Assessment of participation remains one of the more complex and contested areas of higher education practice. While universities increasingly emphasise active learning, belonging, and student engagement, questions persist around what participation actually means, how it can be assessed fairly, and…
Blog Archives
Reflections on the Sussex Education Festival 2026
On 8 May, over 100 colleagues from across the university attended the fourth Sussex Education Festival. This year’s festival was our biggest yet- with more applications to present, and more colleagues attending than any previous year. The content of the…
Build it and students will come? Insights from staff and students on attendance and belonging at Sussex
Dr Estelle Marks (Assistant Professor in Criminology) and Dr Jenny Chanfreau (Assistant Professor in Sociology) Student attendance is one of the most discussed issues in higher education. While declining attendance is frequently noted anecdotally, there is less clarity about why students…
Episode 15: Student attendance in higher education
The Learning Matters Podcast captures insights into, experiences of, and conversations around education at the University of Sussex. This podcast episode is hosted by Prof Wendy Garnham and Dr Heather Taylor. It is recorded monthly, and each month is centred around…
Scaffolded self-assessment in foundation-year lab reports: Building evaluative judgement one section at a time.
Jon Powell (Assistant Professor in Engineering) Every autumn, around thirty foundation-year students in our department write five laboratory reports in sequence. For years the pattern was the same — a careful Report 1, careful written feedback, a Report 2 that looked almost…
Tagged with: Assessment and Feedback, belonging, Inclusive and student-centred, Sciences
Posted in Blog
Posted in Blog
The Intercultural Reflection Series
In a 2022 plenary for the BALEAP (British Association of Lecturers in English for Academic Purposes) Professional Issues Meeting, applied linguist Adrian Holliday challenged the widespread framing of international students as ‘problematic newcomers.’ Instead, he offered a discourse which views…
Episode 11: Attention, Sleep, and Learning
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 is recorded monthly, and each month is centred around a particular theme.…
Episode 10: Transformative Learning
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 is recorded monthly, and each month is centred around a particular theme.…
Sustainability and simulations: Using simulations to engage first-year Business students
Alison Bailey is an Associate Professor in Management at the University of Sussex Business School and is the convenor of the Introduction to Business and Management (IBM) a large core module taken by nearly every first-year business student in their…
Tagged with: Assessment and Feedback, authentic assessment, Business, Inclusive and student-centred, Teaching and student engagement
Posted in Case Studies
Posted in Case Studies
Walk with me: Exploring community, belonging and inclusion through walking interviews
Dr Verona Ni Drisceoil is a Reader in Legal Education and a member of the Education Team, currently leading on Assessment and Gen AI policy, at Sussex Law School. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA),…
Tagged with: belonging, Education and Scholarship, Inclusive and student-centred, student voice
Posted in Blog
Posted in Blog