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.
Sandie Donnelly – University of Cumbria
Start the day with quick catch up with newest member of team who joined us a learning developer 3 weeks ago. They are compassionate, thoughtful, student-centred, curious and making a great first impression on all who come into contact with them. I count my blessings.
Check inbox and respond to some requests from some academic colleagues. Arrange quick Teams call with academics where they asked that I go through some reference management software with them. But then we establish I am available at a convenient time and agree I can bob into their online session on Monday to work directly with students and academic colleagues. I have a slight shudder of recalling that one of my first and worst workshops early on in this role was demo-ing reference management software & everything that went wrong on that occasion. But I am much more confident now, I reassure my academic colleagues! Brief exchange with another academic colleague about a collaborative workshop for staff that they wanted to co-deliver in next couple of weeks but now need to postpone until later in April.
Most of the team are out of office today and I am on inbox duty; we manage 4 inboxes across the team relating to different areas of the team’s remit. Today, for the most part, inbox duty involves responding to queries about searching, referencing, and writing, with a bit of troubleshooting around tech issues for student appointments.
Also engage with ALDinHE events working group related emails, following a great session yesterday with Alicja and Carina about their book “How to be a learning developer in HE”. We’re organising follow on sessions and hope to have each section of the book represented at some point over the next 4 to 6 months. There’s an issue with some of the email addresses I am using. Knowing how helpful our Ask a Librarian service is, I try theirs and sure enough they forward on my request and we make contact with a couple more of the writers and everyone is in touch with each other again.
Enjoy an in-person working lunch with our student engagement manager: we catch up on what is going on in each other’s teams, opportunities for collaboration, the bigger picture of the wider service, university wide initiatives and projects coming to fruition in September, and a bit of chat on our own lives and wellbeing.
Bob into the print unit to pick up resources for some events with offer holders we are involved with next week, check event QR codes working, and head back to the team office with a decaf flat white.
Afternoon involves quick review and feedback on a document from mental health and wellbeing team to help staff support students. Assisting a student with some searching, discover a broken link on one of our student webpages, fix the permissions so that video link works again, and do quick check of other links on the same page. Although we anticipated a significant change to Microsoft Stream in February and transferred and updated video links in advance, come across the odd link that isn’t working for everyone for some reason.
Brief safeguarding and risk assessment meeting in the afternoon with some academic colleagues regarding a residential trip involving students that some of my team work closely with. All in order and can report back to team on Monday that all is well. Brief exchange with one of my team about some CPD that is of particular interest to them and encourage them to pursue this. Feel fortunate to work for a manager who encourages CPD and the generosity of members of professional organisations like ALDinHE, ALN (Academic Libraries North), RAISE, and more, makes possible access to sharing of creative, thoughtful, student-centred practice.
Final check across inboxes to resolve everything that can be before the weekend and email holding message to anything that needs to go over to start of next week. Check calendar for next week, resolve a clash, look forward to 1 to 1 catch ups with a couple of my team, and remember there’s a morning’s annual leave booked in towards end of the week.