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.
Sandra Sinfield – London Metropolitan University
This month of March sees an enjoyable day’s work. Alongside the prerequisite wrestling with with emails (and longing for the good old days of paper memos in the internal mail – they certainly controlled the amount of correspondence we had to deal with on a daily basis) – I have had the pleasure of beginning the marking the portfolios of participants on our PGCert LTHE first module, Facilitating Student Learning (FSL).
We open the FSL module by assuring our staff-as-student participants that the module will not teach them how to teach! Actually – after seeing the fear in their eyes – even online – we modified that to we will not just teach you how …
The reality is that this is an immersive module – we engage our participants in learning through the sorts of active, dialogic, playful and creative activities that we wish them to explore, interrogate and adapt when making their own teaching, learning and assessment practices more liberatory, inclusive, and empowering for all.
For me the module as a whole is joyful – full of energy and engagement – and whilst i do approach the portfolios with baited breath – hoping – hoping that I will enjoy what I read… the reality is that people do want to engage – they want to get it… and I want to read what they have written.
This was a little more tricky when we first switched online, during the pivot. And rationalising that, I do not think that that was because we got it wrong when we sought to make this online course as active, creative and embodied as the F2F version, I now think that it was more frightening because the world – and teaching and learning within that world – was that much more frightening overall!
So today – I am mostly marking – and so far – I am mostly experiencing great joy. Our participants always surprise and delight us with what they do. I hope they are surprising and delighting themselves as well.
Robert Ping-Nan Chang – University of the Arts London
Coming back from the weekend, I started the day with emails, including one to check in with LD colleagues with whom I act as a partner in their mentoring journey. I joined a ‘final reminder & Q&A’ session of BA Interior and Spatial Design Year 2 before they break for Easter holiday from this Friday. This is followed by sign-up drop-ins in the their studio. I have worked with BA Interior and Spatial Design for four years. This year I have become even more physically present in the course even though I have less class teaching with them led by myself. Rather, I joined many of the course-led sessions as a co-facilitator or even just as an attendee. The participation, such as in their unit briefing, some of their workshops and lectures and other activities, maintain (if not increase) my presence within the course and enhance my interaction with the students (and vice versa). After lunch, I had the monthly meeting of the ALDinHE Events Group, which I have been with since 2020. This engagement has expanded my professional network and improved my skills and confidence in various areas. My day ended with the second round of the drop-in with the same cohort.