scholarly journals Room 101: A Movement towards Social Learning Spaces? A Survey of SAC Managers in UK Higher Education

2015 ◽  
pp. 124-137
Author(s):  
Michael Allhouse
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Learning ◽  
Mobile Devices ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
Learning Space ◽  
Physical Resources ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Valuable Role

As more and more self-access facilities face up to the challenge of shrinking budgets and responding to the ubiquity of mobile devices for learning, Michael Allhouse’s column examining the movement towards social learning that has taken place at the University of Bradford reminds us that such centres have a valuable role beyond providing access to physical resources. In this final instalment of his three-part series, Allhouse examines the provision of self-access in UK Higher Education, in order to determine to what extent Room 101’s journey towards becoming a social learning space is reflected in other centres around the country. By widening the scope of his research to examine not only the attitudes of learners at his own centre, but also wider trends across the UK, he reveals a diverse picture of self-access, and one in which social learning plays a vital and growing role.

scholarly journals Unwaged Posts in UK Universities: Controversies and Campaigns

2015 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 533-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kirsten Forkert ◽  
Ana Lopes
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Media ◽  
Trade Unions ◽  
Creative Industries ◽  
Early Career ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
Use Of Social Media ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This article examines unwaged posts at UK universities, using recent examples of advertised job posts. While unpaid work is common in the UK higher education system, unwaged posts are not. The posts under scrutiny in this article differ from traditional honorary titles as they target early career academics, who are unlikely to have a paid position elsewhere, rather than established scholars. The article contextualizes the appearance of these posts in a climate of increasing marketization of higher education, entrenching managerialism in higher education institutions, and the casualization of academic work. We also discuss resistance to the posts, arguing that the controversy surrounding unpaid internships in the creative industries created a receptive environment for resisting unwaged posts in academia. We analyze the campaigns that were fought against the advertisement of the posts, mostly through social media and the University and College Union. We explore the tactics used and discuss the advantages and limitations of the use of social media, as well as the role of trade unions in the campaigns against these posts, and we reflect on what future campaigns can learn from these experiences.

scholarly journals Making connections and building resilience: Developing workshops with undergraduates

2017 ◽  
pp. 404-418
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
High Achieving Students ◽  
Financial Pressure ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

While defining resilience is recognised as complex with recent research highlighting the disparity of interpretations, there is however, a common appreciation of the wide range of contributory factors impacting on students’ resilience within the Higher Education sector. These can include but are not limited to, an increasingly competitive environment for graduate jobs, increased financial pressure from student tuition fees, alongside the more traditional concerns of moving away from home and transitioning towards greater independence. Building on previous research at the University of Surrey with high achieving students, this paper outlines the development and delivery of a student focused workshop designed to enable the participants to build their understanding of resilience using different but complementary pedagogic approaches: LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® and Concept Mapping. The case study included within this paper demonstrates one student’s reflection of the workshop and previous experiences which have contributed to their own resilience. What has become apparent at the University of Surrey, and more broadly within the UK Higher Education sector, is that universities have a vital role to play in fostering positive mindsets amongst students and developing strong and resilient independent learners.

An unfinished masterpiece: special collections in the Book Library of the Courtauld Institute of Art

2010 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 18-23 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erica Foden-Lenahan
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Art History ◽  
Reading Room ◽  
Research Papers ◽  
Special Collections ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Courtauld Institute

The Courtauld Institute of Art, a college of the University of London, is one of the foremost centres to study art history in the UK. Like a giant Matruschka doll, the Book Library at the Institute is a specialist art library that contains within it special collections which, in turn, have individual bequests that also contain discrete rare collections. In addition to more than 7400 books catalogued online, it has a range of material that is yet to be catalogued onto the Aleph system, some of which remains inaccessible. The special collections also contain the research papers of several notable former members of staff, and a number of small archive collections that have been donated over the years. Without a dedicated reading room, the special collections feel more integrated into regular use within the library. This gives students a taste of research with historic books, but there are some inherent risks associated with such relaxed usage conditions. This article examines the origins of the Library and its place in the Institute today. It reveals the breadth of its special collections and some of its treasures, but also explains how the present funding crisis in UK higher education may harm the custodial role the Book Library has over this unique research resource.

scholarly journals Do blogs as a virtual space foster students’ learner autonomy? A case study

2020 ◽  
pp. 21-27
Author(s):  
Georgie Hannam
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Learner Autonomy ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Independent Learning ◽  
Complex Nature ◽  
Learning Spaces ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Pedagogical Goals

UK higher education institutions strive to foster learner autonomy in their students to create more successful learners, yet due to its complex nature, educators and academics continue to search for effective ways to achieve this. This case study investigates how one virtual blogging space on the Independent Learning (IL) pre-sessional module at the University of Southampton seeks to cultivate learner autonomy. This qualitative study was driven by a lack of empirical research exploring both perceptions and practices in social learning spaces. Investigations into both of these elements help to gain a deeper understanding of how learning spaces function, which is essential to recognising how they can meet their pedagogical goals. Whilst the blogging space was effective in fostering learner autonomy to some extent, there was evidence of conflicts in how the students, IL Facilitators (ILFs), and curriculum designers perceived the blogging space. This suggests the need for more time spent conveying the rationale of the blogging space to ILFs and subsequently students, and it also highlights the wider importance of understanding individual context.

scholarly journals Academic Endowments in the United Kingdom – Do They Make a Difference?

2022 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 11
Author(s):  
Aljosa Sestanovic ◽  
Fayyaz Hussain Qureshi ◽  
Sarwar Khawaja
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Education System ◽  
Universities And Colleges ◽  
Higher Education System ◽  
University Of Oxford ◽  
Education Data ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This paper analyses the role and significance of the endowments for the UK higher education system. We have systematised the metrics commonly used to measure the performance of the academic endowments. To collect the data about universities and colleges, we exploited the data provided by the HESA (Higher Education Statistics Agency) that collect and disseminate UK higher education data and the data provided by the Charity Commission for England and Wales. The size of the university and colleges endowments is valued using their respective financial statements, using endowment reserve account of the balance sheet.The academic endowments linked with the UK universities and colleges are estimated to be worth £15.8 billion in 2020. According to the number of the endowments linked with universities and colleges endowments, they play a significant role in the UK higher education system. However, there is a notable difference concerning endowment size between the few most reputable academic institutions and other universities and colleges. For example, the two largest endowments (the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge with accompanied colleges endowments) in 2020 had a share of 75% measured by the size of the endowment assets. Moreover, this 75% has been stable during the last several years.In addition, the UK academic endowments are much smaller than their US counterparts and thus generally have lesser significance for the UK higher education system, while they may play a significant role for particular institutions. The endowment size per student has also been much smaller in the UK than in the US. Except for the six universities and colleges, the share of the income coming from endowments and donations in the total income has been relatively low, 2% or less. Considering the long history and tradition of the endowments in England, their role in the UK higher education system is deeply rooted. However, with their historical performance and significance for some higher education providers, there is an opportunity for a more prominent role in the future.

scholarly journals Drama in SPRACHPRAXIS at a German University English Department: Practical Solutions to Pedagogical Challenges

2014 ◽  
Vol VIII (1) ◽  
pp. 19-35
Author(s):  
Jonathan Sharp
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
English Department ◽  
Drama In Education ◽  
Current Increase ◽  
Language Curriculum ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Performative Pedagogy ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This article describes the initial phase of incorporating drama-in-education classes into the practical language curriculum of a German university English department. It offers a brief overview of drama in (higher) education, before focusing on some recent developments in Germany and the UK: specifically the current increase of interest in Theaterpädagogik in Germany, and the incorporation of performative pedagogy in UK higher education, with the example of an initiative at the University of Warwick. The practical language curriculum of the University of Tübingen English Department, within which the drama classes are being run, is introduced. A report on one of the classes is provided, with a short example of a student-led presentation session. After investigating some student feedback from the class, the article concludes by suggesting that a drama approach offers solutions to some challenges posed by the curriculum, and explains a brief rationale for its further development in this context.

Enabling conditions for communities and universities to work together: a journey of university public engagement

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Chang ◽  
Gemma Moore
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Public Engagement ◽  
Education Sector ◽  
University Research ◽  
Research Practice ◽  
Case Evaluation ◽  
University College London ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

This chapter provides a context for the evolution of the concept of public engagement within the UK higher education sector focusing on a specific initiative: the Beacons for Public Engagement programme at University College London. Moreover, the chapter exposes the enabling conditions for communities and universities to work together; it recommends the five conditions to generate effective engagement, particularly through nuanced evaluation and support. In this case, evaluation and support can be seen as a pathway — bridging the gaps between theory and reality of engagement, between strategy and practice, and between the communities and academia — to ensure communities and universities to work together to create an impact on the university, research practice, communities, and ultimately, society.

scholarly journals Editorial

ReCALL ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-152
Author(s):  
JUNE THOMPSON
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Higher Education Funding ◽  
Academic Journal ◽  
Step Down ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education ◽  
Teaching Initiative

This issue of ReCALL represents something of a watershed in the journalÕs history, for a number of reasons. First of all I have to report that Professor Graham Chesters has decided that he wishes to step down as co-editor, and I would like to thank him here for all his work for the journal over the years. Back in 1990 when Graham and I were involved with the Computers in Teaching Initiative Centre for Modern Languages (CTICML) at the University of Hull, funded by the UK Higher Education Funding Council, one of the required ‘deliverables’ was a regular Newsletter, designed to inform university language lecturers about developments in the use of new technologies in language learning. It soon became apparent that some of the material that was being submitted for publication was far too substantial for a Newsletter, yet merited dissemination among our readers. It was Graham who saw the potential need for a new academic journal in this field, and thus ReCALL was born. I still blush to see my attempts at desk-top publishing in those early issues!

Work-Based Learning in the United Kingdom

2019 ◽  
pp. 268-292
Author(s):  
Jon Talbot
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Pedagogical Practices ◽  
Full Time ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Workplace Experience ◽  
Integrative Studies ◽  
Education Statistics ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The University ◽  
Uk Higher Education

The term work-based learning has been widely used in higher education in the UK since the 1990s, and there is evidence of a spread in practice. However, it is not recognized as a subject by the UK Higher Education Statistics Authority so that the extent of practice is unknown. A small unpublished survey sheds some light on the varieties and extent of practice in England and Wales, identifying five different approaches. Different pedagogical practices can exist within single universities, and most of the chapter outlines how the University of Chester incorporates two practices. Its work-based learning (WBL) module is available for all full-time second-year undergraduates regardless of discipline. Its purpose is to enable all students of the university the opportunity to gain real-world workplace experience and sensitize them to the requirements of experiential and lifelong learning. By contrast the work-based and integrative studies (WBIS) is an example of a fully negotiated whole program designed to facilitate the development of practice for those already working.

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