Talking Learning and Teaching

In this fascinating 7th instalment of our Mental Health & Wellbeing series, Lewis Stockwell from the University of Hertfordshire shares his story of being an academic with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). Lewis provides us with a clear definition of CFS and its key symptoms, explaining what it is like to work in the academic environment with a life-limiting condition. Lewis also goes on to discuss the pressures of the academic environment more generally, explaining how the role of an academic is intimately tied to their identity, meaning that "switching off" can be difficult, causing potential wellbeing concerns. This is a wonderful listen, with so many important insights. Enjoy!

Lewis Stockwell is principal lecturer in education at the University of Hertfordshire, working at the University 10 years in academic education and more recently outdoor environmental education.

He is programme leader for the postgraduate provision in outdoor environment education, and his areas of interest include social justice pedagogies, environmental justice, environmental aesthetics and outdoor experiential learning.

Lewis is currently undertaking his PhD at a university in Scotland on aesthetic educational canoe journeying. Lewis has been diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since 2018; he is also neurodivergent and advocates for greater inclusion in higher education teaching and learning for students and staff.

In this episode, Buckinghamshire New University's Jonathan Devine talks to us about his research investigating the experiences of students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NdDs) in clinical healthcare settings. Jon defines Neurodevelopmental Disorders and discusses their prevalence in UK higher education. Jon then goes on to discuss his research and its outcomes, providing some important insights into how we might support students with Neurodevelopmental Disorders more effectively. This is a fascinating listen. Enjoy!

Jonathan Devine is a registered Operating Department Practitioner, who joined Buckinghamshire New University as a senior lecturer in perioperative practice in 2015. Prior to his move to higher education Jonathan was a team leader for trauma and orthopaedics at an NHS trust within the Thames Valley Region. Jonathan is in the final stages of completing his master’s in education, he has keen scholarly interests in neurodiversity, mental health and wellbeing. Jonathan sees himself as a strong advocate for holistic, learner centred approach to teaching and learning.

In this fascinating episode, John Knight and Elaine Walsh discuss the assessment brief. John and Elaine provide some excellent insights into the good, the bad and the ugly of assessment brief design, providing some clear ideas, guidance, hints and tips in relation to effective assessment brief design. John and Elaine also provide some important information on the importance of good assessment brief design in relation to learner confidence and engagement with assessment. I really enjoyed recording this episode as it was such a refreshing discussion. This is a great listen!

John Knight leads the academic practice and curriculum development team at Buckinghamshire New University and provides leadership on learning, teaching and assessment across the institution. He has worked in academic development, with a particular focus on curriculum development and the enhancement of assessment practices since 2015. He has worked in a range of roles and contexts in higher education since 1989, including teacher training and learning development. He is currently completing his doctoral research in assignment brief design and the student experience of assessment and has further research interests in positive approaches to reflection in professional education.

Dr Elaine Walsh is a lecturer of technical communication and instructional design at University of Limerick, Ireland. Since 2003, she has managed and delivered distance education programmes within higher education. Elaine’s research interest lies in the effective communication of assignment tasks. She completed her PhD in 2021, in which she explored students and academics’ perceptions of the effectiveness of the written assignment brief.

In this episode, Kelly Sisson from the University of Lincoln discusses the influence of the academic environment on mental health and wellbeing. Specifically, Kelly discusses the nature of the academic role and why this has both benefits and drawbacks from a wellbeing perspective. Kelly also explores the changing nature of the academic role and the impact this has had on staff wellbeing, particularly post-pandemic. Finally, Kelly discusses the importance of making positive wellbeing an intentioned part of the academic career journey, supporting career sustainability and success. This is a great listen!

Kelly is an Associate Professor in the Lincoln Academy of Learning and Teaching. She leads the Academic Development team and the Academic Professional Apprenticeship (APA) programme. Kelly completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Hull in 2003 and obtained her PhD in Public Health at Kings College London in 2007 with a thesis on oral health inequalities. She began her teaching career as a Lecturer in Epidemiology and Public Health in the School of Health and Social Care at the University of Teesside in 2006, and joined the University of Lincoln in 2013, as the Research, Training and Development Co-ordinator in the Graduate School. Kelly has held roles as a Senior Lecturer in Educational Development and Senior Lecturer in Healthcare practice.

In this fascinating episode, De Montfort University's Di Turgoose talks all things "Pracademia" in higher education. Di defines the role of the "Pracademic" discussing how the fusion between practice-based and academic experiences have become critical to successful learning, teaching and assessment approaches. Di outlines the professional identity of the pracademic, as well as discusses the future of pracademia in higher education. A great listen!

Di Turgoose is an Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning, a De Montfort University Teacher Fellow, and a Member of the International Federation of National Teacher Fellows. Di is also an Active member of the British Society of Criminology where she leads the National Annual Award Prize for both group and individual excellence in learning and teaching.

Di has almost 30 years practice experience in the criminal justice sector and allied fields, continuing to work in the field in various guises alongside her academic responsibilities. Di works hard to cultivate a learning and teaching approach, underpinned by a philosophy grounded in the synergy between academic work, and work as a practitioner - utilizing interdisciplinary and evidence-based approaches to teaching, to connect theory, policy and practice.  In short Di’s focus is on authentic assessment and real-world learning, at the nexus between practice and theory.

Through her research informed teaching, Di challenges conventions within her discipline, but also pedagogic conventions as part of an approach that is deeply imbued with a sense of public good. She leads a pracademic network in criminal justice and is lead editor of a forthcoming book on pracademics in criminal justice, for Routledge.

In this awesome episode, Professor James Basham from the University of Kansas talks to us about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can play an important role in supporting learners with special educational needs. James provides some fascinating insights into the way in which AI has already been used to support special education for several years, as well as providing his thoughts on future uses and trends, and the general place of AI in the future of education. This is a truly fascinating listen.

James D. Basham, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. He is also the Senior Advisor at CAST, a research and development non-profit and founders of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. Dr. Basham is a cofounder of the UDL Implementation and Research Network (UDL-IRN). His research is focused on the implementation of UDL, STEM education, learner-centered design, innovation, and technology in human learning. He has received and managed over $27 million in successful research and development funding. He is well published, given hundreds of talks, and serves on various boards for journals, companies, and organizations and is the principal investigator on various projects, including the Center for Innovation, Design, and Digital Learning (CIDDL). 

In this episode Jodie Calleja from Canterbury Christchurch University provides use with some fascinating insights into the wellbeing challenges faced by professional services colleagues in higher education. Jodie shares their thoughts on the potential sources of wellbeing challenges for professional services staff, as well as provides some excellent ideas on how we can all look after our wellbeing. This is a great episode, enjoy!

Jodie is honest enough to admit they like to stick their finger in every pie. They have experience working and teaching at schools and university, with HEI responsibilities for a range of departments, including registry functions, customer quality, teaching and learning, and library services. They have diverse professional interests in learning development, user experience, online learning, and website development, and is a strong supporter for integrating wellbeing practices into the workplace. In their spare time they are studying for a PhD on British Vegan Discourse, use social media platforms to document their successful journey to eating disorder recovery whilst also advocating for improved eating disorder services, volunteer with young people and make just enough time to enjoy baking more pies and upcycling.

In this fascinating episode, Aga Buckley from Kingston University, London discusses the importance of maintaining appropriate boundaries as a means of supporting mental health and wellbeing. Aga specifically talks about the personal tutoring role, giving particular thought to how the role, and the expectations for the role have changed, and the impact this has had on maintaining boundaries.

Aga M. Buckley is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Leader in Academic Staff Development at Kingston University’s Learning and Teaching Enhancement Centre, where she teaches and assesses on university’s Advance HE-accredited courses while supporting other education development projects. She is seconded to her role from the Faculty of Health, Science, Social Care and Education, where she taught social work theory, social pedagogy, applied social work practice and law across post-qualifying, postgraduate and undergraduate courses in the Department of Social Work and Social Care.

Aga qualified as a social worker in 1999 with a Diploma in Social Work, followed by a degree in Social Pedagogy and specialised in mental health over the years. She completed postgraduate qualifications and a master’s in Advanced Mental Health Practice while working in acute psychiatric and front-line mental health in NHS and Local Authorities. She continues drawing on her practice experience in her External Examiner role in specialist post-qualifying courses with the University of Manchester. She is a member of the British Association of Social Workers (BASW): Neurodivergent Social Workers Special Interest Group and Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Advisory Group while supporting various Kingston University’s EDI initiatives.

Aga is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a lifelong learner.

She is interested in novel ways for students and staff to learn from each other and through relationships they build during their whole experience of Higher Education. Aga advocates for equity and neuro-inclusion, often contesting uniformity in her personal life, social work, and education. Her practice uses humanistic, relational approaches, favouring creative methods and active, authentic learning strategies. Her doctoral research (data collection stage) focuses on the lived experiences of compassion fatigue among early-career social workers in England.

In this episode, Rich Harvey from BIMM University discusses his experiences of being an academic with ADHD. Rich provides some fascinating insights into his initial diagnosis, how that impacted upon his wellbeing, and his subsequent approach to and engagement with his academic role, his colleagues and his learners. This is a truly fascinating and inspiring listen.

Rich Harvey is Associate Dean of Academic Staff Development at BIMM University where he has worked over the past 12 years in a variety of Teaching and Leadership roles, during a long period of organisational development leading up to the Institute recently achieving University title. 

He works to support the development of teaching and learning staff in a range of functions across the University's 8 Campuses in the UK and Europe, and his current responsibilities include being the Course Leader for the PGCert in learning and Teaching Professional Practice, and overseeing the accreditation and delivery of Advance HE Fellowship award CPD programmes.  

Rich had a diagnosis of ADHD 2 years ago around the age of 40, and has found this to be an eye-opening experience in many ways. He is interested in using his own experience of adapting to the clearer awareness of his own needs post-diagnosis to better inform his ability to ensure the needs of staff at the institution are effectively met- especially where neurodivergence is at play. 

In this fascinating episode, University of East Anglia's David Holland talks to us about critical thinking in Higher Education. Often lauded as one of the key selling points of a university education, critical thinking represents one of those higher education buzzwords that is often difficult to define, despite being used frequently across curricula as part of learning outcomes, assessments, and various standards frameworks. David helps us to unpick some of the key challenges of the concept of critical thinking, including the problem of clearly defining critical thinking as a concept, as well as some of the issues teachers face when teaching critical thinking to students. David also provides some insights into the place of critical thinking in then wider HE landscape, and also comment on what the future for critical thinking in HE might look like. David welcomes listeners to contact him if they have any further interest in the concept of critical thinking in Higher Education. You can reach David at [email protected].

University of East Anglia's David Holland has a teaching background spanning 4 HEIs and developed many of his learning interventions in an FE setting while leading the Psychology BSc at the UEA's partner institution - City College Norwich. Since moving back across to the UEA he was awarded an institutional Teaching Fellowship in 2022 for his work developing skills and critical thinking curricula for first year students and is a deeply passionate advocate for the demystification of thinking skills, and how this can fuel improved academic literacies, standards, and outcomes