Adnan Fakir is a Senior Lecturer in Economics at the University of Sussex and is currently the Course Director for BSc Economics. Adnan received his PhD in Economics from the University of Western Australia and MSc in Economics from the University of Sussex. His research interests are in development economics, focusing on health, political economy, labour, and gender. Adnan has a decade of prior teaching experience as a lecturer at BRAC University, Bangladesh, and the University of Western Australia. He has also worked as a consultant for the Mind, Behaviour and Development (eMBeD) Unit, the Social Protection & Jobs Global Practice, and the Education Global Practice at The World Bank, focusing on social safety nets, social registries, and female empowerment in Bangladesh.
What I did
As is common in Higher Education, students in my postgraduate module, Econometric Methods 1, are assigned scholarly articles to read in preparation for teaching sessions. I sought to enhance these readings for students by providing them an accompanying podcast. Each podcast consisted of an interview with the author of the paper during which we explored the main themes of the article.
Why I did it
A common problem that teaching staff may face is students’ lack of enthusiasm for reading assigned research papers and is one of the factors that can lead to instructor disappointment in students’ comprehension of assigned readings. This problem has been explored extensively in the literature (see: Doolittle et al., 2006; Khusniyah and Lustyantie, 2017; Kulhavy and Swenson, 1975; Starcher and Profitt, 2011), however most of this focusses on reading comprehension rather than encouraging reading in the first place.
From speaking with my students it seemed that the human element was lacking and that providing this component and further context would enable them to engage more fully with these resources.
Some (selected) quotes from students:
“I understand how the readings are important but they are immensely dry.”
“…All these numbers and graphs in the reading make me feel like we are turning people into numbers.”
“…I am thinking about what I read and am cognitively involved but I don’t feel the discussion.”
“The readings are great but would love to know more about what the authors thought about when doing the study and what was their motivation. What is their story?”
How it works
The process began with selecting papers that aligned with the syllabus and utilised relevant economic methodologies. After selecting the papers, the next step, coordinating interviews with the authors, proved to be the most challenging as many of the authors were located across different time zones.
I approached the interviews with a dual perspective, thinking not just from my point of view but also anticipating what questions my students might have. I invited students to submit questions beforehand, which allowed me to tailor the interviews to their interests, and added a layer of personalisation to the podcasts.
The interviews themselves typically lasted around an hour, during which the authors discussed both the technical aspects of their research and the broader implications of their work. The editing process was time-intensive, often taking 6 to 7 hours per episode. The episodes were then uploaded to YouTube, where they were made available not just to my students but to a wider audience.
I also dedicated the final 15 minutes of selected seminars to a live Q&A session where students could directly interact with the authors whose papers they had studied. During these sessions about 60% of students’ questions were technical, however the remaining 40% were personal questions about the authors’ motivations and experiences. This direct engagement brought the research to life, humanising the academic content and significantly increasing student participation and enthusiasm in class discussions.
Impact and student feedback
The impact of this approach was noticeable in student engagement. While previous discussions around assigned readings were often subdued, the addition of podcasts significantly increased participation. Students were not just listening passively; they became curious and asked a broader range of questions during seminars.
Interestingly, the podcasts gained unexpected traction, particularly in India, where several of the featured researchers were either from or had ties to. This allowed the series to extend beyond the classroom, making economic research accessible to a much broader audience in an accessible format.
Future plans
In response to the feedback, I plan to extend this project by incorporating a more diverse range of papers and authors, particularly from regions like Sub-Saharan Africa. The goal is to make the papers more relevant to the students’ backgrounds while providing a wider perspective on development economics.
Another improvement I am considering is better timing for author-student interactions during seminars. Currently, these interactions take place at the end of the class, which leaves little time for reflection. Moving this discussion to an earlier part of the session would allow for more dynamic conversations, and possibly, more immediate reflection from students. I also intend to shorten future podcasts to around 15 minutes, given the natural engagement drop-off I observed at the 20-minute mark on YouTube.
Top tips
Focus on human stories: Bring out the human element in the research to increase engagement. Students are more likely to connect with the material if they can understand the real-world impact behind it.
Know your audience: Tailor the content to your students. Conducting a pre-course survey can help you align the material with their backgrounds and interests.
Integrate networking: Including opportunities for students to interact with researchers not only improves engagement but can also help students build valuable professional networks.
Sam Hemsley, Academic Developer, discusses the pedagogical perspectives on high stakes final examinations:
Generative AI has, understandably, led to calls from many academics for a return from online to in-person exams. My role, along with my colleagues in the Educational Enhancement (EE) Team, is to provide pedagogic advice and support for curriculum design best practice and innovation in teaching, learning and assessment. Decisions about when and where in-person exams are permitted, and the resource and infrastructure to support them, are not ours in EE to make. What we can do, however, is provide insights from the pedagogical literature to help colleagues make research informed decisions about how best to assess their students.
An overview of the pedagogic literature
A 2024 paper in the journal Higher Education by French, Dickerson, and Mulder, titled ‘A review of the benefits and drawbacks of high-stakes final examinations in higher education’, provides a useful summary of the pedagogic evidence across seven common themes: memory recall and knowledge retention; student motivation and learning; authenticity and real-world relevance; validity and reliability; academic misconduct and contract cheating; stress, anxiety and wellbeing; and fairness and equity. These themes are expanded on at the end of this post where a summary of the pros and cons against each theme is provided.
In summary, French et al’s scoping review identifies that, while high stakes unseen exams can be shown to have certain pedagogic benefits, such as enhancing memory recall, motivating some students, and ensuring academic integrity, the benefits are often outweighed by significant drawbacks related to student well-being, and surface learning strategies. The authors also raise serious questions around the validity and reliability of high stakes exams due to their potential to generate academic inequity owing to differential performances based on gender, socio-economic status, race and ethnicity and disability. They conclude that:
“...heavy reliance on high-stakes final examinations in many university subjects is poorly justified by the balance of empirical evidence, and that traditional examinations (closed-book, individual, invigilated, time-constrained, summative, final, and high-stakes) have limited pedagogical value.”
(French et al, 2024, 908)
Of course, alternatives to exams are not perfect. Nevertheless, against many other measures, coursework, even when high stakes, has been shown to reduce awarding gaps, improve student satisfaction and pass rates and the consistency of marks across types of assessment (see Compton 2023 and sources therein). Also, a review of the literature on coursework versus examinations as end of module assessments (Richardson 2015), identified that, although larger class sizes can be seen to correlate with lower average student attainment, this is only the case with assessment by examination. In contrast:
“…the adoption of assessment by coursework appears to attenuate the effect of class size, and the exclusive adoption of assessment by coursework appears to eliminate the effect altogether.”
(Richardson, 2015, 443)
If we return to the more recent summary of the literature by French et al, they conclude that:
“While effective exam design and delivery measures can reduce cheating opportunities, academic integrity concerns alone do not provide compelling grounds for maintaining an overreliance on high-stakes examinations. Educational institutions should explore a broader range of assessment methods that better align with the evolving challenges of academic misconduct in the digital age.”
(French et al, 2024, 906)
This suggests that, high stakes examinations should be used sparingly and in-person assessments used to assure programme level learning outcomes only where other forms of assessment cannot. Such a whole course approach then enables the planning of curricular and assessments so students’ skills and confidence are developed over their degree. This might include, for example, building student skills and confidence in undertaking oral assessment such as vivas (which has, for example, been used in Life Sciences for many years ) or delivering presentations of their work (either in progress or the end product) and responding to questions from the marker.
Provided below is a summary of the key points raised in French et al (2013) and research discussed therein. Note that observations about fairness and equity are woven throughout.
Memory recall and knowledge retention
In-person exams can improve memory recall and retention of information, known as the “testing effect” or “test-enhanced learning”. Studies in cognitive psychology indicate that testing, rather than just studying, produces greater retention of knowledge.
However, the format of high-stakes exams, usually as end-of-term assessments, does not align with the most effective ways to enhance long-term retention. Regular, low-stakes tests or quizzes are shown to be more beneficial for knowledge retention.
Student motivation and learning
High-stakes exams can motivate students to study and prepare more diligently, which can lead to better learning outcomes. The pressure to perform well on significant assessments can drive students to engage more deeply with the material.
Nonetheless, this type of motivation is often extrinsic, driven by the desire to achieve high grades rather than intrinsic motivation for learning. This can lead to surface learning strategies focused on memorisation rather than a deeper understanding of the material.
Validity and reliability
When well-designed, in-person exams can provide a reliable (i.e. internally consistent and accurate) measure of student achievement and knowledge. They can be standardised and invigilated to ensure fairness and consistency in assessment.
However, the literature highlights the validity (i.e. whether it measures what it is supposed to) and reliability of high-stakes exams is undermined by considerable evidence that they have the potential to generate academic inequity due differential performances based on gender, socio-economic status, race and ethnicity, all of which intersects with impacts on wellbeing and student learning, and the limited ability of exams to measure higher-order thinking skills and real-world application.
Academic Integrity
In-person, invigilated exams are believed to reduce opportunities for academic misconduct and cheating compared to other forms of assessment. The controlled environment of in-person exams can make it more difficult for students to engage in dishonest practices.
Despite this belief, empirical evidence suggests that academic misconduct can still occur in in-person exams, and alternative forms of assessment can also be designed to minimize cheating.
Anxiety and wellbeing
There is substantial evidence that examinations cause elevated distress and anxiety which some studies suggest can promote study and preparation and improve performance in some.
Although the impact of examination anxiety on student performance is inconclusive, the proven adverse effects of examinations on student mental health and wellbeing is concerning, as is the fact that stress can also demotivate learners and lead to surface learning and poor memory retrieval.
Authenticity and real-world readiness
Proponents argue that in-person exams can mimic real-world situations where individuals must recall information and make decisions under pressure without external aids, which is relevant in fields like medicine and law.
However, the artificial nature of exam conditions often does not reflect the complexities and collaborative nature of real-world tasks, limiting the authenticity and real-world relevance of such assessments.
Acknowledgment: The key points from French et al provided above are edited from an initial summary generated by a private ChatGPT4 Enterprise.
French, S., Dickerson, A. & Mulder, R.A. (2024) A review of the benefits and drawbacks of high-stakes final examinations in higher education. High Education 88, 893-918. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-023-01148-z
Richardson, J. T. E. (2014). Coursework versus examinations in end-of-module assessment: a literature review. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 40(3), 439–455. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602938.2014.919628
Smith, C. (2011). Examinations and the ESL student–more evidence of particular disadvantages. Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 36(1), 13-25. https://doi.org/10.1080/02602930903173959
Dave Smalley, Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology and winner of a 2023 ‘Inclusive Sussex’ Education Award, explains his approach to encouraging reflection and building a sense of community and supported collaboration in the classroom.
What I do
My approach to teaching and learning is, wherever possible, to make my teaching as interactive and engaging as possible. I also try to take my students in a learning journey, through which they are encouraged to draw on their own experiences to develop insights into the relevance and applications of psychological models and approaches.
How I do it
My final year module, Educational Psychology, is taught primarily through large workshops with half the cohort at a time (so I do have to double teach) and includes what I like to refer to as ‘pseudo-experiential learning’ although it’s probably better described as retrospective reflections. Students are encouraged to reflect on their experiences of education, family and mental health as children. The idea is that they apply an understanding of psychology theory and research attained through the prep activities/readings and tutor-led delivery of content workshops to make sense of their childhood experiences. For example, we can apply an understanding of self-presentational awareness to understand why being in a lower set for maths is demotivating. Eventually, they will learn to apply their understanding of psychology research and theory by applying professional frameworks (much as an educational psychologist would) so pedagogically, we are using student reflections to develop important employability skills for those wishing to become applied psychologists.
So how does this create community and collaboration? Firstly, the process of reflecting and sharing one’s experiences with others acts as a form of disclosure which develops intimacy and connectedness among students. Every student’s experiences are listened to and valued without judgement, and students are reminded that this is about considering a range of different perspectives, not about arriving at the ‘right answer’. The approach is particularly influential when working with students from a range of nationalities. Secondly, students are encouraged to reflect on what they valued in teachers and learning experiences in the past and to consider why they valued said teaching/learning experiences. Typically, students come to the same conclusions as the evidence supports – learning is most effective when the learners are treated like individuals and as collaborative learners, which of course is exactly what the teaching approach emphasises, so the students really get on board with it. Thirdly, the whole experience feels very relatable and relevant for students and gives them a shared goal which is key for collaboration. I often see a group of students highly motivated to ‘fix education’ as a team! An ambitious goal, but an excellent learning mindset nevertheless!
Preparing students for assessment
The reflective tasks during teaching sessions model the approach that I want students to take in their reflective portfolios. They are to identify something relevant to the topic covered in each week that is especially important to them, then seek some evidence to support/refute their position (thus promoting independent reading). This portfolio encourages continuous engagement throughout the module and scaffolds students in working at the intersection of research/theory and professional practice, something that is then assessed in the end of year exam. At the end of the module, I can guarantee that every student will have something meaningful and personal to say about every topic covered which is a fantastic outcome.
As well as the in-class activities, I provide prompts for reflection on the Canvas pages dedicated to each workshop. I also ask students to maintain their portfolios on One Note which means that I can dip in, identify some great examples of reflections and share them with the class.
Student feedback
I have been incredibly fortunate to receive a number of Education Award nominations from students over the years which suggests I’m doing something right! Nominations for my 2023 Inclusive Sussex award included:
“Dave’s Educational Psychology module stood out from the rest of my lectures as there was a real sense of community and collaboration in these lessons. Not only were we learning content but we were able to put what we learning into practice and see first-hand how others were able to tackle the same task. “
“an engaging and friendly lecturer, connecting with his students so that they feel heard and recognised. His teaching style is fun and informative, always opening up the lecture hall to ask questions and interact with the content. Im never bored or tired of his teaching, its a real pleasure learning from him and feeling like a worthy student in his class.”
Top tips
If you want to do something similar:
Consider what encourages you to work effectively in small groups and try to bring those features to your group working activities. Relatedness, relevance, and the absence of a ‘correct answer’ work really well for me.
Prioritise ‘interesting to students’ over ‘important academically’. The academic understanding will soon follow!
Portfolios are an amazingly effective way to integrate group working activities into assessment and to scaffold students learning as the module progresses. They are a great example of assessment for learning so I strongly recommend you consider bringing them into your assessment if you want to apply a similar approach in your class.
Dr Rona Hart is a Senior Lecturer in Applied Positive Psychology in the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex and is the Course Leader for The Psychology of Kindness and Wellbeing at Work.
What I Did
In January 2023, I began integrating AI tools into student assignments in my Level 6 and Level 7 modules at the School of Psychology, University of Sussex. The initiative aimed to expose students to AI technologies in a structured, educational context. My goal was to enable students to explore these tools, providing them with the guidance needed to use AI both effectively and responsibly.
Why I Did It
The primary motivation for allowing students to use AI tools in their assignments was to provide them with the opportunity to engage with these technologies in a structured and supportive academic environment. As AI continues to develop, I believe it is essential for students to gain direct experience with these tools, while also receiving the necessary guidance and training to maximise their benefits and mitigate potential risks. My goal is to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and understanding required to navigate AI technology effectively. By encouraging a critical and informed approach to AI, I aim to enrich students’ learning experiences and prepare them for a future where AI will likely play an increasingly prominent role. Furthermore, the University had set guidelines permitting module leaders to decide on AI use in assignments, therefore offering module leaders a reliable, well-considered framework to introduce these tools responsibly.
How It Works
The process started with a review of the University’s policies regarding AI usage. Although no formal policy existed at the time, I made sure our approach adhered to emerging guidelines. The next step was to assess the suitability of assignments for AI integration. This included testing various AI tools, such as ChatGPT and Gemini, to ensure that assignments couldn’t be easily completed by merely inputting the questions into the AI.
For example, in my Level 6 module, students are tasked with writing a book review of a relevant book of their choice. To ensure the assignment’s integrity, I imposed several restrictions on this choice:
The book must be an academic work authored by academic professionals.
The publication date should fall within the last five years (2019 to 2024), ensuring the selected books are less likely to be included in AI tool databases.
Students are required to discuss content that is unlikely to be found in existing book reviews or automatically generated by AI tools.
The assignment requires students to include specific sections that require students to break the task down, and use different prompts for each section to generate meaningful responses from the AI tool.
Additionally, students are required to include a reflection on their use of AI as part of their submission. This segment is graded but does not contribute to the overall word limit.
Clear guidelines were established, including the mandatory AI statement for assignments, guidance on how to use AI tools, and instructions how to reflect on their use of AI tools in their work (the text for these can be found in the Resources section of this post). To complement this, I also created a short AI training video covering the following elements:
An overview of AI tools and guidelines on how students are permitted to use them.
A demonstration of using ChatGPT with various prompts, including some that produced low-quality results. In the video, I showcased these problematic prompts and the resulting text from ChatGPT, followed by a review of the output to highlight its weaknesses and errors. For instance, I used examples to raise awareness of AI hallucinations and fictitious references by showing prompts that might lead to such issues.
A demonstration of how to generate higher-quality responses, while emphasising that even improved outputs still contained inaccuracies that needed to be checked, scrutinised, and used carefully.
An introduction to additional techniques, such as idea generation, creating essay outlines, shortening sections, and rephrasing contents.
Alongside the use of video, during the assessment guidance session, students were encouraged to experiment with an AI tool of their choice in small groups. They discussed the advantages and limitations of using AI tools and shared ideas on how to effectively engage with these tools in relation to the specific assignment.
Impact and Student Feedback
The initial implementation of AI in assignments produced mixed yet insightful outcomes. Approximately 72% of students utilised AI tools, with ChatGPT being the most widely used. Many students noted that AI enhanced the structure, coherence, and overall quality of their work. ESL (English as a Second Language) students, in particular, found AI helpful in improving their written English. However, a small proportion of students became overly reliant on AI, resulting in repetitive or superficial arguments, and in some cases, the inclusion of fictitious references.
Student feedback also indicated some apprehension, as certain students opted not to use AI due to concerns about its accuracy, potential bias, and the risk of it overshadowing their original work. Despite these concerns, many students valued the opportunity to experiment with AI, acknowledging that it enhanced their understanding of how to use these tools effectively.
Top Tips
Evaluate different AI tools to ensure that assignments can’t be easily completed by simply inputting the questions.
To maintain the integrity of the assignment, set clear limitations, such as restricting the selection of materials or topics. This ensures students engage thoughtfully with the task.
Develop clear and structured guidelines outlining how students are permitted to use AI tools. A mandatory AI statement in assignments, coupled with explicit instructions on appropriate usage, can help guide students and align expectations.
Create opportunities for students to experiment with AI tools in a supervised setting. Offer demonstrations highlighting both the strengths and limitations of AI-generated content.
Include a reflective component in assignments where students are invited to evaluate their use of AI. This encourages responsible usage and helps students think critically about how AI impacts their work.
Resources
AI statement
As required by the guidelines, an AI statement was included on the assignment pages in Canvas:
“In this assignment, you are permitted to use AI tools. You are encouraged to experiment with different AI tools while completing this assignment.
While AI tools offer multiple advantages and can help in terms of efficiency, it is critical to approach them with a discerning eye.
Students should therefore:
Verify the accuracy of information generated by AI, as these tools can sometimes produce incorrect information, incomplete coverage, and repetitive content.
Be aware of potential algorithmic biases and experiment with different prompts to better understand how the tools function.
Use AI tools to complement and enhance your work, rather than allowing them to dominate your work.
Avoid relying too heavily on AI for analysis, depth, coverage, opinion, or critical thinking, as these are known limitations of AI tools.”
The statement permits the use of AI tools but also emphasises their known limitations. Additionally, this statement, along with a more detailed discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of AI tools, was presented during the essay guidance session.
AI reflections
Students were provided with the following guidance regarding their reflection on the use of AI tools:
“Describe which AI tool you used, why you selected it, and the prompts you experimented with.
If you chose not to use AI tools, explain your reasoning.
Reflect on the advantages and challenges you encountered while using the tool.”
The following resources were co-created by colleagues from Educational Enhancement and ten non-EU international students at the University of Sussex.
The University of Sussex students who collaborated on the project
Familiarising your students with the University
The students we worked with spoke about the value of having key University information highlighted by their lecturers in the first few weeks of term. They stated that students are often unaware of these services, even if they have been introduced to them during welcome week. We know that students are most likely to listen to the academics who are teaching them, which is why it is important that this information also comes from you. One student stated:
It is important to remind students of the services available at the beginning of the semester as it enables them to get the right information they need to excel academically and break any form of confusion in blending into the UK education system.
Student quote, from the focus group: Supporting the International Student Experience at Sussex and beyond 2024
These slides highlight some key services and tools related to living and studying at Sussex. We recommend that you share the slide in class so that students are reminded of the support available.
Here is a breakdown of some of the key the information on the slide. We have highlighted this information as we realise you may wish to signpost to certain services and tools, rather than sharing the slide as a whole.
Canvas
The students continually praised the University’s use of Canvas. They appreciated that it stored all course and module information in one place and that it was often used as a space for class cohorts to come together and connect. However, many students commented that at the start of their course, they didn’t know how to navigate Canvas and weren’t aware of the excellent content it contained. One student commented:
I think Canvas is really helpful. It has everything from – well I think it’s going a little overboard if I say everything, but it has, I think, a lot of things that a student needs to navigate throughout the course. But there’s this one thing that I feel is lacking, that’s making students acquainted with what Canvas really has. It took me some time to navigate throughout it and to understand all the resources that it has got, and it has plenty. But I think many people find it difficult. In fact, most of them don’t even know the resources that they have access to and what the privileges that they are getting through Canvas.
Student quote, from the focus group: Supporting the International Student Experience at Sussex and beyond 2024
To help students become more familiar with Canvas, this video highlights the tool’s key features, and introduces students to Sussex Direct too. You can share this with students by linking the video on your Canvas site, or simply by playing the video to students in one of your classes. We hope you find it useful.
ELAS
If students have English as an additional language, English Language for Academic Study (ELAS) provides free workshops, tutorials, drop-ins and time to write sessions to develop knowledge and understanding of academic language, skills and culture. Learn more about ELAS through this student video and students can enrol via the ELAS webpage. ELAS is based in the Department of Language Studies in Arts A. Find Arts A circled in red on the campus map.
The Student Centre
The Student Centre unites all the student support services at the University. Students can contact the Centre if they have questions or concerns about living and studying at Sussex. Find out more about the excellent services that sit within the Student Centre via this student video. Find the location of the Student Centre circled in red on the campus map. The welcome desk is open 8.30am-5pm, Monday-Friday or call 01273 075700, 9am-4.30pm, Monday-Friday.
Skills Hub
The Skills Hub is an online resource that helps students to develop the academic skills that are essential for studying at Sussex. Learn more about the benefits of the Skills Hub in this student video.
My Sussex
My Sussex is an online tool that offers personal and academic support. Find out more about the services contained in My Sussex in this student video.
Health Centre
The University has an on-campus NHS health centre. Find out why it is important to register with the health centre in this student video. Students and staff can register as a new patient online and can find the location of the health centre circled in red on the campus map.
The Students’ Union
The University of Sussex Students’ Union exists to make student life better. Find out the different ways the Union can support life and studies while at Sussex in this student video. The Union is located in Falmer House, which you can find on the campus map.
The importance of getting to know one another
We recognize the challenge of fitting all key content into modules and courses. However, the value of staggering your introductions in seminars and creating space for students to get to know both you and their peers cannot be underestimated from both an academic and a wellbeing perspective. Getting to know your students’ backgrounds can shed light on factors that may impact their learning, such as living situations, learning differences, cultural backgrounds, finances, relationships, independence, and work. While you can’t amend your teaching to best suit everyone’s circumstances, having an understanding of the multitude of backgrounds that comprise your cohort can help build an empathetic, inclusive, and diverse learning environment. Spending time getting to know one another will also facilitate socializing among students. Despite a desire to integrate, it can be challenging for students to mix with others, especially those from different backgrounds. One student commented:
There’s the whole culture clash between different kinds of international students, as well as the home students, as well as between the different ethnic groups of one country. So, yeah, sometimes socialization is in a bubble … your social life is often limited to either international students within your country or something even a specific ethnic group within your country as well. So yeah, socialization is a huge challenge.
Student quote, from the focus group: Supporting the International Student Experience at Sussex and beyond 2024
Here are some suggestions for getting to know one another
Introductory slides. You can make a shared folder on OneDrive for seminar groups, and encourage students to create a few introductory slides about themselves. You could upload your own as an example. The slides could contain images or short videos representing students’ backgrounds and interests. For example, flags of countries they have lived in.
Knowing, and pronouncing, one another’s names. An important part of getting to know one another is taking the time to learn how to pronounce each student’s name. This practice serves as a great equalizer! When taking the register, read out each student’s name and ask them to repeat it back to you. Explain that this helps you ensure correct pronunciation. If needed, repeat their name back to them with the correct pronunciation. This approach demonstrates to the class that it’s okay not to pronounce every name correctly on the first try, and with practice, everyone will be able to pronounce each other’s names accurately. For more guidance, see our resource on pronouncing Chinese names.
Get students working in groups. Getting students working together is a great way to build academic and social connections in class. See our guidance on facilitating inclusive group work.
In-class polling. The initial teaching sessions hold significant importance for both you and your students. It provides an opportunity to share expectations and clarify any doubts that your students may have about the course/module. If possible, get to know your students in class. While this is challenging in large lectures, it can be achieved through in-class polling. You can ask students to share something about themselves, their interests, concerns or questions about the course or module.
This resource was generated from an Education and Innovation Funded project aimed at closing the international awarding gap. To help understand why this gap exists, ten international students participated in a focus group to discuss their experiences at the University. A key theme from the focus group was the importance of feeling welcomed into the institution, particularly through getting to know lecturers and peers in teaching spaces, and understanding key University support systems. Drawing on the focus group discussions, the students then worked hard to develop resources aimed at helping you welcome your students to Sussex. They hope you find these resources useful.
In this Case Study, Doran explains how he combined his interests in neuroscience, contemplative practices, and science communication to design and run a final-year outreach project for Life Science students, and what he learnt from the process. A fuller account of Doran’s pedagogic rationale and approach can be found in his June 2024 paper published in the JUICE (Journal of Useful Investigations in Creative Education) special issue on contemplative pedagogy.
For their final year projects, Life Science students can choose between an experimental, data analysis, literature, or outreach project. I designed and supervised a final-year outreach project during which I guided six students to plan and prepare for a two-day outreach event in collaboration with the University’s Wellbeing team. The event was themed around mental health — specifically, how breathwork techniques, such as resonance breathing (a type of slow, regular breathing), can affect heart rate variability (HRV) and reduce stress.
At the start of term, the project students were each given a wearable heart rate monitor and invited to try out a couple of breathwork techniques at home in the weeks before the event. They installed the free app EliteHRV, which guided them through the techniques and gave them live feedback on their HRV during the breathwork.
After much planning and poster printing, the event was held at the Student Centre on campus in Autumn term 2023 with the aims of:
Educating participants about the science of stress, including the role of the autonomic nervous system in stress and HRV as a physiological correlate of stress;
Engaging participants by inviting them to participate in a “citizen science” experiment to compare how two breathwork techniques affect HRV and stress levels;
Introducing participants to practical tools to support their breathwork practice in the future, such as breathwork/HRV apps and a wearable heart rate monitoring device for HRV biofeedback.
During the event, the students were actively engaged in guiding participants through the breathwork techniques with the help of the app, building on their own first-hand experiences in the weeks before. The students collected both experimental “citizen science” data about the impact of breathwork, as well as questionnaire feedback from participants about their experiences of the event, which both contributed to their assessed project work.
Why I did it
I designed this project to make good use of my expertise in neuroscience, contemplative practices, and science communication. I offered it as a way for students to learn not just about the theoretical science of stress, but to have the opportunity to explore the effects of the breathwork techniques experientially. I wanted to find out whether supporting students to make connections between their lived experience and theoretical learning could deepen their motivation and engagement, depth of understanding, and invite fresh thinking and new perspectives. I also hoped that it would help them to benefit the mental health of the wider student community and foster a space for compassionate discussion around these issues.
The project provided a creative container for exploring broader themes of interest to me, such as mind–body interactions and novel approaches to stress and mental health. It was a “light touch” first try at incorporating first-person, experiential modes of enquiry into my teaching, which are typically de-emphasised in university-level science education. In the future, I hope to develop on what I have learnt, perhaps by inviting students to write a reflective journal on their bodily sensations before and after the breathwork techniques and linking this to theoretical knowledge about the autonomic nervous system in group meetings.
Impact and student feedback
Following the project, I collected feedback from the project students, which demonstrated how the experiential learning opportunities of the project helped students to develop their confidence, communication skills, team-work and creativity, along with enabling them to experience directly how their personal and scientific understanding can benefit the wider community.
For example, a prominent theme discussed by students was confidence, as well as the perhaps related themes of communication and a compassionate motivation to help others:
“I am truly grateful for being given this opportunity to use my neuroscience background knowledge to help others to benefit their well-being. Not only has this event boosted my confidence in speaking to strangers, it has also taught me the importance in bringing awareness to topics such as mental health and overall well-being.”
Students also highlighted the theme of community or collaboration, recognising the value of learning both as a team of project students and also in relationship with the wider community of participants at the event:
“We conducted a research project focused on scientific outreach, hosting an event on campus to educate students about heart rate variability (HRV) and introduce scientifically proven breathing techniques for HRV improvement … This experience not only fostered collective learning within our team, but also enabled us to take the participating university students and staff on the journey of learning together with us.”
Top tips
Start simple – doing the outreach activity on campus can make it a lot easier to arrange.
Consider organising the project for a team of students if possible — this allows them to support and motivate each other, whilst providing opportunities for each to contribute their unique talents to the project.
Give the students a week-by-week plan to follow — this is especially important if you need ethical approval, as this needs to be in place well before the event.
Don’t shy away from a project design that needs ethical approval — the ethics application can be an effective focus early on in the project for the students to concretely plan what the event will be about and how and when it will run.
Make sure you plan time for a pilot event — this will allow the students to practice their roles and get valuable feedback from the guinea pigs (normally their friends)!
Think carefully about which kinds of lived experience you ask or encourage students to draw on (e.g. by keeping the focus on common, everyday experiences such as stress) — avoid topics that are likely to be overwhelming or triggering for some.
Doran Amos has been a Lecturer in Neuroscience (Education & Scholarship) at the University of Sussex since 2022. Prior to becoming a teaching-focussed lecturer, he pursued a career in academic research, beginning with a PhD, which he completed in 2011 at University College London under the supervision of Prof. John O’Keefe. His doctoral work focused on how spatial navigation and memory are supported by specialised “place cells” in the rodent brain. Following this, he continued with post-doctoral research on these topics in humans, before joining the University of Sussex in 2016 to investigate navigation in ants with Prof Paul Graham and Prof Andy Philippides.
In addition to his interests in neuroscience, Doran has a long-standing passion for contemplative practices such as mindfulness, which he has engaged with primarily through the Plum Village lineage of Zen Buddhism. He lived for 15 months in Plum Village monastery in France before moving to Brighton in 2016. He also loves writing and has worked freelance as a scientific writer since 2016, creating scientific blog articles and social media posts for a variety of audiences.
Mirela Barbu is a Senior Lecturer in Supply Chain Management, who joined the Business School in 2019 following the completion of her PhD in Economic Geography at the University of Sussex in 2013. Transitioning from teaching geography to engaging with a diverse and international student cohort in a business school has been a stimulating and enriching experience. This new environment has provided Mirela with the opportunity to innovate her teaching methods, fostering collaboration and promoting cultural exchange among her students. One of the most rewarding aspects of her role has been the unexpected challenge of teaching management consulting, leveraging her decade-long experience as a consultant at the institutional level.
What I Did
This unique and innovative teaching approach leverages collaboration with areas of our university which are not usually involved in education. Instead of the usual research-heavy approach, I developed a consultancy assessment for the module Business Analysis and Consulting, a masters level module in the Business School which provides students with hands-on experience in management consulting. Over the years, I’ve collaborated closely with the university’s Estates and Facilities Division, particularly with Helen Power-Hosking, to create a real-world consulting environment for students.
Why I Did It
The idea behind this assessment came about somewhat serendipitously when Helen Power-Hosking, Head of Commercial Services, knocked on my office door by mistake. This chance encounter led to a conversation about my work, and soon after, the consultancy report was born. The primary motivation was to offer students a practical, hands-on learning experience that would prepare them for the real challenges of management consulting. I wanted to create an environment where students could apply their academic knowledge to solve real problems, thereby enhancing their employability and soft skills, which are often not fully developed in a traditional classroom setting.
How It Works
The consultancy report is a group-based assessment where students work with a real client, in this case the Estates and Facilities Division. Each year, the client provides a brief on a particular issue, such as improving campus services or understanding student energy consumption patterns. Students are divided into teams and tasked with collecting data, analysing it, and presenting their findings to the client. The process is designed to mirror a real consulting environment, complete with client interactions, data collection, and final presentations to senior management. The top-performing teams even get the opportunity to present their work to the division’s management as a reward.
Impact and Student Feedback
The impact of this assessment has been profound, both for the students and for the university. Students often describe it as the most challenging yet rewarding experience of their academic careers. They appreciate the real-world application of their skills and the opportunity to work on something that feels genuinely important. The assessment pushes them to develop critical skills like teamwork, communication, and time management. For the Estates and Facilities Division the report provides valuable insights and data that they wouldn’t otherwise be able to gather, making it a mutually beneficial endeavour.
Future Developments
Looking ahead, I plan to continue refining and developing this module. Each year brings new challenges and opportunities and I’m always looking for ways to improve my students’ experience. The assessment’s success relies heavily on the enthusiasm and cooperation of our client, particularly Helen Power-Hosking. As long as we can maintain these strong relationships, I believe the consultancy report will continue to thrive. We are already discussing potential briefs for the next academic year and I’m excited to see where this journey takes us.
Top Tips
Embrace challenges When faced with a new or unfamiliar task, like redesigning a module, consider it an opportunity to innovate. This mindset can lead to unexpected and rewarding outcomes.
Build strong partnerships The success of this assessment hinges on strong, collaborative relationships, engaging with an enthusiastic stakeholder, and seeing the mutual benefits of working with students.
Focus on real-world application Designing a project that mirrors real-world scenarios can significantly enhance students’ learning experiences and better prepare them for their future careers.
Be flexible and supportive Allow students some degree of freedom in how they approach the assessment. This flexibility helps them feel more invested and encourages them to take ownership of their work.
Prepare students gradually Building the necessary skills for such a demanding assessment should start early. Integrate skill-building exercises into your module from the outset to ensure students are ready when the time comes.
Alex Stuart-Kelly is an Education and Scholarship (E&S) lecturer in the department of Neuroscience at Sussex (since 2022). Prior to this, his PhD and short post-doctoral research focussed on understanding the role of the major Alzheimer’s risk gene variant APOE4 on hippocampal function and rapid ‘everyday’ place memory. Additionally Alex has worked on understanding how APOE4 influences the network state and properties of neuronal ensembles following naturalistic behaviours.
Alex’s teaching focus is on core neuroscience on the undergraduate and postgraduate programme, alongside human physiology, and neuroscience research techniques. His scholarship interests include supporting widening participation and outreach for HE science programmes and student engagement in large group teaching settings.
Oliver Steele completed his BSc (Hons.) in Medical Sciences with PTY at the University of Exeter Medical School, before simultaneously undertaking an MPhil in Biomedicine and Research Associate position at Cardiff School of Biosciences during which his research interests in neurodegeneration and applied electrophysiological techniques were developed. Oliver then moved to Sussex to undertake his PhD in Neuroscience under the supervision of Dr Andrew Penn and Dr Ruth Murrell Lagnado, functionally assessing the electrophysiological impact of APOE isoforms in the murine hippocampus. Oliver has since joined BSMS as a lecturer in Physiology teaching across Phase 1 of the BM BS Course. Oliver is a Member of the British Neuroscience Association and a Member of the Physiological Society.
Oliver is a Member of the British Neuroscience Association, Society Representative for the Physiological Society and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
The project team also includes Dr Elaney Youseff, Dr Nicola Schmidt Renfree and Shalini Ram.
What we did
Through this project we have sought to understand what makes large group teaching more engaging and effective for students studying Life Sciences and Medicine. We collaborated on a student-led initiative, leveraging both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The goal was to identify teaching methods that genuinely resonate with students and enhance their learning experiences. For this we are using a variety of tools, including surveys, focus groups, and teaching evaluations, to gather insights from students about what works best in large group settings.
The project will include participation from a fourth-year medical student as part of their Individual Research Project (IRP). This project is a significant component of their penultimate year of study, where they undertake a research project that is roughly equivalent to a dissertation in other undergraduate courses. This student will be taking the lead on the research, collecting and analysing both quantitative and qualitative data, and contributing to the overall goals of the project.
Why we did it
The motivation behind this project stemmed from both existing pedagogical literature and student feedback indicating that students were more engaged and performed better when specific active teaching methods were employed. However, these methods were not universally applied across all teaching sessions. We wanted to explore this further, to not only confirm the effectiveness of these methods but also to provide evidence that could encourage furthering best practice among science educators. This project was born out of a desire to make large group teaching more effective and enjoyable, responding directly to student needs and improving overall educational outcomes. Moreover, active co-creation with students is a central to both gaining informative feedback on teaching and providing opportunities for students to build valuable project leadership skills.
How it works
We began by collecting preliminary data from Life Sciences students through surveys that measured different aspects of student engagement. This included their study habits, participation in class, and their responses to various active teaching techniques. Surprisingly, we found that while students reported that active techniques such as break out discussions, problem solving, and example primary data improved their engagement, they rated their own participation behaviours lower compared to other engagement metrics. This suggested a need for more consistent integration of interactive and structured approaches in large group settings, but also more opportunities to promote student confidence in active learning.
We also analysed student feedback on what they valued most in lectures. Predictably, students favoured lectures with a clear structure, embedded interactive elements, and those with elements that mimicked exam formats, supporting their preparation.
Future developments
Looking ahead, the project will continue with a more in-depth analysis of student engagement and learning outcomes. This will include a detailed examination of course analytics and more focused qualitative research through student-led focus groups, further dissecting the themes emerging from initial survey data. The ultimate goal is to use these findings to inform curriculum development and teaching practices across the Life Sciences and Medicine disciplines. We also plan to disseminate our findings through various channels, including conferences, internal review processes, and eventually, a co-authored publication with the student who will be leading the next phase of this research.
Top tips
Ask the students Don’t shy away from directly asking students what works for them. Their feedback is invaluable in shaping effective teaching methods.
Encourage student leadership Providing students with leadership opportunities in research and curriculum development can lead to more engaged learning and valuable insights.
Make it multi-disciplinary Make good use of opportunities for collaboration. Initiatives don’t just have to be departmental, they can be institutional and cross-institutional.
Dr Louise Newnham, a teaching focussed Senior Lecturer in Genome Stability in the School of Life Sciences, shares insights from her experience of using, since 2018/19, an oral exam (viva) as part of the assessment for a 30 credit masters module.
What I did
In 2018 I changed the assessment of one of my 30 credit masters modules from a heavily weighted exam, which asked students to write two essays from a choice of topics, to a greater emphasis on coursework (65% weighting) plus a 15-minute oral assessment (35%).
Why I did it
The module in question, Advanced Methods in Molecular Research, has a very practical focus and typically attracts a diverse student cohort, which includes a lot of international students.
My fellow tutors and I were prompted to move away from using written exams because it was clear they weren’t enabling our students to demonstrate knowledge we had clearly seen them demonstrate in the lab.
How it works
The oral assessment, which takes place in the assessment period, comprises four questions. The first is a short and simple ‘starter’ question with a straightforward right/wrong answer, followed by two ‘intermediate’ questions in which students may have to explain how something works. The final question is more advanced and asks students to discuss a particular method, its advantages/limitations and the broader context (e.g. examples of applications). The questions, drawn randomly from a question bank, are quite broad, to allow for discussion and elaboration. In fact, we try to keep it relatively conversational and will prompt students to elaborate if need be (the marking criteria allow us to factor in whether or not prompts were necessary). We’re also very happy for students to draw diagrams to support their explanation and to make notes before verbalising their answers. In fact, we encourage it.
Of course, some students may find this daunting. Therefore, from the start of the semester we emphasise that it provides excellent training for job interviews and for those considering a PhD which is assessed with a 3 hour+ viva. We also provide, in Canvas, an overview of the format and marking criteria and feedback from students on the value of participating in an oral assessment. We also run two workshops during term to help build students’ confidence and support them to do well in the exam in which students practice in pairs with example questions and students who feel they need more practice can request mock interviews. This supportive approach is possibly why all of our students have participated and the only reasonable adjustment requested, other than additional time, was for a student who wanted to write their answers down rather than verbalise them. This worked well as we were still able to give them prompts as we would have done if a verbal conversation. We’ve also run online orals for students who are overseas.
We allow 20 minutes for each viva: 15 minutes for the assessment and 5 minutes for the two markers to agree on their mark and write the feedback, guided by the model answers and mark scheme which contains specific criteria for each question type.
With breaks, this means we can get through 16 in a day so, for a cohort of 50 to 70 students, this requires three days of vivas, scheduled around exams. Overall, though, we find the workload generally equivalent to marking essays, with the distinct advantage that they are moderated in the moment.
Student feedback
Feedback from students is generally very positive. They are clearly appreciated by students who don’t thrive in written exams as it gives them an opportunity to showcase their knowledge in a different way. Students also liked fact the assessment was more ‘real world’ in that it felt more like a conversation one might have with colleagues in the workplace, and that assessment helped them develop skills they thought would be useful in interviews.
The negative feedback we receive on the oral assessment generally relates to specific questions or topics covered, e.g. when a topic a student had hoped for didn’t come up, or they were asked about a topic they were less keen on.
Top tips
In the first year, be prepared to invest lots of time up front developing your question banks (but once developed you need only tweak them from time to time, e.g. to refine them based on student performance and feedback).
Streamline the viva meeting, and save your voice, by giving students printed instructions in advance.
Empathy and understanding are crucial, as students may be nervous, as is flexibility and the recognition that students may have different ways of expressing their knowledge.
Schedule regular breaks, both to avoid fatigue and ensure quality feedback.
Please note
Since sharing her approach with Learning Matters, in August 2024, Louise has left The University of Sussex to pursue some new adventures. So, if you have any questions, please contact the new module convenor, Professor Neil Crickmore.
The Learning Matters Podcast captures insights into, experiences of, and conversations around education at the University of Sussex. The podcast is hosted by Prof Wendy Garnham and Dr Heather Taylor. It runs monthly, and each month is centred around a particular theme. The theme of our second episode is ‘writing for scholarship, and we will hear from Dr Verona Ní Drisceoil, Reader in Legal Education (Law) in the School of Law, Politics and Sociology, and Dr James Williams, Senior Lecturer in Science Education and Communication in the School of Education and Social Work.
Recording our second podcast in the University of Sussex library
Welcome to the Learning Matters podcast from the University of Sussex, where we capture insights, experiences, and conversations around education at our institution and beyond. Our theme for this episode is writing for scholarship, and our guests are Dr Verona Ní Drisceoil, Reader in Legal Education Law in the School of Law, Politics, and Sociology, and Dr James Williams, Senior Lecturer in Science Education and Communication in the School of Education and Social Work. My name is Wendy Garnham, Professor of Psychology.
Heather Taylor
And my name is Heather Taylor, Lecturer in Psychology, and we will be your presenters today. So, welcome everyone.
Can you tell us a little bit about what you’ve published in terms of your scholarship?
(1:03) Verona Ní Drisceoil
Yes. Sure. I suppose to start with, one of the kind of bigger projects that I’ve been working on recently was a piece around transitions and well-being in in law schools, particularly. And in that piece, it was very much about kind of questioning the complexity of some of those concepts of confidence, of belonging, and, yeah, really trying to get into the teeth of that, I suppose, and how it’s different maybe for law students. So that’s one area of work that I’ve been working on.
In terms of other publications and scholarship, I guess, I’ve published lots of little bits on various teaching initiatives or various projects that I’ve been involved in in the law school. So by way of some examples, I wrote an article, for The Law Teacher on a land law teaching initiative that I know Wendy might remember some of that. So it was about embedding videos into the land law module, and the idea was bringing students on a virtual kind of land law field trip. So that was a really nice piece of scholarship as well, and I suppose maybe something that we might talk about later as well, is that kind of idea of where you can grow as a teacher or a scholar as well. So that was a really nice piece to write about.
Some other areas, I guess, that I’ve been working on broadly and some of the current pieces that I can maybe share with you as well is, assessment. So thinking about formative assessment. So wrote a piece asking us to think about how we approach formative assessment in higher education. And I guess I would say, generally, that we don’t maybe approach formative assessment in a very positive way that would maybe we can learn a lot from primary schools in that respect, secondary schools, and that that idea of kind of deliberate practice, so embedding deliberate practice into our teaching.
At the moment, if I may, I’ll just share what I’m kind of working on currently. So currently writing a book about authentic assessment in law, with some colleagues from the Law School, and also another piece on community and belonging. So there’s a wide range there, and I guess maybe that’s something that we can maybe talk about if you like. But, thinking about that kind of identity of my scholarship, I’m not sure that I’ve kind of quite found my identity in terms of scholarship. But I think broadly, I would say my scholarship, looks a lot or in kind of in engages with questions around skills and assessment for law students, but then secondly, tries to look at kind of inequality in legal education more widely.
(3:43) Heather Taylor
I think people, you know, also on the, Education and Scholarship track will probably be interested in where you’re publishing these things. So there’s quite a diverse range of different topics that you’ve written about. So where do you tend to publish?
Verona Ní Drisceoil
Yeah. Interesting. And I guess this is something that I’ve kind of been reflecting on myself as I’ve progressed through. Am I publishing in the right places?
I published a lot of short pieces in blog posts, and obviously, the Learning Matters blog has been excellent in that respect. I’ve also published in legal education related journals and publications and book editions as well. The book that I’m working on right now on authentic assessment is for Edward Elgar Publishing.
So I guess there’s a range there, and I suppose it is something, for us on Education and Scholarship tracks to think about and how we, you know, target publications or where we publish and so on and so forth. So, yep, there’s a range there.
(4:48) Heather Taylor
Same question to you then, James. Can you tell us a bit about what you’ve published in terms of your scholarship work?
James Williams
Yes. Of course. I mean my writing actually goes back a very long way. I started life as a secondary school teacher in terms of education. And after doing that for 12 years, I then moved into training science teachers.
Now, at that point, I was actually writing textbooks for children. So along with, two teaching colleagues, we wrote a series of textbooks that were, well, they were actually very successful. They were used in about 40% of all secondary schools. This is in the early 2000 and sold well over a million copies of the textbook. So that’s, you know, 1 element of, of scholarship if you like. And that’s I wrote the biology and my two colleagues, one wrote the physics, one wrote the chemistry. But when it comes to university and publishing, I’ve done a variety of things. So I’ve written, books for, teachers. For example, in, I wrote a book on leadership skills for teachers in schools. I then wrote a book on what’s called how science works. In other words, about the nature of science, which is actually an area of research that I’ve been undertaking for a number of years. And it was the subject also of my PhD. I also then published another book, which interestingly came out of the PhD, which was how to read and understand education research. And I’m currently working on a on a second edition of that. But in terms of other forms of writing, oh, all over the place, newspaper articles. I write a regular article every Thursday for the local Argus, called “Making Sense of It”. And that’s really an opportunity for me to engage with the local community, and to investigate things that I find interesting that I hope that they would find interesting. I’ve written, chapters of books, for publishers.
And a particular area of interest of mine is the history of evolution, the work of Charles Darwin and the work of Alfred Russel Wallace, the co-discoverer of evolution. So I’ve written papers on Wallace, which have appeared in international peer review journals. I’ve written articles for professional magazines about Wallace, and also about Darwin. I did a chapter for a book which was about how Darwin saw science and how he built up his theories from the observations that he made on his travels. And I regularly write articles for professional associations. There’s one for science teachers called the Association For Science Education.And I regularly write articles for them. And that’s aimed obviously at an audience of secondary science teachers mainly. But I also dip into the primary area as well. So I think, you know, the question is what do we deem to be scholarship? You know, that’s the big question I think that everybody wants to be answered. And I think it is so many different things. And writing is not just writing an article for a journal. It can be lots of things. It can be blogs. It can be, articles for newspapers, professional magazines. It can be your own blog on your own site. So I think what I’d encourage people to do in terms of writing for scholarship is, you know, write about what you’re really passionate about, what you really know, and what you really understand. And that will shine through in your writing. And you’ll have far more chance, I think, of being published.
(8:32) Wendy Garnham
James, coming back to you. How did you get started with all of this writing?
James Williams
There’s a very simple answer to that question, which is when I was training to be a teacher. So I’d done a degree in geology, and I had specialized in evolutionary paleontology. And I didn’t want to become a geologist in the North Sea or do all of that sort of thing. I thought, what can I do? And I thought, oh, I know. I’ll go into teaching. And I had a tutor. His name was, Doctor. Bob Farebrother, retired now, but a wonderful man. And when I wrote an assessment for him, the feedback on my assessment in pencil sort of said, I think you’ve got a little bit of a gift for writing here. Have you ever thought about writing for a magazine? And, of course, I hadn’t. So I talked to him about that and he put me on to the Association For Science Education. They had journals. They had a journal for teachers called Education in Science and they had another journal, which is called School Science Review. So I started off by writing just one of these sort of magazine type articles, and it grew from there. And his advice was always write about what you know, you know, because then the passion comes through. Said if you artificially say, oh, I want to write about this because it’s popular at the moment, but I don’t really know anything about it. You’re not going to succeed. So write about what you know. That’s where it began. And as a result of that, I started publishing in educational newspapers. I’ve got a regular column in the newspaper. I was an agony uncle. So I was, helping students out with, issues, through questions and answers in the newspapers. I then had a science column which was called “Science Now and Then” where I looked at the history and present-day science, which was fantastic. And I did that for a good, oh, 10 years or more for the Times Educational Supplement. That then led to an offer to write textbooks for children.
Somebody had seen my articles and said, you know, would you like to write textbooks for children? And we teamed up, three of us. And as I said, we were incredibly successful. I’ve written two textbook series actually in in my career. And that then leads to lots of other types of writing. So I feel as if I’ve covered many different types of genre when it comes to writing. And that’s also then led to a lot of other opportunities for scholarship which are outside of writing. Things like, I did a television series for Channel 4, where I was a 1950s teacher of biology. And we had to teach the children 1950’s style, and everything was 1950s. It was it’s the hardest I think I’ve ever worked in my life because we did it genuinely, you know, 7 days a week. And it was a, 14-hour day when you were being filmed, you know, with these with these children. I’ve also then, done a lot of, radio stuff, certainly with the BBC, ITV, BBC Sussex. I’m regularly contacted to be the science, sorry, the education expert on that. And I go on and talk about, you know, what happens to be in the news this week about education that everybody’s up in arms about.
So you never know where your scholarship will take you. And the thing is, you know, not to try and narrow things down, but to be as broad as possible, and try and think of different audiences, different opportunities, and different places where you can publish because you never know who might spot what you’ve read.
(12:12) Wendy Garnham
So would you say then that really sort of illustrates the power of networking? It’s who you know that really sort of can help you.
James Williams
Yes, absolutely, Wendy. To a large extent, you know, opportunity leads to opportunity, and people put you in touch with other people. I mean, the book proposal that I’m preparing at the moment, I’ve got some study leave coming up. And I understand that that’s quite a rare thing on the scholarship track, but I’ve got it. So I’ve got a book proposal. Now the person who is interested in my book proposal was actually one of the editors of the textbooks I did 20 years ago. So, you know, you never know things come back around.
(12:53) Wendy Garnham
So over to Verona, same question. Just how did you get started with your scholarship writing?
Verona Ní Drisceoil
I guess just by way of some context, I think James picked up on this as well, kind of trajectory into higher education as well, and maybe that’s relevant to my story of scholarship. So I started off on a research and teaching track or education and research or whatever they’re called right now. So my, I guess, research area initially was on language rights. So that was my PhD area. Came to Sussex, and but I always, I guess, felt that maybe wasn’t my calling, and I was kind of very involved in education-related initiatives and so on and so forth in the department, and I suppose linked to what you said earlier, James, about something that you’re passionate about. Right? So I think there was just that natural sense that I was being drawn to this work, and then I requested to go on an Education and Scholarship track and found my tribe in that. And then it became much easier to write as well. And whilst I’m obviously very passionate and interested in language rights debates and so on, it maybe just wasn’t exactly what I wanted to pursue in my career trajectory. So I suppose that’s relevant to how I got started writing about scholarship.
And so for me, there’s an important maybe point as well, linking to what you were saying, James, about kind of if you’re on an Education and Scholarship track and you’re carving out your career trajectory and so on. I think there’s also potentially an important link between what roles you might be doing in the department or what you’re responsible for in the department or, you know, because that can inevitably open up other opportunities for you, and you, you know, you’re kind of passionate about something, so, for many years I was involved in the widening participation work in the Law School, and I think that brought me into literature around challenging structures and inequalities, and that’s always that’s coming through in my writing now as well. So I suppose, yeah, that’s how I got started. I’m not going to say that I found it really easy to make kind of the shift over, and I suppose something that James picked up on earlier, you know, what is scholarship or what you’re expected to do. So that was quite there was a different expectation when I moved over. And definitely, I would say that I had, some imposter syndrome around that as well. I was kind of starting over with my new research and so I did feel that was definitely a challenge, and we can definitely talk more about that if it’s of interest. So yeah, that’s how I guess I got started.
I would say there’s an important link to be made between kind of admin roles and other work that you’re doing in the department because, again, you might not be allocated lots of time for your scholarship in writing. So if you’re writing policies on feedback or you’re writing policies on x for your department, you know, you should really think about how you can think about creating that into something that might, you know, qualify as scholarship as well and in the many forms that that James has outlined.
(16:12) Wendy Garnham
It sounds as though for both of you, it’s about following your interests that really sort of sparked this sort of interest in writing the scholarship. Is that would you say that’s right?
James Williams
Yes. Because let me put it like this. If you’re not interested in it, why should anybody else be interested? You know, you’ve got to think quite carefully about the audience that you are writing for. And I came from obviously the science background and there is this terrible thing in science where they say, oh, you mustn’t bring yourself into your work. You know, you must stand outside and look in. You have to be on the outside. You mustn’t interfere or you can’t use pronouns like I and me or we. I mean, that’s oh, that’s terrible in science. But actually, you know, people don’t want to read that sort of prose. They want to feel invested and engaged in what it is that you’re writing about. So you have to make that connection and you can’t do it. I don’t think unless you have sparked a bit of interest in yourself in what you’re writing about.
And you know that that’s that for me is the key thing. I’d also say that Verona is absolutely spot on when it comes to the roles that you take on within a department. I’ve been at Sussex now for 21 plus years. And I’ve probably done nearly all of the roles apart from the two roles that I really didn’t want, which were Head of Department and Head of School. But those are for particular thoughts. I would it was the same reason why I came out of schools and went into university. Yeah. I was asked, you know, do you want be a deputy head or a head teacher? No. I don’t want to be that. I want to stay with my subject and my passions. I don’t want to be led off into admin. But I, you know, I’ve been a Director of Student Experience. I’ve led the team in terms of, initial teacher training. I’ve led the team in terms of, science education.
I’ve been an academic misconduct investigator. And I think people should also think about taking opportunities in the wider university as well. So for example, I work on the student discipline team. So I investigate cases from other areas. I sit on academic misconduct panels. And that gets you known across the University, but you’re also giving something very positive to the University. You’re helping the university to maintain its standards, to maintain its integrity. And those are really important things.
(18:55) Wendy Garnham
I guess that sort of speaks to the sort of broad nature of what scholarship is. Which brings us to, our next question, which I’m going to direct to you, Verona, which is about the impact that your writing has had for you, personally. Just what sort of impact has your scholarship writing had for you?
Verona Ní Drisceoil
Yeah. Absolutely. I think it links maybe to some of what I was saying earlier about that shift in my identity and also my value system, I guess, and my passions and feeling very aligned in that. So for me, you know, being involved in Education and Scholarship, writing about teaching, pedagogy, legal education, all of that, and all of the wonderful people that I’ve met because of that, is has been wonderful for me. And I feel, I guess, much happier. So not to sound all self-help like, but, I think that is important. You know? And I think we’ve that point about passion, your values, what you’re involved in, and what you’re contributing to is really important for us as academics. So it’s been a really positive impact for me, meeting people like all of you. I feel that it’s a really warm and wholesome space. Wendy, I remember hearing you speak before about making those external connections and networking and so on, and I did throw myself into that in terms of Twitter and social media and there’s been so many beautiful things that have come from that in terms of networking with legal education academics across the UK and Ireland. So has had a really positive impact? Not saying it’s always easy, right, but, generally, I would say, a really positive impact.
Wendy Garnham
I think sometimes it’s about just being prepared to move out of your comfort zone, isn’t it? And then these things can sort of really take off.
(20:58) Heather Taylor
So, Verona, you talked about this a little bit before, where you were saying about transitioning from being on an Education and Research track onto an Education and Scholarship track, and saying you had some challenges around sort of making that transition, a little bit of imposter syndrome. So I was just wondering, have there been any other sort of challenges you faced around doing your writing for your scholarship?
Verona Ní Drisceoil
Well, yes. I mean, I think you won’t be surprised by this answer. And listening to James, I’m like, how do you find all the time to do all this wonderful writing? You know? But I like everyone, I guess, we can often struggle with those differing demands in our roles, and if you have a heavy admin role, and there are things that you need to firefight and so on and so forth. So, I mean, I’ve had that challenge. The writing challenge. Finding space to write challenge.
I guess one other challenge that I found when thinking about the writing for scholarship, if we like, or writing in terms of legal education. For me, I didn’t have any specific training in in research methods, for example. So I came from a discipline where I wasn’t using kind of empirical work and research and so on.
So I suppose there was a part of that imposter syndrome because I think the kind of approach that you take is quite different to how I was approaching my work on language rights, which you might say was more desk based and so on. Whereas now, I’m thinking I want to do a lot more surveys with students. I want to do field work. I’m doing a project at the moment, experimenting with walking interviews, for example, but I didn’t have any of that type of training, let’s say, so I think that’s something that can be interesting for people that maybe are on an Education and Scholarship track, and maybe there’s that expectation that you’re going to do particular type of work, you’re going to use particular types of research methods and so on, and maybe you haven’t had any training in that.
And I think that can be a challenge for people on an Education and Scholarship track. It’s something I’ve had a conversation with Sarah about, and I think it’s something that might be rolled out at Sussex. So that was definitely a challenge for me.
Heather Taylor
What could be rolled out at Sussex with the training?
Verona Ní Drisceoil
I think more training for people that are on these tracks that maybe have come from various disciplines that may have not received training in that area. So I’d be interested in your thoughts on that.
Heather Taylor
I think as well, you know because obviously you’ve got really good knowledge about the topic. Finding somebody else who might have good knowledge about the methods, who wants to collaborate with you would be a really, really good idea as well.
Verona Ní Drisceoil
Yeah. Absolutely. And I think that’s kind of where the networking comes in. But, again, I suppose it’s the support structures around this, which I know I know we’ve all probably talked about those things, but, I mean, there’s been really great strides have made in that area, so supporting people with the development of their scholarship. But I think still it needs to be kept on the agenda, let’s say.
(24:25) Wendy Garnham
James, for you, what impact does your scholarship writing have, and what would you say the challenges have been for you?
James Williams
Impact is a difficult one. Again, what do you mean by impact? From a personal perspective, it’s a sense of satisfaction that I can write about the things that I really love writing about and that actually they are then appreciated by other people. And, you know, occasionally I’ll get, from a newspaper column, I’ll get an email that says, oh, I really liked your column in the newspaper. Oh, yes. I thought, you know, I agreed with you. I also get the ones that say, I think you’re totally wrong, which is which is fine. I don’t mind if people disagree, just as long as I don’t start calling me names. You know, you attack problems, not people. So there’s been the immense sort of, it’s almost like leaving a legacy. You know, I’ve got now, some grandchildren and it’s good to know that actually my textbooks, my written books, my newspaper articles, there’s a little archive of things. And, you know, they’re not going to read my PhD thesis. I mean, come on. Whoever does read this? But there is that sense, which is, you know, about the impact. And you never know where you will affect people because I’ve had people from overseas contact me about things or inquire about, oh, I found this, you know, can you tell me anything about it? Because it’s to do with Darwin or it’s to do with Wallace and all of those sorts of, aspects.
I made a great friend at Charles University in in the US who is another expert on Alfred Russel Wallace. And he and I communicate regularly now and we write, you know, we write about Wallace and we publish on a blog that he runs. And that’s been great to have that sort of impact. In terms of challenges, well, the challenges are always when you put your heart and soul into something and it doesn’t work. You know, the publisher says no, I don’t think this would be interesting for our readers, etcetera, etcetera. And you’ve got to get over the oh, that’s it. It’s because I’m a bad writer. It literally just could be this is the wrong time for that piece of work. Don’t throw it away. Keep it because I’ve had things that have been rejected, that I’ve gone back and updated and it’s been published because I hit the right publisher at the right time, You know, it’s a bit like JK Rowling, how many times was she turned down for Harry Potter? And then, you know, look what happened there.
(27:37) Wendy Garnham
I guess that sort of leads into our top tips. So really if you could share a top tip with listeners about writing a scholarship, what would your top tip be James?
James Williams
My top tip is that your writing has to involve people. If you don’t involve people, people tend not to be interested. So even if you’re writing about something which is, I don’t know, interesting historically. I wrote a piece recently about private education and people are not interested in the structure of private schools and the fact that it was set up in this, you know, at this time and it was supposed to be for the poor, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. Those are just facts and people go, yeah, so what? So what you need to do is you need to find interesting characters and talk about the characters. So my top tip is always involve people in whatever you’re writing because people like to read about people.
Wendy Garnham
Top that one, Verona.
Verona Ní Drisceoil
I don’t think I can. That was really powerful, James. I love that. I guess linked to that in the sense of involve people, but not in the same way that you spoke about, but in order to do well in anything, I think, in life, you have to surround yourself with good people and people that lift you up and so on, and so I think that’s very relevant to writing about scholarship. So whatever you’re writing about, you know, surround yourself with good people, and I think that links to some of the points that were made earlier about networking, connection. So I think we’re aligned there, James, in that point, or that power of connection, let’s say, more widely. I hope that’s useful.
Heather Taylor
I agree with you that sometimes, you know, if you think about all the scholarship activities you might have done, so much of it comes out of little conversations, not even deliberate ones. You know, you might just be having a coffee with a colleague or something. And so I think, yeah, keeping a really sort of, other people, like you were saying earlier on about how much you admire James being so enthusiastic. You need a lot of enthusiastic people around you, I think, to keep enthused and to generate ideas and sort of roll with them. So, yeah, I completely agree.
Verona Ní Drisceoil
Just that idea of support, you know, we all really need that kind of support and structure. I might come in with a less interesting kind of tip, but I think we picked up on it earlier. I do think there is that point about if you are on an Education and Scholarship track and the admin point that we made earlier. Think about where you’re writing all this work, let’s say, your Director of Teaching and Learning or you are Director of Student Experience, or you are whatever, and you’ve been asked tasked with writing loads of these policy type documents with your own internal department, but how can you then maybe push that into another piece? So whatever you’re working on as well, think about how can this be more than just 1 piece.
James Williams
And if I could just come in with a second little top tip, which is to keep a notebook and write down ideas because you never know when an idea will happen. So for example, you know, as I say, I’ve got to come up with an idea every single week for my column in the in the Argus. And nobody tells me what to write. And I’ve been given carte blanche by the editor to write about whatever I want provided it’s not illegal or defamatory or all the rest. And literally, you know, this I’d normally do it on a Sunday, and I file it on a Monday or a Tuesday. And my wife said to me this week, she said what are you writing about this week? And I said, I haven’t got a clue. I don’t know yet, but I’ll find something. And then I read Twitter and Andrew Neil put out a tweet that said, of course, you know, this whole thing about, wind farms is rubbish. He said, think of how many days there are when there’s absolutely no wind whatsoever in Great Britain.
And I thought, well, that’s scientifically illiterate. That’s what I’m going write about. So this week, tomorrow’s Argus is going to be about solar farms, wind farms, and bioenergy and it’s all about alternative energy and it just came from one tweet. One thing that was said wrote it down and from there, that’s where it came from.
So keep a little notebook and when you’re having conversations with people and you think, well, that’s a good idea. Write it down because I can guarantee you that if you say, oh, I must remember that you will forget it?
Wendy Garnham
I have difficulty remembering where I put the notebook. That’s a different story. So I’ve only really got one thing to add, which is just I’ll take this opportunity to remind you, Heather, that we have a plan to write our next foundation year textbook. So, this is a good point where I can just, remind you that.
Heather Taylor
I would like to thank our guests Dr Verona Ní Drisceoil and Dr James Williams. Thank you very much indeed. Thank you for listening. Goodbye.
Wendy Garnham
This has been the Learning Matters Podcast from the University of Sussex created by Sarah Watson, Wendy Garnham, and Heather Taylor, and produced by Simon Overton.
Learning Matters provides a space for multiple and diverse forms of writing about teaching and learning at Sussex. We welcome contributions from staff as well as external collaborators. All submissions are assigned to a reviewer who will get in touch to discuss next steps. Find out more on our About page.
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