The academic year 2021/22 should prove to be a different one from 20/21 with more on campus activity. However, with the introduction of ISLA( Inclusive Synchronous Learning Activities) spaces at City for hybrid teaching, it is a fact that things won’t quite go back to what they were before the pandemic. Looking at some of the reflective LEaD Light Lunch sessions, from last year, it is obvious to see how much has been collectively learned. This blog will revisit some of the sessions that discussed ideas around designing and planning for online practice. The recordings are well worth a revisit, and could help with thinking how to approach the challenges of this new academic year.
First up was a session on the Learning Designer tool from lead developer Dionysis Dimakopoulos (former SMCSE Lecturer) who has been working on the tool since 2009. The tool is based on Diana Laurillard’s Conversational Framework. Dionysis shows how computing short courses use the Learning Designer to map teaching and how you can start using it for your teaching too. Dionysis also talked about the newly launched ( and now rerunning) FutureLearn Blended and Online learning course.
A really popular session, as it was just so packed with real practical tips, was
how to give more effective and engaging online presentations with Leonard Houx (senior instructional designer at Bayes Business School). This was pretty interactive with lots of great ideas supported by strong pedagogic research.
There was also quite a strong international flavour around the theme of sharing. Firstly, Dr Justin Needle (Senior Lecturer in Health Services Research & Policy) talked about the development of a
Curriculum Internationalisation Toolkit. This toolkit, for use by City staff, provides a curated selection of resources, guides, case studies and videos, that can be readily incorporated into teaching. Furthermore, Justin argues that these resources would be of benefit to all students, whether international or not. Justin concluded that the team was also looking for additional case studies covering internationalisation activities at City. So if you would like to contribute or to learn more about the Toolkit, then do please contact
Justin Needle.
Then, there was a presentation by Mark Hertlein and Aliya Sorgen (Office for Global Engagement) on
Global experience in the age of COVID and beyond who also talked about ways in which partnerships with international universities can enhance and enrich the educational offer for all students at City. They specifically mentioned the COIL (Collaborative Online International Learning.) project.
Indeed in most of the sessions, there was a strong focus on collaboration to develop best practices. So to continue with that the theme of sharing this term there will be a relaunch of the LEaD Light Lunches. If you are interested in sharing ideas with colleagues from across City then do
register here
