2021

19th May 2021 WordPress User [mhj] Events and Networks, Podcasts, 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

26/5/2021 UEL, Debating the ‘meaning’ of communities of practice in higher education. Through sharing, discussion and networking
27/5/2021 AdvanceHE, Challenging privilege and the ‘danger of the single story’
28/5/2021 UEL, Debating the power of restorative practices for the Higher Education sector
7-21/6/2021 FutureLearn MOOC, How to Create an Online Course
9/6/2021, 17/6/2021, 24/6/2021, 30/6/2021 HEFi Showcase webinars University of Birmingham, How to be Amazing: Exploring the UKPSF
10/6/2021 University of Kent Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars, Pedagogy and Practice when Teaching Online
16/6/2021 University of Kent, Kent Digital Accessibility Conference 2021
16-18/6/2021 University of London Centre for Distance Education (CDE), Research in Distance Education (RIDE) conference 2021: Learning through disruption
18/6/2021 AdvanceHE Degree Standards Conference 2021: Improving assessment literacy and maintaining academic standards

Resources and publications

Barrett, E. (10/5/2021), Four ways to ready students for the workplace of the future, Jisc Blog
Beggs, R. (4/2021), Active and Collaborative Learning as an institutional approach and then Covid hit…, Media & Learning
Dawson, P. (11/5/2021), The remote proctored exams dilemma, Slideshare
Fawns, T., Mulherin, T., Hounsell, D. & Aitken, G. (2021) Seamful learning and professional education, Studies in Continuing Education
Guccione, K. (27/10/2020), Busting mentoring myths, GCU Academic Development and Student Learning
Guccione, K. & Zihms, S. (8/4/2021), Could you use a Power Hour of Writing in your teaching, GCU Academic Development and Student Learning
Holt, J. (17/5/2021), Rex: Real EXperiments for the Virtual Classroom, Duke University Learning Innovation
Jisc Podcast (17/5/2021), Episode 2: HE leaders discuss the post-COVID student experience
Open University Learning Design team, Reflection and Resources
Parson, V. (10/5/2021), “You must be mythtaken”: Learning styles is the neuromyth that refuses to go away, University of Sunderland School of Psychology Blog

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.

Call for Case Studies – Blackboard Interactive Tools

17th May 202117th May 2021 WordPress User [aeu] Blackboard, Blackboard Blogs, Blackboard Discussion Boards, Blackboard Journals, Blackboard Tests, Blackboard Wikis, Interactive Tools Leave a comment

We are looking for staff who would like to share their experiences of using Blackboard interactive features, e.g. blogs, journals, wikis, tests, discussion boards. We welcome case studies in any format, e.g. short text, a video, voice memo. These case studies would be included on our blog and used in future training sessions. Please sent your case studies to lteu@aber.ac.uk

To learn more about different interactive Blackboard features:

Blogs & journals:

Interactive Blackboard Tools Series – Journals and Blogs (Part 1)

Blackboard Tools for Group Work (Blogpost 2): Blogs

Wikis:

Blackboard Tools for Group Work (Blogpost 3): Wikis

Tests:

Blackboard Tests – Creating Online Assessment Activities for your Students

Discussion boards:

Blackboard Tools for Group Work (Blogpost 4): Discussions

Final Academy Forum session of the year

12th May 202112th May 2021 WordPress User [aeu] Uncategorised Leave a comment

We would like to invite you to the final Academy Forum session of the year taking place on 24^th of May.

This session will be an opportunity for us to look back on this year’s Academy Forum programme, designed specifically to support staff in teaching in different ways in a response to the pandemic and reflect on what we can take forward.

Topics we covered this year were:

Creating a Learning and Teaching Community
Creating Podcasts in Panopto
Why and how to help students reflect on their learning
Motivation Strategies for Online Learning Engagement
How can I plan online and in-person activities?
How can I make my teaching more inclusive?
How can I embed wellbeing into the curriculum?
Preparing students for assessments

We hope that you will be able to join us.

Book on the session

Annual Learning and Teaching Conference – extended by an extra day

11th May 202111th May 2021 WordPress User [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, Conference Leave a comment

We’re really starting to look forward to our forthcoming ninth Learning and Teaching Conference. The call for proposals has now closed – thank you to everyone who submitted a proposal.

Owing to the volume that we have received, we are now starting the Teaching Conference at lunchtime on Tuesday 29^th June and running until the afternoon on Friday 2^nd July.

We’ve got a number of external speakers across the four days and we’ll keep posting further updates via our blog of upcoming speakers. I’m pleased to announce that we have got our first Welsh medium keynote session which will be simultaneously translated.

We’ve also been able to run a special panel on Tuesday afternoon on Distance Learning practices and students from the School of Education and the Psychology Department will be offering sessions based on their experiences of learning throughout the pandemic.

The full programme will be announced in due course.

The conference will be taking place online via Teams (with Zoom used for sessions in Welsh).

You can book your place online now via this form.

Weekly Resource Roundup – 9/5/2021

9th May 20219th May 2021 WordPress User [mhj] Uncategorised Leave a comment

NOTE: Oxford Centre for Staff Learning and Development (OCSLD) at Oxford Brookes University, “Publishing opportunity for HE students and educators on improving student engagement”

I recommend following the University of Birmingham HEFi Twitter account. It is a good source of pedagogical literature and micro-CPD.

Online events and webinars

10/5/2021 University of Surry, Book Launch: Meaningful Teaching Interaction at the Internationalised University: Moving from Research to Impact
14/5/2021 University of Warwick, TEALfest Technology Enhanced Active Learning Festival
24/5/2021 Future Teacher Webinars, From panic to post-pandemic planning – Designing technology enhanced programmes
9/6/2021 Transforming Assessment, Australian National Teaching Award winners panel exploring online assessment
10/6/2021 University of Kent Digitally Enhanced Education Webinars, Pedagogy and Practice when Teaching Online
16-18/6/2021 University of London Centre for Distance Education, Research in Distance Education (RIDE) conference 2021: Learning through disruption
17/5/2021 University of Birmingham HEFi, Disclosure dances: the experience of invisible disabilities in higher education
24-25/6/2021 St Mary’s University, Festival of Learning and Teaching

Resources and publications

AdvanceHE (15/6/2020), Creating Socially Distanced Campuses and Education Project – Leadership Intelligence Report – Design and Delivery
Arnold, L. (8/4/2021), Authentic Assessment Top ‘Reflective’ Trumps!, Lydia Arnold, Learning, teaching, assessment, technology, higher education & action research
Bali, M. (1/5/2021), On Privilege & Sharing Power, Reflecting Allowed
Castelli, F. R., & Sarvary, M. A. (10/1/2021), Why students do not turn on their video cameras during online classes and an equitable and inclusive plan to encourage them to do so, Ecology and Evolution, 11(8)
Guccione, K., & Hutchinson, S. (30/3/2021), Coaching and Mentoring for Academic Development, Emerald Publishing, Ltd.
Hendry, G. D., White, P., & Herbert, C. (18/3/2016), Providing exemplar-based ‘feedforward’ before an assessment: The role of teacher explanation, Active Learning in Higher Education,
International Journal for Students as Partners (new issue published 7/5/2021)
King, S. (4/5/2021), Assessment Support Week resources for staff: MicroCPD (2 minute video), HEFi, University of Birmingham
Mihai, A. (5/5/2021), Fancy a journey around the world?, The Educationalist
Payne, A., Stone, C., & Bennett, R. (29/4/2021), Conceptualising and building trust to enhance engagement, achievement and feedback-seeking behavior of under-served students: exploring instructor antecedents in online tertiary education, Qeios
Sambell, K., Brown, S., & Race, P., Giving formative feedback prior to submission quick guide, Quick Guides & Resources, Edinburgh Napier University DLTE

Vevox for Students

6th May 20216th May 2021 WordPress User [lak22] Polling Software, Vevox Leave a comment

In the past month, the university has rolled out Vevox and begun training staff in its use. Vevox combines polls, surveys and Q&As in one interactive software and has integrations with Microsoft Teams and PowerPoint. We are glad to see that staff are already adopting this new software in their teaching and want to encourage students to do the same.
Aberystwyth University’s subscription to Vevox comes with Single Sign-On, meaning students can securely log in with their Aber Uni ID and password. Just as there are multiple ways that staff may use Vevox, so students might find it a useful tool.
For example, students could use Vevox polls and the Q&A function when presenting in seminars or workshops, especially in assessments that feature audience engagement as a criterion. Equally, Vevox offers great opportunities for student research, both in terms of analysing and interrogating survey design (e.g. by using Vevox’s existing sample surveys), and for creating and running their own surveys. Further, Vevox might be used in group work, offering students the opportunity to gather ideas and encourage diverse input from more quiet group members. This is especially useful at the moment, where student groups may include members from different households.
These are just a few examples of how students might use Vevox in their learning and we encourage staff to alert students to the fact that they, too, can access this software for free. Our Vevox guides are here (English and Cymraeg) and How-To videos are here (English and Cymraeg). The Learning and Teaching Unit is at hand alongside the Vevox Team to support any technical queries that may arise, providing student with support that is not available when using free alternatives.

Annual Learning and Teaching Conference: Second guest speaker: Andy McGregor, JISC

5th May 20215th May 2021 WordPress User [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, External Speakers 3 Comments

We are pleased to announce our second external speaker for this year’s Learning and Teaching Conference: Andy McGregor. Andy is Director of edtech for JISC.

Andy’s workshop will focus on the future of assessment and is based on JISC’s paper: The future of assessment: five principles, five targets for 2025, which ‘sets five targets for the next five years to progress assessment towards being more authentic, accessible, appropriately automated and secure’.

Andy is responsible for managing JISC’s portfolio of research and development projects which develop new services that help universities and colleges improve education and research.

In addition to Andy, this year’s keynote will be delivered by Dr Chrissi Nerantzi from Manchester Metropolitan University.

The ninth annual learning and teaching conference is taking place online between Wednesday 30^th June and Friday 2^nd July. You can book your place by completing this online form.

Keep following our blog for more announcements.

Keynote Announcement: Annual Learning and Teaching Conference

29th April 202129th April 2021 WordPress User [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, Conference, External Speakers 4 Comments

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit is pleased to announce that Dr Chrissi Nerantzi will be this year’s keynote speaker.

The conference is taking place online via Teams between 30^th June and the 2^nd July. Booking for this year’s conference is open and you can still submit a proposal via our online form.

Dr Chrissi Nerantzi (@chrissinerantzi), Principal Lecturer – Academic CPD, University Teaching Academy (UTA), Manchester Metropolitan University

At Manchester Met, Chrissi developed the openly-licensed practice-based professional developmental programme FLEX which incorporates formal and informal pathways of engagement utilising digital professional portfolios and open development opportunities including cross-institutional collaborative initiatives. FLEX has inspired further initiatives internally and externally with staff and students. She is the founder of the the cross-institutional Creativity for Learning in Higher Education community (#creativeHE), the Teaching and Learning Conversations (TLC) webinars and the co-founder of the open courses Flexible, Distance and Online Learning (FDOL), Bring your Own Devices for Learning course (BYOD4L) and the Learning and Teaching in Higher Education tweetchat (#LTHEchat). Chrissi teaches on the MA in Higher Education at her institution and leads Recognising and Rewarding Teaching Excellence and the Good Practice Exchange. She also co-ordinates the NTF and CATE submissions and regularly mentors colleagues. CChrissi contributes to further academic development activities within UTA, including the institutional PSF scheme and supports colleagues in creative curriculum design and is one of the Faculty Links for Arts and Humanities.

Weekly Resource Roundup – 28/4/2021

28th April 202128th April 2021 WordPress User [mhj] Resources and Webinars, Training and Support, Uncategorised, Weekly Resource Roundup Leave a comment

Online events and webinars

5/5/2021 Duke University Learning Innovation, Pandemic Pedagogy Research Symposium
5/5/2021 Assessment in Higher Education and Transforming Assessment, Honing self-assessment via serious games and team learning
6/5/2021 University of London Centre for Distance Education, Experiences in Digital Learning Webinar: Institutional Response
13/5/2021 RAISE, Critical Pedagogies Group Annual Lecture 2021: Critical listening. Anti-racism. Institutions.
26/5/2021 AdvanceHE, Leading Student Engagement in Times of Crisis and Transformation: Student Engagement Conference 2021
9-10/6/2021 WonkHE, Wonkfest: Build Back Higher
14-17/6/2021 Jisc, Connect More: Embracing the digital evolution of education and skills

Resources and publications

Carolina (22/4/2021), Equity Practices in Higher Education: The Importance of Dialogue – A Reflection, TILE Network
Cayley, R. (22/4/2021), Supporting doctoral writers as writers, Supervising PhDs
European Distance and E-learning Network (EDEN) (26/4/2021), Learning Design in the Eye of the Storm Webinar recording
Hutton, L. (1/4/2021), Improving engagement in live sessions: the power of the chat, Jisc
iBiology, Professional Development Videos: Peer Discussion, Think-Pair-Share, Active Learning Methods, Active Learning, Classroom Models
Mannion, A. (24/9/2019), Do you comply with the new accessibility regulations?, AbilityNet Blog
Open University, Accessibility: Digital Standards and Guidelines
Rowland, O. (4/6/2020), Active Learning: Making Learning Engaging, Open University Learning Design Blog
Seer Centre, University of Georgia, REALISE videos – Repository for Visualizing Active Learning In Science Education
UNC Learning Center Peer Tutor (10/2020), Studying with Quizlet, How I Write and Learn

Call for Proposals – closes on Friday

27th April 202127th April 2021 WordPress User [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2021, Conference Leave a comment

Save the date banner - 30.06.2021-02.07.2021

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 30^th April 2021.

Conference Registration now open

Registration for the ninth annual Learning and Teaching conference is now open. This year’s Learning and Teaching conference has the theme Improvisation within Constraint: Reshaping a Learning Community in a Time of Change and will be taking place between Wednesday 30 June and Friday 2 July 2021.

You can register for the conference online.