Innovative Practice in Higher Education

Editorial

2024-02-12T16:06:07+00:00

The editors would like to thank all the contributors to this special edition for disseminating their scholarship, and to the keynote speakers who helped to make the festival a success. We also are very grateful to those who contributed to the reviewing: Carole Conroy, Dean Irwin, Ebba Brooks, Kiefer Lee, Helen Keegan, Lynne Marrow, Maggie Scott, Paul Vivian, Rob Higgins, Sami Safadi, Sara Namvar, Tim France, Vicki Harvey and Wendy Taylor.

Reimagining Assessment in the Era of Generative Artificial Intelligence: A reflection on legal education

2024-02-12T16:14:04+00:00

The legal profession and legal education are undergoing a transformation (Pierce and Goutos, 2023) due to the emergence of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI (GenAI), marked by the advent of ChatGPT (Henrik, 2023). This has significant implications for legal education, particularly the undergraduate law degree (LLB), which traditionally serves as the first step in preparing future legal professionals.

As the legal profession adapts, legal education must evolve (Marjan Ajevski et al., 2023), requiring an evaluation of traditional assessment methods (Michel-Villarreal et al., 2023). Assessment plays a pivotal role in shaping the authentic identities of students and it is crucial that assessments align with the evolving demands of the profession graduates aim for.

Assessments which incorporate GenAI, encourage critical evaluation, reflection, and promote authentic discussions, this article explores an example which aims to inspire practitioners in higher education to reconsider their assessment practices and contemplate the integration of GenAI.

The Importance of Applying Authentic Learning in Pre-registration Nursing Education

2024-02-12T16:18:46+00:00

This paper explores the significance of authenticity in nursing education and the development of authentic healthcare practitioners. Identifying a current lack of authenticity in the learning materials used in the Transdisciplinary Science module at University of Salford, the authors set out to explore methods that can empower nursing students to bridge the gap between theoretical knowledge and its practical application in clinical settings.

We conducted a literature review that yielded three predominant themes: authentic learning, critical reflection, and supportive nurse educators. Building upon these findings, we investigated how authentic learning can be flawlessly integrated into seminar sessions, utilising the principles of action learning.

As a direct outcome of this study, a robust framework for implementing authentic clinical learning for nursing students has been formulated. This framework empowers students to effectively apply their knowledge in real-world healthcare settings, fostering a deeper understanding that bridges the gap between theory and clinical practice.

Industry Engagement and Authentic Assessment, their contribution to Lifewide Learning for Postgraduate students of professionally orientated disciplines.

2024-02-12T16:23:54+00:00

Industry Engagement and Authentic Assessment, their contribution to Lifewide Learning for Postgraduate students of professionally orientated disciplines.

Carole Conroy c.conroy@salford.ac.uk Andrew Clark a.p.clark@salford.ac.uk School of Science, Engineering & Environment, University of Salford

Podcasting for Engagement and Assessment

2024-02-12T16:28:40+00:00

Podcasting for Engagement and Assessment

Adam Fowler A.J.Fowler@salford.ac.uk

School of Arts, Media and Creative Technologies, University of Salford

The student evaluation of a Research-informed Teaching activity using simulation

2024-02-12T16:36:18+00:00

The student evaluation of a Research-informed Teaching activity using simulation

Robert Higgins r.n.higgins@salford.ac.uk School of Health & Society, University of Salford.

‘Bricks and Mortar’: Reflections on teaching Architecture and Design from an early career academic

2024-02-12T16:40:02+00:00

‘Bricks and mortar’ is used as a metaphor for how we endeavour to ‘construct’ knowledge in Architecture and Design. Teaching Architecture and Design is challenging but rewarding; as an early career academic and a mature professional, this paper sets out my journey and seeks to show how my teaching practice derived from my lived experiences, professional practice, and what has inspired and motivated me along the way. Reflecting on my teaching made me realise that, when it comes to teaching: ‘we have unlimited powers of creativity’ (Robinson, 2017).

For me, my authentic teaching practice derives from my professional and personal identity. It is a combination of many parameters: sharing my knowledge and lived experiences, applying creativity and playful learning, relating assessment tasks to live construction projects and rethinking reassessment strategies. The paper concludes with some lessons I have learnt and outlines the future and ongoing development of my practice.

Flipping Failure: A case study on building resilience and confidence through 'Failureship Strategies' in theory and practice at the University of Salford

2024-02-12T16:43:30+00:00

This paper presents the Flipping Failure project, which aims to challenge the negative perception of failure and promote its benefits for building resilience, insight, and action. The project involved students and staff who participated in failure-focused events that explored different aspects of failure in various contexts. We discuss the theory and practice of flipping failure to present it more positively and provide a practical toolkit with resources to help others adopt failure as a transferable skill-set. In sharing the outcomes and insights of the project, and its further development at The Festival of Learning and Teaching, we suggest ways to enhance and extend this work in the future.

"I don't have a lot of foreign friends": a buddy scheme enhances home and international student nurse experience

2024-02-12T16:46:49+00:00

"I don't have a lot of foreign friends": a buddy scheme enhances home and international student nurse experience

Ebba Brooks e.brooks@salford.ac.uk, The Library, University of Salford.

Acknowledgements: Helen Franks, Gill Colgan, Dr Emilie Whittaker, Dr Emma Smith.

Reaching Out and Shouting Loud: Capturing best practice in learning and teaching scholarly practice at The University of Salford

2024-02-12T16:52:14+00:00

This paper presents a panoramic view of the Institution's engagement with learning, teaching, and scholarly activities, shedding light on the critical mass of knowledge and initiatives that define contributions to the field of pedagogy. Findings reveal a focus on practice-based learning, predominantly within Health and Society disciplines, reflecting Salford University’s commitment to enhancing student outcomes/experiences. The thematic analysis identifies primary themes, including L&T (Learning and Teaching) Practice, Learning Technologies, and Student Experience, aligned with the scholarship of L&T. Additionally, themes such as Inclusive Practice, Non-traditional/Alternative Teaching Approaches, and Knowledge Transfer signify the institution's dedication to collaboration and broader perspectives. A holistic approach to growth within pedagogical innovation and contribution to knowledge within higher education related to digitally enabled, societally focused, and inclusive learning communities is presented. While acknowledging limitations, we emphasise the significance of sharing and celebrating L&T outputs. As higher education evolves, collective efforts to transform pedagogy remain essential.

Publishing your Educational Research: an authentic journey of self-reflection and support

2024-02-12T20:20:59+00:00

Publishing your Educational Research: an authentic journey of self-reflection and support

Dr Nicola Grayson n.j.grayson@salford.ac.uk Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre, University of Salford.

Audit Committees and their role in Academic Audit and Risk Practices in English Higher Education Institutions

2024-02-12T20:24:05+00:00

This paper explores contemporary practices of Audit Committees (ACs) in Higher Education Institutions (HEI) in England. The objectives are: (1) to evaluate the current transparency of public reporting by ACs; (2) to understand the roles of these Committees in relation to academic risk; (3) to assess the involvement of qualified academics in such Committees. This research surveys public materials provided on the websites of the 40 HEIs that hold University status and achieved ‘gold’ in the first UK Teaching Exercise Framework, in 2017 (OfS, 2022a). Only twenty percent of the Committees follow the transparent good practice of publishing minutes. While most reference a broad governance remit, only ten percent explicitly mention responsibility for ‘academic risk’. None require academic practitioners as members, and this is regarded as an important finding, given the role ACs are formally required to play in the supervision of and responsibility for academic audit and risk management.