Welcome!

This year, the Digital Pedagogy Library is publishing a number of new recipes covering a broad range of topics, tools, and disciplines. From the use of AI to the use of LEGOs, from biology to visual narratives, our authors have shared with us a variety of pedagogical interventions. These interventions not only provide avenues for the development of teaching and learning in classroom contexts, but also for building competencies and community among Higher Education practitioners.

"This approach allowed me to bring technology into my classes in new ways. I was also using a more "active classroom" based approach. It was a framework that allowed me to build my own confidence in these areas; a foundation onto which I could build each week's topic."

-- Dr David Jarman, Using Miro to structure undergraduate seminarsLink opens in a new window

Active learning through digitally enhanced teaching, learning and assessmentLink opens in a new window

by Mrs Emily Webb and Mr Dee Vyas

The University Road to 2030, in line with the Education Strategy, aims to deliver a student experience based on developing an active learning community. Founded on engagement from across the university and key sector-wide reports, the Digitally Enhanced Learning Teaching and Assessment (DELTA) Strategy is a key enabler of many aspects of the university’s aspirations.

The Responsible Use of Generative AILink opens in a new window

by Dr Pauldy Otermans and Dr Stephanie Baines

With the rise of Generative AI, Drs Otermans and Baines have developed a workshop to support their students to use AI in a safe and responsible way. For this, they gave a brief overview of AI, Generative AI and tools that can be used. They then explored ChatGPT in detail together with the students. Their understanding and use of a tool such as ChatGPT was then tested in a Level 4 assessment.

Supporting Student Transition Throughout Their Academic CareersLink opens in a new window

by Mx Aimee-Leigh Youngson

Staff feedback indicates frustrations with students lacking core academic skills. This recipe aims to identify and address skill gaps in new Level 4 students; and at each following level. The goal is to support students in developing essential skills appropriately at each transition point in their university journey.

Spaces to Breathe: Creating a Community of PracticeLink opens in a new window

by Dr Tracy Part

‘Spaces to Breathe’ is a concept. The formation changes with the educational philosophy of the leader of the project, but the fundamental principles remain. ‘Spaces to Breathe’ projects seek to foster practice that is grounded in sharing values with special attention paid to respectful and active listening that seeks out diversity in opinion.

Spaces to Breathe: Growing Through Goldsmiths’ podcastLink opens in a new window

by Ms Kocoa Brown

After completing my Senior Fellowship application in February 2024, Ms Brown worked with Dr Part to use the ‘The Space to Breathe’ workshops to support staff during the Goldsmiths ‘Transformation Programme’ and beyond. Our initial focus was to support the many staff that were ‘in scope’ for redundancies, role changes, loss of departments and subjects being taught.

Transdisciplinary approaches to transitional justiceLink opens in a new window

by Ms Lesley Stahlecker and Dr Briony Jones

Our pedagogical intervention makes use of an online teaching tool co-produced with the ANEKED. The online teaching tool is sub-divided into thematic areas such as sexual and gender-based violence, and provides contextual analysis through a section covering Gambian transitional justice. The teaching tool provides students with an opportunity to combine the themes in their module, with real-life examples so as to make connections between theory and practice.

Develop Your English with the United Nations Sustainable Development GoalsLink opens in a new window

by Ms Sue Robins

Develop Your English: with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals is an interactive e-textbook for learners of English as an International Language, published by Open Press at University of Sussex. Pursuing interests in both open educational practices and the creation of digital content Ms Robins developed the book on the Pressbooks platform, using the e-authoring tool H5P to develop the interactive content.

Modelling biological processes with building blocksLink opens in a new window

by Dr Carolyn Voisey

As part of a first year physiology and anatomy module, students learn about kidney function and how the kidneys filter the blood to produce urine while reabsorbing water to prevent dehydration. LEGO and similar building blocks have long been used to make learning more fun; the current initiative made use of the simplicity of the blocks to illustrate the complex process of filtration and reabsorption in the kidney.

Imaging and simulations for teaching engineering conceptsLink opens in a new window

by Dr Manoj Ravi

Engineering concepts can often be difficult to grasp – particularly to students in the first year of the degree programme – where linking fundamental theory to mathematical expressions can be a challenge. In order to help students develop this intricate understanding of reaction engineering fundamentals in the first year of the chemical engineering undergraduate degree programme, Dr Ravi uses simulations and interactive graphs as a digital tool to enhance synchronous in-person engineering education.

If X then Y, Z, ?: Using Twinery.org to teach interactive narrative developmentLink opens in a new window

by Dr Katie Barnett

The second year module Contemporary Visual Narratives introduces students to a range of narrative theories and structures as they apply to various visual media including film, television, social media and video games. As students advance through the module they begin to consider forms of immersive and interactive narrative storytelling. In this session, students are invited to use the free, open source online tool Twinery to construct their own interactive, branching narrative.

Using Miro to structure undergraduate seminarsLink opens in a new window

by Dr David Jarman

In spring 2024, Dr Jarman combined an online digital canvas with an active learning approach to his classes, to facilitate a collaborative environment for his students in their final year undergraduate module. The canvas was provided by Miro.com. The active learning classroom layout had students seating around tables, with each table accompanied by its own large screen. The canvas layout was designed such that each week's collaborative classes could be run through the same canvas, building up an archive of the students' work from week to week.