Author: nisbetc

How Blackboard can help with student retention and success

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The University of Worcester is committed to improving student retention and supporting students to achieve their full potential and a working group has been formed to develop a strategy and plan to deliver on these goals. Many of the strategies and approaches addressing this issue are at a University or course level however, there are some simple ways in which everyday use of the VLE can help. Blackboard’s built in Retention Centre can identify students who may be struggling and enable tutors to apply interventions to encourage engagement and address any issues at an early stage. The HEA’s What Works? Strategies for Student Retention and Success Programme (2017) reported “Monitoring individual participation, engagement and performance and following up students emerged as essential ways to improve retention… Read moreHow Blackboard can help with student retention and success

Three inspirational examples of technology enhanced innovations in learning and teaching

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Recently three members of the TEL Working Group shared examples of technology enhanced learning (TEL) that they have implemented, and achieved great advancements in student engagement and participation. Inspired by the RSA Animate video of a TED Talk , David Hunt of IoE has produced a 6 minute animated video briefing for a key assessment for his teacher education students, using widely available software to create an animated video. David has no background in animation or drawing but what he has produced looks highly professional and students love it! David says it took him about 5 hours to produce – see the video and his presentation. Paul Golz of ISES explained how he has used OneNote (available on all University computers as part of the… Read moreThree inspirational examples of technology enhanced innovations in learning and teaching

HEA Fellows meet to enhance role at the University of Worcester

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Sean Bracken, Senior Lecturer, Institute of Education (Senior Fellow of the HEA) Lerverne Barber, Associate Head, Institute of Sport & Exercise Science (National Teaching Fellow) Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) is increasingly recognised as a means through which individuals can validate their commitment to high quality learning for students and research informed professional teaching. For Higher Educational Providers (HEPs) there is a growing realisation that fellowship processes provide a cohesive way to reflect organisational commitment to the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). These standards provide a shared sector-based approach articulating the expectations in three core areas of action, knowledge and values. However, once one has had fellowship bestowed, it can be challenging to identify what that means for future actions and whether there… Read moreHEA Fellows meet to enhance role at the University of Worcester

Teacher Training using Learning Mats

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Kim Hibbert-Mayne (Secondary PGCE PE Tutor) Learning mats have been a tool in primary and secondary education for many years now; used to guide pupils around a topic or remind them of key ideas, concepts or vocabulary during a lesson. They can be used to extend the learning during an independent task or for homework. For the same reasons I have been using learning mats in my own sessions for teacher training in secondary education. In this context they are a tool for information gathering, thought organising and for increasing the level of engagement when it comes to students taking their own notes. I find that learning mats encourage students to decipher the information being transferred and summarise it to ‘fit’ into the relevant boxes…. Read moreTeacher Training using Learning Mats

Shared cross-curricular activities for PGCE Modern Languages trainees and PGCE Mathematics trainees

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Jane Moreton (Secondary Mathematics PGCE Tutor) and Isabelle Schafer (PGCE Secondary Modern Languages Subject Leader) In January 2018, PGCE Modern Languages trainees and PGCE Mathematics trainees planned cross-curricular activities at the University of Worcester. Trainees’ interpretation of how to embed numeracy in their teaching and how to take into account pupils’ language needs were influenced by professional dialogue. They created thought provoking activities and they taught each other symmetry through famous French buildings, sports vocabulary through probability, food through combinations, averages through world competitions etc.             Feedback from trainees was overwhelmingly positive: Modern Languages trainee: “This week the session with the maths trainees really helped me to see the infinite number of ways in which we can incorporate elements of… Read moreShared cross-curricular activities for PGCE Modern Languages trainees and PGCE Mathematics trainees

Showcasing VTDA projects – the flipped classroom: never stop learning

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Over the past two summers while I have been thinking about having a break, two Vacation Teaching Development Assistantship (VTDA) students planned their summers around enhancing the student experience. More specifically, they were involved in designing 12 weeks of flipped learning activities for different modules as part of the Foundation Degree (FD) programmes in Health and Social Care. One of the aims of the project was to encourage the development of higher-level skills, such as critical thinking, through the use of technology. This is increasingly seen as an essential feature of FD courses, where the focus is on supporting student transition into higher education. E-learning can provide flexible access to student centred learning materials. It is also essential that that is compliments the more traditional… Read moreShowcasing VTDA projects – the flipped classroom: never stop learning

Showcasing SAP projects – Supporting Student Transition into Top-Up Programmes

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There have been an increasing number of students entering the university at Level 5 and 6 over the past 5 years from a range of partners’ institutions including BMET (Stourbridge), Heart of Worcestershire College, TCAT and transfers from other HEI’s.  There are a number of key transition stages for students within higher education. Transition stages can highlight perplexing times for students, these could be an adjustment in academic activities or a transition within their personal and/or social life. These key transition points could be entry into the first or second year of study or even a top-up into the final year of study (Whittaker, 2008).  It is important to engage early within the transition process in higher education, to establish methods for effective learning and… Read moreShowcasing SAP projects – Supporting Student Transition into Top-Up Programmes

Realising Teaching Excellence in Teacher Training

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The fifteen PGCE Modern Languages trainee teachers at the University of Worcester have made a great start to the teacher training course. On 29th September 2017, they celebrated the European Day of Languages at the Lacon Childe School in Cleobury Mortimer by teaching French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish to Year 9 pupils. Lessons focused on aspects of culture. Pupils found out about the Oktoberfest in Munich, the festival of lights in Lyon, the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Italian landmarks, Brazilian and Spanish food and how All Saints Day is celebrated in Mexico. Trainee teachers team-taught the same lesson three times so that all the year 9 groups could experience learning about six different aspects of culture. It was for some trainee teachers their… Read moreRealising Teaching Excellence in Teacher Training

Student information and study skills; a learner journey from pre-entry to level 6 – what can we expect and how do we support students in completing the journey to independence?

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This is a report of a project undertaken by Dr Sarah Pittaway from Library Services.  She explores: What is reasonable to expect of level 4 students in terms of study skills when they arrive at University?  The project found that there are wide variations in expectations of the study skills of students before they come to University:  ‘students lack basic academic writing skills’ vs ‘students are expected to have a basic understanding of academic writing’; ‘student lack research skills, including searching for material’ and ‘students are expected to be reasonably internet savvy and able to search’. What study skills are students expected to develop through level 4 and what are the most effective ways of developing this? Some courses focus on textbooks, others on Resource… Read moreStudent information and study skills; a learner journey from pre-entry to level 6 – what can we expect and how do we support students in completing the journey to independence?

New National Teaching Fellow

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Many congratulations to Lerverne Barber, Deputy Head of the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science, who has been awarded a National Teaching Fellowship. Having had a very successful career as a Secondary Physical Education teacher and Physical Education Adviser/Inspector, Lerverne Barber joined the University of Worcester in 2004 as a Lecturer in the Institute of Sport and Exercise Science. Lerverne’s passion for inclusive learning and teaching and her extensive experience and subject expertise, ensured that she was quickly promoted to Course Leader and then Principal Lecturer, for Learning, Teaching and the Student Experience. Read the full news story about Lerverne via https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/person/lerverne-barber