Vevox’s Pedagogy Autumn 2023 Online Webinars

28th September 2023 WordPress User [jbw] Events and Networks, Polling Software, Resources and Webinars, Vevox Leave a comment

Vevox is the University’s polling software which can be used to make teaching more interactive, engage large groups, check knowledge and understanding, and receive feedback.

In addition to their training sessions, Vevox run a series of online webinars showcasing innovative ways in which polling is used at other institutions.

The next online webinar is from the University of South Wales, where Dean Whitcombe is running a session The Use of Vevox in Simulation-based Education and research. This session is at 2pm on 4 October.

On 11 October, at 2pm, University of Chichester’s James Wilson will be leading a session, Once upon a Time: Using Vevox for Interactive Storytelling.

You can sign up to attend these sessions on this webpage.

Aberystwyth University has run a series of webinars in the past for Vevox which are available on YouTube:

If Vevox is new to you, then take a look at our polling software webpage. Vevox run 15 minute Zero to Hero training sessions on Tuesday afternoons. You can sign up to them on the Vevox webpage.

Please contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (elearning@aber.ac.uk) if you have got any questions.

Weekly Resource Roundup – 28/9/2023

28th September 202328th September 2023 WordPress User [mhj] Weekly Resource Roundup Leave a comment

As leader of our PGCTHE programme, I keep an eye out for resources to help staff teach effectively. These include webinars, podcasts, online toolkits, publications and more. Topics include active learning, online/blended teaching, accessibility/inclusion, and effective learning design based on cognitive science. Below I’ve listed items that came to my attention in the past week. In the interest of clarity, our policy is to show the titles and descriptions in the language of delivery.

Online events and webinars

October

4/10/2023 Transforming Assessment, Assessment and Feedback Literacy
4/10/2023 Vevox’s Pedagogy Autumn 2023 Series, University educators share their top tips for success, The use of Vevox in simulation-based education and research
10/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 1: Assessment and Feedback Practices based on their open-access book 100 Ideas for Active Learning
11/10/2023 Vevox’s Pedagogy Autumn 2023 Series, University educators share their top tips for success, Once Upon a Time: Using Vevox for Interactive Storytelling
11/10/2023 Oxford-Brookes University Talking Teaching Across the Globe series, Why we are embracing AI in teaching and learning
16/10/2023 HEFi, University of Birmingham, Improving Assessment and Feedback through Digital Tools: Can we? Should we? How do we even…?
17/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 2: Assessment and Feedback Practices based on their open-access book 100 Ideas for Active Learning
18/9/2023 International Center for Academic Integrity, International Day of Action for Academic Integrity
18/10/2023 Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars, Empowering Tomorrow: Unleashing Creativity through Generative AI (hybrid in person for University of Kent, online for all)
18/10/2023 Jisc National Centre for AI, Spotlight on Graide, AI tool for assessment
19/10/2023 Jisc, Exploring the uses of AI in medical education
19/10/2023 University of Dundee, Mary Jacob (Aberystwyth University), Developing resilience in an ever-changing AI landscape
19/10/2023 Commonwealth of Learning, Prompting new Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education
21/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 3: Assessment and Feedback Practices based on their open-access book 100 Ideas for Active Learning
25/10/2023 Brookes International HE Reading Group, Paper: Bamberger, A., Morris, P., & Yemini, M. (2019). ‘Neoliberalism, internationalisation, and higher education: Connections, contradictions, and alternatives’. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 40(20), 203–216. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2019.1569879
25/10/2023 IFNTF Global Seminar Series, Improving inclusion and representation within the curriculum – where to start? (see accompanying resources from University of Reading: An emphasis on equality)
26/10/2023 University of London Centre for Online and Distance Education (CODE), Launch of Top Tips for Student Engagement toolkit
26/10/2023 Oxford-Brookes University Talking Teaching Across the Globe series, How do we decide what acceptable student use of AI is?
29/9/2023 EmpowerED Webinar (topics covered include: accessibility, Generative AI, supporting international students, and podcasting for playful professional development)
31/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 4: Become an Active Learning champion

November

9/11/2023 University of Dundee, Dr Mark Carrigan (University of Manchester) Beyond the Hype: Responsible Use of Generative AI in Higher Education
15-17/11/2023 Architecture, Media, Politics, Society (AMPS), Teaching Beyond the Curriculum: Focus on Pedagogy 2023 Virtual: UK, USA, China, Call for proposals deadline 5/10/2023
22/11/2023 UDL UK and Ireland Network, Universal Design for Learning Spaces
22/11/2023 Brookes International HE Reading Group, Paper: Hannah Soong & Vihara Maheepala (2023) ‘Humanising the internationalisation of higher education: enhancing international students’ wellbeing through the capability approach’, Higher Education Research & Development, 42:5, 1212-1229, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2023.2193730

Resources and publications

Resources on Artificial Intelligence

Castor, S. & Gerard, G. (12/9/2023), Pivot to AI: Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain, Amy Castor
De Vynck, G. (22/9/2023), A flood of new AI products just arrived — whether we’re ready or not, Washington Post
Helmore, E. (24/9/2023), An old master? No, it’s an image AI just knocked up … and it can’t be copyrighted, The Guardian
Jisc National Centre for AI in Tertiary Education, Assessment ideas for an AI-enabled world (scroll to bottom of page to download the card deck)
King’s College London (n.d.), King’s guidance on generative AI for teaching, assessment and feedback
Lancaster, T. (22/9/2023), Unlocking Academic Integrity Research Using Simulations, AI Assistance and ChatGTP (44-minute video recording from the Welsh Integrity and Assessment Network Symposium, June 2023), QAA Member Resources
Lodge, J. M., Yang, S., Furze, L. & Dawson, P. (25/9/2023), It’s not like a calculator, so what is the relationship between learners and generative artificial intelligence?, Learning: Research and Practice
Mollnick, E. & Mollnick, L. (25/9/2023), Student Use Cases for AI (toolkit), Harvard Business Publishing, Education
Mollnick, E. & Mollnick, L. (4/8/2023), Practical AI for teachers and students (video playlist), Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania
Roose, K. (20/9/2023), Google’s Bard Just Got More Powerful. It’s Still Erratic, New York Times

Other resources

Bryant, P. (21/9/2023), Resonant learning: designing and delivering resonant learning and teaching as a lifelong experience, Peter Bryant: Post digital learning
Keane, A. (27/9/2023), Weaving Golden Threads, The SEDA Blog, “What yarn or story could I weave through the various dimensions of my job as a teacher in HE that would tie it all together into a coherent story?”
Kirschner, P. & Van Merrienboer, J. J. G. (7/2013), Do Learners Really Know Best? Urban Legends in Education, Educational Psychologist 48(3):169-183, available via ResearchGate

Other

Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
Follow University of Birmingham’s Higher Education Futures institute HEFi on Twitter for daily posts with links to pedagogical literature and more. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

Please see the Staff Training booking page for training offered by the LTEU and other Aberystwyth University staff. I hope you find this weekly resource roundup useful. If you have questions or suggestions, please contact our team at lteu@aber.ac.uk. You may also wish to follow my Twitter feed, Mary Jacob L&T.

Important Update on Generative Artificial Intelligence for Staff

27th September 202327th September 2023 WordPress User [ksg2] Uncategorised Leave a comment

The following was sent as an email to all staff from Prof. Tim Woods, Pro Vice-Chancellor Learning, Teaching and Student Experience, on 25^th September.

“Dear Colleague

As discussed at the Academic Board on 13^th September 2023, the university has decided to turn off the Turnitin AI Detection tool as of 30^th September 2023. The decision was based on experience with the tool across the higher education sector, especially statistics that seem to demonstrate a high incidence of false positives and the anxiety that this induces for students.

Generative AI has already become pervasive. It is becoming increasingly embedded in the tools we provide for staff and students such as Office 365 and Blackboard, as well as tools such as Google that are widely used by the general public. It isn’t feasible to ban the use of these tools, so we need to find ways to help students use Generative AI ethically and effectively for real learning, not cheating.

The promotion of AI literacy for both staff and students has emerged as a key agenda across the higher education sector. A key principle is for staff to be transparent with students about the rationale behind assessments, how they help students learn, and what staff expect from their students. Students, in turn, should apply critical thinking if they use AI tools and be transparent in their submitted coursework about how and where they used such tools. This includes the use of tools such as Grammarly or Quillbot that may have been recommended for students with specific learning differences, for example.

Please encourage your students to view the new LibGuide created by the Academic Engagement Team in Information Services: Utilising AI in the Library: A Student’s Guide: What is AI? The AI and Your Studies page in the LibGuide was created by the Gen AI Working Group and features video clips highlighting practical guidance on ethical and effective use of AI. A session on Using AI for Good will be offered on 6^th November as part of the Digital Skills Festival.

Guidance for staff can be found on the LTEU’s workshop materials Generative AIpage, with guidance created by the Gen AI Working Group and links to selected authoritative sources. The staff document will be updated shortly with additional details on how to identify red flags when marking.

Please see the CPD booking page for upcoming Gen AI training sessions for staff and discussion forums that are open for staff and students together.

If you have any questions about marking or learning design in connection with AI, please contact the LTEU.

Best wishes Tim”

Generative AI Discussion Forum

26th September 202326th September 2023 WordPress User [mhj] Generative AI, Uncategorised Leave a comment

We have just created a new series of sessions open to all staff and students interested in talking about Generative AI in education.

Since January 2023, Generative AI (Gen AI) has shaken up the world of higher education. The landscape is still rapidly changing and posing challenges for all of us. In response to this challenge, we set up a Gen AI Working Group, which published guidance for staff in March and updated the UAP Regulations. We run regular training sessions with guidance for staff and contributed videos for students (AI and your studies) as part of the Academic Engagement Team’s LibGuide Utilising AI in the Library: A Student’s Guide.

We want to bring more voices into the discussion, so we have set up a series of forums around Generative AI, open to all interested staff and students. We especially encourage students to come along. Staff can register through our CPD Booking System. Students can join by emailing the LTEU.

17-10-2023 15:00 – 16:00
14-11-2023 10:00 – 11:00
07-12-2023 16:00 – 17:00

The aim of the Gen AI Discussion Forum is to exchange experiences about what is happening on the ground in our own areas, collect suggestions for the Working Group to consider, and answer any questions you may have.

Please note that this is not a training session but a facilitated group discussion where everyone can exchange ideas. During the meeting, we will ask you to share your experiences, questions, and suggestions.

We look forward to talking with you!

Make Blackboard Learn Ultra Courses more visual with Learning Modules, Course Images, and Unsplash Images

22nd September 202322nd September 2023 WordPress User [jbw] Blackboard, Ultra Leave a comment

Some of the feedback that we’ve received regarding Blackboard Ultra Courses is that they are not as visually customisable as Blackboard Original Courses. Ultra is created with accessibility in mind which means that some of the features that we previously had, such as textured or coloured backgrounds and text that could result in low colour contrast are no longer available.

In this blogpost we’ll give you some tips that might help make your Blackboard Ultra Courses more visually appealing, including some brand-new features that arrived in the September release.

Learning Modules

Learning Modules work similarly to folders and can be placed on the top level of the Content Page. You can use these to arrange your Learning Materials. One of the developments that arrived recently is the ability to upload images to Learning Modules.

To create a Learning Module, click on the + and Create > Learning Module:

Learning Module editor with Add image highlighted

From there, you can Add image to upload an image from the file explorer. Select the image from the File Explorer that opens and upload. Alternatively, you can drag and drop your image into the Learning Module editor. Once you’ve added an image to a Learning Module, it will display as below:

Learning Module with image attached and Weekly folder

Panopto Assignment Workflow in Blackboard Learn Ultra

22nd September 202322nd September 2023 WordPress User [jbw] Blackboard, E-submission, Panopto, Technical Updates, Ultra, Uncategorised 2 Comments

In our previous blogpost we outlined some of the changes to Panopto with our move to Blackboard Learn Ultra.

In this blogpost we’ll outline the changes to using Panopto for Assignments. Panopto Assignments are used for students to submit a recording or presentation.

As part of this change, we recommend that you:

Create a Blackboard Assignment
Students submit via Blackboard Assignment and upload via the Panopto submission tool

The advantages to this new workflow are that:

The workflow for submission and marking is easier
Marks and feedback automatically go into the Gradebook
Students receive an email receipt for their submission

To support staff with this process, we have a Panopto Assignment guide that takes you through setting up the assignment, student submission, and marking on our Lecture Capture webpages.

We’ve also got a FAQ for staff and students.

If you’ve got any questions, please contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (elearning@aber.ac.uk).

The Ultra Essentials Playlist

21st September 202321st September 2023 WordPress User [brr26] Blackboard, Ultra, Uncategorised Leave a comment

If you’re a busy bee preparing your courses before the students arrive and don’t have any time to attend training sessions, how about visiting our new bite sized training video clips on how to work in Blackboard Ultra.

We’ve created The Ultra Essentials Playlist to help staff to familiarise themselves with the exciting new features in Ultra. The playlist is comprised of 15 short videos (2-8 minutes) with a longer first introductory video Introduction to Blackboard Learn Ultra.

If you’re unsure about how to do something specific in Ultra or just need a quick refresher then take a look at our bilingual training videos. Here’s a breakdown of the individual video clips:

We are still providing online training sessions in English and Welsh and you can book and view other sessions on the booking page.

If you have any questions about Blackboard Learn Ultra then email: elearning@aber.ac.uk

Welcome to new staff joining Aberystwyth University

20th September 202327th September 2023 WordPress User [jbw] Blackboard, E-submission, Events and Networks, Panopto, Turnitin Leave a comment

We’re the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit. Based in Information Services, we work with staff across the university to support and develop learning and teaching. We run a wide range of activities to do this.

All the information that you need is on the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit webpages. Our Supporting your Teaching webpages will help you with various teaching solutions.

We write a blog full of the latest updates, details on events and training sessions, and resources.

If you need to get in touch with us, you can do so using one of two email addresses:

lteu@aber.ac.uk (for pedagogical and design questions, or to arrange a consultation) or

elearning@aber.ac.uk (for technical queries regarding our e-learning tools listed below).

Weekly Resource Roundup – 20/9/2023

20th September 202327th September 2023 WordPress User [mhj] Weekly Resource Roundup Leave a comment

Online events and webinars

September

ongoing Jisc, Artificial intelligence and ethics mini-MOOC
21/9/2023 Centre for Global Higher Education, AI in higher education – a CGHE webinar series
27/9/2023 Brookes International HE Reading Group, Paper: Hans de Wit & Philip G. Altbach (2021) ‘Internationalization in higher education: global trends and recommendations for its future’, Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 5:1, 28-46, DOI: 10.1080/23322969.2020.1820898
27/9/2023 Times Higher Education and Inside HE, Student support and wellness strategies for a new term
28/9/2023 University of Dundee, Dr Martin Compton (King’s College London), AI in Higher Education: Panic or Engage?
28/9/2023 Future Teacher Webinars, Designing appropriate assessments
28/9/2023 Oxford-Brookes University Talking Teaching Across the Globe series, Revisiting our assessment practices in response to AI

October

4/10/2023 Transforming Assessment, Assessment and Feedback Literacy
10/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 1: Assessment and Feedback Practices based on their open-access book 100 Ideas for Active Learning
11/10/2023 Oxford-Brookes University Talking Teaching Across the Globe series, Why we are embracing AI in teaching and learning
16/10/2023 HEFi, University of Birmingham, Improving Assessment and Feedback through Digital Tools: Can we? Should we? How do we even…?
17/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 2: Assessment and Feedback Practices based on their open-access book 100 Ideas for Active Learning
18/10/2023 Jisc National Centre for AI, Spotlight on Graide, AI tool for assessment
19/10/2023 Jisc, Exploring the uses of AI in medical education
19/10/2023 University of Dundee, Mary Jacob (Aberystwyth University), Developing resilience in an ever-changing AI landscape
19/10/2023 Commonwealth of Learning, Prompting new Opportunities and Challenges for Higher Education
21/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 3: Assessment and Feedback Practices based on their open-access book 100 Ideas for Active Learning
25/10/2023 Brookes International HE Reading Group, Paper: Bamberger, A., Morris, P., & Yemini, M. (2019). ‘Neoliberalism, internationalisation, and higher education: Connections, contradictions, and alternatives’. Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, 40(20), 203–216. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1080/01596306.2019.1569879
25/10/2023 IFNTF Global Seminar Series, Improving inclusion and representation within the curriculum – where to start? (see accompanying resources from University of Reading: An emphasis on equality)
26/10/2023 Oxford-Brookes University Talking Teaching Across the Globe series, How do we decide what acceptable student use of AI is?
29/9/2023 EmpowerED Webinar (topics covered include: accessibility, Generative AI, supporting international students, and podcasting for playful professional development)
31/10/2023 Active Learning Network, Week 4: Become an Active Learning champion

November

9/11/2023 University of Dundee, Dr Mark Carrigan (University of Manchester) Beyond the Hype: Responsible Use of Generative AI in Higher Education
15-17/11/2023 Architecture, Media, Politics, Society (AMPS), Teaching Beyond the Curriculum: Focus on Pedagogy 2023 Virtual: UK, USA, China, Call for proposals deadline 5/10/2023
22/11/2023 Brookes International HE Reading Group, Paper: Hannah Soong & Vihara Maheepala (2023) ‘Humanising the internationalisation of higher education: enhancing international students’ wellbeing through the capability approach’, Higher Education Research & Development, 42:5, 1212-1229, DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2023.2193730

Resources and publications

Resources on Artificial Intelligence

Bowditch, I. (12/9/2023), Assessment Menu: Designing assessment in an AI enabled world, National Centre for AI in Tertiary Education. Download assessment ideas postcards (.pptx).
College Development Network Scotland, College AI in episode 28 and College AI part 2 episode 29 (audio recordings), Pedagogy Matters Podcast
Fowler, G. (11/9/2023), Your Gmail and Instagram are training AI. There’s little you can do about it, Washington Post
Government of Canada (9/2023), Recommended Approach, Guide on the Use of Generative AI
Peters, M. (14/9/2023), Stop Focusing on Plagiarism, Even Though ChatGPT Is Here: Create a Culture of Academic Integrity Instead, Harvard Business Publishing / Education
UCL (n.d.), Generative AI Hub (toolkit), UCL Teaching and Learning
Waring, M., & & Evans, C. (forthcoming in 2024), Facilitating students’ development of assessment and feedback skills through critical engagement with generative artificial intelligence in C. Evans and M. Waring, Research Handbook on Innovations in Assessment and Feedback in Higher Education: Implications for Teaching and Learning. Elgar Publishing.

Other resources

Alexander, B., Future Trends Forum webinar series (weekly)
Clinkhard, K. & Saunders, R. (13/9/2023), S3E8 AGILE model on employability and entrepreneurial mindset teaching tool (30-minute audio recording), L&T Chatshow podcast series
Fawns, T. (8/9/2023), Expanding the unit of analysis of learning, Timbocopia
Khazan, O. (11/4/2018), The Myth of ‘Learning Styles’: A popular theory that some people learn better visually or aurally keeps getting debunked, The Atlantic
Merry, K. (15/9/2023), Episode 23: supporting learners with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (30-minute audio recording), Talking Learning and Teaching podcast series
National Academic Integrity Network (NAIN) (8/9/2023), NAIN publishes new GenAI Guidelines for Educators, Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)
Nieminen, J. H. & Yang, L. (6/9/2023), Assessment as a matter of being and becoming: theorising student formation in assessment, Studies in Higher Education
Sinnayah, P. & Ambler, T. (13/9/2023), Collaborative peer observation learning circles, The SEDA Blog
Sinnayah, P., Ambler, T., Kelly, K., Konjarski, L., Tangalakis, K. & Smallridge, A. (22/6/2023), Reviewing the literature: Collaborative professional learning for academics in higher education, Innovations in Education and Teaching International
UBelong (n.d.), U-Belong is an interdisciplinary research project aiming to understand university social life

Other

Monthly series European Network for Academic Integrity, ENAI monthly webinars free open webinars on various topics related to academic integrity.
Subscribe to SEDA’s mailing list for email discussions about educational development and emerging teaching practices. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
Follow University of Birmingham’s Higher Education Futures institute HEFi on Twitter for daily posts with links to pedagogical literature and more. This is one of the sources I use when identifying useful material for the Roundup.
Join the #LTHEchat on Twitter Wednesday nights for one hour of lively discussion about learning and teaching in HE. I often find out about good resources for the Roundup from the chat.

Panopto Update for Staff: September 2023

18th September 202318th September 2023 WordPress User [rsf09] Blackboard, Panopto, Teaching Rooms, Technical Updates, Ultra Leave a comment

As part of the wider Blackboard Ultra project, our Panopto integration has been upgraded to work with Blackboard Ultra. This has provided us with an opportunity to make some changes and improvements.

Accessing Panopto

You can now access the Panopto server via Panopto.aber.ac.uk

Panopto Folders

Panopto folders are now organised by academic year.

Staff have frequently requested that the Panopto folders for their Blackboard Courses are organised by academic year rather than as a long list. The Panopto upgrade work gave us an opportunity to restructure our folders as requested.

Top level year folders will appear greyed out, but you still have access to your Panopto folders within.

When you open the Panopto Recorder in a teaching room:

You can either find the Panopto folder you want to record into via the folders or search for the Panopto folder you want to record into.

To find the Panopto folder you want to record into via the folders:

Click the dropdown button in the Folder field.
Double-click an academic year folder to expand it.
or
Click the dropdown arrow to the left of the academic year folder to expand it.
Select the Panopto folder you want to record into.

An animated gif of accessing a Panopto folder in the Panopto Recorder.

To search for the Panopto folder you want to record into:

In the Folder field start typing the module code or name of the Panopto folder you want to Record into
Select the folder you want to record into.

An animated gif of accessing a Panopto folder using the search function in the Panopto Recorder.

Sharing Panopto recordings from Previous years.

To share Panopto recordings from previous years Panopto folders, copy the recordings into the current years’ folder of the course. This can be done via Panopto.aber.ac.uk. This grants all students enrolled on the current years’ course in Blackboard access to view the recordings. See this FAQ.

My Folder

Everyone now has a folder in Panopto called My Folder that they can record into. In the Panopto Recorder it can be found under Quick Access.

My Folder is useful for recordings that staff or students do not want to share with others immediately or when they cannot find a suitable folder to record into.

Recordings can be moved from My Folder into another Panopto Folder later. To copy or move a Panopto recording to another folder See this FAQ.