You can find the programme for the day here
You can find an outline of the priorities for action that attendees developed here
For more information, please e-mail Tom Flynn, Representation & Campaigns Co-ordinator (Education) at [email protected]
Presentations
Morning Sessions
Session 1
A1 - UCL Connected Curriculum: How to make an impact on education in your department
Dilly Fung & Vincent Tong, UCL Centre for Advancing Learning & Teaching (CALT)
What is the UCL Connected Curriculum initiative? It’s a way of developing programmes of study, and enhancing student experience in and beyond departments, through dialogue and creative collaborations between staff and students. In this session, we will explain the six dimensions of connectivity for a joined-up approach to education, giving examples of new practices already being developed across UCL, and invite you to discuss ways in which students can take a lead in departments to make the changes they want to see a reality. Come along to the session to find out more, and to share your own ideas about how we can take this ground breaking initiative forward.
B1 - First Class Feedback: How should UCL classify your degree?
Lizzie Vinton, UCL Academic Services
As part of UCL’s review of its Academic Regulations this workshop will look at how UCL might improve the way in which we determine Undergraduate Classifications. Should your first year be counted? Should we drop your lowest marks? Should there be a single classification system across all faculties? How do we compare to competitor institutions? Join us for a lively and interactive discussion.
C1 - Facing the Screen: an investigation of electronic assessment practice
Mary Richardson & Jo Pearce, UCL Institute of Education
In this session, we’ll present some initial findings of a study undertaken within the Institute of Education to explore the ways in which tutors use electronic grading software and how their practice has been impacted by this change from marking on paper to marking on screen.
D1 - The Journey Towards Customer Service Excellence
Ben Meunier, UCL Library Services
In order to ensure that the quality of our user experience is consistently excellent across the family of 18 libraries, we are seeking Customer Service Excellence accreditation. The work towards this external accreditation involves colleagues from the entire network of libraries and is heavily reliant on student input. This presentation will give attendees an overview of the work completed to date, plans for the coming year and opportunities to participate in the process. How do Library Services respond to requests for longer opening hours? And how is UCL addressing the demand for more study space on campus?
Session 2
A2 - From Lecture Recording to Active Learning: the future of Lecturecast
Jason Norton & Steve Rowett, UCL Digital Education
Lecturecast has proved to be a hugely popular service with students, and the main comment we receive is that students want more lectures to be captured. This session will tell you more about where Lecturecast is going in the future. This will include the opt-out policy, which will dramatically increase the number of recordings that are made. We will also demonstrate the new ‘Active Learning Platform’ which supports note-taking, Q&A sessions, voting and class discussions.
B2 - Personal Tutoring and Academic Support: Plans in the Pipeline
Sam Smidt, UCL Centre for Advancing Learning & Teaching (CALT)
Following on from the changes to the personal tutoring policy in Spring 2016, plans are developing for a range of resources and training to support personal tutors and their tutees. This session will discuss these plans which are still at a relatively early stage and seek input about what may be need to be added or removed from the plans.
C2 - Data, Wonder, and the Story of You
Samantha Ahern, UCL Digital Education
Is there a story to be told, or is it all just nonsense? UCL collects and holds a variety of data about you and our systems. Some of this is real, and some of it is nonsense. How could these different data sets help us understand the story of you and your learning experiences at UCL? Join us as we follow the white rabbit into dataland and explore how data can be used and what if anything, it could tell us about teaching & learning and you.
D2 - Bridging the Gap: Investigating BME experience and achievement at UCL
Julie Evans & Nafisa Wagley, UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences
That there is a differential in achievement for UK BME students at UK universities is a well-established fact (HEA 2012). The size of that variation differs depending on the university. This presentation will relate qualitative research carried out by the first presenter in conjunction with colleagues from CALT and Psychology looking at differences in achievement, measured by final degree mark. Following on from this quantitative study, the Faculty of Brain Sciences, working with Sayeeda Ali from UCLU were successful in obtaining funding for a Change Maker grant which will work in partnership with student leads to look at the experiences of UK BME students within the faculty at UG and Masters level.
Session 3
A3 - Quality Doesn’t Grow On Fees
Sorana Vieru, National Union of Students
The Higher Education picture nationally: tuition fees rising, an Office for Students that doesn’t work for students and for-profit companies allowed to call themselves universities with no track record or quality checks. The Higher Education sector is going through one of the biggest shake-ups in a generation, with a new Higher Education Bill currently going through Parliament and a proposed Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) set to rank institution, award them medals, and allow them to raise tuition fees. Come to this session to gain an understanding of the Westminster proposals, their harmful effects on our universities and how *you* can campaign against future fee increases and push for a student-led vision of educational excellence!
B3 - Starting a Conversation with Technology
Eileen Kennedy & Steve Rowett, UCL Digital Education
Excellence in learning and teaching requires staff and students to communicate actively with each other. However, making connections outside of traditional module groups can be challenging for students. In this session, we ask how technology can support students to connect with staff, students, alumni and prospective employers, breaking down boundaries such as discipline, year group and staff/student divides. We have been working with UCL Marketing Communications students to explore the potential for an academic social network that would be part of a Connected Learning Environment for UCL. In this session we will showcase some of the great audio-visual presentations made by the students and offer you the chance to add your voice to the discussion.
C3 - StARs Successes & SSCC Trends
Diana Hawk, UCLU
Through UCLU’s work with Student Academic Representatives (StARs) we gather a range of information about what students are working to improve in their departments. Find out what student feedback has been most common across UCL in Term 1, and hear from a range of StARs who have worked to achieve change on behalf of the students they represent.
D3 - Starting as we mean to go on: Excellence from the start of the student journey
Sally Mackenzie & Judith Hillmore, Office of the UCL Vice-Provost (Education & Student Affairs)
This session is an opportunity to explore the results of first New to UCL survey launched at UCL in October 2016. How did new students settle in? Was their induction useful? Do they feel part of a community? How could we improve? The session will also look at plans on the horizon to support new students, including the development of an Introductory Programme.
Session 4
A4 - Presentations: Changing UCL
Delivering an Excellent Education for Postgraduate Taught Students at UCL - Clare Goudy, Office of the UCL Vice-Provost (Education & Student Affairs)
A 20:20 Vision for StARs - Simon To, UCLU
Adding the Personal Touch to the Student Experience: the role of professional services staff - Wendy Appleby, UCL Student & Registry Services
B4 - Presentations: Student Support
Are You Ready to Face Your Future? - Karen Barnard, UCL Careers
Heads Up: reporting on Mental Health - Sinead Booth & Mehj Ahmed, UCLU
Language support for students at UCL: where we are and where we are going? - Louise McGrath-Lone & Diana Hawk, UCLU
C4 - Presentations: Students Leading the Way
UCL Changemakers: How you can enhance education at UCL - Jenny Marie & Sandra Lusk, UCL Centre for Advancing Learning & Teaching (CALT)
Employing the Online Team Collaboration Platform Slack Among IOE PGT StARs - Alexandros Xafopoulos
Have you heard about IPAC? Students and staff working on a Changemakers Project - Nedeen AlSharif, Isobel Chester, Lucia Gimeno & Sameen Asghar
D4 - Presentations: UCL Projects
Using MyFeedback to View and Compare Assessment Feedback - Jessica Gramp, UCL Digital Education
UCL Press: Open access student journals publishing - Ian Caswell, UCL Press
Introducing a Late Summer Assessment Period at UCL - Kurtis Bell, UCL Student and Registry Services
Afternoon sessions
Defining Excellence
Our interactive afternoon session asked participants what excellent teaching means to them, as well as launching our annual Student Choice Teaching Awards!
Developing Excellence
In the second half of our afternoon session, we’ll hear from conference attendees on their work during the afternoon, and develop an action plan for UCL and UCLU to further develop excellence!