The Annual Teaching and Learning Conference

Blackpool and The Fylde College Annual Teaching and Learning Conference 2021

In early July 2021, the HE Annual Learning and Teaching event comprised of a series of keynotes delivered by external academics and breakout sessions presented by B&FC colleagues on the topic of developing graduate attributes and transferrable skills, in addition to presentations from the Scholarship Review 2020. A range of complementary HE self-paced materials were also made accessible on the day. Topics included education for sustainable development, critical theory and work based learning. Over 100 colleagues who deliver and support HE attended the event and breakout sessions.

We welcomed our first keynote speaker of the day, Dr Lynne Crook, Senior Tutor and Course Leader in Character and Personal Development at University Academic 92. Lynne captured the audience with her presentation “Embedding Character and Personal Development in the Curriculum at UA92”

In her presentation Dr Crook outlined the challenges they faced in embedding personal and professional skills within the curriculum, including pivoting their approaches in response to student feedback and needs. It also covered future plans to provide real-world experiences which contextualise students’ degrees in the world of industry.

Our second keynote was delivered by Dr Jan McArthur, Senior Lecturer in Education and Social Justice, Department of Educational Research, Lancaster University. Jan led us through her engaging research “Graduate attributes and social justice: adopting a critical position between unquestioning adherence and elitist hostility”

Dr McArthur discussed how graduate attributes can be firmly associated with greater social justice within and through higher education. How they have a special relevance for the so-called non-traditional student, how they can develop confidence and a sense of purpose and how they can prepare graduates for an uncertain working environment without making them simply compliant workers or seeing work as the only factor in living a fulfilling life.

Throughout the day there were four breakout sessions with presentations available from which the delegates could select several options that covered a breadth of topics as outline below:

• Using career theory and models to support graduate employability.

Anna Brady, Partnership and Careers Team Leader

• The HE learner digital journey

Dr Arfan Ismail, Head of Digital and LRC

• Developing graduate attributes through undergraduate research activities (Student experiences from the Global Lancaster University Undergraduate Research Conference 2021) o Françoise Peill (Senior Tutor, Scholarship and Research, Society Health and Childhood) o Claire Leeds (Student BA (Hons) Early Childhood Studies) o Graham Mason (Programme Leader, Leadership Management and Lifestyle) o Hannah Farquhar (Student BSc (Hons) Physical Activity, Health and Nutrition)

• Work based learning: A review of the B&FC cross-college module.

Jane Mahon, Partnerships and Careers Manager

• Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) intersections across graduate attributes

Penny Mackay, Assistant HE Academic Registrar

The day was further enhanced by presentation on “Power to Progress: Embedding graduate attributes in progress tutorials” delivered by Marc Potter, Curriculum Manager from Leadership Management and Lifestyle and Hannah Emery, Academic Achievements Manager. This session was a chance for colleagues to be introduced to ‘Power to Progress’, which is a new, innovative digitally based programme, available on our VLE Canvas designed to provide a comprehensive student-directed progress tutorial solution for all HE students.

The day continued with eight presentations from both curriculum and service area staff who have received funding from the Scholarship and Research and Development Scheme during 2020-21 as details as follows:

• Research Serendipity: A case study

Alan Harding, Lecturer, Maritime Operations Management

• The extent to which education prepares students of the 21st century to become self-regulated, future proofed students, using networked, technological environments

Colette Mazzola-Randles, Senior Tutor, Learning Teaching and Assessment, Computing and Digital Technologies

• An evaluation of a bespoke progress meeting scheme of work to improve student retention and achievement at level 4 study in Society Health and Childhood

Françoise Peill, Senior Tutor for Scholarship and Research, Society Health and Childhood

Parvonay Amirkhani, Senior Tutor for Student Progress, Society Health and Childhood

• ‘Solving issues by myself’. An exploration of student resilience, self-efficacy and perceptions of independence

Hannah Emery, Academic Achievements Manager

• Creating Creative Communities of Practice: Research and scholarship in Blackpool School of Arts

Dr Jill Fernie-Clarke, former Head of Blackpool School of Arts

• Building Houses on Sand: A reflective consideration of the student-as-customer metaphor in light of the COVID-19 pandemic

Lisa Kelly, Lecturer, Blackpool School of Arts

• Counting on Success: The maths pilot scheme in Blackpool School of Arts

Mark Johnstone, Curriculum Manager, Blackpool School of Arts

• Rethinking and redefining resilience in a college-based higher education environment

Rachael Leitch, Senior Tutor Scholarship and Research, Leadership Management and Lifestyle

The feedback from our external guests, presenters and delegates was very positive and we are now looking ahead to next year’s conference.