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March News
Welcome to the March edition of our Academic Enhancement and Professional Development (AEPD) newsletter.
In this edition you can find information about:
- Our new academic development reflection tool
- New Academics Network Programme
- Upcoming events of the Active Learning CoP
- Digital Assessment
- Fairtrade Curriculum
- Copyright resources
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Looking back to move forward
The Academic Development Team has recently developed a new Academic Development Reflection tool. This tool has been specifically designed to assist staff members in identifying their individual needs and areas for improvement in relation to their academic practice.
The primary objective of the Academic Development Reflection Tool is to provide a supporting developmental route for individuals that teach, support or lead teaching and learning within Coventry University Group. By utilising this tool staff members can effectively explore and fulfil their potential, ultimately contributing to the realisation of the Coventry University Group’s mission.
The academic development reflection tool, can be used in conjunction with the development narratives that provide a starting point for colleagues to explore the resources, workshops and other opportunities for further enhancing their teaching practice.
Not only does this tool benefit individual staff members but it also proves advantageous for managers within Coventry University Group.
By developing and utilising this tool, we hope that it can contribute towards creating a culture of continuous improvement within the institution by empowering both staff members and managers alike.
Explore how to further enhance your practice through our upcoming workshop:
"Enhancing your teaching practice: Becoming a reflective practitioner"
21st of March | 11.00 - 12.00 | online
During this one-hour workshop, we will delve into various models and types of reflections that can help us enhance our teaching methods. Through interactive discussions, we will explore effective tools that aid in identifying areas for improvement as well as recognizing our strengths. By embracing reflection, we can actively enhance our teaching practice and ultimately increase student satisfaction.
Don't miss out on this opportunity to further develop your skills and make a positive impact in the classroom!
New Academics Network Programme
Are you new to teaching at the Coventry University Group?
Then the New Academics Network Programme (NANP) is for you.
The Network gives you the opportunity to join a community of fellow colleagues who are starting out at the institution, and/or embarking on their teaching career. A dedicated MS Teams site is maintained for exchanging practice and conversation, whilst our twice-monthly “NANP Presents” sessions explore a range of themes relevant to your role.
These one-hour online sessions are designed to be a quick and effective way to learn about the support available to you, and to make valuable connections with colleagues. Recent topics have included Educational Technology, Registry and gaining accreditation with Advance HE.
All new teaching staff are welcome! To join us, simply send a request to join the NANP Teams site.
Upcoming Events
Upcoming Meetings for the Active Learning Community of Practice
We are excited to announce that the guest speaker sessions for our Active Learning CoP will be returning this semester, following the success we had in the winter semester.
On April 25th, we have the pleasure of welcoming Mary Jacob from Aberystwyth University. She will be discussing how to redesign our sessions with Active Cognitive Tasks in mind. This promises to be an insightful and informative session.
On June 19th, Richard Beggs from Ulster University will be joining us. He will share his experience and expertise on using Apps for Active Learning. This session is expected to provide valuable insights into incorporating technology into active learning practices.
In addition to these guest speaker sessions, we also want to highlight and celebrate active learning within Coventry University Group. Therefore, we are inviting colleagues who would like to share their own active learning practices at the 'Celebrate Active Learning' Event that will take place in the summer. If you are interested in participating and sharing your experiences, please get in touch with us and complete the provided form.
We look forward to seeing you at these upcoming events!
Further Academic Development opportunities
The Academic Enhancement and Professional Development team is offering an extensive programme of activities that allow you to explore, participate, share and then reflect on a wide range of activities.
Look at our website for all the upcoming events.
Digital Assessment
Join the Digital Assessment Community of Practice.
A Digital Assessment channel has now been added to the Digital Skills Community of Practice Teams site. This channel will provide a forum for the exchange of practice, ideas and queries related to digital assessment. It will over the next few months provide a location for the sharing of support information related to the roll out of the digital assessment platform, Inspera.
The Digital Skills Community of Practice also includes channels on Digital Learning and Training Opportunities; Jisc Discovery Tool and Framework; and Supporting Students with Digital Skills. If you are not yet a member of the Digital Skills community of practice then join here or contact Lucy Bamwo, Digital Fluency Lead, ae2783@coventry.ac.uk for further information.
Inspera update and support sessions
A reminder that Aula Quizzes will not be available after March 8th if you need to move any quizzes across then please contact the Education Technologist team – learningenhance@coventry.ac.uk
If you are interested in exploring the new platform then please sign up for one of the ‘Getting Started with Inspera’ sessions that are running this semester. Once you have attended the introductory session you will be given access to the Test server so you can explore.
If you are interested in seeing some of the question types that Inspera has available these can be viewed via this demo test.
Fairtrade in the Curriculum
The University is currently working towards retaining its "Fairtrade Award" and as part of the award we are required to evidence where the university includes Fairtrade, Trade Justice or Ethical Consumption Issues in the courses and modules we teach. We know a range of courses and schools are already doing this and we were able to demonstrate a small percentage of activity taking place at our last Fairtrade Award submission. This work is part of the university’s wider commitments on sustainability.
For our re-certification, taking place in Spring 2024, we would like to capture what the University is currently providing, so it can be submitted towards our award this year. We would appreciate it if the link, to a short questionnaire (5 mins), could be completed and circulated to any staff you know who are teaching modules or courses which include the topics of Fairtrade, Ethical Consumption or Trade Justice.
Copyright resources
If you'd like to support your students to develop their copyright literacy or if you'd like to find the best way to license your own work, you can explore the copyright resources put together by Erica Levi from Coventry University Online.
This collection of resources can be valuable for students and staff alike to improve their understanding of copyright through open resources, workshops and interactive escape rooms.
Sharing Success Stories
Would you like to see your success stories, publications or conference presentations featured in our newsletter?
If so, let us know by completing this form.
Subscribe to our Newsletter
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