prf meeting february 3rd

We have an intruiging PRF presentation on 3rd feb from Val Lawrenson on Enhancing formative feedback from the students perspective!

This will be held in the LDU meeting room at the usual time 12-1.30

In this uncertain climate it is immensely important that we make time and space for reflection and discussion around teaching and learning and sharing practice. The PRF offers space for this with excellent speakers talking about their work, and lots of opportunity for exploration, exchange and discussion. Do please attend and bring along colleagues. We always welcome new members.

Harder-to-read fonts boost student learning

Harder-to-read fonts boost student learning

Christmas

Merry xmas to all those following the PRF blog! Have fab new year!

PRF December meeting

The December meeting had the usual networking opportunities and sharing of good news. We shared some ideas for the impact guide to pedagigic research. We also had an interesting presentation:
"PBL in Cross/Inter- discipline Teaching and Learning. Two studies and a dialogue.
delivered by Helena Knapton (Edge-Hill University) and Jane Griffiths (LBS, UCLAN)
see webct (elearn area)for slides.
In their scenarios PBL is shown to be a really effective learning tool that takes the students and lecturer fascinating places that had not been anticipated.

PRF afternoon

We had a really interesting afternoon with the PRF firstly a presentation on students perceptions of feedback by Sarita Robinson, which made us consider the emotional investment angle and how to better support students. This gave me lots of ideas when giving my feedback. The workshop by Tania Horak from Wiser on academic writing was useful as again in uncovered some of our innate assumptions about students writing, and how to recognise a really good piece of academic writing. Its not all about grammar and spelling you know! The next academic workshop will be in March which has more of a practical how to angle.

ISSOTL

A few mambers of the PRF and a lot of the LDU went to ISSOTL in Liverpool. Ruth Pilkington and Peter Lumsden had great posters which attracted plenty of interest. Dawn Harrison gave a session on reflection, and myself and Mandy Dillion gave a round table discussion on research informed teaching. We made some great new friends from universties near and far, and even set up an online discussion group on measuring impact. It was a worthwile event but rather expensive conference held at the Liverpool BT convention centre on the Docks. The convention centre itself was ok but some of the rooms were to small and the staff were not very helpful, and the food was nothing to write home about. Liverpool is a lovely city but i may avoid the convention centre next time.

"Education in our times must try to find whatever there is in students that might yearn for completion, and to reconstruct the learning that would enable them autonomously to seek that completion" Allan Bloom