Developing Innovative ‘Extended’ Communities of Practice (CoP) which Enable Students to Produce Inspiring Projects in their Practice Settings

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Developing Innovative ‘Extended’ Communities of Practice (CoP) which Enable Students to Produce Inspiring Projects in their Practice Settings By Lisa Porter, Lisa Mauro-Bracken, Dawn Goodall and Rebecca Weston, School of Allied Health and Community     The Work-Based Learning (WBL) level 5 module is premised on students ‘giving back’ to the wider community though the development and implementation of successful projects in their practice settings (A5), to bring about practice improvements which benefit staff and service users (K3; V4). This reflects the values of the University of Worcester’s Strategic Plan (2019) to positively impact the world around us and enhance our relationships with the local community (V4). Through experiential learning (Scott, 2015), (V3; A5) students also develop project leadership skills enhancing their graduate employability.  … Read moreDeveloping Innovative ‘Extended’ Communities of Practice (CoP) which Enable Students to Produce Inspiring Projects in their Practice Settings

Moving Online with Accessibility

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With the rapid transition that has been necessary due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of colleagues are looking for ideas, alternatives and suggestions for developing their learning and teaching approaches online. This series of blog posts are aimed at supporting staff looking for ways to incorporate more blended or online learning teaching whether for the short term or long term. What do we mean by accessibility? Over this last year, there’s been a focus on digital accessibility with the introduction of the new Public Sector web accessibility regulations. This requires all institutions to look at how they make their websites accessible for all users including staff and students with accessibility needs. This includes those with specific learning needs but also includes people who… Read moreMoving Online with Accessibility

Vignette of Practice – Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The Benefits of Implementation

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Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The Benefits of Implementation By Lisa Porter, Senior Lecturer and Admissions Tutor – FdSc; School of Allied Health and Community     This case study demonstrates innovative and excellent practice: UDL was applied to a module, resulting in significantly increased student satisfaction, achievement and engagement. UDL is a framework which reduces barriers to learning, recognises the diversity of individual learning styles and provides equality of opportunity for all learners (Capp, 2017). It provides a ‘buffet’ of learning rather than a single ‘fixed menu’ approach and contains three core principles: ‘Flexible methods of learning’; ‘Flexible resources to support learning’; ‘Flexible assessments’ (DeMontfort University, 2019). I applied the ‘UDL Self-Assessment and Development Tool’ (DeMontfort University, 2019) to review how ‘universal’ my module… Read moreVignette of Practice – Universal Design for Learning (UDL): The Benefits of Implementation

Supporting Student Transition to UW: 2020

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Background Over the past few years we have explored the various issues regarding students transitioning into HE, both at Level 4 or Level 6 and directly to UW or via our partners.  Given the particular circumstances we are faced with this year, it seems useful to revisit some of the outcomes of this work as well as to look across the sector at the work others are doing to make transitions as easy as possible for new students. This piece then, outlines the issues facing us in terms of students’ transitioning to us in September and provides an overview of the steps our staff – and others across the sector – are taking in order to ensure that they join us ready to engage appropriately… Read moreSupporting Student Transition to UW: 2020

Vignette of Practice: Building Confidence to Present

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Building Confidence to Present: Innovative Assessment Preparation for an Inspiring Poster Conference within the Foundation Degree Programme. By Lisa Mauro-Bracken, Dawn Goodall, Lisa Porter and Rebecca Weston, School of Allied Health and Community     This case study focuses upon innovative and inspiring practice within the Level 5 Work-based Learning (WBL) module that consolidates learning across both years. It engages students through the planning, implementation and evaluation of a setting- based project (K1-3) assessed at a poster conference. Using the framework of an academic conference, this assessment fostered peer engagement and appreciation of a diverse range of projects. Poster sessions, keynote speakers and networking lunch formed the structure of the day with all students leaving with provisional grades and feedback as “being able to get… Read moreVignette of Practice: Building Confidence to Present

Vignette of Practice: Cultivating Change for Inclusive Practice – Creating a Community of Learners

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Cultivating Change for Inclusive Practice: Creating a Community of Learners By Lisa Mauro-Bracken, Head of Department Health and Well-being; School of Allied Health and Community   This case study illustrates an innovative, department-wide approach to learning and professional development of staff. Higher Education encounters increasing numbers of students from diverse linguistic, cultural and ethnic backgrounds requiring personalised learning (V1; V2). To cultivate a ‘new’ inclusive culture within the Department of Health and Well-being, I organised a workshop introducing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) as part of a team away day (K5). UDL is a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn (CAST, 2019). The UDL framework supports inclusive practice and relies on multiple… Read moreVignette of Practice: Cultivating Change for Inclusive Practice – Creating a Community of Learners

Vignette of Practice: ‘How to get an A Grade’

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  How to get an A Grade By Dawn Goodall, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Health and Wellbeing and Learning and Teaching Co-ordinator; School of Allied Health and Community       As part of the Post Graduate Certificate in Higher Education we were introduced to the university’s Generic Undergraduate Grading Criteria (UW, 2016) [K6] and a fellow student commented if he had known this he would have ‘got a First’. This stuck in my head and after exploring Structure of Observed Learning Outcomes (SOLO) (Biggs and Collis, 1982; Biggs and Tang, 2007), I decided to design a session for students on assessment grading (A2). I explored grade differences using key vocabulary/ideas in the descriptors’, sporting analogies, physical demonstrations with books and hypothetical authorship…. Read moreVignette of Practice: ‘How to get an A Grade’

Moving Online – connecting with students

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With the rapid transition that has been necessary recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of colleagues are looking for ideas, alternatives and suggestions for developing their learning and teaching approaches online. This series of blog posts are aimed at supporting staff looking for ways to incorporate more blended or online learning teaching whether for the short term or long term. What do we mean by connecting with students online? As teaching begins for some for the summer term or students are preparing for their online exams coming up in May, it’s important to think about how we’re keeping connected with our students and helping them to connect with each other. Students can gain much from the informal, social learning that accompanies the… Read moreMoving Online – connecting with students

Moving Online with a Menu of Digital Learning and Teaching

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With the rapid transition that has been necessary recently due to the Covid-19 pandemic, a large number of colleagues are looking for ideas, alternatives and suggestions for developing their learning and teaching approaches online. This series of blog posts are aimed at supporting staff looking for ways to incorporate more blended or online learning teaching whether for the short term or long term. The Moving Online Series of blog post that I’m currently writing are related to a Menu of Digital Learning and Teaching Approaches that you can download and use within your own learning and teaching as you adapt it for online/remote teaching and learning. The menu was originally developed by Sheffield Hallam University under the Changing the Learning Landscape programme and has been… Read moreMoving Online with a Menu of Digital Learning and Teaching

Tackling ‘Group Hate’: Design and Delivery of Authentic and Collaborative Learning for GAMA3004 Group Game Development Module

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Tackling ‘Group-Hate’: Design and Delivery of Authentic and Collaborative Learning for GAMA3004 Group Game Development module By Jacqui Edwards, Senior Lecturer & Course Leader for Game Art; School of the Arts.                           ‘Great Things’ Event, June 2019. This case study reflects on the design and delivery of a year-long level 6 module, for BA Hons Game Art, with a focus on embedding authentic learning and an innovative group work experience involving live briefs and collaborative, interdisciplinary practice (A1). In game development teamwork is essential, however, it is commonly an area that students find problematic. Indeed, the negative reactions to group work even has its own term, “Group-Hate” (Sorenson, 1981 cited in Burke, 2011)…. Read moreTackling ‘Group Hate’: Design and Delivery of Authentic and Collaborative Learning for GAMA3004 Group Game Development Module