Hello from your new Online Learning Specialist!

WordPress User [aeu] Training and Support Leave a comment

My name is Ania and I am one of the three Online Learning Specialists joining the LTEU.

Some of you may recognise me as I have previously worked with Information Services, at first as Communications, Marketing and E-learning Support Officer and then as part of the E-learning Group providing technical support to staff and overseeing smooth running of online exams. In the summer of 2019, I left Aberystwyth to pursue a master’s degree in Applied Positive Psychology. During my degree, I also worked for Anglia Ruskin Students’ Union as a Volunteer Centre Coordinator. 

I would have never guessed I will be given the opportunity to join the LTEU once again. I am extremely grateful to be able to work alongside such a supportive team and contribute to the further development of, already outstanding, teaching at AU. Throughout my time of working at AU in the I have always been inspired by the dedication and creativity of AU teaching staff. I look forward to learning from your expertise and work alongside each one of you in delivering high-quality online teaching to our students. I am hoping to draw on research in the area of Positive Education, providing you with (hopefully) an interesting and transformative perspective of students’ basic psychological needs and their motivation for learning. It is clear that the upcoming year will be full of challenges for students as well as staff and I am hoping to provide you with the support and knowledge needed for you to develop online teaching that is sustainable, in line with your methods and the needs of your students.

I look forward to meeting you.

Please feel free to contact with me any queries comments: aeu@aber.ac.uk

Ania

Additional online learning support for teaching staff

WordPress User [aeu] Online Teaching, Training and Support Leave a comment

Recent months brought an expected rapid demand for high-quality online teaching. As in the upcoming academic year a large part of teaching will continue to be delivered online, the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit will be joined by three Online Learning Specialists. They will support the LTEU in designing and delivering an ambitious programme of training for all teaching staff at AU. This programme aims to make sure that all AU staff are able to deliver pedagogically effective teaching and learning activities, in our new learning and teaching conditions.

We would like to extend a warm welcome to our new team members.

Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit

Invitation: Aberystwyth University’s Learning and Teaching Conference 2020

WordPress User [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2020, Conference Leave a comment

We’re looking forward to this year’s Learning and Teaching Conference which is just under a month away, 7-9th September 2020.

As you may have read, this year’s Conference will be taking place online via Teams so you can join us for as much or as little of the conference as you wish.

You can download the full programme and book your place online.

We’re grateful to have a number of external speakers this year. Our keynote, Professor Ale Armellini, will be talking about embedding active blended learning into all courses at the University of Northampton. You can read more about this project on the University of Northampton’s webpage. 

In addition to Professor Armellini, we also have Dr Kate Lister from the Open University who will be talking about embedding wellbeing into the curriculum. In addition to her presentation, Kate will also be offering a drop-in session where colleagues can ask specific questions about the wellbeing strategy.

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Conference Registration

WordPress User [jbw] Annual Learning and Teaching Conference 2020, Conference Leave a comment

Registration for the eighth annual Learning and Teaching conference is open. This year’s Learning and Teaching conference has the theme Enhancing the Curriculum: Inspire Learning and Invigorate Teaching! and will be taking place online between Monday 7th and Wednesday 9th September 2020.

You can register for the conference by filling in this online form.

This year, we’ve got an exciting and varied programme with activities, workshops and presentations demonstrating the innovative teaching practices that are taking place across the University. A draft copy of the programme is available on our webpages.

If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Learning and Teaching Conference 2020 Logo

Changes to the Blackboard Required Minimum Presence (RMP)

WordPress User [jbw] Blackboard, Teaching Continuity, Virtual Learning Environment(VLE) Leave a comment

Distance Learner BannerWe have updated the RMP to respond to the Covid-19 situation. The new RMP contains items that will help support students with their online learning. It has been developed by the Learning and Teaching Enhancement Group (LTEU) with significant input from sub-groups of the Learning and Teaching Scenario Planning Group (LTSPG).

What’s New?

All new or altered items are highlighted in bold in the new RMP. They represent some good practice currently in place around AU as well as responding to some of the queries received by the LTEU from staff and students during the Covid-19 crisis. Some highlights include:

  • A Panopto recording of a module tour to help students to familiarise themselves with how the module will run
  • Induction activities – see below
  • Providing clear information to students on what they need to do online, how they should do it, and what to do if they have problems
  • Recommendations on providing lecture materials via short Panopto recordings.

Induction materials

The IBERS Distance Learning modules make use of an induction folder (known as Unit 0). This introduces all students to a range of activities which must be completed to ensure that students are able to successfully study online. We recommend this approach for modules in the coming year. The types of activities you may want to include will vary between modules and will depend on what tools and approaches you are using in the module. Some examples may be:

  • A practice Turnitin or Blackboard Assignment submission to check submission and that students can view their feedback
  • Viewing a Panopto recording and completing a quiz
  • Posting an introductory message to a discussion forum
  • Completing a formative Blackboard test
  • Locating library materials through the Aspire Reading List

If you need any help or support with the new RMP, please email elearning@aber.ac.uk

Parent-child modules

WordPress User [jbw] Blackboard, Virtual Learning Environment(VLE) Leave a comment

Image of Blackboard logo and parent-child

Now that the 2020-21 modules are available to staff, we can link them together at the module co-ordinator’s request. This process is known as parent-childing. Linking modules together is an effective way of dealing with separate modules with the same content so you don’t have to upload materials to two or more different modules.

This process makes one module the parent, whilst the other module(s) become a child. There’s no limit on how many modules you make a child but there can only be one parent.

If you’d like to parent-child your modules, and you’re the module co-coordinator, contact elearning@aber.ac.uk with the module codes for the parent and child modules.

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2020/2021 Modules now available

WordPress User [jbw] Uncategorised Leave a comment

Modules for the academic year 2020/2021 are now available for staff teaching on modules.

You may have noticed that a new tab has appeared on the top menu of your Blackboard screen:

Module menu showing 2020-21 modules highlighted (second tab from the left)

If you’re enrolled as a staff member on the module in Astra then you should be able to view your modules for next academic year. If you’re not able to see a module that you are enrolled on then contact your Departmental Administrator. Students won’t be enrolled on the module until registration is complete.

This year, Blank Course Copy applies to all on-campus Postgraduate modules.

We’ve got the following support available to help with Blank Course Copy:

If you have any queries regarding Blank Course Copy, or need further assistance, please email elearning@aber.ac.uk.

Reminder: Call for Proposals: Learning and Teaching Conference 2020

WordPress User [jbw] Conference, Events and Networks Leave a comment

*Closing Friday*

We are inviting proposals for the 8th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference, Monday 7th – Wednesday 9th September 2020.

Submit and view the call for proposals online.

This year’s conference theme, Enhancing the Curriculum: Inspire Learning and Invigorate Teaching, aims to reflect the commitment that AU staff have to enhance the student learning experience.

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Using the Whiteboard Feature in Microsoft Teams

WordPress User [jbw] Online Teaching, Other Tools 7 Comments

In this blogpost we will be taking a look at one of the tools available to make your teaching in a Microsoft Teams session more interactive. The Whiteboard is a space where you and your students can collaborate.

The whiteboard can be used for:

  1. Students sharing ideas or thoughts
  2. Talking your students through a complicated diagram
  3. Mind-mapping ideas or concepts
  4. Sharing or charting a complex process

There’s a great video on using the Whiteboard in Teams by The Virtual Training Team: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDqtWRu0rTA

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More training sessions available

WordPress User [jbw] Blackboard, E-submission, Other Tools, Panopto, Training and Support, Virtual Learning Environment(VLE) Leave a comment

Distance Learner Banner

The Learning and Teaching Enhancement Unit have got some more Moving to Online Teaching and Using Microsoft Teams for Learning and Teaching Activities scheduled. You can book your place online and we will send you a Teams Calendar invite to attend the training session.

In the Moving to Online Teaching session, we introduce some general guidance on how to design and prepare for online teaching. We look at the various interactive tools available in Blackboard and offer tips on how best to implement them into your teaching. We also provide some guidance on the e-assessment tools available to you, guidance on how to tailor your Panopto recordings for online delivery, and how to design and prepare for online video conferencing sessions. We finish with some guidance on using Third Party Software to support Learning and Teaching.

In using Microsoft Teams for Learning and Teaching Activities, we expand our advice on running online teaching sessions for students and go through the functionality available to you in Teams meetings. We provide guidance and information on how best to run interactive sessions with your students, looking at the document collaboration functionality available in Teams.

Underpinning these sessions are the principles of Active Learning and Accessibility that will help to create effective online learning environments for your students.

We will be developing our CPD programme over the summer to respond to the needs of staff. If you wish to discuss any aspect of learning and teaching, please email lteu@aber.ac.uk. For any technical guidance, email elearning@aber.ac.uk.