Learning Environments The journal article was called ‘Learning environments preferred by university students: a shift toward informal and flexible learning environments’. The paper collected quantitative data from 730 students and qualitative data from 230 students attending a research University in Finland, Autumn 2015. Five main themes emerged around the learning environments preferred by these students: […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: April 2021
Reimagining our Educational Futures The journal article was called ‘Future Studies: Reimagining our Educational Futures in the Post-Covid-19 world’. It reflected on the changes in education that had been expedited due to the pandemic and considered how to prepare for the future to minimise further disruption by being proactive rather than reactive. The paper contemplated […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: January 2021
The article for discussion was ‘How medical school alters empathy: Student love and break up letters to empathy for patients’ Authors Megan Brown and Gabrielle Finn were present and provided background and an overview of the paper which then informed subsequent discussion. Paper focused on medical students, but built alongside other research undertaken by Gabrielle’s […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: November 2020
The journal article was called ‘Postdigital Education in Design and Practice‘ and it was presented by the author, Tim Fawns from The University of Edinburgh. The article considered the interdependence between technology and education i.e. learning is still learning whether you put an ‘e’ in front of it or not, and how technology is now […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: May 2020
Communities of practice The journal article was called ‘Problem-based learning in clinical bioinformatics education: Does it help to create communities of practice?’. The article considered a new part-time Masters programme established in 2013 training bioinformaticians for the NHS. Trainees on the programme are based in the NHS and come to the University campus for short […]
Relationship between student attendance and academic achievement
Carol Mackintosh-Franklin (Postgraduate Divisional Lead) gave a thought provoking outline of her experience considering the relationship between attendance in class, use of Blackboard, personal motivation and final results. The University attendance policy states that students should attend all sessions and Carol considered the empirical evidence behind this both from reviewing the literature and her own […]
Teaching-focused Lecturer Network
Doron Cohen (Senior Lecturer) and Nick Weise (Lecturer) introduced their structure and concept of the new Teaching-focused Lecturer Network. The network provides a space for early career teaching focused staff to come together no matter what contract type they have (teaching focused, teaching and research or research only) to discuss common issues. The network is […]
Acknowledging Diversity Masterclass
Rebecca Farrington and Cath Prescott, alongside three students, led an open discussion on diversity and its impact on the learning environment. They shared some practical exercises to equip participants with tools to use in their daily lives.
Teaching with Technology
This in-depth Masterclass was delivered in partnership with academic and eLearning colleagues. The aim was to give participants a greater understanding of different types of technology that could be used to facilitate teaching experiences and ultimately improve student experience.
The learning environment and singing off the same song sheet
Caroline Bowsher gave a thought-provoking talk about the assumptions we make regarding assessment and feedback that can affect a student’s understanding or participation. We considered ways to demystify the process and Caroline shared some good practice from within the School of Biological Sciences.