Annual Learning and Teaching Conference: External Speaker Announcement

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit is pleased to announce our first external speaker as part of this year’s Annual Learning and Teaching Conference.

Taking place between 4 and 6 July, bookings for the conference are already open.

Michael Webb from Jisc will discuss Artificial Intelligence in the session Navigating the Opportunities and Challenges of AI in Education.

Since the introduction of Chat GPT, colleagues have been finding ways in which the power of artificial intelligence might be used in Higher Education alongside the challenges that it poses.

Jisc’s national centre for artificial intelligence in tertiary education aims to help institutions adopt AI in a responsible and ethical way. We are working across the sector to help institutions navigate the challenges and opportunities presented by generative AI. In this session we’ll review the strengths and weakness of generative AI, the practices and approaches we see emerging, and take a look at how technologies and practices are developing as ever more generative AI applications are released.

Michael Webb is the director of technology and analytics at Jisc – the UK digital, data and technology agency focused on tertiary education, research, and innovation. He is co-lead of Jisc’s national centre for AI in tertiary education, supporting the responsible and effective adoption of artificial intelligence across the tertiary education sector. As well as artificial intelligence, he has worked on projects around the internet of things, virtual reality, and learning analytics. Before joining Jisc, Michael worked in the higher education sector, leading IT and learning technology.

This session will be of interest for colleagues who would like to add AI into their teaching and learning activities, as well as explore ways in which it can be used productively.

Our full programme will be announced on our webpages in due course. Aberystwyth University has been working on its own guidance for Artificial Intelligence. Take a look at ourConsiderations for Generative AI Detection blogpost for further information.

Mini Conference: Virtual Reality – Materials Available

12th April 202312th April 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Conference, Mini Conference 2023 Virtual Reality, Uncategorised 2 Comments

On 28 March, the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit hosted their first mini conference of the year in person.

The mini conference’s theme was Virtual Reality. The conference materials are now available on our webpages.

The conference started with a keynote by Chris Rees who is the Executive Head of Digital Creativity and Learning Unit at University of Wales Trinity St David’s. Chris gave an overview of how UWTSD have been using two newly created immersive rooms (Swansea and Cardiff), with activities ranging from virtual reality gym training through to architectural walk throughs and health and safety training.

The conference then shifted to hearing how colleagues at AU are currently using VR in their learning and teaching. Amanda Jones and Bleddyn Lewis gave an insight into how the Healthcare Education Centre is using Wales’ Virtual Hospital. Education’s Steve Atherton makes use of VR in several modules, including placing students in different education contexts – from refugee camps through to Montessori education settings. After lunch, Helen Miles and Andra Jones (Computer Science) and Rebecca Zerk (Dewis Choice Project / Law and Criminology) ran a workshop outlining the challenges and benefits to VR. Participants also got the opportunity to sample the Dewis choice project using VR headsets.

What emerged from the event is that lots of colleagues are using VR in their learning and teaching. We’re looking at creating a space for colleagues to come together to discuss their approaches to VR. We’ve set up a Teams site. If you’re interested in Virtual Reality and would like to be added to the Teams site, email the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (lteu@aber.ac.uk)

Conference Registration now open

20th March 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2023, Conference Leave a comment

Registration for the eleventh annual Learning and Teaching conference is now open. This year’s Learning and Teaching conference has the theme Transformative Teaching: Creating Opportunities for Learning and will be taking place between Tuesday 4 and Thursday 6 July 2023.

You can register for the conference online.

Call for Proposals

Staff, postgraduate teaching assistants, and students are welcome to propose sessions on any topic relating to learning and teaching.

Submit and view the call for proposals online. Please complete this form no later than 5 May 2023.

Mini Conference: Programme announced

8th March 20238th March 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Conference, Mini Conference 2023 Virtual Reality Leave a comment

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit is pleased to announce the programme for its forthcoming Virtual Reality Mini Conference on Tuesday 28 March.

Booking for the event is already open. This mini conference is taking place in person in B23, Llandinam Building between 11:00 and 16:00.

The Mini Conference will start at 11:00 with a session by Chris Rees from UWTSD. Our blogpost announcing Chris as our external speaker provides further information.

From 11:45, Amanda Jones and Bleddyn Lewis from the Healthcare Education Centre in the Department of Life Sciences will be showcasing what they do with their students in their session Embracing Virtual Reality within Healthcare Education for student nurses.

At 12:30, Education’s Steve Atherton will be presenting the session VR in Education.

A lunch break has been scheduled between 13:00 and 14:00. We will not be providing catering at this event but please feel free to bring your lunch along with you.

Between 14:00 and 16:00 Sarah Wydall, Helen Miles, Rebecca Zerk, and Andra Jones will be providing a 2 hour workshop identifying the next step in the evaluation for the use of VR as a training tool. This session is limited to 15 people – the session is first come, first served and you will be able to sign up for it on the morning of the mini conference.

Most of the sessions are hands on and interactive – you’ll have the opportunity to try out VR and see how colleagues are using it in their teaching.

Abstracts and the full programme will be available on our webpages in due course.

If you have any questions, please contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (lteu@aber.ac.uk).

Mini Conference: Virtual Reality, keynote announcement

28th February 202328th February 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Conference, Events and Networks, Mini Conference 2023 Virtual Reality, Uncategorised Leave a comment

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit is hosting a mini conference on Tuesday 28 March looking specifically at Virtual Reality. We’ll be showcasing colleagues’ work in this area from a variety of different disciplines. The event will be taking place in person. Booking for this event is already open via this online form.

In addition to this, we’re delighted to have Chris Rees from University of Wales, Trinity St. David’s (UWTSD) join us.

Chris is the Executive Head of Digital Creativity and Learning unit, with a background in teaching and learning across many age ranges. He has always had a keen interest in pedagogy and the use of digital technology to enhance the delivery of content and therefore, enrich learning. With 12 years’ experience of teaching and taking leaderships roles in schools across South Wales, Chris moved to a take a position of Strategic Lead in Digital Learning for a local authority. Within this 4 year tenure, Chris continued to research and implement digital pedological approaches including blended learning, synchronous and asynchronous delivery, VR and flipped learning with the goal of improving teachers skills and student experience

Within his role in UWTSD, Chris utilises his strategic, governance and management skills across the recently formed DCL unit, which includes the Digital learning team, Graphics, Print and Multimedia team, and the Web team. The position facilitates new approaches to digital creativity and learning within the institution, making use of the newly created team to develop innovative creative digital content for learning. More recently, Chris has been leading the team to develop the use of mixed reality and design content for specific use cases across the institutes. This includes the launch of the university’s immersive rooms, which are a similar design to a VR cave, but utilising the latest AV and Immersive technology to create a collaborative VR experience.

Keep an eye on our blog as we announce other contributors.

If you’ve got any questions about our mini conference then contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (lteu@aber.ac.uk).

Call for Proposals: Learning and Teaching Conference 2023

27th February 202327th February 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2023, Conference Leave a comment

We are now inviting proposals for the 11^th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, Tuesday 4-Thursday 6 July 2023.

Submit and view the call for proposals online.

The theme for this year’s conference is:

Transformative Teaching: Creating Opportunities for Learning

The main strands of this year’s conference are:

Teaching in the age of artificial intelligence
Preparing for Blackboard Ultra
Universal design for learning
Mentoring for success and self-regulation
Active and authentic learning contexts

Staff, postgraduate teaching assistants, and students are welcome to propose sessions on any topic relating to learning and teaching, especially those that focus on the incorporation and use of technology. Even if your suggestion doesn’t fit a particular strand, other topics are welcome.

We seek to encourage presenters to consider using alternative formats that reflect and suit the content of their sessions. As such, we are not specifying a standardised presentation format.

Please complete this form no later than 5 May 2023.

If you have any questions, please contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit at lteu@aber.ac.uk.

11th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference: Conference Theme Announcement

22nd February 202322nd February 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2023, Conference Leave a comment

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit is pleased to announce the theme for our 11^th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference.

The Learning and Teaching Conference will be taking place with increased face to face presence and some online activities from Tuesday 4-Thursday 6 July.

The theme and strands for this year’s conference is:

Transformative Teaching: Creating Opportunities for Learning

Teaching in the age of artificial intelligence
Preparing for Blackboard Ultra
Universal design for learning
Mentoring for success and self-regulation
Active and authentic learning contexts

Keep a look out for our forthcoming call for proposals and for booking onto the conference.

Learning and Teaching Mini Conference Materials Available Now

27th January 202311th February 2023 Keziah Garratt-Smithson [ksg2] Conference, Mini Conference 2022 Sustainability 1 Comment

Resources are now available from the Aberystwyth University Mini Conference for Learning and Teaching that took place on 20^th December 2022. For those who were unable to attend or who would like a refresher, the resources for all sessions can be found here.

The conference focused on Sustainability in Higher Education, with the key-note session delivered by Dr Georgina Gough (UWE Bristol) exploring how to embed sustainability goals within the curriculum.

Other topics included Marian Gray’s session ‘Student Mobility and Cross-Cultural Skills – Global & Sustainable?’, and Dr. Louise Marshall’s ‘Discipline hopping: Interdisciplinary approaches to a sustainable curriculum’.

Call for Proposals: Mini Conference: Virtual Reality

16th January 202331st January 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Conference, Mini Conference 2023 Virtual Reality 1 Comment

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit is pleased to announce the next mini conference. On Tuesday 28 March LTEU will be hosting our next mini conference in person.

This mini conference will be focused on Virtual Reality, building on one of the sessions from last year’s Learning and Teaching Conference.

Colleagues from across the University will be showcasing their use of Virtual Reality in their teaching and research activities – offering advice from design to integration.

If you’re interested in contributing to the event, then please fill out this online form. Please submit your proposal before 17 February 2023.

Bookings are already open – you can book your place online.

If you have any questions about this event, please contact the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit (lteu@aber.ac.uk).

Save the Date: Annual Learning and Teaching Conference

6th January 20236th January 2023 James Woolley [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2023, Conference Leave a comment

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit are excited to announce the date for the 11^th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference. The conference will be taking place between Tuesday 4 July and Thursday 6 July 2023.

Look out for Calls for Proposals and the announcement of the conference theme. As usual, we will be updating our Learning and Teaching Conference Webpages and also our blog to keep you up-to-date with how things are progressing.