Room 7138: Developing Students' Digital Skills
"Gamechangers (Sport EDI Project): Student led digital practice" (Helen Mann & Jude Langdon)
The ‘Gamechangers’ project (GC) was piloted and delivered during Semester 2 of the 2022/2023 academic year within the Academy of Sport and Physical Activity (ASPA), College of Health and Lifesciences at Sheffield Hallam University with the aim of trying to address under representation of females in sport programmes. The project engaged 12 female sport students from across 6 UG degree courses with the following aims:- increase confidence and leadership skills amongst underrepresented female communities.
- offer and increase enriching development opportunities.
- champion supportive communities and alumni networks
- foster peer support/ mentoring systems where females can learn, grow and develop
- elevate the profile of female sport and physical activity (PA) students
- increase recruitment of female students on to future sport and PA programmes at SHU
The project was facilitated by 2 academic members of staff, but was student led in nature. The project had a vision of 'enriching the lives of the SHU community and beyond through leadership and advocacy'. Students were engaged in using numerous digital platforms (tick tock, twitter, Instagram, podcasts) to raise the profile of the project and in doing so they developed various personal, professional and digital skills. An evaluation of the project was undertaken using a google survey and focus group to measure the impact on students."Student Consultants’ experiences of digital surveying" (Andrea Subryan)
A new and innovative paid student role was created in the Department of Management (DoM), Sheffield Business School, in the 2022/23 academic year. The role was called Inclusive Curriculum Consultants (ICCs) and was led and managed by the Equality, Diversity, and Inclusivity (EDI) Lead for DoM. The main function of the ICCs was to provide a student perspective and voice to DoM course teaching teams during the portfolio redevelopment work. As part of this role, the ICCs took on a project to distribute the Culturally Sensitive Curricula Scales (CSCS) questionnaire to fellow students with a view to measuring the cultural sensitivity of their curriculum. The findings from this questionnaire could inform how the content of courses and modules are developed following the redevelopment work. The ICCs developed their digital skills through engaging with the electronic questionnaire and learning how to analyse the data. In this paper, we discuss this project, how it was managed and its challenges. The ICCs, along with the EDI Lead and a colleague in the Academic Development and Diversity (AD&D) team, adapted the national CSCS questionnaire to suit the courses in DoM. The ICCs then distributed the questionnaire electronically using a QR code in their lectures and seminars across a week of teaching in semester 2. Having received a limited number of responses, we considered and reflected on our successes and challenges associated with this project. The ICCs have gained invaluable experience and skills following this project. Further, they have obtained a great deal of learning as they reflected on how challenges could be addressed in the future. (We hope that one or more of the ICCs will be available to co-present at the conference.)See in ProgrammeRoom 7139: Digital Assessment
"Assessing process over product in an AI world" (David Smith)
Although the emergence of generative AI brings a new challenge to the higher education sector, there has been a long-standing issue of the use of essay mills for academic integrity (Eaton 2021). Paid for services exist, to which students can submit an assessment title and, for a fee, have that work produced for them. What AI brings to this arena is a quick and low cost means of generating textual outputs. Pedagogical approaches and strategies of assessment design to combat this problem have been developed and successfully implemented. These approaches including topic titles that are meaningful to the individual, fostering a sense of ownership to the work, frequent low stakes assignments and process-oriented design strategies (Race 2019). Here we will detail how existing assessment design strategies have been adapted to incorporate the use of AI tools, shifting the focus from a demonisation of the use of technology to embracing as part of the new authentic writing process (Sweeney 2023). Within these designs students are lead through the creation process starting with the identification of relevant content drawing from ideas used in systematic reviews (Crowther, 2010). It is this process that is then assessed focusing on the justification of the resources used, the critiquing of the content material be that books, articles, or AI generated text. The final written article then is the by-product of the process and assessment focus on how the information has been drawn together and where the gaps in knowledge and future directions for understanding are to be found."Get them In or Lose them Out: International students and the UK system" (Walid Omara)
Nowadays, UK HE Education system has a remarkable increase in the recruitment of the international students joining various courses across the UK. As a result of growing number of overseas students, administrators as well as academics have to find out alternative innovative ways to support those students to adapt to the British environment and enhance their experience. There are several social and academic challenges facing the international students. However, facing those challenges would need various interventions focusing on the universities as well as the students themselves. As a course leader for MSc programme with more than 90% overseas students, I have identified several issues which are related to digital assessment especially during the post-Covid era where exams have been online and learning was mainly remotely. In this paper, I am sharing my experience over three years to support my students going through challenges to improve their experiences with digital assessment."What could a modern, numerate e-assessment system do for SHU?" (Peter Rowlett)
There are modern e-assessment systems in use at many universities in the UK and around the world that go beyond ‘provided response’ questions and can be used to assess technical material in numerate disciplines, including mathematics, computer program code and data analysis. A student-led research project has made a realistic appraisal of the potential for assessment practice improvements and efficiencies such technologies could offer at SHU, based on literature review and a staff survey. This talk will share findings and invite input from the audience.See in ProgrammeRoom 7331: Developing A Digital Culture / Building Digital Networks (i)
CHAIR: Beth Fielding-Lloyd
"Re-Visiting the Co-Creation of a Digital Curriculum in the Academy of Sport and Physical Activity: What Happens Next?" (Damian Kingsbury)
It is crucial that we equip students with the necessary digital skills to become competent and responsible digital citizens in an increasingly interconnected world, both for work and life (e.g., Killen et al., 2017), and to ensure that staff are confident and capable facilitators of this digital journey (e.g., Bancroft et al., 2021). This paper will outline a department’s approach to curriculum development that seeks to develop undergraduate students' digital capabilities, addressing the challenges and opportunities encountered, and next steps for meaningful implementation. Building on previously presented work describing the co-creation of a digital curriculum in the Academy of Sport and Physical Activity (ASPA), using the JISC Digital Capabilities discovery tool as a vehicle to understand staff and student digital needs (Glover and Fielding-Lloyd, 2021), the paper will provide examples of where the diagnostic capabilities of the JISC tool have been used with students, to support the self-determination of digital training and development needs. It will then elaborate on how ASPA have embedded digital capability learning outcomes across levels in its undergraduate portfolio of courses through Portfolio Redevelopment and will provide an implementation roadmap detailing staff and curriculum development activities that are planned for the 2023-24 academic cycle. The paper will highlight the importance of continuous professional development for staff to keep pace with evolving technologies and pedagogical practices, and to develop the confidence to engage with digital tools and skills with students.
"Rethinking module feedback and evaluation in Service Sector Management" (Richard Telling & Jenny Paxman )
Sheffield Hallam University has favoured digital means for Module Evaluation Questionnaire (MEQ) completion for since academic year 2018/19. Student response rates are inevitably lower than paper-based surveys completed in-class and 30-40% participation is quite typical for digital surveys (University College London, 2020). Whilst the department of Service Sector Management (SSM) often outperforms other departments within the university in terms of response rate, obtaining the typical 30-40% response rate remains challenging. Furthermore, academic staff have noted broader difficulties with mid-module feedback and student voice procedures including: ill-timed scheduling of Staff-Student Committee meetings; difficulties engaging students when gathering mid-module feedback; recent cohorts desire for more rapid change/response to students’ concerns; survey fatigue; and the considerable effort required by Module Leaders to achieve a meaningful MEQ completion rate. In 2022 SSM revalidated its undergraduate provision with new level 4 modules being taught for the first time in academic year 2023/24. At level 4 modules will be taught sequentially in the first semester, with a 20-credit taught in the first four weeks followed by a 40-credit module for the remaining eight weeks. This change provided a unique opportunity to reimagine module feedback and evaluation procedures within the department. The department will therefore introduce a 2-hour Development session or ‘one-stop shop’ approach at level 4 to: develop shared / co-owned priority setting; facilitate mid-module feedback gathering and MEQ completion; integrate skills development and signposting of support resources; and impact positively on a range of other Student Experience metrics. This paper explores the drivers for such change, the intended outcomes and the challenges of extending this practice to subsequent semesters and levels of study."It’s more about the culture than the tool" (David Carr)
Regular feedback helps us understand the needs of students. Listening to the student voice gives educators the opportunity to respond to feedback by making changes where appropriate or explaining why change is not possible. Feedback also helps us to see what we are doing well and the times and places when we are making the biggest difference as educators. Padlet provides an online solution for capturing synchronous and asynchronous feedback in a quick and convenient format suitable for both online and face to face teaching. We are not proposing that the use of Padlet is fun or will offer eye opening moments of clarity and insight. However we do argue that the world our students live in creates expectations of instant feedback and opportunities to share opinions and drive change. Using Padlet to capture the student voice demonstrates to students and teaching colleagues alike that openness and transparency play a vital part in continuous improvement. In this paper we outline the practical benefits of using Padlet for online feedback, consider how to optimise settings on Padlet and offer simple, practical advice to optimising participation and student voice in supporting the culture of continuous improvement on a course.See in ProgrammeRoom 7332: Digital Pedagogies (i)
"Hope Through ‘HOTS’: Providing International Support to a Ukraine University using the Hotel Operations Tactics and Strategy (HOTS) Simulation Platform" (David Graham & Ian Elsmore)
Business gamification is an established method of delivering applied real-world learning. The paper discusses how students across a range of disciplines in Ukraine worked collaboratively in April 2023, via the gaming platform and Zoom with students at SHU, benefiting from gamification learning using applied hotel decision making. The case study presented will report and discuss on a collaboration with counterparts at the Kyiv National University of Technologies and Design (KNUTD) to deliver a learning experience through the Hotel Operations Tactics and Strategy (HOTS) simulation platform which SHU students worked on as part of an assessment in level 6, semester 1.
"How are you evaluating your digital pedagogies?" (Helen Parkin & Julian Crockford )
How are you evaluating your digital pedagogies? In the session, STEER colleagues will be presenting a brief overview of a range of evaluative approaches which can be used to explore the impact of digital pedagogies. Attendees will then be encouraged to discuss their own practices and experiences of evidence use, evaluation and impact reporting. The session will close with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges for future evaluation and how STEER could provide support and guidance.
"#DecolHallam Project – How accessible and inclusive are the teaching and learning materials we use?" (Helen Kay)
The #DecolHallam project is a broad programme of work focused on developing an understanding of the experiences of students from a range of minoritised backgrounds. This paper focuses on an element of the project that evaluated the accessibility and inclusivity of the teaching and learning materials available to students on Blackboard. The objective was to establish which aspects of good practice used to make teaching and learning materials inclusive and accessible were being systematically applied. A random sample of module Blackboard sites from six participating Departments was used in the study. The sample contained 97 module sites and each site was investigated by trained student researchers using an inclusivity and accessibility check list. The work focused on Word documents, PDFs and PowerPoints contained in the teaching and learning folders of the sites. In the session we will share our findings and recommendations. We will use examples to illustrate some of the common problems identified and describe how they impact on students’ being able to engage with teaching and learning materials.See in ProgrammeRoom 7401b: Digital Pedagogies (ii)
"Sustainable Digital Pedagogies" (Christopher Hall)
Sustainable Digital Pedagogies. The challenges of developing and maintaining a sustainable digital learning environment that is accessible for all participants, does not disadvantage diverse student groups and that can stand up to rigorous enquiry are yet to be seriously addressed by UK Higher Education Institutions. We will outline one, of the many, potential paths to enable the understanding of the challenges, contradictions and opportunities that creating a truly sustainable digital pedagogy provide.
"Where are the ideation tactics? Embedding crowdfunding principles and guidelines in enterprise education" (Shingairai Masango)
We have now moved beyond asking if entrepreneurship can be taught, towards embracing entrepreneurship as a discipline which should be taught (Neck, Greene, & Brush, 2014) at all levels of education. As the complexity of new innovations and technologies and the demand for innovative solutions which address and solve the world’s most pressing needs increases, it is expected that more entrepreneurial education programmes will be required (Griffiths, Kickul, Bacq, & Terjesen, 2012). Contemporary approaches to Entrepreneurship and Enterprise education mirror the current developments defining the broader domain of entrepreneurship. The opportunity construct and its related entrepreneurial processes has been positioned as the defining framework for the field of entrepreneurship (Alvarez & Barney, 2010; Alvarez, Barney, & Anderson, 2013; Wood, 2017). The new (venture) idea generation step, previously overlooked within entrepreneurship, is now being reinstated an important precursor to the opportunity (Vogel, 2017). This paper proposes that entrepreneurial competences, focused on the initial idea development process within higher education, be developed using experiential approaches (tactics) which prioritise online crowdfund platforms. In line with entrepreneurship research, entrepreneurial education research has largely overlooked the idea generation process. This paper explores the application of curriculum based online crowdfund platforms in idea development (idea generation, validation, and selection), on an undergraduate international entrepreneurship module. "There is an AI for that" (Leisa Anderton)
This paper explores the use of generative AI in a variety of formats. The session involves demonstrating a few of the available generative AI's available and considers how these might be used within education. The work is in its early stages and explores some of the areas where it has been used effectively and to consider some of the challenges within both the use from an academic perspective but also from a student perspective. There will be an opportunity to share practice and ideas and to link professionals from different areas that are exploring AI.See in ProgrammeRoom 7410: Developing a Digital Culture / Building Digital Networks (ii)
CHAIR: Michelle Blackburn
"Using social media safely and appropriately in higher education: A reflection on the last 10 years" (Sue Beckingham & Alison Purvis)
In 2013 we developed guidance for using social media for learning which was student facing and that staff could also access to guide their advice to students. The development of the guidance was prompted by an increasing number of requests from academic staff who were concerned about student online behaviours in social media spaces. Most of these requests for help were from staff on professional courses with staff concerns primarily about potentially unprofessional online behaviours. We focused on student guidance for personal responsibility and online safety, followed by broad-brush guidance in how to use social media in learning and teaching. We then developed guidance in three further areas: Using social media for learning; Managing your digital footprint; How to use social media responsibly; and Using social media to enhance your employability. We have updated this guidance a few times in the last 10 years and now in 2023 we have redeveloped the guidance again, giving a thorough overhaul and fresh update. In our presentation we will share our new guidance and discuss what is new and what has stayed the same over the past 10 years."Developing a digital culture - Lessons from down under – recognising and promoting digital rapport following results of a pilot study" (Alexandra Mudd)
This paper explores the results of a pilot study into the experiences of students and staff using digital technologies and offers insights into how to improve students’ sense of belonging whilst using digital technologies. The pilot study was conducted at Flinders University, Australia but the author’s experience of online teaching at SHU indicates the lessons learnt ‘down under’ are transferable to Hallam. The pilot results demonstrated that students had mixed experiences of emergency online learning. Unsurprisingly, 70% students reported being distracted during online learning and that there was a limit to effective screentime. 40% of students reported that they did not feel that the staff amended their teaching style to accommodate to the online format, impacting student engagement. 59% of students reported feeling anxious or inhibited to contribute during online sessions. Moreover, 80% of students felt isolated from their peers and 50% lack of support from the university. Some of the comments were particularly insightful (“because of online learning I have no friends” “not enough social contact” “no peer support” “less conversation and discussion with students/teachers.”) Results suggest that the relational aspect of education is vital and a key feature of digital culture. Technology must be leveraged to promote a digital culture that builds rapport between students, and between students and staff. The concern is that students’ sense of belonging is vital to their education, however, this may be overlooked in favour of existing indicators such as grades, attendance records and future employment. This paper will finish by suggesting practical ideas for SHU staff to promote and encourage rapport amongst students. " 'It’s hard to make friends on Zoom calls' : Navigating culture shock, belonging and academic identity development in higher education students" (Jessica Mason, Bryony Rose and David Peplow )
This project examines the challenges that students face in navigating their identity development during their time at university, and the ways in which this can impact their self-esteem, confidence, and engagement with their studies. Using focus groups to discuss issues experienced by current Hallam students, the project develops our knowledge and understanding of the feelings that students experience as they attempt to claim a positive university student identity, and the common challenges they face. The findings of this research will be useful to support university open days, best practice in teaching, and student support. It will establish a manifesto of best practice in supporting students to develop a confident academic identity, with a view to disseminate this throughout the organisation in line with our strategic goals to provide equitable and inclusive education. We anticipate that our collaborations with senior members of the universities academic advising team, as well as student experience leads, will also lead to positive changes to practice. The research aims to enhance our collective awareness of the challenges students may face in cultivating the academic identity. We will present our manifesto of best practice based on this research.See in Programme