January 2021 welcomed the introduction of the Technology-Enabled Learning (TEL) Service at the University of Cambridge. Since then, we have had the pleasure of collaborating with many of you across the University in discovering, discussing and developing opportunities for a technology-enabled educational experience.
We want, first and foremost, to thank those of you who have engaged with the TEL Service across this past year, whether through our Community of Practice, ongoing webinar series, weekly Q&A drop-ins, seeking support, sharing best practice, or our recent Blended Learning Showcase. Our conversations around the University have been extremely helpful in identifying how we can best support staff and students in realising the potential of digitally supported and augmented learning, teaching and assessment, and it has been encouraging to see the sheer variety of exploration in this area as we transition to many new ways of working.
For this issue of the Teaching & Learning Newsletter, as we draw to a close an incredibly busy Michaelmas Term, we have collated and highlighted the resources, support and opportunities on offer from the TEL Service in hopes you find them beneficial for your own practice.
Webinars
Webinar Schedule and Recordings
Offering guidance, demonstrating tools, answering your questions, and exploring how you can develop engaging experiences for your students, there are currently close to 20 individual webinars available as recordings with accompanying slides. With over 10 hours of content already and much more planned for the future, we hope you'll find our suite of webinars helpful in supporting your teaching practice.
Student Guidance Videos
Blended Learning and What to Expect | Cambridge Students
The TEL Service produced a series of short videos for the start of Michaelmas Term to inform students about what to expect this year, how to approach blended content, creating and maintaing a healthy schedule, and looking after their wellbeing. With over 700 views already, they have been well received and we ask that you consider sharing them with your students as we move into Lent Term.
Learning Scenarios
Learning Scenarios | Moodle
Taking a context-driven approach to guidance and support, the Learning Scenarios attempt to break down suggested tools, activities and resources by common educational experiences such as lectures, small-group teaching and supervisions. Supported by personal experiences of academics, student feedback and pedagogical guidance, this resource is intended to help generate ideas and discover what could be possible within your discipline.
Learning Design Toolkit
Learning Design Toolkit | Moodle
Informed by the ABC Curriculum Design methods of UCL, the Learning Design Toolkit has been developed with Cambridge practices in mind to help facilitate iterative developments to the learning journey. Providing guidance for learning types, analysing existing approaches, storyboarding new ideas, and implementing developments, the toolkit is designed to support autonomous planning - as an individual or a larger team - as well as through facilitated workshops hosted by the TEL Service.
Blended Learning Showcase 2021
Showcase Resources & Recordings
On 27 September we hosted the first Blended Learning Showcase for the University, in which we shared existing practice and thoughts on teaching and learning, and pondered the potential of blended experiences at Cambridge for the future. With special thanks to Stephen Watterson, Sonja Dunbar and Mairi Kilkenny for their informative and encouraging presentations, and to Jessica Comber-Chaney, Meg Tait and Michael Cresswell for their insightful comments and participation during our strategy session
As well as recordings of the entire event, at the link above you can find a collection of insights and subsequent analysis of findings from the event.
Hybrid Teaching and Learning Guidance
As anticipated, many are still having to consider some form of hybrid delivery (delivery methods aiming to engage an audience separated geographically online and in person) and this has been a difficult transition and set of considerations for many staff. To support discussions and planning around this topic prior to Michaelmas Term, members of the TEL Service and Teaching & Learning Systems team co-authored a guidance document hoping to better inform conversations around hybrid delivery and suggest best practice before, during and after these sessions take place.
Develop an Accessible and Inclusive Moodle Course
Supporting ongoing efforts to provide an inclusive experience to all students, the TEL Service collaborated with members of the Teaching & Learning Systems team and Disability Resource Centre to produce recommended guidance in developing an accessible Moodle course. This guidance has been informed by the current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and presents a clear list of what to do and avoid.
Where to go from here?
The TEL Service are still developing new guidance, resources and support materials for staff and students across the University. However, we want to ensure that we remain as relevant and helpful as possible. We ask that if you have suggestions for potential resources, questions about how to engage more with blended solutions, or would like more 1:1 support in achieving your own ideas, please do not hesitate to get in touch at tel@admin.cam.ac.uk.
Additionally, we would like to engage more with academic staff in the development and planning of blending teaching and learning, and offer our services to collaborate further. If you are interested in working with us on any aspect of your delivery, simply complete the relevant form below and we'll be in touch as soon as possible.
- TEL Service Support Request - for individual or team requests with specific problems or desired outcomes
- Blended Learning Design Review - for anyone who would like local guidance and recommendations regarding their blended provision, with opportunities for subsequent collaboration where desired
- Resource Development Request - for those who wish to include more interactive digital activities and resources for students, and would like additional support developing these or would like to collaborate with the TEL Service to devise bespoke solutions for their students
If you would like to stay up-to-date with resources, guidance and opportunities for further support from the TEL Service, consider signing up to our Mailing List.
Melissa Reilly
Melissa Reilly is an Administrative Officer of the Educational Quality & Policy Office team, supporting the new TEL Service.
Cambridge Teaching & Learning Newsletter vol. 3 (issue 2) December 2021