C3.11Level 3 | - What does sustainability education practice look like at UCL East? [16]
Presenters: Anne Preston, Rehan Shah and Elena Dimova
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
UCL's campus on Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park offers exciting new degrees and the location, space and shared vision needed to tackle the biggest challenges facing the planet. Education for sustainable development is a core curriculum theme for all programmes at UCL East. In this presentation, we (alumni, students and staff from UCL) will share a summary of our own research into the state of sustainable education practice at UCL East. We used raw data from a catalogue of over 800 modules and established a thematic coding scheme based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s), to delve into more than 60 nearly degree programmes. We show the range and depth of sustainability modules at UCL East as well as areas for development and interesting ways to develop modules to better embed sustainability ideas. - 2 for 1: Increased PGT Student Inclusion Through Streamlined Research Project Selection System [20]
Presenters: Anna Roffey, MAPS
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations The transition from undergraduate to postgraduate (PG) education is widely acknowledged as being difficult, frequently involving a new country/city, etc. The length of transition can affect the educational outcomes for students, who only have one year to acclimatise, while also completing a Masters Level degree. In 2021, we surveyed PGT students in the Chemistry Department about the transition into their Masters, finding that students wanted more information about their research projects before arrival. We introduced a new system of project allocation for 2022-23, streamlining the process, reducing workload for Programme Directors, giving earlier information to students. The new system involves an in-person research day during induction week. Repeating our survey this year revealed, among other things, an increase in students reporting feeling part of both the Chemistry Department, and UCL. The survey consisted of Likert-style, ranking and open-ended questions, was completed by 32 students in 2021 and 21 in 2022. - A Course Development Model for Continuous Quality Improvement [99]
Presenters: Henrika Floren, IOE
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
This presentation will show a generic and iterative Course Development Model for continuous educational improvement, developed at Karolinska Institutet, and give examples from some completed course development projects. The model includes structures for decision making and analyses, pedagogical improvement, and disseminating results. It engages with diverse groups through the participants in the projects, and by focusing on specific areas for improvement as selection criteria for funding. It creates cohesion between the levels of leadership and policy, educational development, and courses, benefiting the organisation, teachers, and students. For the upcoming iteration of projects, Universal Designs for Learning and Agenda 2023 are being considered as focus areas for advocating inclusive teaching practices in quality improvement. The model has been shared with Uppsala University who are applying it to the development of a new interdisciplinary Master’s program. Collaborations between KI and the ARENA would be an opportunity for future development.
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C3.15Level 3 | - Care in Higher Education [10]
Presenters: Kristyna Campbell, Rebecca Trollope, Samantha O'Sullivan and Patricia Gurini
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
The authors defend the significance of an ethic of care within teaching practices in higher education, drawing on their experiences of teaching from the periphery as GTAs. The urgency for underscoring this relational approach stems from observations made of the rapid growth of undergraduate taught programmes, and consequently, the dynamic and diversified cohorts that materialise. The GTAs critically reflect on and share their experiences of a range of topics including the support and coping resources offered to both GTAs and students, the pedagogical approaches expected and exercised within the classroom to support the growing number of students, and the impact that developing a community of GTAs has had on how they too navigated the programme. - Explore Econ: A new blended format for student conferences [22]
Presenters: Ramin Nassehi, SHS
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations There has been a growing experimentation with designing new forms of academic events and conferences recently, due to the “virtual turn” pushed by the Pandemic. This chapter discusses a new blended format of holding student conferences. This format breaks the conference into two sequential stages: (1) the asynchronous stage, where students’ research outputs are exhibited in the conference’s website and (2) the synchronous stage, which is a two-hour live event that involves showcasing the asynchronous material to the audience; live “elevator-pitch” presentations by students; and award giving. The first stage of the conference is virtual, but the second stage can be held online or in-person. Such a format seeks to harness the best features of asynchronous and synchronous modes of holding a conference. This blended format opens new doors for (a) promoting research-based education, (b) building student-staff relations and (c) empowering students by giving them new modes of expression and presence. This paper focuses on Explore Econ as a case study of this new blended format. This is an annual conference for undergraduate economics students held by UCL Economics. The case study discussion offers some insight into pedagogical and organisation implications of holding a virtual conference for students. - The creation of a cognate programme with extended experiential learning for international students [51]
Presenters: Josephine Falade and Maja Begovic, Life Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
Effective engagement with students and employers is important to address issues and share ideas. Khaled et al. (2013) stated that the review and redesign of the curriculum must focus on the relevance of the programme to workforce needs and how it compares to similar programmes. Recurring feedback from students, especially those from Middle East countries, suggested their employers and pharmacy bodies attach greater value and recognition to clinical pharmacy master’s courses longer than one-year. This led to developing a cognate programme, MSc Clinical Pharmacy, International Practice and Policy (CPIPP) with Extended Placement. Responding to student feedback through the creation of the new programme aligns with UCL’s aim of integrating education for the long-term benefits of the global community. The cognate programme welcomed its first set of students in 2021/22 and this case study will discuss its creation, share progress, and welcome contributions on how to further enhance the experiential programme.
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A5.01Level 5 | - Optimising student engagement with blended learning [74]
Presenter: Dr Margaret Mayston, Ms Frederika Malichova and Mr Barnabas Beres, Life Sciences Format: Case Study/Individual presentation Blended learning has practical delivery advantages over pure Face-to face (F2F) learning strategies, can offer a broader variety of learning opportunities and has been associated with improved knowledge outcomes relative to traditional teaching strategies1,2. Blended learning strategies implemented in UCL’s department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology in the academic year 21/22 yielded mixed results. We applied for a ChangeMakers grant to instigate a student-led review of student opinions about blended learning in PHOL0004, Systems Neuroscience, a level 5 module. Two student representatives led two semi-structured hybrid interviews with module participants using Mentimeter to enable anonymity. 50% of students who attended the interviews reported that the balance between F2F and pre-recorded content was appropriate; 50% preferred more or entirely F2F content. F2F Q&A tutorials created to support online lectures were generally negatively rated and poorly attended, and students performed less well in assessment. By contrast, lab visits were well attended and positively rated by students. Given the advantages of blended learning on knowledge retention, these results invite discussion on better ways of delivery which invite student participation. We conclude that many students favour in-person teaching over a blended learning approach, but when the latter is pursued, we need to ensure that both F2F and online elements offer something that the student values if we hope to maximise engagement and learning. References: 1. Vallée A, Blacher J, Cariou A, Sorbets E. Blended Learning Compared to Traditional Learning in Medical Education: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J Med Internet Res. 2020. 10;22(8):e16504. doi: 10.2196/16504. 2. Garrison DR, Kanuka H. Blended learning: Uncovering its transformative potential in higher education. Internet and Higher Education 7 (2004) 95 – 105. - A principles-first approach to co-creating a module: the experiences of collaboration between a module lead, an academic communications lecturer and PGTAs [24]
Presenters: Peter Puxon and Dr Peter Bratby, IOE Format: Case Study/Individual presentation This case study reports on how a 3rd-year Natural Sciences Literature Review module was co-created by the Module Lead, Post-Graduate Teaching Assistants (PGTAs) and an Academic Communications Lecturer. Firstly, we will demonstrate how a principles-first approach to module design was drawn upon to plan the module and create the content. Then, we will explore how our three principles: 1) engage students in the feedback process, 2) emphasise writing as a continuous process, and 3) encourage collaborative work, were enacted throughout the module. Finally, we will explain how we used these principles to design fortnightly workshops which developed students’ writing skills in a scaffolded and incremental way. This session would be useful for anyone who would like ideas on how to develop a module through a collaborative partnership and anyone who wants practical tips on how to improve students' writing and actively engage them with the feedback process. - Worth a thousand words: Co-pedagogy in ophthalmic clinical skills infographics [39]
Presenters: Vanessa Otti, Neil Clough, Faye Gishen, Michele Russell, Rashmi Mathew, Moorfields Eye Hospital Format: Case Study/Individual presentation
Infographics combine images and minimal text to form a succinct communication tool that effectively engages audiences. While infographics are popular, their use in medical education is limited. Co-pedagogy can improve the quality of education and increase student satisfaction by incorporating their perspectives. Today’s students are ‘digital natives’; their digital skills and expertise as students lends itself to the co-creation of educational resources. We designed ophthalmic infographics for teaching undergraduate medical students. Students gave verbal input through focus groups and digital input through the application ‘Slido’. Thirty-three students participated. We identified three themes: visual literacy, context and content. Students found infographics useful for visual learners and people with dyslexia. Infographics worked well as an adjunct to teaching and revision. Infographics were equally useful but more engaging and memorable than pre-existing resources. Co-pedagogy in infographics fosters student agency and a high-impact learning experience that aligns with the expectations of digitally-native students.
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A5.02Level 5 | - Making civic-engagement central to the student experience [67]
Presenters: Gemma Moore, Ruth Unstead-Joss, Anne Laybourne and Saffron Woodcraft
Format: Case Study/Individual presentation
Over the last decade, there has been a shift in thinking about the role of universities beyond formal education to a consideration of universities’ geographic responsibilities in contributing to regional growth and positive societal change. There has been increasing interest in ‘civic engagement’ with programmes and activities emerging which encourage staff, students and institutions to engage with their ‘place’. We will share and compare a portfolio of projects – the Citizen Science Academy, the Evaluation Exchange & the Community Research Initiative – taking place UCL which aim to enhance the student civic experience, alongside shared barriers and opportunities for making civic-engagement central to the student experience. These examples illustrate a practice-led approach to how student engagement is supported within and outside the curriculum and in local communities. - Teaching difficult knowledge in higher education: exploring UCL’s eugenics history and the implications for educational development [83]
Presenters: Helen Knowler and Tor Wright, VPESE
Format: Case Study/Individual presentation This presentation will explore the work of the Eugenics Legacy Education Project (ELEP) and explore the theoretical and practical tensions of reckoning with problematic legacies in higher education contexts. In 2018, UCL's then President & Provost, Professor Michael Arthur, commissioned an inquiry to look at UCL’s historical role in and the current status of the teaching and study of the history of eugenics. Preparing staff and students to work with this complex focus provides a range of challenges and barriers to educational development, as well as opportunities for innovation and the potential for meaningful cross disciplinary collaboration between departments and faculties. We invite discussion and feedback on ELEP's plans to: Develop a set of guidelines, staff resources, and learning opportunities that embed visibility and awareness of UCL’s history of eugenics in teaching and learning activities across the organisation. Support the ability of students, staff, and the wider community to engage with UCL’s eugenics legacy in educational activities. Investigate sustainable and inclusive teaching and learning approaches to develop the capacities of UCL's community to understand and address these legacies and ongoing consequences of eugenics thinking today. - Not Just Words: Learning Languages through Art and Objects [100]
Presenters: Dr Elettra Carbone and Dr Andrea Fredericksen, Faculty of Arts & Humanities
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations - Co-creating (language) learning opportunities for precarious migrant workers at HE institutions: charting possibilities, challenges, and pathways towards more equitable and inclusive educational futures [86]
Presenter: Silke Zschomler Format: Case Study/Individual presentation
Based on a research project that investigates a grassroots programme offering English language classes for precarious migrant workers (mainly cleaners) at the IOE, this talk discusses the challenges and opportunities of such initiatives in the context of wider dynamics of inequality, precarity, and marginalisation that are impacting the lives of these workers. I will critically evaluate the (im)possibilities of forging pathways for collaboration and engagement working towards the co-creation of sustainable language and wider learning opportunities to strengthen precarious migrant workers’ rights, inclusion, and wellbeing at the university. Given that Higher Education institutions across the UK are employing significant numbers of precarious migrant workers, I will argue that developing a culture of social responsibility around their access to language learning and wider learning opportunities in the workplace is a pertinent issue to ensure more equitable and inclusive educational futures and ask what this could look like in practice.
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A5.03Level 5 | - Creativity vs Consistency: How do MAPS students want Moodle courses designed? [30]
Presenters: Rich Osborne and Sophia Macblain, MAPS
Format: Case Study/Individual presentation
Blended learning, combining online and face-to-face education, is now very much an expectation from our students and will only become more so in the future – but how best to design this blend? The recent global pandemic saw a huge increase in the use of Moodle at UCL, but the sheer volume of content that was created, under very short timescales, led to many different approaches to online learning. MAPS undertook a comprehensive student led review of all faculty Moodle courses in 2022 to evaluate the impact of these approaches on student experience. This presentation will explore the outputs from this review and the implications for online learning design as we look ahead to the move to Moodle 4 next academic year. It will explore themes such as how students navigate course content, the implications of course format, methods to better organise content and how to ensure assessment details are clear. - A collaborative approach to improving study skills support at UCL Medical School [69]
Presenters: Dhivya Ilangovan and Anais Deere, Medical Sciences
Format: Case Study/Individual presentation
Background: Student-staff partnerships in higher education demonstrate enhanced student wellbeing and performance (1). As student involvement becomes increasingly popular in medical education (2), successful models which embrace student leadership whilst supporting their inexperience in the field are needed. This project used a student-staff partnership to improve study skills at UCL medical school. Methods: Students led questionnaire design and focus groups regarding study skills provision. Staff tutorials enabled students to analyse data through thematic analysis and descriptive statistics, developing their research methodology. Results: Questionnaire and focus group results highlighted a lack of current study skills provision. Students supported the idea of an online study skills resource and their suggestions were incorporated into a Moodle page developed by the research team. Conclusion: The student-led aspect encouraged open dialogue in focus groups to explore student opinions thoroughly. Staff provided guidance for robust research methodology allowing students the freedom to control the project’s direction. References: 1. Bovill C. Student–staff partnerships in learning and teaching: an overview of current practice and discourse. Journal of Geography in Higher Education. 2019;43(4):385-398. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/03098265.2019.1660628 2. Martens SE, Wolfhagen IHAP, Whittingham JRD, Dolmans DHJM. Mind the gap: Teachers’ conceptions of student-staff partnership and its potential to enhance educational quality. Medical Teacher. 2020;42(5):529-535. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/0142159x.2019.1708874 - Future ePortfolios: striking a balance between promoting engagement and discouraging cheating [53]
Presenters: Charlotte Hammerton and Carys Phillips
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
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642Level 6 | - Object-Based Learning: An educational tool for healthcare-based teaching and learning [42]
Presenters: Sudaxshina Murdan, Shazia Bashir, Hend Abdelhakim, Sebastian Gurgul and Sara Garfield, Life Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
Object-based learning is a pedagogical approach that uses facilitated interaction with objects to develop and enhance critical thinking, communication and interpersonal skills aimed at students in tertiary education. A cross sectional survey was carried out to evaluate the application of object-based learning in the teaching of medicines related concepts to both undergraduate and postgraduate students at the School of Pharmacy. The results showed improvement through this engaging style of teaching and learning, with over 85% of MPharm students agreed that they were enabled to understand more about medicines as finished products, and over 90% agreed that session enabled them to learn about different types of medicines. This intervention shows that medicines can be used to learn about the science of medicines. This style of learning can be adopted in other disciplines, and through perception studies, pain points can be identified and improved upon in future sessions - How can medical student engagement be improved in the future? [58]
Presenters: Emma Kelley, Faculty of Medical Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations - Cultivating Curriculum Leadership among school leaders in Taiwan: An inter-organisational collaboration between University and Social Enterprise [66]
Presenters: Tzu-Bin Lin Culture, Communication and Media
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
This presentation is about a leadership empowerment programme developed in the Taiwanese context with collaboration between university faculty and experts from a social enterprise. In 2014, the government announced a new attempt at curriculum reform in 2019. Cultivating curriculum and instructional leadership among school principals and middle leaders has become an urgent task. Therefore, a programme was funded by the K-12 Education Administration MOE Taiwan. The development team took an action research approach. The development team was looking for a good module to change the mental model of participants during the design stage. However, after several attempts, it is difficult to achieve the ideal impact. Therefore, the social enterprise. Dialogue in the Dark TPE, was introduced through the team members’ network. This is the first time that the professional development programme is offered with interorganizational collaboration. The whole programme is completed in 2022 and part of the journey will be presented at this conference with a focus on the effectiveness of collaboration between different organisations - Accessible research methods for students working in community-based learning contexts [71]
Presenters: Catherine Preston, IOE
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
I report on a small-scale project based within a community context to show how using the experience sampling method (ESM) to measure ‘in the moment’ optimal experience is integral to skill development and experiential learning. In this presentation, the method applies to the optimal experience of participants in community activities. Optimal experience (Flow) is a state where one is totally absorbed and challenged during an activity to the exclusion everything else. It is possible to measure the level of involvement to provides data that enables researchers, teachers and mentors to authentically assess the impact of their work and to ensure the best conditions for optimal experience to occur. The ESM is a powerful research method that can be used across disciplines and organisations to measure their effectiveness. It helps to find the best conditions for successful participation and sustained involvement in community teaching and learning and provides added value
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728Level 7
| - Lessons Learned from universities who are widening participation: Supporting an unbounded approach to the reading practices of First Year Undergraduate students at UCL [33]
Presenters: Craig Martin, Library
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
UCL’s aspirations for a future focussed education recognises the importance of embedding skills and experience across the curriculum in more systematic and consistent ways. This is of particular value for our widening participation (WP) students. This presentation focuses on how we can better inform and improve students’ development and skills, and our knowledge, in reading practices at UCL. It uses lessons learned from a university more traditionally associated with a widening participation agenda. A qualitative research design was adopted, drawing on Self Determination Theory and Possible Selves, which led to findings revealing 1) the different reading habits and behaviours which students adopt and 2) different types of support which make a difference to student engagement and success in reading. The presentation will also present a series of recommendations for practice. - Creating imaging and digital literate researchers through the Health and Bioscience IDEAS interactive training programme [43]
Presenters: Maria Tziraki and Dr Dave Cash, Brain Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
Health and bioscience researchers increasingly need to work with complex data types, such as imaging and -omics data. This requires them to develop additional skills around image processing, data science, artificial intelligence, coding, and data management – areas not typically covered by their core training. The Health and Bioscience IDEAS project is a UKRI-funded programme aimed at delivering training in these areas to early career researchers (ECR) and healthcare professionals. Given the time constraints that ECRs are often under, the program focuses on short courses with interactive coding sessions using Python notebooks, which demonstrate the concepts and allow students to explore the data themselves and through team-based exercises. A significant barrier to entry is setting up and installing software, so some courses provide cloud-based computing resources, allowing students to focus on learning objectives without distractions from technical issues. The goal of IDEAS is to create digitally competent healthcare and biosciences professionals. - Towards a course-based undergraduate research experience for third-year Biological Sciences students: the CURE for research training? [45]
Presenters: Anna Newman-Griffis, Life Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
Growing enrolments, heterogeneous student experience, and lack of collaboration in individual research training are driving many towards alternative methods of teaching science process skills. Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) are authentic research modules where students answer real scientific questions with structured educator support. CUREs help equalise the undergraduate research experience, and teach science process skills while engendering belonging. To both manage our high enrolments and create a more consistent, authentic research experience, we have designed a CURE for third-year Biological Sciences undergraduates. In our module, students define a research agenda, describe their science to the public, and present their research as a poster. Our students work as a team, learning key skills like collaboration and metacognition. Through this CURE, we hope to increase the standard of Biology research education at UCL, as well as future-proof our degree program to adapt to student demand in the future. - Evolution will not be televised: it will be 3-D [46]
Presenters: Dr Adam Lee and Gerold Baier, Life Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
While the recent COVID-19 pandemic revealed the power of teaching and learning remotely, it also served to highlight the irrefutable value of physical, collaborative real-world learning. Where real estate is expensive and inflexible, digital real estate is considerably less challenging. To explore this potential we have embarked on creating virtual spaces that are both uniquely attractive and practically useful for advanced education, within the Learn To Discover (L2D) project (www.learntodiscover.ai). Aimed at professional research scientists and healthcare professionals, L2D teaches both applied machine learning and AI. We aim to create a demonstrative Metauniversity, including the implementation of remote, robotically-operated physical laboratories, alongside community-building social spaces that allow scientists to showcase and discuss their work. This is intended to catalyse meaningful collaboration and learning; exploring the Metaverse as a multidimensional facilitator of education and professional development. I will outline key decision points, technical barriers, and the need for expertise and support.
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731Level 7 | - Reviewing collaborative teaching of the neuroscientist's crucial skills of Critical Appraisal: our experience at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology [9]
Presenters: Caroline Selai, David Blundred, Alexandra Constantinescu, Marta Perez Gonzales, Ester Kalef-Ezra, Sucharit Katyal, Olga Kopach, Ermelinda De Meo, Tricia Seow, Maxwell Shinn and Guiseppe Uras
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
With contributions from 9 postdoctoral researchers at UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, we redesigned the Critical Appraisal component of our Research Methods module (Postgraduate Taught), prompted by the return to face-to-face teaching after nearly 2 years of teaching online during the covid pandemic. This year (2022/2023) we had nearly 200 students enrolled from a wide range of academic backgrounds including clinical neuroscience, neurology and related scientific and clinical disciplines. Students appraised papers which reported a variety of scientific study designs from diverse areas of neuroscience. We present our experiences of planning, selecting materials, teaching in pairs, employing strategies drawn from technology and active learning techniques. We reflect on our experience of teaching a large, diverse group, including what went well and what we might do differently next time. Drawing on interviews with current and past (home and international) students, we evaluate the effectiveness of our approach, in particular our students’ ability to apply their critical appraisal skills to life beyond the classroom - Flipping with a twist: how to simply make asynchronous content interactive [11]
Presenters: Marcus Pedersen, PHS
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
As our digital pedagogies adapt to the ever-changing higher education environment, we needed simple and affordable ways to make asynchronous content interactive. At the Global Business School for Health, we made our content on Moodle as interactive as possible using software already purchased by UCL. We collected feedback from students to find out if they enjoyed interacting with discussion boards, Sways and if Mentimeter made their learning journey more enjoyable. The resounding answer was yes. I will further explain how we used these features and discuss the feedback to help develop your digital pedagogies. - Driving critical debate through a digital assessment: key learnings and reflections [32]
Presenters: Rikke Duus, Faculty of Engineering Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
To engage students in relevant research, enhance their ability to develop data-driven arguments, make them reflect on UN SDGs, and assist them to develop essential digital skills, a critical debate assessment was launched in 2022 as part of the School of Management undergraduate module, Digital Strategy & Transformation. Students work individually to develop a video-based critical debate on one of three topics (i.e., AI in Healthcare, Digital Transformation of Education, or Evolution of Smart Cities), ignited by a debate question that encourages students to discuss and debate various perspectives. Central to the debate is a focus on UN SDGs and how organisations can create positive societal value. Students develop multiple videos of themselves discussing and debating selected key issues, which are hosted on an interactive website which they create. Students also design infographics and data visualisations to add further context and insight to the chosen topic. - Improving Student Satisfaction Through Understanding How Previous Experiences Shape Future Expectations [92]
Presenters: Charmian Dawson and Renee Vancraenenbroeck, Life Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
A common theme in student surveys is a desire for more practice questions, with detailed guidance on the ‘perfect answer’. Historically, fulfilling these requests has not improved student satisfaction with Assessment and Feedback. Reflecting on the recent NSS results, and the resultant UCL-wide NSS strategy, we interviewed a selection of first-year students on their previous educational experiences, and how these experiences had influenced their expectations of university. The profound mismatch between student expectations and the intended goals of the academic staff, stemmed from a fundamental conflict between the strategies required to attain A-Level grade requirements, and the strategies required to succeed on a UCL degree. A discussion panel addressed student awareness of the qualitative difference in educational goals and informed staff of the students’ previous experiences, aiming to improve communication between staff and students going forward. Other strategies to address this issue are being explored for future cohorts.
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822Level 8
| - Development of Virtual Ophthalmic Surgical Skills Training [65]
Presenters: Chandni Gupta, Faculty of Medical Sciences
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
Background: In response to Covid-19 the UCL Ophthalmology Masters curriculum was transferred to online teaching. To facilitate an online surgical skills session we: • delivered surgical kits to students, • developed instructional videos demonstrating skills in ‘Surgeon’s View’, • used breakout room functionality for supervised small group practice. Aim: To assess whether ophthalmic surgical skills can be taught successfully online to a diverse interprofessional student group. Methods: Mixed methods study involving 20 students (33% outside of the UK) and 5 instructors. Each student completed a pre-session and post-session questionnaire to assess their perceptions. Semi-structured interviews conducted to assess instructor perceptions. Results: All students were ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ regarding the ‘Surgeon’s View’ camera angle as well as use of breakout rooms. 75% perceived an improvement in confidence of instrument handling. Overall student rating 8.85/10. We were able to widen accessibility and participation through virtual delivery, which has future implications for ophthalmic surgical teaching and its reach. - Empowering student choice in assessment: reducing anxiety and unlocking potential [32]
Presenters: Paul McFarlane, Engineering
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
This presentation will look at how student choice in formative assessment can be used to motivate students and foster a sense of ownership in the learning and assessment process. Assessment is criticised by students in the PTES and NSS, who claim that the experience is taxing rather than academically demanding and authentic, that their voices are not heard, and that the process has a negative impact on wellness and mental health. The presentation will draw on feedback and outcomes from a pilot case-study in which UG students were given three modes of assessment to choose from. The presentation will specifically address how student choice in assessment can be used to increase engagement, empower students to choose the best assessment format for their learning style and personal preferences, reduce anxiety, and improve learning outcomes. Furthermore, the presentation will provide concrete examples of how educators can incorporate student choice into assessment frameworks. - New Assessment in the Psychology and Neuroscience in Education (PNE): an example of good practice [38]
Presenters: Evi Katsapi, IOE
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
The PNE assessment was re-designed to include: 1) a 5-minute VLOG and 2) a full research proposal. The new assessment, based on UCL’s pillars of employability, contained valuable transferable skills aimed to enrich the students’ future career development. The teaching team developed student-staff collaboration, which improved the student experience, ensuring clarity and excellent results. At the end of the term, students were asked to reflect upon the new format. They recognised that it allowed them to expand their minds and ideas. It helped them develop new skills and think about how they construct their arguments, and from the perspective of inclusion. Importantly, the new format reduces the chances of students using AI systems and essay mills. Overall, PNE was an example of good practice in which the UG Directors at Faculty and Departmental level, the module teaching team, the Arena colleagues and the students, worked in partnership to achieve the best possible learning experience. - Proposing a baseline standard for accessible educational content and practice for science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine (STEMM) education [80]
Presenters: Jim Tyson, ISD
Format: Case Studies/Individual Presentations
We present a collaboration between UCL's Digital Accessibility Team, the Thomas Pocklington Trust, and others, offering a proposal for content accessibility – digital and otherwise - in the STEMM disciplines. We address the production of technical content, in for example mathematics or engineering, and how to make all content more inclusive and we consider students both consumers and creators. While we focussed on the core STEMM subjects, much of the proposal will be relevant in wider contexts. The proposal was drafted collectively. It was presented for comment and development to a focus group of blind and visually impaired students and other academic stakeholders. We hope to engage the community across all educational sectors in promoting the adoption of inclusive practices in STEMM and to encourage the development of standards to guide all creators of educational material.
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