Promoting teaching and learning

UCL's fourth internal conference on sharing innovation and excellence in teaching was held on 31 March and 1 April 2004 in the Wilkins Building.

'Teaching & Learning at UCL: The Way Forward 2004' is perhaps the largest of its kind in the UK university sector. More than 50 staff contributed papers and led discussions as well as presenting demonstrations and posters.

Professor Michael Worton, Vice-Provost for Teaching & Learning, said: "UCL rightly prides itself on the quality of student learning in its research-led environment. Countless academics are developing inventive and creative ways of enhancing the student learning experience. Yet the size of UCL and the diversity of its disciplines mean that staff may be unaware of their colleagues' innovations in teaching and learning. The conference is a significant forum for sharing such experience."

Feedback since the first conference in 1998 confirms that participants find them worthwhile. Professor Roland Rosner, Director of UCL's Education & Information Support Division (EISD), which is organising the event, said: "The 2002 conference stimulated considerable interest in WebCT, an online learning and resource tool. In response, EISD organised a major seminar on this topic and a case was then made to purchase a UCL-wide site licence for the product. Some 2,000 students are now using WebCT as part of their studies."

The event's wide-ranging programme included, but was not confined to, approaches that exploit communications and information technologies. Topics addressed ranged from computer-aided assessment to the role of peer-tutoring in enabling and widening access and from online student appraisal of teaching to the challenges of introducing a BSc programme in Medical Humanities.