The Teaching and Scholarship Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Teaching and Scholarship Podcast
The Teaching and Scholarship Podcast is a collaboration between The University of Southampton's Centre for Higher Education Practice (CHEP) and the Medical Education Innovation Network (Faculty of Medicine). It is intended to be of interest to all teaching focused/intensive academics in higher education who strive towards teaching excellence and wish to innovate their practice. The podcast aims to promote and raise the profile of teaching excellence within university education.
In episode 90 we welcome back Simon Guild to the show, who has now retired from the University of Glasgow. Simon shares his personal story and talks about how life rapidly changes as you move from a busy senior position, to full retirement. This is not a subject often talked about, but it should be, especially because academics often find it difficult to fully retire.
Episode 89 sees us leave the studio and get out and about in the department for some hot takes from NUNC 26. In this we chat to staff, students, organisers to show you what it's like on the day of NUNC!
In episode 88 we chat to students at Glasgow who have experienced some new EDI initiatives, both interms of curriculum intergration and academic culture. We chat to undergraduate students April, Eilidh and Holly about their experiences of studying within this context, and what they like and have learned from some of these newer developments.
In the latest epiosde we chat with David Faulds and Fiona Stubbs about Employability. David is an empoyer engagement manager working alongside academics at the Univeristy of Glasgow, to help bridge the gap between academia and industry within the field of biological sciences. Fiona is a careers and employment manager, in the same area, and supports students in developing discipline specific employability skills during their degree. In this epsiode, we chat about the importance of these experiences and opportunities in modern degree programmes to ensure that students are equiped with everything they need to enter the workplace and thrive, once they graduate. Along the way we may or may not digress a little and mix in some conversation about pubs and David's love of golf! it's a fun little listen, check it out.
In this episode I chat with anatomy students Holly and Cat who both added a year to their undergraduate BSc studies to obtain an MSc. April is currently applying to the programme now and wants to know what she can expect - who is this pathway right for? Join us for the conversation.
In this episode I have a chat with Consultant Neonatologist, Lesley Jackson and Consultant ENT/Head & Neck Surgeon, Cat Douglas. They are currently Head and Deputy Head of student support respectively, within the Glasgow Undergraduate Medical School. We chat about the importance of student support in modern higher education settings and discuss changes over the last decade or so - including greater awareness of mental health issues and openness about asking for help when it comes to welfare and welbeing. It's a great little convo, so come join us!
In this episode we chat to Professor Matthew Walters MBE, who is the Head of the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing and Professor of Clinical Pharmacology at the University of Glasgow. He is an academic physician whose clinical and research interests lie in the treatment of cerebrovascular disease. In the summer of 2026 Matthew will step down from his role as Head of School, so we take the time here to reflect a little on the highs, lows and where things are heading at the moment. We also delve into his background and youth (including an interesting rugby related story that involves him wearing a tutu!). It's an interesting conversation, so get stuck in!
In episode 83, we have students back on the show, talking about their ambitions for their society work duriung the academic year 2025-26. Inroducing Freya and her team to the show, we cover the impact that society work adds to the student experience, with both educational and social events throughout the year. We also get slightly distracted now and then and end up discussing why having a pie in a roll is even a thing, up here in Scotland!
In another special episode talking about body donation, myself and Professor Paul Rea speak with the daughter of one of our donors who was recieved by The University of Glasgow. In this one, we have a lovely chat with Anne Hempstock, who very generously talks us through the feelings and emotions within the family when a loved one chooses to donate their body for the purposes of research, education and training after their death. Anne explains how her mum was known to many as 'Wee Susie, and that she knew her own mind and exactly what she wanted to do once she passed. This provoked a lot of conversations amongst her family which she shares with us here. Anne tells us the heartfelt story of how proud her mum would have been of her, to know that she had contributed to this podcast, and that she able to tell her mum's story and raise the profile of body donation across Scotland.
In this episode we chat to Professor Eileen Cowey, who is Head of the Nursing & Health Care School, within the School of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing at The University of Glasgow.
Eileen's responsibilities include leading and managing the strategic direction of the Nursing & Health Care School, which consistently ranks highly in UK league tables for student satisfaction. Key activities include leading curriculum development, championing teaching quality, advancing internationalisation, and fostering interdisciplinary collaborations. We chat about the broader state of nursing education in the UK, the future of the NHS and much, much more, check it out!
It's time for episode 80 and in this one we speak with Maria Afonso who is a veterinary educator with an interest in pedagogy and scholarship of education - her main areas of interest are assessment, study skills, curriculum development and EDI. She currently teaches veterinary anatomy and is the course leader/level coordinator for the 2nd year of the UofG Veterinary Medicine (BVMS) programme.
In this episode we catch up once again with curriculum support manager Dr Ashley Lewis Cole who is part of The Curriculum Transformation Workstream; a concept which is predicated upon the idea that a student's core discipline should enable them to develop and demonstrate skills for the future workplace through an inclusive, accessible curriculum for Life (C4L) approach.
So...what if every student at the University of Glasgow had the opportunity to engage in a curriculum that contains opportunities for work-related and experiential learning that explores and addresses societal challenges, such as climate action, sustainability and social justice?
We discuss the phisophy underpinning the project and much more...
Body donation for anatomical education, training and research is so important in educating our future generations of doctors, dentists, nurses and scientists. The selfless act of donating your body after death for education is such a wonderful gift to our learners and donors are considered as the "silent teachers". Understanding human anatomy can only be done so effectively when we examine the human body in detail. Not only do our learners gain a better understanding of the human body, but it also instils an understanding of respect, care, dignity, empathy as well as communication skills and professionalism. For those students on vocational degrees, it goes beyond this and helps students develop the skills needed for their future careers with patients. We are delighted to present our Body Donation Podcast, from the Anatomy Facility here at the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing in the University of Glasgow. This podcast has been created by an expert panel of academics, technicians and administrative staff who lead on the Body Donation Programme. At the core of what we do in our Anatomy Facility is care, respect and dignity for the donors, and we have a dedicated team for the donors journey with us after death. We also ensure there is that same care, respect and dignity for the donors from all those who attend educational sessions, training, and undertake research on the human body. This care is also provided by our trainee surgeons and senior surgical faculty who rehearse and simulate surgical procedures in our Clinical Anatomy Skills Centre, a joint partnership with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow. This podcast covers all the practicalities around body donation, for those considering donating their body, to those who might have to deal with the practicalities of carrying out someone’s wishes that has registered with us, after their death. The podcast provides hints and tips to help with choosing body donation and making an informed decision; how to register for body donation; the ethics around decision making; administrative and legal advice; and demystifies the process. It is jargon free and there is no cost to listen to it, and no subscriptions are needed. This podcast is for anyone at all who is interested - from those wishing or considering donation; a family member, friend or associate who knows of someone considering donating; a healthcare practitioner or funeral director who wants to learn more; or for those who are simply curious and would like to hear more.
In epiosde 77 we talk to Cat Irving who is a human remains conservator at Surgeon's Hall, Edinburgh. After her postgraduate training in museum studies at Leicester, she became a licensed anatomist and has previously conserved the skeletal remains of the notorious nineteenth century serial killer William Burke, for display at National Museums of Scotland’s exhibition Anatomy: A Matter of Death and Life.
Cat regularly gives talks on anatomy and medical history for places such as National Museums of Scotland, Edinburgh International Science Festival, London Month of the Dead, The Mütter Museum, Arnos Vale Cemetery, University of Minnesota, Romancing the Gothic, and many others. Get ready for a fascinating conversation!
One of our most popular episodes in recent times has been the first one we did with Rahaf, who is a orthodontist, originally from Syria. It has been a year since we chatted last and much has changed, both in her personal and professsional life. In this episode (76) we talk to her about her developing career, some issues on educational approaches for learning subjects like anatomy and dentistry, and of course her continued success as a content creator on Insta - plus much more. Don't forget to check out her first episode if you have not heard that yet!
In this episode we speak to student Luca Papoff about why he chose to do an internship as opposed to a typical research project in his honours year. Traditionally, students get the choice to do either a lab based project or a dissertation in the final year of their degree, but many instititions are now also offering an internship as one of their options too.
This option gives the student the chance to work with an external partner, to give them a real world experience of working for a company and delivering on an objective in the work place. In this episode we talk about Luca's experience - how is it different, why might you choose it and what are the benefits. Check it out!
It's time for episode 74 and in this one I chat with Steph Scholten who is the Director of The 'Hunterian Museums' and its collections at the Univeristy of Glasgow. This episode provides some insight into managing this side of The UofG's estate, and so we discuss some of the issues that arise for Steph and his team during their daily work. We chat about things like, interesting specimens, ethical considerations, repatriation of items, the media, and much much more!
In this episode (#73) we get Joe Gray back in for a catch up on what he has been doing since he was last a guest on the show. There is of course the usual random nonsense intertwined with discuissions on The Royal Society of Biology accreditation, NSS stuff and talk on assessment and feedback too.
In this epiosde we have a festive round up of all the Univeristy of Glasgow's top news stories from 2024, along with some insights into how the communications team work and what they do. I am joined by Richard Warburton - Head of Commmunications and External Relations at UofG, and Charlotte Morris - the Communications Manager for The College of Social Sciences for a light hearted chinwag. Ever wondered how media requests are managed and how our staff end up on TV or radio? How does the Principal get advised on political or financial news that could affect the HE sector? It's all fascinating stuff, so join us for what ended up being a very long but highly enjoyable chat!
In epiosde 71 we speak with some 2024-25 anatomy student society committee members on the importance of student societies within Higher Education Institutions. I'm joined by University of Glasgow final year students, Olivia Campbell, Hannah Clark and Fraser MacLean to discuss all of this, their ambitions as a team, the extra curricular wokload, staff/student partnerships and a whole lot more!
In episode 70 we chat with Aileen bell, who is Deputy Head of School for Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing, Head of the Dental School and Professor of Oral Surgery & Dental Education at The Univeristy of Glasgow. In this one we chat about the NSS, where Aileen and her team have a sustained exemplary record, that has often led the way for further conversations on how things should be done, or could be improved in other disciplines. The conversation unpacks some of these aspects and we get some tips from Aileen about how to tackle areas that trouble many institutions, such as feedback and how it is acted upon.
In episode 69 we are joined by Ashley Lewis Cole, who is a curriculum support manager at Glasgow and has been involved in driving the COIL innitaitive. This stands for Collaborative Online International Learning and is a University wide project aimed at offering our student population opportunities for a more diverse cultural experience, especially when it is not possible to travel. Ashley has a wider role in policy and governance too, but here we mainly focus on the benefits of cultural diversity in undergraduate teaching at Glasgow, and how it can enrich the student experience.
In this one we get chatting to Hamish (a lectuer in biomedical Science at Glasgow) and Lauren,(a graduate teaching assisstent in Anatomy at Glasgow) to discuss the launch of a new MOOC on the considerations and applications of generative AI in educational settings. This has been a project led by Dr Ourania Varsou, who has been on the podcast prevsiously to discuss generative AI in higher education. We chat about why such a course is desirable, who it is for, and what it covers. Check it out!
In episode 67 we welcome Anton Muscatelli to the podcast to chat about the legacy he will leave at The Univeristy of Glasgow having served as its Principal and Vice Chancellor for 15 years. Sir Anton anounced his intentions to retire earlier this year, so we thought it would be a great idea to have him on the show and to have a reflective conversation about his time in office and to discuss some of the big changes/ challanges that he and the sector as a whole has experienced throughout that time. Since this is a teaching focused podcast, we take the opportunity to delve into Anton's approaches and attitudes to learning and scholarship and talk about aspects of the UofG education strategy. We even managed to squeeze in a brief chat about his favourite football team too, the mighty Inter Milan of course!
In episode 66 we chat to Dr Claire Fitton, who is the anatomy lead for the early years of the medical degree programme at Glasgow. She holds a BSc (Hons) in Biomedical Sciences (anatomy) from Cardiff University and an MSc in Forensic Anthropology from the University of Dundee. Claire’s PhD focused on biomechanical properties of Thiel embalmed arteries to help validate this as an endovascular research model. Since then Claire has developed some innovative teaching approaches to overcome the challanges of increased student numbers and enagagement levels in large practical anatomy classes, so this is our chance to chat about all this stuff and more - enjoy!
In epiosde 65 we catch up with British entrepreneur and former ostetrics doctor Johann Malawana. This is his second visit to the podcast, but his first in person. The Healthcare Ladership Academy was running face to face sessions from The University of Glasgow so this was the perfect opportunity to catch up with him about leadership training, and digital education, as well as finding out what he has been up to and how his initatives have developed since our previous conversation a few years ago. Since we are old pals, we also engage in a bit of banter and go off topic a few times, sorry about this, very unprofessional behaviour (sorry not sorry).
In this episode we catch up with Claire Donald who works in The School of Infection and Immunity at The University of Glasgow. Her background is in virology but she is passionate about supporting early career researchers in becoming passionate about teaching and has been part of a project that seeks out opportunities for them. We have a great chat about her interest in public engagement and discuss issues around pressures on modern academics and if aspiring to be a well balanced researcher and teacher has now become a thing of the past.
In this episode we catch up with Claire Donald who works in The School of Infection and Immunity at The University of Glasgow. Her background is in virology but she is passionate about supporting early career researchers in becoming passionate about teaching and has been part of a project that seeks out opportunities for them. We have a great chat about her interest in public engagement and discuss issues around pressures on modern academics and if aspiring to be a well balanced researcher and teacher has now become a thing of the past.
In this episode we catch up with Claire Donald who works in The School of Infection and Immunity at The University of Glasgow. Her background is in virology but she is passionate about supporting early career researchers in becoming passionate about teaching and has been part of a project that seeks out opportunities for them. We have a great chat about her interest in public engagement and discuss issues around pressures on modern academics and if aspiring to be a well balanced researcher and teacher has now become a thing of the past.
In this episode we chat to Rahaf Omran who is an Orthodontist (a what now?) a researcher, and an educator. She undertook her undergraduate and postgraduate training in Tishreen University Syria. In 2019. After that she began teaching dental students how to study dentistry in English, since Syria is the only country in the world that teaches dentistry solely in Arabic. This program became super popular among students there, and it was eventually adopted by Tishreen University as an optional subject in the curriculum. We chat about all this, her amazing success, plus her move to Glasgow and what it is like to be an educational influencer on Instagram!
In episode 62 we chat with Sadie Ryan, who completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Glasgow, graduating in English Literature and Creative Writing with first class honours. After completing her PhD, she became a Research Associate on the Manchester Voices project at Manchester Metropolitan University, before returning to the University of Glasgow’s School of Education as Lecturer in Languages and Intercultural Studies in 2022. Sadie also specialises in public engagement, and makes the award-winning linguistics podcast Accentricity [www.accentricity-podcast.com], which is aimed at a public, non-specialist audience, and aims to narrow the gap between academic knowledge about language and people’s everyday linguistic experiences. She leads the University of Glasgow Podcasting Collective, and is a member of the Young Academy of Scotland.
In this month's episode we talk to Dr Ahmad Elmansouri, who is a medical doctor working in Belfast, and also a published author with extensive experience in various hospital and health care industries. He is skilled in medicine (obviously!) and medical education research and mentorship. In this conversation we focus on undergraduate medicine, medical training within the NHS and touch on some of the political issues that affect the future of our NHS.
In episode 61 Lauren returns to continue our conversation on her recovery from anorexia and to talk about her adult diagnosis of autism and ADHD. This certainly seemed to explain a few things for her and it is interesting to hear how she manages studying/working and social experiences - an inspirational listen, mostly because Lauren is so open and honest about how she has adjusted. Her original episode on struggling with an eating disorder while growing up is number 54, so be sure to check that out first if you want to hear her full story!
It's time for episode 60 and in this one we chat to Prof Sarah Richardson who is the newly appointed Dean of Learning, Teaching and Student Experience in The College of Arts and Humanities at The University of Glasgow. Sarah is formerly of Warwick University where she won many awards for teaching and achieved a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship. Her interests are in the area of gender, history and politics and you can often hear or see her on the tv or radio, especially if there is a Royal death, wedding or scandal! There will be a general election next year so things will get busy for her again at that time, so we are glad she could make time for the T&S podcast now. Enjoy!
Episode 59: Dr Ourania Varsou trained in Medicine before completing a PhD in neuroscience at Aberdeen. She is currently the anatomy subject lead for Dentistry and is leading on a number of innovations in anatomy education including ultrasound applications/ training and humanistic approaches to medicine. She was recently invited to give a seminar by the British Association of Clinical Anatomists on the subject of the rise of artificial intelligence in anatomy education. In this podcast we explore all those ideas in the context of higher education more broadly and deep dive into the whole topic and its history. This is interesting stuff - give it a listen.
In this episode we speak to Jo Gill who is our new Vice Principal and Head of College of Arts and Humanities at The University of Glasgow (and Professor of Twentieth-Century and American Literature). Jo was formerly the University of Exeter’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor having previously served as the University’s Associate Dean for Education and, prior to that, as Associate Dean for International & Development. We chat about all things educational leadership, innovation and being part of the senior leadership team at Glasgow. Check it out!
Episode 57 is an Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (EDI) special with Dr Michelle Welsh who is the Deputy Head of Anatomy (Learning and Teaching) at The University of Glasgow. Michelle has a depth of experience in curriculum development, coordination and delivery. She has successfully pioneered EDI initiatives in the anatomy curriculum at Glasgow, which carry principles that can easily translate to other disciplines. We discuss her journey in developing this aspect of the curriculum and she shares some insights in how to get started if you are looking to do the same.
In this episode we chat to Sarah Honeychurch who is a good practice advisor at The University of Glasgow, with an educational research background in participatory learning. Sarah talks about educational theory, the emergence of AI, how to get into scholarship of teaching and lots, lots more!
In episode 55 we chat to Dr Matthieu Poyade, who is a Research Fellow in the School of Simulation and Visualisation at The Glasgow School of Art. He is the pathway leader of the MSc Medical Visualisation and Human Anatomy jointly offered with the University of Glasgow. His teaching focuses on Volumetric Visualization and Human Computer Interaction and Virtual/Augmented Reality. So, we end up having a good old natter about teaching, The rise of AI and and the future of multimedia applications in Higher Education.
In episode 54 we chat to Lauren - a former student at The University of Glasgow who now works for the visitor experience team at The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery operated by The University. Since childhood Lauren has struggled with anorexia. This conversation covers the deep struggle for her education and her family, as she tries to recover from the debilitating impact it has had on her life. Lauren advocates for mental health awareness and chats openly about her personal experiences and what Universities can do to support students in similar situations. it is a lovely heart warming chat, but have the tissues ready!
In this episode we have a great chat with Micaela who is the current VP Education at the University of Glasgow. Her role over the past year has been to provide effective student input into University decision making along with contributions to policy review processes on all matters pertaining to the student learning experience. We talk about the major challenges she has faced this year as well as her achievements. To add to the fun Prof Joe Gray pops up with a belated cheeky tribute to our 50th show via a poor quality recording (typical :)).
Episode 52 returns to a discussion on issues concerning senior educational leadership, as we catch up with Moira Fischbacher-Smith from The University of Glasgow. Moira is the Vice-Principal for Learning and Teaching and is responsible for driving the Universities educational strategy and so we get stuck into all that - covering teaching, scholarship, promotions and more.... oh, and we might happen to mention her love of dogs a couple of times. Grab a cuppa for this one and enjoy!
In episode 51 we chat to Craig Daly who is a physiologist in The School of Cardiovascular and Metabolic Health at The University of Glasgow. We talk to Craig about his homegrown roots, starting as a technician (during the golden years!) right through to full Professor on the Learning, Teaching and Scholarship pathway. Craig has an interest in the design of 3D animations and developing virtual reality content for education - so we talk about all that stuff and more!
The 50th episode! A real landmark for the Teaching and Scholarship Podcast. In this one we enter into a reflective mood - casting our minds back to older shows and former guests from the last few years. We have even invited some of these guests to record us a little message and some updates on their academic practice. A little different to the usual stuff but hope you enjoy it.
It's time for episode 49 already and in this one, recorded in early December 2022, we were very much in the party spirit ahead of Christmas. We chat to students Gabriel and David about their time at Glasgow studying an anatomy degree during the Covid era, and then emerging from the other side. Another student was going to join us too, but she was rather hung over and overslept (we wouldn't want it any other way to e honest!) Enjoy the conversation.
In episode 48 we talk to Dr Emma Reid who is a neuroscientist at the University of Glasgow. This one goes off in all sorts of places - we cover Emma's interest in stroke research, a bit on teaching, then talk a liitle about her love of Rangers FC! After that it swings back to careers and then finishes off with spring onions and wild animals. Enjoy, we had an absolute blast.
It's episode 47 and our guest on the show this month is Ian Colquhoun, a retired Cardiothoracxic Surgeon who works for The Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow and who is also the Clinical Assessment Lead for The Undergraduate Medical Degree at The University of Glasgow. We chat to him at length about his personal journey to become a suregon, the lifestyle that comes with it, and how modern medical education has changed over the years.
In this episode we chat to assessment guru Joe Gray, who is a Professor of Bioscience Education at The University of Glasgow. Joe talks to us about assessment, grading and feedback, as well as what the recent online era of assessment has taught us. Plus we have a little chuckle along the way, coz Joe is a right laugh - it's all good fun. Enjoy.
In this episode we chat to assessment guru Joe Gray, who is a Professor of Bioscience Education at The University of Glasgow. Joe talks to us about assessment, grading and feedback, as well as what the recent online era of assessment has taught us. Plus we have a little chuckle along the way, coz Joe is a right laugh - it's all good fun. Enjoy.
In episode 45 we chat with Deputy Director of Education and Senior Lecturer in Psychology (at The University of Glasgow), Emily Nordmann. We have an all round fun catch with Emily about her research into the relationship between technology and learning, especially related to the application of lecture capture and how it can be used as an effective study tool for students from widening participation backgrounds.
She also has a cool blog which has a post on the psychology of swearing, so we f***king definitely had to talk about that (without swearing, which was actually really hard).
In episode 44 we have a chat to JP Leach who is a Professor of Clinical Neurology and Honorary Professor within The School of Medicine Dentistry and Nursing at The University of Glasgow. JP is the head of undergraduate medical programmes at The University, so naturally we get stuck into conversations about about medical education, curriculum development, neuro anatomy and of course, the one thing everyone wants to talk to him about - his background in stand up comedy!
In episode 43 I have a great discussion with Mia Clarke who has been occupying the role of VP Education at The University of Glasgow for the last year. She has been at the heart of policy making - respresenting the student learning experience and all academic issues on the Student's Representative Council. Here we have a wonderfully honest, open and refreshing chat about her background, passions, influences and achievements at Glasgow. We have a good laugh along the way as well - this one was an absolute joy.
In Episode 42 we talk to Dr Nathalie Tasler, who is a Lectuer in Academic and Digital Development at The University of Glasgow. We chat to her about creative learning, The Scholarship of Learning and Teaching Network... where she even has her own (excellent) podcast with a similar name to this one (ouch!). Nathalie is very passionate about open access educational resources and so we touch on that too, as well as all the usual banter you get used to here. Enjoy!
Episode 41 continues the conversation with Dr Jason Organ from Indiana University, USA. Jason is an Associate Professor in anatomy, cell biology and physiology (as you know already!) contributing to much teaching, but also with a passion for scientific communication. We pick up the chat here with Jason explaining how his career has evolved. Then we move on to talk about his co-edited special issue of the Anatomical Record, which opens up a discussion around some sensitive issues regarding the history of anatomy and its associated resources.
For our 40th episode we have a chat with Dr Jason Organ from Indiana University over in the USA. Jason is an Associate Professor in anatomy, cell biology and physiology contributing to a lot of teaching, but also finding the time to pursue his research interests in brittle bone disease. He is Co-Editor and Writer of the Public Library of Science (PLOS) Science Communication Blog. In 2018, Jason received the prestigious AAA Basmajian Award for excellence in teaching gross anatomy and outstanding accomplishments in biomedical research and scholarship in education. One of his main areas of interest is science communication and he has disseminated a fair bit on this topic. Jason and I are old pals, so this one takes a few diversions here and there. So much so in fact, we had to split the conversation in two parts! Enjoy part 1 for now.
In episode 39 we chat to Niamh Stack who is the Deputy Head and Director of Teaching and Learning of the School of Psychology at The University of Glasgow (although not for much longer as she is leaving 😞). Niamh is interested in research on effective pedagogy, curriculum enhancement and graduate skills, so she is the perfect guest for the podcast! We chat about all things related to that and life on the education focused career path. Plus, Stephan is back in this episode. Where has he been you ask? On sabbatical the lucky devil!
In Episode 38 we have a chat with senior medical student Charlie Taylor who, during his time studying medicine at Southampton, has entered into business with some friends to develop Sina Medical Technology. Sina enables patients to diagnose, monitor and rehabilitate their injury directly from their phone. We chat to Charlie about his story and how he manages to balance his degree alongside launching an innovative and exciting new business venture.
In episode 37 we chat with Chris Finlay who is a Professor of Life Sciences Education within the School of Life Sciences at The University of Glasgow. His key role is Chief Advisor of Studies, so Chris has been at the heart of student related matters and welfare throughout the pandemic. We catch up with him about that, plus what it is like being on a learning, teaching and scholarship contract and of course his passion for widening access to Higher Education.
In episode 36 we chat to Simon Guild who is the Head of The School of Life Sciences within the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow where he has oversight of 20 undergraduate and 5 PGT Masters degrees.
We talk to to Simon about all manner of stuff, ranging from strategic planning, leadership, innovation and research-led teaching, right through to staff development and promotion on the Learning Teaching and Scholarship career pathway. Expect the usual drenching of imaginative analogies to enrich the flow of conversation. You will be sure to enjoy this one!
Episode 35 of the podcast collects a number of reflections from Southampton students who have been involved in sustainable staff/student partnership projects. We briefly hear from Neil Ford (once again - hurrah!) about his passion for this practice, and he introduces a few perspectives from some of the students he has worked with. We also listen to the thoughts of some undergraduate medical students in the Faculty of Medicine who have been involved in peer assisted teaching, leading on intra-curricular projects and become involved in the pedagogy of these approaches.
In episode 34 we ask sustainability big dog Simon Kemp back on to the podcast to chat about all things education during and beyond Covid-19. No script, no plan, just education chat and a weird man standing at the window trying to signal to us a couple of times! Stephan is back with his feature from The US, this time reflecting on Adam Procter's episode, plus he has a few literature recommendations.
In episode 33 we make a return to a face to face conversation for the first time in 18 months. In this one we sit down with Charlotte and Emily who have been supporting the integration of Blackboard Ally across the University of Southampton via their internship with The Digital Learning Team. We had a great conversation about ways in which we can reduce barriers to learning, plus their top 5 tips on how to make information equally accessible to all learners online. Big thanks to Joe who helped us out with all the kit to make it happen!
Episode 32 sees us catching up with Adam Procter, who is the Programme Lead for Games Design and Art at The Winchester School of Art, at The University of Southampton. We have a fascinating discussion covering everything from retro gaming and innovative tech right through to open-source, free-software. Plus, I also give my Pocket Operator (PO12 Rhythm) a spin just to give it that old school 'Super Nintendo' vibe! Stephan is back too, keeping us posted on things over in the States including some academic book reviews - brace yourselves, it is a long one!
In episode 31 we have a nice chat with Chris Downey who is the Current Deputy Head Education in the Education School at The University of Southampton. His research interests are in the allied fields of educational improvement and effectiveness, especially in how the associated data can be utilised to both inform and evaluate educational improvement from Early Years through to Higher Education. We cover so much ground in this one, so get ready! We delve into educational research, programme level evaluations, leadership and building an education portfolio. Plus Stephan (in the US) is back talking all things tech once again with his new audio blog feature.
Once again, we catch up with David Read for a bonus mini podcast to talk about the CHEP festival of teaching and learning. This year there is a fringe event taking place on Thursday 15th July 2021 (14:00-16:30)on MS Teams. This includes workshops and discussions focused on teaching practices over the last academic year.
David talks to the T&S Podcast about how the idea of a fringe event came about, plus what to expect and how to get involved in the main event taking place in September.
In episode 29 we have a lovely chat with Kieron Broadhead, who is the Executive Director of The Student Experience at The University of Southampton. Kieron leads the professional services that deliver on student facing activity as well as driving the strategic leadership of the student experience across The University. Nearly every conversation about the future of higher education involves the topic of the student experience, whether that be operational aspects, the learning environment, or pastoral support. Either way, this topic has become a leading part of many University level educational strategies in recent years. Oh, and we have a new feature as well. We have invited Stephan back from last month to give us a tech update from the EdTech capital of the world, Pittsburgh, United States.
In episode 28 we chat to Stephan Caspar, who is an Assistant Teaching Professor of media creation and multi-cultural studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA. Stephan has a background in creative media and design, working initially as a filmmaker before moving into education. He continues to work as an artist practitioner, in VR creation, immersive design, and 360 documentary production. Stephan will be well known to many at the University of Southampton since he is a former member of the digital learning team. The T&S Podcast caught up with Stephan to get his view on the post covid shift towards blended learning. We chat about what life is like inside the big tech bubble and the future of technology enhanced learning.
In Episode 27 we chat to Naomi Winstone who is The Director of the Surrey Institute of Education at the University of Surrey. Naomi's background is in cognitive and educational psychology, where she has sustained a track record of integrating innovative teaching methods and formative assessment into her teaching. She has influenced practice across the sector through her research on student engagement with feedback. Those at Southampton may recall that back in 2019 Naomi gave a very inspiring Keynote Talk at the Inaugural CHEP Festival of Teaching and Learning. In this episode of the podcast it was fantastic to catch up with her and discuss what she has been doing since and the finer detail of feedback approaches and processes in HE.
In Episode 26 we chat to Johann Malawana, who just happens to know a thing or two about educational innovation! He is the founder and director of The HealthCare Leadership Academy, as well as the founder and CEO of Medics.Academy. Johann is known to many for his leadership role of the BMA during the junior doctors strike in 2015. Since then his career has focused on developing leadership skills in early stage doctors and health professionals, as well as pioneering innovative technology enhanced learning products. Johann is a natural when it comes to broadcasting, so this was a fun little conversational journey where we only get side tracked, maybe once or twice! :)
Episode 25 of the T&S podcast sees us reaching out beyond The University of Southampton to speak with Sam Nolan. Sam is currently Assistant Director at Durham University’s Centre for Academic Development but is also well known nationally and internationally for developing a number of scholarly development initiatives across the sector. He is a strong advocate for celebrating the contributions and raising the profile of teaching focused academics at higher education institutions. We catch up with Sam to hear about all his recent projects, his views on educational leadership, plus the TEF (Durham have Gold, just in case you were wondering!).
In episode 24 we catch up with the one and only Jane Wilkinson, who is is Associate Dean, Education in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. As a consultant, Jane has developed a home ventilation service, contributed to the lung cancer team, and worked with the sleep-disordered breathing service. She has been hugely influential within Medical Education at Southampton and we discuss her approach to leadership, educational strategies and the importance of the student experience.
In episode 23 we catch up with one of our well known former students, Jess Sainsbury. Jess is a newly registered nurse working at Solent NHS trust. While studying at Southampton she threw herself into extra-curricular projects and academic representation roles including working as an Intern for CHEP, taking on the Academic President of Nursing role, and more recently as Chair of the Royal College of Nursing's Student's Committee. We talk to Jess about her Southampton learning experience (from a student's perspective) and tips on how current students can make the most of their University experience - especially in terms of using the student voice to influence positive change in HE.
In episode 22 we chat to Claire Hart who is an Associate Professor within Psychology at the University of Southampton. Claire researches the fascinating subject area of narcissistic dysfunction. Her current projects focus on its manifestation in different contexts, one of which is the pursuit of educational goals. Claire leads on the innovative module called the 'psychology of attractiveness' where she utilises some pretty cool teaching approaches. We talk to her in depth about this interesting field and how she engages her students with her subject matter.
In episode 21 we catch up with Dr Phil Higham, who is a Reader in Cognitive Psychology within Psychology at the University of Southampton. His research focuses on long-term human memory and metacognition and identifies methods to ensure that student learning endures over time.
We discuss strategies for the role of feedback in learning- something which is very relevant to the move towards blended and online delivery. Whereas many students revise by studying and restudying course material, research shows that they would be better off being more active by generating answers to potential questions and then receiving corrective feedback.
In episode 20 we chat to Neil Ford who is a Principal Teaching Fellow (Education Development) in the Business School at The University of Southampton and a member of the CHEP team. We catch up with Neil (remotely of course, since we were all in full lockdown mode at the time of recording) to talk about all things related to student partnership, co-creating resources with our students and the educational philosophy underpinning this approach. Recent work of Neil's has included the development of an online learning community, expanding the school's undergraduate peer support scheme, developing support for transition to our programmes, and improving assessment and feedback processes.
In episode 19 we have a lovely chat with Professor Sally Curtis (our first Covid lockdown interview!) who is the newly appointed Deputy Head of School Education in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. Despite talking remotely, Sally's passionate and committed enthusiasm towards widening participation is abundantly clear. We discuss her inclusive approach and how she fosters self-belief and embraces the tremendous value of her students which led to her National Teaching Fellowship Award in 2019. Sally designs and delivers teaching, assessment and support to help students optimise their potential and to support the national and global development of widening participation.
Episode 18 features Professor Rachel Mills, who is the Dean of The Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences at The University of Southampton. We catch up with Rachel to talk about her career which includes leading on both research and education strategies. She has developed and delivered undergraduate and postgraduate programmes but more recently she has led the development and delivery of a MOOC (free online course) called ‘Exploring our Ocean’ that has had global reach, with learners of all ages and impact on societal understanding of sustainable oceans. We also get a flavour of what it is like to be the Dean of a faculty and gain insight into her effective style of leadership.
Welcome to a bonus lockdown episode of the teaching and scholarship podcast from The University of Southampton. In this one we catch up with Prof David Read about his plans to deliver the Centre for Higher Education Practice's festival of learning and teaching to an entirely online format for 2020.
Event. Time: 10:00 - 16:00; Date: 16 September 2020
https://sotonac.sharepoint.com/teams/chep/SitePages/festival.aspx
In Episode 16 we have a coffee and chat with none other than Professor Alex Neill, who is the Vice-President (Education) and a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Southampton. As the key person to have University-wide oversight of all activities relating to education, we asked Alex, what is a typical (non-covid-19) day like for you, and other important questions like do you get time to eat lunch?!
As you might expect, this podcast focuses mostly on educational leadership and strategy, but we do manage to find some time to ask Alex to reflect upon his days of frontline teaching and the approaches he took when he was a fresh young whipper snapper!
In episode 15 of the T&S Podcast we catch up with Prof Anna Barney who is the Associate Dean Education within Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton. In 2019 Anna was appointed Pro Vice-Chancellor (education). Since then she has been working closely with Professor Alex Neill, the University’s Vice-President (Education) to further develop and deliver the University’s education strategy, initially with a particular focus on embedding processes to enhance the quality of its programmes. In our conversation we get some rich insights into her educational philosophy and what it is like to be a senior education leader at Southampton.
In episode 14 we talk to Kamil Zwolski, who is an Associate Professor in International Politics at The University of Southampton and The Jean Monnet Chair of European Security Governance.
Kamil is at the forefront of innovative applications in education, most notably through his student partnership projects on assessment and feedback utilising MS Teams (something that we now all find ourselves becoming familiar with whether we like it or not!).
As part of his Jean Monnet Chair award, Kamil began popularising research-based teaching in European studies. His annual Workshop ‘Research-based Teaching in EU Studies’ offers inclusive and encouraging space to exchange knowledge and best practice among EU studies teachers.
In episode 13 we chat to Professor Tony Sampson, who is the Director of Programmes (Undergraduate) in the Faculty of Medicine and the education lead for the School of Clinical & Experimental Sciences at The University of Southampton.
Previously the leader of Year 1 of the Bachelor of Medicine (BM5/6/EU) programme from 2011 to 2018, Tony has won the Vice-Chancellor’s Teaching Award (2011) and was voted ‘Outstanding Faculty Lecturer’ by Southampton medical students in 2013 and again in 2014. Tony is well known amongst medical students for his inimitable lecturing style that usually involves his characteristic 'dead-pan' delivery with copious amounts of dry wit thrown in for good measure! In this podcast we have a relaxed chat with him about his pharmacology textbook, his teaching approaches and his mild disliking of live lecture capture recording!
In episode 12 we chat to Shahnaz Ibrahim, who is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship within Southampton Business School at the University of Southampton. She is also Programme Leader for MSc Digital Business and MSc Entrepreneurship and Management.
We caught up with Shahnaz to talk about what it was like to be named the 2019 winner of the Vice Chancellor's Teaching Award at Southampton, along with her achievements in raising the next generation of mission-led and socially responsible business leaders and entrepreneurs. Shahnaz is an inspirational educator with a unique passion for teaching which we can all benefit from hearing about. Enjoy!
In episode 11 we chat to Dr Neil Gostling about all things evolution and biological development (Evo-Devo). Neil is easily one of the most engaging lecturers at the University of Southampton which has led to recognition from both his students (SUSU Excellence in Teaching Awards) and his peers (VC Teaching Award). His non hierarchical style and passion for his subject allow his students to flourish in the classroom and on his legendary field trips! - one of which is a nice little trip to the Galapagos Islands (MRes Evolution Degree).
In our tenth episode we chat to Russell Bentley who is a Professor of Political Theory within Economic, Social and Political Sciences and Deputy Head of School - Education, at the University of Southampton. Russell talks about the continuous need to engage our students through enthusiasm and passion in our teaching and talks very candidly about the need to recognise and reward teaching excellence. Plus, we discuss some of the problems associated with the term 'Teaching Fellow' and how it is a source of much confusion in the academic world.
In episode 9 we chat to Alastair McDonald, who is the Director of Design Education within the School of Engineering, Programme Lead of the Civil Engineering and Architecture course, and Director of the Design Show. We talk to Alastair about his vision towards generating innovative engineering graduates who have the potential to provide sustainable solutions for our societies and environments.
Alastair was awarded a Vice Chancellor’s Teaching Award in 2015, the IStructE Excellence in Structural Engineering Education Award in 2018 and an Erskine Teaching Fellowship to the University of Canterbury, New Zealand in 2018.
In episode 8 we chat to Jim Anderson who is a Professor of Mathematics at the University of Southampton. He is currently the Associate Dean (Education) for the Faculty of Social Sciences and a Principal Fellow of Advance HE. We talk about what it is like to lead on education across an entire faculty as well as other important matters, such as why his office is so neat and tidy! We also ask him if he is ready for subject level TEF - what do you think he said?
In episode 7 we talk to Lucy Green, who is an Associate Professor in developmental physiology at the University of Southampton. As a British Science Association Media Fellow, her broadcasting experience has allowed her to raise awareness about the risks of non communicative diseases on those with poor developmental starts in life. Although on a balanced career pathway, Lucy is passionate about research informed education. This not only benefits our own students, but also the wider public and influences future policy makers. We talk to Lucy about her innovative approaches in communicating with different audiences and her involvement in organising the annual 'Science and Engineering day', which is a primary example of public engagement with research.
In episode 6 we talk to Shelley Parr who is the Director of the Centre for Higher Education Practice (CHEP) at the University of Southampton. In this role she is responsible for a major aspect of the University 10 Year Plan and strategy in leading the transformation of professional learning of academic staff. Formally the Director of Undergraduate Programmes in the Faculty of Medicine, Shelley gained recognition for leading a team of staff and students towards a successful application on behalf of the Faculty for an international ASPIRE student engagement award.
Eleanor Quince is a Principal Teaching Fellow in History at the University of Southampton. In recognition of her work in the field of educational development, Eleanor has been awarded Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. Within the wider University, she works to further the institution's employability agenda. She is Chair of the University's Employability Strategy Network and an Academic Partner in the Southampton Opportunity project. In this podcast we talk about her love for education and her module called The Real Downton Abbey! Yes that's right, there is a module about Downton Abbey! We were also very tempted to drink that bottle of wine on her desk because we were having such a great time.
In episode 4 we talk to Jude Holloway, who is a Professor within the faculty of Medicine at the University of Southampton. Jude's MSc Allergy course is recognised at National, European and Worldwide levels. Her innovative techniques and practices led to a National Teaching Fellowship in 2017. We chat about Jude's passion for teaching and her insights into teaching excellence, the role of technology in education and her innovative approaches towards taught postgraduate education.
In episode 3 we talk to James Wilson who is a lecturer in mental health at The University of Southampton. James is an award winning educator and a leading national practitioner of the innovative use of interactive theatre within learning and teaching environments. Amongst other things, we chat with James about his National Teaching Fellowship and his perspectives on why innovation matters in higher education and how it can lead to teaching excellence. We also found out that he was once quite handy at football and was capped for Scotland!
In epsiode 2 we chat to Simon Kemp who is a Professorial Fellow in education of sustainable development at The University of Southampton. Simon is a well established and leading innovator in teaching excellence in Higher Education and a serial award winner! We talk to Simon about his academic background, tips on career progression along the education pathway and his views on such things as The NSS and The TEF. Plus...... not forgetting all those awards he has won, incluing the very prestigous Times Higher Education (THE) most innovative teacher of the year and his National Teaching Fellowship.
We chat to David Read, Professorial Fellow in Chemistry Education at the University of Southampton, who talks about his career involving educational innovation, his National Teaching Fellowship and his role within The Centre for Higher Education Practice at The University of Southampton.