Saturday 24 May 2014

student employability skills through STEM outreach


A recent paper was presented by John Sinclair and co-authored by Stuart Allen, Linda Davis-Sinclair, Trish Goodchild, Julie Messenger, and Scott Turner at Northampton Learning and Teaching Conference 2014- Northampton 2018: Planning, Designing and Delivering Student Success about STEM outreach and employability.



Enhancing student employability skills through partnership working in STEM outreach


John Sinclair, Stuart Allen, Linda Davis, Trish Goodchild, Julie Messenger, Scott Turner

Contact details:

Abstract:
For over a decade, University of Northampton staff and students have delivered successful STEM outreach activities, master classes and co-working opportunities to learners in schools and FE colleges.  In addition, the University works with the local STEMNET contract holder to gain national recognition for staff and students STEM Ambassadors and recognises STEM Ambassadors through awards (staff and student) as part of its annual celebration of volunteer achievement.  Both developments derive from a culture of empowering students as partners and enhancing the student journey.

The University has developed a co-ordinated programme of training and events to empower students and staff to engage with school and community outreach.  A cross-University STEM Steering Group (SSG) which features both management and grass roots-level representation from the across the University (Science and Technology, Health, Education, the Arts and its Centre for Employability and Engagement) manages the activities, including recruiting representation from the student body.  As such, SSG is uniquely well-placed to champion STEM activities across the University and to make these available to the wider community.  Local schools are able to access inspirational science activities, whilst University students gain employability-related skills in leadership, communication, project-delivery and self-motivation and staff gain valuable CPD.  Students also identify more strongly with the University.  The total package plays a major role in contributing to University aspirations in widening participation and is hugely popular with participants.  This paper will outline the project and will showcase the positive enhancements which it offers to University of Northampton students and school participants.


Friday 23 May 2014

Visualising the field - VR and mobile devices


A recent workshop presented by Scott Turner, Naomi Holmes, Adel Gordon and Janet Jackson at Northampton Learning and Teaching Conference 2014- Northampton 2018: Planning, Designing and Delivering Student Success gave participants an opportunity to 'play with' some of the computing technologies they have been investigating as tools for Environmental and Geography Students.



Learning Across Contexts


A recent paper presented by  Naomi Holmes and Adel Gordon at  Northampton Learning and Teaching Conference 2014- Northampton 2018: Planning, Designing and Delivering Student Success discussed some of the technologies they have been investigating as tools for Environmental and Geography Students.

Tuesday 13 May 2014

Mobile in the field


Mobile in the field - Learning Across Contexts, the next generation from Adel Gordon

This slide deck was presented at the Blackboard Teaching and Learning Conference, April 2014 - Dublin, Ireland.

  • 1. Mobile in the Field Learning Across Contexts – The Next Generation ADEL GORDON Learning Technologist University of Northampton @adelgordon
  • 2. ABOUT ME ADEL GORDON Learning Technologist University of Northampton Adel.Gordon@northampton.ac.uk System Administrator for 11 years Focus on assessment technologies, Mobile and Blackboard/SIS integration
  • 3. ABOUT MY INSTITUTION The University of Northampton has around 17,000 students (FTE) and around 1,500 staff All students and around 75% of staff are expected to use Blackboard. The Learning Technology team have responsibility over all things related to Blackboard…
  • 4. WE’RE GOING TO LOOK AT… • Interdependencies when learning across contexts • Geographers’ use of mobile in the field • Lessons Learned • Future plans
  • 5. OUR CHALLENGE #1 Lecture Theatre LaboratoryThe field Personal workspaceSeminar room Online / VLE
  • 6. WHY MOBILE? “Mobile and wireless technologies support learning designs that are personalised, situated and authentic...” “mobile learning should aim to innovate and to discover what is gained through having portable tools that support observations, interactions, conversations and reflections, within and across various contexts of use...” (Kukulska-Hulme, Traxler & Pettit, 2007)
  • 7. OUR CHALLENGE #2 Mapping “Desk based” Survey Identify & Delineate Overlay key Plan Data Collection Assignment BE ORGANISED! Students are required to:
  • 8. OUR SOLUTION Tablets Image source: www.apple.com & www.tesco.com
  • 9. OUR SOLUTION Skitch Image Source: www.evernote.com/skitch & Holmes (2014)
  • 10. OUR SOLUTION FieldTrip GB Source: http://fieldtripgb.blogs.edina.ac.uk/
  • 11. FIELDTRIP GB FORMS
  • 12. HERE’S HOW WE USED BLACKBOARD Mobile Learn • All materials are mobile friendly with options for viewing • Discussion board for collaborative work
  • 13. WHAT THE STUDENTS SAID Like having access to the forms before the fieldwork I like the bigger screen on the iPad mini – makes it easier to use the maps Being able to sync data once connected is great, and the FieldTrip GB app facilitates data collection really well I really like the iPad mini and having a 3G version makes it even better in the field FieldTrip GB is Great!
  • 14. LESSONS LEARNED • Can increase engagement and support activities that are central to learning • Be clear about the aims and manage expectations (especially of internet availability!) • Importance of preparatory work
  • 15. FUTURE PLANS Oculus Rift – pre fieldwork activities to enhance the usefulness of data capture and gathering in the field. In trials on generic maps and 3D environments student have commented that…
  • 16. DO THIS NEXT Have a chat with staff and students about their practice. Particularly in subjects where field, lab, studio work etc is carried out. Consider the contexts in which learning takes place, and how the gap between them can be bridged using mobile. Get some mobile devices!
  • 17. REFERENCES Brown, E. (ed) (2010) Education in the Wild: contextual and location-based mobile learning in action. A report from the STELLAR Alpine Rendez-Vous workshop series. University of Nottingham: Learning Sciences Research Institute (LSRI). Downward, S., et al. “Podcasts and Locations”. In Salmon, G. and Edirisingha, P. (eds) (2008) Podcasting for Learning in Universities. Maidenhead: Open University Press, pp. 57-69. Gordon, A., Jackson, J. and Usher, J. (2014) Learning across contexts - mobile for fieldwork in environmental sciences. In: Mobile Learning: How Mobile Technologies Can Enhance the Learning Experience. Oxford: UCISA. pp. 2-5. Holmes, N. (2014) Lake at Delapre. [Skitch image]. Kukulska-Hulme, A., Traxler, J., and Pettit, J., (2007) Designed and user-generated activity in the mobile age. Journal of Learning Design, 2(1), pp. 52–65. Blackboard Mobile – http://www.blackboardmobile.com/ FieldTrip GB - http://fieldtripgb.blogs.edina.ac.uk/ Oculus Rift - http://www.oculusvr.com/
  • 18. THANK YOU! Adel Gordon Learning Technologist University of Northampton adel.gordon@northampton.ac.uk @adelgordon

Friday 2 May 2014

Enhancing student employability skills through partnership working outreach; the University of Northampton approach

A paper has recently been present at HEA STEM Annual Teaching and Learning Conference 2013: Enhancing the STEM Student Journey, University of Edinburgh, 30th April-1st May 2014


Enhancing student employability skills through partnership working in STEM outreach; the University of Northampton approach.
John Sinclair*, Stuart Allen†, Linda Davis, Trish Goodchild, Julie Messenger#, Scott Turner

University of Northampton, St George’s Avenue, Northampton, NN3 3AF.
†University of Northampton, Boughton Green Road, Northampton.  NN2 7AL.
# Leicester Educational Business Company, Ashcroft House, Ervington Court,  Meridian Business Park. Leicester LE19 1WL
*author for correspondence


Abstract.
For over a decade, University of Northampton staff and students have delivered successful STEM outreach activities, master classes and co-working opportunities to learners in schools and FE colleges.  In addition, the University works with the local STEMNET contract holder to gain national recognition for staff and students STEM Ambassadors and recognises STEM Ambassadors through awards (staff and student) as part of its annual celebration of volunteer achievement.  Both developments derive from a culture of empowering students as partners and enhancing the student journey.

The University has developed a co-ordinated programme of training and events to empower students and staff to engage with school and community outreach.  A cross-University STEM Steering Group (SSG) which features both management and grass roots-level representation from the across the University (Science and Technology, Health, Education, the Arts and its Centre for Employability and Engagement) manages the activities, including recruiting representation from the student body.  As such, SSG is uniquely well-placed to champion STEM activities across the University and to make these available to the wider community.  Local schools are able to access inspirational science activities, whilst University students gain employability-related skills in leadership, communication, project-delivery and self-motivation and staff gain valuable CPD.  Students also identify more strongly with the University.  The total package plays a major role in contributing to University aspirations in widening participation and is hugely popular with participants.  This paper will outline the project and will showcase the positive enhancements which it offers to University of Northampton students and school participants.