Baseline standards for VLE use were introduced in September 2015 and an audit of modules from the 2016/17 academic year has found that 94% of modules now have a tutor enrolled indicating a minimum level of engagement with the VLE. An increase of 2% from last year. A further spot check of 50 random courses found that the vast majority were complying with baseline standard requirements with many exceeding the minimum and providing online learning resources and activities which were engaging and attractive and clearly enhanced the students’ learning experience. With this high level of engagement, we wanted to encourage teaching staff to think about their Blackboard sites and  consider ways that they might provide a better learning experience for their students. With this in… Read moreBronze, Silver or Gold – how’s your Blackboard site looking?

Results from a survey carried out by HEPI/Unite examining university applicants’ attitudes and perceptions have just been published. This is a new survey looking at how young people applying to university for the first time think about the upcoming transition to life as a student. Headline outcomes are as follows: For over one-third of applicants (36%), the university open day is one of the main reasons for choosing a particular institution Almost three quarters (72%) rated a TEF Gold rating as important, with just over a quarter (27%) of all applicants rating it as very important More than half of applicants (53%) expect that there will be more support for mental health issues at university than is available at school 78% of applicants expect more… Read moreHEPI/Unite Students Reality Check report published today

Karen Blackmore (Academic Lead for SAP), Carolyn Nisbet (Project Manager), Sophie Pearce (Final Year Physical Geography Student) 2017 has seen 24 projects selected for inclusion in the Students as Academic Partners (SAP) scheme.  As the scheme continues to grow, we reflect on one highly successful project which was chosen to showcase the UW SAP scheme at the JISC Change Agents Network Conference at the University of Exeter in April 2017. The SAP project was developed between Ian Maddock (Professor in River Science) and Sophie Pearce (Level 6 BSc Physical Geography Undergraduate student) and aimed to create resources which included a lecture, a taster session of a drone flying and a practical session introducing Structure from Motion photogrammetry software. The overall aspiration of the project was to… Read moreDeveloping the Students as Academic Partners Scheme by reflecting on a High Impact Pedagogy model