8 ways the Arena Centre can support you in 2020-21

Professor Sam Smidt, Director of the UCL Arena Centre for Research-based Education, suggests seven ways the Arena Centre can support you to develop your teaching in light of the move to UCL’s Connected Learning.

As the new academic year begins, our focus will shift to bolster Faculty support of Connected Learning.

1. Get in touch with your faculty’s designated Arena Teaching Fellow

They will be able to support the development of alternative assessments and help you with the move to remote teaching, assessment and personal tutoring. This year, up to 60% of the team’s time will be devoted to support of faculties, working closely with Faculty Learning Technology Leads and Faculty Education Teams

BEAMS

Team Lead: Brent Carnell

• Bartlett – Brent Carnell
• Engineering – Nick Grindle
• Mathematical and Physical Sciences – Peter Fitch

SLMS

Team Leader: Jenny Griffiths

• Brain Sciences – Karen Matthewman
• Life Sciences – TBC
• Population Health Sciences – Rebecca Lindner
• Medical Sciences – Jenny Griffiths

SLASH and IOE

Team Leader: Jason Davies

• Joint Faculties: Social & Historical Sciences– Jason Davies
• Arts and Humanities Jason Davies and Jesper Hansen
• Laws – Jesper Hansen
• IoE – Silvia Colaiacomo

2. Develop your teaching practice

By completing UCL Connected Learning Essentials staff development programme. This programme contains all the fundamentals you need for the move online and is regularly updated. 

3. Attend events and access resources 

Join an Arena Connected Learning Live event and make use of the case studies and teaching resources on the Teaching and Learning Portal to find out what has worked for others.

4. Connected Learning Internships

Fully-funded student internships from the Arena Centre and UCL Careers will enable departments to engage students to support their preparations for Connected Learning in Terms 2 and 3 in 2020/21.

• Staff internship proposals final deadline: Wednesday 14 October
• If you have a question about the internships, please contact Fiona Wilkie: f.wilkie@ucl.ac.uk or Nick Grindle: n.grindle@ucl.ac.uk and put ‘Internships’ in the subject header.  

5. Work in partnership

with your students to make positive change – for example, on a ChangeMaker project or in your Staff Student Consultative Committee.  Apply to have a Connected Learning intern help you make the changes you want to make to your teaching.

6. Get a students’ perspective on your teaching

Through Student Quality Reviewers. You tell us your requirements, we’ll match you with a student. 

7. Gain recognition

with an Arena Fellowship - UCL's professional development pathway for teaching gives supports teaching and support staff to gain nationally-recognised fellowships accredited by the Higher Education Academy.

8. Keep yourself up to date

Keep yourself up to date on UCL plans by bookmarking the Education Planning pages – here you’ll find information in response to government guidance as well as links to Town Halls and a wealth of guidance and support material to help you feel informed in this fast-changing world.