Abstracts

Cynhadledd/Conference Abstract

s

2013

Pam ddylwn i newid y ffordd rwy’n dysgu? Cyfoethogi ymgysylltiad a phrofiad dysgu myfyrwyr Why Should I Change the Way I Teach? Enhancing Student Engagement and Learning

Dydd Mercher, Medi 18 2013/Wednesday, September 18, 2013Dydd Mercher Sesiwn 1/Wednesday Session 1, 10:00 – 11:00: Araith Gyweirnod/Keynote Address, Dr Neil Morris, Prifysgol Leeds/ University of Leeds - Hugh Owen, A12Higher Education is changing. Students are changing and their expectations are growing. Technology is changing rapidly and becoming ubiquitous. Evidence is growing about the value of technology to enhance student learning and improve the quality of the student experience. Are you changing?

In this session, I will explore some of the recent developments in the area of educational technology, blended learning and online learning, providing evidence of their impact and effectiveness to enhance student learning, engagement and enjoyment. I will draw on examples that individual teachers, departments and the whole institution can relate to and I will highlight some of the key challenges associated with changing academic practice.Dydd Mercher Sesiwn 2/Wednesday Session 2, 11:30 – 12:30

Dr Stephen Atherton & Dr Nazrul Islam - Hugh Owen A14

Robin Chapman & Dr Joanne Maddern - Hugh Owen C164

Enhancing the Motivation to Learn: Using In Class Voting and Assessment for Learning Activities to Improve Student Engagement in Lectures

Dr Stephen Atherton, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Email: sta@aber.ac.uk

This presentation focuses on the use of Qwizdom in various Undergraduate modules on Childhood Studies and Education degree schemes. Qwizdom has traditionally used as a means of engaging students through in-class voting, but this presentation focuses on other uses that can support and enhance student learning and engagement. By using Qwizdom as an assessment for learning tool, students are able to identify gaps in their own learning and to confirm knowledge and understanding of a topic. Furthermore this method of using Qwizdom can identify overall patterns in student learning and provide the lecturer with information about areas of misunderstanding, and topics that may need to be covered in further detail. The presentation will focus on several sessions where Qwizdom has been utilised and will focus on the benefits, issues raised, and most importantly student feedback and perceptions.

Technology can be a suitable aid to student engagement and learning

Dr Nazrul Islam, School of Management and Business, Email: mni@aber.ac.uk

A variety of new technologies has been adopted to enhance my teaching and help students engage with the material in my lectures. This approach has been well received by the student body which is very aware of technology and its uses in the classroom. By adopting these technologies (e.g., QFD matrix, simulation-based forum), I am able to keep students focused on their material while providing an interactive environment which seems to help students in their active engagement in learning. The more recent incorporation of safe assign as a student learning device rather than using it as a policing instrument has been widely welcomed. By the actions I am positively influencing the debate on the use of programmes such safe assign and turn-it-in as aids to learning. Other lecturers have also taken my lead in adopting face book, blogs and on-line discussion boards.

My approach to teaching is also focused on employability in that my lectures consist of both theoretical and applied topics and issues. I require students to emphasise practical solutions to problems and organises my classes to achieve this result. I also follow this up by leading industrial visits to overseas establishments and incorporate the material gleaned by students in tests and quizzes.

Some thoughts on opportunities for formative assessment and effective feedback

T. Robin Chapman, Welsh Department, Email: ttc@aber.ac.uk

Our feedback to students occurs in two distinct ways. We can easily forget that the first is teaching at all. It is informal, voluntary, initiated by the student, conducted privately and not assessed. An example is a chat in the corridor or an unsolicited email that begins, 'In my essay, I'm thinking of looking at x and saying y. Is that OK?' The second, by contrast - typically a seminar paper or presentation - is formal, obligatory, initiated by the teacher, conducted publicly and makes use of assessment criteria. Based on my own practice and experience as a teacher and lecturer, I consider the advantages and potential disadvantages of making occasional and selective use of a hybrid in which students are asked to make a formal and public presentation that is not directly assessed. How do students respond? How flexible is the model? What role do their peers play in the process? What teaching and learning occurs? How does the model accord with John Biggs’ ideas on constructive alignment?

Survival guides, wikis and weblogs: Designing and coordinating an online learning community to support the professional development of early-mid career lecturers and University teachers

Dr Joanne Maddern, Centre for the Development of Staff and Academic Practice, Email: oam@aber.ac.uk

In 2011, consultation across Aberystwyth University revealed that whilst new lecturers found value in theories of learning and teaching, the first thing that they really needed when new in post was some kind of dynamic, individualized and responsive survival guide to support them during their first semester of teaching ‘in at the deep end’. This paper will focus on the modernization of the Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education (PGCTHE) and the incorporation of technology-enhanced learning to attempt to meet these needs. It examines the success of this model through extracts from the survival guide and examines the design challenges of creating a ‘place’ where academics can share teaching problems and solutions, give advice, support, empathy and encouragement to each other. This paper is situated within current theoretical debates about online communities of practice and the potential for e-learning technologies to enhance educational development amongst early – mid career academic staff.

Dydd Mercher Sesiwn 3/Wednesday Session 3, 2:00 – 3:00Dysgu o Bell/Distance Learning: Dr Elizabeth Hart, Dr Owen Thomas & Dr Gareth Norris - Hugh Owen A14

Dr Hazel Davey & Ian Keirle - Hugh Owen C164

Sustainability Network Wales: Enhancing learning and teaching in schools

Dr Elizabeth Hart, Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences, Email: elh18@aber.ac.uk

SusNet Wales is a collaborative multi-disciplinary approach to deliver a post-sixteen module in Sustainability and Social Responsibility which will be developed, led and delivered by practising researchers within Aberystwyth University. The module will consist of four units; a central generic Research Skills unit and three Academic discipline units, which will be tailored in consultation with the school to add value and to extend the range of activities within the A level curriculum. Opportunities to engage students with practising researchers will aim to inspire young people and enhance their experience of contemporary research. Blackboard will be the key platform of delivery for the module, providing a virtual learning environment for both students and teachers. The development of interactive learning tools and a range of exciting activities will provide a fun and informal learning environment. The development of the module is centred on a consultative approach with schools and teachers to add value to the curriculum and to ensure the maintenance of an excellent standard of learning for students, an increase in confidence and expertise in contemporary research for teachers and enhanced communication skills for researchers.

Dysgu o Bell trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg/Welsh-medium Distance Learning: Some Challenges and Solutions

Dr Owen Thomas, Department of Education and Lifelong Learning, Email: owt13@aber.ac.uk

Bydd y cyflwyniad hwn yn trafod y Cynllun Dysgu o Bell (trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg) y mae’n fwriad gan brifysgolion Aberystwyth a Bangor ei ddilysu yn ystod 2013-14 i’w lansio ym mis Medi 2014. Bydd y papur yn mynd i’r afael yn fras â thri maes: o ble daeth Dysgu o Bell trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg, beth yw Dysgu o Bell trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg a sut mae Dysgu o Bell? Bydd yn esbonio’r cefndir ar gyfer y Cynllun newydd hwn (sydd dan nawdd y Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol); yn crybwyll y cefndir mwy cyffredinol ar gyfer dysgu o bell; yn esbonio nod ac amcan y cydweithio sefydliadol; yn esbonio sut y bwriedir cynnig hyfforddiant i staff academaidd; yn amlinellu’r strwythurau ar gyfer cefnogi dysgu o bell ar draws mwy nag un sefydliad; yn rhoi cipolwg ar gynnwys y tystysgrifau newydd a gynigir; ac yn cynnig pa feysydd a dulliau newydd y gellir eu datblygu at y dyfodol. I gloi, trafodir y dulliau marchnata a ddefnyddiwyd i hybu’r prosiect.

This presentation will discuss the Distance Learning Plan (through the medium of Welsh) which Aberystwyth and Bangor universities intend to validate during 2013-14 for launch in September

Supporting students with directed learning resources: advantages of private study

Dr Hazel Davey, IBERS, Email: hlr@aber.ac.uk

When teaching within the biological sciences the concepts often rely upon basic skills in mathematics and chemistry. However, our student intake includes students with good A’ levels in these subjects through to those who struggled with them at GCSE (or equivalents for students with alternative entry qualifications). Large class sizes and reticence of students to identify themselves as lacking abilities or confidence in these related subjects can lead to some students becoming lost if too much background knowledge is assumed or disengagement of others if too much time is spent rehearsing the basics. To overcome these problems self-study material has been developed and made available through Blackboard. This approach has been tested for the teaching and assessment of chemistry skills for first year students and directed study / self-assessment of data handling with third year students. Feedback from students has been excellent and they have identified advantages to this approach as including 1) the opportunity to make mistakes (and learn from them) in privacy, 2) the ability to work at their own pace at a convenient time, 3) additional support and explanation available via the discussion boards or email. With thought, this approach can provide tailored and timely feedback to enable students to improve their performance.

Engaging students on study tours: some example activities

Ian Keirle, IBERS, Email: ike@aber.ac.uk

In some departments residential study tours and field trips form an important element of courses. Their role is to provide students with a concentrated study period that allows core concepts to be developed in the wider environment outside of the University. Such tours provide opportunities to engage and enthuse students and allow teaching and training to be carried out away from the usual lecture format.

This presentation will highlight several examples of activities that have been developed by the tourism team for use on tourism study weeks in Snowdonia and Malta. The first example will show how getting students to record issues in the field using digital cameras can be used to illicit discussion when back in the classroom. The second example will demonstrate a role-play exercise using tourism leaflets to get students to understand tourism market segmentation. The final example will show how training students to use social science research methods such as questionnaires and then getting them to implement them in the field can develop more in students than just knowledge of social science research techniques!

Dydd Mercher Sesiwn 4/Wednesday Session 4, 3:30 – 4:40Dr Andrew Filmer & Dr Ayla Gol - Hugh Owen C164

Using blogs to enhance creative and reflective processes

Dr Andrew Filmer, Dept. Theatre, Film and Television, Email: awf@aber.ac.uk

In this presentation I discuss two instances in which I have used blogs to enhance students’ engagement in creative and reflective processes. The first instance involves the use of individual blogs by second year students undertaking a module in movement-based improvisation. Hosted on Aberystwyth’s Blackboard Virtual Learning Environment (VLE), the individual blogs have proved useful in encouraging students to undertake a regular practice of reflective journal writing, as well as helping me provide feedback on drafts. The second instance involves the use of a single shared blog as a point of focus for a group of first year students working on a site-specific performance project entitled ‘On The Move’. Here, the shared blog provided a means of gathering and sharing material as well as reflecting on and documenting the creative process. In both instances, blogs have proved useful in engaging students in active learning through adopting a processual approach to set tasks and a forum in which to reflect on the interrelations between theory and practice. In these respects they have proved to be a helpful adjunct to face-to-face teaching.

An Effective Use of Electronic Learning Portfolios for Teaching Islamic Studies in Aberystwyth University

Dr Ayla Gol, International Politics, Email: ayg@aber.ac.uk

The 21st century as a digital age is characterized by the increased accessibility of information and knowledge through the medium of sophisticated technological tools. The main aim of this paper is to show how educational technology can be used effectively to help students construct knowledge when teaching Islamic studies at the Department of International Politics in Aberystwyth University. The first part of this paper summarizes the differences between information sharing and knowledge construction with reference to the essence of knowledge as Aristotelian ‘episteme’ (theoretical knowledge) and technê (practical knowledge: know-how); and the extent which the former process is created by the use of Information Technology (IT) while the latter is enhanced by Educational Technology (ET). The second part explains how innovative uses of ET in the form of (e-Portfolios) on the Grade Centre of Blackboard have been developed at undergraduate level for formative assessment and feedback since 2008. The paper concludes by presenting some reflections and limitations on how effective use of ET can help students to (de)construct knowledge and become critical thinkers while studying Islam and Middle Eastern politics as part of international politics curriculum.

Dydd Iau, Medi 19 2013/Thursday, September 19 2013Dydd Iau Sesiwn1/Thursday Session 1, 10:00 – 10:45

Araith Gyweirnod – Cylogadwyedd/Employability Keynote, Dr Vicky Gunn, Glasgow University - Hugh Owen, A14Changing the way we teach or thinking about our disciplines as more than content? Linking research-teaching-employability

This keynote raises the question of how we can link two macro-level contextual changes in the demands on an undergraduate degree:

Researcher development needs within disciplines are not static and currently undergoing significant change – this ultimately needs to feed down into the earliest stages of scholarly socialisation at a higher education level;

Links between undergraduate programmes of study, whether vocational or not, and subsequent employability outside of the academy have been thrown in to stark and urgent relief by changes to University funding and the economic environment.

It explores the possibility of linking notions of early career researcher attributes to more general employability attributes and what the consequences are in terms of programme design. It illustrates work undertaken at Glasgow University since 2008 to effect change, including student-led institutional research, top down and bottom up initiatives, and inter-professional collaboration between Services and academics. It qualifies where this agenda is now and how we intend to take it further.

Background reading for this keynote:

Graduate Attributes at Glasgow University: http://www.gla.ac.uk/students/attributes/ourgraduateattributes/

Gunn, V. (2011) Maintaining Research-Mindedness in Scotland's Universities in a Time of Sector-Wide Change. Discussion Paper. Quality Assurance Agency (Scotland), Glasgow, UK. http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/publications/maintaining-research-mindedness-in-scotland.pdf?sfvrsn=22

Gunn, V. (2010) Enhancing Research-Teaching Linkages as a Way to Improve the Development of Employability Attributes. Discussion Paper. Quality Assurance Agency (Scotland), Glasgow, UK. http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/publications/enhancing-research-teaching-linkages-to-improve-the-development-of-employability-attributes.pdf?sfvrsn=24

Dydd Iau Sesiwn3/Thursday Session 3, 12:15 – 1:00Dr Carina Fearnley - Hugh Owen A12

Enhancing learning: social networking in the field and role-play for large class sizes

Dr Carina Fernley, IBERS, Email: cjf9@aber.ac.uk

This presentation explores two teaching interventions that had the aim of enhancing learning in two particularly challenging environments.

First in the field - social networking is one of the most significant phenomenon to evolve in recent years following the launch of Facebook, Twitter, and MySpace, to name a few. Given the significant role that these tools play in a student’s life, this project investigated as to how new mobile technologies can be used to allow new forms of media, datasets and methods of social interaction within the field context to enhance student learning, using the DGES's New Zealand North fieldtrip in 2011 as a case study.

Second, large classes - module courses that are lecture based often do not provide the opportunity for students to engage with the content, frequently reflected in weakly synthesized coursework and exams. In order to provide a more holistic understanding to the challenges faced in practice on the DGES course 'Geohazards' practices drawn from problem based learning, and the use of role play were adopted to design a two hour mock United Nations seminar entitled ‘Tokyo: Emplacing Comprehensive Disaster Risk Reduction Measures for Future Natural Hazards’. Findings indicate that role play enhances the students role as a participant in the learning to not only understand the content being discussed, but how it is implemented and the problems this creates. This exercise reinforces that by changing the research environment and patterns (i.e. role play rather an unidirectional lecture) new and value insights can be gained that are just not possible using traditional lecturing styles

Dydd Iau Sesiwn 4/Thursday Session 4, 2:00 – 3:00Dr Basil Wolf & Dr Malcolm Leitch and Dr Eli Saetnan & Dr Basil Wolf - Hugh Owen A14

Karl Drinkwater & Madeline Carr - Hugh Owen C164

The use of e-learning technology to structure learning and enhance student engagement

Dr Basil Wolf & Dr Malcolm Leitch, IBERS, Email: btw@aber.ac.uk and mxl@aber.ac.uk

Over the last two years we have developed an on-line statistics course for a module of approximately 400 students in the rural and biological sciences. The course features short lectures and video demonstrations which are delivered via the Blackboard VLE. Students are taught to use a statistical software package (SPSS) to analyse example data sets that are linked to departmental interests in research and teaching. Skills and understanding are developed through formative exercises and quizzes that provide feedback and require a pass mark of 75% for progression. Continuous assessment and final examinations are conducted using on-line quizzes that test understanding of concepts and ability to conduct and interpret analyses. Progress is monitored in the grade data base and weaker students are targeted for face-to-face support. General support is available through a course handbook, discussion board, and workshops that are ‘funded’ through release of staff time from lecturing and marking. Our presentation will detail our objectives and methods, outline student feedback, and discuss the potential of these techniques to enhance active learning in a wide range of subject areas.

The use of e-learning and technology to develop scientific literacy skills

Dr Eli Saetnan & Dr Basil Wolf, IBERS, Email: ers@aber.ac.uk and btw@aber.ac.uk

Large lectures are becoming increasingly common in UK higher education, and IBERS is no exception. The current cohort of 2nd year students required to take the Research Methods module stands at over 350 students, from a wide range of degree schemes and backgrounds. The challenge is not only teaching to such a large number of students, but also to address the needs and interests of a very diverse student body. The module is intended to develop scientific literacy skills, and traditional lecturing has proven not to be the best way to reach this growing body of students. Such large modules face difficulties both with lack of student engagement and a limited ability to provide individual formative feedback. This is reflected in poor skills development hindering student success in future modules. The parallel run statistics module has successfully tackled these issues by developing on-line formative exercises and quizzes supported

Facebook Use For Student Support

Karl Drinkwater, Information Services, Email: kkd@aber.ac.uk

Instead of always waiting for students to come to us, modern libraries look at how they can take support to our users. The students of most departments have Facebook groups which are a hive of activity, a 24/7 social presence where they feel comfortable. As a trial the library answered queries and offered help and advice via the student psychology group on Facebook (over 330 members). We have clarified causes of confusion, corrected misunderstandings, answered queries, and promoted events and new resources. This enabled one-to-many support. As the year wore on we saw students begin to answer each other's queries with greater confidence, often using information we had given them, or directing them to their subject librarian for further help: the support had entered their general consciousness.

Teaching Through Student Participation in Global Meetings

Madeline Carr, International Politics, Email: mac64@aber.ac.uk

Increasingly, meetings, lectures and conferences of global significance are available online – either live or shortly after as a video archive. One of these, the United Nations Internet Governance Forum, allows for live remote participation. For students studying the complexities of global internet governance, few experiences can highlight the competing agendas, current debates and political manoeuvrings as powerfully as actively participating in the meeting. By established Aberystwyth University as a ‘remote hub’ for the UNIGF, we have been able to integrate the meeting into our teaching program. Rather than passively reading about internet governance, students involved in the UNIGF remote hub develop a sense of urgency through participation. Students research key actors and proposals prior to the meeting and then prepare potential questions based on the schedule of panel presentations. During the meeting, students log in remotely, follow the speakers and pose questions directly to the panel. This has proven a highly effective way of engaging

by discussion boards and workshops. We intend to build on this success by developing a portfolio of on-line materials and in-class workshops to develop skills in sourcing, reading, writing and reviewing scientific literature.

students in the subject matter and extending their comprehension and analysis of the issues surrounding the global governance of the internet.

Dydd Iau Sesiwn 5/Thursday Session 5, 4:00 – 5:00Dr Rupert Marshall & Juanita Foster-Jones- Hugh Owen A14

Dr David E. Whitworth & Dr Jenny Mathers - Hugh Owen C164

Turning it in or Churning it out? Technology enhanced learning as feedback

Dr Rupert Marshall, IBERS, Email: rmm@aber.ac.uk

Engaging learners in the process of data interpretation and critically summary is a common learning outcome across disciplines. But differentiating between relating and discussing an author’s findings can be problematic: climbing Bloom’s taxonomy can seem like tackling Dawkins’ Mount Improbable. I trialled a new form of feedback to assist learners in this task, using the text-matching proprietary software “Turnitin”. Learners frequently demand feedback but are rarely satisfied with what is provided: Biro’d brackets and scribbled asides may be well intentioned but are often misinterpreted. Turnitin provides clear and precise identification of words taken from other sources from a handful of disparate words to a verbatim paragraph. Rather than a tool for plagiarism detection, it can be used to help individuals develop their writing skills. In addition, Turnitin provides an opportunity for verbal feedback – beyond typed notes, this digital personalisation can bring to life the meaning of our messages: it’s not what we say but how we say it. Taking this further I am developing audio-visual feedback by means of screen capture: Face to face from far away.

Evaluation and Enhancement Via the Student Perspective

Juanita Foster-Jones and Dr Allen Foster, Department of Information Studies, Email: jff@aber.ac.uk and aef@aber.ac.uk

This paper will discuss the iterative development of an online module using student feedback. Information Services: Planning for Delivery was a completely online module developed for the MSc in Information & Library Studies. The development aimed to move beyond replicating the print medium (Bates, 1995) and exploit the media affordances of the online tools to enrich the learning experience. The teaching staff have balanced pedagogical aims with what is physically possible with practical constraints. Using Moodle VLE, Wimba Create, a Flip cam, Windows Movie Maker and AberCast the

Electronic Assessment of a Laboratory Practical

Dr David E. Whitworth, IBERS, Email: dew@aber.ac.uk

Electronic assessment lends itself straightforwardly to certain types of teaching activity and learning outcomes. However, other activities/outcomes such as laboratory practicals, may initially appear to preclude the adoption of electronic assessment without considerable time and effort, or without potentially compromising the student learning experience.

A large intake of students and a review of teaching provision led to numbers of students studying a first year module on metabolism increasing ten-fold to more than 300. The module included a practical session, so rather than spend 2-3 weeks marking 300 traditional laboratory reports, a test was developed on Blackboard. The test was designed to be fair, robust, adaptive and contained a formative but assessed element. Care was taken to develop learning outcomes that were appropriate for a laboratory practical, and that were not focussed on factual recall. For instance, students were asked to perform data analysis, and report the significance of their calculation results. A side benefit of the electronic assessment was that data on submission could be captured, shedding light on student submission behaviour.

The rationale behind the test, how generic problems were overcome, and outcomes from the test will be described during the session.

Using Twitter to Engage Students outside the Classroom

Dr Jenny Mathers, International Politics, Email: zzk@aber.ac.uk

This paper will discuss the author’s experiments with using Twitter alongside traditional face-to-face methods of teaching to increase the quality and quantity of engagement by undergraduate students outside scheduled contact hours. For the past three years, the author has invited students taking different International Politics modules at Aberystwyth University to follow a variety of Twitter

authors have created an e-learning course that has met some if not all of the initial aims.

Following release of the module, a user evaluation was undertaken to identify student:

Perceptions and attitudes towards online learning

Prior experience of e-learning

Attitudes to activities within the online course

Perspective of the course assessments

The evaluation revealed an interesting contrast between those with prior e-learning experience and those without. Specific activities were highlighted as being favourites with the student body. Difficulties with studying online were identified that reinforced previous studies. Following the evaluation a number of changes were identified which responded to points raised by the students.

accounts relevant to the module and to use a hashtag comprised of the module’s course code (such as #IP36720) when tweeting about something related to their academic work. Student participation has been voluntary and a rolling feed of tweets including the module hashtag has been embedded in the module’s Blackboard site so that students who do not wish to participate directly are still able to read the tweets sent by others. In every module that has included Twitter so far, a virtual community has been created in which practitioners (journalists, activists, NGO staff, policy advisers) interact with students. This interaction with professionals helps to bring the subject alive to students and to demonstrate the relevance of their studies for events and debates in the world outside the classroom.

Dydd Gwener Medi 20 2013/Friday, September 20 2013Dydd Gwener Sesiwn1/Friday Session 1, 10:00 – 11:00Dr Jonathan Davies - Hugh Owen A14

Dr Tom Bartlett & Prysor Davies - Hugh Owen C164

John Morgan & Joy Cadwallader - Hugh Owen A12

Copyright: an impediment to enhanced learning?

Dr Jonathan Davies, Information Services, Email: mpd@aber.ac.uk

This session will be examining copyright and the current changes happening in terms of both the legislation and the licensing regimes. It will suggest that copyright needn’t be a major hurdle to innovative and interactive teaching methodology, and proposes that even a modest knowledge of how copyright works could produce significant benefits. Risks and issues of liability still exist so these will also be summarised. There will be sufficient time to discuss case studies and any particular examples which attendees would like to highlight.

The CADARN Learning Portal – Challenge and Opportunity

Dr Thomas Bartlett, CADARN Learning Portal, Email: tom@cadarn.ac.uk

The CADARN Learning Portal will showcase educational resources that provide discrete bite-size learning experiences. These educational resources could be screencasts, lectures, videos, lecture notes, podcasts, or any other kind of learning object. They will be associated with courses and allow the portal user to have a taster of related content.

Part of the project funding will go towards the creation of these educational resources – by providing spaces, hardware, software and staff to help create the material. Some funding will got to the central team based at AU, and some will go towards local support staff and a centralised creative production team.

Aspects of Aber, Aspects of Wales: An International Student Guide to Study, Business, Culture and Society

John Morgan, Student Learning Support, Institute of Education, Graduate and Professional Development, Email: jpm@aber.ac.uk

The “Aspects of Aber...” project, developed with LTEF support (2010-2012), is now a sustainable component of the module “Written Communications in Management and Business”. Most participants are second year entry international students and over three years 25 team projects have been completed by 120 students.

Through social networks (e.g. Facebook) and compatible presentation media (e.g. video

This talk will:

explain how the portal plans to be a hub for all stakeholders – teachers and academics, prospective students and employers, by providing news, views and guides of interest and relevance;

relate the progress thus far;

detail our plans for the future, and how staff at AU can get involved

Improving Engagement with Feedback – Tablet Assessment Project

Prysor Davies, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Email: pyd@aber.ac.uk

The Tablet Assessment Project was a JISC funded trial of staff use of tablet PCs to improve the quality of feedback given to students on written, assessed work, with a view of increasing the engagement of the students with their feedback, in the long term improving their understanding, the quality of their work and their achievement.

Due to lack of student engagement with feedback relating to marked assignments, the project trialled an electronic method of marking scripts using tablet PCs, and making both the feedback and marked scripts available to students online. This work is a consideration of the student responses to the availability of feedback online, their perspectives on its usefulness and accessibility over a period of 18 months, comparing pre-trial perspectives to immediate post-trial perspectives, as well as a longer term response following the embedding of the method within the department.

Initial findings showed a significant increase in engagement with assignment feedback and scripts, and this

and PDF documents), students create publicity information, written by current students for future students. This is written in accessible ways through media sources that are widely used in professional life and it provides updated information written and endorsed by users of that information. Emphasis is placed on maintaining a responsible, professional voice that works in partnership with the university and its official information and resources.

The learning focus is on adaptation of academic to professional language through strategies for engagement and impact. Methods of assessment have been developed for social media and associated media resources. While these are complementary to methods of assessment for essays, reports and presentations, they provide generic criteria for measuring the functional components and learning processes embedded within such projects. Through the wider project students adopt styles of communication and strategies for public communication that are essential to professional life.

Reading lists and £9K fees: quick wins for introducing texts

Joy Cadwallader, Information Services, Email: jrc@aber.ac.uk

What do students expect of module reading lists in UK higher education? How can university staff meet or manage these expectations during a recession? A current project at Aberystwyth University gathering data about reading lists and a 2012 pre-arrival survey of student

appears to have been a consistent improvement according to later findings, along with and increased positive perspective on the usefulness and accessibility of feedback.

learning habits have inspired this presentation. I hope to outline some practical considerations when preparing undergraduate reading lists, and highlight examples where library systems and learning technology can help to take the strain and contribute to student satisfaction.

Dydd Gwener Sesiwn3/Friday Session 3, 1:00 – 2:00Sesiwm Posteri/Poster Session, Alison Pierse, John Nelson, Graham Lewis, Stephen Atherton & Malcolm Thomas &Mary Jacob

Up-cycled Clothing for Cottage Industries in Mid Wales

Alison Pierse, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Email: chp@aber.ac.uk

The philosophy of the Lifelong Learning programme at Aberystwyth is to raise student confidence. We have developed a series of modules aimed at addressing employability within small rural communities; these are delivered in collaboration with small businesses and local venues.

Seeing a return of the ‘make do and mend’ culture, sales of sewing machines have soared by 500% in the last year. This new group of modules gives the students new sewing machine skills and marketing skills, enabling them to consider setting up a cottage industry. Following completion of the course, students have the opportunity to contribute their newly designed pieces to a co-operative business called ‘Co- Create’. Students have modelled in three fashion shows of eco-friendly sustainable clothing to promote the co-operative.

Recruitment has been enhanced by novel promotional tactics. Over the last two summers the up-cycled clothing tutor and co-ordinator has attended public festivals where we design and sew on-site, attracting members of the public to help with an up-cycled project, cutting up rags or offering to power the sewing machine by pedalling the electricity generating bicycle.

The suite of courses includes a textile techniques module, digital textile design using Photoshop, up-cycled clothing, web design and marketing yourself as an art practitioner. In this final module students learn about applying for grants, writing statements, approaching galleries, photographing their work and assessing your target audience.

All our courses are taught in community village halls; tutors arrive at the venue and, as if by magic, change a dreary village hall in to a vibrant learning environment. This year we have delivered two of the courses in collaboration with The Small World Theatre in Cardigan, a small independent Arts and Culture organisation housed in a venue constructed from renewable and recycled sources - embracing the true ethos of sustainability.

Comparison of print, online (Wimba), and eBook formats for distance learning content delivery

John Nelson, Department of Information Studies, Email: jon@aber.ac.uk

A TIF funded project. The poster describes how we went about creating online and ebook versions of an existing print delivered module.

The purpose of the project was to examine the issues and technical difficulties involved to obtain feedback from students on how they used the different formats and their preferences.

The conversion process from Word to html and finally to epub and kindle formats required the use of some software programs and ultimately of some bespoke coding to remove some of the drudgery involved. However the whole process was not simple and precluded making minor updates to the material.

The new formats are introduced to students attending the study school and initial surveys are conducted regarding access to ereaders tablets and smart phones. After students have completed the module, they are directed to an online survey to gather data on how the formats were used.

Students found the online format the easiest to access and turned to it both when the print copy was not available and when they wanted to check out all the embedded links. The ebook format was less well used but those that did were very positive.

Finally a survey was carried out to establish distance learners’ attitudes to online and print materials and these results are very interesting.

Recognition of Teaching Development.

Graham Lewis, Centre for the Development of Staff and Academic Practice, Email: gjl@aber.ac.ukOnline feedback

Online Feedback

Antonio Rubio, School of Education and Lifelong Learning, Email: aob@aber.ac.uk