On the 15th of each month, we are inviting those working in the field of learning development to share their day. Write up what you have done on the 15th of the month (or your nearest working day to this date) (plus reflections) and share it with us via this short submission form. The entries will be shared here on the ALDinHE blog.
In 2010-11 and 2014-15, the ALDinHE website was previously used for a collective online journal by members of the LD community. The collective journal re-launched on the 15 May 2023. You can read the journal entries for each month. The shared experiences and ideas have helped shape CPD resources developed for new and experienced staff, and to identify other areas for future work.
A reminder will go out on the LDHEN list on the 15th of each month. Share your day by completing the short submission form for it to be added to the ALDinHE blog.
Robert Ping-Nan Chang – University of the Arts London
It’s near the end of the year, with the Christmas holiday coming. I’d like to reflect on two things for this entry. First of all, I am doing ‘The 12 Days of AI’, a synchronous and informal online course designed by my university’s Teaching, Learning and Employability Exchange. Unlike many AI events I have been to, I have really enjoyed this form of sessions. Each day they introduce an AI tool, with a task to follow and questions to consider. Additional resources are given for further exploration of the tool or a topic related to the tool, and alternative AI tools are also suggested. I feel a bit tired from all the debates about generative AI and all those discussions about guidance, policy or regulation. Rather, I love this kind of hands-on activities, with guided questions for me to use the tool more effectively and ethically and for me to consider its pedagogical use in my context. The second thing I’d like to reflect on came from a recent tutorial with a MA student who finished his course this month (most UAL MA courses are 15 months long). He pointed out an interesting observation about how much ‘guidance’ and ‘intervention’ a tutor should give to students at the postgraduate level. Thinking back what he told me, I can see the potential for LDers to engage with the transition from UG to PG, which may be less emphasised by institutions from secondary/FE to HE. There seems to be some kind of wishful thinking that a student joining in an MA has already had or developed a sophisticated level of academic literacy, critical thinking and so on; however, this is obviously not true. My LD role then fills in this gap to an extent by supporting students to unpack a brief, think and reflect more critically, plan their project more effectively, etc. By receiving the compliment and gratitude from the student in that tutorial, I am glad that I have made some contribution to his (and hopefully many other students’) learning experiences at UAL. This is truly the best Christmas gift I have received this year 🙂