led pedagogy to self-determined heutagogy, ensuring a successful and unbounded educational journey. Join us for a provocative discussion that challenges the hierarchical fallacy of modern assessment and offers a practical manual for a more compassionate, agentic future in Higher Education. This event will be followed by a free drinks reception. About our speaker Dr Jo Bowser-Angermann is an Associate Professor of Applied Teaching and Learning and Deputy Dean for Education in the Faculty of Arts, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences at Anglia Ruskin University. In her new book, Blending Andragogy and Pedagogy for Adult Learners, she introduces her braided Rope Model. This framework is a synthesis of her research into how epistemic agency can prevent the fragmentation of the learning experience in a modular landscape. Jo is a prominent advocate for curriculum reform, exploring the "-gogy" continuum to ensure education remains a transformative, rather than purely transactional, journey. Her work emphasises the context-dependent integration of pedagogical structure and andragogical flexibility, empowering educators to navigate the unpredictability of empty spaces while fostering student-led academic freedom. [JW 28/04/26]