NEWSLETTER
CENTRE FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING SEPTEMBER 2009
Welcome to Rachael Burnett
Rachael has joined us as the new Information and Resources Assistant. She is situated in Skinner room 124 with Caroline Pearce. Rachael is an illustration graduate from Anglia Ruskin University and has a background in bookselling. She is a children’s specialist and has a passion for picture books. Rachael is looking forward to working at BG and being a part of the CfLT team.
Familiar face – new, enhanced role!
We are delighted that Shan Lewis-Hobbs has joined us on a permanent basis as Dyslexia Support Tutor. Shan will still be working with dyslexic students who are in receipt of a Disabled Students Allowance, but is also keen to develop the role to include group sessions and staff development.
educationResearcher educationResearcher is the interdisciplinary refereed journal for research into higher education learning, teaching and assessment at Bishop Grosseteste University College Lincoln. The journal aims to disseminate primary and secondary pedagogic research and development through the publication of scholarly articles and case studies. The editorial board encourages contributions which investigate and evaluate teaching, learning and assessment practice and which promote approaches that may be considered for adoption or adaptation by colleagues within the University College and beyond. The deadline for the receipt of expressions of interest is 31 October annually. Informal enquiries can be made to Claire Taylor before this date. Authors intending to submit articles should note that a comprehensive abstract (100 – 200 words) must accompany the initial expression of interest. Abstracts will be screened by the editorial board for the purposes of choosing potential papers for the journal and authors will be notified of the outcome of the board by mid-November. The deadline for the receipt of articles/case studies is 31 January annually. Please contact Claire if you are interested in submitting an article for volume 1, due to be published in March 2010.
Narrowing the Gap: alternative modes of engaging employers with Foundation Degrees This ESCalate funded project, which has piloted new ways of engaging employers with the FdAs for Learning Practitioners and Children’s Services is now coming to an end. A
dissemination conference will be held at BG on Thursday 3rd December 2009 when modes of
engagement such as video conferencing, use of the VLE and work shadowing will be showcased. Conference details will be circulated in due course.
educationUndergraduate Volume three will be published shortly and features articles covering; ‘What are Teachers’ and Pupils’ Perspectives on the Teaching of Modern Languages as an embedded Subject?’,‘Strategies to Support Pupils with Autistic Spectrum Disorders Learn Names and Identify Others by Name’, ‘An Exploration of the Factors within Primary Schools that Affect the Time Allocated to Physical Education’, ‘An Exploration of Fine Motor Skills Activities to Improve Pencil Grip’ and ‘Investigating the Relationship Between the Use of Puppets for Teaching and Pupil Attention and Participation’. Copies are available on Blackboard (CfLT and Learning Advice).
Congratulations to New Fellows of the HEA
Over the past academic year, three colleagues have been successful in achieving FHEA through the individual application route. Congratulations to Liz Hopkins, Linda Cooper and Kate Adams. If you are interested in FHEA and have been teaching in HE for at least three years, you are eligible to apply via the individual route. Please contact Claire Taylor for more details and to see example applications.
New Lecturers’ Programme The New Lecturers’ Programme here at BG, which incorporates the Postgraduate Certificate of Professional Studies in Education is accredited by the Higher Education Academy (HEA). This means that the programme is recognised across the UK HE sector as being in line with the National Professional Standards for Teaching and Supporting Learning in Higher Education. Any colleagues who successfully complete the programme will be able to demonstrate that they are working within the National Professional Standards and will automatically become a Fellow of the HEA (FHEA). If you have been teaching within HE for less than three years, or if you do not possess a teaching qualification specific to HE,then this programme will give you the opportunity to reflect upon your own teaching and learning practice, and to engage in practitioner research related to your work at BG. It will fast track you to HEA Fellowship status, and give you a recognised qualification related to learning and teaching in HE. (It is becoming the normal expectation across the sector that lecturers hold qualifications that are specifically related to HE teaching and accredited by the HEA). The programme involves around 30 hours taught contact time, delivered on the following four Wednesday afternoons, 1 – 5pm: 28/10/09, 11/11/09, 25/11/09, 09/12/09, plus a further 5 or 6 sessions in semester 2, negotiable with the group. Please contact Claire Taylor for more details.
CHER
The Centre for Higher Education Research (CHER) is an informal group of colleagues (headed up by John Sharp and Claire Taylor) who have expressed an interest in getting involved with research into HE learning and teaching practices. We will aim to meet monthly over the coming academic year in order to support each other in small-scale project work. Further details are available on Blackboard (CfLT).
REACH
REACH (Researching Experience and AChievement) is an ongoing project situated within the CfLT researching the experience and achievement of students from minority backgrounds. The aim of REACH part 1 was to gain a picture of the cultural challenges and conflicts faced by students from minority groups at BG through a longitudinal study of a small sample of students from different cultural backgrounds, (including BME and students with access needs) during the academic year 2008-09. These case studies have now been completed and provide an insight into a range of issues related to the student learning experience at BG. An HEA funded seminar on 15th September disseminated initial findings. Further work is planned for REACH over the coming year.
Blackboard & Reporting Faults Blackboard is virtually ready for semsester 1. If you would like to make changes to how your Courses are arranged or do any other development or enhancement for semester 2 please contact Caroline Pearce as soon as you can. As always, we will be undertaking regular room checks but if you come across any faults with equipment in the teaching rooms yourself please log these with the online IT helpdesk.
Autumn Learning and Teaching Conference Conference resources related to sessions on Sustainability, QAA audit, Regulations, and Time Management are now available on the CfLT VLE, under staff development. You can also use the VLE to find documents related to PARtners, the scheme for peer-assisted reflection being piloted this year. See Claire Taylor for further information.
CENTRE FOR LEARNING AND TEACHING RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE ON BLACKBOARD