Adventures in Academic Development
Faculty Development, Hochschuldidaktik, Play and Creativity in Higher Education, SoTL
Dr Vicki Dale and I are running a very hands-on postgraduate course around creative pedagogies. One of the core messages I think we still have to make stronger–there was yet another course participant asking for discipline specific pedagogies–teaching methods are in the least interdisciplinary–although I vote for transdisciplinarity! So I am making a public plea: … Continue reading Looking Beyond: Thoughts on Teaching Models
Just coping, not quite fine In a conversation with my students (who are also peers and colleagues) today we were talking about how we all struggle at the moment. What emerged from the conversation is that we all felt things should be easier this year. We have pivoted online, we know how everything works. And … Continue reading Is it because the spaces never close?
My efforts to publish working–out–loud pieces have been thwarted by overwhelm. So let’s step back by a month. There was some learning from this summer’s holiday-domain during which I ran out of words. This is a meandering thoughts blog, I am trying to figure something out–solve a teaching dilemma. Any ideas are welcome! If you … Continue reading Painting a Diary
good point Danielle about good design degrading – I think that must be true for most things, but then some Celtic jewellery is still incredibly beautiful today, so there's something enduring about good design, even if some of it changes over time #LTHEchat — Virna (@VirnaRossi) June 9, 2021 In the #LTHEchat above Virna Rossi … Continue reading Of Jewelry Making and Curriculum Design
The Hunt for Teaching Eggcellence! This month’s SoTLwalk is all about teaching treasures so these were the instructions: Have you made a discovery – tips, tools, delicious treasures – this year that you’d like to share with others? Where did you find them? Maybe you gamify your syllabus to make things more fun for your … Continue reading Sotlwalk April 2021
Hello lovely bloggers and readers, I have no idea what happened to November! So my theory is that on my last SoTLwalk I fell into a wormhole and came out in December back in my office instead of the path I was walking. I am sticking with that explanation. It’s 2020 and this makes as … Continue reading Of Wormholes and SoTLwalks
During the last months I have often been thinking of my granddad. And today after blurting out crying a couple of times I thought I write up a couple of memories and inevitably learning about teaching. He worked in an agricultural boarding school, after having to stop being a farmer. The young adults—many of which … Continue reading Granddad
Living by the Proverb ABSTRACT There seems to be a strong link between developing our identities and storytelling. As humans, we strive for coherence, and this coherence is found in stories (Hermans, 2001). This is an experimental paper telling a story about developing a brave, and authentic self as an educator (teacher) in Higher Education … Continue reading A Story about Becoming a University Teacher
I have had a bit of frustration with getting a definition sorted. So I made a thinking thing … ‘definitions are living creatures’. That’s the premise. Continue reading SoTL Definition Conundrum
Reflections on this year’s QAA Enhancement Themes Conference Frazzled Thoughts The reflections on this year’s QAA Enhancement Themes Conference are probably going to meander, from idea to idea, like a bumblebee from blossom to blossom. Two of my favourite phrases from the conference came from Prof Sally Krift who stated that we are in ‘a … Continue reading #ETConf20, The ‘New Normal’ and SoTL
I have fallen in love with the SoTL walk. It is a great way to engage in reflective practice and with colleagues across the world. This month’s topic was more challenging than I thought. Once I began writing it grew vines and tentacles all over the place. So instead of sharing directly on the padlet, … Continue reading Monthly SoTL-walk: Emergence
I am going on walks every day, often Nordic Walking–which in Scotland earns me strange looks and the occasional comment. As spring takes hold and the days become longer, if not necessarily warmer, I was thinking about emergence. As educators we are used to being in an autopoietic state (Kidd, 2015), but the process of … Continue reading Emergence
An accidental insight. I had the opportunity to obtain coaching supervision, and this session led to a profound insight about one of my postgraduate courses: Creative Pedagogies for Active Learning. Brief background: The course has only been in its second iteration, after a complete restructure, and the first year went really well. However, the second … Continue reading Coaching Supervision: and Course Development
The view from over your own shoulder Evaluating your teaching. This was the CPD session I ran today for university teachers at all levels. Technicians who ensure that researchers learn to work complex (and expensive) equipment, tutors, graduate teaching assistants, and lecturers. One of the things that strikes me most when teaching sessions on evaluating … Continue reading Reflective Practice
One of my aims for this year was to write a reflective practice paper, and submit for publication. I really struggled with identifying the story I actually wanted to tell. Additionally, I am currently working on my SFHEA application and I just realized that I began my professional journey studying and researching how we make … Continue reading Being a reflective practitioner
Adventures in Academic Development 