News

Take a look at our new Funded Projects for 2017-2018. Find out more information about each individual project below.

The University of Warwick is pleased to host the 21st Standing Conference on Academic Practice, where participants will consider developments in academic practice from a range of perspectives. This year we are particularly aware of HE policy changes affecting the role of academic practice within institutions, but also the need to think carefully about academic practice in a fast changing international scene. Our external speakers all hold senior institutional roles and come from a very varied range of views and experiences of higher education. Their contributions will challenge and inform participants and will encourage critical debate of how academic practice is evolving.

The Student Learning Experience & Engagement Committee (SLEEC) are overseeing the development of an online, central module evaluation system, with automated data gathering for departments. Use of the system will not be mandatory, but the aim is to introduce a central provision at the start of 2018/19, which will provide some common questions, ample space for locally developed questions and a set of guidance on how to collect and use module evaluation data with due care. It will aim to support departmental use of module evaluation data for enhancement purposes as well as individual data gathering for promotion and probation purposes.

Three expert groups are currently working on developing a sound and reliable approach. One group, led by Amber Thomas (WIHEA Fellow) is looking at technical aspects and data management. Katharine Gray (also a WIHEA Fellow) is leading a second group to identify which university policies relate to module evaluations and how we can streamline matters. The third group is a WIHEA Learning Circle that will be looking at the academic case: the function of the evaluation instrument, the questions, the multiple uses of data, data collection practices but also the limitations and validity and fairness of this type of data.

Two opportunities to input:

 Technical Requirements: Survey

We would be grateful if you could spend 5 minutes filling in a survey on your requirements for technical solutions for module evaluation.
The survey is at : http://warwick.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_9vl5oJMrFBPB7yB

Open Workshop - Module Evaluation: developing an online, central system

Wednesday, 28 February 2018, 2.30pm to 4.30pm, Experimental Teaching Space, Teaching Grid, The Library

To enable all staff the opportunity to contribute to the development of this system, two Open Workshops aim to provide an opportunity for all involved to share what they have developed so far and ask for feedback, comments and suggestions from all those interested in contributing. Following the first open workshop on 7 February a second will be delivered on 28 February to ensure feedback is shared and received as progress with a new system progresses.

Please complete our registration form if you would like to attend.

For further information on the workshops, please contact Lisa Drummond L.Drummond@warwick.ac.uk .

For further information about the process of developing the module evaluation system, please contact Prof Gwen van der Velden, Co-chair of SLEEC G.Van-der-Velden@warwick.ac.uk

Funded by WIHEA, the new Student Research Digital Hub about to be launched on 24 January 2018, is the result of two projects led by WIHEA Fellows Jane Bryan (Law) and Rachel Davis (Student Careers & Skills).

Following the completion of the first project; an institutional review of undergraduate research opportunities, which captured data around the undergraduate research offering within departments and following interviews and focus groups, provided information for a new digital MyWarwick UG space to ensure all UG Research opportunities are represented in a coherent way to students. The project has then gone on to provide information on reserach opportunities to students on their own departmental webpages as well as through the central space on MyWarwick, providing a clear, consistent message on research opportunities to all stucents across the institution as well as tailoring it to specific departmental opportunities and showcase student reserach work.

The second project which ran parallel with the first was built on the findings from the URSS Impact Study, comissioned under the umbrella of the UG Research Working Group in October 2016, the group endorsed this project to further capture, curate and present the impact of UG Research activity across the institution, by developing the new MyWarwick digital space with central marketing and producing a range of film and written accounts of student research activity and the importantly the impact of it. Both projects engaged students in discussion groups throughout and crucial to delivering the outcomes of both projects were two Student Project Officers, Ande Milinyte and Bo Kelestyn who conducted the interviews, carried out the filming and developed case studies and materials, working closely with WIHEA Fellow Caroline Gibson (IATL) on both projects. Further information on the launch event and the new digital hub will be available shortly.

Congratulations to WIHEA Fellow Dr Ian Tuersley on his conference presentation being accepted for the HEA Innovative Teaching in STEM conference in January 2018 showcasing his innovattive practice. Ian's successful engagement with a new academic writing discipline follows him joining the Pedagogic Research in HE (PJC) Learning Circle and working with the professional learning community established through the PJC's existence. WIHEA Fellows that are interested in finding out more about the PJC can email Kate Mawson on K.mawson@warwick.ac.uk

WIHEA Fellows and invited guests have been invited to attend this symposium.

Date: Wednesday, 13 December 2017

Time: 12.00 – 16.00 (Lunch will be provided)

Venue: Experimental Teaching Space, Teaching Grid, Library

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The Teaching Recognition & Reward (TR&R) Learning Circle are pleased to invite all WIHEA Fellows and guests to a Teaching Recognition and Reward Symposium on 13 December 2017, which will include presentations from three particularly well-informed speakers:

John Brady, Director of Human Resources, University of Reading

'Recognising the Diversity of Contribution - the experience at Reading'

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Professor Dilly Fung, Professor Higher Education Development, UCL

'Moving forward? Reward and recognition for those who teach and lead on education in research-intensive universities'

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Professor Stephen McHanwell, Professor of Anatomical Sciences and Director of Unit for Educational Research Development and Practice, Newcastle University

'Reconceptualising Teaching and Rewarding Teaching Excellence in Higher Education Institutions: Perceptions, Policies, Practices and Possibilities'

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Please complete the acceptance form if you are able to attend.

A WIHEA Fellowship recognises and rewards outstanding achievements in learning and teaching and is an exceptional opportunity to engage with colleagues across the university, improve the student experience, make a genuine difference to Warwick and strengthen career development.

Selected by the WIHEA Advisory Group during a competitive annual selection process consisting of application and nomination in July 2017, the 27 new Fellows listed below joined WIHEA’s collaborative community, which comprises fellows and members who each have a demonstrable commitment to Learning and Teaching and collectively represent the global and interdisciplinary staff and student body at Warwick.

Following a welcome lunch for the new Fellows on the 20 September 2017, all 87 Fellows have been invited to attend the first regular Fellows Lunch (which take place approximately every 6 weeks) to engage in a number of strategic discussions and activities. The WIHEA Fellows take on institutional or Faculty roles that help embed good practice in learning and teaching across the University. This can take many forms:

• Fellows can bid for project funding to embed agreed practice, or review and redesign existing practices.

• Fellows may represent the teaching 'voice' by taking part in the formal governance of the University through committees, sub-committees and working groups.

• Fellows have the opportunity to inform Warwick's strategic and practical thinking on learning and teaching, as and when new challenges or ambitions arise.

• Fellows are able to develop expertise in areas of interest and seek to develop influence within the institution to enhance practice and policy.

During the three year fellowship term, Fellows have many opportunities to develop and show leadership of learning and teaching, including engagement with national and international peers, an aspect which is often crucial to successful promotion.

Congratulations to:

Dr Anil Awesti, CLL

Nick Barker, Chemistry

Dr Gavin Bell, Physics

Dr Elisabeth Blagrove, Psychology

Christine Bradford, Library

Ant Brewerton, Library

Dr Dave Britnell, Engineering

Dr Imogen Davies, Health Sciences

Gill Frigerio, CLL

Caroline Gibson, IATL

Jenni Good, Law

Jess Humphreys, LDC

Liam Jackson, Students' Union

Ruth Leary, CMPS

Margaret Low, WMG

Dr Debbi Marais, WMS

Dr Troy McConachy, CAL

Dr Jennie Mills, LDC

Dr Meleisa Ono-George, History

Dr Stefania Paredes Fuentes, Economics

Dr Lydia Plath, History

Dr Sophie Reissner-Roubicek, CAL

Dr Emma Rushforth, WMG

Dr Gavin Schwartz-Leeper, Liberal Arts

Dr Karen Simecek, Philosophy

Joanne Wale, IATL

Dr Leanne Williams, Life Sciences

Follow this link for a full list of all WIHEA Fellows.

Further information on becoming a Fellow or Member of WIHEA is available here.

Extended Classroom Wednesdays

Every Wednesday between 14.00 and 16.00 The place to go for individual support, advice and training in using Warwick's suite of learning technology tools (we call it The Extended Classroom). Meet the experts from the Academic Technology and Audio Visual Services teams. Get one-to-one assistance and guidance for Moodle, Responseware, AV equipment and more. Join the discussion in our Extended Classroom user groups. Come to a TEL Forum and find out about how others use learning tech at Warwick and beyond.

Drop-in Support

Moodle, ResponseWare, H5P, Lecture Capture and more. On most Wednesdays, the drop-in session runs from 14.00 to 16.00 and you do not need to sign up to attend. On user group days, drop-in will run from 14.00 to 14.30 and then again from 15.30 to 16.00. If you can't make those times, you can always contact us through the IT Services Help Desk.

User Groups

On two Wednesdays each term we have our user group meeting, at which we learn about new features, share advice and experiences, and feed back to the people who run our tools and services. Each meeting will include some general news and reporting, as well as looking at a specific theme. Limited spaces, sign up as soon as you can. Term 1 themes: presentation tools and e-assessment. Sign up now for the session on 25^th October. (14.30 to 15.30) – this user group meeting may be of special interest to Fellows considering or joining the Space Learning Circle, as it is on presentation tools.

TEL Forum

Once a term, working with LDC, IATL, the Library and Academic Technology, the Teaching Grid hosts one of these bigger events, to think more deeply and broadly about the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching. We have showcase presentations, design activities and external speakers. More details coming soon.

See the full program, with dates and sign-up forms here.