The focus on enhancing all aspects of teaching and learning remains a critical issue for those seeking to provide an outstanding student experience at all levels of taught provision. Advance HE’s Teaching and Learning Conference 2022 will continue to position the spotlight firmly on teaching in a global context. In particular, this year, the conference will explore how we are enhancing student success through all aspects of the student experience including transitions, curriculum design and development, enterprise and employability, assessment, engagement and inclusion, sustainability and much more. Join us to share and learn, network with passionate colleagues and work together to enhance the success of future HE students.
Date: 5-7 July 2022
Location: TBC
Who: All higher education professionals
Background
Higher education teaching and learning has been through 18 months of significant change: from the overnight pivot to online delivery in March 2020, to a refined and improved model of virtual delivery and assessment in the 2020-21 academic year, and now to new models of hybrid/blended/hyflex delivery as we begin the 2021-22 year. Ongoing debates across the globe focus on teaching excellence, value, the student experience, student engagement and student success and, in some countries including the UK, the topic of fees adds to the tensions. All these issues and challenges for the sector have been added to by the global pandemic bringing closer scrutiny to teaching in HE than usual, with nearly everyone having a view on the student experience. Add to all this the diversification of the HE sector, the growing number of independent providers, the introduction of challenger institutions such as MK:U in Milton Keynes (Cranfield University), NMITE in Hereford (New Model Institute for Technology and Engineering), LIS (The London Interdisciplinary School), and TEDI-London (the design engineering collaboration between Arizona State, King’s College London and UNSW Sydney) and the sector is changing at a rapid pace. This brings with it innovations to HE teaching pedagogies and learning environments as never before to bring a more engaging experience and enhance student success.
One thing is certain, the higher education workforce globally is focused on enhancing student success. Whether that is through an exciting new digital learning experience, an inclusive model of teaching and learning for all, new pedagogical approaches, or a mix of new approaches, the Teaching and Learning Conference 2022 will explore what is next for enhancing student success?
Aims
The conference will:
- Create space for delegates to engage in creative thinking around teaching and learning towards continuous enhancement and innovation of the student experience.
- Increase knowledge and confidence of delegates to continue to develop and improve their teaching practice and have a positive impact on the success of their students.
- Engage with leaders and influencers from across the HE sector who share the passion for teaching and learning for student success in HE.
Who should attend?
Teaching practitioners including: Heads of departments, academic programme leaders and developers, lecturers, academic and support staff, and learning technologists.
Themes
The overarching theme across all three days of the conference will be Enhancing student success through student engagement and it will address the following sub themes:
Overarching theme - Day 1, 2 and 3
Enhancing student success through student engagement
How do we engage all students with all aspects of Teaching and Learning? How do we ensure we hear the voices beyond formal committees and Student Union reps? How are student voices heard as we move to new models of programme design and delivery? How are we using design thinking in teaching, learning and curriculum design? What pedagogical approaches are we using to engage students with their learning? How do we use collaborative spaces and multi-disciplinary working to enhance student success?
Day 1 themes
Enhancing student success during transition stages
What impact has independent learning and the disruption to secondary education had on students’ transition to HE? How do we aid student transition in hybrid models of HE? How are we identifying and addressing new issues in transition arising from new models of delivery? Have we identified and overcome additional issues such as learning loss? How have retention policies and practices had to change?
Enhancing student success through flexible modes of delivery
How can we enhance access, inclusion, retention, engagement and progression through providing more flexibility in pace, place and mode of learning? How are we intentionally selecting mode of delivery, e.g. blended, hybrid or hyflex models, to maximise student success? How can we ensure we consider teaching before technology as we move to more flexible delivery?
Day 2 themes
Enhancing student success in an inclusive institution
We operate in a diverse sector – multiple types of institution, the range of student characteristics, improving staff diversity at all levels, re-examining existing epistemologies to develop an inclusive curriculum for all - which brings challenges to being a fully inclusive institution. How is this being addressed through EDI work and leadership in teaching and learning? How are we mainstreaming EDI into T&L strategy and practice? How are we ensuring inclusive curricula and academic freedom? How are we ensuring we hear marginalised voices in all areas of university life?
Enhancing student success through education for sustainable development
How are we embedding sustainability into HE teaching and learning? Can embracing SDGs enhance student success? How are we integrating ESD with other institutional priorities, such as employability, mental health and wellbeing, and assessment?
Day 3 themes
Enhancing student success through enterprise and employability
In a pandemic era and beyond, enhancing enterprise and employability is essential to enabling student success. How have approaches changed to ensure opportunities for all students? How has the physical distancing of students from campus impacted on employability programmes/activities and efforts to diversify routes into work placements and employment?
Enhancing student success through continued development and recognition of the HE workforce
What new skills are needed in the future HE workforce? How have your models of staff and organisational development changed to enhance student success? How does recognition support this? How have changes to mode of delivery impacted on staff wellbeing and the ways we are supporting staff? How can design thinking enhance student success and staff satisfaction?
Conference structure
Each day will feature a programme of keynote speakers and panel sessions, plus parallel workshops/interactive breakout sessions, oral presentations, Ignite and soapbox sessions and a poster exhibition.
The conference will also feature two evening networking activities that can be purchased separately, or are included in the ‘full conference’ ticket option:
- 5 July 2022, from 6pm onwards – An informal networking BBQ and drinks reception.
- 6 July 2022, from 6pm onwards – The Advance HE Annual Dinner and Debate, where a topic, crowdsourced from the sector, will be debated by key figures from within and outside of HE.
Keynotes, panel sessions and other sessions delivered in plenary to the full conference, will be recorded and live streamed to allow for greater accessibility. A purchase option of live-streamed sessions only, will be available to delegates and presenters from outside the UK.
Call for papers
Deadline for submissions: midnight 30 November 2021
Proposals are sought against any of the seven thematic areas above, across all disciplines, although please be aware of the day(s) on which these thematic areas are scheduled. Submissions can be discipline focused, interdisciplinary or multi-disciplinary in nature. Theme 1: Enhancing student success through student engagement will run across all three days, along with two other interconnected themes per day as indicated below.
| Day 1 Tuesday 5 July 2022 | Day 2 Wednesday 6 July 2022 | Day 3 Thursday 7 July 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Theme 1: Enhancing student success through student engagement | Theme 1: Enhancing student success through student engagement | Theme 1: Enhancing student success through student engagement |
| Theme 2: Enhancing student success during transition stages | Theme 4: Enhancing student success in an inclusive institution | Theme 6: Enhancing student success through enterprise and employability |
| Theme 3: Enhancing student success through flexible modes of delivery | Theme 5: Enhancing student success through education for sustainable development | Theme 7: Enhancing student success through continued development and recognition of the HE workforce |
Proposals are welcomed from individuals or teams from across a single institution, or involving multiple institutions, employers and other partners, and especially from individuals of underrepresented groups. Proposals are also welcomed from students, student unions or other student bodies. Creative collaborations between academic teams, professional service teams and students are welcomed. The conference aims to showcase a wide and diverse range of work, activities and creative practice. Individuals may submit against more than one session type, but should select the most relevant thematic area.
Submissions can be for any of the following session formats:
- Interactive breakout session (60 minutes)
- Oral presentation (15 minutes)
- Workshop session (60 minutes)
- Ignite session (5 minutes)
- Soapbox session (5 minutes)
- Poster presentation
Advance HE is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion and works to ensure that our conferences, symposia and colloquia reflect and appreciate the rich diversity present across the global higher education sector. We welcome applications of submissions that represent this diversity.
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