Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University: Recent Episodes
Newcastle University
This fortnightly podcast looks at all the great things we are doing in learning and teaching here at Newcastle University. In each episode we will hear from a wide range of guests, and guest hosts to discover more about their stories and the work behind their stories. There will be long form conversations, magazine style articles, and much more.
This week Ben Steel from LTDS sat down with Pro Vice Chancellor Education Professor Ruth Valentine and Dean of Digital Education Dr David Kennedy. As with all emerging technologies, it is our role as educators to explore and investigate the opportunities they provide to our students’ educational experience, as well as to consider any potential negative impacts. Ben, Ruth and David discuss Newcastle University’s response to these tools, with a focus on the five principles for the use of AI at Newcastle.
This week Ben Steel from LTDS sat down with Louise Masson a Librarian Liaison Officer from our Library Liaison team in the Philip Robinson Library.
This is the final in a three part mini series that will look at the pedagogy of Canvas and how educators from across Newcastle University are utilising the tools in Canvas to provide a rich learning experience for our students.
This is the second in a three part mini series that will look at the pedagogy of Canvas and how educators from across Newcastle University are utilising the tools in Canvas to provide a rich learning experience for our students.
This is the first in a three part mini series that will look at the pedagogy of Canvas and how educators from across Newcastle University are utilising the tools in Canvas to provide a rich learning experience for our students.
In this episode, we look at how students at Newcastle University engage with our community in the North East to support learners from all age groups and areas of society.
In this episode, Holly Wheeler talks to Professor Tom Ward, Mack Marshall, Dr Amina Razak and Claire Rodgerson about the 2023 Learning and Teaching Conference and its theme Student Centred Education.
In this episode, Dr Chris Whiting from the Academic Practice Team speaks with Prof. Sally Brown and Prof. Kay Sambell about authentic assessment in higher education.
In this first episode, Sarah Graham, the Dean of Education for HaSS, sits down with Dr David Kennedy, our new Dean of Digital Education, to discuss: David’s new role His strategy for digital education over the next 12 months The challenges he will face over the next year And how digital education will impact students once David implements his strategy.
Hello and welcome to a special preseason trailer of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast. We also have an update on one of our specials from season one. Dr. Raghda Zahran, from NUIT, returns to talk to Dr. Matthew Forshaw, a reader in data science, and Dr. Huizhi (Elly) Liang, a senior lecturer in computing science, about how learning analytics plays a part in their courses and their teaching.
‘Creative Practice’ as a discipline itself can seem mysterious, and yet we enjoy the fruits of that labour all the time; whether through live performance, in a gallery, on television, radio or online, but also in the shape of the built environment, in consumer product design, in the visual and sonic saturation of our attention, every day. But how can creative practice be taught?
In this episode, we speak to Dr Pascal Stiefenhofer (Senior Lecturer and UG Director of Studies, Newcastle University Business School) about his research using games to aid those with mathematical anxiety. We also hear from Sarah Carnegie and Dr Tracy Scurry (both also from Newcastle University Business School) about a student project to create a board game to teach about the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
In this episode Emma McCulloch (Academic Practice Team Manager in LTDS) and Kevin Johnson (Disability Practitioner in Student Health and Wellbeing services) discuss the research Kevin has undertaken to develop a supportive practice toolkit to help teaching colleagues best support students with specific learning needs.
This episode introduces Newcastle University's approach to learning analytics from four interconnected perspectives.
As we approach the 2021/22 semester two assessment period, we will see the return of in-person exams for most of our students. Spring 2022 will be the first time since January 2020 that most of our students last took part in an in-person exam. Many students have not completed an in-person exam since their A-levels or even GSCEs. In this episode, aimed at students, our guest host Orla Thomas, a third-year history student will take you through her experience of an in-person exam journey.
Transcript available here
Hello and welcome to episode 22 of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast.
We look back at our 2022 Learning & Teaching Conference that took place on the 31st of March 2022.
The conference, titled ‘Education for All: Learning Together’ was a chance to bring colleagues and students together and talk about learning, teaching & education going forward and what things we can learn from a tumultuous couple of years.
Before the conference, we checked in with Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education Tom Ward who shares why he feels the conference is so important. He also picked out some of some of the key things he looked forward to such as Student Wellbeing and assessment design.We then spoke with the Prof Paul Ashwin, just after finishing his Keynote address that posed the question ‘What is an Education For’. Paul gives us some behind-the-scenes insights into the process that goes into preparing a delivering a Keynote, and how these events help his research.
We also caught up with a few colleagues of the conference, who explained what the conference means to them.
Recordings of the presentations and lightning talks are now available to view via ReCap:
https://campus.recap.ncl.ac.uk/Panopto/Pages/Sessions/List.aspx?folderID=6e3b00d5-58ad-49cf-aa2f-ae660082e8c9
If you are interested in keeping in touch with next year’s conference. Please join our Learning & Teaching Development Service Newsletter:
https://forms.ncl.ac.uk/view.php?id=2940658&_gl=11nrh6r4_gaMTI0OTgwMzg1OS4xNTIzNDg2ODk1_ga_VH2F6S16XP*MTYxMDczNzUxNy4xMS4xLjE2MTA3NDIxMTQuMA
In this episode, we talk to Sandy Alden, team leader withing the Universities Disability and Specialist Learning team and Dr Luisa Wakeling, a Senior Lecturer at the School of Dental Sciences to explore how the university adapted to teaching students with additional learning support, disabilities, or conditions at the start and throughout the pandemic, and we talk about the what the future of learning looks like.
In this episode Dr Paul Fleet (Chair of the Academic Progress Board of Studies at Newcastle University) talks to Professor Ruth Morrow and Professor Richard Clay (Co-Heads of School X) about harnessing the collective power of interdisciplinarity and cross-sector collaboration across the University to help colleagues and students be producers of excellence, creativity, and impact.
In this episode Dr Paul Fleet (Chair of the Academic Progress Board of Studies at Newcastle University), and Kate Aitchison (Head of Student Health & Wellbeing) talk about the importance of embedding structures of wellbeing into Higher Education for the benefit of all stakeholders.
According to the Learning and Teaching Website. Feedback should be a dialogue rather than one-way communication. It should clearly link to the learning outcomes and encourage students to reflect on their learning.
In this episode, our guest host Susan Barfield a Learning Enhancement & Technology Adviser from LTDS investigates how feedback is given, received, and interpreted.
In a previous episode of the Learning and Teaching @ Newcastle University Podcast, we listened to the student’s view on assessment.
In this episode, Graeme Redshaw-Boxwell from LTDS returns to speak to the three Deans of Education from our three faculties to discuss assessment.
In this episode, our guest host Holly Wheeler, a Team Administrator in the Educational Policy and Governance Team in LTDS. Digs into the concept of the Student Voice and Student Voice Surveys.
In this episode we hear from Jack Chamberlain and Sam Mead who help to run the PARTNERS programme at Newcastle University. PARTNERS is a dynamic and innovative programme that gives prospective students a chance to experience university life before starting a degree. Both staff and students can get involved to support the PARTNERS Programme by contacting partners@ncl.ac.uk.
We also hear from SAGE PhD researcher Josh Cunday who shares his thoughts on how best to get back into gear after the holiday season. Returning from the Christmas break, especially in a student's first year, can be disorienting. In this section, we speak to Josh to understand how he deals with the change of pace from uni to home life and back again, especially with assessments around the corner.
In this episode Dr Paul Fleet (Chair of the Academic Progress Board of Studies at Newcastle University), Sandy Alden (Manager of the Disability Team within our Student Health and Wellbeing Service at Newcastle University), and Dr Hilary Potter (Teaching Fellow in German with research interests in Cultural Memory and Educational Practice) talk about the importance of giving inclusive and meaningful feedback, linked to the value of using audio feedback from both student and staff perspectives.
In this episode, we focus on a student's view of assessments. We catch up with Emily and Josh our regular student contributors. We then hear from Liv Jonassen and Helen Webster who take us through how the Library can support students in getting the best out of their assessments and exams.
In this episode Emma McCulloch from the Academic Practice Team speaks with colleagues across the university who have recently gained a category of Fellowship with Advance HE.
In this episode, Rosa Spencer (Professional Development Manager at Newcastle University) and James Davoll (Creative Practitioner and Technical Manager at Newcastle University) talk about evidencing and gaining a category of HEA fellowship from Advance HE from a technician’s perspective.
Hello and welcome to episode ten of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast. As we celebrate black history month, we look at Decolonising the Curriculum and speak with key members of the university about this subject. In this episode, we try to go beyond the title and see how the process can be implemented here at Newcastle University.
Hello and welcome to episode eight of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast. This first section is dedicated to placements and internships in industry and also study abroad opportunities. Contributors to this episode include the NU Careers Service, International Office and Industry representatives, plus students who have just started or finished their placements/internships. All hosted by the SNES Academic Lead for Employability and Enterprise, Dr Lee Higham.
Hello and welcome to episode eight of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast. In this episode, we have five interviews that cover three topics, exploring different aspects of learning and teaching here at Newcastle University.
Hello and welcome to episode seven of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast.
In this episode, we have one topic and two interviews that will explore welcoming new and existing students on campus here at Newcastle University.
You may (or may not) already know that Newcastle University has two branch campuses; one in Malaysia and one in Singapore. In this episode Sue Gill from the Learning and Teaching Development Service (LTDS) and Dr Paul Hubbard (Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at New Med and currently based at our Malaysian Campus in Johor) look at what academic life is like in a branch campus, what the learning and teaching issues to consider are, and how Covid changed the branch campus experience.
Hello and welcome to episode five of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast.
In this episode, we have three topics that will explore different aspects of learning and teaching at Newcastle University.
Hello and welcome to episode four of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast. In this episode Suzanne Hardy from the Learning and Teaching Development Service here at Newcastle University speaks with Chair of the Association for Learning Technology, and DVC at Chester University Professor Helen O’Sullivan.
Hello and welcome to episode three of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University podcast.
In this episode Suzanne Hardy from the Learning and Teaching Development Service here at Newcastle University speaks with education consultant, writer, researcher, and commentator Helen Beetham.
In this episode Dr Paul Fleet (Chair of the Academic Progress Board of Studies at Newcastle University) and Michael Atkinson (Lecturer in Medical Education and Mindfulness Teacher at Newcastle University) talk about how we can best integrate mental health and wellbeing into our daily lives in ways that can enhance our working practices and beyond.
There is a transcript available.
This discussion point, taken from the meeting of the Academic Progress Board on 18th March 2021, recognises that mental health and wellbeing in academic practice is not only increasingly important as a topic of conversation in HE, but is fundamentally important to our pedagogic development as an academic community. This podcast is for anyone involved in higher education (staff and students) and makes reference to research-driven ideas and practice to encourage a community of supportive wellbeing, including the power of a smile!
This is the first of a set of podcasts developed from the meetings of the Academic Progress Board of Studies and for more information on the work and support of the Academic Progress Team please contact: apt.lts@newcastle.ac.uk or visit https://www.ncl.ac.uk/ltds/professional/
References
There is a transcript available.
Houghton, A–M. & Anderson, J. (2017) Embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum: maximising success in higher education. York: Higher Education Academy
Bok, D. C. (2010) The politics of happiness: what government can learn from the new research on well-being. Oxford: Princeton University Press
Byrom, N. (2018). Academic Perspective: Research gaps in student mental health [Online] What Works Wellbeing https://whatworkswellbeing.org/blog/academic– perspective–research–gaps–in–student–mental–health/
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2013). Creativity: The psychology of discovery and invention. New York: Harper Perennial Modern Classics
De Graaf, J. (2012) What’s the economy for, anyway?; why it’s time to stop chasing growth and start pursuing happiness. New York: Bloomsbury Press
Farmer, P. & Stevenson, D. (2017). Thriving at Work. London: gov.uk https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/thriving–at–work–a–review–of–mental–health–and–employers
Harding, S., Morris, R., Gunnell, D., Ford, T., Hollingworth, W., Tilling, K., Evans, R., Bell, S., Grey, J., Brockman, R., Campbell, R., Araya, R., Murphy, S. & Kidger, J. (2019), ‘Is teachers’ mental health and wellbeing associated with students’ mental health and wellbeing?’, Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 253, pp. 460–46
House of Commons Library (2019). Support for students with mental health issues in higher education in England. London: UK Commons Library, pp.1–16
Houghton, A. M. & Anderson, J. (2017) Embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum: maximising success in higher education. York: Higher Education Academy
Hughes, G., Panjwani, M., Tulcidas, P., Byrom, N. (2018). Student mental health: The role and responsibilities of academics. Oxford: Student Minds
Hughes, G. & Spanner, L. (2019) The University Mental Health Charter. Leeds: Student Minds
McAllister, M., Wynaden, D., Happell, B., Flynn, T., Walters, V., Duggan, R., Byrne, L., Heslop, L. & Gaskin, C. (2014). Staff experiences of providing support to students who are managing mental health challenges: A qualitative study from two Australian universities. Advances in Mental Health, 12(3) pp 192–201
Mind (2020) Mental health charity Mind finds that nearly a quarter of people have not been able to access mental health services in the last two weeks [online] https://www.mind.org.uk/news-campaigns/news/mental-health-charity-mind-finds-that-nearly-a-quarter-of-people-have-not-been-able-to-access-mental-health-services-in-the-last-two-weeks/
Morrish, L. (2019). Pressure Vessels: The epidemic of poor mental health among higher education staff. London: HEPI. https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp–content/uploads/2019/05/HEPI–Pressure–Vessels–Occasional–Paper–20.pdf
Hello and welcome to the first episode of the Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University Podcast.
There is a transcript available.
Launching on 7th July 2021, Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University looks at the great work we are doing at Newcastle University.
This new podcast has been a collaborative project drawing from contributors from across the whole of Newcastle University. If you would like to get in touch or have an idea you would like to share. Please email ltds@ncl.ac.uk and use the title ‘Learning & Teaching @ Newcastle University Podcast idea’.
In this episode we have a short message from our new Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education Professor Tom Ward, welcoming you to this new fortnightly podcast.
Coming up over the next few episodes we have an interesting and informative long form conversation about mental health and mental wellness. There are also episodes exploring how students feel about their university experience, a look at project work, studying abroad and so much more.
So, remember to download, like, and subscribe.
There is a transcript available.