With the start of a new term we’d like to share recent news and upcoming events

Recent Learning Matters posts: 

• Oral assessment (viva) as an AI-proof assessment tool 

• Enhancing student engagement in large group teaching: A collaborative approach to improving learning outcomes 

• Authentic assessment through collaboration: teaching management consulting in partnership with our university’s commercial services 

• Integrating experiential and theoretical learning into final-year outreach projects 

• Welcoming your students to Sussex 

• AI and Academic Integrity: Implementing University Guidelines in Assignments 

Learning Matters podcast

July saw the launch of the Learning Matters Podcast which 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 centered around a particular theme. The next episode focuses on the international student experience and will go live at the start of October. Give it a listen! 

Education and Innovation Fund 

Five new projects have been funded by the Education and Innovation Fund, and the winning projects are; 

Dr Xuan Huy Nguyen, Dr Ngoc Luu – Developing entrepreneurial teams among students across disciplines as a strategy to promote inclusivity, belonging and enhanced curricula 

Dr Kathryn Lester (Lead), Dr Matthias Gobel, Dr Dave Smalley, Dr Sean Figgins – It’s about more than bums on seats: Co-designing and establishing the feasibility and acceptability of a brief online “Circles” intervention to improve sense of belonging, connectedness and attendance in first year Psychology students 

Dr Alex Stuart-Kelly (Lead), Dr Oli Steele, Dr Nicola Schmidt-Renfree, Dr Elaney Youssef – ‘Closing the loop’: Leveraging project-based learning to understand student engagement in large group teaching across Medicine and Life Sciences. 

Dr Charlie Crouch (Lead), Dr Keith Perera (Lead), Helen Morley, Rachael Thomas, Liz Cousins, Andy Lowe – The future Sussex student: how is generative AI impacting the way that sixth formers learn and study? 

Dr Haruko Okamoto (Lead), Prof Daniel Osorio, Dr John Anderson – Building LifeSci STEM Ambassador Network for Students & Staff 

Please note that there are currently no further funding rounds for the Education and Innovation Fund planned. 

National Teaching Fellowship and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence

Dates announced for National Teaching Fellowship Scheme (NTFS) and Collaborative Award for Teaching Excellence (CATE) 2024-2025 applications Teaching Excellence Awards : Teaching : Staff Hub : University of Sussex 

Potential applicants for the NTFS are invited to attend an online information session  

Educational Enhancement’s Dr Katie Piatt – as part of The Playful Learning Association (PLA) – has won a CATE

Links we liked

Embracing the role of undergraduate students as engaged researchers: The teaching of undergraduate research can suffer from being overly mechanical. Erica Cargill and James Cunningham of Aberdeen University share an innovative approach and call for deeper engagement (WonkHE, 21/06/24)  

SFHEA events

There are several opportunities for staff who are interested in completing their SFHEA, to recognise the hard work you do to support and lead in teaching and learning.  You can make an independent application to Advance HE, which can be done at any time. This is currently supported at Sussex through termly information sessions and writing days, along with a Canvas site: https://canvas.sussex.ac.uk/courses/15023.  

The next information session will be Wednesday 2 October 13:00 until 14:00: 

Senior Fellowship information session (online)  
This will be recorded and a copy made available on the Canvas site. 

The next Senior Fellowship writing day will be Friday 8 November 9:30 until 15:00: 
Senior Fellowship writing day (online) 

Boards of Study

BoS are coming up – if anyone wants to get in touch with their AD to discuss changes to assessment then please get in touch –

Kitty Horne, Academic Developer (University of Sussex Business School) Email: k.r.horne@sussex.ac.uk 

Sarah Watson, Academic Developer (School of Media, Art and Humanities) Email: Sarah.Watson@sussex.ac.uk 

Sam Hemsley, Academic Developer (School of Psychology; School of Life Sciences; School of Mathematical and Physical Sciences; School of Engineering and Informatics) Email: S.Hemsley@sussex.ac.uk 

Charlotte Crouch, Academic Developer (School of Education and Social Work; School of Global Studies; School of Law, Politics and Sociology) Email: C.H.Crouch@sussex.ac.uk