Five creatives give their perspective
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STAY SAFE ONLINE
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GRADUATION MOMENTS
A few moments crossing the stage turns students into graduates Artwork created by Martin Bell, Contemporary Art Practice Alumnus
RGView
GRAY’S DEGREE SHOW 2019
Connecting the University Community
ISSUE 04
OVERVIEW
THE OVERVIEW 4
Gray’s Degree Show 2019
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Designing communities of the future
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Graduation Moments
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Giving youth a sporting chance
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Stay safe online
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Developing the creative industries
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Everything the light touches
20 A PhD: why now? 22 Delivering skills-rich, professional education 26 Community moments 28 Meet our people 32 Moments 34 Circles: The Culture and Language Exchange Network
Tell us what you think Share your RGView, your stories and your thoughts with the editor by emailing RGU Communications.
FOREWORD
This edition of RGView looks back over the summer, showcasing the work and achievements of the university community which contribute to the success of RGU. The commitment of staff in supporting our students to achieve success is recognised with a selection of inspirational graduate stories from our end of year shows and the summer graduations. A number of our major projects and initiatives are featured throughout which demonstrate the delivery of our priorities as we pursue our strategic aims, such as the launch of the Creative Accelerator. Our strategy is of course realised through our culture and you can find out more about the RGU community in RGView. This edition features a staff profile on Scott Matthews who joined the university this year as our new Director of IT and Digital. I hope you will spend some time browsing through these pages and enjoy this snapshot of the impressive work of our community. Kind regards, John
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
THIS WAS ART. THIS WAS DESIGN. THIS WAS THE GRAY’S DEGREE SHOW 2019. Artwork created by Martin Bell, Contemporary Art Practice Alumnus
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Every year, Gray’s School of Art is transformed into a public exhibition which showcases the creativity, originality and expertise of final year students. The 2019 Degree Show featured work by students spanning disciplines including painting, fashion and textiles, contemporary art practice, 3D design, communication design and photography. The culmination of four years’ research and practice, the Degree Show not only gives our students the practical application of creating an exhibition of their work, it gives them the opportunity to engage with fellow artists and members of the public who visit the show. The Degree Show has been sponsored by BP for the last 16 years, creating a bridge between the business and art worlds. As part of the sponsorship, judges from BP visit the show prior to opening weekend and decide on the winners of the annual BP Design and BP Fine Art Awards, won this year by Bethany Galley and Kristina Aburrow respectively.
Sam Donnelly From large-scale installations and cutting-edge design displays, to figurative paintings, photographs and contemporary fashion, the Degree Show was an incredible demonstration of the creative excellence of the class of 2019.
“I have really enjoyed Communication Design as it has provided me with so many excellent lessons and the teaching staff and technicians have all been great, and have always helped wherever possible. Meeting so many like-minded people has also been invaluable to me throughout the course.”
Bethany, who studied Communication Design, wanted her work to create a better understanding of current social issues around the world. Kristina, a final year Contemporary Art Practice student, focused on an area closer to home, with her work inspired by the North-east of Scotland’s heritage and its connection with the sea. The 2019 Degree Show ran for a week and saw hundreds of people through the doors at Gray’s, including reviewers from national newspapers, to view and interact with the work of more than 150 students. From large-scale installations and cutting-edge design displays, to figurative paintings, photographs and contemporary fashion, the Degree Show was an incredible demonstration of the creative excellence of the class of 2019.
Indie McCue “I have always been someone who has experimented with various mediums of work and this course seemed to allow me to do that even more so. “During my time on the course, I have been able to progress creatively, emotionally and socially – Contemporary Art’s structure at Gray’s creates a space for you to develop in all ways if you allow it to happen.”
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Nefeli Chrysanthou “From the beginning, I have aspired to graduate as an improved version of myself and now, as my degree is coming to an end, I certainly feel that my tutors have helped this goal come to fruition. I feel grateful to have been under the tutelage of such a committed staff and intend on carrying their lessons for the rest of my artistic practice.”
Charlotte Gordine “I think Gray’s School of Art is one of the most underappreciated schools in the UK. It is a hidden gem. It gives young people the chance to explore their creativity rather than only taking on students that have already done so. “From having taken part in the Erasmus programme where I attended the fifth best university in the world for product design in Milan, I am confident in saying that Gray’s plays in the same league as the Politecnico di Milano.”
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Isabel McLeish “I’ve always enjoyed being creative and hands-on, and the fact that the Contemporary Art Practice course is so multidisciplinary was a real attraction for me. “I’ve enjoyed the freedom to experiment and develop my artistic skills while at university, and the opportunity to share my ideas in a supportive environment. I’m grateful for the inclusive and sociable nature of Gray’s. I’ve made strong and close friendships here.”
George Cheyne, Collections Assistant “Each year the Degree Show hosts a vibrant display of innovative, dynamic and thought-provoking work by the graduates. “A key aim for RGU’s Art and Heritage collections is to celebrate this talent by collecting work annually, thus providing a resource that allows us the opportunity to display the graduates’ work within the university and beyond. Each year’s acquisitions represent a further page in the history of the School and the University, a material record of student achievement, their study and research. “Across the decades, collected and award winning work presents us with a kaleidoscope of treasures to study and celebrate. “Looking back we can reflect upon individual achievement and the collective whole that is our shared history.” 7
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Designing communities of the future
The annual Scott Sutherland School of Architecture and Built Environment End of Year Show provides an opportunity to highlight some of the amazing work being done by Architecture and Architectural Technology students, much of which focuses on real-world issues. This year, the School worked in collaboration with the 5710 Society to break from the norm and transport a selection of final year work to The Anatomy Rooms, for the ‘Future Communities’ exhibition. Future Communities acted as a precursor to the End of Year Show and allowed an even greater number of visitors the opportunity to see innovative solutions to major nationwide challenges such as housing and tourism, as well as creative ideas for the redevelopment of Aberdeen harbour. Final year Architecture students were on hand to deliver a series of presentations on their work, answering questions and taking feedback from the public. This was followed by the official End of Year show which took place within the School, which showcased some of the best work by our Architecture and Architectural Technology students at varying stages of their degrees, reflecting the broad spectrum of activities undertaken within the school. Professor David McClean, Head of School said: “The end of year show gave the opportunity to see work which achieves a refined balance between imagination and realism, a balance that renders work progressive and inspiring, yet also credible and compelling.
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STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
“As a school, we are interested in addressing real scenarios and conditions, exploring these with creativity and rigour. It is this focus that equips our graduates to make an impactful and lasting contribution to our professions, our industry, our communities and to society.”
The student perspective – Chester Kendell
An Orcadian Carvanserai
Architecture schools can have a tendency to isolate themselves, becoming inward facing with the professionals and students they are engaged with. Exhibitions, particularly those outwith the school, become a special opportunity for both the school and its students. Exhibitions present a dialogue between the work of the student and the community they are designed for. It also creates discourse about larger underlying ideas of community, life and the future; all using architecture as a vehicle for this discussion.
On top of the two Aberdeen-based shows, a team of final year students travelled to Orkney to host the ‘Orcadian Carvanserai’ exhibition, which highlighted some innovative projects focused on boosting the island’s tourism industry. This provided the students with an opportunity to engage with the local community, many of who attended the exhibition, including the Leader of Orkney Islands Council, James Stockan.
The stage 6 students of architecture presented three exhibitions in
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three venues with varying levels of engagement. The future communities show held in the city centre venue of the Anatomy Rooms became a celebration of the work of stage 6 students. The end of year show held at the Scott Sutherland School of Architecture presented the full array of work produced by the students, with every model, sketchbook and idea on display. In addition to these two shows the stage 6 students of Unit 3 recently put on an exhibition entitled An Orcadian Caravanserai in the harbour town of Stromness, Orkney. The students presented two years of intense design and research about Orkney, in Orkney.
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Graduation Moments
Dionne Milne, an Applied Biomedical Science student and also a record-holding athlete, has thrown herself at multiple learning opportunities and graduated from RGU with a first-class Honours.
Anna McLeod, a prize-winning software develop from Aberdeen, celebrated after securing both a software developer degree in Computing – Application Software Development from RGU and a job with Sword IT Solutions.
Rebecca Main was the sole female to graduate with a BSc (Hons) in Construction Management when she took to the stage during her graduation. 10
STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT
Hal’s journey with RGU doesn’t end after he graduates with a degree in Media this summer as he’s secured a full-time role within the Marketing team after successfully turning his passion for film into a career.
Hard work, a supportive family and attaining a Master’s degree in Advancing Nursing Practice from RGU has given Esther Hughes, a working nurse from Banchory, a new career direction.
Being diagnosed with focal epilepsy during her studies hasn’t stopped Rhiain from achieving her degree in Events Management as she graduates from RGU.
Working full-time, being a mother to a beautiful daughter, and looking after two dogs – as well as completing one ultra-marathon and three marathons – didn’t slow down Sarah Hall’s chances of crossing the finish line and graduating from RGU with a degree in Business Management.
Read more inspirational student experience stories from our new graduates 11
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
Giving Youth a Sporting Chance “It’s important to me that we highlight our amazing partners, who’ve made everything possible,” Dr Bryan McCann smiled, after learning that his efforts in creating the Aberdeen Youth Games would be highlighted as part of the Universities Scotland’s MadeAtUni Nation’s Lifesavers campaign. “So much of the success and the way that the programme has grown over the years is testament to the incredible efforts of the Sport and Exercise Science team here at RGU, colleagues from Sport Aberdeen and NESCol, as well as significant backing from The Wood Foundation.” Dr Bryan McCann
These partners came together in 2013 to create the innovative and multi awardwinning Aberdeen Youth Games – a programme which promotes physical activity, health and wellbeing amongst young people, whilst providing an impactful boost for the employability of dozens of students. 12
“The programme began when I was looking for a meaningful, exciting placement for the 2nd year BSc (Hons) Applied Sport and Exercise Science students, and I approached Sport Aberdeen to explore the possibilities. Their Active Schools team agreed to place the students in schools across the city for four weeks and the students hosted three small sporting festivals at the end of their placements. “We agreed that the format worked well and applied for funding from the Celebrate Fund, which was part of the Commonwealth Games, to host a larger festival at the end of the 2014 games. That is how the Aberdeen Youth Games was born.” In its established format, the Aberdeen Youth Games sees over 100 students from a range of courses deliver over 900 hours of skills-based coaching to pupils at every Aberdeen city primary and secondary school. The addition of
STUDENT EXPERIENCE secondary schools this year means that a total of over 6,000 young people feel the benefits of the coaching. The programme has a significant impact on the students themselves too. They gain training and qualifications in a range of sport-related activities, such as sport coaching and first aid. Predominantly, they are able to apply their learning in a real-life context, not only strengthening their understanding of course content, but broadening and deepening their transferable skills. “Students go on from the placement with the guarantee of paid and voluntary roles with Sport Aberdeen, and many use their Aberdeen Youth Games experience as a springboard into other amazing extracurricular opportunities and graduate destinations. “The most important thing for me is that the students see the positive role they can play in the health and wellbeing of society.”
“We are currently exploring some exciting opportunities to enhance the quality of the Aberdeen Youth Games and the impact we make. I’m also keen to work with colleagues from RGU and elsewhere to use the programme as a basis for research into the physical activity behaviours of the broader community. This may allow us to test interventions and strategies aimed at enhancing health and wellbeing in the city.
As the Aberdeen Youth Games has grown in terms of student and pupil involvement, it has also attracted a growing number of inspirational ambassadors from the sporting world. Dame Katherine Grainger DBE, Chair of UK Sport, has been one of the programme’s principal backers since its creation. She has been joined by the likes “The Aberdeen Youth Games has the potential to be an incredible vehicle of Scotland women’s football captain for both investigating physical activity Rachel Corsie, former Scotland hockey and promoting it, and I hope we can captain Leigh Fawcett, rowing star Lewis maximise on that potential.” McCue and table tennis champion Colin Dalgleish. Looking to the future, Bryan’s priority is to continue to strengthen the programme and grow it where possible.
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The Aberdeen Youth Games is principally funded by The Wood Foundation, which committed £50,000 over five years to support the early delivery of the programme and an additional £10,000 this year. Sir Ian Wood KT GBE has acted as ambassador to the Aberdeen Youth Games since its first year.
DIGITAL RESILIENCE
Stay safe online Advice by Andy Watt, IT Services
The moment you put something online it becomes information with the potential to be accessed by people outside of your family, friends and colleagues – people with less than honourable intentions for your data. Here are four steps you can take to minimise that risk and stay safe online.
S3cur3Tho$ePas5w0rds There are many people who use the same password for everything. If this is you, it’s definitely worth setting up separate passwords for your banking, university work, social media, and personal email. If one gets compromised, then at least the others are not. For a secure password, stick three random words together and change some of the letters to upper case, numbers and special characters. RGU’s password manager can help you make a secure university password.
Avoid the phishing net Phishing is when someone disguises themselves online as a trustworthy entity with the intent of robbing you of your data – usernames, passwords or credit card details.
Be vigilant. If it’s an email, check the sending address to make sure it’s legitimate. If you’re not sure, then don’t click the links, don’t download attachments, and never share your password with someone you don’t trust. Remember, you can always reach trustworthy companies by using your favourite search engine instead.
Don’t let others be you The things you do and say on social media could be pieced together and used to access your data, or even your social media account. Worse still, your account could then be used in a phishing attempt against your own contacts. Keep your social media accounts set to private where possible, and don’t display your private information like emails, your physical addresses or your date of birth. Also, only share what you’re comfortable with your boss, your parents or the world knowing about you.
Keep up to date It’s not just your PC that needs protected. Make sure your devices are up to date and running the latest software and antivirus protection. You don’t have to spend money to stay secure – there are plenty of free versions out there to keep your devices virus free. The most important thing is to keep the software up to date to ensure the latest and best protection that reduces known vulnerabilities in your device. If you’re worried about any part of your on-campus cyber security, contact IT Helpdesk.
STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Get creative with the Accelerator RGU has launched a creative accelerator programme which will support and fund 10 start-up teams in Scotland in a range of creative industries. The new initiative is being run by Look Again, part of Gray’s School of Art, in collaboration with the university’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group (EIG). The programme is part of RGU’s wider innovation agenda and will support the creative industries in the North East of Scotland, helping to stimulate and diversify the economy of the region.
Science On A Postcard Name: Heidi Gardner Science On A Postcard sparks conversations between those who love science, and those who haven’t discovered it yet. They create a variety of products including enamel pin badges, notebooks, pencil cases and pocket mirrors, that can be seamlessly integrated into everyday life whilst subtly demonstrating that scientists are not the old men that the media, society and history books portray. By showing the public that scientists come from all backgrounds, and in all shapes, sizes, colours, and genders, Science on a Postcard hopes to contribute to solving science’s diversity problem, and break down barriers between scientists and non-scientists.
Paper Houses Design Name: Mhairi Allan Paper Houses Design is a textiles lifestyle brand incorporating pattern in a fun and stylish way. The patterns are core and are applied to a range of everyday items, which are mindfully created designs that last and suit your lifestyle. Paper Houses Design’s aim is to help change the textiles industry. Longevity, sustainability and quality are all key. 15
STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Lynne Bennie, on behalf of the Aural Textiles Design Collective (no business name approved yet) Aural Textiles Design Collective is a collective of contemporary textile practitioners from across Scotland who create new patterns and objects inspired by sounds around us. They came together for the Aural Textiles research project, which used sound-inspired design as a core process to understand collective design processes and makermachine interactions. As practitioners, they recognise the commercial opportunities within sound-inspired textile design, which connects with people at an emotional level and taps into fundamental parts of the human psyche.
Dancing Along the Borderline Name: Lynn Shaw Dancing Along the Borderline aims to engage with people who have lived experience of Borderline Personality Disorder, educators, academics, therapists and charitable organisations using dance, film and other art forms as the vehicle. The aim is to offer a range of training resources, creative workshops, film screenings and multi arts representations.
Prolong Name: Lucia Gasparidesova Prolong was set up by fashion designer Lucia Gasparidesova. It is about upcycling unwanted garments, tents, wetsuits, parachuting clothes and other textiles into brand new products, with a new purpose. Prolong is based on economic sustainability by rotating the item in the system and avoiding any waste, as well as social sustainability by creating a design that has multiple use in order to minimalise the amount of belongings, and environmental sustainability by trying to exclude growing brand new crops where the water usage is huge so the drying process is also not involved at all.
Creative Me Podcast Name: Ica Headlam The concept of the Creative Me Podcast is to change the narrative about Aberdeen and its creative community. To show listeners near and far that Aberdeen can produce and sustain a community of creatives that takes pride in what it has to offer and generate international interest. 16
STIMULATING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Autism in Women and Girls through the Arts Name: Lindsay Gavine Lindsay Gavine’s is using her practise to understand the topic of disability better by using the arts. She aims to network with other artists affected by disability and intends to hold formal exhibitions and create community-based initiatives which can help women and girls with autism. Lindsay wholeheartedly believes that by using art she will be able to destroy harmful stereotypes and stigma often associated with disability. Her community-based initiative for autistic women and girls will develop confidence and social skills.
Bairns Name: Debbie McLeod & Stephanie Davidson Bairns offer a unisex multifunctional dungaree with adjustable fastenings, multipurpose pockets, weather repellent fabric and attachable patches. Their aim is to kickstart the child’s imagination for exploring the outdoors.
Catherine Park – Illustrative Designer Name: Catherine Park Catherine Park runs a freelance illustration business, working in commercial illustration but also with an interest in mural design. Catherine works in a distinctive style using bright, bold colour and shape and takes a lot of inspiration from the people and places around her. She would like to use her place in the Creative Accelerator to gain business knowledge and advice, while also expanding her creative network.
Their products are design led, the vivid embroidery patches allows the child to express their individuality through placement and chosen themes, this enables them to express their own personalities from a young age developing a sense of true self as they grow. At Bairns we want children to express their individuality, explore and engage with the outdoors.
Bread Bags Name: Shae Myles Shae’s practice explores the cultural significance of bread through sculpture, moving image and drawing. Through the Creative Accelerator, she hopes to expand her research of this subject within the local community, and create products celebrating and fuelled by her findings. 17
IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
Everything the light touches “At every stage where I have not understood the particular science behind an engineering application, I knew I needed to do more studies. So again I got scholarships and again found the funding to do it. Now I have the best of both worlds: an understanding of the science as well as the engineering background. That’s why all of my research is applied research.”
Everything we see is light interacting with surfaces. The need to understand these interactions is the ambition behind Dr Radhakrishna Prabhu’s career, which has given him the expertise to create sensing technologies tailored for applications limited only by time and imagination. Beginning his journey as an Electrical Engineer, Dr Prabhu was already working with electromagnetic waves – visible light included. The more he worked, the more his need to understand materials and the effect electromagnetic waves can have on them grew, which encouraged him into postgraduate study. “I had some research skill, and I wanted to understand the nature, physics and science behind the application of engineering,” said Dr Prabhu. “I turned myself into a researcher and gained a research position at a top university in India. 18
Now at RGU with several patents and numerous papers and symposia to his name, Dr Prabhu’s specialism of light interacting with materials gives him broad opportunity to apply his research to a variety of situations – to everything the light touches.
Fibre optics to extend reach Optical fibres are small in size, chemically inert and transmit light. Sensors can be laser etched into the microscopic innards of these fibres and used where traditional electronic sensors cannot. With this technique, light now reaches unexpected places. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is increasingly used to guide surgical interventions. This is an area where traditional electronic sensors will not work due to the electromagnetic interference from MRI scans. Dr Prabhu’s research reports that fibre optics created with magnetic-resonancecompatible polymer materials, and etched with equally compatible sensor design, are immune to this interference, opening up the possibility of real-
IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
time measurement to help guide the decisions of surgeons.
“...we came up with a solution: A tiny fibre, which can go through the spine to reach this part of the brain and sense what’s happening.”
-Dr Radhakrishna Prabhu
“We’ve proven that this sensor – based on light – works under a huge magnetic field,” said Dr Prabhu. “This project aims to aid in identifying the thin layers of biomolecules deposited in the brain which can cause Parkinson’s. Doctors want to selectively remove this very fine micron-layer through non-invasive surgery under the imaging conditions of MRI. It can affect other bodily functions if you remove too much, so a solution is
needed to help guide the surgeons. “I’ve been working on optical-based fibre sensors for the last ten years and we came up with a solution. A tiny fibre, which can go through the spine to reach this part of the brain and sense what’s happening. It’s a collaborative project between RGU and the University of Dundee.”
Multidisciplinary research Environmental sensing is another application. The plastics of today will end up in the water supplies of tomorrow and degrade into smaller, imperceptible pieces. “How can we detect the micro-plastics and nano-plastics in water?” Dr Prabhu asks. “Micro-plastics, you won’t be able to see. Nano-plastics are impossible to see. If you end up drinking either, it can harm you. We are developing sensors 19
to stop you from doing that. Similarly, we can also detect heavy metals in water, which is important as these are carcinogenic and can leech into our water supplies.” From machine-readable fluorescence to laser-based detection of explosives, Dr Prabhu’s research is truly multidisciplinary in reach. For an indepth look at the range of applications his research can have, there are more than 50 publications authored by Dr Prabhu on the university’s digital openaccess research repository (OPENAIR@ RGU).
IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
L-R: Professor Catriona Kennedy, Mrs Sally Gault, Professor Helen Galley, Dr Flora Douglas
A PhD: why now? Sally Galt tells us why she has decided to pursue her PhD after many decades of working as a nurse.
I’m a 42-year-old with 21 years’ of experience working clinically as a registered nurse for NHS Grampian. To some, it might seem a bit strange as to why I want to take on a PhD at this stage in my life. For me, it’s quite simple. This is my opportunity to gain the training I need to carry out nurse-led research in the future, and to help others do the same. I’ll also be able to combine my current clinical knowledge and experience to help find solutions to some of the issues I’ve encountered working within the NHS. I plan to predominantly focus my research on tracheostomy
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patients’ pathways of care, from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to hospital outcome and beyond. I’ll incorporate different research methods to examine patient and relatives’ experiences, as well as healthcare professionals’ perceptions. I feel the experience I have gained working within the NHS will be invaluable. Now by undertaking a PhD, I can gain an additional skill set which will help me to make a visible contribution to future developments in nursing as I move into another chapter of my career.
IMPACTFUL RESEARCH
“Sally’s career journey is one that we want to see more of in the future. The School of Nursing and Midwifery is committed to working closely with its NHS partners to deliver clinically focused and impactful research that makes a difference to the lives of patients and their families. Sally’s commitment to developing her research skills whilst remaining clinically active is key to taking forward nursing and midwifery research. In creating research scholarships the school’s goal is to attract nurses and midwives who can engage in research, contribute to improving clinical care and feed that knowledge and learning back into the workforce of the future through the delivery of research based teaching.” - Professor Ian Murray, Head of RGU’s School of Nursing and Midwifery
For many reasons I am proud to be a nurse. It’s an incredibly diverse profession which gives insight into life and just how fragile it is. Unfortunately, throughout my career I have seen patients suffer and to what end? Everyone within the NHS works incredibly hard to prevent this and things continue to change, but coming with that are different pressures. There is always room for improvement and we need that robust scientific evidence to make beneficial change happen, to be ahead of the game in a continuously evolving service.
RGU has offered me an amazing and exciting opportunity. The benefits to the nursing community as a whole have been recognised by the Aberdeen ICU and NHS Grampian as I’ve been able to take a three-year career break allowing me job security while I undertake further studies. I couldn’t ask for more! I’m really looking forward to working with, and being supported by, my fantastic supervisory team, Dr Flora Douglas, Professor Catriona Kennedy, both of RGU, and also Professor Helen Galley of the University of Aberdeen, all of whom are exceptional role models.
“Sally has worked with me on several joint NHS Grampian and University of Aberdeen sponsored clinical trial research projects over the last few years and I am delighted that she has now decided to undertake a PhD. I am even more delighted that I am one of her supervisors – encouraging and supporting others in their research journey, in particular seeing Sally’s enthusiasm and commitment to her project is one of the best bits of my job” - Professor Helen Galley, Professor of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, University of Aberdeen
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“RGU has offered me an amazing and exciting opportunity” Sally was part of the first cohort of Dip HEN students to graduate through RGU’s School of Nursing and Midwifery in September 1997.
HIGH QUALITY TEACHING
Delivering skills-rich, professional education
RGU welcomed the highest number of “Higher education is growing in accessibility and technology and this delegates yet to its annual Learning means that universities and learners and Teaching Conference in May are no longer bound by physical this year. This is an important CPD space,” says Julie Strachan, Head of event within the calendar and brings Learning and Teaching Development. together staff from across the “This freedom brings both challenges university to share best practice and and opportunities, particularly as the innovation in learning and teaching, higher education sector becomes more while considering the key questions competitive. Online learning providers facing educators. The theme for this are now competing for the attention of year’s conference was ‘Learning learners, and universities are continually Without Borders’. enhancing their online provision. As a
The conference featured a powerful keynote talk from Professor Donald Clark, a leading EdTech entrepreneur who discussed the evolution of eLearning, as well as sessions from more than 50 members of RGU staff. As well as exploring effective online and technology-enabled learning, these contributions discussed borderless education in the broadest sense, focusing on themes such as inclusion, collaboration, co-creation and seamless learning. RGView brings you just six of the many topics discussed at the conference. You can find the conference abstract booklet online and recordings of each conference session are available on Moodle.
“Sharing the results of pedagogic research and the impact of different teaching and learning methods ensures that, as a community, we learn from each other and collectively work together to improve and embed best practice. This will ensure that we are able to adapt to shifts in the sector, informed by the expertise and experience of both internal and external contributors, to remain at the forefront of delivering skills-rich, professional education.”
To continue practice-sharing beyond the Learning and Teaching Conference, RGU will host three ‘Teach Meets’ throughout 2019/2020. These provide opportunities for colleagues to come together to share good practice, practical innovations and professional reflections around teaching and learning in an informal setting. The Teach Meets will focus on Online Learning, Work-Based Learning and Fantastic Feedback and will take place in September, October and November 2019. For further details and to sign-up, visit Moodle.
result, we must consider what these changes mean for the design, delivery and support of our course provision, and how we can use technology to benefit the student experience.
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HIGH QUALITY TEACHING
Collaborative Online International Learning Izzy Crawford Every aspect of COIL is borderless. It crosses organisational, disciplinary, geographical and institutional boundaries and promotes high quality, vocationally relevant learning. COIL projects prepare students for the future workplace and the challenges associated with globalisation and technological progress. This is achieved though intercultural and interdisciplinary experiential learning using real life, multi-national clients in a virtual team environment. Students from different countries enrol in shared courses and faculty staff in each country codesign, deliver and evaluate the project. Students acquire the skills, confidence and mindset that will help them to navigate the work based technological challenges of the fourth industrial revolution.
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HIGH QUALITY TEACHING
Audio exam feedback Thorsten Lauterbach, Helen Ferguson and Emma Hadden Staff and students in the Law School have been trialling the use of audio exam feedback for the Contract Law module, both for Online LLB and oncampus students. Each recording is roughly 3-4 minutes long and provides direct feedback, emphasising what had been done well, and signposted how challenges could be addressed. The recordings come with a general feedback document which sets out each exam question and expected content. While this requires investment of time to create and upload the personalised recordings, it allowed us to reach out to every student in providing consistent feedback across the cohort. It is a continuation of the feedbackfeedforward conversation: it encourages students to engage and does not preclude any further queries. Feedback from students has been extremely positive. While the project team seek extension of the practice to other law modules, the conference presentation also generated interest from colleagues in other Schools who are keen on trialling it in their specific assessment and feedback contexts.
Each recording is roughly 3-4 minutes long and provides direct feedback, emphasising what had been done well, and signposted how challenges could be addressed.
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Digital skills in students Dr Konstantina Martzoukou Previous research has found that university students are not necessarily equipped with the digital skills needed for lifelong learning, informed digital citizenship and the digital economy. This challenges the notion of students as ‘digital natives’. The workshop offered an overview and the preliminary results of a survey of students’ digital competencies at three universities (in Scotland, Ireland and Greece). The survey was administered using a five point Likert-scale (novice, basic, intermediate, advanced, expert) and explored students’ everyday participation as digital citizens, ICT proficiency and productivity, and skills related to information literacy, digital creation/research/communication/ innovation/learning and development/ identity management and wellbeing. This was followed by a team-based hands-on activity, the aim of which was to engage participants in mapping specific areas of basic digital competencies in the online environment students require to develop, depending on the needs of different subject areas/schools.
HIGH QUALITY TEACHING
Humanising online induction Jill Will University inductions have been identified as a factor which influences student experience, and therefore student retention. This work trialled the use of lecture capture inductions which featured a tour of the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to explore how this impacted on the experience of online students. These students found that the accessible and interactive engagement of lecture capture facilitated their pre-course orientation by creating a connection with their tutors, and empowering them to confidently explore the VLE.
Co-designing learning Theo Dounas, David Wilson and Professor David McClean Assessment, exams and evaluating learning reinforce power asymmetries in attaining knowledge. With third year Architecture students, we developed summative assessment processes that build on the strengths of the students’ communal dialogue and critique, benchmarked against the tutors’ assessment. These build on the
methods trialled by Dr David Moore and Lesley Robertson with the postgraduate Construction Management course. Obviously there lies a tension, and potential contradiction, based on the perceived lack of student expertise and the establishment of a rigorous framework, the very heart of conceptions of asymmetrical power.
Outcomes from these sessions showed improved student satisfaction and confidence Our experiment seeks to overcome this constraint through embedding active student collaboration in the assessment process. A second constraint lies with the perceived loss of authority from the tutors. The paper discusses the processes of building the criteria to overcome these constraints, outlining a process by which architecture students can truly become members of a collective in designing architectural critique value. 25
Developing critical reading skills Liv Jonassen It’s often assumed that students entering stage four of a degree have mastered the art of academic writing. However, with ever-changing demographics and the increase in the number of students coming to university via non-traditional routes, it has been observed that many students would benefit from additional support in this area. The Study Skills team has been collaborating with the School of Creative and Cultural Business to support stage four Fashion Management students in developing critical reading skills to effectively synthesise academic sources. Outcomes from these sessions showed improved student satisfaction and confidence, an increase in the amount and quality of synthesis produced in student work, and overall improved grades.
OUR COMMUNITY
Community Moments A collection of community-based moments highlighting some successes and interests from people at RGU. Follow the links to find out more about each story.
Lecturer Rebecca Wright is now Biomedical Science Champion for Scotland in recognition of her public engagement in the field. The Institute of Biomedical Science announced the accolade via its website and will be formalising it at an awards ceremony later in the year.
A four-week placement in Nepal’s Pokhara gave Pharmacy student Jack Gilbert insight into the challenges and surprises of delivering pharmaceutical services in a low-resource hospital. From the speed in which pharmacies could be opened to how he utilised his skills, Jack recounts this eye-opening experience in his story online. Dr Paul Arnell reflects on the arrest of Julian Assange and the legal battle that will soon follow, as the “law attempts to balance the benefits accruing from countries co-operating in criminal matters with protections for accused persons.”
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Veske is a new sub-brand for Montrose Rope & Sail and the result of a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between Gray’s School of Art and the leading manufacturer of tarpaulin covers in Scotland. Find out from the Project Manager and Designer at Montrose Rope & Sail, Amy Gair, how the new brand capitalises on the rich heritage of the company.
OUR COMMUNITY
The Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group took to the stage at the Herald Education Awards to accept the top accolade in the ‘Outstanding Business Engagement in Universities’ category. In just nine months, the team created an entrepreneurial environment for students, staff, alumni and external participants – embedding innovation and entrepreneurship throughout the university.
Two headline artists for the Look Again 2019 Festival, Morag Myerscough and John Walter, share what inspires their art and the drive behind their creativity in their online Q&As. The festival celebrates the yearround project, Look Again, to support creatives in the North-East.
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The cHeRries Terrific Team of the Year award goes to HR Advisory for its academic roles project. The project was designed to create a clear career progression framework for academic staff that is consistent with the university’s strategic direction.
MEET OUR PEOPLE
The
IT Guy Scott Matthew, Director of IT and Digital
What brought you to begin your work at RGU?
What were your first impressions of RGU?
What is it about IT that makes it a fulfilling career for you?
I’ve worked in further education for 30 years, starting at Aberdeen Technical College in 1989 as a trainee AV technician. I had an excellent career on the tools before becoming a manager, Head of Service and then eventually Director of IT at NESCol. One of the great things about that role was the ability to work and undertake my own further training and development, which helped me achieve a range of qualifications, including my MSc here at RGU in 2015. I have always felt very lucky to have been part of the student journey. There is a real energy and excitement on a daily basis, challenges are varied and what we do makes such a difference – so it must be done well.
I have been truly blown away by the campus and the facilities that we have. The range and diversity of our courses and activities, as well as the quality of the staff that I have met are incredibly impressive. I’m also really fortunate to have a great team in ITS and I’m committed to helping them realise their potential, as we move forward with energy, purpose and a clear strategic direction.
I’ve always enjoyed working with people and building great relationships, and I believe that this engagement is the key to delivering effective tech solutions. With technology moving at an unprecedented rate, I think we all feel the pressure of trying to cut through the noise, to find the tools and solutions that really make a positive impact. This is an area that I find rewarding and this is really the core of what a great IT service is all about.
Tell us about your role? As Director of IT and Digital, I am responsible for ensuring the ITS team deliver excellent support services across the university. This includes our network and storage, helpdesk and classroom support, business systems, projects and developments. The Digital element of the role will help our people exploit digital opportunities, to provide the technology and to help create effective processes across the university. This will, of course, build on the existing developments, skills and expertise that are evident throughout RGU.
Are there any digital developments that staff and students can look forward to under your leadership? Absolutely, yes. We have been very fortunate to receive funding for a number of projects for 19/20. These include our move to Windows 10 and rolling out Office 365 later in the year. We are also upgrading our network connectivity from 1Gb to 10Gb and replacing our WiFi solution over the coming months. Another notable initiative is the launch of an RGU App which will give students a simple, central place to access key services, planning for this will kick off in the new term. I’m really excited about the improvements that these developments will bring to staff and students. 28
Tell us something surprising about you that your colleagues might not know? I’m a huge fan of all things retro, especially vintage music and have played guitar on a number of records, CDs and now digital releases with the bands I have played in over the years.
MEET OUR PEOPLE
It’s in his
blood Gavin Murison, Senior Engineering Applications Supervisor
RGView spoke to Gavin who has been giving blood since 1977. He has made more than 400 donations: a massive achievement recognised in the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service awards 2019.
Tell us about your current role. I look after a team of six other Supervisors. We teach practical skills to students at an undergraduate level. It’s all very hands-on and can involve anything from making circuit boards to stripping down an engine. When students reach the workplace and begin to delegate these practical tasks, they will have a full understanding of what they are asking because they have the practical experience, too. It’s about being able to communicate, being able to design, and being able to appreciate and work with other people.
Do you enjoy the work? I’ve been here in a number of roles since 1983, and I absolutely love it. There’s such a variety of students who come from different backgrounds. It’s great to guide them through their course and see them put their new skills and knowledge to use in industry.
Why do you donate so much blood? There have been a number of people in my life who have needed blood products. Blood platelets, which I donate, can be used to treat infants and cancer 29
patients. It’s good to help, and it’s not causing me any health problems.
How does RGU support you for your blood donations? They allow me to organise my work for flexible time off. For platelet donations, there has to be staff there and ready to work the machine. There’s also a carer allocated to each donor when you’re in the building. The product also doesn’t keep as long as whole blood does. They have to be used within three or four days. Each time I am due in, they know what I will donate and NHS Scotland then plan donation’s use. The school has always been perfectly happy for me to do this as long as I organised my time effectively around it. It’s never been an issue.
Final thoughts. I don’t see myself as an ambassador for blood donations. I know it’s not for everyone, and some people are needlephobic. For people who don’t mind that, all it costs you is a little bit of time – and it does help people. I’m perfectly happy to talk to anyone who is interested in being a blood donor.
MEET OUR PEOPLE
The team behind a seamless student journey The Student Records Team’s goal is to ensure an RGU student’s journey is as seamless and as easy as possible. “If a student doesn’t realise that they have gone through one of our processes – unless it is in a good way – then we consider it a job well done,” said Claire Brooker, Student Records Manager.
During a student’s time at RGU, they will have dealt with Student Records at many different points as the team supports them personally and professionally throughout their university experience - whether it’s through simple communications about enrolment, or helping them fill out the relevant forms. Claire continued: “Our aim is to do our job in a helpful, friendly and efficient way while we progress the student and their record through every step of their RGU journey.
details we received over 300 e-mails from students and we try our best to accommodate every single request,” added Claire. Between the current team members, over the years, they have supported a total of 725 graduation ceremonies. “Thank goodness for technological and process improvements,” Claire said. “Gone are the days when the team had to emboss each individual certificate.”
Claire continued: “The team are on hand “During their studies, each student’s during the Graduation ceremonies, but record passes through our hands not just to make sure every student is numerous times from supporting their where they need to be and handed the enrolment to the university, issuing ID right certificate. Behind the scenes we cards, each and every time they go also help students dress, pin their hoods, through an assessment board, right up mop tears, take photos, hold babies to Graduation and even post-Graduation. and even wander around the streets of One of the main events in the Student Aberdeen in the rain, sleet, snow and Records calendar is Graduation. heat waves to round-up late students. Preparing for and during this summer’s Graduation ceremonies, the Student “We’ve even had to get everyone out Records Team have: of the building during a fire alarm and then make sure they all returned to the • Processed, packaged and sent out building in the same order – no mean 7,000 graduation tickets feat with hundreds of students. • Put 2,625 certificates into envelopes • Addressed and posted 775 in “But the relationship doesn’t end absentia certificates there – we also release the Higher • Numbered 1851 envelopes with Education Achievement Reports the seat number and given them to (HEARS) to graduating students and the correct student provide support to alumni in the form of • Wished 1851 students a ‘Happy transcripts and degree verifications. Graduation!’ “Life is never dull in student records!” “This summer, the night following the e-mail being issued with ticket allocation 30
MEET OUR PEOPLE
About Student Records The Students Record Team, which are part of Academic Administration, are located within Garthdee House Annex. They are responsible for the provision of efficient administrative processes that support both students and staff in relation to student records, including: online enrolment; co-ordination of supported enrolment; communication with returning students; data quality; Student HESA return and overseas aggregate return; provision of data to support the HESA DLHE Return and NSS; Provision of training and development support for the assessment process; Graduation - student invites and certificates; administrative developments and third party requests for Student Award Verifications.
Following admission, all students have to enrol before they can continue with their journey. In 2018/19 the Student Records team: • •
Facilitated 14,310 students’ online enrolment with each student providing us with approximately 50 pieces of data. Sent ID cards out to 1,400 off campus learners, and handed out 2,000 ID cards to on campus students.
Contact them on records@rgu.ac.uk or 01224 262 205
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Meet the Team The Student Records Team includes: Iwona Reut – Student Records Assistant Alex Ross – Student Records Administrator Silvia Mueller – Student Records Officer Clare Smith – Student Records Officer Judith Herring-Moir – Student Records Officer Amanda Senff – System Development Officer Claire Brooker – Student Records Manager
MOMENTS
Moments Take a moment to learn about some other projects being worked on by talented staff at RGU. Follow the links to find out more about each story.
Above: Dr Rachael Ironside (CCB), Dr Stewart Massie (CSDM) and Tim Melcherson, a third year computing student from Sweden, are working with Orcadian storyteller Tom Muir and his wife Rhonda to develop a folklore trail of Orkney.
Left: RGU took part in Grampian Pride’s parade for the first time in May, showing its support for equality and diversity in the north-east of Scotland. 32
MOMENTS
RGU has been ranked third in Scotland for overall student satisfaction in the National Student Survey (NSS), securing its highest ever score to date after achieving 88.61% for overall satisfaction and performing above the national average in all categories of the survey.
Professor Sarah Pederson (CCB) has launched the Scottish Suffragette Cities Project, a website that features an interactive map of the region and details the history of the Suffragettes in the city. The project was completed in collaboration with Dr Marianthi Leon, Professor Richard Laing, and Craig Wilson of Scott’s, and also Dr John Isaacs of CSDM.
We’re developing a range of bite-sized mini-modules in innovation and entrepreneurship which will be available to all RGU students. The modules will be piloted in autumn.
We’re working with Aberdeenshire Council to transform libraries across Aberdeenshire into centres to support rural entrepreneurship and drive local economic growth, providing resource for local entrepreneurs and small and micro businesses. The initiative builds on RGU’s innovation and entrepreneurship activities based in Aberdeen City. 33
Circles Staff groups and networks help you to see the university from a different perspective and find out more about the things that interest you. They’re a great opportunity to meet new people, share knowledge, and learn new skills. Circles is a recurring feature that invites you to learn about these groups and networks. In this issue, we focus on…
The Culture and Language Exchange Network Creating opportunities to socialise with colleagues while learning about different cultures and languages from across the globe, the Culture and Language Exchange Network has been building its members since 2017. The network is run by Intellectual Programme Officer Heather Wardrope, Careers Consultant Fiona Kennedy and Student Systems Build Administrator Neil Cruickshank. The informal, educational meetings from this network come in two flavours: culture and language. The culture sessions take place monthly in the form of lunch and learns. These opportunities let you take part in a small range of cultural activities at each session, supported by lively conversations around people’s experiences of culture. Recently, this has included creating Martenitsas for Baba Marta Day, a Bulgarian holiday to mark the welcoming of spring; and creating origami flowers for Floriade, Australia’s celebration of spring. Language sessions take place weekly
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and help you to begin learning a new language or build upon your current knowledge. Currently, Spanish is the main offering as there are active Spanish speakers taking part in the network. Heather says: “The university has so many people from a variety of cultures who are all proud of where they come from – and many are eager to shout about it. Sharing culture with each other shares that pride. It knits together our multicultural community. The more the network grows, the more the activities will vary – giving everyone the opportunity to experience the rich diversity of our community.” You can join the Language and Culture Network by emailing culturenetwork@rgu.ac.uk and you’ll be invited to future events on campus.