Duncan Cross

Funding was obtained from a HEFCE catalyst fund by Drs Cross and Prescott in 2016 to undertake a research project to enhance learning and teaching through technology via a student- led research project. The 18 month project ended in April 2018. This presentation aims to discuss the project, providing detail of the two technology based interventions, a university wide mobile app (uBolt) and a virtual reality (VR) therapeutic game to be used on the Psychology, Psychotherapy and Counselling pathway.
The presentation will discuss the project in terms of students as collaborators and co-creators, as well as the benefits and challenges of undertaking research with students. As well as the PI's of the study, two of the key student researchers will also provide their insights of the research and its process.

This presentation will reflect on, and discuss, a HEFCE Catalyst Fund project to engage students in student-led research to enhance learning and teaching through technology.
The research had four main objectives. Firstly, to engage undergraduate students in an initiative to understand utilisation of technology in learning and teaching. Secondly, facilitate students in the research process to design and develop learning and teaching initiatives. Thirdly, to empower students in the delivery of training for staff. Finally, to employ students in the reverse mentoring of staff to enhance the learning and teaching environment.
The presentation will discuss the research undertaken by the research team, a team that included academic staff and student researchers, in terms of the technological interventions (a university-wide mobile app- uBolt and a VR based resource) that were developed to enhance learning and teaching, as well as the evaluation of the interventions. Both interventions were co-created and designed with, and for, students.
The App was a pilot of a university-wide mobile app (uBolt) aimed to be used by all students across the university. The app included an interactive map and games based on learning and students interacting with each other and the university campus. This mobile app developed by the students was then featured in the development process for university-wide implementation of the Campus M app. The second intervention was a VR therapeutic game for use with the counselling students at the university. Both interventions were designed by the research team, and input was sought from the wider student population at the university. Both resources were also developed by games students at the university. The interventions were then evaluated by the research team and this presentation will discuss and reflect on the whole research process with a particular focus on students as partners and the dynamics of change.

As a multinational group of teaching fellows, we consider the highs and lows of our individual and collective journeys towards teaching excellence. The panel will explore the dynamics and challenges of being recognised for excellence in teaching and learning whilst simultaneously unravelling the difficult spaces we learn to operate in. How excellence is defined and conceptualised frames our discussion. Gunn and Fisk (2013) are clear in their literature review that the concept of excellence in teaching lacks consensus. Though certainly in the UK, governmental stakeholder agenda setting is having an impact on the definitions with the rise of metric based teaching excellence framework. Currently some national and institutional surveys (eg UK National Student Survey (NSS 2014, Australian Graduate Survey, 2016, USA National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) 2016, Irish Survey of Student Engagement (ISSE) 2016) alongside progression data and participation rates. Do these indicators act as drivers and what other performance indicators of excellence exist? Little and Locke (2001, 19) state that "A teaching mission necessarily embraces both a concern for teaching and a concern for the end product of the teaching process that is: the student learning experience" but do we sufficiently take into account of that experience when we are defining excellence and how does it impact on the metrics? As a panel we seek to explore the issues and questions around identifying and recognising markers/signs of excellence across disciplines, countries and cultures, the role and impact of teaching fellows, institutional support for the development of teaching fellows and the aspirations of future teaching fellows as we continue our mission/climb to the peak of our metaphoric mountain range of teaching excellence. We also seek to discuss whether we can ever truly reach the zenith of teaching excellence and stay there! Building on the work of Frame et al (2007) and examining whether teaching fellowships are an award or reward for teaching excellence international scholars and SoTL practitioners will present their stories and reflect upon the journeys travelled so far. The audience will have the opportunity to explore the concept of excellent teaching, engage with dialogue and reflect on international perspectives and recognise the terrain and territories teaching fellows have navigated and are continuing to chart.