The Transformative Power of Sophrology: Enhancing Student Well-Being at University

Axelle Fleury, French Lecturer, Student Advisor for the School of Media, Arts and Humanities and Sophrologist.

University life often presents a complex interplay of academic pressure, social challenges, and the pursuit of balance. While it is a period of growth and exploration, it can also become overwhelming, particularly when mental health is neglected. At the University of Sussex, we are dedicated to prioritising student well-being, a commitment I have upheld for years. To further support our students, I trained as a Sophrologist for two years, equipping myself with the skills necessary to offer students’ specialised wellbeing workshops. This year, I had the opportunity to apply this training by exploring the potential benefits of Sophrology for our Media Arts and Humanities (MAH) students.

What is Sophrology?

For those unfamiliar, Sophrology is a holistic mind-body practice that has been widely used in countries like France, Spain, Belgium, and Switzerland for over 60 years. It combines techniques such as mindful breathing, gentle movements, and positive visualisation to enhance both mental and physical well-being. Although relatively new to the UK, it has shown promising results in helping individuals manage stress, anxiety, and build self-confidence—all crucial aspects of student life.

The Workshops: A Journey to Well-Being

During Term 2 (2023-24), I organised seven lunchtime workshops specifically for MAH students, aiming to provide them with tools to manage stress, reduce anxiety, and build self-confidence. These sessions were designed to be more than just a break from academic work; they were a step towards long-term mental health maintenance.

The response was encouraging—ten students signed up, eager to explore new ways to support their well-being. The sessions covered various Sophrology techniques, from body scans that help release tension to guided visualisations that build a protective mental shield against negativity. Each week, students practiced these techniques, gradually noticing changes in their stress levels, sleep quality, and overall mood.

Measuring the Impact: A Closer Look at the Results

To understand the effectiveness of these workshops, I used pre- and post-programme questionnaires where participants rated their well-being across several criteria, such as energy levels, stress, sleep quality, and self-confidence. The results, though from a small group, were telling:

  • Energy Levels: Participants reported a 35.7% increase in day-to-day energy, feeling more energised and ready to tackle their academic and personal challenges.
  • Stress and Anxiety: One of the most significant changes was a 45.2% reduction in stress and anxiety levels. Given that these workshops were tailored to address these issues, this outcome was particularly rewarding.
  • Emotional Well-Being: This area saw the most substantial improvement, with a 61.5% increase. Students felt more emotionally balanced, better equipped to handle their feelings, and experienced a more positive outlook on life.
  • Concentration and Focus: Academic life demands a sharp focus, and the workshops helped participants improve their concentration by 54.2%. This enhancement is crucial for success, both in and out of the classroom.
  • Self-Confidence: Another significant area of improvement was self-confidence, which saw a 27.3% boost. This is particularly important in an academic setting, where students often face challenges that test their self-belief.

Why Sophrology Matters

These results, while based on a small sample size, suggest that Sophrology can be a powerful tool in supporting student well-being. The techniques not only help in reducing immediate stress and anxiety but also equip students with strategies they can use in their everyday lives, long after the workshops have ended.

Sophrology’s focus on the mind-body connection makes it a versatile practice that can be tailored to individual needs. Whether it’s improving sleep quality or building resilience against life’s challenges, it offers a holistic approach to well-being that is accessible and practical for students.

Looking Ahead

While these findings are promising, they also highlight the need for further research with a larger and more diverse group of students. Expanding these workshops and exploring their long-term benefits could provide deeper insights into how Sophrology can be integrated into university well-being programs.

As we continue to prioritise student mental health, practices like Sophrology could become an essential part of the support system, helping students to thrive during their time at university.

If you would like to know more, or if you have a group of students interested in a course of workshops, get in touch a.e.m.fleury@sussex.ac.uk


Appendix : Find a full study report on the potential benefits of Sophrology techniques on students’ wellbeing, with a focus on stress and anxiety reduction and self-confidence building below.


Using the Professional Standards Framework (PSF) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education 2023 to ensure good practice and excellent student experience. This teaching practice outlined in this blog post is informed by the highlighted areas:

Areas of Activity

  • A1 design and plan learning activities and/or programmes
  • A2 teach and/or support learning through appropriate approaches and environments
  • A3 assess and give feedback for learning
  • A4 support and guide learners
  • A5 enhance practice through own continuing professional development

Core Knowledge

  • K1 how learners learn, generally and within specific subjects
  • K2 approaches to teaching and/or supporting learning, appropriate for subjects and level of study
  • K3 critical evaluation as a basis for effective practice
  • K4 appropriate use of digital and/or other technologies, and resources for learning
  • K5 requirements for quality assurance and enhancement, and their implications for practice

Professional Values

  • V1 respect individual learners and diverse groups of learners
  • V2 promote engagement in learning and equity of opportunity for all to reach their potential
  • V3 use scholarship, or research, or professional learning, or other evidence-informed approaches as a basis for effective practice
  • V4 respond to the wider context in which higher education operates, recognising implications for practice
  • V5 collaborate with others to enhance practice
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From Student to Teacher: How Can Learning Languages Shape My Teaching Approach?

Patricia Couturas, Lecturer in French and COIL Facilitator for the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.

It is easy for teachers to lose touch with what it’s like to be a learner. In my case, while years of experience as a language teacher can provide a wealth of knowledge, it can also create a gap between teachers and language learners, especially those from different generations or learning environments. To bridge this gap, teachers must occasionally approach language learning with a fresh perspective, free from preconceived notions.

In July 2023, I decided to dive back into the world of language learning to better understand my students’ experience. I chose Spanish, a language I could read and understand reasonably well but where my speaking and writing skills were lacking. I began documenting my journey in a reflective journal to record the challenges and breakthroughs I encountered, exploring various factors that influence language learning, from cognitive and emotional aspects to methodology.

Key Insights from My Learning Journey

While I improved my reading and listening skills, I faced several hurdles along the way. Understanding these challenges and developing solutions not only helped me as a learner but also informed my teaching strategies.

One significant challenge was retaining new vocabulary, especially when learning in a country where the language isn’t spoken. To tackle this, I turned to Stephen Krashen’s comprehensible input theory, which suggests that language acquisition happens when learners are exposed to input slightly above their current proficiency level. This method encourages immersion in various forms of language content, from films and documentaries to articles and short stories. However, this theory has limitations:

  • Limited role of explicit learning: Krashen downplays the importance of formal instruction and explicit learning. Although his model helped me build vocabulary over time, it wasn’t always straightforward to grasp sentence structures. For instance, the Spanish subjunctive mood has unique aspects not found in French, requiring a deeper understanding of grammar. This illustrates that explicit instruction can be crucial for learning specific grammar elements.
  • Limited focus on output: Krashen’s theory emphasizes comprehension, but producing language through speaking and writing is also essential. I struggled with speaking due to a lack of practice. To compensate, I used AI-based platforms to practice writing and pronunciation, finding that AI could correct errors and offer explanations—a useful tool for learners seeking autonomy.
  • Ignoring individual differences: The theory tends to generalize the language acquisition process, overlooking individual learning styles and strategies. As an explicit learner, I find understanding grammar helpful, but others might prefer more focus on input and repetition.

I also encountered the “production problem,” where despite understanding texts and speakers, retrieving words and structures during conversation was difficult. Several factors contribute to this issue, including the cognitive load of managing vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, and communication strategies simultaneously, and anxiety about making mistakes.

Here are some approaches that helped me overcome these obstacles:

  • Spaced Repetition: I used apps with spaced repetition algorithms to review vocabulary at intervals, reinforcing memory.
  • Regular Practice: Consistent speaking, writing, reading, and listening in Spanish solidified my understanding of the language.
  • Teach Others: Explaining what I’ve learned to someone else forced me to recall and organize information coherently, which reinforced my memory. Teaching my partner Spanish helped me grasp concepts more firmly.
  • Take Breaks: Short, frequent study sessions were more effective than long, exhausting ones. This approach prevented cognitive overload.
  • Review Before Sleep: Reviewing language material before bed enhanced my memory consolidation, leading to better recall the next day.

Implications for Teaching Strategies

The insights from my learning journey have driven me to make the teaching and learning environment more inclusive. I have designed a language learner’s diary and a learning guide for my students, based on my own learning experience and theoretical explorations (see appendices below this post). These resources, along with the following strategies, aim to make language learning more effective and engaging:

  • Hybrid Teaching Approach: My method combines extensive reading and listening to expand students’ vocabulary and improve their understanding of language structures in and outside the class, but I aim to increase their opportunities for oral and written production by integrating AI and pairing students with native French speakers. (See my previous post on Collaborative Online International Learning)
  • Emphasize Individual Learning Styles: Recognizing that each student has unique learning preferences, I strive to create a more flexible teaching strategy that accommodates various learning styles and encourages students to find what works best for them.

Understanding the challenges language learners face and developing solutions not only helped me as a learner, but also informed my teaching strategies. By implementing these strategies, I hope to foster a learning environment that is both more supportive, inclusive, and effective.


Using the UK Professional Standards Framework (PSF) to ensure good practice and excellent student experience. This teaching practice outlined in this blog post is informed by the highlighted areas:

Areas of activity

  • A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
  • A2 Teach and/or support learning
  • A3 Assess and give feedback to learners
  • A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance
  • A5 Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices

Core knowledge

  • K1 The subject material
  • K2 Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme
  • K3 How students learn, both generally and within their subject/ disciplinary area(s)
  • K4 The use and value of appropriate learning technologies
  • K5 Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching
  • K6 The implications of quality assurance and quality enhancement for academic and professional practice with a particular focus on teaching

Professional values

  • V1 Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities
  • V2 Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for learners
  • V3 Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research, scholarship and continuing professional development
  • V4 Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates recognising the implications for professional practice’

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Encouraging attendance and engagement through portfolio assessment

Photo by CreditScoreGeek on Flikr

Professor Lynne Murphy, Department of English Language and Linguistics, School of Media, Arts & Humanities

A classroom filled with prepared students, interested in the subject and eager to talk with each other about the subject. This is the goal. This is a classroom in which people learn. This is a classroom in which teachers enjoy teaching.

But these days, it feels like the world is conspiring against such classrooms. Standing in the way are the cost-of-living crisis, the mental-health crisis, the perennial academic-timetabling crisis, not to mention the after-effects of pandemic lockdowns. Students, for the most part, want to participate in their learning—but it’s easy for reading, attendance, and course enrichment activities to fall down the list of priorities behind pulling a work shift, saving a bus fare, or staying under a warm duvet.

We tell students that active engagement in their course will be worth their while, but the evidence we give for that claim is fuzzy. The rewards of engagement are not necessarily immediate or immediately perceptible. And it’s easy to understand how the intention to participate falls down. I know that physical exercise will be worth my while, but it’s a slog. It’s also hard to know where to start (weights? cardio? flexibility?). So, it goes lower and lower on my to-do list while I do the easier things first.

My solution for the exercise problem is to make myself accountable to others: to book a spot on a scheduled class or arrange a walk with a friend. The exercise gets crossed off the list. And that’s what I try to do for students: to make the individual rewards of course engagement more concrete, so it goes up the to-do list. Then the whole class benefits from an engaged studentship. Portfolio assessment makes this very doable.

What is a portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of work (i.e. more than one piece), related to a theme (i.e. the module topic), produced over a period of time (i.e. the semester) (University Modes of Assessment).

The key here is that the contents of a portfolio are not prescribed. The types of work involved can vary across modules. A portfolio for one module might involve learning journals and a podcast. For another it might be multiple drafts of an essay or two. How portfolios are assessed can vary too.

Incorporating engagement into the portfolio

Of course, the main part of a portfolio must be academic work that tests the learning outcomes of the module. Engagement activities should relate to these learning outcomes as well, but should focus more on taking part than on mastering academic skills/content. In my modules, these activities are called participation (and so, from here I use participation as a synonym for engagement).In my first-year modules, participation is 20% of the portfolio mark, in order to instil good engagement practices from the start. From second year, it goes down to 10%. Appendix 1 below this post gives first- and final-year examples.

For the assessment-period portfolio submission, students submit a ‘participation record’ that indicates which activities they did during the term (first- and final-year examples in Appendix 2 below this post). (Not shown, but available on request: the Canvas information pages that make clear what each of the participation activities involves.)

Portfolio-friendly engagement activities

Engagement activities in the portfolio should:Set clear expectations. Students should know what counts as participation and when their deadlines for it are.

  1.    Set clear expectations.
    Students should know what counts as participation and when their deadlines for it are.
  2.    Have a virtual paper trail.
    Anything on the participation record should be independently verifiable through Canvas or Sussex Direct. I.e. either the student should be submitting something to Canvas or the tutor should be counting something on one of those platforms.
  3.    Avoid any potential for bias.
    In particular, staff should not be grading students on the frequency or quality of contributions to seminar discussions, as our perceptions of who’s said what/how much are unreliable (and there is no paper trail).
  4.    Offer choice / be inclusive.
    Not all students can or will participate in the same ways. It should be possible to get a very good participation score without attending extra events or speaking in front of class.

And, of course, the module convenor should consider the workload their activities create for themselves—e.g. what expectations to set about feedback on these activities.

Potential engagement activities include:

  • doing assigned formative work for feedback
  • participating in activities in the classroom
    • e.g. quizzes on the week’s reading, unassessed presentations, writing up ‘minutes’ of seminars for posting on Canvas
  • reflecting on the teaching material or the process of learning
    • e.g. learning journals
  • engaging with tutors or peers outside the classroom
    • e.g. attending student hours, forming/attending study groups, contributing to Canvas discussions
  • doing extension activities beyond the classroom
    • e.g. attending research seminars, Skills Hub events
  • doing extra module work
    • e.g. taking online quizzes, doing supplementary assignments
  • attendance at teaching sessions.

No portfolio should try to include all of these! The nature of the subject, the level, the tutor’s workload, and the module learning outcomes (see below) should come into consideration.

Some of these are more about engaging with the subject or learning processes individually; others are about building community among the cohort—including the tutors. Some are controversial—many believe the last one in particular is undoable. So that one gets two further sections:

Assessing attendance: directly

I asked Sussex Academic Developer Sarah Watson to review the ‘legality’ of how I treat attendance in portfolio assessment. She wrote:

Currently, there is no University policy to say that we can’t grade attendance, though it is of course a contested issue due to cost of living, caring responsibilities etc., With this in mind, it is recommended that students should not be penalised for not attending their lectures and seminars. However, you offset this by:

1. having attendance as only one aspect of the participation mark

2. allowing students to get the grade if they have informed you that they cannot attend

In other words, it’s OK to consider attendance as part of an engagement/participation mark because (1) students who fail to attend can ‘make up’ for poor attendance by doing more of other activities, and (2) ‘notified’ absences don’t count against anyone. Take the example of a student who attended 11/22 sessions (lecture and seminar) but emailed the tutor about each of the absences when they happened; that student would have a 100% attendance record (22/22). If the same student had not emailed the tutor, then they would have achieved 50% attendance. Emailing is certainly not the same as attending, but keeping in touch with the tutor at least shows continued engagement in the module while acknowledging that perfect attendance is often not possible.

In recent years, I have treated attendance as up to 10 or 20 participation marks (see appendices), relying on those percentages. In a class where it’s worth 10, then, the 50% attender gets 5 points toward participation. Another way to do it is to do categorical marking: with a certain number of points for hitting a certain attendance threshold. Those who don’t meet that threshold will know they should make it up with other kinds of participation.

Assessing attendance: indirectly

Another way to ensure attendance is to have participation activities that happen during class time. Our first-year modules have reading quizzes at each session, ‘played’ like pub quizzes in teams. Those quiz scores contribute to the portfolio mark. Zero scores resulting from notified absences are removed from the quiz average. (For what it’s worth, these quizzes are very popular; they are often requested in student evaluations of other modules.)

The maths

The total participation ‘points’ available should add up to at least 100, so they resemble a percentage mark that can easily be figured into the portfolio. (In some of my modules, students can get more than 100 participation points, and so some students’ marks are lifted considerably by participation.) 

Students are told to strive to do at least slightly better on their participation mark than they expect to do the rest of the portfolio, so that the participation helps their grade.

There is an aspect of ‘the rich get richer/the poor get poorer’. Students who are already well-organised and keen are the most likely to do the most participation work. Students who don’t engage enough to even know about the participation opportunities are likely to have their mark taken down further by lack of participation. But in the middle, I see students who might be struggling (whether with the material or with the social aspects of learning) putting themselves into a place where learning is more active and possible.

Incidentally, having a participation element in the module does not seem to result in rampant grade inflation. Average marks on my portfolio-assessed modules are in the low-mid 60s, like the marks for other modules I’ve taught.

Learning Outcomes/Resits

The portfolio as a whole must assess whether the student has achieved the module’s learning outcomes (LOs). But because portfolios submitted in the re-sit period generally cannot involve participation activities, no learning outcomes can explicitly demand engagement/participation.

So, I treat the participation element of the portfolio as being other means of engaging with the content/skills LOs. That may be direct engagement with it (as when students submit the assigned formative work), supplemental (as when they go to events related to the module content or skills development), or indirect (as through attendance, where they get opportunities to develop and show learning).

Give it a try!

I am an evangelist for portfolio development, and I’d be happy to talk with any Sussex colleagues about their portfolio ideas. Contact me at m.l.murphy@sussex.ac.uk.



Using the UK Professional Standards Framework (PSF) to ensure good practice and excellent student experience. This teaching practice outlined in this blog post is informed by the highlighted areas:

Areas of activity

  • A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
  • A2 Teach and/or support learning
  • A3 Assess and give feedback to learners
  • A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance
  • A5 Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices

Core knowledge

  • K1 The subject material
  • K2 Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme
  • K3 How students learn, both generally and within their subject/ disciplinary area(s)
  • K4 The use and value of appropriate learning technologies
  • K5 Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching
  • K6 The implications of quality assurance and quality enhancement for academic and professional practice with a particular focus on teaching

Professional values

  • V1 Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities
  • V2 Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for learners
  • V3 Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research, scholarship and continuing professional development
  • V4 Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates recognising the implications for professional practice’
Posted in Uncategorised

A Large-scale Investigation into the Relationship Between Attendance & Attainment

Infographic created by Mark Tournoff, Language Tutor in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.

Mark Tournoff

The infographic below is part of a scholarship project where colleagues produce evidence-informed-teaching infographics to bridge the researcher-practitioner divide. Here Mark Tournoff has synthesised an article which shows a strong correlation between attendance and attainment.

Posted in Uncategorised

The Importance of Teaching Academic Reading Skills in First-Year University Courses

Infographic created by James Greenough, Senior Lecturer in English Language in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.

James Greenough

The infographic below is part of a scholarship project where colleagues produce evidence-informed-teaching infographics to bridge the researcher-practitioner divide. Here James Greenough has synthesised an article which details how students often employ non-university strategies to read academic texts, resulting in their taking a surface approach to reading, and outlines some strategies aimed at helping students take a deep approach to reading. 

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Flipped Learning Remains Under-theorised

Infographic created by Sue Robbins, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Director of Continuing Professional Development in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.

Sue Robbins

The infographic below is part of a scholarship project where colleagues produce evidence-informed-teaching infographics to bridge the researcher-practitioner divide. Here Sue Robbins has synthesised a scoping review that aims to discover which theoretical frameworks are described.

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Sustainable Assessment Revisited

Infographic created by Dr Sarah Watson, Academic Developer in the School of Media, Arts & Humanities.

The infographic below is part of a scholarship project where colleagues produce evidence-informed-teaching infographics to bridge the researcher-practitioner divide. Here Sarah Watson has synthesised an article that focuses on assessment for learning.

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Connecting Minds, Bridging Borders: Exploring Collaborative Online International Learning as a way of learning differently

‘Royal Border Bridge’ by Jonathan Combe on flikr with CC-BY-2.0 licence https://flickr.com/photos/jono566/

Patricia Couturas, Lecturer in French and COIL Facilitator for the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.

What is Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL)?

A collaborative online international learning (COIL) programme is a form of virtual exchange or online learning that connects students and educators from different countries or cultures. COIL programs typically involve a partnership between two or more educational institutions and even NGOs with the goal of promoting cross-cultural understanding, intercultural competence, and global citizenship.

COIL programmes can take many different forms but they generally involve some combination of online communication, collaborative projects, and virtual meetings or exchanges. For example, students from different countries might work together on a joint research project, create a video or podcast, or participate in a virtual debate or discussion.

COIL programs can be structured in many different ways depending on the goals, the learning objectives of the program and the preferences of the participants. Some programs are fully integrated into the curriculum or the module, while others are optional extracurricular activities. Some programs involve synchronous (real-time) communication, while others are asynchronous (self-paced). They can also involve both.

Overall, they offer students, educators, academics a unique opportunity to learn from and with others from different cultures, to gain new perspectives and insights, more knowledge and develop the skills needed to thrive in an increasingly interconnected world.

COIL at Sussex

COIL programmes in the Department of Language Studies are already well established and are now of interest to Internationalisation at Home (IaH) in the context of the internationalisation of the curriculum and the students’ intercultural skills development.

Last year I set up an 8-week COIL programme with my peer, Dr Girodet, from the University of Reims, France. The feedback from the students through their reflection on their intercultural experience showed a better knowledge of themselves and the socio-cultural mechanisms that lead to the construction of preconceptions and points of view, and a better distinction between interpersonal and cultural differences. You can hear me talking about the project here https://www.sussex.ac.uk/schools/media-arts-humanities/internal/staff/education/cpdbites (scroll down to episode 6).

Our current COIL programme is with the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce et d’Informatique de Gestion Business School (ESCO-IGES) in Burkino Faso. In collaboration with my peer, Salifou Dabo, from ESCO-IGES in Ouagadougou we have designed and are teaching an 11-week COIL programme which has been embedded into the University of Sussex French for Professional Purposes module, and into the ESCO-IGES University English language module.

The Sussex and ESCO-IGES shared-learning objectives of this COIL programme are to:

  • Develop students’ language and employability skills,
  • Raise students’ intercultural awareness and develop intercultural communication skills.

To meet the teaching and learning objectives we have co-designed two problem- solving-based scenarios which require students from both universities to find solutions via analysing, assessing, negotiating and making group decisions. Their group work involves weekly collaboration via synchronous, recorded group discussions on the scenarios via Zoom, and asynchronous collaboration via Google.doc, Whatsapp and Padlet in the two target languages (English and French). At the end of the COIL programme students produce a reflective report on their collaborative work experience in a multilingual and multicultural learning environment.

How a COIL programme has developed an international dialogue on sustainability and climate change

In a webinar on 28 March 2023 Francesca Helm, Associate Professor of English in the Department of Political Science, Law and International Studies at the University of Padova in Italy and Marianne Grace Araneta, Learning Designer in the Office of Digital Learning and Multimedia, University of Padua facilitated a conversation about Virtual Exchange through the lens of dialogue, interculturality, and sustainability. They discussed the Virtual Exchange programme they have developed with students and other institutions (Universities and NGOs) to facilitate an international dialogue on sustainability and climate change. A recording of the webinar can be found here: https://universityofsussex.zoom.us/rec/share/GJ9YExgx6NNBsXaoxDsnawO6VN2GO9EAxD17xDLKChpgh7qsW2wc1P534Il4OG6d.cM75uCS1Y0ZpazOC


Using the UK Professional Standards Framework (PSF) to ensure good practice and excellent student experience. This teaching practice outlined in this blog post is informed by the highlighted areas:

Areas of activity

  • A1 Design and plan learning activities and/or programmes of study
  • A2 Teach and/or support learning
  • A3 Assess and give feedback to learners
  • A4 Develop effective learning environments and approaches to student support and guidance
  • A5 Engage in continuing professional development in subjects/disciplines and their pedagogy, incorporating research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices

Core knowledge

  • K1 The subject material
  • K2 Appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in the subject area and at the level of the academic programme
  • K3 How students learn, both generally and within their subject/ disciplinary area(s)
  • K4 The use and value of appropriate learning technologies
  • K5 Methods for evaluating the effectiveness of teaching
  • K6 The implications of quality assurance and quality enhancement for academic and professional practice with a particular focus on teaching

Professional values

  • V1 Respect individual learners and diverse learning communities
  • V2 Promote participation in higher education and equality of opportunity for learners
  • V3 Use evidence-informed approaches and the outcomes from research, scholarship and continuing professional development
  • V4 Acknowledge the wider context in which higher education operates recognising the implications for professional practice’
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Framing Feedback Around Student Development

Infographic created by Sue Robbins, Senior Lecturer in English Language and Director of Continuing Professional Development in the School of Media, Arts and Humanities.

Sue Robbins

The infographic below is part of a scholarship project where colleagues produce evidence-informed-teaching infographics to bridge the researcher-practitioner divide. Here Sue Robbins has synthesised an article that focuses on the provision of actionable feedback to allow students to develop the knowledge and skills we value.

Posted in Uncategorised

Teaching Chinese Vocabulary

Infographic created by Julia Jiang, Language Tutor in the School of Media, Arts & Humanities.

The infographic below is part of a scholarship project where colleagues produce evidence-informed-teaching infographics to bridge the researcher-practitioner divide. Here Julia Jiang has synthesised a study that applies Dual Coding Theory to the teaching of Chinese vocabulary.

Posted in Uncategorised