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Talking About… Learning & Teaching
Talking About…Learning & Teaching
College of Social Sciences, University of Birmingham INSIDE THIS ISSUE 1 2 3
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- Teaching Excellence Framework Bookshelf
Teaching Excellence Framework Bookshelf
- Students the same but different? CLAD Funded Project
The teaching excellence framework will see the government monitoring and assessing the quality of teaching in England’s universities…
- Spotlight on Research Methods: Engaging 300 undergraduates with research methods - Death: Workshops for the Living CLAD Funded Project
Teaching excellence framework (TEF): everything you need to know
https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/teaching-excellenceframework-tef-everything-you-need-to-know
The Conversation on Teaching Excellence Framework https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/teaching-excellence-framework
- Advanced Notice: Top Tips for Canvas Workshop & Resources - Changes to How Canvas Assignments are Created and Updated (1st July 2016) - Cont. - Professional Recognition for Teaching Opportunities - From Pizza to Perfection - A Fine Dining Approach to Assessment and Feedback: Reflections in the Birmingham / Nottingham Symposium on Assessment and Feedback
10 - Cont.
Talking About… Learning and Teaching is published twice a year and is edited by Danielle Hinton (CoSS Instructional Design Consultant). Contributions are welcomed at any time by email to d.m.hinton@bham.ac.uk .
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016
Talking About…Learning & Teaching
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Students the same but different?
Dr Dan Herbert, Senior Lecturer in Accounting & Director of Education, Business School Dr Nick Rowbottom, Senior Lecturer in Accounting, Business School From: https://teachingacademyblog.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/students-the-same-but-different/
Last year my colleague Nick Rowbottom and I had a grant from CLAD to study the experiences of Access 2 Birmingham (A2B) students. The aim of the study was to carry out a series of semi-structured interviews around their experiences of the A2B scheme from the point of application right through to graduation and beyond. Our interest was in how students labelled with a ” widening participation” tag experienced university. Nick has written up the study and is in the process of getting it published. We interviewed 30 students for the study. This meant spending over an hour with each of them discussing their experiences. As well as the things we wanted to study some other interesting things struck us. The most interesting was that grouping students as “widening participation’ is not really a very useful way to understand their needs. When you think about it why should it be. The way a student arrives at the University has little bearing on their experience once here. The differences amongst this group were more important than the similarities. They had different entry qualifications, some lived at home, some achieved ‘normal’ entry grades. The diversity was as great as you would find in any group of students. Thinking of them as an homogenous group is of little help in understanding them. This got us thinking about the way we classify students more widely. The other group we often label is ‘international’ students. But again how useful is this as a label. Some will have been at boarding school in the UK for their whole secondary education and have little in common with students arriving in the UK for the first time having never studied in English before. Some will have UK qualifications, some will have school leaving qualifications which required them to show skills very different to UK A levels. Some will be making their first trip outside of their home countries. Some will be confident travellers. Some will be wealthy, some poor. By labelling them all as ‘international’ we are making an assumption they’ll need the same support. We hold ‘international’ student events in Welcome Week for example. Perhaps it’s time to stop labelling students in this way and devote time (and hence money) in getting to know them as individuals and to understand the support, encouragement and guidance they most need. One of our plans in the Business School next year is to understand ‘international’ students more clearly. We will run focus groups with international students to explore their differing backgrounds, experiences and their needs for support through their programmes. Sam Murphy, our Student Engagement Manager is leading this project and I’m sure he’d like to hear from you if you have any suggestions for the project.
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016
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Talking About…Learning & Teaching
Spotlight on Research Methods: Engaging 300 undergraduates with research methods Dr Anke C. Büttner, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology
I was delighted and more than a little surprised to win an outstanding teaching award this year. I had always assumed that such awards would pass me by: I teach two compulsory 20-credit research methods and statistics modules to a cohort of about 300 second year psychology undergraduates, who – in their own words – often see research methods as a necessary evil. So why – this year of all years – did they appreciate my course? Teaching research methods is a notorious challenge, and many of the proposed suggestions about enhancing students’ engagement are to do with finding ways of making the experience relevant to the students. These are two principles that guide my practice, and I make use of various tools in putting them into action. One such tool is the use clickers to check understanding. This something that I have been doing for many years, but this year I also used the clickers to check confidence to encourage a dialogue and to chart before and after explanation increases in understanding and confidence. This provides students with a visual representation of their progress as a cohort, and it also provides them with an actual example of statistics which are relevant to them, and which they interpret not as an exercise but in an engaged context. Wherever possible, I let students choose the context in which they apply the techniques they need to learn. Thus practicals include opportunities to select additional variables to slot into the task at hand. For example, student groups choose a published questionnaire about a topic of direct interest to them and, after discussion with module staff to make sure that the proposed research is ethical and an explanation of why they wish to use the questionnaire, they can integrate it with the constraints of the practicals that ensure that learning outcomes are met. This enhances engagement and understanding, because the students are following their native interests but need to justify how these relate to the methods covered on their modules. However, the newest aspect of my modules, and maybe the one that tipped the scales into enjoyment for many of the students this year, is that I have changed the nature of the examples used in teaching research methods and statistics. This year the modules had a ‘positive psychology’ spin, integrating research about how to address some of the real life issues students face. These examples were included not only because they should be directly relevant and accessible to students, but also because they might provide some useful advice as an added bonus. Perhaps this means that the methods modules this year were a little less ‘necessary evil’ and a little more ‘incidental benefit’. If so, I hope that my next cohort enjoys their modules, too.
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Vol 9 No 2, 2016
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Talking About…Learning & Teaching
Death: Workshops for the Living
Dr Nicola Gale, Senior Lecturer in Health Sociology, School of Social Policy with Polly Wright, writer, dramatist and visiting ‘Literature in Medicine’ lecturer and Prof Jaana Erkkila, Professor of Visual Arts at the University of Lapland, Finland Death is relevant to all professional training, such as medicine, nursing, education, social work and law, as well as other disciplines, such as social sciences, cultural studies, history, literature or music that deal with death as a topic; however, it remains a stigmatized issue. Working collaboratively with students to jointly design creative resources to support learning about death may be a way to break through this stigma and produce meaningful learning experiences. This CLAD funded project has run 6 arts-based, co-design (ABCD) workshops with undergraduate and postgraduate students from different disciplines using literature and visual arts to promote discussion on issues such as assisted dying, approaches to palliative care, faith and beliefs surrounding death, environmental funeral procedures - as well as explorations of our own feelings about death, and how it shapes our approach to life. The primary aim of the project is to explore the feasibility of conducting arts-based, co-design (ABCD) workshops to learn about sensitive subjects. The project will focus on one topic (death and dying). We want to create a learning environment that encourages open discussion of a subject which is generally perceived to be taboo, but which touches us all, with a wide range of students for whom the subject may or may not be part of their future professional practice. The use of the ABCD method that we develop will allow them to explore their personal and emotional responses to the subject, with the intention not only of increasing empathy in some students’ professional behavior, but also equipping them to develop resources which will enhance the future learning of others. The project aims to (a) serve as a springboard to develop a proposed “Death Festival (for the Living)” at the university in early 2017, to showcase resources codesigned by students for future teaching and learning on the subject (b) identify transferable lessons about using co-designed, arts-based methods for teaching of other sensitive or challenging topics.
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016
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Talking About…Learning & Teaching
Advanced Notice: Top Tips for Canvas Workshop (Sept 2016) As we come to the end of the 3rd year of using Canvas it seems like a good time to capture the good ideas for its use that have developed and to share these. The Business School and CoSS TEL Hub are planning a workshop on Canvas use. The workshop will be open to all and seeks to share tips, tricks, innovations and even failures. So if you have developed a clever way to mark using Speedgrader, found a neat way to engage students in discussions, used some of the add-ons available, developed interactive teaching material or have any other useful ideas we’d love you to share them at the workshop. We hope that the workshop will help people make better use of the features available in Canvas both for their own benefit and that of students. We are especially interested in ideas that help improve student learning in an online environment. The workshop is open to all academic and professional services staff (date to be determined). Register for the workshop please by emailing Luke McFarlane.
Coming Soon: Online Resources to Support Blended, Online and Distance Learning Early September will see the release of a suite of online course resources by the University’s Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) Hub. They are designed to be used as self-study or guided courses and/or just-in-time resources for academics, associate tutors, PGTAs and professional services. Initial topics include Online Marking in Canvas, Interactive Voting Tools, Quizzes in Canvas, Event Capture with Panopto and Building a Canvas Course.
More details to follow.
CoSS Technology Enhanced Learning Team Kabir Ganguly (TEL Hub CoSS Partnership Manager) Email: k.ganguly@bham.ac.uk Danielle Hinton (CoSS Instructional Design Consultant) Email: d.m.hinton@bham.ac.uk Tel: 43468 Dee Partridge (CoSS TEL Developer) Email: D.PARTRIDGE@bham.ac.uk@bham.ac.uk Tel: 45734 Andy Wright (Instructional Designer & Team Manager – TILT BBS) Email: A.Wright.2@bham.ac.uk Tel: 58832 Andy Madin (TEL Developer – TILT BBS) Email: d.m.hinton@bham.ac.uk Tel: 43315 Stuart Duke (eLearning Support Officer) Email: S.D.DUKE@bham.ac.uk Tel: 58397 Previlla Devi (eLearning Support Officer) Email: P.DEVI@bham.ac.uk Tel: 46235 James Gormley (Technical Teaching Assistant – BBS) Email: J.Gormley@bham.ac.uk Tel: 48315
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016
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Changes to How Canvas Assignments are Created and Updated (1st July 2016) From 1st July 2016 the way Turnitin works with Canvas is changing. This has implications for how assignments will need to be created. The pre-July 2016 Turnitin integration will be withdrawn permanently on Friday, 16 September 2016. Turnitin is the originality checking and plagiarism prevention service used by the University within Canvas assignments.
Turnitin file types and file size limits From 1st July 2016 we will not be able to restrict student submission types. The file size limit per assignment submission is now 40MB with a limit of 400 pages in length.
Multiple Due Dates The option to assign different submission dates in a single assignment is significantly changing from 1st July 2016. This Canvas function now breaks date syncing with Turnitin because Turnitin can only handle one set of dates per assignment. We recommend that you create an individual assignment for every unique extension or resubmission student's submission date.
Group assignments The option to create Turnitin enabled group assignments will cease from 1st July 2016. We recommend that you create two assignment submission areas as follows: You set up two submission areas for one group assignment called Copy 1 and Copy 2 or equivalent. In the assignment instructions you should be very clear that one submission per group should be made to Copy 1 and Copy 2 assignments. 1. Create the Copy 1 Assignment as a Group Assignment. • •
Please note that this assignment submission area will not have Turnitin enabled You should mark and release grades and feedback in this assignment only
2. Create Copy 2 Assignment • •
Please note that this assignment submission area should have Turnitin enabled (please contact the College TEL Team for advice on the new method) You should use this assignment submission for Turnitin checking only - do not unmute this assignment
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016
Talking About…Learning & Teaching
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Changes to How Canvas Assignments are Created and Updated (1st July 2016) Multiple file submissions using Turnitin The option to create Turnitin enabled group assignments will cease from 1st July 2016. We recommend that you create separate assignment submission areas each submission needed to be processed through Turnitin. Students can still submit multiple files to Canvas only assignments. For example: 3 boxes: Main assignment submission; Appendix 1-2; Appendix 3-6 2 or more boxes: Dissertation/PhD Chapters 1-4; Dissertation/PhD Chapters 5-8 etc The file size limit per assignment submission is 40MB with a limit of 400 pages in length. Please note that a submission must have at least 25 words. Turnitin will not accept: • • •
PDF image files, forms, or portfolios, files that do not contain highlightable text (e.g. a scanned file usually an image), documents containing multiple and / or embedded files Non Adobe Acrobat® PDF formats
Peer review assignments The option to create Turnitin enabled peer review assignments will cease from 1st July 2016. We recommend that you create two assignment submission areas as follows: You set up two submission areas for one group assignment called Copy 1 and Copy 2 or equivalent. In the assignment instructions you should be very clear that one submission per group should be made to Copy 1 and Copy 2 assignments. 1. Create the Copy 1 Assignment as a Group Assignment. • •
Please note that this assignment submission area will not have Turnitin enabled You should mark and release grades and feedback in this assignment only
2. Create Copy 2 Assignment • •
Please note that this assignment submission area will have Turnitin enabled (please contact the College TEL Team for advice on the new method) You should use this assignment submission for Turnitin checking only - do not unmute this assignment
Setting up Turnitin assignments with Rubrics It is essential that if you are creating or updating an assignment with a Rubric that it is correctly configured and attached before enabling Turnitin.
It is essential that all professional services staff responsible for updating Canvas assignments contact their TEL Team contact to arrange small group or 1:1 training before any assignments are updated for the 2016/17 academic year.
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Talking About…Learning & Teaching
Academic Development Opportunities Dr Petia Petrova, Academic Practice Advisor, CLAD CLAD provides a wide range of academic development opportunities. These include A. BEACON - HEA Professional Recognition B. Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP) C. Academic Practice Groups
BEACON – HEA Professional Recognition HEA Fellowship is an international recognition of a commitment to professionalism in teaching and learning in higher education and demonstrates that your practice is aligned with the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). Beacon aims to build engagement with the UK Professional Standards Framework across the institution and provide a route to recognition for experienced staff and for those not served by existing HEA accredited programmes (e.g. librarians, learning technologists and skills support staff). Staff are encouraged to apply for Fellowship and Senior Fellowship of the HEA through the ‘Beacon’ Scheme run by CLAD. Submissions comprise a written piece supported by referee statements. Find out more via the Beacon programme Canvas course or email beacon@contacts.bham.ac.uk
Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP) The Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PCAP) is a 60-credit Masters level programme for academics with a substantive teaching and assessment role at the University. The overall aim of the programme is to provide a comprehensive preparation for the learning and teaching aspect of an academic role, and to relate this to wider responsibilities associated with professional practice such as research and academic leadership. All probationary academic staff with a substantive teaching and assessment role are required to complete the full 60 credit PGCert in Academic Practice. This applies to all those who joined the institution from November 2011. PCAP is also open to non-probationary staff for CPD purposes. For more information please email: pgcertenquiries@contacts.bham.ac.uk
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016
Talking About…Learning & Teaching
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From Pizza to Perfection - A Fine Dining Approach to Assessment and Feedback: Reflections in the Birmingham / Nottingham Symposium on Assessment and Feedback Sarah King, Programme Lead, PCAP and Beacon Professional Recognition Scheme, CLAD
We’ve all been there. In our house it’s usually Friday, after a long week at work, when the cupboards are almost bare and the on-line food shop isn’t arriving until the next day. We need a quick fix, something that will keep everyone happy without the need for negotiation, requires no preparation, can (if absolutely necessary) be eaten straight out of the packaging. Takeaway pizza has, without a doubt, saved us on more than one occasion. Compare this to a fine dining experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant where the whole process of cooking has been slowed, where the ingredients have been carefully chosen and then put together to create complex dishes that linger in the memory. The food is satisfying and nutritious, crafted with care and attention to bring the best out of the produce. What does this have to do with assessment I hear you ask? Well this (much more long-winded in my case) comparison of hastily created takeaways with the complex process of fine dining was used as an analogy by Tansy Jessop in her keynote presentation at the Birmingham / Nottingham Symposium on Assessment and Feedback on 24th May to illustrate programme level approaches to assessment design using TESTA
(Transforming
the
Experience
of
Students
through
Assessment www.testa.ac.uk/). It struck a real chord with me. Getting assessment right requires more than the quick fix, it takes time, energy and commitment but when you do get it right it is more rewarding for all of us, staff and students. I hope that Tansy won’t mind but I’m going to take this analogy a little further as I reflect on her keynote. What defines the fine dining meal is that each individual component has been carefully considered so that it works not just individually but as part of the dish as a whole. Remove just one element and it potentially impacts on everything. The takeaway
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Talking About…Learning & Teaching
pizza, on the other hand, remains a takeaway pizza regardless of requests to “hold the onion” or add “extra cheese”. The tinkering around the edges that we do with assessment at a modular level, often in response to NSS scores achieves very little, Tansy argues. The modularisation of the higher education curriculum and the resulting increase in summative assessment adds to the problem and encourages the student belief that once a module is completed the learning is done. This is the takeaway pizza approach: we add a little, we take a little away and we focus on one component (the module) rather than thinking about a coherent whole (the programme). We make a quick fix, addressing a perceived problem and move on. It keeps everyone happy for a while but ultimately is not very satisfying and before too long we are messing around with things again. Tansy encouraged us to change the discourse around assessment and feedback and to start thinking about a “connected curriculum”. This necessitates a shift away from a focus on the individual components that are modules and to think about the programme as a whole and how those modules (and their assessments) join up. This, in turn, requires a team approach to curriculum design that encourages dialogue around the whole of the curriculum and how our modules feed into the wider programme aims. It requires us to shift the culture away from a language that talks about “my module” to one that speaks about “our programme”. Taking this programme level approach allows us to think about the quantity and quality of assessment that we expose our students to. It allows us to develop a rich mix of assessment types that complement and build on each other. It helps us to avoid the situation that Tansy described as formative assessment “competing” with summative assessment (a battle which, she pointed out, summative will always win) so that we “rebalance” them and students develop a better understanding of the value of formative assessment and how it links to and supports them in completing summative work. Working at a programme level in this way takes time but as we know from our fine dining analogy it is time well spent. It may also require us to negotiate and compromise on occasion as we shift our position away from a modular perspective to a whole programme approach. Ultimately, though, when done well we end up with a coherent and cohesive whole that, much like the dish on the Michelin-starred menu, delivers satisfaction both to those who create it and those who sample it. Tansy Jessop’s slides from the symposium are available on SlideShare here: http://www.slideshare.net/Tansy1962/birmingham-assessment-and-feedbacksymposium?qid=2eb1e705-33cc-4179-bb75-85bfe1534d26&v=&b=&from_search=1
College of Social Sciences
Vol 9 No 2, 2016