Supporting student learning in 2020-21: avoiding a common misstep
One if the many important questions to have arisen during the current pandemic, is how we can effectively induct and orient students into new ways and, indeed, new modes of learning. Although this is to be very much welcomed, some of us would also want to caution against and unfortunate move people sometimes make when […]
Introducing students to what lectures are for (and not for)
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. During the initial weeks of the first term, when most new students will be encountering lectures for the first time, it’s worth spending a little time clarifying what lectures are for, setting out expectations, and demonstrating how students can get the most […]
Supporting students’ active listening and note-making practices
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. The earlier lectures on your course can provide a good opportunity to help students develop more effective, efficient and purposeful approaches to note-making. Students might be tempted to try and write down every word (a strategy that can easily lead them to […]
Jargon bingo
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. This is a playful exercise that can run alongside more conventional activities and can be useful if lecturing on a topic heavy with specialist terminology. I came across it thanks to Learning Development (LD) colleagues at De Montfort University, with whom I […]
Fostering dialogue and interaction in seminars and group tutorials
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. The purpose and function of smaller group teaching sessions will vary depending on the context. Below are just a few ideas for activities designed to establish that these sessions work best when they are interactive and dialogical. It’s probably a good idea […]
Supporting assessment tasks in seminars and group tutorials
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. Seminars and smaller group tutorials can also be useful spaces in which to engage students in dialogue around assessment tasks and so help build students ‘assessment literacy’. The activities detailed below are all taken from the LLI’s Transitions Toolkit (www.le.ac.uk/transitions-toolkit). Anonymous […]
Helping to scaffold students’ reading practices
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. The activities here are designed to help students understand how to read more effectively for academic purposes and to develop their own academic reading practices. More detailed advice and guidance on supporting students’ reading practices is available in the LLI’s Transitions Toolkit […]
Supporting student transition: mid-term personal tutor meeting
This is a draft preview version of a resource currently in production. Below are some questions and prompts designed to help study-related discussions with students during their first semester. More extensive, thematic question sets and activities are available in the Transitions Toolkit (www.le.ac.uk/transitions-toolkit) How has studying at university compared with what you were […]
How video can support active learning
I recently attended the Panopto EMEA Annual Conference in London. This conference provides an opportunity for sharing best practice and to learn about latest developments in using video for learning and teaching. The theme this year was ‘Your video learning ecosystem’ and the agenda covered how academics are using video to enhance their students’ […]
Inclusivity in higher education: a learning developer’s perspective
It’s been really encouraging to see the renewed focus on inclusivity in recent weeks and months, and hopefully this will lead to real positive changes in the way we teach, assess and support learning. Here I want to outline, from a learning development perspective, what I think are important, but sometimes somewhat neglected, questions when […]
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