Student Futures Manifesto Launch
On Tuesday 24th October 2023, LALT and the SU hosted the Student Futures Manifesto Launch event. This celebrated the work students and their consultants undertook to develop actions to create a sense of belonging at the university.
Both academic and professional colleagues, as well as students, attended the event, where we had a celebratory welcome from Provost Liz Mossop and an insightful speech from one of the student participants.
Click the button below to visit the University Corporation website, which showcases the co-creation and partnership elements of the project and reflects upon shared experiences from both a student and staff perspective.
Plans for Phase Two of the Student Futures Manifesto are being actioned with the SU and progress has been made on operationalising some of the recommendations received in Phase One from the student consultants.
PTES Success!
In November 2023, the university received full benchmarking reports from AdvanceHE in relation to the PTES 2023 results.
Out of 101 institutions, the University of Lincoln ranked 7th for the number of students who agreed that they are satisfied with their course overall (90%).
We also ranked 5th in categories 'Resources' (90%) and 'Support' (87%), and 6th in 'Community' (79%).
In the subject level ranking, Agriculture, Food and Related Studies ranked 1st in student's overall satisfaction, Engineering ranked 2nd, and Materials and Technology ranked 3rd in their respective cohorts.
Claire Randerson, Dean of International and Postgraduate Taught Students, said:
More University of Lincoln students participated in PTES this year than ever before, providing really valuable insights into the teaching and learning experience of our PGT community here at Lincoln. The results ranking the University in the top 10 in the UK are truly excellent, and reflect the ongoing hard work, enthusiasm and commitment from colleagues across the university to providing students with an intellectually stimulating and supporting environment in which to build their skills, knowledge and experience. Well done everyone.
Teaching Excellence Framework
In December, the University was awarded Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Gold status, the highest rating for delivering consistently outstanding standards of teaching, learning and outcomes for students.
Professor Kate Strudwick, Dean of Teaching and Learning said:
Being awarded TEF Gold (again) across all areas is a recognition of the hard work and sustained commitment shown by colleagues to achieve excellence in teaching, learning and enhancing the student experience. Huge congratulations to the learning community at Lincoln - we did it!
Student Teaching and Support Panels - now open for submissions!
The Student Teaching and Support Panels are a collaboration between the Lincoln Academy of Learning and Teaching (LALT) and the Students' Union designed to bring together staff and students to provide feedback on new initiatives and project proposals on teaching and learning.
We are inviting staff from both academic schools and professional services to submit their proposals for reflection from our panel of trained student volunteers and collaborating in the development of teaching and learning practices.
The next panel is scheduled to take place on Tuesday 13 February 2024. The submission deadline date for proposals for this panel meeting is Friday 19 January 2024.
If you have any projects or initiatives that would benefit from student input and insight, please complete the online proposal from below by the stated deadline date.
For further details about the Student Teaching and Support Panels, including other panel dates, please click the button below or contact lalt@lincoln.ac.uk.
Call for IMPact journal papers
IMPact is the University of Lincoln’s peer-reviewed, open access and multi-disciplinary journal of Higher Education. The journal invites colleagues from across the university, including postgraduate and undergraduate students, to share their work with the express intention of informing, challenging and influencing.
We encourage colleagues to submit to the journal through conventional manuscripts (5000 words in length accompanied by an abstract of up to 250 words). Submissions can also take the form of a scholarly research notices, which are more suited to submissions which are shorter, smaller scale written pieces of work, notably small interim reports, or evaluations of small scale projects. This format also allows authors to submit some focused reflective pedagogical discussions/ narratives.
All submissions are peer reviewed and are required to follow the standardised journal template as indicated on the website.
If you are interested in discussing further please contact the IMPact email impact@lincoln.ac.uk.
We accept new submissions on a rolling basis, but please note that if you would like a paper published in the next general teaching and learning edition, you would need to submit by the end of February.
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 B for 23/24 is now open, and will close on 22nd March 2024. Please email uros@lincoln.ac.uk with any queries regarding the scheme.
UROS Exhibition Event
On Wednesday 8th November 2023, LALT hosted the UROS Exhibition Event for all projects that took place in annual year 22/23.
This was a great opportunity for those students involved to talk about their project and share their experiences of taking part in UROS.
Colleagues and students who attended the exhibition had the chance to vote for the People's Choice Award , where they chose their favourite project and research poster. Congratulations to Raul Lobo whose project, 'Swan Track - A Software for Monitoring the Movements of Mute Swans (Cyrus Alor)' won this award.
Kate Strudwick, Dean of Teaching and Learning, chose the 'Deans Award'. Adbul-Rahman El-Okda's project on 'Compliant soft linear mechanism for use in soft robotic applications' and Laurie Rees' project 'Replicating the Lydia Lawrence bonnet: an experimental conservation approach to collections care and public engagement for the D.H Lawrence Birthday Museum' both won this accolade.
Congratulations to all staff and students who worked on projects last academic year!
At the UROS Exhibition event, Digital Student Life attended to interview some students and make an engaging and informative video to promote the scheme.
Academic Development
HEAR Scheme Update
In February 2024, the University of Lincoln will adopt the new Professional Standards Framework (PSF), which is a globally recognised framework for benchmarking success within Higher Education teaching and learning.
Staff wishing to apply for fellowship under the old UKPSF must do so by the 22nd January 2024 deadline.
Staff wishing to apply under the new PSF are invited to attend a support workshop before the 29th March 2024 deadline. Details of support workshops and new video resources can be found on the HEAR web pages. New guidance is also available for those asked to write supporting statements for colleagues.
We are currently seeking new reviewers, who will be trained in January/February 2024 to assess applications under the new PSF. If you are interested in becoming a reviewer, please contact HEAR@lincoln.ac.uk to request an Expression of Interest form.
EPA Success
Just before Christmas, a further eight colleagues successfully passed the Academic Professional Apprenticeship programme. This takes the total number of APA graduates to 31, with 58% passing with distinction. We are delighted with the outcome and send our congratulations to Garry Rudd, Katerina Nolan, Farhana Haque, Steve Shanks, Dean Walker, Jonathan Mitchell, Donna Gordon and the rest of the group .
APA New Recruits
In February 2024, we will welcome 12 new colleagues as the next cohort of learners on the APA programme. They will commence their 22-month journey across both the teaching and research specialist pathways to accelerate their academic careers. We will also welcome 28 Graduate Teaching Fellows onto a bespoke version of the PgCert in Higher Education. In a first for the University, PhD students will receive comprehensive training in teaching assessment practice alongside their research to put them in the best possible position for post-doctoral employment.
Digital Education
CPD Week January 2024
The next Digital Education Training Week is running from 22nd-26th January 2024.
Our workshops (traditional training course as well as more specialised 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.
Monday 22nd January 2024
Blackboard Original: An Introduction I 10:00-11:30 I Online
Blackboard Ultra: An Introduction I 10:00-11:30 I Online
Blackboard Ultra: Beyond the Basics I 14:30-15:30 I Online
Tuesday 23rd January 2024
Teams for Teaching I 10:00-11:30 I Online
Panopto: An Introduction I 13:00-14:00 I Online
Panopto: Beyond the Basics I 14:15-15:15 I Online
Wednesday 24th January 2024
Academic Integrity in Turnitin I 10:00-11:00 I Online
Asynchronous Teaching and Learning I 13:00-14:30 I Online
Friday 26th January 2024
Assessments and Rubrics: Turnitin I 10:00-11:30 I Online
Engaging Students Online I 13:00-14:30 I Online
Booking can be done through the 'MY View' HR system. The direct link to the booking system can be found below. To book through the system, click on 'My Training & Development' > 'New Course Booking' and filter the type by '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.
AI Guidance and Workshops Update
Guidance is now available to support staff with the use of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Lincoln. This guidance highlights what generative AI, considerations for implementation, and how it can be used for both productivity as well as teaching and learning purposes. To find out more, click the button below.
To support staff further with the use of AI, we are currently working directly with the College Directors of Education to run workshops directly with academic staff to support them with assessment practices and considerations for using AI within a teaching and learning context. We look forward to sharing further information with you in the near future.
Microcredentials
Digital Education is pleased to share with you a new opportunity from the university to support your professional development. Microcredentials are accredited short courses, and we are delighted to be able to share a portfolio of the 15 courses now on offer.
Microcredentials offer a range of benefits, such as:
- Providing a flexible and targeted way to develop the knowledge, skills, and competences for personal and professional development.
- Allowing you to upskill quickly with cutting edge practices in a cost-effective manner.
- Allowing you to personalise training by selecting from themes subjects such as Leadership, EDI, Marketing, Finance, and Strategy.
- Enabling you to study flexibly online, in and out of working hours, and around existing commitments.
Our microcredentials are generally between 6 and 12 weeks in length, with a commitment of 8-10 hours each week, mostly completed any day or time that suits, except for a couple of set webinars. Microcredentials are formally recognised through university credits and can be applied to higher education pathways such as the MBA Leadership, offering you the opportunity to further enhance your skills and knowledge while applying them in practice to your role.
Microcredentials launching in 2024 can also be found using the button below:
If you have any questions or wish to further discuss microcredential options, please contact Emma Kinna (ekinna@lincoln.ac.uk) or Jess Moore (jemoore@lincoln.ac.uk).
Libraries and Learning Skills
Skills for Study
Have you seen Skills for Study? It is an interactive resource based on Stella Cottrell's Study Skills Handbook. It covers a range of academic skills and is designed to help students develop these skills at their own pace. You can embed content from Skills for Study into your Blackboard module site to supplement existing study skills teaching and resources. For more information, click the button below or talk to your Academic Subject Librarian.
Library events
The library offers events for staff and students throughout the academic year. These include drop-ins, webinars and face-to-face workshops. Go to the Events and Workshops page using the button below to see what is happening (or click on the Events tab on the library website). Events are added throughout the year, so remember to check this page regularly.
Writing Development Team
The Writing Development Team in the Library has recently expanded. As a result, we have increased the number of one-to-one appointments that each student can book with the team to 4 per term (a maximum of 12 per academic year). We offer on-campus and online appointments. In addition to the generic workshops and webinars that we run, academic staff can request lectures or seminars for specific module/cohort groups of students. The team can deliver sessions on various types of writing, including essay writing, report writing, literature reviews, and exam preparation. To arrange a session to students, either fill out the form using the link below (also on the Writing development website), or email the team at writingdev@lincoln.ac.uk.
Please use our website for more information.
Maths and Stats Help (MASH)
The Maths and Stats Help (MASH) centre has grown to a core team of three. In September, Andrei joined us, bringing a wealth of statistical expertise from his background in Psychology. As part of our continuous efforts to enhance support, MASH workshops are back in the Library Events lineup, featuring a series focused on the use of SPSS for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Students and staff can book on to the workshops through the Library website.
Appointments are currently available Monday to Friday and are offered both online and in person. Students can visit our MASH homepage for resources and to book an appointment. We also welcome academics to come along with their students.
Contact us at mash@lincoln.ac.uk or click the button below to visit our website.