While not quite as exciting as the imminent arrival of Santa, there’s been a flurry of calls for papers for teaching and learning conferences in 2024, many with submission deadlines in late January. So, our gift for you is a short round up of opportunities to share your brilliant work and/or opportunities to soak up inspiration from others.
International Assessment in Higher Education (AHE) Conference (20 & 21st June 2024, Manchester). Call for papers deadline Monday 22nd January 2024. This brilliant 2-day conference provides a smorgasbord of cutting-edge presentations on research and evaluation of innovative practice, masterclasses and workshops from leading experts in the field of assessment in Higher Education, and a wealth of sessions from teaching and learning practitioners
Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching Conference 2024 (21 March 2024. University of Manchester). Call for papers deadline Monday 22nd January 2024. This year’s conference will focus on examining the methods that best support interdisciplinary learning, and consider how we can capture and articulate the impact of interdisciplinary experiences in education. Short papers or lighting talks proposals are invited.
Playful Learning Conference (3-5th July 2024). University of Sussex!!! Call for papers deadline 5th Feb 2024. Hosted by our very own Katie Piatt, the Playful Learning Conference is looking for submissions in all areas relating to the use of play or playfulness in relation to adult learning, including – but not limited to – higher and further education, playful workplaces, and lifelong learning.
Pedagogy for Higher Education Large Classes (PHELC) Symposium (7th June, Online) Call for papers deadline 8th March 2024. Submissions are invited from those teaching very large classes (100+ students) in the higher education context. The symposium attracts presenters and attendees from around the world and provides a forum to share evidence-based practice in relation to teaching, learning, curriculum and assessment in the large class context.
This will be our last Academic Developers round up for 2023, so Charlie, Laura, Sam, Sarah and Simona would like to wish you all a relaxing festive break, and a very Happy New Year!
This week Caley Yardley, Doctoral Tutor in Physics, talks about how we can support our trans colleagues and students by sharing our pronouns.
For many, pronouns can seem a very trivial thing, but I think there is a power in them. Even if everyone shared their pronouns on all their social media, professional contact lists, at the start of meetings, and on door signs, there would still be so much more for us to address on gender equality and inclusion. However, I believe that sharing pronouns is a very easy thing to do and can mean much more to others than it may appear at face-value for you.
It shows awareness.
Human identity is complicated; we are all shaped by our social, cultural and/or ethnic backgrounds, our jobs, passions, interests, and hobbies, as well as by the people we interact with as we go about life. I challenge you to describe yourself or a friend in only one sentence. I bet you wouldn’t be able to account for all your quirks, even if I were more generous and let you use a full page. It is probable you would feel compelled to employ generalisations, or even stereotypes, to paint a vaguely accurate portrait of who you are.
As with the rest of your identity, your gender identity exists on a spectrum, may be fluid, and is never the same between any two people. Yet, it is still deemed normal to categorise people into binary categories – men or women – which for many happen to align with their sex assigned at birth – male or female. This carries strong norms and values which still perpetuate gender stereotypes in too many areas of modern life. If you are cisgender (not trans), I doubt that your identity as a man or a woman is identical to that of your friend. Yet the languages of Western cultures traditionally do not view anyone as existing between, let alone beyond, a rigid gender binary. If you are trans, this rigid view of gender can be even more unhelpful when the choice of language is informed by other people’s assumptions about the way you look or sound.
By sharing your pronouns, you can show your understanding, or willingness to understand, that gender identity is more complicated than the traditional picture, and therefore one’s pronouns are not necessarily a given to be assumed.
You can reduce the stigma.
Although it is important to discuss peoples’ assumptions and individuals’ identities in the context of trans and non-binary people, it is also important for cisgender people too. Many trans people are misgendered on a day-to-day basis, but I know of cis friends and colleagues who have also been subject to it on occasion because of some assumption regarding their appearance. However, while cisgender people often feel comfortable to politely correct an honest mistake, often trans people are less likely to do the same in that situation.
For me, sometimes it is a matter of staying silent for mine own safety, or simply worrying about how I may be perceived for raising my voice. On other occasions, I know I worry about stigma when I am in that situation – “another trans woman who cares about pronouns”. Like many trans people, I choose to share my pronouns where I can, including on pin badges and at the start of meetings. In my experience, it helps to reduce the frequency of awkward encounters and means I don’t have to worry so much about upsetting others, especially if they would have misgendered me during a good-faith interaction. Many people seem to be very happy with trans people sharing their pronouns, but there is a vocal minority who are not, resulting in a stigma that pronouns are just a thing that trans people have and declare. This is especially the case if only trans people are the ones sharing their pronouns.
By sharing your pronouns, you can help to tackle this stigma directly. Even if you don’t think you personally benefit from sharing your pronouns, you can be the one to get the ball rolling and potentially put others at ease to do the same.
It can be a step towards allyship.
The current situation for trans and non-binary people is not exactly easy in the UK right now. Research by Mermaids and Ipso has shown a strong increase in negative media coverage and the Home Office’s statistics show that transphobic hate crime is on the rise in the UK. It can be hard for gender diverse individuals to access help and support, which can be especially hard for those at the start of a social transition who may be scared to “come-out”. Although people of all genders are deserving of acceptance and safety, too many trans people find themselves questioning whether they are safe and accepted for who they are in too many areas of public life.
If you want to be an ally, I appreciate that it can be daunting, largely because it is unrealistic for any one person to effect change on such a complex set of issues. Given that allyship is an action, not simply a badge that one can claim, some may wonder, “how exactly can I be a good ally?”
I remember David Tennant featuring in the media for wearing a badge which read, “you are safe with me,” and was decorated with trans and LGBTQ+ flags. You don’t have to do wear anything as bold as this to promote a similar message. At the very least, sharing your pronouns can signal a willingness to be a good ally and promote a safe space for those of all genders. It may seem like a small thing, but you can show that you are willing to be among the first in a room to have that discussion, and help to promote a safe space for trans, non-binary, and gender diverse individuals.
What can you do?
No-one can force you to share your pronouns (and I wouldn’t want to either) but I hope it is something which most are willing to do. It can mean more than the effort which is needed to do it: normalising gender diversity, reducing stigma, and challenging biases and stereotypes. It isn’t the only thing you can do though. To be inclusive and curb biases, consider using gender neutral language. They/them pronouns can be used in reference to a hypothetical person, or if you don’t know a person’s pronouns. This might help you to avoid words or phrases which stereotype or differentiate too. You may also wish to think more about your own biases, prepare to challenge them yourself, or be ready to have them ‘challenged’ by others, which can be incredibly helpful in being an active listener and bystander against discrimination.
Some naturally worry about ‘getting things wrong’. Don’t let this stop you learning from mistakes – even trans people can get things wrong. At the end of the day, if you are willing to try, this matters more than anything else.
As the longest standing (and oldest) member of the Educational Enhancement team I have written a lot of posts for this blog. On checking recently, I found that this will be my 106th. I may have missed a trick by not marking my 100th but better late than never!
Thinking about what to write this time, I was reflecting on all those past posts and what has changed since the first in 2014 – and what has remained important. So here are some observations about change, constant issues and being an old(er) Learning Technologist.
Technologies are constantly changing, and learning technologies are no exception. Over time digital tools, apps, software (even the names shift) appear, change, develop and often disappear again. Sometimes they are replaced by better tools, sometimes they morph into less useful versions or our needs change so they become less relevant. However, the challenges we want them to address tend to remain. For example, my first post for what was then the TEL (Technology Enhanced Learning) blog was Using creative commons images in presentations and I revisited the topic in 2020 with Free images to use in presentations and Canvas. Finding images that staff and students have permission to use continues to be an area of interest so I expect this is something that will be covered again at some point.
At Sussex, the biggest shift in recent years was the move from our old Moodle-based VLE (called Study Direct) to Canvas. My earlier posts were often about Study Direct but from 2018/19 the team wrote a lot of Canvas-focused posts.
Following the move to Canvas the university’s systems for recording lectures were replaced with Panopto, so the blog turned its attention to the new platform. As a team we put together a series of Focus on Panopto posts and I contributed Editing recordings.
Pandemic teaching
With Canvas sites in place for every taught module and Panopto being able to be used at desks as well as in teaching rooms we already had some powerful tools at our disposal when COVID arrived. Zoom was added to our arsenal and I introduced our readers to Zoom for online teaching. Not surprisingly, 2020 and early 2021 were the busiest time for the blog with about 200 views per day during that period.
Digital skills
One area that the sudden move to online teaching in 2020 highlighted is that of digital skills – for staff and students. There is often an incorrect assumption that students know how to use online tools. Other members of the EE team have, I hope, put that fallacy to bed (see Dan Axson’s Why we still need to talk about digital skills in 2023 and Helen Morley’s Digital literacy and capability in school-leavers).
I still sometimes encounter staff who lack confidence in using digital tools and who suggest that they are ‘too old’ to adapt to new learning technologies. I hope that as a Learning Technologist nearing retirement age, I can disprove that particular myth.
When I started work in the 1970s it was in an entirely paper-based office. Over the years I have worked with records on microfiche, a whole building devoted to the ‘computer’ where people manually transferred masses of paper records to punch cards, then computer terminals that allowed data to be entered directly from remote locations and latterly web-based systems. I still remember getting my first email address when I started my postgraduate research but at that point notes were still on paper – boxes of it! These days pen and paper play very little role in my life. I use digital tools on my mobile devices for domestic/personal tasks, notes and projects which builds up confidence in the ability to adapt to new things. The best way to get to grips with technological change has always been, for me, to dive in and have a go.
Keeping your eye on the prize
But enough about me and what must seem like ancient history. The message I want to leave you with is that whatever technologies may come and go it is important to keep focused on what we are trying to achieve, then looking at which tools might help us get there. We have a great team in Educational Enhancement (EE) who are ready to help, so please do have a look at the EE website or get in touch with us at EducationalEnhancement@sussex.ac.uk and of course please keep reading the blog – you wouldn’t want to miss my 107th post!
The first meeting of the AI Community of Practice is scheduled for 2-3:30 on Monday 4th December.
The session will feature Professor Michael Luck (UoS Provost and AI expert), quick fire examples of practice in teaching and assessment and a chance to help shape the CoP going forward. We are still working on the full schedule so, if you’ve been using AI in your teaching or assessment and are happy to share your experience (even if it is still a work in progress), then please get in touch (EducationalEnhancement@sussex.ac.uk).
Find out more and sign up via links on our recent EE blog announcing the launch.
We’ve also scheduled another ‘Assessment in an AI world’ workshop for 24 November.
Reminder on ACR process.
The webpage for the Annual Course Review has been updated with the current timeline, templates and handbook to assist you in the ACR process.
Course Leadership Programme Session Three
The third session of the Course Leadership Programme will focus on the new Annual Course Review Programme, and we will hear from Graeme Pedlingham on how Course Leaders can use and engage with Student Voice. There will be a Q+A session on Wednesday, 6 December, covering the new ACR process and Student Voice. Please see our Events page for a sign up link.
Blog on Virtual Learning Environments
EE Learning Technologist, Rachael Thomas, reflects on her daughter’s experience of VLE in her blog post
Featured AD workshop:
Each month we feature one of our menu of staff development workshops, all of which can be tailored workshop for course teams, departments and schools. Email us to find out more.
This month’s featured workshop is ‘Alternative Assessments’.
This workshop:
Explores the benefits and challenges of designing and implementing alternative assessments.
A range of options for diversifying assessments,
How these changes may improve student experience and make assessments more AI resilient.
Many of these options aim to assess students in an ‘authentic’ way, enabling students to apply their learning to different contexts and situations.
The next session of our Sussex Scholarship Programme (23/24), Using Elements to Build your Scholarship Profile, takes place on the ground floor of the Library on Tuesday, 21 November (11.00-12.30) and will be hosted by Maggie Symes (Research and Open Scholarship Librarian). This will be a hands-on workshop and opportunities will be provided for participants to work on their own Elements profiles and ask questions. Computers will be available, but participants are encouraged to bring their own devices. The workshop itself will last around 30-40 minutes, but participants are welcome to stay afterwards to continue building their profile, ask questions, and network. We hope to see you there!
Senior Fellowship (SFHEA) Information Session and Writing Day
There will be a SFHEA Information session on Wednesday 22 November to discuss and ask questions about developing an application to become a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), and an online Writing Day on Friday 15 December.
It was only very recently I experienced ANC for the first time. On a train bound for Huddersfield, trying to focus on work in a noisy carriage, cue ANC. Wow, my first thought was ‘where has this been all my life’, second was how the announcements of the train conductor still came through, letting me know the shop was open or which stop was next. This may have been a ‘feature’ of my budget friendly ANC headphones, but it worked a treat, all the background noise was filtered out and still got the important noise.
Alright Dan, get on with it, how is that like a Learning Technologist, I hear you ask.
As Learning Technologists we work across 3 very noisy spaces:
Educational (and consumer) technology
The complex and slow moving higher education regulatory landscape
Teaching, learning and assessment trends in higher education
Our role is to take in the ambient noise of these, work with our colleagues to make sense of them and pass through the important or useful information. In short, make sure effective strategies for using technology in teaching, learning and assessment are heard loud and clear.
Yes, I’m going to talk about generative AI
Given that it is a currently a week in 2023, we’ll use generative AI as an example. It provides a great example of the types of noise we deal with. Not a week goes by that dozens of new generative AI ‘solutions’ both good and bad are peddled by edtech companies, major tech companies or some random person on Reddit. Each of these promise to solve specific problems. Collectively however, they create more questions and more noise: what to listen to, who to listen to, what should I know and what should I be worried about. Ultimately, what does this mean for me in my classroom.
I’m sorry to say, this blog post isn’t going to answer any of those questions right now, rather they highlight the types of noise we can assist in cancelling out. Of course the above can be true of any specific technology, but with the AI example we might say (through our web pages), ‘no, don’t trust that tool’, ‘this is what’s coming’ or ‘here are some ideas for using the tools you have available’ and ‘here’s how to talk to your students about it’.
LTs are the experts in education technology noise cancellation, it’s our job to make sense of trends, to understand them, to test them, to be critical of them and to advocate for them as necessary. We champion the stuff we genuinely believe will be valuable for your teaching toolset. So, when it all gets a bit much or you’re not sure where to start, use us – turn your LT ANC on and enjoy the peace for a bit. Whether it’s generative AI, using Panopto, immersive technologies or in class polling, your Learning Technologist can help you cut though the noise.
A word of caution
Leaving ANC on for too long can be risky, you might become too reliant and when it’s not available, struggle to make sense of the noise by yourself! Yes, you guessed it, I’m talking about digital skills here. It’s super important that we each develop the capacity to critically evaluate and make sense of education and consumer technology developments. Just as important is how you signal the importance of this skill to your students. In the same way you would for your discipline specific knowledge, your students will have your subject ANC turned way up to 11 in year one, but come graduation, you’ll have weaned your students off it.
So there you have it, the question I’ve been struggling with for most of my career, explaining what a Learning Technologist does to friends who don’t work in education (and some who do): we’re active noise cancellation for teachers.
Educational Enhancement are excited to announce the launch of a Teaching and Learning with Artificial Intelligence Community of Practice (AI CoP). Here I’ll explain why, in addition to the many brilliant groups and networks within Sussex and beyond, we’re launching our own AI CoP, details of the first CoP meeting on 4th December, and how to get involved.
What is a Community of Practice?
Chat GPT tells us that an educational community of practice (CoP), “refers to a group of educators, teachers, students, and administrators who come together around a shared interest in a particular educational domain or area of practice. The goal is to collaboratively improve teaching practices, enhance student learning experiences, and foster professional development within the educational community.”
Why an AI Community of Practice at Sussex?
Since the launch of the first free-to-use generative AI tools in the winter of 2022, universities, governments, individuals and organisations have been reflecting (with varying degrees of interest, excitement or concern) about AI’s impact on how we live, work and learn.
Universities and HE quality assurance agencies and regulators in the UK and across the globe have responded in broadly the same way, clarifying academic regulations and providing guidance on how staff and students might use these tools safely, ethically and also creatively. See, for example:
Also, more than ever, practitioners have been sharing their concerns, along with examples of how they are adapting their teaching, learning and assessment, both to mitigate the worst impacts of AI and to re-think what and why they teach and the purpose of assessment. See, for example:
Image of resources on UoS Teaching with AI Collaborative Padlet
However, a collaborative Padlet simply isn’t enough.
For example, look at the Russel Group of Universities’ five principles, created to help universities ensure students and staff are ‘AI literate’:
Universities will support students and staff to become AI-literate.
Staff should be equipped to support students to use generative AI tools effectively and appropriately in their learning experience.
Universities will adapt teaching and assessment to incorporate the ethical use of generative AI and support equal access.
Universities will ensure academic rigour and integrity is upheld.
Universities will work collaboratively to share best practice as the technology and its application in education evolves.
What ‘AI literacy’ or ‘effective use’ and so on might mean and how these principles will be enacted remains hotly debated, poorly understood and effectively untested. This exemplifies how the impact of generative AI on education can be defined as a wicked problem. Such problems are complex, hard to define, are intractable (they have no stopping point), there are no elegant solutions or right or wrong way of solving them, they are intertwined with many other problems and responses to them may have unforeseen impacts.
Leadership researcher Keith Grint argues that the more uncertain we are about the solution to a problem, the more wicked it is, the more we need collaborative leadership and many experimental and ‘clumsy’ solutions. We hope that the AI community of practice will create the space needed within Sussex for such solutions and leadership to emerge. A space within which people can ask questions, stay updated with the latest developments, build networks and contribute to the overall advancement of teaching and learning at Sussex and beyond.
How will the AI CoP work?
The first meeting of the AI Community of Practice will take place 14:00-15:30 on4th December 2023 in the University Library Open Access Space(on the ground floor just past the Library help desk). Please come along early to avail yourself of tea/coffee and, maybe, some mince pies. You’re also welcome to listen along online if you need to.
Our new Provost, Professor Michael Luck, the founding Director of King’s College London’s Institute for Artificial Intelligence, will kick off the first meeting, in which we also plan to share briefly some insights into the journey of the sector and University so far and some quick-fire examples of practice within Sussex. We will also facilitate a discussion of where colleagues are now, what they need most from the community and approaches we can take within the CoP to facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration.
Share your great practice:
If you’re trying something new with AI in your teaching or assessment, and are happy to share your experience in a 5-minute lighting talk at the December CoP, then please get in touch!
Can’t attend?
Join our AI CoP mailing list for updates by emailing Simona Connelly
My first year at Sussex as a Learning Technologist has been a transformative journey, enriched by the parallel experience of supporting my daughter through her inaugural year at a different university. This dual perspective has underscored the critical importance of an accessible and user-friendly Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), or online study platform, for every student’s academic journey. The VLE used at Sussex is Canvas, but other examples include Moodle, Google Workspace for Education, Blackboard, to name but a few.
As a parent, I naturally want the best possible university experience for my daughter. And let’s be honest, a clunky VLE is like trying to navigate a maze blindfolded – not exactly the smooth start we hope to provide for new students. A well organised, consistent and accessible VLE with up-to-date content can make a world of difference to the student experience.
My daughter has mild dyslexia and visual stress. Reading on a screen sometimes feels like deciphering ancient hieroglyphs for her. Plus, being part of the pandemic-battling student cohort, like many of her peers, her stress and anxiety levels have been unusually high.
When she started using her university’s VLE, she was overwhelmed by the amount of information presented to her. She found it confusing that some of the content was out of date, and there were contradictory versions of the same information. We also found that some of the required reading had been photocopied from a book, so she could not use a screen reader to help her read the text.
She sometimes found it challenging to find information about assessments and how to submit work. This caused a lot of additional stress, especially when she was trying to meet deadlines.
She is studying on a joint honours course, which means she is exposed to two different schools’ VLE pages. Each has its own style and format, and she finds it confusing to switch between the two, as she needs to refamiliarise herself with where to find vital information.
There were positive aspects to my daughter’s experience of using the VLE. Contact details for all her tutors, as well as extremely helpful staff in the school office, were very well signposted. This reduced her stress during holiday periods, when she needed to find support or guidance in the absence of her tutors. She has also been signposted to some amazing support services and study skills via the VLE when she has needed help.
Based on this experience, I offer these tips to enhance the VLE experience for all students:
Prioritise accessibility: utilise tools like the Canvas accessibility checker to ensure all content is accessible to every student, regardless of their needs.
Implement consistent templates: provide a unified user experience by applying school templates, making the VLE intuitive and easy to navigate.
Facilitate communication: ensure students can easily reach out to those who can offer them guidance and support.
Maintain up-to-date content: regularly update information to guarantee accuracy and relevance, sparing students the confusion of outdated materials.
Streamline content structure: organise content in a way that enables students to swiftly locate essential information and support resources.
Verify content availability: utilise tools such as the Link Validator on Canvas to confirm that all linked content is available to students.
By heeding these recommendations, we can create a VLE environment that empowers every student to thrive academically, whatever their needs or circumstances. Working together, we can build a learning experience that is inclusive, supportive, and enriching for all. If you would like any help or support to update your Canvas module pages, please contact your school’s learning technologist, or email EducationalEnhancement@sussex.ac.uk
Do you teach modules that involve international topics? Would your students benefit from engaging with international students and peers? Would you like to enrich your curriculum through new intercultural interactions and global perspectives? Then join Global Engagement and Educational Enhancement for a workshop about Globally Networked Learning. View our webpage for more information.
Getting Started with Scholarship
Tuesday 24 October 11:00 until 12:30
In this session Prof. Wendy Garnham will introduce you to:
how scholarship is defined and the widening sphere of influence
Developing Inclusive Learning Communities in Teaching
Thursday 26 October 13:00 until 15:00
Katrina Jia and Catherine Rogers lead this workshop, which is an initiative stemming from collaborative work of colleagues in MAH International Student Experience Working Group. It will help participants gain deeper insights into the experiences of our international student body by reflecting on their perspectives and experiences around internationalisation with the aim of fostering a more inclusive community.
Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) updates and opportunities
Learning Matters
DARE to Transform, the University’s Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) blog, has changed its name and its scope to the Learning Matters scholarship forum. Visit the forum to read about the rationale for these changes and to find out how to contribute a scholarship article, blog post or case study.
Active Learning Network
Recordings of sessions from the 2023 Active Learning Conference are now available on the Active Learning Network YouTube channel.
Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Professions: a collaborative practice workshop
Thursday 23 November 9:30 until 15:00, venue Checkland Building, University of Brighton, Falmer Campus
Brighton and Sussex Medical School are hosting a collaborative interprofessional workshop intended to bring together academics from professional disciplines* across the Universities of Sussex and Brighton to explore the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). The aims of the workshop include:
To explore opportunities to work collaboratively in the SoTL space.
To strengthen and optimise the impact of the SoTL through collaboration.
To develop a shared understanding of the SoTL landscape and to establish strengths and opportunities for collaborative practice.
To develop a network of stakeholders across the local HIE landscape and form a community of practice.
The workshop will include two guest speakers:
Prof. Karen Mattick (Professor of Medical Education and Director of the Centre for Research in Professional Learning, University of Exeter) and
Dr Catherine McConnell (Head of Student Academic Success, University of Brighton)
There will also be a variety of small-group exercises to ascertain priorities and areas for collaboration.
Faculty with a role in leading, or interest in research into the pedagogy of their professional discipline are strongly encouraged to attend. Book your place
Education and Innovation Fund
The first Education and Innovation Fund was launched on 21 October 2022. A total of £50,000 is available for the awards this academic year, with a maximum award of up to £5,000 per individual project. The Education and Innovation Fund is designed to provide funds for projects that explore new ideas in teaching and learning at Sussex. Read more about the fund and apply.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Teaching and Assessment at the University
View our webpages for policy and guidance on generative artificial intelligence (AI) in teaching and assessment at The University of Sussex.
We are the Educational Enhancement team at the University of Sussex. We publish posts each week on using technology to support teaching and learning. Read more about us.
