On this episode of Beyond the Technology, Sophia Speakman hosts Professor Niamh Nic Daeid, Vincenzo Rinaldi and Heather Doran from the University of Dundee, winners of the innovative use of technology award at the Herald Higher Education Awards, to discuss the exciting project surrounding virtual reality (VR) being carried out at the Leverhulme Research Centre.

Niamh and Vincenzo outline how the team aims to revolutionise crime scene investigations and court proceedings using VR. Having already worked with the Danish police, the project is focused on creating a systematic approach to turn crime scene images into a VR environment, providing a more immersive decision-making tool. The team envisions a future where VR brings crime scenes to investigators, reducing the need for physical travel.

Heather discusses how the pandemic limited engagement of the tool with public audiences due to the tactile nature of the VR technology and also how the university’s widening access team hope to work with them to share VR with students.

Vincenzo addresses the high costs associated with advanced forensic technologies and how the project aims to focus on cost-effective solutions by repurposing existing tools such as traditional cameras and commercial-grade VR devices.

To close, Vincenzo and Niamh offer advice to other universities seeking to explore innovation in technology.

Show notes

• Read more about the University of Dundee’s ground-breaking project in our member story

   

• Find out more about the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee

• Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you

• Get in touch with us if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series

In our second further education and skills focused podcast, Sheena Murphy-Collett, Petroc College’s Vice Principal of people, organisational development and engagement joins us to discuss digital growth, from seed to flower.

This is the second in a series of podcasts focused on further education and skills (FE), hosted by Andrew McFadyen and Louisa Stamatelopoulos. Throughout this series Andrew and Louisa are joined by experts from further education colleges to shine a light on how they support digital development through the use of Jisc tools, such as the digital elevation tool, building digital capability service and digital experience insights surveys.

Sheena Murphy-Collett, Vice Principal of people, organisational development and engagement at Petroc College, begins by revealing her unconventional route into FE and how her suite of transferable skills benefit her current role.

Next, Sheena discusses the digital focus at Petroc College, orienting herself into three new teams and using Jisc’s digital elevation tool to give structure and priorities to those teams.

Sheena also talks about the excellent contacts she has made through Jisc community events and the opportunities they have opened up.

To close, Sheena shares her advice for teachers looking to utilise digital technology, her views on how the role of the FE teacher may change over time and a look at Petroc College’s digital three year plan.

Show notes

• See how our digital capability service can help you
• Find out more about how the digital elevation tool can elevate FE and skills providers’ digital ambitions
• Discover how the digital experience insights service works
• Explore our further education and skills hub
• Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you
• Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series

In this podcast episode, Elizabeth Newall welcomes Helen Beetham and Sheila MacNeill, who discuss rethinking learning and curriculum design in higher education.

Helen Beetham, a researcher in digital education and Sheila MacNeill, an independent consultant with experience in curriculum design talk about the importance of rethinking learning and curriculum design in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need to adapt to new challenges.

The conversation explores the evolution of curriculum design pre and post pandemic, emphasising a shift towards a more holistic approach. They introduce the concept of "beyond blended," which focuses on blending of different modes of learning, particularly synchronous and asynchronous, and the impact of technology on time and place within the curriculum.

The discussion also touches on the student experience during the pandemic, highlighting issues related to new technologies such as generative AI, accessibility, and the need for flexibility. Helen and Sheila share that different students have different preferences for learning modes, and the pandemic has highlighted the importance of catering to diverse learning needs.

Helen and Sheila share their work on the six pillars of blended learning. They emphasise the importance of understanding the pedagogic differences between in-place and online learning, the role of pace in learning, and the need to balance flexibility with the specific needs of students. They also introduce the idea of using "lenses" to examine the curriculum from different angles, both at the curriculum and strategic levels.

The conversation concludes by highlighting the need for a robust curriculum design process and the potential for new technologies like generative AI to be accommodated within flexible curriculum design process.

Show notes

·       Beyond blended: Post-pandemic curriculum and learning design: lessons from the higher education (HE) sector. Available to download from: https://beta.jisc.ac.uk/reports/beyond-blended

·       Sign up to receive advance notice of the Beyond blended web guide: https://emails.jisc.ac.uk/k/Jisc/beyond_blended

·       Read the report on Approaches to curriculum and learning design across UK higher education

·       Read our member story on blending digital and physical at the University of Northampton

·       Check out our framework guide for digital transformation in higher education, and explore a comprehensive perspective on how the digital environment can support positive work, research and learning experiences, and promote a sense of belonging and wellbeing

·       Subscribe to Headlines - our newsletter which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you

·       Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series

In this episode of the Beyond the Technology podcast, Elizabeth Newall, senior consultant in the Digital transformation of learning, teaching, and assessment at Jisc, welcomes a panel of experts from the University of Northampton. They discuss their innovative approach to rethinking learning and curriculum design in higher education.

The conversation begins by discussing the University of Northampton's unique setting. Shân Wareing, deputy vice chancellor, and Rob Howe, head of learning technology, share how their Waterside campus allowed them to consolidate facilities into a more sustainable space. This campus was designed for blended learning, offering laptops to eligible students, and featuring various learning spaces.

Shân discusses the university's evolving digital strategy with the creation of an artificial intelligence group to address academic integrity concerns and to explore AI's educational potential.

The podcast delves into the challenges of supporting staff in learning and curriculum design. Jim Harris, a learning designer, highlights the fear of change as a significant hurdle. Jim emphasises the importance of considering staff members' various levels of understanding and comfort with digital processes and learning design, ranging from basic introductions to advanced publishing.

Kate Coulson, head of learning and teaching enhancement, discusses the pivotal role of students in curriculum design and learning. Kate advocates for a "give and take" model, where students become co-creators of the curriculum rather than passive recipients, emphasising the importance of investing time and resources.

Lastly, Shân shares her vision for digital transformation at the University of Northampton, highlighting that the focus should remain on how students learn. Shân underscores the importance of culture, creativity, and patience in the process, as well as the need to prioritise people over technology.

Show notes

·       Check out our framework guide for digital transformation in higher education, and explore a comprehensive perspective on how the digital environment can support positive work, research and learning experiences, and promote a sense of belonging and wellbeing

·       Subscribe to Headlines - our newsletter which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you

·       Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series

Join Sarah Knight, head of learning and teaching transformation at Jisc, who is joined by Marieke Guy, Head of Digital Assessment at University College London (UCL) and Mary McHarg, Activities & Engagement Officer at UCL Student Union to discuss the reimagining of assessment and feedback at the institution.

Marieke provides insights into the university's broad scope, with 11 faculties and over 60 departments. UCL supports around 43,000 students and over 14,000 employees, offering a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. They discuss how the institution faces the challenge of maintaining consistency and utilising technology effectively due to its scale and diversity.

Mary highlights the challenges students face in relation to assessment and feedback. With a vast institution like UCL, students experience different assessment methods, frequencies, and feedback quality across departments. The podcast explores the importance of consistency, quality feedback, and supporting student well-being.

The episode emphasises the involvement of students in the assessment process. UCL actively engages students through panels, partnerships, and programmes such as ‘student changemakers’.

Marieke discusses the wide range of assessment tools used at UCL, such as Moodle, Wiseflow, Mahara, WordPress, Crowdmark, and Turnitin. The conversation moves on to how UCL is addressing the need for assessment practice and curriculum redesign. Marieke mentions ongoing work with the academic practice centre and academic communication centre to support staff in rethinking assessments.

The discussion delves into AI's role in assessment and the need to educate staff and students about its capabilities, limitations, and ethical considerations. UCL is incorporating AI into assessments and actively involving students in discussions about its use.

The episode concludes with the importance of senior leaders supporting the institutional approach to rethinking assessment and feedback. It emphasises the need for clear communication, involving students as partners, providing resources and support for staff, and investing in experts.

Show notes

• Read more about how UCL is redesigning assessment for the AI age
• Check out our framework guide for digital transformation in higher education, and explore a comprehensive perspective on how the digital environment can support positive work, research and learning experiences, and promote a sense of belonging and wellbeing
• Read the UCL Digital Assessment Team blog for valuable insights and updates on innovative digital assessment practices at UCL
• Subscribe to Headlines - our newsletter which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you
• Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series

In this episode, Simon Birkett, senior consultant for digital transformation at Jisc is joined by Jodie Wetherall, Associate Director - Office of the CIO at the University of Greenwich to discuss the university's digital strategy and its impact.

Jodie shares insights into the University of Greenwich's vision for 2030, aiming to be the best modern university in the UK. They discuss the strategic priorities that focus on transformational shifts in learning and teaching, research and knowledge exchange, as well as the four cross-cutting priorities of student success, inclusivity and culture, impactful research and knowledge exchange, and connected and sustainable campuses.

The conversation delves into the development and evolution of the university's digital strategy. They talk about the importance of aligning the strategy with the overall corporate strategy, gaining executive sponsorship, and involving the entire university community.

Several initiatives and projects are highlighted, including the Student Lifecycle Management programme, which aims to provide a digital student centre for self-service access, improving the student experience. The Classroom Enhancement Programme is discussed, which focuses on upgrading and enhancing classroom environments to support flexible delivery models. Jodie also mentions the new programme focusing on research and knowledge exchange, exploring ways to streamline processes and empower researchers with technology.

In terms of the wider sector conversation, Jodie discusses the significance of time, opportunities coming out of COVID and long-term planning in digital transformation. They emphasise the importance of having a high-performing team, strong executive leadership, and a positive reputation for delivering change. Looking to the future, Jodie acknowledges the challenges posed by the current financial climate and discusses the university's digital strategy for the future. 

Show notes

• Read more about Greenwich’s five steps to digital strategy success Join us for our developing and implementing a digital strategy event, University of Greenwich, 18 July 2023
• Listen to a podcast about demonstrating digital transformation at Staffordshire University
• Check out our framework guide for digital transformation in higher education, and explore a comprehensive perspective on how the digital environment can support positive work, research and learning experiences, and promote a sense of belonging and wellbeing
• Subscribe to Headlines - our newsletter which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you
• Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series

In this episode Lis Parcell is joined by Matt Turner and Gabi Witthaus at the Higher Education Futures institute (HEFi), University of Birmingham to talk about a hybrid teaching project involving two universities.

Gabi and Matt were part of a research team made up of staff and students from University of Nottingham (project lead) and University of Birmingham (project partner) which investigated experiences of hybrid teaching and learning in academic year 2020/2021. The principal investigator was Cecilia Goria (University of Nottingham) and the project was supported and funded by the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA).

“…the term ‘hybrid teaching’ is used to refer to lectures/seminars/classes in which some students are physically present in a classroom and others join online simultaneously from remote locations”

Lis begins by talking to Matt and Gabi about the origins of the project and their definition of hybrid teaching. They look at how hybrid teaching rooms were developed at the two participating universities to enable all students to continue studying as some returned to campus and some remained online as Covid restrictions were lifted. Importantly, the research involved collaboration between students and staff and they touch on how this was achieved.

The project gathered a fascinating array of quantitative and qualitative data from over 500 students and nearly 50 staff (teaching and audio-visual/IT) across the two universities. Gabi and Matt offer an overview of the main themes which emerged, interspersed with quotes from staff and students. Whilst the project’s recommendations make particularly valuable reading for anyone contemplating hybrid teaching, we also hear how they might inform digital transformation of learning and teaching more generally.

Gabi and Matt finish with reflections on some potential areas for further investigation.

·       Read the full report published on QAA website.

·       Goria, C., Witthaus, G., Turner, M., Hanford, S., Bhend, M., Wray, A., Wahyudi, M., & Gibson, A. (2022). Hybrid teaching: a futurist model or a realist model for the future? QAA. (Accessed 2 June 2023)

·       Find out more about the work of the Higher Education Futures Institute, University of Birmingham.

·       Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you. Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series.

In this episode, Sarah Knight, Head of learning and teaching transformation in higher education at Jisc is joined by Mike Phillips, the executive dean at the School of Health Science and Wellbeing at Staffordshire University where he discusses how the use of immersive learning and simulation learning is transforming the student experience in health care.

Mike outlines the role that the School of Health Science and Wellbeing has in the immersive journey and shares the challenges of delivering health care education in the sector over the past 20 years. Mike then goes on to explore how technology has enabled the university to address some of the challenges they face including the pandemic accelerating plans and the use of simulation placements for students across health, social care and wellbeing disciplines.

Mike shares how he has brought staff along on the journey to ‘simmersive’ and the innovative approaches that they’ve used to create an authentic workplace setting for students. Mike highlights the 3 P’s which are essential to embedding technology within the student experience: The people, the place and the pedagogy.

Mike talks about students and staff embracing the approach to simulation based learning post-pandemic and the welcoming of technological change at Staffordshire adopting a hybrid role across the academic and technical digital spaces.

Mike then goes on to share the five stage approach and the framework for the integration of skills and simulation when delivering an incremental exposure towards real world practice for the universities learners.

Finally, we focus on creating a simulation environment to develop an authentic assessment experience and enhance student learning and feedback.

In this episode, we are joined by Raheel Nawaz from Staffordshire University, where we learn about the exciting and innovative work Raheel is leading on in the digital transformation space.

Raheel Nawaz is a professor of artificial intelligence and a professor of digital education working at Staffordshire University as pro vice-chancellor for digital transformation.

Raheel explores his vision for digital transformation at Staffordshire University including the new digital at core strategy and the four main pillars that underpin this vision.

Raheel talks about the essential building blocks needed within a university to enable digital transformation to happen in the form of three main components : strategy, culture and governance of the strategy including the process Raheel and his team took when creating their digital transformation strategy.

He then goes on to explain the three projects the university are most excited about in the world of digital transformation. The first of the three being simplifying the student experience with the launch of the first ai assistant in any university with the aim of bringing course, community and career together in a single integrated student interface. Secondly, the self-coined ‘simmersive’, a support mantra of simulation and immersive and how Staffordshire is integrating this concept into the DNA of buildings and the student experience. And finally, a project around building minimum expectations around staff and student digital capabilities.

Raheel talks about what senior leaders can do to encourage a culture of digital transformation including what we can do for the culture of our university experience.

And finally we look to the future of the sector and where we see the university experience evolving since the pandemic and the rapid increase of ai. And finally posing the question to senior leaders ‘how do we make the most of technology?’

Show notes

Check out the events happening within our digital transformation series: -    Join us at University of Northampton for rethinking learning and curriculum design on 6 July. Book now. -    Taking place 18 July, join us at University of Greenwich for developing and implementing a digital strategy. Join our waiting list. 

Check out our framework guide for digital transformation in higher education, and explore a comprehensive perspective on how the digital environment can support positive work, research and learning experiences, and promote a sense of belonging and wellbeing.

Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you.

Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series.

This episode is the first in a series of podcasts focused on further education and skills, hosted by Andrew McFadyen and Louisa Stamatelopoulos. Throughout this series Andrew and Louisa will be joined by experts from further education colleges to shine a light on how they support digital development through the use of Jisc tools, such as the digital elevation tool, building digital capability service and digital experience insights surveys.

Phil Peatling, Head of Digital Learning at Boston College, firstly discusses the digital transformation of development and skills for both teachers and learners, to prepare them for digital advancements across industries.

Next, Phil talks about how Jisc’s digital elevation tool gave the college a platform for development and brought the Digital team and the IT technicians closer together to assess their digital maturity levels.

Phil also shares advice for teachers on using digital technology and how he sees the role of the further education teacher changing over time.

See how our digital capability service can help you

Find out more about how the digital elevation tool can elevate FE and skills providers’ digital ambitions

Discover how the digital experience insights service works

Explore our further education and skills hub

Subscribe to our Headlines newsletter, which has all the latest edtech news, guidance and events tailored to you

Get in touch with us at [email protected] if you’d like to come on the show or know someone who might suit the series