Professional Reflections
2019-20 Reflections Dr Kate Herd reflects on her first year as Programme Leader for the BA Product Design & BEng/MEng Product Design Engineering programmes; including the university-wide and programme response to teaching & learning during Covid-19 and lockdown, alongside an optimistic outlook on the blended-learning approach for the 2020-21 Academic Year
“We are not ‘working from home.’ We are at home, in a crisis, trying to work in the best way in the circumstances.”
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After over ten years involvement with Product Design here at Middlesex, it is an absolute pleasure and privilege to have taken over as Programme Leader for the BA Product Design and BEng/MEng programmes. Little did I expect that my first year would be quite so eventful. We had a number of exciting plans ahead, including staffing changes, the first graduating cohort of the BEng programme, and a great range of ‘live’ projects lined up for the year ahead. Little did we know that within a handful of months the entire HE sector, as well as the rest of the world would be in lockdown. The university responded promptly and supportively to the rapid escalation of the external situation with Covid-19. Teaching moved online from
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PRODUCT DESIGN Middlesex University School of Science and Technology
the 23rd March and the campus closed its doors to staff and students soon after. It has been a challenging and rewarding few months as we bring each of our year groups study to a successful conclusion. The Product Design/Engineering programme team, as well as the wider university, rose to the challenge, supporting our students in the best way we could – extending tutorial opportunities beyond the end of the teaching year, and supporting students both individually and in groups through individual and group phone and video calls. We are proud to be part of an institution who value their staff and students so highly. Their Covid-19 principles remind us all to be kind to ourselves and to each other and that
