Research-informed teaching goes to the heart of the undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum. It is epitomised by the dissertations and/or projects which students themselves undertake towards the end of their studies, when staff deliver final year undergraduate modules within their field of research, and when students collaborate with staff in research and/or are exposed to their latestRead more
Commissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), the Higher Education Academy (HEA) recently published four toolkits which, according to Alan Langlands (HEFCE Chief Executive), offer “practical guidance for those working in higher education outreach and widening participation”. Available through the HEA’s website at Higher education outreach to widen participation: toolkits for practitioners, these toolkitsRead more
As part of a larger project working with colleagues in PHIR, Teaching Centre staff have put together a resource which highlights the 10 most common punctuation/grammar errors. Aimed at first year students, the resource suggests pitfalls to avoid when beginning to write ‘in an academic style’ – something which many students find challenging. Although this versionRead more
What abilities do we want our students to be able to take away with them on graduation? Knowledge and expertise of their discipline area is one, but there is also a growing emphasis on the skills and attributes that will prepare them for work and life. In the UK, David Willetts, the Minister forRead more
As a supplement to Jenny’s Screencasting Hints and Tips post earlier today, take a look at this new post on the Online Universities blog which covers different ways of projecting yourself to your audience as an academic screencaster. While the best advice is to be yourself, this still allows for a range of possibilities.Read more
Are you thinking about or part way through a Screen casting project? The attached guide has been separated into sections: Planning; Recording; Editing; and Producing, designed to help you approach the project in manageable segments. They are primarily for users of Camtasia Studio (screen recording and video editing software from Techsmith), but can assist anyRead more
In the 2002 film Minority Report biometric identity tests, in the form of retina scanning techniques, are commonplace as a means of personal identification. Biometric tests may have once been the work of science fiction, but they are now a feature of international border control and, it would appear, entering the lecture theatre. Students at NewcastleRead more
MOOCs are in the news again today – click over to the Teaching and Learning Blog for more. What’s a MOOC? Read more
There has been strong media interest this morning in the news of the Futurelearn consortium led by the OU. JISC have now put out a press release on the subject. JISC welcomes the launch of Futurelearn JISC welcomes the announcement by the Open University today to bring together a range of free, open, online coursesRead more
There has been strong media interest this morning in the news of the Futurelearn consortium led by the OU. JISC have now put out a press release on the subject. JISC welcomes the launch of Futurelearn JISC welcomes the announcement by the Open University today to bring together a range of free, open, online coursesRead more