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The LALT Brief Thursday 12th October 2023

Website Launch

Over the last 12 months, we have been focusing on streamlining our online content to avoid duplication of hosting, and in doing so, have enabled easier navigation to key teaching and learning information - with as few clicks as possible. LALT now have a single external facing website, which now links directly to our reformatted internal SharePoint, the LALT Hub, which contains content just for University of Lincoln staff. Both can be accessed using the button below. You may have to sign in the first time to connect to this from the website, and links taking you directly to information will continue to be embedded in all our comms to ensure ease of access.

As these continue to evolve, we will be looking to attract further engagement with our IMPact journal of HE, which enables staff and students to submit their work for publication in the form of research papers, and also grow the number of Teaching and Learning Innovation case studies. If you have a recent or upcoming event, or project activity you would like to submit to our case studies, please share this with us via our submission template.

Changes to LALT structure

LALT has grown substantially over the past two years, taking on institutional projects such as the Access and Participation Plan, the Mental Health Charter, external CPD for the military and seen growth in our programme portfolio through the introduction of teaching induction days and the PGCHE. In response to this, some structure changes have been made to reflect the future trajectory of the department.

Evaluation Team

Dave Prichard will take on the development of growing our Evaluation Team, enabling growth in our research portfolio and evaluation support for a range of project delivery, alongside developing a comms plan for the TLSE Strategy on behalf of the organisation. Dave will continue to lead operationally for LALT and deputising for the Dean (Kate Strudwick).

Staff Development Team

Mike Shaw is now Programme Leader for the PGCHE, with Kelly Sisson remaining the Programme Leader for APA as well as leading on the military programme's development and staff development portfolio.

Projects Team

Jane Greaves will take the lead for the Projects Team to develop the substantial range of projects we currently hold. This will include our stranding portfolio of strategic projects, alongside our growing number of academic infrastructure projects. Clare Cotton will continue to hold responsibility for co-ordination of the Sense of Belonging Taskforce, incorporating a number of student engagement projects and partnership work with the SU.

These changes will come into effect from Monday 16th October 2023.

Good news from LALT...

We have some good news! In the latest promotion 22/23 round, Kelly Sisson was promoted to Associate Professor, and Kate Strudwick was successful in her application for Professor of Student Engagement.

So, it was a double celebration for LALT, with these roles having started on the 1st September 2023.

External Teaching and Learning networking event

In July 2023, Kate held an in-person symposium at UoL for the External Teaching and Learning Network.

This network was set up by Kate (alongside Senior leaders from Coventry University and De Montfort University) to reflect upon lessons learnt during the pandemic. It was launched in March 2022 at an external roundtable event, and currently represents a number of regional institutions (Derby, Nottingham, Nottingham Trent, De Montford, Leicester, Loughborough, Keele, Coventry and Northampton). All members have a senior leadership role within teaching and learning and student experience.

The network fosters relationships across institutions, enabling co-production and collaborative initiatives and projects, and seeks to build future pedagogic research. With meetings/symposiums focusing on current themes such as apprenticeships and staff development, the network provides a space for sharing experiences and practice. It seeks to connect institutions to inspire and innovate practice, and the latest event in July had external input from Advance HE, addressing where and how they can support such development of networks.

Teaching Induction event

On the 14th and 15th September 2023, LALT ran the first teacher-focused induction event for all new academic colleagues.

The programme was introduced to complement the Lincoln Welcome as an intensive set of CPD sessions, supporting new teaching and professional practice colleagues to 'get going' when delivering in teaching spaces.

The two-day event welcomed over 50 new staff members from across the university, and was a great opportunity for them to network, gain support, and receive information on all things teaching and learning at Lincoln.

The next Teaching Induction will take place on Thursday 25th and Friday 26th January 2024. Bookings are now live, and can be accessed through MyView -> My Training and Development -> New Course Booking -> Personal Skills & Development.

Dan Wakefield, Digital Pedagogies Team Leader, presented a session at the event:

"An opportunity for sharing practice, making connections, and highlighting our approach to learning and teaching at the University of Lincoln! These were my expectations going into the session, and it was wonderful to be part of a cross-disciplinary and cross-departmental approach which highlighted all the great work we do at the University. I thoroughly enjoyed working in close collaboration with new staff through a discursive and active approach to highlight teaching theories and practical approaches, being involved in discussions around teaching techniques, and working together to foster a sense of collaboration and community."

Feedback from attendees:

"The training was well-structured and at the correct pace, catering to the different needs of the academic staff attending. Well done to the team."
"I thought the training event was excellent and extremely helpful for me as a new member of academic staff. It was well-facilitated, there was a supportive and welcoming atmosphere, and all the speakers were positive and enthusiastic. There were also a lot of practical takeaways that I will be implementing into my teaching, and it was good to put some faces to the names of people in other departments I may have to contact in the future. I also enjoyed the opportunity to meet other members of academic staff from outside of my school."
"I enjoyed the 2 days. It did help me feel more prepared for the new intake, as I only started in June and this is my first academic role. Having more in-depth knowledge about the range of support services and societies available to students means I can more effectively signpost and support students to have a positive learning experience (also the food was great)."

Student Futures Manifesto Launch event

The Student Futures Manifesto aims to enhance the student experience at the University of Lincoln. The project has built on the work of the UPP Student Futures Commission, which aims to increase support for students with low confidence, increased anxiety and a loss of social skills following the pandemic, and help prepare them for successful careers.

The project recruited 6 students to champion and lead the Student Futures Manifesto in partnership with an academic member of staff. They acted as consultants to develop a student manifesto that commits to improvements in the six overarching themes, with the aim of improving the academic, social and progression opportunities within the university.

We are inviting all staff members to attend the launch event, which will take place on Thursday 2nd November 2023 in the Minerva Atrium between 5pm and 7pm.

An invitation will be circulated shortly. Please contact lalt@lincoln.ac.uk for more information.

Call for research reviewers

We are looking for volunteers to support LALT with reviewing research for various projects. This includes the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Scheme (UROS) applications, and IMPact paper reviews and feedback. Full training and support will be provided.

Supporting LALT as a reviewer will provide you with a developmental opportunity, which can be used to evidence your contribution to scholarship, collaboration, and student engagement at an institutional level.

This opportunity provides a flexible commitment level, and you can volunteer for as much or as little as your workload permits.

If you are interested in volunteering and would like to find out more, please contact lalt@lincoln.ac.uk.

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Scheme (UROS)

UROS is a competitive bursary scheme designed to provide UG students with the opportunity to gain research experience working in collaboration with an academic member of staff. Students get a genuine insight into the research environment, while developing transferable employability skills. There are two tiers of UROS project bursary that students and their supervisors can apply for:

Tier 1 Projects - Project scope of approximately 30-55 hours. Eligible for £500 student bursary.

Tier 2 Projects - Project scope of approximately 60+ hours. Eligible for £1000 bursary.

Application Window A for 23/24 is now open, and will close on Friday 15th December 2023. Please email uros@lincoln.ac.uk with any queries regarding the scheme.

UROS Supervisor Directory

In Summer 2023, LALT welcomed two student interns who supported us with multiple projects and enabled us to gain input from a student's perspective. While helping with updating, promoting and refining UROS, they came up with the idea of having a Supervisor Directory. We asked Callum and Julia a few questions to explain this idea...

What are the current barriers that students may face to starting a UROS project and finding a supervisor?

Having spoken to a few students about UROS, we realised that many wish to partake in the scheme, but that they believed that they needed prior experience in research design before approaching a staff member for supervision. There was also the misconception that the scheme was only suitable for science-based subjects.
We found that students were not sure how to choose their project idea or go about proposing an idea to a member of academic staff. We therefore hope that introducing this directory will help to mitigate these concerns.

What is the UROS Supervisor Directory?

This is a document that will show prospective UROS candidates a list of staff members across different schools who are interested in assisting with UROS. This will outline their areas of expertise and interest, potential project ideas, and contact details. This will hopefully help students feel more confident in approaching a supervisor, and be a useful tool for those students who wish to take part, but are unsure on a specific project idea.
This does not mean that students will not be able to create their own ideas - it is simply establishing a resource for those students who are not sure where to begin or who to contact.

What impact do you hope the directory will have?

We are hoping the implementation of the directory will increase student participation in the scheme. Being students ourselves, we thought that the idea of creating a research project from scratch and needing to approach a supervisor with no guarantee felt quite intimidating. Therefore, we hope that this will make UROS projects seem more achievable, especially to those students who have no prior research knowledge.

What can academic staff gain from signing up to the directory?

We hope that this initiative will give some structure to staff members, particularly those who have not conducted a UROS project before. If they have a potential idea or area of interest that they would like to explore further, then they can add this to the directory to see if they get any student interest.
UROS is a great opportunity for staff to work alongside students, and conduct projects that may contribute to wider research.

How can staff members get involved?

Staff members can use the link below to fill out a form and sign up to the directory. You will be asked about your areas of interest, flexibility with time commitments, and specific projects you would like to pursue.
Students will then be able to see which staff members are interested in being a supervisor, and what types of projects may want to be explored. They can then contact them to discuss ideas.

IMPact Journal - RAISE edition

The latest edition of the IMPact Journal can be found on the LALT website below.

In 2022, the University of Lincoln hosted the annual RAISE conference. This edition of the IMPact journal presents some of the submissions collated from the conference, all of which profile the pedagogical impact and global influence of Student as Producer.

Sense of Belonging Taskforce update

To support the implementation of the Teaching, Learning and Student Experience (TLSE) Strategy, the Sense of Belonging Taskforce is drawing together various areas of activity relating to student engagement.

The group, which consists of representatives from across the university and the SU, have been working to develop Student as Producer 2.0, map current practice, and reflect upon what Sense of Belonging means in this context at the University of Lincoln.

The Taskforce is supporting two external projects, which align with the aims and remit of Sense of Belonging. One is in conjunction with Advance HE 'Building Belonging' Collaborative Project, and the other is supporting the University of Portsmouth in 'Being, Belonging, Becoming' (BBB) research.

Supporting these projects as a partner institution will help us to build and develop our definition and support for sense of belonging at the University of Lincoln, and its impact across the sector.

Moving forward, the Taskforce will continue to develop Student as Producer 2.0 at the University of Lincoln.

Student Teaching and Support Panels - Call for proposals

Student Teaching and Support Panels are a collaboration between LALT and the Students' Union, and are designed to bring together staff and students to provide feedback on new initiatives and proposals on teaching and learning.

To boost student engagement and ensure that the student experience remains a focal point of the university under the Student as Producer ethos, student feedback on innovation is essential. These panels are a great opportunity for students to become involved in and have their say on the development of teaching and learning practices.

We welcome staff from both academic schools and professional services to submit proposals on ideas/initiatives in order to receive feedback from the student panels. Reflections from the trained student panel volunteers will provide valuable insight to help develop proposed initiatives and practices.

The next panel is scheduled to take place on Monday 27th November 2023. The submission deadline date for this panel is Friday 3rd November 2023.

If you are interested in gaining valuable feedback from current students and collaborating in the development of teaching and learning practices, please complete the online proposal form using the link below. For further details about the panels including all panel dates for 23/24, visit our website or contact lalt@lincoln.ac.uk.

'Creatively reimagining the future of business education and research - a global dialogue' online webinar

In June, Dr Nadia Gulko hosted a global online webinar titled 'Creatively reimagining the future of business education and research - a global dialogue'. Sponsored by the AICPA & CIMA and in partnerships with thirteen universities across five continents, the event brought together academics, educators, researchers, and PhD scholars to discuss the challenges of teaching and learning, accreditations, research, and the complexities of higher education environments globally.

The global visibility of the event was a success, with the webinar website reaching 1,035 page views and 312 registrations from 44 countries!

The webinar recordings are free and available using the link below. This is a valuable source for experienced educators, researchers, and those who are new in teaching. You are welcome to share within your departments.

Our Global Dialogue included discussions around, but not limited to:

  • What if there were no classrooms?
  • In a world where facts are free, what value do we/should we add?
  • What if higher education does not deliver as it imagines - that we are suffering from collective self-delusion?
  • How do we define wisdom in ways that are more inclusive? Do we need to define wisdom?
  • Supporting first-generation high school and higher education students
  • The influence of decolonisation on the curriculum

More information can be found on the project website:

Nadia would like to thank the outstanding panel speakers: Prof Nick McGuigan (Australia), Prof Natalie T. Churyk (USA), Prof Camillo Lento (Canada), Prof Snail Middelberg (South Africa), and Prof Kate Strudwick (UK). Thanks also went to Prof Liz Mossop, Prof Simon Lilley, Siobhan Goggin, and the Marketing and Digital Team in LIBS.

Nadia Gulko, Associate Professor, Department of Accountancy, Finance and Economics

Academic Development

HEA Recognition Scheme: change is coming

The HEAR team is currently preparing for re-accreditation of the scheme. As part of this process, from early 2024, we will adopt the new 'Professional Standards Framework' (PSF), formerly the UKPSF. Colleagues who wish to apply for fellowship under the current UKPSF are advised to submit their application by our 22nd January 2024 deadline. Our upcoming deadline for applications are 13th November 2023 and 22nd January 2024. For further guidance, please email HEAR@lincoln.ac.uk.

PgCertHE update: September 2023

LALT are happy to welcome our second cohort of learners onto the Postgraduate Certification in Higher Education (PgCertHE) course. This year we are joined by both academic and professional service staff who teach from across a wide range of Schools and departments. The new cohort will begin with their first module 'Effective teaching and learning in Higher Education'.

The programme supports our educators to ensure that their practice is inclusive and accessible to students from all backgrounds, agile and responsive to the needs of students and employers, and pedagogically sound. It enables staff to become skilled in reflective practice, curriculum development, flexible delivery, and digital capability.

For more information about the programme, please click the link below:

Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA)

We are delighted to announce that the Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA) is preparing for a new cohort to start in February 2024, and is now seeking expressions of interest.

Led by Dr Kelly Sisson, the APA programme offers members of staff access to the latest pedagogical theories and practice from across the University. The 22-month programme will guide you through assessment design, digital innovation, pedagogical research, curriculum and module design and much more.

The APA is a recognised teaching qualification and comes with an integrated Postgraduate Diploma in Policy and Practice in HE. It is designed to meet the needs of those who are new to learning and teaching in HE.

If you are still interested in the programme, please complete the eligibility survey using the link below, or contact apa@lincoln.ac.uk with any queries.

Digital Education CPD Opportunities: Book now!

The next Digital Education Training Week will be running from 22nd-26th January 2024. Please find out more via our webpage using the link below.

Our workshops (traditional training courses as well as more intense sessions) help support year round staff development, and are available to book on to until July 2024. These include: Makerspace sessions to help you develop new teaching activities, Digital Discussions, Data Driven Teaching, Assessment Design, Creating Interactive Digital Content, Blackboard sessions, Engaging Students Online, and many more.

Booking can be done through 'My View' and the direct link to the booking system can be found on the webpage below. To book through the system, click on 'My Training & Development' > 'New Course Booking' and filter the type to 'Digital Education'. Click on the course you are interested in > click on the date you would like to attend to find more information, and submit your request for training. If you have any further questions, please contact digitaleducation@lincoln.ac.uk.

Emily Heathcote, Digital Pedagogies

Digital Education new website launch

To celebrate being a part of Digital Services, our website has been redesigned to help support you with your teaching. All our usual guidance around teaching tools, approaches, and curriculum design is still available. We look forward to future work and developments with staff across the university.

Emily Heathcote, Digital Pedagogies

Libraries and Learning Skills

Artificial Intelligence Guide for Students

A new AI guide for students is no available via Libraries and Learning Skills. It covers:

  • AI and Academic Integrity
  • Using AI to research a topic
  • Evaluating information generated by AI
  • Acknowledging the (legitimate) use of AI in assignments

There are also some examples of how to reference use of AI. This guide will change and adapt as university policy evolves. We hope you find it useful!

Harvard Referencing Guide, 3rd Edition

The 3rd edition of the Harvard Referencing Handbook will be made available online in the next couple of weeks. The plan is to have the handbook online only for Term 1, with a view of potentially printing it for Term 2. The number of style changes are minimal, so students who have a print copy of the 2nd edition can continue to use this.

The 3rd edition features:

  • A new introduction, including more in-text citation examples and FAQs
  • New examples for existing information sources
  • A selection of new information sources

The major changes are:

  • Chapter in an edited book - The edited book information used to be author's initials, followed by their surname. This has been changed so that it is in the same format as all the book references (author's surname, followed by their initials).
  • No author - when an information source does not have an author, the handbook states to put 'Anon.' or 'Anonymous'.

A statement has been added to the referencing page (see button below) on the library website, stating what has changed and to inform students that they can continue to use the 2nd edition.

Writing Development Team

The Writing Development Team in the Library has recently expanded. As well as offering one-to-one appointments to students at all levels, we can offer bespoke teaching sessions in addition to our generic workshops and webinars. Contact writingdev@lincoln.ac.uk for more information.

MASH Services

MASH continues to offer one-to-one appointments from Monday to Friday, both online and on-person. We are also about to launch a refreshed workshop programme to offer an alternative way for students to access our service. These will be in addition to the limited in-course workshops we currently provide for some areas. Please see our website to find out more.

Liz Mallett, Assistant Director: Academic and Research Services

If you are interested in having content included in the next edition, please email jhornertimmins@lincoln.ac.uk