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.
Carina Buckley – Southampton Solent University
I generally work from home on a Friday and today I was still finishing my toast when I met my mentee at 9am. We talked about her goals for the year and how she could make more use of her networks while also developing new contacts. We’ll meet again in about six weeks to see what progress she has made.
I replied to an email from a lecturer about student use of AI, and suggested some things she and her colleagues on the Acting and Performance course could introduce, primarily talking to the students about why they are being asked to write essays and what the value of them is (hat-tip to the inestimable Alicja Syska for this approach!). Revalidation later this year offers this course team some opportunity to rethink their assessment strategy, but all agreed that the academic essay remains a valuable process for thinking and learning – we just need to help the students see that.
That said, I had a second email from a lecturer in Biomedical Sciences about fake AI-generated references in an essay, leading him to suspect that more of the essay was not the student’s work. I had a chat with my colleague in Quality, who leads on academic misconduct cases, to ask for his guidance on handling this situation, as I want to ensure that we have a consistent approach across the university, and then I got back to the lecturer.
I am a member of the JLDHE editorial board and, with another issue on the horizon, I needed to go through all the submissions I am currently looking after to check whether they will be ready for inclusion. I have five in the copyediting pipeline, some requiring more work than others, but I’m confident they’ll all get over the line.
I was due to submit my reviews for a couple of Senior Fellow applications today (I’m an internal assessor) but I begged to be allowed to do them on Monday; I unexpectedly had a free afternoon and really wanted to use it to work on my NTF (shhhh) application, which is currently trying to kill me. So I did!
Kevin McConville – University of Dundee
Recently, I had the opportunity to take part in a demo session of MedEd-Opoly, a clinical teaching board game that brought together educators from various backgrounds—both experienced and less so. A big thanks to our staff development officer Mrs Jordan Napier-Morrow in particular. The game, which applies modified rules from the traditional Monopoly game, provided a safe and engaging space to explore diverse teaching experiences and scenarios. It facilitated open discussions, encouraged the sharing of good practices, and offered valuable teaching tips. The session was not only informative but also a lot of fun, with a relaxed atmosphere that made learning feel effortless.
Going into the session, I was curious about how a board game could effectively foster discussion and learning in medical education. However, as the game progressed, I found myself thoroughly engaged. The playful format helped lower barriers, making it easy for participants to share experiences candidly. As a GP, I enjoyed the collaborative nature of the discussions and appreciated the opportunity to hear perspectives from secondary care colleagues. The session reinforced the idea that learning does not always have to be formal or structured to be impactful.
One of the highlights of MedEd-Opoly was the way it encouraged reflection and conversation in a non-judgmental setting. The scenarios presented were relevant and thought-provoking, allowing educators to explore challenges and solutions together. The game format made it easier to discuss potentially sensitive issues around teaching without the usual pressures of formal training sessions. There were moments when discussions around complex topics evolved naturally and within a mixed group of educators, appreciation of the nuances of primary and secondary care teaching
This experience highlighted the power of interactive learning tools in medical education. By simulating real-world teaching challenges in a gamified format, MedEd-Opoly provided an innovative way to reflect on best practices and improve teaching approaches. It also served as a useful reminder of the unique challenges faced by secondary care educators—balancing service delivery with teaching responsibilities in high-pressure clinical environments.
For me, as a GP, it reinforced the importance of cross-sector collaboration in medical education. Understanding the constraints and opportunities that secondary care colleagues navigate can help in fostering better integration of teaching practices across primary and secondary care.
Overall, MedEd-Opoly was a refreshing and valuable experience. It reinforced existing knowledge, introduced new perspectives, and created a sense of shared purpose among educators. The relaxed and engaging environment made it an enjoyable yet meaningful learning experience.
Going forward, I would love to see this approach adapted further, perhaps incorporating more scenarios relevant to teaching out with medicine. I also plan to take some of the insights gained from the session back to my own teaching practice, considering ways to make learning more interactive and discussion-driven.
Anne-Kathrin Reck – University of Portsmouth
I arrive at the office and immediately pick up on a text a student sent me the day before (she missed her slot by two hours and I could not fit her in anymore yesterday). As it is often the case the deadline is later today so I glance over the text (a creative writing piece) and try to spot any things related to what we talked about in our recent face-to-face session. Clearly, it is too late to point out (and stress the student even more) any substantial issues, so I focus on referencing comments.
I check incoming emails on my personal and our group email accounts. We are faculty based and sometimes students contact us from another faculty and need signposting to our colleagues elsewhere. I transfer a couple of bookings into my calendar and send invites to the students.
Then there is a big national virtual event on AI (what else?) which I run in the background. At 11 am we have the monthly meeting with our line manager (our group consists of academic skills (2), creative skills (3) and engagement officer (1). I cleared our big table before the meeting which is mainly my workspace for students to do sketching and ‘thinking on paper’. I also rescue a couple of handouts (yes, this old habit) for this afternoon’s workshop with interior design students.
The meeting demonstrates yet again that it is good to see how things are connected to a bigger picture and how well we work together. The LM fills us in with more general university wide info and initiatives as well as future plans. Somehow, we manage to fill a whole hour which is just about enough time!
Lunch after this in the faculty café with my obligatory oat flat white. On return to the office I go through my workshop plan, check the handouts and books I want to take to the studio space. I meet with the lecturer at 2pm and make sure she logs me into their screen which I mainly want to use to show students our moodle page, how to book in and highlight a couple of resources. She then goes off to a meeting and I am alone with the group of international students (and the tech). They are keen and happy to contribute. I manage to engage the students with a drawing task (explaining how their sketching is different from sketchnoting for learning). Today I am wearing my pencil T-shirt from the Tate to bring home the message of hand-drawn notes. This is well received by interior design students, thank goodness.
We end with a Q&A session and the lecturer rejoins us at the end. After finishing off the session, I chat with the lecturer about possible future events without making fixed commitments yet. However, these chats are vital and demonstrate a healthy engagement with teaching staff. We are definitely in the diary for next year!
I go back to the office to check more emails, book students in, do my daily admin. I also book myself into a wellness session for staff (a new initiative). Would be nice to get into this yoga session!