Author: Claire Burnham

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Examining Different Learners’ Development of Critical Learning Skills: University Education Development Fund

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Dr Lana Liu, Newcastle University Business School and Dr Mei Lin, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences.

Critical thinking is one of the core skills for academic success but can be one of the biggest challenges for students studying one-year taught masters programmes. 

Dr Lana Liu, Newcastle University Business School and Dr Mei Lin, School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences set out to explore how critical thinking can be enhanced in their most recent project, funded by the University Education Development Fund: 

Examining Different Learners’ Development of Critical Learning Skills in Postgraduate Taught Programmes: A Comparative Study in MSc Accounting, Finance and Strategic Investment and in MA Applied Linguistics and TESOL 

This collaborative project is well underway with surveys and first round of interviews with postgraduate taught students nearly completed and evaluation of the transcripts about to begin. We caught up with Lana and Mei to find out more: 

What motivated you to begin your project? 

We teach on Masters courses in quite different subject areas. Over the years we both identified common challenges in terms of lack of critical thinking our students were demonstrating when they started their course.  This may arise from our expectation, as we were assuming a high level of critical thinking skills because of our set entry criteria to masters programmes. However it became clear that not all students were working at the same level. This was evident from in class discussions, the questions students were asking and in some cases we directly asked students about their understanding of critical thinking at both the start and end of their course.  This has led both of us to investigate underlying issues.  

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Access Canvas and book on to the first phase of Canvas training now

Canvas logo

All Learning and Teaching colleagues can now log in to Canvas, our new Virtual Learning Environment, which will be replacing Blackboard from 1st August 2020. This is an exciting milestone as we transition to Canvas and with access to a personal sandbox (practice) course and an online Canvas Orientation course, colleagues have an early opportunity to familiarise themselves with the platform.  

How do you get access? 

Go to https://canvas.ncl.ac.uk and log in with your nid@newcastle.ac.uk account. Once you have access you will see your personal sandbox (practice) course and the Canvas Orientation course on your Canvas dashboard. Please do not use Internet Explorer as this browser is not supported by Canvas. 

What training and support is available? 

To support you with the transition from Blackboard to Canvas and to help you to get the most out of Canvas, a comprehensive suite of training has been developed including Canvas Fundamentals, Professional Service sessions, Assignments and Quizzes and more. 

Sessions taking place throughout April-June are now available to book. There will be further sessions released in March to run from July 2020 onwards.  

If you are based at our London, Malaysia or Singapore campuses and are unable to attend face to face training sessions in Newcastle, we are working with colleagues at each campus to organise suitable sessions, which will be communicated to you shortly.  

Further information regarding PGR access to training will also be communicated soon. 

In addition to training, the following support is available: 

  • Access to the 24/7 help from Canvas. This is a fantastic resource and is available to all staff and students. You can contact Canvas via live chat, from within the platform, phone or email for all of your ‘How do I’ questions. 
  • The online Canvas Orientation course accessed from the Canvas dashboard. This has been designed to support you in using the key features and tools in Canvas and there are a number of self-check quizzes for you to check your understanding as you work through each section.  
  • A comprehensive library of Canvas step-by-step guides and video tutorials. These can all be accessed via the digital learning website or the Canvas Community or from the Help Menu within Canvas. 
  • The digital learning website. This is a key source of information with answers to FAQs, upcoming events and project timelines. 

If you have any queries about any of this information or would like to speak with a member of the project team, please contact canvas@ncl.ac.uk. 

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Vice-Chancellor’s Education Excellence Awards 2020

We are pleased to announce that the Vice-Chancellor’s Education Excellence Awards 2020 are now open for submissions.  The closing date is the 15  April 2020.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Education Excellence awards aim to raise the status of teaching and learning at Newcastle University by rewarding those individuals and teams who make a marked impact on enhancing our student educational experience.

The Award is open to all members of staff, at Newcastle, NUIS, NUMed and NUL, whose work enhances the student educational experience. In addition, applications are welcome from staff of associated employers with direct and substantive involvement in the delivery of the student experience at Newcastle, for example, staff of INTO Newcastle University. Groups of colleagues who work closely together are invited to apply for the team award.

The awards fall into the following 2 categories:

Category 1: Individual award

  • Up to 4 awards for individual members of staff (academic or professional services staff) whose contribution to education at Newcastle is exceptional.

Category 2: Team award

  • Up to 1 award for teams of staff (either academic or professional services staff, or teams consisting of both) whose contribution to education at Newcastle is exceptional.

For further information on the award, including the application process, please view the Appendix 1: Guidance notes, or visit the VC’s Education Excellence Award section of the LTDS website.

You can  find out more about last year’s winners who demonstrated an exceptional commitment to enhancing our students’ educational experience in this blog post.

If you have any questions about the awards or need any further information please contact ltds@ncl.ac.uk

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New Digital Learning Website

Student working on laptop

We are excited to announce the launch of a new Digital Learning website go.ncl.ac.uk/digitallearning

This new site brings together the digital learning activities taking place across the University, providing you with information, step by step guides and ideas to help you to get the most out of digital technologies for learning, teaching and assessment.  

Visit the site to find out about: 

Canvas– the University’s exciting new Virtual Learning Environment replacing Blackboard from 1st August 2020. Staff and students can find project updates, information about the support available, answers to FAQs and upcoming events. 

TEL Services, lots of information about our centrally supported technologies and systems, digital exams and access to TEL guides providing you with step by step instructions. 

Blended Learning, if you want to explore online educational materials and collaborative learning opportunities with traditional face-to-face delivery, visit these pages for inspiration and support. 

We will be continuing to update the site with resources so please let us know if there is anything else you would like to see that can support you in your role. Get in touch at LTDS@ncl.ac.uk. 

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Advance HE: Good Practice Grants

The Advance HE Good Practice Grants are now open for applications. These grants will give Advance HE members an opportunity to develop and share innovative practice.

Newcastle University is an Advance HE member so all Newcastle University staff would be eligible to apply.

There are two funding strands:

  • Up to £1000 for ‘What Works’ case studies
  • Up to £4000 for solution-based proposals

Projects that use creative approaches and mediums such as film, animation, and infographic-rich reports are particularly welcomed.

Advance HE are also particularly interested in:

  • Good practice in inclusive leadership: What works?
  • Fostering a sense of belonging for staff and students: What works?
  • Successful transitions: What works for different student groups?

Application deadline is the 7 February 2020 and you can find full information on the Advance HE website.

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Canvas Roadshow Events – 20th-22nd January 2020

Canvas logo

Have you heard Canvas is coming to Newcastle?

Canvas is the University’s new Virtual Learning Environment replacing Blackboard from August 2020. This Roadshow event will showcase this new platform and the benefits it offers to students and colleagues.

This is your opportunity to meet Canvas colleagues who will be on-site for this event, see live demonstrations of the fantastic features Canvas provides and get involved in discussions with the Canvas and Newcastle University Project team.

There will be an opportunity to ask questions during the sessions, but if you wish you can also pre-submit any questions you would like the teams to answer by emailing canvas@ncl.ac.uk.

Some of the sessions are tailored to specific audiences so please sign up to the most appropriate session for you.  Please register now to attend.

The lntroduction to Canvas sessions will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person. You can access the livestreaming links below:

Introduction to Canvas, 20th January 2020 10:00-11:00
Introduction to Canvas, 21st January 2020 9.30-10:30  
Introduction to Canvas, 21st January 2020 14:00-15:00
Introduction to Canvas, 22nd January 2020 10:00-11:00

We really look forward to seeing you at one of these events.​

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Call For Abstracts 31st January Deadline For The Three Rivers Learning And Teaching Conference

Knowledge Exchange for Learning and Teaching in HE.

Colleagues are invited to submit an abstract to deliver a paper at the upcoming Three Rivers Learning and Teaching Conference which will be held on the 24th April. Please see the information below:

This 15th regional conference builds upon the success of previous partnership events held by the region’s Universities (Sunderland, Northumbria, Durham, Newcastle and Teesside).

The teaching community are invited to contribute to critical discussions on Knowledge Exchange as part of learning in higher education. This involves exploring how our institutions enable student learning as part of Knowledge Exchange processes in higher education, establishing why they are powerful approaches to student development, and sharing experiences of their impact on the students’ learning experience.

Since the title of this conference is ‘Knowledge Exchange for Learning and Teaching in HE’, contributions are welcomed on learning and teaching initiatives in higher-education which form part of Knowledge Exchange processes.

The call for abstracts is now open to staff and students (as co-authors) at Sunderland, Newcastle, Durham, Teesside and Northumbria universities.

Please see the GDPR statement page for how your data will be stored and used.

Please see the abstract submission process page to find out what information you will need to submit and the submission process.

Please see the  supporting information for advice on submitting an abstract for a paper and presenting a paper.

Click here to submit your 250 word abstract for a 20 minute paper (+5mins for questions) by midnight on the 31st January

Please go to the Three Rivers Website at https://3riversnortheast.wordpress.com/ for more information.

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Celebrating success evening for the 2018- 2019 UKPSF CPD Scheme

Attendees at the event

Emma McCulloch, Academic Practice Team

On the 12th December the Academic Practice team held a Celebrating Success evening for the 2018- 2019 UKPSF CPD Scheme. 

In total this academic year there were 154 participants gaining Fellowship Recognition with Advance HE.

It was a thoroughly enjoyable evening where participants got to share their experiences of gaining recognition either through the CASAP programme, Experiential Route or Certificate of Medical Education. The evening had representatives from EduBites, Library services and NUTELA to showcase the Learning and Teaching innovations taking place across the university.

A really lovely way to end 2019 reflecting on all the great Learning and Teaching that is happening here at Newcastle. Well done to all the successful participants the Academic Practice team look forward to working with you all again in the future.  

If you need any more information please get in touch at ltds@ncl.ac.uk

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Newcastle Educational Practice Scheme (NEPS)

By Chris Whiting, Academic Practice Team

The University’s scheme to support staff in gaining recognition for their teaching is changing. CASAP (Certificate in Advanced Studies of Academic Practice) is being replaced by the Newcastle Educational Practice Scheme (NEPS) as of January 2020. NEPS is the supported scheme for staff involved with teaching and supporting student learning but are new to teaching and learning in higher education.

NEPS has been conceived as a structured approach to supporting staff new to teaching to gain Fellowship of Advance HE (the external recognition of teaching in HE). NEPS is a structured yet flexible scheme that supports staff develop the knowledge and skills they need to enhance their teaching and be able to make a successful claim for Fellowship.  

The Experiential Route remains an option for those with experience of teaching and learning in higher education. And PGRs Who Teach are now supported through Evidencing Learning and Teaching Skills (ELTS) scheme.

Find out more information on NEPS or apply on the LTDS website.

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Guest blog: EXPLORING the islands and marine life of the Hebrides through sound

NUTELA logo

David De La Haye, Music Technician, School of Arts and Cultures

‘Silurian’ is the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust’s research vessel and for ten days in September I joined the crew on a voyage around the Inner and Outer Hebrides. A citizen science project that was established in 2002, the trust has collected one of the largest visual and acoustic datasets of cetacean activity in the region. 

Awake to the tide crashing on the shores of an uninhabited island, the sound of snapping shrimp beneath the waters in a secluded bay. Listen to the amplified strains and groans of the vessel in swell before drifting asleep to the eerie howls of grey seals. Perhaps register the echolocation of Risso’s dolphins or the distant pulse of minke whales. The seas are awash with sounds, revealed through acoustic technologies. As we begin to explore these rich soundscapes we start to understand the impact of other anthropogenic noise, persistent throughout.

The NUTELA fund afforded me time for real-life creative practice, developing the tools needed to assist students who are beginning to embrace the growing trend towards field-recording. Realising sonic opportunity in the everyday, understanding which technologies are best suited to given tasks and advising on appropriate methods of sound diffusion within the studio environment are topics covered within my demonstrator role; this award provided invaluable experience and insight. The work-in-progress was performed as a multi-channel piece at the ‘LIVE in the Kings Hall’ series alongside other practitioners in ICMuS.

The voyage included incredible audio-finds! Recordings of unusual animal behaviour captured onboard Silurian were confirmed on Twitter and the project has already captured the imagination of the Institute of Creative Arts Practice (NICAP) who recently awarded me a ‘Pioneer Award’. This will be used to conduct an experimental research project that intercepts the acoustic data collected by HWDT and marine acoustic systems developed in SAgE, inviting listeners to imagine an oceanic perspective through the generation of sound installations, crossing boundaries between Marine Science, Bioacoustics, Electronic Engineering and Digital Arts.

Student Feedback

“Given my major project’s use of recorded sound, I thought it would be important to get some advice in order to learn more about technology and production techniques. The project focused around the Hebridean islands set in motion ideas for my project so i thought it would good to speak with David De La Haye for further development of my own work.”

David was awarded a NUTELA Small Grants Fund to explore the use of technology enhanced practices in learning and teaching. Find out more about the NUTELA Small Grants Fund.