Forumenhancing learning and teaching

Issue 39 | Autumn 2015

Strategies for effective learning A new learning and teaching strategy

Review of the pedagogy roll out The science of learning Programme-level progression

Flipping Classrooms Examples of effective teaching

2 Forum issue 39

Contents

For a large print, black and white text version, please contact learning-and-teaching-forum@york.ac.uk

Forum is published biannually by the Learning and Teaching Forum https://www.york.ac.uk/staff/teaching/community/peer-sup-port/forum/

Editor: Claire Hughes claire.hughes@york.ac.uk

Sub-editor: Ruth Mewis ruth.mewis@york.ac.uk

Editorial Committee: Sara Perry.

Design and print: Design Solutions www.york.ac.uk/design-print-solutions

EditorialAIt is with great pleasure that I welcome

you to the first issue of Forum for which I have acted as Editor. Before going

on I want to thank Paola Zerilli for all of her excellent work on the magazine in the last few years. Paola’s input has ensured that Forum remains a valuable (and stylish) resource for all involved in teaching at York.

The theme of the current issue, Strategies for effective learning, was inspired by our new Learning and Teaching Strategy. Perhaps a good place to start reading this issue would be the centre pull-out in which John Robinson (York’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Learning, Teaching and Students) sets the scene by explaining the basis for the Strategy. To me, the introduction of a new university-wide Learning and Teaching Strategy gives us a fresh, new way to think about our degree programmes. If our existing programmes are already in line with the Strategy, I think it tells us the sorts of values and principles within them that we should be communicating to our students. For some programmes, it will perhaps help us to identify areas where we need to make subtle changes to ensure that the most effective learning is taking place. Whatever the case, this issue of Forum comes at a time when many of us will be thinking about what the Strategy means for our teaching. With that in mind, the articles you will find in the following pages highlight aspects of our existing teaching which already align with the strategy but also introduce examples of good practice which are based on best evidence from educational research. Applying the ‘best evidence for effective learning design, practice and support for learning’ is a key principle in the new Strategy and it is our intention that future issues of Forum will continue to provide summaries of best evidence from educational research and examples of related practice to inform future developments in teaching.

We hope that this and future issues of Forum will be a valuable resource as we prepare to welcome in our new Learning and Teaching Strategy.

Claire HughesEditor

Forum

The Writing Centre The Writing Centre offers undergraduate and postgraduate taught students a neutral space where they can discuss their writing and related skills with an experienced writing tutor. The Writing Centre supports the development of student’s confidence in their academic skills and therefore their independence as academic learners. Distance learning students can access our services remotely.

Departmental Writing SupportThe centre also offers bespoke writing support sessions for departments. These sessions discuss writing using relevant discipline specific exemplars and marking criteria which help develop students’ understanding of departmental expectations of writing and improve their confidence in writing.

For more information about the support the Writing Centre can offer please contact Maddy Mossman madeleine.mossman@york.ac.uk.

3 News

6 Progression in modular degree programmes

8 Book review: Make it Stick

10 Archaeology’s Assessed Seminars

13 Using technology to propel student learning

14 Flipping classrooms

16 Sharing practice

18 Student self-reflection, interaction and teacher corrective feedback: L2 Chinese writing pilot project

22 Derwent Global Community

24 Learning and Teaching Calendar of Events

Centre pull out The York Pedagogy:

What and why, how and why

Forum issue 39 3

News

York Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Handbook launched The York Technology-Enhanced Learning (TEL) Handbook is now available online at https://bitly.com/ytelhb. The Handbook is aimed at both new staff and experienced practitioners, with emphasis on student engagement and student work that underpins the York pedagogy. The Handbook includes recommended approaches to using Yorkshare, a baseline model for structuring Yorkshare module sites to support learning, advice on accessible digital resource creation for inclusive practice, designing and facilitating online learning activities, digital assessment and forms of feedback, and evaluation of learning and teaching using technology.

Written from a pedagogical and practical perspective, the York TEL Handbook features case studies of practice at York and walkthroughs of online learning interventions. Each section in the Handbook has a single-page checklist as a quick prompt for practice and can assist you in identifying further opportunities for the effective use of learning technologies.

Supporting ongoing professional development, the York TEL Handbook is aiming to be a resource that will support the whole learning and teaching community at York. As such, we welcome feedback on the Handbook, in particular where we can provide further advice, and comments showing the impact it has made on your practice. Please take a few moments to provide feedback and suggestions at http://bit.ly/ytelhb-feedback.

Vice-Chancellor Teaching Awards 2015

New Learning and Teaching webpages

Congratulations to colleagues who have been awarded Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Awards this year. The scheme recognises and rewards colleagues (academics, learning support staff, teaching ‘teams’ and postgraduates/postdocs who teach) who demonstrate excellence in teaching and/or learning support at York.

● Ms Jenny Gibbons, Teaching Fellow, York Law School ● Professor Rex Godby, Professor, Department of Physics ● Mr Richard Grimes, Director of Clinical Programmes, York Law School ● Dr Peter Knapp, Senior Lecturer, Hull York Medical School ● Dr Aleksandra McClain, Lecturer, Department of Archaeology ● Professor Peter O’Brien, Professor, Department of Chemistry ● Professor Colin Runciman, Professor, Department of Computer Sciences ● Mr James Taylor, PGWT, Department of Archaeology

● Dr Lars Waldorf, Senior Lecturer, York Law School

You may have noticed the Learning and Teaching web pages for staff have undergone some changes. Following a review, the structure of the pages has been updated to make the site easier to navigate, whilst new content is also being developed. View the new site at www.york.ac.uk/staff/teaching.

The restructure means you may need to update any existing links or bookmarks you have to the Learning and Teaching pages.

New content to support your teachingNew additions to the site include a ‘Community’ section, containing news, blogs, events and workshops taking place for teaching staff. There is also a new ‘Core themes’ section which will provide ‘the basics’ for key areas of teaching, as well as a ‘Developing your teaching’ section, containing all development opportunities available for you at York. The site continues to provide full

information around learning and teaching policy and procedures.

The site is now divided into seven areas: ● Core themes ● Support services ● Community, news and events ● Developing your teaching ● Rewarding teaching excellence ● Strategy, policy and procedure ● Teaching committees and contacts

The site redevelopment doesn’t end here and the teams within the Academic Support Office are working on further new content so keep an eye out for future updates.

We hope you find the new pages useful. We’re keen to hear your feedback so please email Christine Comrie, Digital Editor in Internal Communications, with your thoughts on the new site: christine.comrie@york.ac.uk.

4 Forum issue 39

News

Funding opportunities 2015/16Rapid Response Funding is available this academic year, in the form of grants of up to £3,000 in support of small-scale short-term projects, initiatives or purchases to enhance the quality of learning and teaching by addressing a clearly-identified need or issue.

Funding is limited, and grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. All members of staff involved in delivering or supporting learning and teaching are

eligible to apply. There is a short application form which can be submitted electronically at any time. For further information, see www.york.ac.uk/staff/teaching/support/funding/.

Annual learning and teaching conference

Forum workshop series 2015/16

The 2015 conference, attended by over 150 delegates, was on the theme of One size does not fit all ensuring all students reach their potential. A variety of workshops were run by York colleagues exploring the conference theme, including topics such as making the curriculum more accessible to disabled students and personalising feedback.

Summaries of the sessions and resources can be found on the website:

http://yorkforum.org/the-annual-lt-conference/.

Next year’s conference will take place in Week 9 of the summer term: Tuesday 7 June 2015. The theme will be Value added graduates: enabling our students to be successful. The call for contributions is now open. If you’d like any further information or to contribute please email, learning-and-teaching-forum@york.ac.uk.

New online Research Integrity Tutorial The University has developed a new online Research Integrity Tutorial. This tutorial has replaced the Academic Integrity Tutorial as the compulsory progression requirement for all postgraduate research (PGR) students (PhD, EngD, Masters by research) from the 2015/16 academic year. PGR students must complete the online tutorial before their first Thesis Advisory Panel and this will be automatically registered in e:vision under Supervision meeting records and research details. The tutorial is tailored to the specific needs of PGR students and has been designed to familiarise them with the University’s principles, policies and procedures in relation to research integrity and ethics. It is hoped that completion of the tutorial will help to further cultivate the highest standards of rigour and integrity in the University’s postgraduate research community.

The Research Integrity Tutorial is located in the Yorkshare VLE module list of all PGR students and a demo version is available in the VLE for all staff. It is recommended that staff, especially PGR supervisors, familiarise themselves with the Research Integrity Tutorial. There will be a number of orientation sessions organised for staff and students relating to the tutorial.

Contact stephen.gow@york.ac.uk for information on the Research Integrity Tutorial.

Forum run a series of lunchtime workshops each term on a variety of themes, and we encourage you to come along to contribute to the discussion and find out more about the pedagogy and practice of other university departments.

The workshops are designed and run by colleagues and delivered in a variety of ways. There is innovative learning and teaching practice taking place every day at the University and Forum workshops are an opportunity for you to find out about them and experiment.

This year Forum are mindful of university developments and changes around learning and teaching and we want to assist colleagues as much as we can. As such, the 2015/16 workshops will be on the three key thematic strands of (1) York Pedagogy in Action, (2) Spotlight on Faculties and (3) Engagement with Learning Theory. If you have ideas for

spring or summer workshop sessions to assist in the development of these strands please do get in touch.

The autumn term workshops are now open for registrations.

Autumn series:Workshops run from 12.30-2.00pm with refreshments available from 12.15pm. Feel free to bring your own lunch.

● Monday 2 November 2015 (week 6) Rethinking feedback in light of the York Pedagogy, Heslington Hall

● Monday 16 November 2015 (week 8) Engagement with learning theory: Experiential learning and inter-cohort mentoring, Ron Cooke Hub

If you want to find out more please see the website, http://bit.ly/1ECayY8, or if you have any suggestions for future workshops, please contact us on learning-and-teaching-forum@york.ac.uk.

Forum issue 39 5

News

Sitting suited and booted at an awards ceremony in a posh London hotel, it was a real privilege to be awarded this year’s Higher Education Academy/British International Studies Association PGWT Prize for Teaching Excellence. I was lucky to have incredible supervisors and fellow students around me during my PhD, but during some of the inevitably more isolated parts, teaching felt liberating. Not just because it was an opportunity to break the solitude of writing, but because it was a chance to be creative.

New technology and group debates were the foundations of my teaching style during my PhD. For example, I tasked my students with creating ‘Twitter Summaries’. Students were asked to define one of the core concepts discussed during the seminar in 140 characters or less, in order to improve concision and identify key ideas. In another seminar – which took place at the same time as the UN’s climate negotiations – I allocated each student a different country to role-play, as part of a model UN debate. Rather than finding a utopian solution to climate change, the discussions were often directionless, just like in real life. The students said that the activity made the real negotiations a lot more comprehensible and human.

Both the Politics Department where I wrote my PhD, and the Environment Department where I am now a post-doc, encourage early career researchers to try new teaching methods. Moreover, the excellent York Learning and Teaching Award (known as ‘Preparing Future Academics’ when I did it) encouraged me to try out new methods, and I would encourage every PhD student to do it. I feel really proud to be awarded this year’s Prize, and so grateful to the University for enabling me to win it.

Environment Department post-doc wins teaching prizePaul Tobin wins national prize for teaching excellence

Postgraduate Taught Special Interest GroupThe Postgraduate Taught SIG provides an open forum for academic staff and support staff involved in taught masters programmes to discuss significant issues which affect or contribute to the teaching, learning and overall student experience.

The group will meet at the following times:

● Autumn: Tuesday 8 December 2015, Chemistry, C/A/102

● Spring: Wednesday 16 March 2015, Chemistry, C/A/102

● Summer: Tuesday 21 June 2016, Heslington Hall, HG21

All meetings take place from 12.30-2pm and lunch is provided.

If you would be interested in joining the group, please contact Janet Barton, janet.barton@york.ac.uk.

Academic Acculturation: Addressing mismatches in expectations between staff and students regarding student performance in academic interactions

minute workshop with the aim of aligning staff and student expectations. The workshop also served to establish relationships between staff and students and to raise staff awareness of the challenges students face in adapting to the demands of unfamiliar academic interactions.

The workshop began with students defining different academic interactions (seminars, lectures, workshops and supervisions), discussing a perceived rationale for these and predicting how they would be expected to prepare for and behave during these situations.

As students and teaching staff come from increasingly diverse educational and cultural backgrounds, it would seem that a course on initial expectations management could serve to address feelings of staff frustration and student confusion regarding behaviours in academic interactions such as seminars, lectures, workshops and supervisions.

On the 8 week Department of Education pre-sessional programme run by the Centre for English Language Teaching, departmental staff and students came together for a 90

The students then interviewed staff to establish similarities and differences in expectations and went on to discuss what challenges these staff expectations represented for them. They then shared these with the staff members who considered how they could adapt teaching in order to assist students in overcoming these challenges.

A simple, time efficient way to save on future frustration and confusion.

Please contact CELT, celt@york.ac.uk or Victoria Jack,victoria.jack@york.ac.uk for further information about academic acculturation sessions.

6 Forum issue 39

Progression in modular degree programmes: making them greater than the sum of their modules

A coherent learning experience in a modular systemA modular higher education system brings with it increased student choice, opportunities for more immediate and continuing feedback, and is believed to promote learner autonomy and interdisciplinarity (Goldschmid and Goldschmid, 1973; Walker, 1994). Despite its clear benefits this more individualised learning experience is not, however, without its criticism. Some question whether teaching and assessing in discreet packages always provides students with the learning experience needed to develop higher level thinking skills and promote lifelong learning.

Educational theory, such as that detailed in the Science of Successful Learning (Brown et al, 2014), tells us that a balanced, progressive and coherent learning experience which provides students with opportunities for ‘retrieval and interleaving’ is the best way to develop capable graduates. This tells us that the learning within a degree programme will be greater

Don’t blame me for the factual errors … blame the internet

than the sum of that within each of its modules if the teaching within each module represents a stepping stone in a well-defined progression. It is easy to see why achieving this could be difficult in a system which offers students the freedom to develop their own bespoke programmes of study.

The expected progression?Programme-level thinking is clearly essential for guaranteeing that balanced, progressive and coherent learning experience under the modular system. The University Strategy clearly recognises this by putting ‘programme design (and student work) at the heart of our new pedagogy’.

Every programme will have distinctive and clear objectives, and each stage of study will be designed to offer progress towards those programme objectives.

Carefully designed student work will enable students to make progress. Students will understand the work they are expected to do and how that work

will contribute to the achievement of the programme objectives.

The ‘careful, collaborative design of a small number of concise, powerful, stretching yet achievable learning outcomes for each programme’ will define what students should be able to do when they graduate and establishes the skills set that our teaching should be aimed towards developing. Our new pedagogy also wants students to understand the expected progression from incoming first year to capable graduate and how, through their individualised, modular programmes of study, they will achieve the programme learning outcomes.

The benefits to students of understanding the expected progression towards programme learning objectives are well-articulated in the new Learning and Teaching Strategy and include an understanding of ‘the coherence of their programme’ and ‘their stage of development within it’, but there are also likely to be advantages for teaching staff. In addition to providing a framework for the design of new modules and the preparation of feedback that informs the learning progression, educational research suggests that so-called curriculum (progression) mapping can be ‘a vehicle for collaboration’ and increases the feeling of collegiality amongst academic staff (Uchiyama and Radin, 2009). The potential benefits are clear but defining and visualising the expected progression in a way that is beneficial for students and teaching staff may seem at first like a daunting task, especially for existing programmes. Much can, however, be learnt from processes that have come before this.

Due to extensive auditing for generic skills in recent years most of us probably now have a good idea of where transferable skills sit within our programmes. Whilst defining the pathway towards degree-specific learning outcomes differs in that it requires an understanding of where discipline/subject-specific skills are taught, the mapping process is essentially the same as that developed for generic skills. There is a wide range of educational research on generic skills auditing that could be of use in this new endeavour. Sumison and Goodfellow (2004), for example, describe an approach to generic skills auditing which is based on the premise that skills development requires training, practice, monitoring and assessment (Gibbs et al, 1994). Their auditing process required

Modular degree programmes offer students richness in choice but are also accompanied by concerns regarding cohesion and progression. Here Claire Hughes explores these issues and discusses approaches to defining and mapping the expected progression in our degree programmes.

Forum issue 39 7

1st year 2nd year 3rd year

Progression skills: eg use of sources, argument, development

Expected skills:eg text structuring

increasing level of attainment

2 (ii) 2 (i) 1st

Year 1

Year 2

Year 3

increasing level of attainment

Claire Hughes is a Lecturer in Environmental Chemistry and marine scientist in the Environment Department in York. Claire is a member of the University Learning and Teaching Forum Committee. In terms of teaching she is particularly interested in developing ways to ensure and communicate programme-level coherence and the promotion of student-centred active-learning in science education. c.hughes@york.ac.uk

module coordinators to complete a survey indicating if generic skills were ‘1. Assumed, 2. Encouraged, 3. Modelled, 4. Explicitly taught, 5. Required or 6. Evaluated’. This provides a depth of information that can be used to check if students are being offered opportunities for utilising newly gained skills or ‘retrieval and interleaving’ (Brown et al, 2014) before they are assessed. A survey of the relevant literature reveals other examples (eg Tariq et al, 2004) where similar methods are advocated.

A progression in expectationsWhatever way (and to what extent) we define and communicate the expected progression in our degree programmes it may seem appropriate to accompany this with a progression in our expectations when it comes to assessment. If students are expected to improve and/ or develop new skills as they move through our degree programmes is it unfair to judge them against the same criteria in years 1, 2 and 3 and beyond? Progression maps could be of great use in helping us to define our assessment schedules as they will allow us to identify where the skills included in our programme learning outcomes are taught, practiced, monitored (Gibbs et al, 1994) and ultimately provide guidance on when they can be assessed. This idea has links to the call for the programme-level coordination of assessment detailed in the new Learning and Teaching Strategy.

In the Environment Department here in York we recently introduced programme-wide assessment criteria which map the expected progression in skills from incoming first year to graduating BSc, MSc or MEnv student. We have a different set of assessment criteria for each year of study. Whilst the skills being assessed remain the same, the expectations for some skills increases as students move through

References Brown, P. C., Roediger, H. L. and McDaniel, M. A. (2014) Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge MA: Harvard University Press.Gibbs, G. Rust, C., Jenkins, A. and Jacques, D. (1994) Developing students’ transferable skills. Oxford: The Oxford Centre for Staff Development.Goldschmid, B. and Goldschmid, M. L (1973) Modular instruction in higher education: a review. High. Edu. 2. p15-32Price, M. and Rust, C. (1999) The experience of introducing a common criteria assessment grid across an academic department. Qual. High. Edu. 5. p133-144Sumison, J. and Goodfellow, J. (2004) Identifying generic skills through curriculum mapping: a critical evaluation. High. Edu. Res. Devel. 23. p329-345Tariq. V. N., Scott, E. M., Cochrane, A. C., Lee, M. and Ryles, L. (2004) Auditing and mapping key skills within university curricula. Qual. Assur. Edu. 12. p70-81Uchiyama, K. P. and Radin, J. L. (2009) Curriculum mapping in higher education: a vehicle for collaboration. Innov. High. Edu. 33. p271-280Walker, L. (1994) The new higher education systems, modularity and student capability. In Jenkins, A. and Walker, L. (eds) Developing Student Capability Through Modular Courses. Routledge.

the year groups whilst that for some (assumed) skills remains the same. This means that whilst students may obtain a 1st class degree for a piece of work in first year, the same piece of work would only obtain a 2(i) in second year (and so on) if there is no evidence of progression. In addition to the marking criteria for each year of study we have also developed progression matrices which use colour-coded blocks to show students clearly how they are expected to progress in each skill.

Whilst research has shown that programme-wide marking criteria are not appropriate for all programmes of study (Price and Rust, 1999), mapping the expected progression in subject-specific skills in this way has a clear advantage in that it is linked to assessment which is a big student motivator. Students are perhaps more likely to engage with the progression maps, and hence have a greater understanding of the coherence of their programmes, if they are linked to assessment. For some students simply knowing that there is a progression in expectations when it comes to assessment should be a big motivator to improve as they move through the year groups. In the Environment Department first year students are introduced to the criteria against which they will be assessed throughout their degree during the first few weeks of the autumn term in peer-marking sessions. This means that our students have a map of the expected progression right from the very start of their degree programme.

In summary, the programme-level thinking that sits at the heart of our pedagogy should bring with it great benefits for both students and teachers. In implementing this aspect of our new pedagogy much can be learnt from the sharing of ideas across the university and experiences of generic skills auditing detailed in educational literature.

Progression mapping marking criteria – The level of attainment required to achieve a given degree grading increases as the students move through the year groups.

Progression mapping marking criteria – The expectation in some skills increases whilst others are expected to be well-developed when students arrive at university.

8 Forum issue 39

‘All the right content, but not necessarily in the right order’Sam HellmuthThis book conveys a few basic principles which promise to enhance your students’ performance. The authors assume that we as teachers know our stuff, in terms of content – they are suggesting practical ways to deliver that content better. Most of the principles involve doing more or less the same things as we do now, but in a slightly different order: for example, instead of a mid-term test, split things out into a series of mini-tests; instead of only testing on the most recent material, mix up the questions so you test again the things you did a few weeks ago, as well. The authors quote a US lecturer (p38-39): “I now recognize that as good a teacher as I might think I am, my teaching is only a component of their learning, and how I structure it has a lot to do with it, maybe even more.”

Why make time in your busy life to read (some of) this book?

● The content is practical. You can read one chapter and apply the principles in it to your own teaching right away. It will offer solutions to problems you have in your teaching.

● The principles are based on research evidence, including classroom intervention studies, not just lab experiments. There is a very good chance they will work, and students will do better.

● The ideas here are counter-intuitive – you might arrive at them by yourself, but you probably won’t. The ideas are rather refreshing, as a result.

Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning

● It is a quick and easy read. My first instinct was ‘why read a whole book on this rather than the review article they already published’ (Roediger, Putnam, & Smith, 2011)? In fact the many examples clarify how the principles work, in different contexts, and I found myself instinctively applying them in my head to the modules I will be teaching this term.

● You don’t need to read the whole book – you can dip in. I found chapters 2-4 most relevant. Chapter 1 is an overall position statement, so you could start straight in with chapter 2. The last chapter is a ‘how to’ manual, so just read the ‘tips for teachers’ (p225-239).

● The principles in this book underpin the new York Pedagogy. If you have wondered what the new Learning and Teaching Strategy means when it talks

about “carefully-designed student work”, then this book will give you practical principles of ‘careful design’ to follow.

● In most of the studies reported in the book, student evaluations of courses which adopted these principles improved significantly.

The proof of the pudding will be in the eating of course. I am about to re-structure a first year core module in line with the principles here, so let’s see. If you do the same, I’d love to hear about it.

Reference ListRoediger III, H. L., Putnam, A. L., & Smith, M. A. (2011). Ten Benefits of Testing and Their Applications to Educational Practice. In J.P.Mestre & B. H. Ross (Eds.), The Psychology of Learning and Motivation: Cognition in Education (pp. 1-36). San Diego: Elsevier Academic Press.

Sam Hellmuth, Department of Language and Linguistic Science, and Richard Waites, Department of Biology, share their perspectives on the 2014 book Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.

Book Review

Brown, P. C., Roediger III,

H. L., & McDaniel, M. A.

(2014). Make it Stick: The

Science of Successful

Learning. Cambridge,

Massachusetts and

London, England: The

Belknap Press of Harvard

University Press.

Forum issue 39 9

Make it Stick: Making it stick in BiologyRichard Waites

do with the striking success of seeds. I also explain how our future depends upon developing better varieties of seed crops. For some students these are difficult topics, and it is often hard for students to grasp them all sufficiently well. But all biology students need a foundation in genetics and evolution, and I would argue they need to know about plants too, and in particular why seeds are important. In biology we typically deliver practical labs, workshops and tutorials as well as lectures. This is an opportunity for different interactions with students and a variety of ways for students to work and practice at what they need to learn. Problem solving, experimental design and testing hypotheses should help make them better biologists, but I realise I haven’t yet designed this work around the different interactions we offer sufficiently well to embed the key principles I discuss in my lectures. I think Make it Stick offers me good advice on how to do this effectively without increasing my workload. My challenge is to find variety in the practice that will help students to better engage in their learning. If I can do this, examination and evaluation scores should both rise, although I may never reach the heights the mistletoe achieves.

Sam Hellmuth teaches phonetics and phonology as a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Language and Linguistic Science, and is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She was Chair of the Learning and Teaching Forum (2012-2015) but is now looking forward to working as a tutor on the new York Professional and Academic Development scheme. sam.hellmuth@york.ac.uk

Richard Waites is a Professor in the Department of Biology where he teaches plant biology, genetics and developmental biology mainly to first year students. He is also Chair of Biology Board of Studies. richard.waites@york.ac.uk

Bazza’s on work experience he wants to be a surgeon. As he prefers ‘hands on’ to book learning we’re letting him help with your op.

I already give one lecture where I try to explain how to make it stick. Mistletoe is a parasitic plant that grows in the tops of trees. The question is how does mistletoe end up in this preferred location and what makes them stick? The answer is that the seed-containing fruits of mistletoe often pass rapidly through the birds that consume them, and the sticky remnants of the fruit fix the seeds to the tree prompting germination. This is a successful strategy that has co-evolved to the benefit of both mistletoe and birds. A series of experiments proves this point, and I expect students to understand and recall them. When reflecting on the success of my teaching through examination scores and student evaluations, it appears I am much less successful than the mistletoe at making it stick.

In reading Make it Stick, I have learnt that the best ways to teach are known and understood, but have been underused and undervalued in my approach. There are many convincing examples demonstrating that the best teaching is embedded in the principles of testing, practice and mastery. The examples from a sporting context are familiar to me. I know where and when I am most likely to drop the ball I am attempting to catch, but the hours spent rectifying this problem have had

little impact on my overall catching ability and have even had a negative effect on my confidence. Through experience I know my catching improves when the practice is varied and often, but not prolonged, and that this can be a long term gain. This is all common sense to me, so why is my approach to teaching so different? It is likely that I misunderstand teaching and this is probably a result of the way I was taught.

Seeds turn up in many of my first year lectures in three different modules. Students find out how Mendel laid out the principles of genetics using mutant pea seeds. They also hear how Darwin struggled with his abominable mystery of plant evolution that has much to

10 Forum issue 39

The module allows us to assess the final stages of our students’ ‘ascent’ through three years of higher

education, building on knowledge, skills, and confidence acquired through diverse modes of learning and assessment across their seven previous terms of study. Its basis is carefully conceived in pedagogic terms: the value of independent research has recently been reaffirmed by the HEA (Thomas et al, 2015), while the power of teaching through active learning is well established (eg Jenkins, 1992), and the combination of verbal and written assessments allows students to engage with material in diverse ways (Brown & Glasner, 1999). Moreover, Kremer and McGuinness (1998, 46) have lauded the benefits of student-led or leaderless groups; that is, learning groups in which a power structure or hierarchy is deliberately suppressed, and where all participants are encouraged to play an active part in the life of the group.

Student-led learningThe Department of Archaeology’s ‘Assessed Seminars’ aren’t just student-led seminars, they are student-designed seminars. The module runs over two terms. The first term is led by the module leader who initially lectures on the key concepts of their chosen module theme (eg Sustaining the Historic Environment, or Human Impact on Past Ecosystems) and following this, the lecturer supports the students in choosing and researching their own seminar topic within that theme. Each student then designs a seminar ‘worksheet’ around a question or a debate, sets up two presentation topics for two other students to present, and provides the reading for them. The worksheet is uploaded onto the

Yorkshare VLE for their classmates to access. This seminar design is essentially the way a lecturer would normally prepare a seminar-based module, but by giving the students the task they are challenged to engage fully with the process of research, and the construction of a debate. The rationale for this type of teaching is outlined during an introductory session attended by the entire year group, so that students understand the benefits of active participation in their own learning, and the introduction of new transferable skills, such as chairing and organisation.

The second part of the process is the assessment, and over a period of three weeks, the group of approximately 12 students runs 12 seminars. The module leader is present throughout to assess the seminars but they do not speak, reinforcing the idea that students have to take full responsibility and ownership of their learning. Each student must chair their own seminar, and within their allotted hour they will introduce the topic, introduce each presenter, ensure presentations are kept to time, ask follow-up questions, encourage all students to contribute to the discussion, and conclude at the end. Each presentation should reflect good preparation, wide reading, and in-depth

knowledge and understanding, and they should be critical and analytical, rather than simply descriptive. The presenter should be aiming to stimulate further discussion and debate, which will be directed by the chair. In addition, presentation style is important – students need to think carefully about the structure and design of their PowerPoint, and need to speak clearly, slowly, audibly, and engagingly.

Assessment requirements The students are told that the success of their presentation depends on:

● skill and diligence in preparation; ● their own grasp of the material; ● their skill as a chairperson; ● full collaboration of their fellow

students in doing the reading and preparing good papers, which will benefit all.

During this process, examiners (members of staff) will mark both the chair and the presenters, as well as noting the contributions from other students. Finally, students each write a two-part reflective critique on their seminar. Part 1 provides an account of what happened in the seminar and how it could have been improved, indicating

Archaeology’s Assessed Seminars

ArChAEOLOGY’S ASSESSED SEMINAr MODULE ALrEADY MEETS ThE CrITErIA SET OUT IN C1.2 OF ThE STrATEGY, PArTICULArLY:

“… Carefully-designed student work will engage, challenge and enthuse our students by drawing directly on activities known to enhance learning, for example spaced and interleaved practice, retrieval of previously-learned material in new contexts, collaboration, and development of transferable skills.”

In this article Michelle Alexander, Steve Ashby and Nicky Milner showcase one of the flagship Archaeology undergraduate modules, Assessed Seminars, taught at the end of the third year, which engages with many of the concepts within the new York Learning and Teaching Strategy, and in particular student-led learning.

Forum issue 39 11

the nature of the topic, the problems posed, the material presented, the opinions expressed, and the chairperson’s conclusions. The students should reflect on how successful they thought the seminar was. If it didn’t live up to their expectations – why not? How would they approach the exercise differently now that they’ve been through it once? Part 2 should provide views on further development of the intellectual content of the seminar, with suitable additional referencing and data as appropriate. They can restructure or even rewrite their seminar as they see fit, incorporating any further reading and consideration of the topic. In this way the report is reflexive not only in terms of the seminar, but also as a learning experience.

The assessment is weighted: ● Seminar worksheet 20% ● Chaired seminar: 20% ● Presentation 1: 20% ● Presentation 2: 20% ● Critique: 15% ● Seminar contribution: 5%

Student development This module was first introduced into the Department of Archaeology over 30 years ago, and it has survived changes in staff, modularisation, and a growth in cohort from less than 10 students in the 1980s to between 75-100 students today. The reasons for this are clear: it engages and challenges students to think critically and communicate clearly (see Beachboard & Beachboard, 2010); it promotes research-led teaching (Zamorski, 2002); it encourages collaboration (Bruffee, 1999); and it offers experience

in transferable skills, such as giving professional-style presentations, chairing, time management, self motivation and reflection (see Fallows & Steven, 2000).

Student feedback demonstrates that the students acknowledge the acquisition of new skills (cf. Beachboard & Beachboard, 2010), and appreciate the confidence-boost which independent learning provides to them. Staff also enjoy teaching it. Each module is directly linked to their research interests. Furthermore, because this module is the culmination of the undergraduate degree, it is a possible to see a clear progression in terms of personal development and confidence. Comments from alumni reflect this, and illustrate how the skills developed in this module have helped them in professional situations, such as meetings, interviews, and public speaking.

References Beachboard, M.R. & Beachboard, J.C., 2010. Critical-Thinking Pedagogy and Student Perceptions. Informing Science: the International Journal of an Emerging Transdiscipline, 1. Available at: http://inform.nu/Articles/Vol13/ISJv13p053-071Beachboard548.pdf.Brown, S. & Glasner, A. eds., 1999. Assessment Matters in Higher Education: choosing and using diverse approaches, Buckingham: Open University.Bruffee, K.A., 1999. Collaborative Learning: Higher Education, Interdependence, and the Authority of Knowledge, Johns Hopkins University Press.Fallows, S. & Steven, C., 2000. Building employability skills into the higher education

curriculum: a university-wide initiative. Education + Training, 42(2), pp.75–83.Jenkins, A., 1992. Active learning in structured lectures. In G. Gibbs & A. Jenkins, eds. Teaching Large Classes in Higher Education. How to Maintain Quality with Reduced Resources. London: Kogan Page, pp. 63–77.Kremer, J. & McGuinness, C., 1998. Cutting the cord: student-led discussion groups in higher education. Education + Training, 40(2), pp.44–49.Thomas, P.L., Jones, R. & Ottaway, J., 2015. Effective practice in the design of directed independent learning opportunities, Higher Education Academy QAA Report.Walker, A. et al, 2015. Essential Readings in Problem-Based Learning, Purdue University Press.Zamorski, B., 2002. Research-led Teaching and Learning in Higher Education: A case. Teaching in Higher Education, 7(4), pp.411–427.

Current student feedback 2015

● Best seminars I’ve had in uni, everyone talking and being engaged.

● This was one of the best modules, loads of fun and very interesting.

● More than any other module, this one seems most clearly to reflect effort put in – to success and achievement.

● Thoroughly enjoyable. I enjoyed how the running and formulation of our seminars was put into our hands – but the support from staff was always there.

● I feel this module was effectively run and aided my personal development as a scholar.

Michelle Alexander is an early career Lecturer in Bioarchaeology in the Department of Archaeology. She is the Chair of the Teaching Committee, responsible for reviewing teaching quality in the Department and oversees the appointment and training of postgraduates who teach. Michelle is particularly interested in engaging students with rapidly evolving research in archaeological science through the use of innovative teaching practice. michelle.alexander@york.ac.uk

Steve Ashby is Senior Lecturer and Chair of Board of Studies in Archaeology. He is supervisor on York’s PGCAP Programme, and member of the Board of Studies for Academic Practice. Steve has three interests in teaching about the past (1) its use as a case study in the integration of the sciences, arts and humanities; (2) its use as a vehicle for developing critical thinking, and (3) its use for discussing contemporary attitudes to politics, economics, and identity. steve.ashby@york.ac.uk

Nicky Milner has been Chair of Board of Studies, Chair of Archaeology Teaching Committee and is now Deputy Head of Department, in overall charge of teaching in the department. She has an interest in promoting research-led teaching in the department and encouraging novel methods of engaging students. nicky.milner@york.ac.uk

University of York Learning and Teaching ConferenceValue added graduates: enabling our students to be successful Tuesday 7 June

The conference will demonstrate and explore ways in which the degree itself

can be the primary contributor to the development of students’ capabilities. It will highlight best practice in the enhancement and embedding of employability and enterprise within learning and teaching, encompassing programme and module design, problem-based learning, collaborative learning, work-based learning, employer engagement, and assessment.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Invitation to contribute We are inviting colleagues to

contribute workshops and poster presentations.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 20 January 2016

(Week 3, Spring Term).Further information about this

conference and the call for contributions is available

on the website:http://bit.ly/1iRfi7Y

Suggested workshop themes: l shaping a York graduate: defining,

embedding and measuring core skills and attributes through programme design

l the inclusion of employability related module and programme learning outcomes and assessment practices reflecting a distinctive York pedagogy

l the role of active learning and problem based learning in developing transferable skills

l helping students to recognise and articulate skills in the context of the workplace

l the role of learning technologies and social media in the development of key skills

l the benefits of reflective formative, peer and self-assessment

l the incorporation of the new University Employability Strategy within programme design.

Posters: Any learning and teaching themes.

2016

SUCCESS

29035_Conference Poster.indd 1 25/09/2015 15:10

Forum issue 39 13

Module lecture content may introduce new concepts for students to learn or inspire

students to think differently about the world in which we live. Whether the lecture is delivered in a room, is written in a textbook or delivered virtually using a recording, it is always only the first step in the learning process that is subsequently carried forward by carefully designed student work. In this article I explore how learning technologies support students through exposure, understanding and application of lecture content.

Approaches to independent studyOne of the risks Brown et al (2014) suggested of independent student work, is the tendency for students to assume learning is taking place through absorption of module content by re-reading, highlighting and rote approaches. Essentially these can be categorised as ineffective and inefficient study practices that focus on memorisation techniques. As Brown et al (2014) noted, through lack of application, students may fail to acknowledge what they do not know by not recognising gaps in their own understanding of module content.

In my own research into students’ use of lecture captures as part of their studying practice, I have seen innovative ways that students have identified their own knowledge gaps using this form of resource. Some will re-watch the lecture, capturing points they missed; some will use flash-cards and quiz-making apps to test themselves; others will revisit the recording as they would a textbook, applying their knowledge during other learning activities and assessment. Yet, these approaches are devised by students themselves, diverse and undirected, each in their own way striving to make sure they have engaged with the module content as best they can.

Structuring independent studyBy including structured online activities throughout a module, lecturers can support students in their identification of knowledge gaps and test their understanding of lecture content. The use

Using technology to propel student learning

of online quizzes, as demonstrated through a case study from Language and Linguistics (http://bit.ly/1EdHaYb), enables students to self-assess their level of knowledge and understanding of the lecture content, retaking the test as many times as they like. For the module, and indeed the programme design, enabling students to grasp the fundamentals of the discipline was crucial to their subsequent progression. There are added advantages for lecturers too, using results from online quizzes to judge how well the cohort is interpreting lecture content and providing remedial resources if necessary.

Whilst the use of formative tests or quizzes is not new, utilising learning technologies to deliver these learning activities provides a way for immediate feedback and a framework for further independent study. Feedback in online quizzes may highlight common misinterpretations, direct students to further reading, or encourage students to revisit course content. Whilst this feedback is by no means personal, it is still personalised to the knowledge and understanding of each student.

Repeatedly applying learningThe use of quizzes supports students’ recall and checks their interpretation of new ideas. However, as Brown et al (2014) suggested from a cognitive psychology perspective, learning can be improved by revisiting concepts and applying them to different problems over time. Taking advantage of the flexibility of online learning design, student engagement can be sustained outside of face-to-face contact time to achieve this.

As an example, a case study from the Department of Politics (http://bit.ly/1eNS3sI) involved students in an extended role-play representing country officials responding to an international humanitarian and military crisis. Resources through a range of media were provided online and the Yorkshare blog tool was used to capture progress in the simulation for later reference during assignment

writing. Ongoing learning took place as students undertook self-directed research, analysing and interpreting the weekly resources and applying their understanding to role-play scenarios. In this case, the student work is effortful, dependent upon both understanding and repeated application of course content, and above all guides students in effective use of their time through a structured learning activity.

Designing with learning technologiesOur newly launched York Technology-Enhanced Learning Handbook (http://bit.ly/ytelhb-nl) provides guidance on the design and delivery of online learning activities as embedded components of a taught module. Discover approaches to supporting student work with learning technology and share your ideas on Twitter: #yTELchat.

ReferenceBrown, P.C., Roediger, H.L., McDaniel, M.A. (2014). Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.

Matt Cornock is the Lecture Recording Coordinator and an E-learning Adviser within the Academic Support Office and has co-edited the York TEL Handbook with Rosie Hare. matt.cornock@york.ac.uk

Matt Cornock, e-learning team, explores how learning technologies support students independent study.

University of York Learning and Teaching ConferenceValue added graduates: enabling our students to be successful Tuesday 7 June

The conference will demonstrate and explore ways in which the degree itself

can be the primary contributor to the development of students’ capabilities. It will highlight best practice in the enhancement and embedding of employability and enterprise within learning and teaching, encompassing programme and module design, problem-based learning, collaborative learning, work-based learning, employer engagement, and assessment.

CALL FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

Invitation to contribute We are inviting colleagues to

contribute workshops and poster presentations.

The deadline for submissions is Wednesday 20 January 2016

(Week 3, Spring Term).Further information about this

conference and the call for contributions is available

on the website:http://bit.ly/1iRfi7Y

Suggested workshop themes: l shaping a York graduate: defining,

embedding and measuring core skills and attributes through programme design

l the inclusion of employability related module and programme learning outcomes and assessment practices reflecting a distinctive York pedagogy

l the role of active learning and problem based learning in developing transferable skills

l helping students to recognise and articulate skills in the context of the workplace

l the role of learning technologies and social media in the development of key skills

l the benefits of reflective formative, peer and self-assessment

l the incorporation of the new University Employability Strategy within programme design.

Posters: Any learning and teaching themes.

2016

SUCCESS

29035_Conference Poster.indd 1 25/09/2015 15:10

14 Forum issue 39

The York Learning and Teaching strategy highlights the use of technology to “…optimise the

contribution to learning and the guidance of students’ independent study”, suggesting at the same time that online resources /asynchronous activities can be a means to creating different types of interactions in class. Those familiar with the term ‘flipped classroom’ will make a connection here. This article examines the ‘flipped classroom’ technique, and explores its potential in relation to several aspects of the York pedagogy.

The concept of ‘flipping’ learning and teaching activities originated in the USA. It involves ‘inverting the classroom’ so that activities traditionally taking place inside the class now take place outside the class, and vice versa. Sceptics might claim that this broad definition suggests no more than a simple re-arrangement of teaching activities. It is argued, however, that its emphasis on increased interactive group activities in class with direct computer based instruction outside the classroom means that flipped learning results in an extension of the curriculum (Lowell Bishop & Verleger, 2013).

‘Flipping’ content seems attractive

in higher education, particularly in response to criticisms of behaviourist transmission of information via the traditional lecture. The development of an accessible and reliable internet, along with online media tools has also made it much easier to deliver teaching via asynchronous instruction materials. The attraction of flipped learning, however, is best understood in its ability to draw on a range of learning theories such as active learning, problem-based learning, peer assisted learning and cooperative learning. ‘Flipping’ provides students with foundational knowledge which is then applied in interactive tasks in class aimed at engaging with higher order skills (see Figure 1). By increasing student engagement through a student centred approach, flipped instruction fits well with currently valued teaching philosophies.

Scholarly findings from research studies on the flipped classroom are limited at the moment (Lowell Bishop & Verleger, 2013) and it is not in the scope of this article to evaluate them. A useful review by Estes (Estes, Ingram & Liu, 2014) indicates positive findings from several studies in US and Canadian

universities, but these seem to be limited to flipped lecture approaches in Maths and hard science disciplines.

Flipping learning effectively can, however, place serious demands on teaching staff. According to the ‘flipped network’ (see Estes. M. D., Ingram, R., & Liu, 2014), teachers need to create:

● flexible physical environments and flexible learning /assessment schedules;

● a learner centred learning culture; ● intentional content focused on

developing higher order learning skills. Flipping a large lecture event may result in chaotic classroom situations in large steeped lecture rooms with hundreds of students. The prospect of classroom chaos will not tempt too many lecturers into wholesale flipping of lecture delivery, but versions of flipped learning have been going on for some time with smaller groups. Stannard (2015), with group sizes between 15 and 30, created open access to online lecture resources to create more class interaction in a module on an MSc in Computer Science and Multimedia Education at the University of Westminster. He reported success not only in terms of better student progress / completion but also in promoting the programme itself. In my own MATESOL (MA in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) modules (20 students), I have experimented with moving ‘lecture style’ material out of the classroom to make room for more interactive tasks. An example might be assigning several YouTube clips with scaffolded tasks on specific language teaching methods to small groups of students to complete. In class, students are re-grouped to discuss their observations and share their knowledge, before whole class discussion of the various teaching methods. A

Flipping classrooms! The potential for flipped learning approaches in implementing the new Learning and Teaching strategyBill Soden explores the potential for flipping our teaching as a means to more interactive classrooms.

Figure 1: The Flipped Classroom and learning theory

OUTSIDE CLASSROOM: Independent study

InSIDE CLASSROOM: Teacher-student-peer interaction

Learning theoryBehaviourism

Monologic discourse- Text as transmission

Learning theoryActive learningCooperative learningConstructivism

Dialogic discourse

Developing foundational knowledge

● video clips eg YouTube video lectures and scaffolded tasks

● online resources using VLE platform

Applying foundational knowledge in group work

● through interactive discussion ● through problem-solving

Forum issue 39 15

transmission mode of learning may still feature in pre-class study, but crucial contact time focuses on application of knowledge, and sharing of ideas. This experiment, however, highlighted for me three key challenges for flipped learning, and the York pedagogy which I enlarge upon below.

The York Pedagogy: This way of working aims…to improve the design and availability of resources to support students’ work in relation to key concepts and skillsBy some definitions, setting reading tasks for classroom discussion is not flipped learning, but designing audio/visual materials to address higher and lower order cognitive skills is a challenge. Providing focused, quality materials for pre-class study demands expertise in use of technology such as screen capture video or podcasting tools. These are helpful for creating engaging videos and online resources, but while some members of staff will already be using such tools, not everyone is equally comfortable with them.

The York Pedagogy: Interactions between students and staff will be designed to encourage, inform and propel students’ workIncreased and improved interaction is a central pillar of the York pedagogy, but we will not improve interactions simply by moving lecture material out of the classroom. The onus has to be on task design that leads to higher quality interaction. This may mean careful attention to student groupings, the ability to design tasks that engage with higher order learning, but above all the ability to ask the right kind of questions. Adopting a ‘dialogic’ teaching approach may be appropriate here (Alexander, 2006).

The latter includes the ability to bring student and teachers together in sharing ideas in a reciprocal and supportive manner. Dialogic teaching encourages a cumulative knowledge process in which contributions from students and teachers build upon one another. In this way, the focus for teachers is on reducing ‘known-answer’ questions, providing more open questions, using appropriate ‘wait time’ and knowing how and when to use ‘uptake’ questions that build on student contributions. The key to all this may be a better awareness of how to evaluate student responses, but early research into dialogic teaching in higher education indicates that it would be a mistake to suppose all teaching staff are equally familiar with or adept at using such techniques (Hardman, 2008) .

The York Pedagogy: The design of programmes and student work will support the students’ development as autonomous learnersDeveloping autonomous learners is another pillar of the York pedagogy, but flipped classrooms depend on learners who are already to some extent self-regulating. Arguably, learners only develop these orientations and skills gradually. Variable student motivation may also result in variable ‘homework’ preparation, which could undermine the approach. And creating the space for more interactive discussion is only a first step, since students arriving with different levels of preparedness require organisation into different groupings, with tasks catering for a varying pace of learning. We must have faith in our students, but also find ways to ensure that more of them are proactive, willing to question, seek collaboration, and engage with peers. These are familiar challenges when working with students

from diverse educational backgrounds, with ‘traditional’ expectations of teaching delivered by the expert. More interactive teaching may not bed in quickly with students from less interactive learning cultures where the teacher is still regarded as the leading source of information (Johnson et al, 2015).

To conclude, flipped learning is a version of blended learning which aligns well with elements of the York pedagogy, but which leaves many questions unanswered in terms of how to package and deliver material, how to make the most of interactive class time, and how to support autonomous learning. It is clearly not a quick fix technological solution.

ReferencesAlexander, R. (2006). Towards dialogic teaching: Rethinking classroom talk. York: Dialogos.Bishop, J., & Verleger, M. (2013). The Flipped Classroom : A Survey of the Research. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the American Society for Engineering Education, 6219. [Online] Available at: www.asee.org/public/conferences/20/papers/6219/view [Accessed 4 July, 2015].Estes. M. D., Ingram, R., & Liu, J. C. (2014). A review of flipped classroom research, practice, and technologies. International HETL Review, 4. [Online] Available at: https://www.hetl.org/feature-articles/a-review-of-flipped-classroom-research-practice-and-technologies [Accessed 3 August, 2015].Hardman, F. (2008). Promoting human capital: The importance of dialogic teaching. The Asian Journal of University Education., 4(1), pp.31–48.Johnson, L., Adams Becker, S., Estrada, V., and Freeman, A. (2015). NMC Horizon Report: 2015 Higher Education Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.Stannard,( 2015). The flipped classroom- 20 minute lecture. [Online] Available at: www.teachertrainingvideos.com/the-flipped-classroom-lecture.html [Accessed 15 June, 2015]

FLIPPED

Bill Soden is a Lecturer in the Department of Education and leader of the MATESOL. He joined the University in 1999 after a career in teaching and teacher training in ELT in Europe, Hong Kong and Oman. He is interested in feedback in higher education (2014), and technology in teaching and assessment. He has contributed to several annual York Learning and Teaching Conferences, focusing on: plagiarism (2005), EAP (2010), screencast feedback (2012) and formative feedback (2015). bill.soden@york.ac.uk

16 Forum issue 39

Last year, a newly introduced Strategy to Synthesis in Organic Chemistry module included a lecture

course on Retrosynthetic Analysis, abbreviated RSA. (This is a technique for determining how to prepare valuable chemicals, such as medicines, in the laboratory.) I deliver this 6-lecture course in the Autumn Term for the chemists, but the same course was required in the Spring Term for the biochemists (and the chemistry lecture course could not be moved to later in the year). So, should we repeat the same lecture course, or take the opportunity to introduce a ‘flipped’ activity with the same contact time? No surprise, we decided on the latter.

Some of the reasons behind this decision included:

● the content of the lecture course (RSA) is well suited to lecture flipping – it requires students to develop in-depth problem solving skills;

● the pre-workshop material had already been developed – videos (produced using Camtasia) of the lectures were available, along with numerous practice-makes-perfect worked examples, including examination question walkthroughs;

● the cohort was small (18 students).

Flipping a Chemistry Lecture Course

Andy Parsons discusses the introduction of a new Biochemistry module which gave the Department of Chemistry the opportunity to innovate by using flipped teaching.

Before the module started, an email was sent to the students briefly explaining the concept of flipped teaching and that the contact time would be spent working on problems in three 2-hour workshops. The importance of students engaging with the pre-workshop material was emphasised. In advance of each of the workshops, the students were required to look through the appropriate videos (posted on the VLE) and to fill in the gaps in a handout, and to make their own notes. Each face-to-face workshop session started with a very brief review of the key concepts covered in the videos, followed by students working in small groups (of four to five) to tackle problems. This was an opportunity to focus on areas that were known to be challenging to students, to apply the concepts to biochemistry examples, and for students to ask questions and discuss the videos.

What was especially rewarding was the opportunity to get to know this group of students and see their progress and confidence grow. The student engagement was exceptional – all of the students looked at the screencasts (this was tracked on the VLE), every student came along with annotated notes prior to each session and there were many questions about the material in the videos. The group problems made it more collaborative, and perhaps gave a friendlier environment than they were expecting.

At the end of the course students were assessed by a written examination question, after-which they were asked to complete a feedback form. The feedback results are summarised below.

Student comments included:“I felt I was more in control of how I learn”“A lot better doing questions during contact time than just learning the content”“Encouraged self-motivation and better engagement with the course”“Fantastic change of pace from usual lectures, making learning incredibly engaging”

There were also some constructive suggestions for ways to improve the course, including further examination practice, which will be introduced next year.

In terms of examination grades it is difficult to determine if the biochemistry students had a better grasp of the course material than the chemists, because, for example, the two groups of students tackled different examination questions. However, the biochemists scored a very respectable average, not out of line with that for chemistry students taught using a traditional lecture format.

So, would I encourage others to ‘flip’? Certainly, for the right topic, and for a relatively small group of students, I have found it can be very rewarding. Students benefitted from seeing the lecture material on a video (which they can stop, rewind, fast-forward, play at different times as needed) and then have contact time in which to discuss their thoughts on the video and to answer problems. It is a lot of work preparing the videos and running the interactive sessions (perhaps more demanding than presenting a traditional lecture), but, variety is important in learning and it can empower students to take control of their own learning.

Flipping a Chemistry Lecture Course

Andy Parsons is the Deputy Head of Department in Chemistry, the Undergraduate Admissions Tutor for both Chemistry and Natural Sciences, and the Chemistry Subject Specialist for Natural Sciences. He is a co-author of Chemistry3, the leading undergraduate Chemistry textbook for year 1 students and his teaching has been recognised by a Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award and a Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Higher Education Teaching Award. andy.parsons@york.ac.uk

Question Score out of 5*

The flipped lecture course was well organised and presented 4.67

The flipped lecture course was interesting and enjoyable 4.67

The workload was reasonable 4.50

The assessment was fair 3.81

I would like to see more courses use flipped teaching 4.22

*Where 5 = strongly agree, 4 = agree, 3 = neutral, 2 = disagree and 1 = strongly disagree

Forum issue 39 17

Flipping a Chemistry Lecture CourseFlipping a Chemistry Lecture Course

18 Forum issue 39

Project aims and rationale Corrective feedback (CF) is formal or informal information given to learners on their performance on various tasks. It has been regarded as a controversial topic in second language (L2) teaching (Ferris, 2010). On the one hand, L2 teachers have voiced concerns that students are not sufficiently using CF in their writing; on the other hand, students have expressed feelings of frustration or confusion once they receive feedback (Lee, 2011). This tension prompted me to think about how to increase student engagement and enhance the effectiveness of feedback. Chinese is a tonal language, which means that a pitch affects the meaning of a sound; Chinese characters, unlike an

Student self-reflection, interaction and teacher corrective feedback: L2 Chinese writing pilot project Dan Li discusses a Rapid Response Funded pilot project increasing student engagement and promoting reflective learning in the process of feedback.

alphabet, are a system of symbols. In this respect, progress in Chinese for European students is slower than for a new European language. It is essential that students develop learning skills while they acquire linguistic knowledge. The ability to take charge of one’s own learning is not inborn but must be acquired either by natural means or by formal learning (Holec, 1981).

Taking this into consideration, I decided to integrate reflective learning into my teaching design. Recent empirical studies have suggested that noticing is an important cognitive process in L2 writing (Qi and Lapkin, 2001, Mackey 2006). Findings showed positive effects of noticing in the composing stage and the reformulation stage, where ESL (English

as a second language) learners compared their writing with a revised version. I linked the findings with teaching L2 Chinese and considered noticing as a self-reflective skill; students were encouraged to notice the gaps in their linguistic knowledge in the composing process and monitor their progress. I created the ‘Feedback Loop’, a feedback method with an interactional dimension, which recognises the value of involving students and promotes independent learning. The project aims are three-fold:

● to help students use CF more effectively through increased engagement in the process of feedback;

● to facilitate the development of self-reflective skills, in particular, noticing of L2 form;

● to help teachers give more effective CF based on individual differences.

The pilot project This pilot project took place within the context of Chinese Level 3 Course running for nineteen weeks in 2014-2015 at LFA. The group consisted of five students who have studied Chinese for at least three years, are able to write expository essays in 200-300 characters. In the academic year, some writing tasks were treated as summative tests and others as formative. Students were asked to write two or three drafts with time lags. They were asked to underline three grammatical areas in their draft that they found problematic before handing in. I provided written and oral feedback in class with a focus on the underlined areas. The students had time to think about and process the

Student Draft 1 with 3 underlined areas which s/he found

problematic

Teacher CF with a focus on students’ underlined areas

Student revision and Draft 2 (same topic)

Teacher CF written/oral

Repeat the Feedback Loop as needed

or feasible

The Feedback

Loop

Figure 1: The Feedback Loop

Forum issue 39 19

corrections before their second draft. They were encouraged to reflect upon their L2 writing proactively and keep their drafts in a portfolio. By doing so, the students were learning to take more control of their language study. I was able to direct my attention to individuals’ underlined areas and track language developmental patterns. Oral feedback was prioritised in class regarding pervasive errors in order to help the students look at problematic areas. An interactional dimension was added to the Feedback Loop and this repeated as feasible (see Figure 1). At the end of Summer Term, the students were invited to a retrospective interview to talk about their experiences.

Initial findings As stated earlier, the Feedback Loop started with students identifying problematic areas before handing in. In draft 1, they found particular difficulty

using Chinese-specific structures ba (used to express passive voice), shi…de (used to emphasize) and verbal complement (used to express a result of an action or a situation). Pervasive errors were related to these structures. In draft 2/3, more accurate uses of these structures were identified. Results showed a positive relationship between noticing, CF and L2 written product. In the interview, students expressed that “ba is very hard to figure out… even looking up in the Google translator is not reliable… [Underlining the part] just to say this is where I need help most.” They became more aware of the benefits of noticing and valued the interactional dimension in the feedback process.

Moreover, non-underlined common errors were identified in draft 1 with particular reference to location words and changes were tracked in draft 2/3. In draft 1, the errors were not noticed, which may result from the gap in grammatical knowledge and the superficial similarity between L1 (first language) and L2. I provided oral CF and organised training activities for awareness-raising in class. Improvement in draft 2/3 showed that the students became aware of the problematic areas and were able to reconstruct sentences in Chinese. In the interview, a student recalled that the interaction dimension in the process of feedback was helpful: “[If] a sentence was not marked, I wouldn’t read it. If a sentence was marked, I read the comment, couldn’t really remember. I hear the comments again face to face (in class), which motivates me more… okay, I’m wrong. This is how we use it”.

From a teacher’s perspective, the use of the Feedback Loop method did not increase marking time; on the other hand, the interactional dimension helped me to respond to my students’ needs in a more timely fashion. More time was spent on coding and analysing the L2 data. Personally, I found this method appealing because it helped me gain a deeper understanding of students as individuals in relation to language learning styles and developmental patterns; furthermore, the analysis of the L2 data deepened my understanding of aspects of Chinese grammar, which had an impact on my teaching approaches, particularly on how to teach problematic structures for L1 English students and design different task types respectively.

Although the cases of this pilot project represent highly individual responses to the feedback practice, they provide

evidence of progress in relation to students’ self-reflective skills, interaction and teacher CF. Further work is needed to examine the relationship between student engagement and the effectiveness of CF, the role of noticing in classroom settings. As Nicol and Macfarlane-Dick (2006) point out, a number of principles of good feedback include the facilitation of reflection and self-assessment, which is considered vital to development of independent learners. In this respect, teacher-student and teacher-researcher dialogues are encouraged in order to gain a broader understanding of and generate knowledge of different feedback methods and learner differences. The Feedback Loop method could be adapted by teachers in a wider range of languages and of other disciplines in order to exploit its potential and unpack pedagogical benefits and challenges.

This project received Rapid Response Funding.

References Ferris, D. (2010). Second language writing research and written corrective feedback in SLA intersections and practical applications. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 32, 181-201. Holec, H. (1981). Autonomy and foreign language learning. Oxford: Pergamon. First published in 1979, Strasburg: Council of Europe. Lee, I. (2011). Working smarter, not working harder: revisiting teacher feedback in the L2 writing classroom. The Canadian Modern Language Review, 67(3), 377-399. Mackey, A. (2006). Feedback, noticing and instructed second language learning. Applied Linguistics, 27(3), 405-430. Nicol, D. J. & D, Macfarlane-Dick. (2006). Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven principles of good feedback practice. Studies in Higher Education, 31(2), 199-218. Qi, D. S. & S, Lapkin. (2001). Exploring the role of noticing in a three-stage second language writing task. Journal of Second Language Writing, 10, 277-303.

Dan Li is the Programme Coordinator for Chinese language course. She joined LFA, the Department of Language & Linguistic Science in January 2013. She is interested in second language development, with a particular interest in feedback on writing and corrective feedback. dan.li@york.ac.ukWorking at your own pace

needs very careful monitoring

20 Forum issue 39

Diversity in Social Work practiceSocial workers in professional practice work with some of the most disadvantaged and marginalised individuals, families and communities, often at the most difficult points in their lives. Working with diversity and becoming a culturally competent practitioner is a key aspect of social work training and is in line with current legislation and evidence. The College of Social Work emphasises nine key domains within the Professional Capabilities Framework (PCF), demonstrating all aspects of learning and explaining how social workers should expect to evidence their skills in practice. One of the nine PCF domains is the capability to recognise diversity and apply cultural competence principles in practice.

Another key element of social work practice is the analysis, implementation and critical reflection of intervention models for use in different contexts and with service users with diverse needs. Paying particular attention to the evidence base, we ask students, ‘what worked and how do you know?’ But this question is increasingly difficult to answer, as the evidence base in social work is slim when compared to more easily measurable psychological and medical interventions. What sets social work apart from many other professions concerned with mental health is the seemingly unlimited ways its work can be demonstrated. The idea that social interventions should be based on evidence has been tempered by the fact that each individual or family is unique and it is difficult to specify approaches.

One size does not fit all, but we can offer a framework for alterations: tailoring mental health social interventions for diverse contexts

Meredith Fendt-Newlin and Martin Webber received a Rapid Response Fund grant to develop learning materials to teach students how to adapt evidence-based social interventions for use with service users from diverse cultural backgrounds and within resource-poor environments.

A framework to adapt social interventionsOffering a framework in how to adapt approaches that have been proven effective is one solution to address this need in social work education. However, to date there has not been guidance on how to translate effective social interventions and currently no such toolkit for social work training exists.

Researchers in the International Centre for Mental Health Social Research (ICMHSR) are bringing together colleagues at the University of York and internationally to generate evidence that informs social policy and mental health social work practice by developing and adapting social interventions across economic and cultural contexts.

With a grant from the Rapid Response Fund, we developed teaching and learning materials that provide a framework and guidance in adapting evidence-based social interventions for use with service users from diverse cultural backgrounds and within resource-poor environments.

“Social work students need to be better prepared to enter the workforce and support the increasing number of migrants and individuals from diverse backgrounds in York, North Yorkshire and the UK.”

Filming role play in Sierra Leone by Way Out Arts

Mental health nurses sharing case studies that describe cultural experiences of service users and families

Forum issue 39 21

By teaching social work students not only that it’s possible to use social interventions in diverse settings and with a multitude of client groups, but also giving practical lessons in how to adapt interventions for their future practice, the materials produced by this project offer a massive step forward for the field of social work.

Using a real-life case exemplarStudents learn best by using real-life exemplars to understand how models can be adapted and used effectively in their own practice, offering a research-enriched teaching and learning opportunity. For this reason, we chose to develop teaching and learning materials that reflect adaptions of a social intervention from a high-resourced to low-resourced setting.

The Connecting People Intervention (CPI), developed by a team of researchers and led from the University of York, is a social intervention model that aims to support people with mental health problems to enhance their social networks. Members of the research team initially developed the CPI and accompanying training materials for use with UK-based practitioners. However, there were challenges around which contexts and client groups the CPI was most applicable to, which is what led us to explore adaptations in Sierra Leone*, Malawi and India.

The CPI adaptation created co-productively in Sierra Leone with local stakeholders has been used as a real-life exemplar, set within the framework and guidelines for adapting social interventions generally. Meaning “connections that may bring benefit” in one of the local languages, the Sababu Model incorporates elements of social interventions such as building trusting relationships, communication skills with service users and families, assessing an individual’s assets in addition to their needs, and networking in the community.

Learning and teaching materialsThe work in Sierra Leone improves and extends training materials previously developed in the UK. For example, we were able to develop step-by-step methods to be undertaken by practitioners, a more concrete template that is non-prescriptive and can be adapted for a variety of contexts. This approach is particularly useful in social work teaching.

Filmed over two weeks during training and practice observation in Sierra Leone, members of the research team worked with local (to Freetown and York) film crews to develop a series of videos that will be used in this autumn’s social work teaching programme. Using interactive learning such as role-plays, small group work and discussions how to use the

adapted social intervention in practice, these videos capture diverse practice experiences. Combined with training manuals and workbooks this offers a comprehensive toolkit for adapting social interventions in diverse contexts and with service users with a variety of needs.

ResourcesLinks to videos and training resources: http://bit.ly/1JJI6VrLink to blog post about the visit to Sierra Leone and filming: www.icmhsr.org/2015/07/22/latest-news-on-our-work-in-sierra-leone/Video production by Sierra Leone based youth arts organisation, Way Out Arts. Post-production editing by York based company Digifish Limited.

*The feasibility study in Sierra Leone was part-funded by the Wellcome Trust [ref: 105624] through the Centre for Chronic Diseases and Disorders (C2D2) at the University of York. Model adaptions and training programme development was funded by the Maudsley Charity.

Meredith Fendt-Newlin, is a researcher and PhD candidate in the International Centre for Mental Health Social Research (ICMHSR), University of York, where she is supervised by Dr Martin Webber to undertake research projects in a range of diverse contexts and countries. Having previously studied health psychology at King’s College London and University College London, and serving on the Board of Directors and Trustees for two community development organisations in Africa, Meredith is passionate about empowering people through social innovation to improve mental and physical health care in low and middle-income countries. meredith.newlin@york.ac.uk

Martin Webber, is a registered social worker with experience of working with adults with a learning disability and mental health problems. Director of the International Centre for Mental Health Social Research (ICMHSR), University of York, Martin is passionate about achieving social change through high quality social work and social care practice that is informed by rigorous research evidence. His teaching interests include research methodology and the practice implications of developing and evaluating of social interventions with vulnerable and marginalised people. martin.webber@york.ac.uk

The training greatly helped me to know to connect myself and my clients to other people or organisations for support.”SIERRA LEOnE MEnTAL HEALTH nURSE

22 Forum issue 39

It is widely acknowledged that higher education offers great opportunities for students to develop as learners,

as future employees and as citizens. Much of this learning and development takes place outside of the structures of the formal classroom and yet there is little evidence about the ways in which these spaces best create conditions for students to develop their capabilities and interests, and flourish as positive members of a just society. Universities are in a position to ‘provide the enabling spaces and conditions for development and learning in the way that individuals cannot do alone’ (Walker, 2006, p. 37). With this in mind, Derwent College established its first living-learning community (Derwent Global Community, DGC) in September 2014. Living-learning communities are structured with the express purpose of encouraging students to connect ideas from different disciplines and of creating long-term, sustained social interactions (Zhao and Kuh, 2004). DGC is a college-based living learning

Derwent Global CommunityEleanor Brown and Lynda Dunlop secured Rapid Response Funding to explore developing capabilities through a non- formal learning community focused on international development and human rights.

as it became known. Eleven students signed up to this: three UK students, three international students and two European students on full degree courses and three visiting international students in the UK for one term. In addition, the opportunity was opened to all students in the college to get involved on a non-residential basis. Over 30 students turned up to the information session, from all years, and of these, several second and third years and postgraduate students became fully involved with the group, and a small number of other students engaged sporadically with the activities. This has drawn on support from the Department of Education, the Human Rights Defenders from the Centre for Applied Human Rights, and local non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

We held a number of networking meetings, discussion groups and workshops to enable students to explore ideas associated with human rights and international development. The students then took a series of actions that aimed to raise awareness of associated issues amongst the wider student body. These included a cine forum, operation empty cupboard, a series of events organised to raise awareness about issues associated with asylum and migration including a debate, quiz, clothes swap and arts night.

community led by students around the theme of international development, social justice and human rights (https://www.york.ac.uk/colleges/derwent/derwentglobalcommunity/).

Research conducted in the USA has found that there are positive outcomes for students in relation to retention, engagement with learning and academic performance as a result of involvement in a learning community (Stassen, 2003; Lenning and Ebbers, 1999). However, living-learning communities are less common in the UK, and universities tend to provide opportunities for informal learning through a wide range of student organisations and societies. The DGC differs from these in that the conditions for an informal learning community, led by students, have been created by the college through provision of structured, non-formal (ie non-credit bearing and optional) education, such as workshops and networking events with local organisations. The aim is to foster political engagement and a sense of community and commitment from the students, offering opportunities for students to develop and grow in a safe and supported environment. Learning and confidence growth is facilitated through providing a broad range of ways to engage.

Community buildingThe theme of the learning community was decided based on the ethos of the college and the partnerships and collaboration that had been developing for several years within it. The theme was described as a focus on ‘International Development and Human Rights’. It was set as broadly as possible, with the idea that the students would be able to narrow this down and focus on aspects that they were most interested in. Students were invited before the start of their first term to sign up to live in one residential block, which was allocated to the Global Community,

“I think by the end I was more willing to express my ideas but I think it pushed me to find other ways to express my ideas…just finding other ways so that my ideas can be heard”

We will be using role play to look at the causes and consequences of the French Revolution … so who wants to be an aristocrat?

Forum issue 39 23

As the academic year drew to a close, we interviewed students to find out about their experiences and development through their participation in the Derwent Global Community. They highlighted enablers and barriers to their participation in the community and discussed their sense of commitment, and ways in which they felt able to act and bring about change through participation in the Global Community. The interviews aimed to explore the ways in which they had developed their capabilities, ie their sense of agency and their ‘freedom to achieve well-being’ (Sen, 1992, p. 48). In these interviews, students discussed ways in which they had developed wellbeing though the Global Community through their own personal development and through the development of a community. A key development area was the way they developed ways to negotiating different perspectives on complex issues:

“Good experience with the difficulty of trying to do stuff around human rights and development, which obviously is a really difficult topic to ever say we are an educated group … about, then I think in the discussions we’d have…I got a good understanding … of how that is going to be a challenge if I go into this sort of line of work, where people have moral stances on it and there are ethical stances. Everyone’s got a different viewpoint, actually.”

This tested communication skills within a non-hierarchical community where everyone’s voice was equal, but decisions were made through consensus. This meant that students had to work hard to collaborate:

“I think by the end I was more willing to express my ideas but I think it pushed me to find other ways to express my ideas…just finding other ways so that my ideas can be heard.”

In addition to learning to communicate with each other, students found it valuable to learn from others in the wider community working on these issues:

“I think it’s good that I’m more aware of the opportunities that there are in York with these organisations and I think it’s nice to meet a lot of people who care about the same kind of things, and I also helped to organise some of the events …and that was really helpful.”

Through a highly participative and experiential pedagogy with a focus on critical reflection and challenging social inequalities, it could be argued that the first year of the global community was a chance for some students to enhance their capabilities and feel empowered to work towards social change. The nature of their engagement conformed to ideas from popular education (Freire, 1972) and transformative learning theory (Mezirow, 2000). The students’ commitment to being part of a community and the opportunity to challenge their own perceptions and assumptions and consider different perspectives in dialogue with their peers opened up new spaces for learning.

Reflections on DGCOur observations and preliminary analysis of interview data from students suggest that this type of initiative can enable students to develop capabilities that could prepare them for participating more in society and working towards social justice and social change. However, there were also occasions when the activities were not sufficiently critical of the status quo, or where participants took away only a superficial understanding of complex issues. Moreover, the numbers of people involved were low. The core group reduced from around 30 at the original meeting to only nine, and participants in the activities run by the group ranged from three to thirty, but tended to be less than ten. There are certainly things to be learned for future cohorts and a clear range of aspects to be explored further through interviews with the students themselves, in order to more deeply understand their perspectives and interpretations. Indeed, as we prepare for the new cohort arriving and the

second year of DGC, there are already lots of students taking interest in living-learning communities, which are available in both Derwent and Halifax this year. With student-led activities and a broad scope we don’t know how Derwent Global Community will develop this year, but with lots of freshers applying we are looking forward to another eventful year.

ReferencesFreire, P., 1972. Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Translated by Myra Bergman Ramos. New York: Continuum.Mezirow, J., 2000. Learning to Think like an Adult: Core concepts of transformation theory. in Mezirow, Jack and Associates (ed.) Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. San Francisco: Jossey Bass. pp.3-34Sen, A., 1999. Development as Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Stassen, M. L. A., 2003. Student outcomes: the impact of varying living learning models. Research in higher education, 44(5), pp. 585-613.Walker, M., 2006. Higher Education Pedagogies. Maidenhead: The Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press.Zhao, C-N. and Kuh, G. D. (2004). Adding value: Learning Communities and Student Engagement. Research in Higher Education, 45, (2), pp. 115 – 138.

Eleanor Brown is a Lecturer at the University of York, where she is based in the Centre for Research on Education and Social Justice. She teaches and supervises on undergraduate and postgraduate courses and her research interests are in transformative learning, critical pedagogies, international volunteering and development education in non-formal settings. She is also the Head of Derwent College, where she has strategic lead on college ethos and direction. eleanor.brown@york.ac.uk

Lynda Dunlop is a Lecturer in Science Education based in the University of York Science Education Group (UYSEG). She has a background in teaching science and philosophy at the secondary level and now teaches on undergraduate and postgraduate education programmes. Her research interests are in science education in primary and secondary schools, and in the teaching of ethical and controversial issues associated with science. lynda.dunlop@york.ac.uk

24 Forum issue 39

28280 – www.york.ac.uk/design-print-solutions

Learning and Teaching calendar of events: Autumn Term 2015 and Spring Term 2016

Key to the calendarEvents organised by the Learning and Teaching

Forum. Open to all staff and PGWTs. For further information, see https://www.york.ac.uk/staff/teaching/community/events/; to register, contact learning-and-teaching-forum@york.ac.uk. If you are unable to attend an event but would like a copy of the materials, please let us know.

Freestanding workshops offered by learning

support colleagues. Please contact janet.barton@york.ac.uk for further details or to book your place.

Taught Masters Special Interest Group: for further

information, see https://www.york.ac.uk/staff/teaching/community/peer-support/postgraduate-taught/; to register contact janet.barton@york.ac.uk

Academic Integrity: Staff Turnitin awareness

sessions. Please contact alison.mckay@york.ac.uk for further details or to book your place on a session.

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Network:

Organised on the model of a “journal club,” this network is for colleagues who are interested in engaging with key and emerging evidence-based and philosophically influential pedagogical literature. Please contact academic-practice@york.ac.uk for details.

WEEK 5 W/B 26 OCTOBER 2015Friday 30 October 13.00-15.30 Ron Cooke Hub, RCH/Lakehouse

Supervision 101: the art of spinning plates WEEK 6 W/B 2 nOVEMBER 2015Tuesday 3 november

11.00-12.00 Law and Management Building LMB/023Staff Turnitin awareness session

Tuesday 3 november

12.00-14.00 TBC Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Network

WEEK 7 W/B 9 nOVEMBER 2015Friday 13 november 9.00-12.00 Ron Cooke Hub, Meeting Pod 1

Consistency and fairness: maintaining equity in assessment, marking and feedback practice

WEEK 8 W/B 16 nOVEMBER 2015Monday 16 november

13.00-14.30 Ron Cooke Hub, RCH/017Intercohort mentoring

WEEK 9 W/B 23 nOVEMBER 2015Thursday 26 november

9.00-13.00 HG21, Heslington Hall Annotation and feedback

WEEK 10 W/B 30 nOVEMBER 2015Thursday 3 December

12.00-14.00 TBC Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Network

W/B 7 DECEMBER 2015Monday 7 December 9.00-16.00 HG21, Heslington Hall

Assessment, marking and feedback on writing in the Sciences

Tuesday 8 December

12.30-14.00 Chemistry, C/A/102Postgraduate taught Special Interest Group

Spring termWEEK 1 W/B 4 JAnUARY 2016Thursday 7 January 15.00-16.00 Derwent D/L/049

Staff Turnitin awareness sessionWEEK 2 W/B 11 JAnUARY 2016Tuesday 12 January 12.00-14.00 TBC

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning NetworkWEEK 5 W/B 1 FEBRUARY 2016Tuesday 2 February 11.00-12.00 Law and Management Building

LMB/044Staff Turnitin awareness session

WEEK 10 W/B 7 MARCH 2016Thursday 10 March 15.00-16.00 Alcuin, AEW/106

Staff Turnitin awareness sessionFriday 11 March 12.00-14.00 TBC

Scholarship of Teaching and Learning NetworkW/B 14 MARCH 2016Wednesday 16 March

12.30-14.00 Chemistry, C/A/102Postgraduate taught Special Interest Group

Summer termW/B 14 MARCH 2016Tuesday 7 June 9.30-16.30 Exhibition Centre

Learning and Teaching Conference: Value added graduates: enabling our students to be successful