Category: Other

On November 6^th we came together as a community to celebrate the achievement of 198 colleagues across our university who gained Advance, HE Fellowship recognition (D1-D4) during the 2023/24 academic year. This milestone reflects a significant increase from 161 colleagues in 2022/23 and demonstrates the growing engagement and commitment of our staff to advancing teaching excellence.   

At the heart of this achievement is a collective dedication to providing an outstanding educational experience for our students. Reflecting on and refining practice to align with relevant pedagogies underscores the values we uphold as an institution. As Sarah Graham, HaSS Dean of Education, remarked: 

“It’s really positive to see this growth in recognition. As a community, it’s important that we keep spreading the word and raising the profile to support more colleagues in achieving recognition.” 

The flexibility and inclusivity of the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) enables colleagues across diverse roles – academics, technicians, professional services and central services staff to achieve recognition. Notably, we celebrated the success of education managers, technicians, and colleagues from the Library, Careers, and LTDS. Their contributions enrich the fabric of our learning and teaching culture, further aligning us with the wider sector’s standards. 

The event also highlighted the pivotal role of mentorship. Dr. Paul Hubbard, Chair of the Board of Studies, expressed gratitude to PSF mentors, including newly recognised colleagues stepping forward to support others. This spirit of mentorship strengthens our community, as mentors not only guide peers but also exemplify continuous professional development. 

Special congratulations went to Ben Steel, this year’s recipient of the Dr. Phil Ansell Award for Mentoring, which honours exceptional support for colleagues pursuing Fellowship recognition. 

Being recognised under one of the four categories of Fellowship is not the final destination and can be a springboard for ongoing contributions to our learning and teaching community. Opportunities include;  

Participating in the 2024/25 University Learning and Teaching Conference on April 3rd, 2025. 

Joining networks like Newcastle Educators or discipline-specific groups. 

Sharing innovations by submitting case studies to the Case Studies of Effective Practice database. 

Considering national recognition through the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) or the Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) . 

If you would like any information about how to apply for a Advance HE Fellowship recognition, or anything discussed in this blog please do get in touch with the Academic Practice Team  apt.lts@newcastle.ac.uk.  

Proud moment for D1 Associate Fellow – Kolapo Odeniyi.   

NU Med Education Day and Celebrating Success Event – 15^th October 2024  

During October 2024, Pro Vice Chancellor of Education, Professor Ruth Valentine, visited NU Med hosting an Education Day and a ‘Celebrating Success’ event for colleagues who have recently completed successful PSF applications. During the education day, Professor Valentine focused on the new University Education Strategy (Education for Life 2030+), and looked at how branch campuses can contribute to achieving its key objectives – Education for Life and other important education priorities moving forward.  

The joint Education Day also provided an opportunity to strengthen connections between NUMed and NUIS colleagues, both for academic and PS teams. 

Pic A NU Med colleagues attending the Education Day 

The NU Med Garden Cafe hosted the celebration as the institution honored the achievements of staff members who excelled in their professional growth and development under the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). The event also recognised the invaluable contributions of mentors and those who completed the Advance HE External Examiner course. 
The event kicked off with an address by Professor Ruth Valentine, setting the tone for the celebrations. The event emphasised the importance of mentorship and professional development in fostering a thriving academic environment. 

Recognition was given across several categories: 

D3 Senior Fellows: A testament to their leadership and contribution to teaching and learning excellence. 

D2 Fellows and D1 Associate Fellows: Acknowledged for their commitment to upholding and advancing professional teaching standards. 

Advance HE External Examiner Course Graduates: Celebrating individuals who enhanced their expertise in quality assurance practices in higher education. 

The event concluded with a lunch and networking session, providing a wonderful opportunity for the NUMed community to connect, reflect, and share best practices. 

Pic B – Celebrating Success Event  

What do snapshots do? 

If a student accidentally deletes text in an essay question, there is an option to restore it using Snapshots. This Snapshot functionality is available for students during their live Inspera exams. 

Snapshot is accessed via the test editor/option panel available to students on any essay question: 

The icon to retrieve Snapshots which are available is a backwards arrow around a clock face: . 

Once selected, students can retrieve previous versions of their work. A new snapshot is taken every 15 minutes and is saved in the browser memory. Snapshot use is available after 15 minutes of beginning work on an essay question. Navigating away from the question, and then returning to it would not disrupt the Snapshot. Snapshots are activated per question, so using this option could not revert any other question answers to an earlier instance.  

Important note: As browser-based memory is used for this feature, exiting the Inspera exam or refreshing the browser will disable Snapshots. (Note: refresh is only available in non-locked down exams). 

How does it work for students? 

When students click the Snapshot button, a message like the one below will appear. The student will be advised to select a snapshot and then click continue. This will enable them to retrieve prior instances of their work. Students can click the icon and select a different snapshot if their first selection is not what they were searching for. 

Next steps 

For academic year 2024-25, Instructions will be available to exam invigilators, these can be shared with students if needed in their exam.  

Instructions are also available for students to familiarise themselves with ahead of their exams via the ‘Instructions in Inspera’ tab on the Student Inspera ASK website 

For any questions, please contact the team via Digital.Exams@newcastle.ac.uk.  

Venue/Time:    19 June 2024, University of Sheffield

Network:            AdvanceHE_GTA Developers Network

Who:                    Dangeni, Professional Development Adviser, LTDS and

Minki Sung, Postgraduate who Teach, HaSS

Graduate students frequently act as instructors for labs and lead seminar discussions while juggling significant research and academic duties. This dual role places graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), or Postgraduates who Teach at Newcastle University, in a unique position. The Academic Practice Team at LTDS provides essential training and community support through various routes: 

1. Introduction to Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE) 

This blended learning programme offers those with little to no teaching experience an opportunity to explore key concepts and issues in Higher Education teaching. It aims to equip participants with the practical skills and knowledge necessary to begin teaching and supporting learning at Newcastle University with confidence and enthusiasm. 

2. Evidencing Learning and Teaching (ELT) 

This pathway, accredited by Advance HE, leads to recognition as an Associate Fellow of the HEA (AFHEA). It is designed for Postgraduates Who Teach (PGRwT) at Newcastle University who want to develop their early teaching careers in Higher Education. The syllabus and assessments are based on standards set by Advance HE, focusing on the professional practice of teaching and supporting learning as described in the Professional Standards Framework (PSF).  

3. Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) Community Building Chat 

An online communication platform has been developed since 2023 to allow PgRs who Teach to continue engaging with teaching practices. This initiative emerged from the anticipation that micro-teaching sessions could focus on sharing PhD research and provide opportunities for those interested in further developing their teaching skills after completing the ILTHE and ELTS pathway. 

Following last year’s discussion at the Advance HE GTA Network event at the University of Manchester, this year the community continued these discussions at the University of Sheffield on June 19th. The event aimed to champion the voice of GTAs, sharing ideas, resources, and educational development practices across the sector. The day featured three main themes: developing teaching competencies, inclusion and its relationship to GTA work, and institutional approaches to GTA development, with speakers from UK institutions sharing effective practices and case studies. 

Case 1: Effective Use of Peer Teaching and Self-Reflection for Pedagogical Training 

A notable example from colleagues at the University of Sheffield highlighted a training method for GTAs teaching in engineering laboratories. This training, based on session-specific content and contextualized pedagogical material, emphasized self-reflection and peer teaching. 

It included individual and group sessions where GTAs could practice before engaging in real teaching, building their confidence, supporting self-reflection, and developing student-centered teaching skills. By comparing their training perceptions with their teaching assessments and feedback, the programme demonstrated its effectiveness. 

These figures are from Di Benedetti, M., Plumb, S., & Beck, S. B. M. (2022). Effective use of peer teaching and self-reflection for the pedagogical training of graduate teaching assistants in engineering. European Journal of Engineering Education, 48(1), 59–74. https://doi.org/10.1080/03043797.2022.2054313

Case 2: Towards a Toolkit for Supporting GTA Teaching Identity 

Colleagues from University of Glasgow shared another excellent example, a training model that supports GTAs in developing their teacher identity through best practice pedagogy, Brookfield’s lenses of reflection (see figure below), and graduate attributes has been considered and embedded. This model aims to enhance GTAs’ ability to engage with and confidently deliver active learning practices, thereby generating stronger learning experiences for undergraduate students. 

This figure is from https://learningportfoliorichter.wordpress.com/2022/10/09/reflecting-on-myself-through-brookfields-four-lenses/

Case 3: Newcastle University GTA Community Building Chat 

As the lead and convener of ILTHE and ELTS, as well as the creator of the community building chat, I invited Minki Sung, a PGRwT from HaSS, to co-present with me. The following section is taken from Minki’s reflection. It outlines his motivations, benefits, impact and areas for follow-up. 

Motivations 

After attending the introductory workshop, i.e., ILTHE and six ELTS sessions on applying for associate teaching fellowship, I decided to participate in the GTA community to enhance my current teaching practices. 

Firstly, the motivation for joining the GTA community chat was that it didn’t require much time commitment. At that time, I had my PhD project, teaching responsibilities, and research assistant work for government projects. Secondly, there was no dedicated teaching community for PGRs who teach, except for the GTA community chat. By sharing some challenges and best practices with other TAs, I realized that I was not alone in struggling to increase student attendance. Thirdly, my previous experience as an educational military officer in my home country made the PGR demonstrator role familiar, but seminar-leading was quite new to me. Learning how other TAs lead their seminars and manage teaching difficulties was valuable. 

Gains 

A GTA community chat offers several advantages. It provides a platform to share teaching-related anxieties and concerns with minimal time commitment (one hour per month). It also facilitates the integration of research and teaching skills, broadening the understanding of different TA roles: PGR demonstrator, seminar leader, lab leader, and guest lecturer. 

Personally, I learned the value of student interaction and understanding their different needs based on their learning stage. For example, Stage 1 students sometimes view their first year as a “party year,” which was surprising to me. Also, most students prefer visual and technological content over reading or seminar discussions. I am interested in exploring the access and using technological tools, although in my country, I would have to pay for these gadgets. Additionally, I was able to support and challenge students’ thinking using various case studies from my experiences in South Korea, China, Japan, and Vietnam, which was able to foster their critical thinking. Finally, I could pilot test some teaching ideas with other TAs and gain valuable feedback. 

Impact of Community Engagement 

The ELTS initially offered six workshops, providing a good starting point for PGRs assuming teaching roles in higher education. However, further development is necessary to share best practices and address challenges. For instance, at a recent sociology TA workshop, the lack of training after the ELTS workshop was highlighted. I suggested introducing a GTA community chat to gain practical experience together.  

In summary, participating in this GTA community helped me understand my students’ needs and integrate my knowledge into their learning process effectively. This involvement also had a larger impact, as I connected with some PGR and PGT students in my seminars and labs, which helped me perform effectively as a school rep. Ultimately, many PGR colleagues and PGTs nominated me for School Rep of the Year, and I won the award. 

Current Gaps and Challenges in Participating in the Community Chat 

 Advertisement and Participation 

As a PGR school rep in the School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape, I’ve observed similar challenges with participation between the PGR community cohorts and the GTA community chat. Some TAs hesitate to share difficulties, fearing it may be perceived as a weakness and jeopardize future TA opportunities. Additionally, disciplinary differences pose a challenge. Each discipline has its teaching requirements and TA recruitment practices.  

Additionally, nurturing the GTA community chat may rely heavily on word-of-mouth within the PGR community. Utilizing networks established by PGRs who have completed ELTS workshops and achieved D1 certificates could enhance visibility and participation in the community chat. It needs to be advertised with a clear message that it will benefit any PGRs interested in teaching post-PhD. 

Thank you for taking the time to read this GTA-themed blog post. Please get in touch at apt.lts@newcastle.ac.uk if you’d like to chat about our pathways and your practice! 

Inspera Assessment, one of the University’s Digital Exam platforms, is in its third academic year of deployment. Following the launch of Inspera, the Learning and Teaching Development Service (LTDS) have asked for student feedback annually. Such feedback aids LTDS to ensure we are continually developing the service to improve student experience when taking an Inspera Digital Exam.  

• 142 students submitted their feedback in academic year 21-22  
• 104 students submitted their feedback in academic year 22-23 

Our comparison findings: 

Students are reporting that they are more satisfied with Inspera Digital Exams in academic year 22-23 compared with 21-22.  An increase is also seen in its ease of use: 

Evaluation statements from Student Users	21-22	22-23	% increase (21-22 to 22-23)
I found starting my Inspera exam somewhat or very easy	81%	89%	+8%
I found submitting my Inspera exam somewhat or very easy	80%	93%	+13%
I am satisfied or very satisfied with my experience of taking an exam(s) using Inspera within a PC Cluster venue	73%	79%	+6%
I have tried at least one Inspera demo exam	60%	73%	+13%

The use of demo or practice Inspera exams is also on the up. Students reporting using demos more so in 22-23 compared with 21-22; this is reflected in the increased figures on the self-enrol Student Inspera Demo Canvas course. Enrolment figures across the demo exams showed an 87% increase in usage for 22-23.  

Student engagement with Inspera demos is encouraging and LTDS would like to thank all colleagues who are promoting the use of demo exams to aid students’ familiarity with the Inspera platform. Try it out or share with your students: Student Inspera Demo Course. 

Next Steps 

LTDS will be requesting feedback from students for our current academic year after Semester 2’s assessment period. Where possible please encourage your students to complete the form as it helps to continue the improvement of the service. 

This is the second post in our blog looking at specific tools and aspects of Canvas and how they can be used to further improve our students digital learning journey.

The Importance of Announcements

Canvas announcements are a potent means for fostering effective communication between instructors and students. Announcements can fulfill various roles, including welcoming and guiding students, summarizing key concepts, and reminding them of impending assignments, projects, and exams.

Despite their importance, there is a prevailing tendency among students to disable announcement notifications, attributing it to an overwhelming influx of notifications and email spam, in light of this, we present a set of recommended best practices.

Best Practices

• Carefully consider your purpose before crafting an announcement, avoiding duplication of information already covered elsewhere.
• Establish a regular schedule for posting announcements. Consistency helps students anticipate and look forward to updates, creating a routine that enhances engagement. These regular announcements could include recapping the previous week and providing a preview of what students can expect in the upcoming week.
• Give your announcements meaningful titles that precisely convey their content. Utilize descriptive titles like “Week X Update” or “Important Date Change for Assignment X” to help students easily locate relevant information when needed.
• When composing your announcement, use the toolbar features to format bulleted or numbered lists for improved readability. Employ headings to separate topics into different sections. If necessary, attach a document to an announcement rather than including a large amount of text in the body.
• Establish clear communication expectations with your students at the beginning of the course. Consider allocating 5 minutes at the start of the semester to give students a tour of the Canvas course site and discuss how communication will occur throughout the semester.

Utilizing Delay Posting for Scheduling Announcements

To streamline the process of maintaining a consistent announcement schedule, we highly recommend leveraging the delay posting option. This feature enables you to draft announcements in advance and set a specific day and time for their publication in your Canvas course. Until the publication date, the announcement can be edited, allowing for the addition of any supplementary details or updates as needed.

Postponing an announcement is a straightforward process. Just create the announcement as usual (consider making a basic template for consistency), and then choose the “Delay Posting” from the list of options at the bottom of the page.

Finally choose a date and time for the announcement to be published. Your students will then receive a notification as normal once the announcement is published.

Next Steps

Instructure has an excellent set of web guides on how to use Canvas effectively: https://community.canvaslms.com/t5/Instructor-Guide/tkb-p/Instructor

Additional information can also be found on the Canvas Orientation page: https://ncl.instructure.com/courses/76

Additional Canvas training is provided by LTDS on a monthly basis, you can sign up on elements below.

Getting to Know Canvas – Introductory Webinar: https://elements.ncl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=1749

Using Canvas Effectively – Advanced Webinar: https://elements.ncl.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=2202

Alternatively if you are interested in booking an in person workshop for colleagues within your school then please contact ltds@newcastle.ac.uk