The LTSN National Subject Centre for GEES officially began its busy calendar of organising learning and teaching conferences in the Autumn Term of 2000. Our two launch events, one held in London and one held in Edinburgh, were both successful and well-attended. Both conferences entitled ‘Academic Review: Supporting our Disciplines’ provided an introduction to the new Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Academic Review system. The new system is to be introduced in January 2002 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and is already operating in Scotland.
The first event, held at the Royal Geographical Society with the Institute of British Geographers in London on September 26th was attended by over 100 delegates. The day started with Professor Brian Chalkley, Subject Centre Director, introducing the concept of the new Subject Centre and the role it has to play in identifying the changing learning and teaching needs of the three discipline communities.
Then, a series of four parallel workshops were run on various features of the new Academic Review system. These were (a) using the QAA benchmarking statement for Geography, (b) using the QAA benchmarking statement for Earth Sciences, Environmental Sciences and Environmental Studies, (c) preparing a programme specification, and (d) enhancing the quality of the students’ learning experience.
In the afternoon, Peter Milton, Director of Programme Review at the QAA, addressed the audience with details about the new Academic Review process. A question and answer session then ensued.
The following excerpts from the delegates’ evaluation returns evidence the success of the conference:
‘Useful summary of the current situation. Best point: discussion with fellow sufferers!’
‘The day revealed some common problems and it reinforced ideas concerning what needs to be done in departments preparing for the new system of Academic Review’.
‘Very informative session on programme specification. Clarified a number of points of concern’.
‘Good presentations, but greater opportunities for questioning could have been given, so departments can learn from one another’
‘The size of the lunch rolls led to some difficulties - eating such a roll with squidgy filling one-handed whilst standing up was not easy!’
A smaller but somewhat similar event was repeated at the University of Edinburgh in October for the Subject Centre’s Scottish contingent. David Bottomley, Associate Head of the QAA in Scotland, provided the key-note address. Again, feedback from the event suggested that delegates found the day engaging and thought provoking, though few welcomed the prospect of the work involved in preparing for QAA.
(PLEASE NOTE: The LTSN National Subject Centre for GEES is not responsible for the design of the new QAA procedures but is keen to help our three disciplines prepare for the pleasures in store!).
Peter Milton delivering his key-note at the Subject Centre launch event in London, September 2000.
Overview
This workshop aimed to help newly appointed teaching staff in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences become better teachers more quickly. During this two day residential event participants had the opportunity to:
learn about and evaluate a range of approaches, methods and resources for teaching, learning and assessment in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences;
appreciate how general training in teaching, learning and assessment in higher education needs to be interpreted, adapted and supplemented for effective use in our three disciplines;
share experiences and ideas on teaching both with other new teaching staff and with experienced practitioners;
create plans to improve their teaching and extend their continuing professional development;
evaluate the workshop and help the staff to improve it for future years.
The workshop was run by a team of geographers and earth and environmental scientists, who are all experienced in teaching and learning issues. It was led by and organised by Gordon Clark, from the University of Lancaster. In the light of the success of this pilot event, a similar workshop will be run at the University of Birmingham on 21–22 May 2001.
Feedback from a Participant
Having started in January at the University of Sussex, as a Teaching Fellow, I found the workshop to be most valuable in pointing out the importance of teaching in the University environment. The workshop helped me to reflect on the courses I have taught and to consider changing aims and methods. Particularly informative was the session on ‘Lecturing in our Subject’ because of the good balance between reflecting on our experiences and tips for enhancing lectures. The emphasis on the development of a more active-learning-based approach was helpful because it coincided with my interests and observations that this method is able to engage students’ attention and increase their learning effort. However, the workshop also increased my awareness of a nagging thought that the demands to improve one’s teaching come on top of other increasing demands on one’s time and budget, such as research and administration.
The organisers and other participants ensured that the workshop was a very valuable and enjoyable experience.
Other comments:
“Realising that much quality help and advice is available to me in many different forms”.
“Meeting and talking to staff and delegates. The feeling of common experiences / challenges and resultant camaraderie. Being involved in such a well planned / organised event with enthusiastic people”.
“Meeting colleagues in similar circumstances but from different institutions — opportunities to share and exchange and support. The positive and supportive nature of the experienced leaders”.
The Geological Society of America’s mission is “to be a broad, unifying society that fosters understanding of earth systems, supports its members and addresses human needs”. As stated in the conference programme “these values are embedded within the activities of the Summit 2000 meeting, which provides a forum for scientific debate, a venue to meet with our colleagues, and an opportunity to discuss the challenges in earth science education and share a public voice on current issues that challenge our science.” (For more information about the Society visit its web-site at http://www.geosociety.org/).
Helen King and Lawrie Phipps attended the conference (partly subsidised by the LTSN National Subject Centre for GEES), in order to promote the Centre’s activities, seek out possible international collaboration opportunities, and to investigate the state of play in Geoscience learning and teaching in the USA.
From left to right: Lawrie Phipps, Helen King and Roger Suthren at GSA 2000.
Over the four day period of the conference, almost 100 presentations took place on education and educational research as well as poster sessions, organised discussions and meetings covering a range of educational topics. Discussions were not restricted to the teaching of Geology; Earth Systems Science is a major feature of learning and teaching in the USA and includes interactions within and between the hydrosphere, biosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere, therefore fully embracing geography, earth and environmental sciences.
Some of the information, resources and examples of interesting practice gathered at the conference will be disseminated via the Subject Centre’s workshops and other activities in the coming months.
One of the most exciting new developments showcased and discussed extensively was the Digital Library for Earth Systems Education (DLESE) http://www.dlese.org/. This new, Federally-funded initiative has many parallels with the Subject Centre’s own Information Gateway project - Tellus. Discussions between the Subject Centre and DLESE staff were very positive and further collaborative work will be actively pursued. The issues of metadata standards and interoperability across the two projects were discussed and an exchange of ideas and views will be set up electronically in the near future.
Contacts were reinforced with the National Association of Geosience Teachers (NAGT) http://www.nagt.org/. This is a USA-based organisation but with many overseas members and it also embraces a broad definition of Geoscience. Many NAGT members are also involved with the International Geoscience Education Organisation (IGEO) http://reaction.psc.sc.edu/cse/igeo.html and these two bodies provide excellent opportunities for international collaboration.
So, if you are interested in developing overseas contacts in Geoscience Education, do get in touch with the above organisations or contact the Subject Centre in Plymouth.
“Staff and educational developers have tended to work collaboratively to promote and share ideas and good practice with the aim of improving student learning.” (Rakesh Bhanot, Chair: SEDA Conference Committee).
The work of staff and educational developers has expanded considerably over the last few years to become involved in strategic and policy issues as well as research and development in higher education learning and teaching. This broadening was reflected in the annual conference which was attended by educational developers, learning technologists and senior lecturers, as well as staff from several Subject Centres.
The conference was preceded by a workshop day targeted at educational developers and Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) staff. The workshops proved to be very useful in supporting the work of LTSN staff and the day also provided a further opportunity for discussion and networking between different Subject Centres.
Many excellent workshops were run during the main conference. Perhaps the two most pertinent were ‘How do teaching and learning projects develop the new developers?’ run by Carole Baume (Director of the TQEF National Co-ordination Team) and David Baume (Director of the Centre for Higher Education Practice, Open University); and ‘New Professionals as Expert Learners’ run by Martin Oliver (UCL). Both of these workshops explored the development and future roles of the ‘new generation’ of educational developers, including learning technologists and project staff from learning and teaching programmes such as the Fund for Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL) and the Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP) and the LTSN.
Further information on the conference and other SEDA activities can be found at their web-site: http://www.seda.demon.co.uk/
SEDA Associate Fellowship
The GEES Subject Centre is delighted to announce the award of SEDA Associate Fellowship which was presented to Helen King at the conference reception. This award is part of a professional accreditation scheme intended for those who support lecturers, support staff and their institutions to enhance the quality of the student learning experience, through the professional development of staff who work in higher education.
The new LTSN National Subject Centre is building on the work of the former Computers in Teaching Initiative (CTI) Centres and is keen to promote the use (where appropriate) of learning technologies. One of the most interesting and controversial current issues is how best to use technology to support fieldwork. For this reason the LTSN National Subject Centre for GEES recently held a one day conference on fieldwork teaching using C & IT. The conference was hosted by the School of Geography at the University of Leeds, fifty delegates attended representing the Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences community as well as staff from cognate disciplines such as biosciences and archaeology.
The conference aimed to demonstrate good practice and provide a forum for some of the issues raised by the use of C & IT in fieldwork. Six pieces of work were demonstrated ranging from the small-scale implementation of software within a department to large-scale development of software suites available to all Higher Education Institutions. In his keynote address, Tom Franklin of the LTSN Technologies Centre, spoke of the importance of C & IT in the curriculum and accessibility in the design of these resources. A prevailing theme throughout the day was that technology is a tool, which can be used as an important enhancement for fieldwork teaching but should not be used as a substitute for the real thing!
Proceedings of the conference will be available as a version of PLANET in the near future.
Supporting good practice in learning and teaching is not only about sharing existing skills and resources, it is also about facilitating the development of new ones. At the end of last July, the Subject Centre therefore announced the first round of funding (£15,000) under its small-scale projects programme. Subsequently, the selection panel, consisting of the Subject Centre Director, Manager and the four Senior Advisors, then had the difficult task of choosing the few that could be funded out of the 17 excellent proposals submitted.
The funding programme aims to:
Support curriculum developments and other innovations which will enhance the quality of the students’ learning experience;
Harness existing staff expertise and identify and encourage fresh talent;
Offer opportunities for continuing professional development of teaching and support staff in the three disciplines;
Disseminate good practice to the wider communities;
Encourage collaboration and sharing of good practice between the three disciplines;
Widen participation in the Subject Centre’s work.
Our congratulations go to the four successful projects which will commence in January 2001 and run for one year. They are:
“Atmosphere, Lithosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere: Cross-Disciplinary Virtual Fieldwork”
Roger Suthren, Geology (BMS), Oxford Brookes University
“Development of POPWEB, a Web-based Guide to Pollen and Plant Types: a Learning Resource for Lecture and Practical Support”
Jeff Blackford, Department of Geography, Queen Mary College, University of London
“Reflective Learning in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences”
Margaret Harrison, School of Environment, Cheltenham & Gloucester College of HE
“Developing Team Skills in the Curricula”
Kenneth Lynch, School of Earth Sciences and Geography, Kingston University
Further information on these four projects is available on the Subject Centre web-site and regular updates on their progress will also be posted. The next round of funding under this programme will be announced in August 2001 - keep an eye on the web-site for details: http://www.gees.ac.uk
The LTSN Subject Centre’s Information Gateway project was tendered out in July 2000. Following interviews held on 9th October 2000, the Subject Centre is pleased to announce that the successful team are Andrew Evans, Myles Gould and Graham Clarke, from the School of Geography, University of Leeds.
The project officially commenced on 1st January 2001, but much work has been completed in the period between the interviews and the official start date. A working ‘in-progress’ gateway should therefore be operable in the late spring or early summer of 2001.
The aim of the project is to provide a portal through which quality learning and teaching materials can be accessed. The materials will be reviewed and annotated, providing a useful resource for anyone using the gateway. It is intended that a ‘personalised’ front page will also be added to the site, giving users a chance to be alerted to new materials that become available in the database depending upon their interests.
If anyone would like more information on the project, e-mail [email protected] or access the Project Tellus web-site (http://www.tellus.ac.uk) where further information will be placed as and when it becomes available.
Here’s how you can keep up-to-date with Subject Centre activities and with learning and teaching developments/issues across the three discipline communities.
Departmental Contacts
The Subject Centre has a contact person in every UK HE department that offers Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences programmes, alone or in combination. These contact persons have been established to act as an effective voice for the department on any learning and teaching issue which you consider to be important. The departmental contact person is also the Subject Centre’s first port of call for disseminating information. For example, this issue of PLANET was distributed via your departmental representative. If you do not know who your contact person is, why not send an email around your department, or contact us direct to find out? Email: [email protected].
GEES Headline News (serving all three subject communities)
This is an e-mail distribution list maintained by the Subject Centre. This service specifically provides short e-mails keeping all who subscribe informed of Subject Centre activities, developments and projects. No general pedagogic material is sent to this list. If you would like to be added to this mailing list then please e-mail: [email protected]
ESac-LTSN (serving Environmental Science)
This service is maintained by the Subject Centre’s Environmental Science Satellite at the University of Hertfordshire. The list is intended for the Environmental Sciences academic community (ESac) and is used as a forum for discussions about learning and teaching issues and good practice in Environmental Science. It is also used as a list to post Subject Centre announcements and requests for information.
To join ESac-LTSN visit the JISCMAIL homepage at: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/
Geo-Network (serving Earth Sciences)
This service is maintained by the Subject Centre. Geo-Network is used as a platform for discussion on the provision of key skills, careers guidance and general pedagogic issues within Earth Science degree courses. It is also used as a medium for the dissemination of information relating to the activities of the Subject Centre in the area of Earth Sciences.
To join Geo-Network visit the JISCMAIL homepage at: http://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/
Geog-Net (serving Geography)
Geog-Net is a moderated e-mail discussion list, primarily used for the discussion of issues associated with learning and teaching in UK Geography Higher Education. It too includes information about the Subject Centre.
To join Geog-Net e-mail: [email protected]
Register of Expertise
If you have a question or query on any learning and teaching issue, then please contact the Subject Centre and use our register of expertise. This register currently has over 50 names and contact details of individuals who have expertise in various learning and teaching areas, ranging from computeraided assessment to problem-solving, or from the adoption of C&IT in fieldwork to benchmarking Alternatively, if you have an area of expertise that you think others could benefit from, why not contact the Subject Centre and add your name to the register? Please email: [email protected] if you would like to use and/or be added to the list. (Please note that the register is NOT published on the web).