The session was led by Syd King (he/they), the Disabled PTO for the Students’ Union. Chair of the Disabled Students’ Society & Disability Representative for the National Union of Students and covered the topic of Accessibility in Academia. With 19% of students at the University of Manchester being DASS registered (and more being disabled), accessibility […]
Transforming Assessments
The session was led by Sally Hickson. The session focused on the principles of good assessment, the benefits of alternative assessment and the importance of including students in assessment design. At the beginning of the session, the group were asked ‘Why do we assess students?’, and answered on JamBoard – you can find their answers […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: April 2022
The journal article was called ‘Social networks, social capital, social support and academic success in higher education: A systematic review with a special focus on ‘underrepresented’ students’. A systematic literature review which considers the social factors that affect academic success with a focus on underrepresented groups. The group began by discussing unexplained awarding gaps, and […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: February 2022
Psychological Safety in Feedback The journal article was called ‘Psychological safety in feedback: What does it look like and how can educators work with learners to foster it?’. The team reviewed 36 videos of routine formal feedback in clinical practice with the aim of offering practical ways that educators can maximise psychological safety so that […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: December 2021
Workplace-Based Assessments The Journal Article was ‘Workplace-Based Assessments in Postgraduate Medical Education: A Hermeneutic Approach’. The paper investigated workplace-based assessments for medical postgraduate students. It identified twelve main lessons that can be used to improve such assessments. These were; (1) using formative and summative assessments, (2) ensuring that assessors are all trained in workplace-based assessments, […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: June 2021
Internal Feedback The journal article was called ’The power of internal feedback: exploiting natural comparison processes’. The article made the case for capitalising on a student’s natural comparisons that they already make and helping them to develop their own internal feedback capacity. They explore the benefits of using a blend of both analogical and analytical […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: March 2021
Learner-centred Feedback The journal article was called ‘Using learner-centred feedback design to promote students’ engagement with feedback’. Student engagement with feedback is one of the major factors in ensuring feedback is effective. The article focusses on learner-centred feedback in encouraging student engagement and ultimately maximising the effectiveness of feedback. The study considered two postgraduate modules […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: October 2020
Simper N. (2020). Assessment thresholds for academic staff: constructive alignment and differentiation of standards. Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education 45, 1016-1030. Felt the paper was good and interesting in terms of challenging norms and culture around assessment. Although some people were aware of threshold concepts as ‘portals to new ways of thinking’ but they […]
Pedagogy Journal Club: July 2020
The journal article was called ‘Migration and transformation: a sociomaterial analysis of practitioners’ experiences with online exams.’ The article considered the emergence and adoption of digital technologies which presents educators with new opportunities to think creatively about assessment and to increase its alignment with long-term educational goals. The article encouraged practitioners to think creatively about […]
Supporting International Students – Challenges and Opportunities
Colleagues from International Relations, Counselling, the Students Union and Lecturers in FBMH delivered an interactive session alongside student participants on ‘Supporting International Students – Challenges and Opportunities’. The session was co-created and delivered by current students and colleagues from across the University. The session explored academic attainment, culture and culture values and transition issues as […]