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Faculty of Environment Science and Economy
24 April 2024
4 minutes to readPlaying learning and ‘crime’
Why playful learning? Industry values graduates with a collaborative mindset who can deliver impactful work. This employability skill can be challenging to harness especially when working with people from different regions, cultures, backgrounds, and workspace ethics. Playful learning can enhance student engagement, creativity, and innovation (Whitton, 2018; Hirsh-Pasek et al., 2020; Ferguson…
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14 February 2024
4 minutes to readIn pursuit of pukka assessment: bringing together Generation Z and Generative AI
Generative AI promises to transform the world of work. Graduates with skills in ethical and proactive use of such tools are in great demand. Digital Technologies and the Future of Work is an online module for undergraduate students from across the university. It was developed in 2018 as an Education Incubator Project,…
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6 December 2023
2 minutes to readEmbedding professional skills development into module/programme design
Developing students’ professional skills is crucial for their career readiness. But how can educators integrate those practical abilities into academic coursework? Nicky Thomas, Senior Lecturer in Tax and Accounting, and Fiona Hartley, Employability and Careers Consultant, led an interactive Eduexe workshop tackling this challenge. They demonstrated easy, engaging techniques to build students’…
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22 November 2023
3 minutes to readTaking account of student experiences of eco-grief and eco-anxiety when incorporating sustainable development goals into teaching
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated many changes in higher education, including a greater focus on online learning. However, another key trend has been growing efforts to incorporate the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into university curricula. This reflects a wider recognition that higher education institutions have a crucial role to play in…
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15 November 2023
3 minutes to readTailoring employability provision for international students
Moving to a new country for university can be tough. You’re far from home in an unfamiliar environment and you need to figure out your career too! International students face extra challenges with employability and job search. As universities, we need to step up and provide the right support. At the University…
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8 November 2023
2 minutes to readSteps for creating quality online modules
Online courses have gained a somewhat negative perception over the years. Some believe that they lack the quality and credibility of traditional in-person education. Students often see them as boring or isolating compared to in-person classes. But a small team at the university decided it was time to shake things up. Team…
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1 November 2023
2 minutes to readScaffolding reflective writing for undergraduate students
Reflective writing can be a powerful tool to improve student learning outcomes in university courses. However, many first-year students lack the skills to write reflectively. This post outlines an approach taken by Dr Rossana Guttilla to scaffold reflective writing for first-year management students. First-year management students often struggle with reflective writing assignments….
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25 October 2023
2 minutes to readThe impact of thinking fast and slow on teaching and learning strategies in mathematics
Professors Layal Hakim and Peter Ashwin recently ran an insightful session exploring how the two different thinking systems proposed by psychologist Daniel Kahneman affect learning maths. Their talk, based on Kahneman’s acclaimed book ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’, provided some great takeaways for engaging students in deeper thinking. The Two Systems of Thinking…
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17 October 2023
2 minutes to readEmbedding wellbeing from the get-go: exploring best practices in teaching that promote student wellbeing
The pandemic has put student mental health under the spotlight. With all the changes in higher education, how do we make sure wellbeing stays front and centre? This post reflects on research and practice around whole university approaches to wellbeing and shares some practical strategies for embedding wellbeing into teaching. Why Focus…
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4 October 2023
2 minutes to readTop tips for teaching a large cohort
Professor Beverley Hawkins, Associate Dean for Education in the University of Exeter Business Schools, shares her top tips for teach large cohorts of students – and keeping them engaged! Embrace diversity: Large cohorts bring together students from different backgrounds and experiences. Take advantage of this diversity by creating opportunities for students to…
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28 September 2023
3 minutes to readWe need to talk about Schrödinger
In light of recent revelations about the personal life of one of the most infamous quantum physicists, it is time we re-measured Schrödinger’s legacy? [Content warning: sexual assault] In an Irish Times article from Dec 11 2021, Joe Humphreys brought the personal life of one of the most famous names in quantum…
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25 September 2023
3 minutes to readEmployability 3.0.….2…..1…..Job!
Job hunting can be a stressful activity – just ask any recent graduate. The interview, or several. The assessment centre, or several. The application form, or several. Endless hours spent aligning personal skills with job descriptions and personal specifications. Labour economist Guy Standing refers to this activity as ‘work-for-labour’, an umbrella term…
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21 August 2023
3 minutes to readAlternative assessment methods
In 2022, the Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter presented a collection of 14 alternative blue plaques created by students who were part of the Global Lives: Multicultural Geographies module taught by Professors Nicola Thomas and Ian Cook. The module’s assessment method aims to explore the persistence of colonial ‘race’ relations…
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15 August 2023
< 1 minute to readMaking and Feedback Guidelines in Biosciences
To improve feedback in Biosciences Streatham, Dr. Alan Brown and Katie Solomon introduced marking and feedback guidelines for 2021/2022. By setting out expectations for feedback, the guidelines aim to standardise the quality of feedback, and to provide a clear framework against which moderation of feedback can be performed. It is not necessarily…
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15 August 2023
2 minutes to readPreparing students for assessment in Mathematics and Statistics
Dr Layal Hakim, Senior Lecturer and Co-Director of Education and Student Experience in Mathematics and Statistics, shares some effective approaches for supporting students with exams and assessments. Different forms of assessment […] help students to build a strong knowledge base in mathematics whilst developing their understanding of the assessment methods that work…
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17 May 2022
4 minutes to readMaking blended learning work: a case study from Mathematics
The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of online teaching and learning. But how do we make sure it blends effectively with more traditional learning approaches? Dr Houry Melkonian, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics, has been experimenting with different blended learning approaches with her first-year undergraduate mathematics courses.
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4 May 2022
4 minutes to readSeeds of change: the benefits of mixing students from different disciplines
What do Engineering and German have in common? You might think of car manufacturing – Vorsprung durch Technik – or perhaps your washing machine. But what would happen if you created opportunities for students from these very different disciplines to work together?
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11 January 2022
4 minutes to readStudy Mindsets in Classics and Mathematics with Mindfulness and LEGO® Serious Play®
How might the tools of mindfulness and playfulness offer students of demanding subjects like Classics and Mathematics a more fun and stress-free learning experience? Two Exeter academics have been trying to find out…
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7 December 2021
3 minutes to readPromoting postgraduate opportunities through the Sustainability Summer Programme
With so many different options for postgraduate study, it can be difficult for students to decide what or where to study. To help address this, the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences (CEMPS) ran a Summer Programme entirely online earlier this year.
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24 November 2021
3 minutes to readInspiring the next generation of female STEM students
Research shows that females are more likely than males to form negative emotions about their abilities to perform mathematics or sciences, and that these perceptions take root at a young age. These views are often influenced by stereotypes about gender disparities, and false assumptions that mathematics or science subjects are not for…
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22 September 2021
2 minutes to readTransforming our education during the pandemic
At the start of a new academic year, now is a good time to pause and reflect for a moment on how the University responded to the unprecedented challenge of the COVID-19 pandemic, and what we can learn from that response.
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14 September 2021
3 minutes to readGood at maths? How innovative projects are aiming to broaden student participation
For many of us, our perceived ability at maths will be influenced by cultural bias – such as the view that maths is predominantly a male field, or an innate talent. These are views that Dr Houry Melkonian, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Exeter, is keen to change.
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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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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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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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1 March 2021
3 minutes to readPartnering with current and recent students to create compelling blended learning programmes
In April 2020, the University of Exeter faced the same dilemma as most other universities: how to move most or all of its teaching online in just a few months?
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1 March 2021
4 minutes to readFrom field to online: creating immersive virtual field trips during a pandemic
For departments like Geography and the Camborne School of Mines, the COVID-19 pandemic has posed a particularly difficult challenge. How can the unique experience of educational field trips be replicated in an online environment? It’s a question that departments have tackled in a number of different, innovative ways. In Geography, interactive ‘storymaps’…
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