Posts

Posted on

National Teaching Fellowship Scheme 2018

The Higher Education Academy’s National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) celebrates excellent practice and outstanding achievement in learning and teaching in higher education. The awards support individuals’ professional development in learning and teaching and provides a national focus for institutional teaching and learning excellence schemes.

More details about the scheme can be found on the HEA’s website.

We are pleased to announce the launch of the 2018 National Teaching Fellowship Scheme. The HEA has announced that the 2018 round will open on the 12th February and will close on the 30th of April. This closing date refers to when applications need to be submitted to the HEA by the University. If you are considering applying, please note the earlier submission date below.

Application to be an institutional nominee

Nominations are welcomed from all members of staff who feel their work has a major, positive impact on student teaching and learning. Staff who would like to be considered should provide a maximum of 1000 words which address the following criteria.

    • Your personal practice and why this should be recognised as outstanding,
    • Your impact on colleagues, both internally and externally,
    • Your reflection on the above.

Nominations should be sent electronically to ltds@ncl.ac.uk by 12 noon on Friday the 23rd February.

View the LTDS website for more information.

Posted on

Draft programme: Learning and Teaching Conference 2018: Education for Life: Celebrating partnership, encouraging innovation

Wednesday 21 March 2018
The Boiler House

Draft programme

09:00 Arrival and registration

09:30  Welcome
Prof Chris Day, Vice Chancellor

09:40  Keynote: Newcastle University education strategy     
Prof Suzanne Cholerton, PVC Learning and Teaching

10:30  Choose from a range of parallel sessions

11:15  Break

11:30  Integrated work study programme at Singapore Institute of Technology
Associate Prof Foo Yong Lim
Assistant Prof May Lim
Singapore Institute of Technology

12:30  Inclusive learning
Dr Ruth Graham, Dean of Undergraduate Studies, HaSS
Sandy Alden, Team Leader, Student Wellbeing Service

13:00  Lunch

14:00  Choose from a range of parallel sessions

15:00  Break

15:15  Keynote: Learning gain
Dr Camille Kandiko Howson
Academic Head of Student Engagement, King’s College London

16:00   Reflecting on partnership: Articulating the purpose of academic representation at Newcastle University
Rowan South, Education Officer,
Dr Joe Barton, Representation &Research Coordinator
George Watkins, Representation & Democracy Manager
Newcastle University Student Union

17:00  Presentations and awards, followed by drinks reception 

You can also download a PDF version of the programme here.

Further information about the conference is available here.

If you would like to attend please fill in the registration form. We look forward to seeing you there.

 

Posted on

Active Learning Workshop: Transforming students from rebellious prisoners to engaged learners

The School of Pharmacy is organising a one-day workshop on active learning, open to all Newcastle University staff, on 27 June 2018.
The workshop will focus on strategies to promote active learning such as:
  • team-based learning
  • flipped classroom
  • technology-enhanced learning.
Facilitators on the day include:
  • Professor Simon Lancaster, Professor of Chemistry Education, School of Chemistry, University of East Anglia
  • Steve Wheeler, Associate Professor in Information & Computing Technology, Plymouth Institute of Education, Plymouth University
  • Simon Tweddell, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy, University of Bradford

The event will showcase innovative and pedagogically-informed practice across undergraduate healthcare education, but will have effective practice to share across many disciplines.

Please complete this form to indicate your attendance.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Dr Hamde Nazar, or Prof Andy Husband.

Posted on

Draft Education Strategy – consultation launches

Since September 2016 a new University education strategy has been under development to replace the University’s existing Learning, Teaching and Student Experience Strategy (which was approved in 2013).  This work has been led by Suzanne Cholerton, as PVC – Learning and Teaching, and has been carried out on the basis of a significant amount of work and consultation with colleagues across the University – including as part of the development of the new University Strategic Vision.

In December ULTSEC considered a first draft of a new University Education Strategy, and agreed that the Draft Education Strategy should now go out across the University for consultation.  This draft too consultation is therefore available to all members of the University at this link – Draft University Education Strategy, to 2023.

The consultation is open until the end of this term.  As part of this consultation the Draft Education Strategy will be discussed at Faculty Executive Boards, FLTSECs and Faculty Graduate School Committees.

We will also be running three open forums at the Newcastle campus, where colleagues can come to discuss and feedback on the Draft Education Strategy.  And we will run webinar/videoconferencing forums for all three of the University’s branch campuses, so that all members of the University have the opportunity to contribute to the consultation.  Details of these sessions and how to book on them will be published shortly.

We’re also keen to receive feedback directly from schools, subject areas and individual colleagues as well. If you want to pass on your views on the draft, please comment below this blog post or alternatively send any feedback directly via ltds@ncl.ac.uk

The consultation closes at the end of 23 March 2018.

 

Posted on

Learning and Teaching Conference 2018: Newcastle University Students’ Union Workshop

Photo of Dr Joe Barton

by Dr Joe Barton, Newcastle University Students’ Union

Dr Joe Barton is the Representation & Research Coordinator at Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU). His main responsibilities are providing training and support to Academic Student Reps, assisting NUSU’s Education Officer with initiatives to improve the learning experience of students and reporting on student opinion to the University through analysing surveys, running focus groups and writing reports. Continue reading “Learning and Teaching Conference 2018: Newcastle University Students’ Union Workshop”

Posted on

Completing EvaSys Evaluations using Mobile Devices

Written by Liz

Module and stage evaluations are now even more accessible and are available for students to complete on their electronic devices. The Evasys system which delivers the online surveys is compatible with iSO, Android and Windows devices. With the addition of extra wifi access across the university it makes it easier for students to take part.

Students should be encouraged to complete the surveys during lectures and seminars if there is time available to do so. Many students don’t respond to surveys as they are not in a suitable place to respond when the email comes in, but if they are encouraged to respond during a lecture or seminar, it will help to boost response rates and make the feedback more reliable. When surveys open for students they are sent an email with a link to take part in the survey. This link is individual to the student and can only be used once.  Continue reading “Completing EvaSys Evaluations using Mobile Devices”

Posted on

Postgraduate Loans for Masters Study

Soon LTDS will be asked to complete the postgraduate course information return for the next academic year in relation to Postgraduate Loans. Ahead of the release of the details by the Student Loans Company (SLC) for 2018/19 programmes and applicants, this post serves as a reminder of the funding available to postgraduate student in the current academic year. Note that students who have commenced studies during 2017/18 may still be able to apply for funding and should be directed to the relevant funding body. Continue reading “Postgraduate Loans for Masters Study”

Posted on

Star Case Study: Audio Feedback in the School of Modern Languages

Andrea Wilczynski has been providing  individual audio feedback to her Stage 2 students studying German.

Using audio feedback allows Andrea to give in depth feedback in a unique way and most importantly students seem to love it, with excellent engagement with the feedback, positive module evaluation results and even a TEA award nomination.

Photo of Andrea Wilczynski
Andrea Wilczynski, School of Modern Languages

If you are interested in finding out more you can read full details of the Case Study here.

Would you like to use audio feedback with your students? Continue reading “Star Case Study: Audio Feedback in the School of Modern Languages”

Posted on

Guest Blog: Exploring the reading practices of undergraduate students

Photo of Helen St-Clair Thompson

by Helen St Clair-Thompson,  School of Psychology

In 2015/16 I took part in the university EQuATE programme (Equal Acclaim for Teaching Excellence). This introduced me to staff elsewhere in the university who were interested in similar aspects of learning and teaching, and I soon found myself in a conversation about students’ reading habits. Given the importance of reading we wondered how much time and effort student invest in reading material related to their course.

Working with Alison Graham and Sara Marsham from the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, I then began some research into students’ reading practices.  Continue reading “Guest Blog: Exploring the reading practices of undergraduate students”