High Melton, Doncaster
April 2nd 2009
This evening's (yep evening: 7 'til 9) staff development session for Doncaster's University centre (part of the local college), was on why staff should conduct scholarly activities and what it means.
The latest session I've ever delivered went well and included wine (I was driving so don't know if it was any good or not), although as the college is attempting to engender a research culture while expecting staff to deliver 850 hours plus of HE per year, most of the questions were perhaps understandably about how other colleges manage to do it, and not about how to go about it.
As a result, there'll be a collection of best practice examples available through the main PlayingwithLearning website as soon as I've decided on the format.
Thursday, 2 April 2009
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
HELP Conference
30th – 31st March
No, not 180 Beatles fans discussing their favourite album, it was the Higher Education Learning Partnership CETL's conference, HE in FE culture and experience: a partnership perspective.
As an invited guest, I neither presented nor got involved in the running of the event, but have spent two very enjoyable days at the University of Warwick catching up with old friends and making new ones, although the main reason for attending was to keep up with what's happening in and around HE in FE.
Opened by Professor Gareth Parry, Professor of Education, University of Sheffield, and closed by LMU's Professor Sally Brown ("QUANGOs are finished", "end of HEFCE in two years"), we were treated to a series of workshops and presentations in 2/3/4? very-badly signposted buildings on "The creation, operation and future of HE in FE partnerships", "The quality and style of HE in FE learning spaces and facilities", "The HE in FE experience and culture for staff", "The HE in FE experience and culture for students", and what I thought was the best of those I attended, “Regional support for implementing IQER & HE strategy” by the West Midlands RSC.
Back in 6 weeks for PWL 2: just up the road & in a much nicer venue that will definitely be well sign-posted...
No, not 180 Beatles fans discussing their favourite album, it was the Higher Education Learning Partnership CETL's conference, HE in FE culture and experience: a partnership perspective.
As an invited guest, I neither presented nor got involved in the running of the event, but have spent two very enjoyable days at the University of Warwick catching up with old friends and making new ones, although the main reason for attending was to keep up with what's happening in and around HE in FE.
Opened by Professor Gareth Parry, Professor of Education, University of Sheffield, and closed by LMU's Professor Sally Brown ("QUANGOs are finished", "end of HEFCE in two years"), we were treated to a series of workshops and presentations in 2/3/4? very-badly signposted buildings on "The creation, operation and future of HE in FE partnerships", "The quality and style of HE in FE learning spaces and facilities", "The HE in FE experience and culture for staff", "The HE in FE experience and culture for students", and what I thought was the best of those I attended, “Regional support for implementing IQER & HE strategy” by the West Midlands RSC.
Back in 6 weeks for PWL 2: just up the road & in a much nicer venue that will definitely be well sign-posted...
Monday, 30 March 2009
Experiential Learning Day
Pershore College, Worcestershire 27th March
This latest Experiential Learning event featuring Colin Beard took place at an agricultural college south of Birmingham, which for no cohesive reason was the most successful (in terms of numbers) run over the last three years. 30 delegates (plus 11 on the waiting list for next time - probably Doncaster), were treated to Colin's Introduction to a working model to help design teaching activities, Teaching models and theories, Improving student assignment introductions, Developing higher levels of critical thinking for HE work, Developing innovative thinking in students etc...
As two of the attendees had travelled down from Stockton-on-Tees (who got a recommendation from a colleague, but since nobody else from SoT has attended any of the previous 9 that's a bit of a puzzle) and wouldn't be home until 11.45 pm, I'm not going to whine about my 4-hour trip in each direction on a Friday. Or maybe I will....
This latest Experiential Learning event featuring Colin Beard took place at an agricultural college south of Birmingham, which for no cohesive reason was the most successful (in terms of numbers) run over the last three years. 30 delegates (plus 11 on the waiting list for next time - probably Doncaster), were treated to Colin's Introduction to a working model to help design teaching activities, Teaching models and theories, Improving student assignment introductions, Developing higher levels of critical thinking for HE work, Developing innovative thinking in students etc...
As two of the attendees had travelled down from Stockton-on-Tees (who got a recommendation from a colleague, but since nobody else from SoT has attended any of the previous 9 that's a bit of a puzzle) and wouldn't be home until 11.45 pm, I'm not going to whine about my 4-hour trip in each direction on a Friday. Or maybe I will....
Saturday, 21 March 2009
Show me the Money!
17 March 2009
As one of three "Dragons" at a workshop for FE colleges about bidding for project funding in Wellington (ish), Somerset (the others were from the local RSC and the HELP CETL), I gave a 30 minute talk outlining my own experiences of scrutinising funding applications both for JISC and the HEA, and the opportunities available for third party funding.
The delegates then formed groups to critique anonymised bids the local RSC had acquired from JISC under the Freedom of Information Act and report their findings while the presenters and local RSC staff operated as roving "experts".
After an excellent lunch (where I overate on cheesecake to allow for the 6 hours plus journey home - don't tell the wife: she thinks I'm slimming), and giving out some funding application guides, the 6 delegate groups generated bids which were theoretical but nonetheless pertinent to their current institutional agendas e.g. e-Assessment, Repositories etc and presented them to the three of us plus the local JISC HE Support Coordinator in a “Dragons Den” style format for constructive criticism and advice.
Feedback on the day, particularly with regards to the format, was all very positive, so I'm now going to formalise the delivery model and offer it with a variety of presenters to colleges on demand (well on request anyway...).
As one of three "Dragons" at a workshop for FE colleges about bidding for project funding in Wellington (ish), Somerset (the others were from the local RSC and the HELP CETL), I gave a 30 minute talk outlining my own experiences of scrutinising funding applications both for JISC and the HEA, and the opportunities available for third party funding.
The delegates then formed groups to critique anonymised bids the local RSC had acquired from JISC under the Freedom of Information Act and report their findings while the presenters and local RSC staff operated as roving "experts".
After an excellent lunch (where I overate on cheesecake to allow for the 6 hours plus journey home - don't tell the wife: she thinks I'm slimming), and giving out some funding application guides, the 6 delegate groups generated bids which were theoretical but nonetheless pertinent to their current institutional agendas e.g. e-Assessment, Repositories etc and presented them to the three of us plus the local JISC HE Support Coordinator in a “Dragons Den” style format for constructive criticism and advice.
Feedback on the day, particularly with regards to the format, was all very positive, so I'm now going to formalise the delivery model and offer it with a variety of presenters to colleges on demand (well on request anyway...).
Wednesday, 11 March 2009
Yorkshire HE Symposium, Doncaster
Having presented down the bill at last year's event in Sheffield, I was this time promoted to keynote and asked by the organisers to speak about scholarly activity and its impact on the learner's experience. Although I originally agreed to talk for 20 minutes, most of the previous evening had been spent re-writing the speech to last for 40 minutes due to a late programme change and the organisers "didn't think I'd mind"!
As it happened, the day's introductory presentation overran, there was an unscheduled (false) fire alarm, lunch turned up late, and yes, you've already guessed: I was asked if I could possibly shorten my bit so that the conference could finish approximately on time (the grovelling about "trains to catch", "car parking about to expire" etc was accompanied by a nice bottle of Shiraz, so of course I acquiesced). Fortunately, as the original speech I wrote last Friday was still on my pen drive (& in my head), I could deliver a coherent 20 minute slot without having to rush and now have a spare (admittedly padded), unused speech for sale if anybody's interested......
As it happened, the day's introductory presentation overran, there was an unscheduled (false) fire alarm, lunch turned up late, and yes, you've already guessed: I was asked if I could possibly shorten my bit so that the conference could finish approximately on time (the grovelling about "trains to catch", "car parking about to expire" etc was accompanied by a nice bottle of Shiraz, so of course I acquiesced). Fortunately, as the original speech I wrote last Friday was still on my pen drive (& in my head), I could deliver a coherent 20 minute slot without having to rush and now have a spare (admittedly padded), unused speech for sale if anybody's interested......
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Furthering Higher Education 2009
30th January, Aston Business School
Working with Blackpool & the Fylde college, I yesterday ran two sessions (both on "Support for Scholarly Activity and it's Impact on the Learner Experience") at this year's QAA/HEA joint conference exploring perceptions of scholarly activity in the FE sector, how Blackpool & the Fylde have supported and developed scholarship through the Teaching Quality and Enhancement Framework project implementation, and the ground-breaking FE Alliance and the Journal of Further Education Alliance which celebrates a number of papers relating to HE in FE.
Each of the two fully-booked workshops (30+ attendees both times, standing room only!) introduced the profiling tool used by the college to indentify and quantify scholarship on an individual and institutional level, and decribed how these activities have enhanced the experience of their students. B&F received a number of requests to demonstrate their tool at institutions & I've been invited to 6 colleges to run an extended version of today's session(s).
Think I'll write a paper on why (after again spending 2 hours stood up all the way back from Birmingham) more carriages/trains surely can't be that hard to organise and submit it to the journal of travel planning...
Working with Blackpool & the Fylde college, I yesterday ran two sessions (both on "Support for Scholarly Activity and it's Impact on the Learner Experience") at this year's QAA/HEA joint conference exploring perceptions of scholarly activity in the FE sector, how Blackpool & the Fylde have supported and developed scholarship through the Teaching Quality and Enhancement Framework project implementation, and the ground-breaking FE Alliance and the Journal of Further Education Alliance which celebrates a number of papers relating to HE in FE.
Each of the two fully-booked workshops (30+ attendees both times, standing room only!) introduced the profiling tool used by the college to indentify and quantify scholarship on an individual and institutional level, and decribed how these activities have enhanced the experience of their students. B&F received a number of requests to demonstrate their tool at institutions & I've been invited to 6 colleges to run an extended version of today's session(s).
Think I'll write a paper on why (after again spending 2 hours stood up all the way back from Birmingham) more carriages/trains surely can't be that hard to organise and submit it to the journal of travel planning...
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Blackpool Illuminations
Spent today at Blackpool and the Fylde College discussing their wonderful scholarly activity programme, Teaching Quality Enhancement Funding and the FEAlliance which exists to bring together Further Education colleagues by providing networking opportunities that will inform the FE Sector about the communities collective views.
As a result of some workshops our centre ran about a year ago Imperial House Publishing has been commissioned by the FEAlliance to publish a journal which is intended to assist FECs and their partners to share good practice, develop their research capabilities and provide an exciting and valued body of knowledge for further reflection and debate.
The FEAlliance recognises that most FE staff including Academic, Administrative and Corporate, undertake day-to-day work or study for qualifications that yield knowledge, research, assignments, studies and reports that would not only benefit their own department but also staff in other colleges. The journal has been conceived in order to provide a platform for these staff to publish their work and raise their professional standing by sharing good practice and knowledge across educational institutions.
As a result of this meeting, I've agreed to run a joint workshop at the HEA/QAA collaborative conference towards the end of this month which will explore perceptions of scholarly activity in the FE sector, and how Blackpool & the Fylde have supported and developed scholarship through their innovative TQEF project and the FE Alliance Journal, Issue 3 of which celebrates a number of papers relating to HE in FE and should be available for distribution any day now.
As a result of some workshops our centre ran about a year ago Imperial House Publishing has been commissioned by the FEAlliance to publish a journal which is intended to assist FECs and their partners to share good practice, develop their research capabilities and provide an exciting and valued body of knowledge for further reflection and debate.
The FEAlliance recognises that most FE staff including Academic, Administrative and Corporate, undertake day-to-day work or study for qualifications that yield knowledge, research, assignments, studies and reports that would not only benefit their own department but also staff in other colleges. The journal has been conceived in order to provide a platform for these staff to publish their work and raise their professional standing by sharing good practice and knowledge across educational institutions.
As a result of this meeting, I've agreed to run a joint workshop at the HEA/QAA collaborative conference towards the end of this month which will explore perceptions of scholarly activity in the FE sector, and how Blackpool & the Fylde have supported and developed scholarship through their innovative TQEF project and the FE Alliance Journal, Issue 3 of which celebrates a number of papers relating to HE in FE and should be available for distribution any day now.
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