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15 July 2021
4 minutes to readOpportunities and challenges of digital learning: an interview with Professor Tim Quine, DVC Education
Emerging from the COVID-19 pandemic will bring challenges and opportunities for education, and three Exeter students recently had the chance to quiz Professor Tim Quine, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education), to canvass his views.
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1 July 2021
4 minutes to readConcurrent teaching: lessons from dissertation preparation sessions
Teaching students who join a session together, either from campus or online, has become an increasing feature of the last 12 months. Here Dr Matt Finn and Dr Laura Smith (Geography) describe their week-long series of concurrent workshops for second year BA Geography students, to prepare for their final year dissertations.
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24 June 2021
4 minutes to readBringing learning back to campus through The Festival of Discovery
Over 400 events took place on campus in the University’s inaugural Festival of Discovery. Held over a 2-week period from late May, the event aimed to bring our whole university community closer together to enjoy a range of on-campus and online activities. “I loved the…
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18 June 2021
4 minutes to readHow a Colombia field trip became a successful virtual exchange
Field courses are a capstone of many degree programmes, facilitating immersive and experiential learning opportunities. Students can engage with various aspects of their chosen field in situ, in an authentic and often applied way. This might involve touring unique facilities, interacting with external experts,
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9 June 2021
3 minutes to readHow enhancing the AV in teaching spaces can create a more seamless student experience
One of the many challenges faced by educators over the last year is delivering teaching concurrently to both students present in the room and also joining online through Teams or Zoom. Teaching rooms are rarely equipped to enable this concurrent teaching effectively, with limited camera and audio coverage
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26 May 2021
3 minutes to readQuantum leap: how cutting-edge technologies are giving students industry experience
Since autumn 2020, Physics students at the University of Exeter have been working with real-life quantum computers, thanks to the IBM Quantum Educators Program. IBM is at the forefront of quantum computing systems, research and development and their involvement has
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19 May 2021
4 minutes to readBuilding social connections between students during the pandemic
University life is about more than just studying. It’s about building social connections – friendships and relationships that can shape you forever. These social connections with peers are crucial to students’ success and overall wellbeing. But establishing these connections
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12 May 2021
3 minutes to readIs it time to take a fresh look at MOOCs?
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a sharp focus on online learning, so where do Massive Open Online Courses – MOOCs – fit into the picture? Lisa Harris and Steph Comley take a look… Now that an increasing number of educators and learners are discovering the benefits of inclusive and accessible online learning,…
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6 May 2021
3 minutes to readHow Exeter is helping to strengthen primary care expertise globally
The COVID-19 pandemic has placed the importance of public health and primary care into sharp focus – not only in treating people with Covid, but to facilitate vaccine distribution. Managing the impact of the virus is carried out in community settings, and the World Health Organisation has
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29 April 2021
4 minutes to readMaking the case for online conferences: The UG Research Showcase
This year marked two important milestones for the University’s Undergraduate Research Showcase: the annual event celebrated its fifth birthday, and, for the first time ever, it took place all online. The exhibition offers an opportunity for undergraduates to share projects they’ve undertaken during their time at the university
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22 April 2021
3 minutes to readMindful classics: an ancient approach to wellbeing to support modern learners
As the Covid-19 pandemic has progressed, mental health has become almost as much of a concern as physical health. Uncertainty and long-term isolation have been identified as particular threats to overall wellbeing – with mindfulness often touted as a useful antidote.
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15 April 2021
4 minutes to readFinding the ‘write path’: how writing groups help postgraduate researchers
Pandemic-era higher education conversations have tended to focus more on the issues of undergraduates and taught postgraduates, rather than postgraduate researchers (PGRs) – an issue repeatedly raised on a national stage by Professor Andrew McRae, Dean of Postgraduate Research and the Exeter Doctoral College.
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1 April 2021
3 minutes to readChoreographing excellent education: concurrent dance teaching and learning
Throughout the pandemic, one of the most common pedagogical questions has been: ‘How can I help my students feel connected?’ This is a challenging issue in any discipline, but especially in one where students would normally meet up in a specialist physical space
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25 March 2021
4 minutes to readThe unexpected upsides of digital learning – and overcoming the downsides
For many students, the accelerated move to digital learning in 2020/21 has posed a number of challenges. But it’s also had its advantages. Here, Millie Britton, a final year Economics with Geography student and Digital Learning Assistant, reflects on a year of digital learning. From my own experiences as a third year, and the experiences of other students,…
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