university of york, forum, issue 37 spring 2015

8/10/2019 University of York, Forum, Issue 37 Spring 2015

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Issue 37 | Spring 2015

Promoting good practicein Learning and Teaching

enhancing learning and teaching

Academic promotions at York Strategic disseminationUsing social media to share practice Case studies of practice

2015 Learning and Teaching Conference: call for papers

Enhancing

engagement

Problembased

learning

Independentstudy

Groupwork


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2 FORUMissue 37

2 Editorial

3 News

6 Thinking beforespeaking

8 Blowing biggerbubbles

10 Academic

promotions at York12 The journey to

promotion12Katie Batley13Anita SavageGrainge

14 TANGO, acollaborativee-learning project

15 Departmentalintegration forEnglish language

teaching16 What is the little

yellow UK stickerfor?

18 Want to share?

19 Learning & TeachingConference

20 Calendar of events

Contents

For a large print,black and white

text version, pleasecontact [email protected]

Forumis published termly by theLearning and Teaching Forumwww.york.ac.uk/staff/teaching/groups/forum

Editor:Paola [email protected]

Sub-editor:Ruth [email protected]

Editorial Committee:Claire Hughesand Patricia Murtagh.

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

Editorial

Iam sure that the cover of thisissue of Forumis open to variousinterpretations: it represents how

learning flows and how differentaspects of learning are interrelated. Italso symbolizes how learning is spread via sharing experiencesamong different people defying any boundaries.

In this issue, the word promotionhas multiple nuancesand aspects.

It can be considered as:

1) Advances in career

David Duncan, Registrar and Secretary, explains the route toacademic promotion

Two academics from the Department of Health Sciencesshare with us their journey to promotion

2) Dissemination of good learning and teaching practice

Michael Grove from the University of Birmingham suggests thatgood practice dissemination would be most effective if we tried

to answer the question: why disseminate?. By doing that, wecould more effectively target our potential audience and tailordissemination in a more productive manner.

Simon Lancaster from the University of East Anglia considersthe use of social media in order to share good practice inlearning and teaching and recommends to publish work with acreative commons licensein order to go beyond any copyrightbarriers.

Our colleagues from various departments share with ustheir very insightful experiences using collaborative work

(Carmen Alvarez Mayo from Languages for All),departmentalintegration (James Chantry from the York Management Schooland Kevin Tennant from the Centre for English LanguageTeaching) andgroup based explorations(Tony Ward from theDepartment of Electronics).

Dear reader, the magic game of dominoes is about to begin:once the first piece is hit, the cascade of learning will becomeuncontainable!

Paola ZerilliEditor

FORUM


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Removing barriers toPG educationLate in 2013, the University wassuccessful in bidding to HEFCEsPostgraduate Support Scheme (PSS)fund, aimed at increasing access topostgraduate education. This bid waspart of a consortium involving Sheffield,Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle andWarwick universities.

Incorporated into the scheme area number of initiatives such as thecreation, for 2014/15, of 68 York MastersOpportunity Scholarships, the explorationof career development loans, targetedinformation, advice and guidanceinterventions to promote and facilitateentry to postgraduate study as wellas the exploration of new academicproducts designed at encouraging andenabling graduates to enter postgraduatestudy with a focus on higher-level skills

and their post-study professions. Work isalso underway to establish an evidence-based understanding of which groupsare under-represented in postgraduatestudy and why; drawing on sources ofdata which are uniquely available to theinstitutions involved.

Currently, a survey of all current

UK postgraduate taught students isunderway. Over the coming months anumber of focus groups with staff andstudents will take place, and early thisyear the University will pilot a WideningParticipation initiative, York MastersTasters Sessions, designed for prospectivePostgraduate Taught Students.

If you would like more information, orwish to be involved in any specific aspectsof the scheme, please contact Duncan Lean(x2081) in the Planning Office.

Surveys of studentsatisfaction andengagement 2015This academic year the Universitywill take part in three nationalsurveys of student satisfactionand engagement: The NationalStudent Survey (NSS), UKEngagement Survey (UKES), and thePostgraduate Research Experience

Survey (PRES).TheNSSwill start on Monday19 January 2015 and run until 30April. Final-year undergraduateswill be contacted and asked fortheir views on a wide range ofaspects of their undergraduateexperience.

Following last years successfulpilot of the National Survey ofStudent Engagement (NSSE),UKESwill be rolled out across alldepartments for the first time in

2015. The survey will run from 13April to 15 May. Undergraduatesnot taking part in the NSS (ie non-finalists) will be contacted andasked questions designed to exploretheir levels of engagement withtheir course.

PRESwill run between 1 Marchand 15 May 2015. All researchstudents will be contactedand asked for their views on awide range of aspects of theirpostgraduate research experience.

All departments are asked topublicise the surveys, and guidancewill be issued to support staff topromote them to students. Furtherinformation is available from theASO. Please contact Adrian [email protected] NSS orDavid Clarke [email protected] UKES and PRES.

Developing a collegialapproach to the developmentand recognition of teachingThe Peer Support for Teaching Policywasintroduced in 2011 to further promote thecollegial development of teaching at York.Its intention was to encourage staff to lookat teaching as a broad-based endeavour,encompassing classroom-based practice,

but also a range of other activity that isessential in creating a positive studentlearning experience. A review of the policywas undertaken in 2013. This revealedthat many departments have beensuccessful in implementing the policyto positive effect, but that there is also aneed for more guidance and support. Inresponse, additional policy appendices willbe provided during Spring 2015 that willoffer responses to common issues thathave arisen, which will provide examplesof the kind of teaching activity that haveand could be investigated and developed,as well as an exemplar of how the policymight be implemented.

In 2015 the University will introducea professional development scheme in

learning and teaching. This scheme willbe inclusive of all staff who teach orotherwise have substantive responsibilityfor the support of student learning, andwill complement existing professionaldevelopment programmes (the Preparing

Future Academics Programmeand thePostgraduate Certificate in AcademicPractice). The scheme will be foundedon the notion of collegial development. Itwill provide an opportunity for individualsto engage with interdisciplinary groupsthrough a process of enquiry tailoredto their personal practice. Further,the scheme will be accredited bythe Higher Education Academy, thusallowing participants to secure personaland transferable recognition for theirteaching/support of student learning inthe form of one of the four fellowshipcategories (Associate Fellow, Fellow,Senior Fellow and Principal Fellow).

For more information contact:[email protected].


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Copyright in the Digital Age: or, how to maximise accessto learning resources without melting the photocopier

instead submit all such requests throughEARL to the E-texts team for processingand systematic record-keeping.

TV programmes

In the same vein, the amended Section35 of the CDPA permits educationalestablishments to copy recordedbroadcasts for distribution on a secure

network, prompting the EducationalRecording Agency to re-draft its HElicence. The University of York now holdsa Combined ERA Licence, permitting us toupload most recorded TV programmes toYorkshare as well as playing them in thelecture theatre. Once again theres a catch:the ERA Licence only applies within theUK, severely limiting its utility for distancelearning programmes and studentsworking overseas. The InformationDirectorate and E-Learning are exploringthe options for a technical work-around

or a subscription to a streaming service toovercome this restriction if possible.

Teaching materials

Perhaps the amendment with the greatestpotential for transforming teachingmaterials is the new Section 30: formerlyCriticism and Review, the provision toreproduce an extract from a publishedwork for comment has now been widenedto cover any form of Quotation. Withinthe constraints of fair dealing, an authorcan now lawfully incorporate a photo of a

printed page, a screenshot from a websiteor an audio/video clip into their own workwithout seeking permission, on conditionits fully attributed. But this is not yet theopen season on web images that someusers of social media were hoping for:

copying an entire photograph or illustrationwithout a licence for re-use is rarelyconsidered fair, given the potential impacton the creators right to gain economicreward from his or her IP.

Section 30 may well turn out to havewider application in universities thanthe amended Section 32, which coversfair dealing for the purposes of giving

or receiving instruction in a non-commercial context. Whilst lecturersand students can rely on this exceptionto copy work for the classroom, the VLEor an exam, the realm of instructionperhaps does not extend as far as readinglists, public lectures or teaching materialdistributed on the open web.

Further amendments present manyadditional opportunities for libraries andresearchers. A new Library guide is underdevelopment, and enquiries are welcome:be warned that if you present a particularly

interesting dilemma, you may find yourselfthe anonymous subject of a case study fora future RDT event

References (all pages accessed

26 Nov 2014)The Copyright and Rights in Performances(Research, Education, Libraries and Archives)Regulations 2014www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/1372/contents/made

The Copyright and Rights in Performances(Quotation and Parody) Regulations 2014www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2014/2356/contents/made

Digital Opportunity: a Review of IntellectualProperty and Growth. Department of BusinessInformation and Skills, Ref: 11/968https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/digital-opportunity-review-of-intellectual-

property-and-growth

JISClegal Questions and Answers: CopyrightChanges 2014http://jiscleg.al/ManageContent/ViewDetail/ID/3596/Questions-and-Answers--Copyright-Changes-2014.aspx

University of York Library Copyright

Guidelineshttp://subjectguides.york.ac.uk/copyright

University of York Library Electronic TextsServicewww.york.ac.uk/library/info-for/academics/lists/electronic-texts-service

Amendments to the Copyright Designs andPatents Act brought into force during 2014are gently steering UK copyright protectioninto the Digital Age. Several provisionshave potential impact on our domesticlives as well as our professional activities for example, at long last in the UK you cannow copy material you own into anotherformat for your private use. What a good

job none of us ever pushed our luck byuploading a CD into our iTunes librarybefore it was lawful

Momentum for change, which hadbeen building since the early 2000s,informed the 2011 Hargreaves Reviewcommissioned by the Department ofBusiness, Information and Skills. Hargreavesrecommended removing many of theUKs restrictions on re-use of intellectualproperty, to promote economic growth andworld-leading research. The amendmentsintroduced this year on the basis of these

recommendations also modestly increasethe scope for teachers and students to copypublished material.

Core reading

Since 2006, many York students haveenjoyed last-minute speed-readingthanks to the Librarys E-texts Service:key chapters and articles provided in pdfformat via the EARL reading list interface onthe Yorkshare VLE, under the terms of theCopyright Licensing Agencys HE Licence.A number of US and European publishers

have chosen not to engage with the licence;the amended Section 36 of the CDPA nowenables a university to copy a maximum of5% of any excluded work, for distributionon a secure network such as Yorkshare.

In practice this is not as clear-cut asit might immediately seem. For instancein order to comply with thisexception we would need toensure that once an Economicslecturer has copied Chapter 1of Financial and ManagementAccounting, her TYMS colleaguedoes not distribute Chapter 2 onthe same basis. Hence its crucialthat departments dont takeshort-cuts by distributing home-made copies to students, but


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Dissemination, meaning thebroadcasting of a message, is aword widely used within HigherEducation, but often perceived to bean activity that takes place near theconclusion of a project or intervention.Sharing learning and findings is essentialto the scholarship of learning andteaching, and consideration of how

effective dissemination can be embeddedthroughout a projects lifetime cangreatly enhance its overall impact.

We can consider four questions thatwill help us disseminate our work muchmore effectively:

Why are we seeking to disseminate?[Purpose]

What are we seeking to disseminate?[Messages]

To whom are we seeking todisseminate? [Audience]

How can we disseminate effectively?[Media and Timing]

Why disseminate?

We disseminate to make information ona particular topic more widely known,but for this to be effective we need tobegin by considering what we want ourdissemination activities to achieve. Forexample, is it:

Dissemination to raise awareness?

Perhaps raising awareness that anactivity is underway to generatebuy-in or wider engagement fromdepartmental colleagues or seniormanagement.

Thinkingbefore speaking:

Being strategic with disseminationMichael Grove, University of Birmingham, considers the routes to sharing learning and teaching practice.

rationale for a project at its outset.

Dissemination for action?Are youlooking for your project to bring aboutchange beyond your own practices?Perhaps at a departmental, faculty orinstitutional level? If so, you need toinvolve other colleagues so that theycan see the benefits of your work(efficiency, effectiveness, increased

impact or financial) and their potentialfor adoption and scalability.

Dissemination for promotion?Developing an individual, institutionalor national profile through anyactivity can only be achieved throughvisibility. It is therefore vital thatyou not only take advantage of theopportunities available to disseminateyour work but that you are strategic inhow you approach them.

Having identified the purposes of your

dissemination, and it is likely that therewill be more than one, you can beginthinking about what your key messagesare and who you wish to be the recipientsof these messages; different audiencesrequire different messages.

Dissemination may take a range offorms, for example writing newsletterarticles, academic papers, presenting atconferences, or participating in meetingsand seminars, however they wont beeffective if the message isnt correctlyframed for the audience at which it

is aimed. Equally, for the audience tobe receptive to the message that youare trying to convey, they need to findsomething within it that benefits orinterests them.

Dissemination for engagement?Involving others in the activities of aproject can enhance outcomes. Thismight help identify previous practiceand learning upon which you canthen build, or pilot and evaluate thedeveloped approaches.

Dissemination for understanding?Sharing the knowledge and learning

generated from an activity with others.This might be linked to emergingfindings from research or evaluation,but could equally involve sharing the


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Look hard enough and you canfind examples of innovativeand engaging practice in everydepartment, faculty, student supportagency and institution. Sometimes theendeavours of our colleagues will berecognised by their peers or students and

Blowing bigger bubbles:Using social media to share

good practice in learning and teaching

Simon Lancaster, University ofEast Anglia, explores the power ofsocial media to share practice.

occasionally even rewarded. However, toooften innovators feel isolated and lack ameans to share and refine their approach.Forum exists to provide a platform toshare these practices throughout theinstitution. Writing for Forum promptsus to reflect and to seek evidence but italso opens our studies to constructivecomment and potential collaborations.Despite these advantages, writing for an

audience like Forum can often feellike preaching to the converted. Are

we confined to a relatively smallbubble of like-minded people?

The larger the pool ofpractitioners with whomwe consult, the greater thelikelihood of encounteringsomething relevant to our field,

and the more opportunitieswe will have for exchanging

initiatives and subjecting them toconstructive scrutiny. How then do

we reach out beyond the enthusiastsin our own institution? Traditionallyconferences have provided the stages onwhich we might disseminate our ideas andseek inspiration from others. However,

conferences are costly consumers of ourprecious resources and, while cosy, canoften prove equally parochial bubbles.

Finding practice

Imagine youre the editor of Forum:you have an imminent copy deadlineand you want to look outside yourinstitution for contributions to an editionon dissemination. Where would youlook? Professional journalists often turnto Twitter. At its best, Twitter is a 365days a year 24 hours a day low-carbonconference on everything, at whichcountless experts and myriads of themerely opinionated give freely of theirwisdom and experience.

Some academics will roll their eyes atthis point. I joined Twitter years ago andI dont know what all the fuss is about.is a familiar refrain. The key to successin Twitter is your network, the peopleyou choose to follow. Unless you followsomeone, your timeline will be emptyand your membership pointless. Werecommend you follow @RuthMewis. Butdont stop there. Look who she follows. Doyou know them? Follow them too! Who do

A graphical representation of the fourth#LTHEchat Twitter network.


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they follow? Has Ruth tweeted somethinginteresting? Retweet it! And therein liesthe power of Twitter, the ability, throughthe retweet button, to amplify an idea andto spread it quickly around the globe. Theother, often cited, criticism of Twitter is that

it is impossible to keep up with all thosetweets. Absolutely, it is futile to try andthat is absolutely fine. The author followsover 3000 Twitter accounts and reads afraction of a percentage of the tweets thatpass across his timeline. But never forgetthe power of the retweet. If it is importantenough it will repeatedly appear and youwill notice it or someone responding to it.And if it is meant specifically for you, thenyour username will have been included.1

Twitter is revolutionising academicpractice. It is now possible to know about

every opportunity, every pedagogicalinnovation and every event as soon as theinternet does. Famously the news of anearthquake on Twitter travels faster thanthe shockwave. But it is better than that.By contributing to the discussion you canrefine an argument, build a network and areputation in a fraction of the time it wouldhave taken otherwise. Take for example,the invitation presented by @Professor_Daveto deliver a seminar to the Chemistrydepartment on October 17th 2012. Theassociated @Storify accountillustrates

that social media exchanges need not beephemeral.2Indeed when Twitter is used ata conference, it becomes a powerful tool tocrowd source a record of both the contentand the ensuing discussion.3

Sharing practice

A topical discussion of the value ofTwitter in an organ like Forum wouldnot be complete without mention of theprogramme of Learning and Teachingin Higher Education Twitter chats(#LTHEchat).4These hour-long facilitated

discussions cover topics such as lectureflipping and co-creation and providean intense but inspirational professionaldevelopment opportunity and a ready-made network.

Twitter is a microblogging site, messagesare restricted to 140 characters. While thatcan be a blessing in promoting concision,it is not always going to suffice. InsteadTwitter tends to serve as the nexus, wherelinks to content on other social media sitescontaining richer content can be posted. Acomprehensive account of all the means by

which learning and teaching is disseminatedhas not been presented because it wouldinevitably read like a list.5

YouTube is not easily overlooked andyet it is rarely the respondents first choice

when asked for an example of a social mediasite. This searchable archive, with hundredsof millions of users, is the perfect platformon which to disseminate a message invideo form. There are instructional films onYouTube and Vimeo on every educational

topic. At York, Prof. David Smith hasdemonstrated the power of YouTube foroutreach to huge audiences, for exampleusing Breaking Bad as the backdrop todiscuss organic chemistry.6Increasinglythe trend is to engage students in the (co-)creation of academic content and here againacademics at York have shown the way.7

Copyright considerations

When considering the interface betweensocial media and academia, we need tobroach the thorny issue of copyright.

By default all content on the internet iscopyright protected, all rights reserved.Clearly that is not conducive to sharinglearning and teaching materials. Thesolution is to source and to publish workwith a creative commons license.8Thereare two very good reasons why you shouldgive away the rights to your work: because(1) in a reciprocal sense you will then havea clear conscience when benefiting fromresources prepared by others; (2) anythingthat facilitates the diverse application ofyour ideas and materials increases their

(and your) potential impact.Arguably the best example of a socially

mediated academic resource is theSlideshare site.9Here, complete presentationslide sets are shared. This can mean anythingfrom a lecture on a specific academic topicor a discussion of pedagogical innovation toUsing Social Media Strategically for Learningand Teaching,10which would seem to bringus full circle.

How can we possibly monitor all of thesedisparate social media channels? There liesthe beauty of Twitter. As content is addedto sites such as Slideshare and YouTube, itwill be reported on Twitter and not just oncebut repeatedly, essentially in proportion toits impact.

It would be wrong not to concede that

social media, even Twitter, is anotherbubble. However, its an awfully bigbubble and encompasses a significantproportion of the global figures whoare predisposed towards sharing good

practice in learning and teaching. Canyou afford the time to engage with socialmedia? Can you afford not to?

1 For an introduction to Twitter for academics see http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham/getting-started-on-twitter-35704954

2 https://storify.com/S_J_Lancaster/york-chemistry-teaching-forum-17th

3 https://storify.com/S_J_Lancaster/heastem-17-18-april-2013-birmingham

4 http://lthechat.com

5 And there is a web category dedicated to lists too, thelisticle: http://thelisticles.net/

6 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwEbcKZ9hK8&list=PL16BF42E87C9566B8

7 (a) iTube, YouTube, WeTube: Social Media Videos inChemistry Education and Outreach, J. Chem. Ed., 2014,91, 15941599. (b) https://www.youtube.com/user/ProfessorDaveatYork

8 http://creativecommons.org

9 http://www.slideshare.net

10 http://www.slideshare.net/suebeckingham/using-scial-media-strategically-for-learning-and-teaching

Comments, questions? Join the debateat yorkforum.org.

Simon Lancasteris Professorof ChemicalEducation atthe Universityof East Anglia.Simon is adedicated and innovative teacherand has been rewarded by UEAs SirGeoffrey and Lady Allen teachingexcellence award. His applicationof technology to support studentengagement has been supported byTeaching Fellowships and fundingfrom both the Higher EducationAcademy and the University AnnualFund. He is the recipient of the 2013Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)Higher Education Award and in

2013 was recognised by the HigherEducation Academy as a NationalTeaching Fellow. Simon is one of theRSC 175 Faces of Chemistry whichprofiles scientists who representdiversity in its broadest sense.

@Professor_Daves YouTube channel


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David Duncan explains theroute to Academic promotion.

Like any university with aspirationsto be in the top rank, York dependsfundamentally on its academicstaff. Our aim is to attract and retain

staff of the very highest quality, andto sustain a really excellent workingenvironment in which they can do theirbest possible work.

Maintaining fair and transparentacademic promotions proceduresis a crucial part of that. Over thepast six years, I have been secretaryto the committee which makesrecommendations to Senate on allacademic promotions. I welcome this

opportunity to explain a little about theprocess, and to highlight some of thechanges we are currently considering.

Myth bustingA number of myths circulate in theinstitution which it might be helpful toaddress. For example, there are concernsthat the university operates a quota tolimit the numbers that can be promotedin any one year; that it is impossible tosecure promotion on the first application;that heads of departments sometimesgive negative or lukewarm referencesfor candidates to avoid pressure on their

budgets; that it is much harder to securepromotion at York than at competitoruniversities; that the promotions processfavours some disciplines over others;

and that women are more diffidentabout applying for promotion (and lesssuccessful when they do apply) thantheir male counterparts.

In fact, my own experience, and thestatistical evidence of the last five years,suggests that none of these concerns are

justified. The system is designed to be asfair as it possibly can be. Importantly, alldecisions about academic promotionsare made by academics themselves.The process is overseen by a committeechaired by the Vice Chancellor (for

promotions to professor), and by theDeputy Vice Chancellor for all otherpromotions. The rest of the membershipcomprises academic staff elected bySenate and drawn from across thedisciplinary spectrum. The membershipturns over regularly to ensure freshthinking and new perspectives. In recentyears, Senate has invariably acceptedthe recommendations of the AcademicPromotions Committee, though it has thepower to challenge the recommendationsif it wishes to.

Promotion process

Decisions about promotion are basedon six different pieces of information.First, the candidate submits their CV and

Thats one way to learn not to catch theblack and yellow striped ones.

Academic promotions

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letter of application, setting out theircase. The head of department is thenasked to give (a) a factual report and (b)a confidential report on the candidatescontribution and performance. Next, theapplication is considered by an advisorygroup for the academic cluster (or facultyfrom January 2015). The AcademicPromotions Committee then meets inJanuary and decides whether or not to goout to referees. After that, my personalassistant, Sara Bailey, undertakes theHerculean task of procuring referencesfor each of the candidates (the higherthe grade applied for, the greater thenumber of references). The Committeereconvenes in May to review thereferences and decide whether or notto promote. Finally, Senate is askedto approve the recommendations forpromotion at its meeting in July.

The head of department has animportant role in the process. In thecourse of their induction, we ask headsto make sure that all academic staffundergo a performance review, and that

draft document was developed by JaneGrenville and the Academic PromotionsCommittee and will now be subject to

detailed scrutiny by a working groupcomprising the DVC, me, a representativefrom Human Resources and trade unioncolleagues. The document was circulated

jointly to all staff by the UCU Presidentand me, and is available on the universitywebsite. Your comments on it would bewelcomed. We hope to have the revisedcriteria in place for the academic year2015/16.

In the meantime, if you have anyother comments or observations youwould like to make about academic

promotions at York, we would bedelighted to hear from you.

Comments, questions? Join the debateat yorkforum.org.

the opportunity is taken to consider theindividuals promotion prospects. Theyare asked to give particular attention tomore modest members of staff who maybe reluctant to come forward. The headis also asked to give careful attention

to the distribution of key roles withinthe department, so that candidates candemonstrate appropriate contributionsto leadership, administration andmanagement (the same applies toresearch leave, opportunities to developnew courses, and so on). And finally,the head is required to consult withother senior members of staff in thedepartment, so that their reports reflectthe collective views of the senior teamrather than just their own perspective.

More generally, we are strongly

committed to demystifying thepromotions process. This year, we helda number of open sessions for staffwho might be interested in applying forpromotion in the near future. Membersof staff are always welcome to discussthe process with me or the Deputy ViceChancellor in confidence I promise thatwe will do our best to be helpful. Ouroverall approach is that we want staff tobe promoted it is a positive thing bothfor individuals and for the university as awhole. Consequently, where a candidate

is unsuccessful, we try to provide themwith advice which will help them to winpromotion in the future. We encouragethem to talk to their head of departmentabout what he or she can do to supportthem, and we also offer meetings withme or the DVC (or another member ofthe committee if they prefer). It would bewrong to claim that everyone is always100% content with the outcome, butwe hope that the large majority findit a positive, affirming and supportiveprocess.

Improving processes

Each year, the Academic PromotionsCommittee makes a number ofamendments to the criteria and procedure,usually reflecting comments or advicereceived from those participating in theprocess. Recently, we decided that a moreroot and branch review was required. Themotivation was three-fold to ensurethat the criteria fully reflect the range anddiversity of contributions which academicstaff are now asked to make; to ensure a

more consistent approach across differentgrades and categories of academic post(including roles focused primarily onresearch or teaching); and to simplify thecriteria so that they are easier to use. A

David Duncanhas beenRegistrar andSecretary atthe Universityof York since2009. After the

Vice-Chancellor the Registrar andSecretary is the most senior, non-academic officer of the University.The Registrar is responsiblefor managing the Universitysprofessional support services,supporting the University Council (thegoverning body) and ensuring thegood governance of the University.

Our aim is to attract andretain staff of the very highestquality, and to sustain a reallyexcellent working environmentin which they can do their bestpossible work.


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KATIE BATLEY

B

efore I commenced myemployment with the University ofYork I worked as part of a clinical

education team in a large teachinghospital, providing both annual updatesand responsive education depending onthe needs of the clinical team. I was alsoundertaking a Master Degree in HealthProfessional Education and had guestlectured for several Universities, and Iwas invited to be a member of a moduleteam delivering education to pre-registration nurses. This introduction tothe world of Higher Education was whereI discovered my passion for educationin this setting. Despite the wide ranging

education skills I brought with me fromclinical education, the transition to HigherEducation was a steep learning curve.

I was offered a high level of supportin my induction period to the Universityof York, especially from the Departmentof Health Sciences, as I took up my postas a Lecturer in the Child Nursing Team.That support has been maintained as Ihave developed in my role and careerwith the Department. I have utilisedevery opportunity available from theUniversity to develop in my role, accessing

available CPD opportunities with PODand engaging in forums and workshops.I have presented posters at local andnational conferences and developed myskills for writing for publication, and havesuccessfully published in peer reviewed

journals. After commencing my role inNovember 2008 I engaged in developingthe simulation based education deliveredto the students on the Childrens Nursingprogramme, taking the lead on this dueto my current clinical experience. I had agreat interest in how different simulationapproaches, both low and high fidelity,could enhance student experience andknowledge acquisition. There werelimitations as to how much simulationcould be incorporated, however, once

The journey to

promotionKatie Batley and Anita Savage Grainge,Department of Health Sciences have bothrecently been promoted to Teaching grade 8.They share with us their journey to promotion.

curriculum development was underwayfor a new approach to pre-registrationnursing training following the release ofupdated national standards, I was in a

position to influence how we could utilisesimulation throughout a programme ateach stage of student learning.

Programme leadership

In the early summer of 2009 Icommenced the role of programme leaderfor the Childrens Nursing Programme,this was a new challenge I was keento embrace. This provided me with theopportunity to look at how we shapeboth the content and delivery of ourprogramme and also to ensure we offered

appropriate levels of student support.During my first year as programme lead, Iapproached one of the local SafeguardingChildrens nurses to look at how weapproach child protection training andeducation within our programme. Inpartnership we devised a unique andinnovative way to enhance studentlearning. We moved from a traditionalinstructional model of highlighting andidentifying injuries, to using simulation toallow students to engage in a scenario.This assisted them in developing the skills

to identify risk factors, observe, documentand communicate appropriately. This wasevaluated with a research project and theresults were very positive. After its firstyear of being included in the programme,one of the students on placement wasable to recognise a child in need andhave the skills to escalate their concernsappropriately.

In the summer of 2011 I took up therole of Undergraduate Admissions Tutorfor Health Sciences whilst retaining myprogramme leadership. I commenced this

post against a backdrop of organisationalchange as a new governance structurewas introduced. In this role I have beenresponsible for recruitment to threefull-time programmes and two part-

time programmes, these equate toapproximately 6.5 million of income forthe Department. It is necessary to meetnot only the needs of the University and

the Department whilst recruiting thesestudents but also the needs of our NHSpartners, as the programmes are fundedthrough NHS bursaries. I have overhauledall the recruitment and selectionprocesses, to ensure they are fair andequitable and streamlined the process forDepartmental staff involved.

My career has developed throughboth teaching and scholarship, lookingat how we can maximise educationalresources for students, accepting thechallenges of programme leadership and

then taking on the responsibility of asignificant administrative post for a largeDepartment. The combination of theseachievements, along with the other work Ihave undertaken, has led to my promotionto senior lecturer in 2014. I look forwardto new challenges as I continue to strivefor the best student experience at theUniversity of York.

Katie Batleyis a SeniorLecturer in the

Departmentof HealthSciences. Katiehas a particularinterest in the use of simulationin helping students develop theirclinical and communicationskills and has a keen interest ineducation regarding safeguardingchildren. Through this, she hasworked with practice colleaguesto develop an innovative form ofteaching safeguarding skills toundergraduate student nurses,utilising simulation techniques.Research identified very positiveresults for students from thelearning perspective and she haspresented this at several nationalconferences around simulation.


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ANITA SAVAGE GRAINGE

My journey to applying forpromotion to the post of seniorlecturer started in 2005 when Iworked for the NHS as a specialist mental

health nurse and was seconded to alecturer post for two days a week in theDepartment of Health Sciences at theUniversity of York. I had been employedfor 18 years in the NHS at this point andhad a wealth of skills, knowledge andpractical experience. I had also beenfortunate in my NHS post to engagein part-time study at the Universityof York on the MSc PsychosocialInterventions course. During my studentand secondment experience I observedsome excellent and creative teaching

supervision methods that were toinfluence and shape me as a teacher.

In 2008 I commenced full-timeemployment at the University of Yorkas a grade 7 lecturer. I soon took onprogramme leadership responsibilityfor the BSc Psychosocial Interventionscourse and was in a good position toshape teaching, supervision and methodsof assessment. I was also encouragedby my team leader to teach and involvemyself in a range of other programmesas well as attend departmental meetings

and boards; suggestions were made as tohow I could influence these groups andtake a leadership role within them. Therationale for this encouragement being togain a depth of academic experience thatwould help my career development.

Continued development

As part of my post and probationrequirements I enrolled on the PostGraduate Certificate of Academic Practice(PGCAP). This provided new learning andlots of personal reflection to help develop

my role and teaching. My successfulcompletion of the course carried bothacademic recognition and professionalregistration status with the Nursingand Midwifery Council, allowing me toregister as nurse tutor.

I have and continue to play a key rolein ensuring teaching remains current,innovative and relevant to currentmental health practice in the NHS. Myteaching content reflects the knowledgeand skills required in an ever changingNHS. I have reviewed and altered a rangeof assessment methods; the programmeI lead incorporates written essays, OSCEassessments and audio recordings inpractice as methods of assessment.Importantly teaching is varied and

ranges from delivering evidence basedtheory, facilitating student presentationsand discussions, and recording skillspractice sessions so that live coaching

and feedback can be offered. I havedeveloped a small DVD library of skillsdemonstrations to aid students skillsdevelopment. I have had four articlespublished that share innovative practicein teaching.

A component of my teaching timeis spent delivering group clinicalsupervision. The focus of this is onindividual and family work where anindividual experiences psychosis. Someof this work is complex and requiresa robust supervision structure to

facilitate the student in developing newcomplex skills.

Since commencing employment atthe University of York I have involvedpractitioners from local mental healthservices and patients with livedexperience in my sessions. This enhancesand varies the student experience and iswell evaluated.

I have ensured that I remain credible inNHS practice settings by providing groupclinical supervision, student support andconvening regional best practice forums

for practitioners.In order to develop my career I have,

and am still, engaged in a variety ofdepartmental meetings and boards.These have included chairing theAPEL group and leading on decisionsallowing students to transfer previousaccredited teaching and experience. Iam currently chair of UndergraduateBoard of Examiners in Department ofHealth Sciences; this is a challengingrole that I took on prior to myapplication for promotion.

External engagement

During my journey to promotion I haverealised it is important to look outsideof the University of York and networkwith other academics from otherinstitutions. I am currently appointedas an external examiner and held oneexternal examiners post prior to this.A primary benefit of this role is thediscussion around quality teaching,assessment and student feedback. Anumber of quality ideas have emergedfrom such discussions. I am also amember of Mental Health Academics UK;this group is a forum for engagement inacademic dialogue around teaching andassessment as well as current research.

Anitais a SeniorMental HealthLecturer in theDepartmentof HealthSciences. Anitais interested inclinical supervision of students andgroups engaging in family workand psychological interventions.She provides group supervisionin two community teams, aninpatient unit and a regional

secure unit. Anita has extensiveexperience of working as acommunity mental health nursein South London, Stockton andNorthallerton.

I am a member of the nationalTHORN Steering Group. This group isbased in Belfast and is synomonouswith high standards of educationand practice around psychosis. I wasinfluential in gaining accreditationto THORN for York PsychosocialInterventions Programme in 2011. Thisstatus has the distinction of recognising

accreditation and expertise beyond theUniversity of York. As part of this groupI have a direct influence on curriculumdesign for universities applying foraccreditation at a national level.

The experiences and professionalactivities I have discussed in this briefoutline of my journey to promotionhave been interesting and exciting. Ihave been supported well by colleaguesthroughout. It is a pleasure to teach atthe University of York.

There are variousapproaches but youneed to learn some basicsurvival strategies first.


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14 FORUMissue 37

Istarted devising TANGO in the summerof 2011, after receiving an unexpectedvisit from one of my colleagues from theUniversity of Oviedo. It occurred to me thenwhat a good idea it would be to work moreclosely with my colleagues in Oviedo andenhance our students learning experience.

Initially I thought about designing somecollaborative work using email and messagebased chat. However, I realised that, inthis day and age, real time face to face

communication would be more appropriateto raise student engagement andmotivation; building working partnerships,where students took an active role and aresponsibility of their learning.

TANGO consists of two websites, both ofthem bilingual. One site hosts the Spanishand English tasks, and the other is theonline portfolio where students publishtheir work. Tasks in both languages mirrorone another, dealing with the same topics.However, they are very specific to eachlanguage and culture.

The TANGO pilot started in February2014 with participants visiting the TANGOhomepage to read instructions to startcontact with their working partners. Adozen LFA Spanish Level 2 students initiatedcontact with their counterparts at theUniversity of Oviedo and began a jointventure into the exploration of each otherslanguage and culture.

Shared learning

Students wrote to their partners tointroduce themselves and organise a plan of

action, to agree when and how to contactone another fortnightly and discuss theirassigned tasks and any challenges theyencountered.

Using TANGO our students in Yorkpractised and learnt Spanish while theydiscovered Asturias, the Spanish Northern

region where I am from. They learntabout its main cities and traditions,were introduced to Spanish politicalgeography, learnt about Spanish food,pop and alternative music, hobbies, art,film, literature and festivals, etc. Similarly,in return, students in Oviedo discoveredYorkshire and its cities, British politicalgeography, traditions, etc.

Students in both countries following thethemes presented in each task, studied

and researched a variety of topics, as wellas being exposed to new vocabulary andexpressions. They discussed what they haddiscovered with their partners and sharedopinions and experiences. Furthermore,they helped one another clarifying anyissues they encountered in a student ledlearning partnership.

Here are some examples of feedbackreceived from students:

(The most positive thing was) practisingspeaking to a sympathetic native speaker

and helping one another to learn newwords and phrases.

I liked the regular visual and verbalcontact with a native Spanish speakerliving in Spain. To have face to face contactwith someone in another country was anew experience.

(The most positive thing about the projectwas) the introduction to more Spanishculture. Learning about pioneering figuresin the Hispanic world gives a broaderunderstanding of such a vibrant cultureand helps to understand the cultural

norms.I really liked the flexibility we have

worked with. We decided how to organiseour work and you didnt need to spendmany hours working to make the mostof the experience. There was alwayssomething to learn with each task, newvocabulary, new uses of words already

known, some cultural acceptation,things you can only learn fromnative speakers.

Improved learning

TANGO is an online platform tofurther language study following acommunicative approach. A series oftasks especially designed for foreignlanguage students helps them learn

about topics related to their syllabus, fromboth a grammatical and a thematic pointof view. Students use the target languagein context to learn more about each task;they read, watch and listen to videos.They learn from one another by activelyresearching and discussing topics. Studentsdiscover each ones countries and culture,their similarities and differences, andusing their online portfolios they share anddisplay a diversity of personalities, interests

and knowledge using a range of new mediaskills.

Towards the end of October, at the LFAstudent event celebrated in Central Hall, Ispoke to one of my students involved in thepilot. He is still in contact with his TANGOpartner. Both of them still discuss and learnSpanish and English language and culture.

TANGO is an international tool toexpand and share knowledge and goodpractice enhancing our students learningexperience. Extending TANGOs outreachwould be a very smart way to develop

links between our partner universities,enriching the experiences of visiting staffand international students.El tango se baila a dos It takes twoto tango

https://sites.google.com/a/york.ac.uk/tango/

Carmen lvarez-Mayois aTeaching Fellow

and SpanishCoordinatorin LFA. SinceOctober2005 she has contributed to thedevelopment of the foreign languagecourses and the curricula, learningmaterials and assessments; as wellas the Spanish L&LS degree. Sheworked at Instituto Cervantes inManchester and Leeds, and she has along and varied experience workingas a translator, interpreter, editorand voice over actor. Carmen hasmany interests amongst developing

learning and teaching materials,Non-Verbal Communication, NewMedia and Equality & Diversity Issues.https://www.linkedin.com/pub/carmen-lvarez-mayo

CASE STUDY

Carmen lvarez-Mayo, Languages for All, received a Rapid Response

Grant to develop TANGO, an online platform to further language study.

TANGO, a collaborativee-learning project


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James Chantryhas workedfor the Centrefor EnglishLanguageTeachingsince 2007. AsSenior Tutor in English for AcademicPurposes, he works closely withseveral departments, includingEconomics, Engineering, Politics,Psychology and the Management

School, devising language classesto meet the academic needs ofnon-native speakers of English. Healso works for the Department ofLanguage and Linguistic Sciencedelivering a module on EnglishLanguage Teaching. Previously,he had taught in Poland, Hungary,Portugal, Spain and Australia.

[email protected]

Dr Kevin Tennentis a Lecturer inManagementat The York

ManagementSchool. Hisresearchfocuses on management history ininternational and public management.He has teaching experience at LSE,The Open University Business Schooland TYMS, where he has convenedthe postgraduate dissertationmodule, involving more than 300students and 40 supervisors, as wellas teaching strategic managementto students across a range of TYMSprogrammes. He has also taughtstrategy to third year undergraduates.

Kevin is currently devising a newmodule focussing on managementand strategy in international businessfor MSc International Business andStrategic Management Students.

The summer months of July, August

and September are extremely busyin the Centre for English Language

Teaching (CELT) as we work with studentshoping to start a degree course in theautumn term. For the vast majority ofthese young people not only does ourPre-Sessional course represent the firsttime they have experienced life in theUK (and often even outside their owncountry), it is also the condition that mustbe met before they can gain entry to theirchosen degree path. In addition to overalllanguage improvement, the course serves

to develop crucial academic study skillssuch as engaging critically with topics andintegrating sources to develop an argument,aspects that the IELTS system fails to foster.

One problem we face is the issue of howto appeal to students from a broad rangeof academic disciplines and yet remainrelevant to their studies. To meet thisneed, we have run a departmental-specificPre-Sessional course for TYMS (The YorkManagement School) for the last four years,which has greatly benefitted from the directinvolvement of TYMS staff; we have a guest

lecture slot each week and the courseassessment is devised to tie in with TYMSdegree programmes. Of course, the result isthat the students feel connected with theirdepartment as well as being empowered tomeet the academic challenges.

Once the academic year starts, weprovide a weekly English language class,specifically designed to target the linguisticskills needed whilst undertaking a degreeprogramme, as we do for a wide range ofdepartments. However, where TYMS differsis the introduction of an integrated

approachwhere a CELT tutor willattend TYMS sessions, often lectures,and will negotiate with TYMSlecturing staff to design the materialfor the CELT class that will enhancethe students ability to take partactively in seminar discussions andproduce assignment work that meetsthe criteria.

The problem with a genericmodel of EAP (English for AcademicPurposes) is that the students oftenfail to see the connection with theactual modules they are studying.No matter how successful we are atimproving their use of English andheightening their understanding ofstudy skills, if CELT sessions make

little reference to actual degree programme

content, the students will vote with theirfeet when times are busy and reading listsare mounting. It is clear to us within CELTthat departmental collaboration is crucialif departments wish to see progress fora greater number of their internationalstudents. Liaison with module leaderswhere specific course and assignmentdetails are discussed makes a world ofdifference. The sharing of good and badexemplars will enable CELT staff to gothrough specific language points withstudents, with the result that far greater

clarity is felt.In order to extend CELTs work with

TYMS where most of the focus has been onpostgraduate students, we are hoping torun a specific undergraduate Pre-Sessionalcourse in the summer of 2015. To build onthis relationship, I accompanied TYMSsDr Kevin Tennent on a visit to Beijing inSeptember 2014 to visit a key agent, ACELeader, and to observe classes at UIBE(University of International Business andEconomics) so that we could see howChinese students are taught in their home

environment. It will come as no surprise tosay how busy we found life and educationto be for these young people; they live withparental and society pressure on a dailybasis. The point was made to us that theopportunity to study in the UK is a chanceto escape the rigid life they experience withthe large number of contact hours, butthat we need to guide them to make themost of their time here. In conjunction withdepartmental support, CELT sessions willhelp bridge this gap.

Departmental integration forEnglish language teaching

James Chantry , YorkManagement School, andKevin Tennant, Centre forEnglish Language Teaching,discuss how they haveintroduced an integratedapproach to Englishteaching to provide adepartmental connection.

CASE STUDY


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Good learning is founded on

students having the opportunity tomix, work together on problems,

network and construct meaning forthemselves in their study technicaldomain1. We can help them achievebetter engagement by encouraging themto not only ask questions but asking theright questions.

I would like to share with you oneexample of how we use group-basedexplorations of a technical productto develop questioning skill to arousestudent curiosity. The impact is improvedstudent question response and proactivequestioning. We have developed a shortsession for our taught masters studentsin Engineering Management inductionprogramme and our year 1 undergraduate

Business Management module2.

Whilst we use a technicalproduct as the focus, the techniqueencourages both technical andbusiness questions.

Exploration

We start with the purchase of somecheap electronics products a radioalarm clock is a good choice. At around5 for the bottom end of the marketproduct we can let the students takeit apart and throw it away at the end.Working in groups students are givenone product per group and asked to askquestions about the product initiallywithout opening the box. To seed theprocess we give a few example questionssuch as Who do you think the product is

aimed at?, Why is the box the size it is?And my favourite question, Why is thatlittle yellow UK sticker on it?

Quite often students give the obviousanswer that it is because it is sold in theUK. True but why, when the product ismade in China (it says so on the box) and,it comes in a Tesco box and presumably

CASE STUDY

What is the little yellowUK sticker for?Tony Ward, Department of Electronics, shareshow he has used group-based explorations todevelop questioning.

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put in a larger box in the factory destinedfor the UK, does each product need a littleyellow sticker saying it is for the UK? Thisusually gets the students thinking aboutwhere else the product is sold. Tescosells products into a number of different

countries including Slovakia, Poland,Czech Republic, Hungary, Malaysia,China and more. With labelling on thebox in multiple languages the product isobviously sold in multiple countries andthe fact that the package labelling is inmultiple languages tells them the answerto why the little yellow sticker is thereis not a packaging issue. The answer isdeeper than that but equally simple whenyou know why. Mostly students need anudge to get to the next level in whatway is the UK market different to that in

Slovakia, Poland, etc? A look inside thebox might give a clue here the radioalarm clock has a case, electrical lead andplug. The more astute students ask thequestion is the plug different in Slovakia?A search on the web with a questionalong these lines would show, yes indeedit is different. In fact across the worldthere are approximately 20 differentplugs and many more now obsolete plugsthat still exist in some older buildings. Inthe UK we used tohave three round

pin plugs and, forthose old enoughto remember them,bayonet plugs thatuse to plug intoa light fitting inplace of the bulb,often used to run the electric iron. So,we have part of the answer the plug isdifferent and in the factory as soon asthe product is put in its box it is localisedto the UK and the rest of the productionprocess needs to know this.

Delving further

Now for the techy part when thestudents take the product apart they cansee where the mains lead goes inside,and what it connects to. In addition tothe large range in mains plug across theworld there is also a considerable rangein supply voltage. In electronic productsthere are two modern ways of convertingmains voltage to the low voltages usedfor electronic circuitry either througha transformer, rectifier and voltage

regulator circuit or a switched modepower supply. The former method isphysically recognisable by a modest sizedtransformer quite easy for the trainedeye to point to in any product and it is

usually the first component the mainslead connects to after the on/off switch.If there is a transformer it is much harderto make the product work across a verywide range of voltages you really needa different transformer for differentvoltages; also a product localisation issue

that can explain thelittle yellow sticker.

But then thelast product wepurchased was abattery operatedradio no mainsconnector atall but it still

has the little yellow sticker on it. Why?The students could find no productlocalisation issue at all until they lookedat the instruction leaflet which was

just in English, not English and Slovakian,Polish, etc. Single language that was

the only localisation and the only reasonfor the little sticker.

Curiosity and a fair degree of leadingat the beginning starts the student downthe path of questioning in any directionwe like, technical, business, marketing,even through to financial by asking themhow it can possibly be made, shipped halfway round the world and sold with everypart of the process making at least someprofit and be sold for 5. The answer toall the questions can be found on theweb in fractions of a second if the rightquestion is asked. Try typing Why is thatlittle yellow sticker on the product? intoGoogle it is not the right question. Inthese classes no question is ever ridiculedor belittled, all are valid. By having some

Tony Wardgraduatedfrom BristolUniversity inElectrical andElectronicEngineering.He worked in the UK and the USin a range of engineering andmanagement roles and, after18 years in industry, started atechnical training company beforecoming to York in 1993. He was thefounding Director of the White RoseCentre for Excellence in Teaching

and Learning in Enterprise. Hisresearch interests lie in engineeringeducation and entrepreneurship.Contact him via email [email protected]

Curiosity and a fair degreeof leading at the beginningstarts the student down thepath of questioning.

This new cooking technique is not what youre used to butwhy not give it a try?

fun in this exercise and creating a buzzin the room, students become more atease with asking questions and this,as evidenced by a couple of years ofexperience, means we get more in-class engagement from all nationalitystudents.

For more details contact Tony Ward orNoel Jackson.

References:1P. Knight and M. Yorke, Employability andgood learning in higher education, Teachingin Higher Educ, vol. 8, no. 1, pp. 316, 2003.

2 N. R. Jackson and A. E. Ward, CuriosityBased Learning: Impact Study in 1st YearElectronics Undergraduates, presented at the10th International Conference on InformationTechnology based Higher Education andTraining (ITHET), Istanbul, Turkey, 2012.


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18 FORUMissue 37

Forumaims to bring together andsupport colleagues involved inteaching and supporting learningacross the University, and to nurture anddisseminate creativity and good practice.

Contribute to the Learning and

Teaching Conference

The 2015 conference, One size does notfit all, will take place in Week 9 of the

summer term: Wednesday 10 June 2015.The theme will explore how learning andteaching can contribute to all studentsreaching their potential. It will examinethe implications of diversifying deliveryof programmes and how students aresupported in the process of achieving theirpotential. A key theme will be the wayin which programme design can addressthe range of student ability and levels ofstudent engagement. The conference willalso focus on the ways in which inclusivityand diversity can be integrated into thecurricula and teaching.

Proposals for discussion papers,workshops and poster presentationsare invited.

The call for contributions is now open

and further details can be found on thewebsite http://bit.ly/1tYHdWJ.

Write a magazine article

The next issue of Forum, due out at thebeginning of the Summer Term 2015, willtie in with the conference theme, exploringhow learning and teaching can contributeto all students reaching their potential.

If you would like to contribute an article

highlighting an example of good practiceplease do get in touch. Please contact us,[email protected] you have something to offer.

Run a workshop

Forumrun a series of lunchtimeworkshops each term, open to allcolleagues involved in teachingand supporting learning, includingpostgraduates who teach. Theworkshops are run by colleagues fromacross the university and delivered in avariety of formats.

If you would like to share your ownpractice at a workshop please drop usa line, [email protected].

Spring 2015 series:

Workshops run from 12.30-2.00pm, withlunch available from 12.15pm.

Wednesday 28 January 2015 (week 4)Key Skills in the Curriculum: Help! Imteaching research skills

Monday 9 February 2015 (week 6)Enhancing engagement: Problem-based learning A fairy tale?

Monday 23 February (week 8)Technology in Practice: Creativity inthe Connected Classroom

Monday 16 MarchExploring the research evidence baseof the new Learning and Teachingstrategy

Please see the website for further detailsand to register, http://bit.ly/1tYHdWJ .

Join the debate

The Learning and Teaching Forum hasa new website, http://yorkforum.org/.The website will be used to disseminateinformation from workshops and themagazine, and gives opportunity forreaders to contribute to the debate.

Want to share?

The Learning and Teaching Forum provides many opportunities for colleagues to share practice.


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ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL:ensuring all students reach their potential

University of York Learning and Teaching Conference 2015:Wednesday 10 June 2015

Students come to theUniversity of York with

differentexpectations,

differentlearning styles,

differentneeds, and

differentambitions.

The conference will explore the implications of diversifying delivery of programmes andhow students are supported in the process of achieving their potential. A key theme will bethe way in which programme design can address the range of student ability and levels of

student engagement. The conference will also focus on the ways in which inclusivity and diversitycan be integrated into the curricula and teaching.

Workshop themes:

use of personalised learning approaches within teaching ensuring fairness / enabling unimpeded learning by students from diverse backgrounds dealing with a range of student ability and levels of student engagement embedding training for students on appropriate conduct addressing unconscious bias within our teaching addressing diversity and promoting inclusivity through module content

examples of good practice relating to PGWT activities which successfully address individualstudent learning styles

the meaning, nature and implications of inclusivity and diversity in higher education.Posters:Any learning and teaching themes

Call for:Discussion papers, workshops and poster presentations

The deadline for submissions is Friday 30 January 2015(Week 4, Spring Term).

Further information about this

conference and the call for

contributions is available on the

websitehttp://bit.ly/1tYHdWJ

Call for contributions:Deadline 30th January 2015


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university of york, forum, issue 37 spring 2015

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