Dr. Merris Griffiths

Chapter 2: tHE Induction Programme

Abstract

This chapter works through the activities undertaken as part of the formal tHE induction programme. After a brief introduction, I will disentangle some of the feedback comments on my ‘Teaching, Learning & Studying’ essay with the aim of offering clarification of and explanation for any aspects that prompted response. Then, I will present a full version of the presentation I gave – on audio-visual aids in teaching – together with notes on the immediate peer feedback received. The final component of the formal tHE induction, based on a poster session, will then be presented and discussed in the light of aims and feedback responses. Finally, an overview and assessment of subsequent staff development and departmental training sessions will be given, to underline the importance of continuous professional development.

Introduction

At the very beginning of this induction programme, in September 2000, all ‘new recruits’ were invited to attend a residential workshop. During this time, we were expected to circulate an essay entitled ‘Teaching, Learning & Studying (subject field) at University’, inviting feedback from colleagues, and to present a short talk based on a topic of our choice to do with some aspect of teaching. Upon our return from the residential workshop, we reconvened for a second session in which we were expected to produce a poster focusing on a teaching issue. In the pages that follow, I will offer an account of the three separate activities and comment upon any feedback received. In addition to this, the tHE Scheme emphasises the importance of continuing professional development, so I will also offer an account of the additional training and development sessions undertaken over the last two years.

2.1 Induction Essay: ‘Teaching, Learning & Studying Education at University’

A full copy of my initial introductory essay regarding teaching Education as an academic discipline is included in Appendix A.1. During the residential workshop, I distributed three copies of the essay (as stipulated) but only received feedback from two (Arts’ Faculty) colleagues (also included in Appendix A.1.1-2). Consequently, I can only reflect here on some of the points and issues raised by them, which places restrictions on scope for obvious reasons.

Both colleagues raised four points each, pertaining to the four main paragraphs in the essay, and interestingly they asked different questions or made different comments in all but one instance. I will therefore take each of the main paragraphs in turn and address the points raised in a systematic way.

Paragraph 1 read as follows:

When studying Education as part of a joint-honours degree, I was immediately struck by the diversity of approaches to the whole issue of child development. By its very essence, the academic study of Education is a challenge that demands the boldness to question what we take for granted, coupled with the need to adopt different styles of thinking and writing. The approach might best be described as abstract yet specific, facilitating flexibility within subject specialisms and fostering a distinctive social science approach to learning and research.

Comment 1(a), in response to Paragraph 1, read as follows:

‘I am wondering whether this diversity of approaches continues into theories of how adults learn, how this is different from childhood learning, and where the average-age students fit into these models, if at all’.

In reply to this, I could have explained how the degrees in Education were structured, the kinds of content they contained, and the approaches employed. Whilst it would be true to say that our focus (at UWA) was generally placed upon the ways in which young children develop and learn, in the various contexts of inter-related (yet distinct) academic disciplines, there were many elements within courses to challenge the students to consider their own learning. They were encouraged to question their positions as active learners in a new learning environment, and consider how their own experiences may or may not relate to established models of learning. Of course, adults employ different learning strategies to young children, but one must understand and have a critical appreciation of where one has come from in order to be able to evaluate one’s current position and predict how things might develop in the future.

Comment 1 (b), in response to Paragraph 1, read as follows:

‘This is a good point... One thing here though, you could raise the teaching issues which are created by such a diverse range of topic areas being taught within education (e.g. course integration; staff specialities, workloads; need for support courses i.e. tutorials)’

While there was great diversity within the structure of the Education degree scheme (which, I would argue, is one of its main strengths), this does not necessarily imply that teaching becomes problematic or an ‘issue’. Given that the Education Department was a small department, individual staff members had at least an awareness of the content of other modules (through double-marking duties, ‘guest lecturing’ or team-teaching, for example). From my own perspective, I often attempted to cross-reference the content of my modules with the kinds of material that the students would have been very likely to encounter whilst studying other modules. As a graduate of the department, I was also in the privileged position of having studying some of the courses myself! The ‘gelling’ of certain modules was also a point raised by the students during a Staff/Student Committee Meeting, where it was noted that the three Level 1 modules running in Semester 2 (2001-2) related extremely well.

Perhaps the only potential ‘problem’ that a small university department faces is the need to offer a diverse range of courses to students, that have to be delivered by only a very small number of full-time staff members. Indeed, I found myself teaching modules that were far removed from my own research specialisms, and often had to ‘teach myself’ before I could teach my students (putting a new twist on the concept of ‘learning’ and ‘teaching’!) However, this is more to do with lack of funding for new staff members than the inability of existing staff to handle the pressure. During my time with the Education Department, we frequently discussed introducing a more ‘general’ module (for Level 1) students, looking at the study of Education as a whole. A module of this kind could be built around the major disciplines (as outlined in the Essay), but making the interconnectedness and relative autonomy of the different approaches more explicit for the students. However, difficulties arose in introducing such a module, given that staff members were already fully stretched under the current framework of provisions.

Paragraph 2 read as follows:

From various theoretical standpoints – including policy making and assessment, history, philosophy, psychology, media theory, linguistics and sociology – the main aim of teaching Education means raising an awareness that we are all ‘products’ of a given system and that this system should be actively questioned.

Comment 2 (a), in response to Paragraph 2, read as follows:

‘Does this mean that Education students are encouraged to be very reflexive about the dynamics of their own university classes and participation? This would be fascinating, I think, but might also place considerable pressure (and scrutiny) on the teacher, and be a very unfamiliar experience for some students. If this is the case, how is it managed?’

In reply to this comment, I could have explained that students are encouraged to be reflexive in terms of their own learning styles and educational experiences rather than the way in which they are taught by ‘us’ as lecturers. This comes through strongly in many of the assessed essays that the students are expected to produce, such as a critical ‘Educational Autobiography’, an analysis of their local dialects or an account of bilingual home and/or educational experiences. The use of ‘exit slips’, as one quick example of obtaining feedback (cf. Reflective Cycle 2), does open up questions of the teacher being under scrutiny. However, in my experience over the last couple of years, even the ‘critical’ feedback has been reasonable, constructive and most helpful. If students come to realise that the lecturer regards what they think as being important and is seen to act upon it where appropriate, then mutual respect rather than hostility is the general (and desired) outcome.

Comment 2 (b), in response to Paragraph 2, read as follows:

‘The balance you mention between vocational forms of training (policy-making; assessment) and intellectual advancement (philosophy; theory) is a critical concern. I’m not too sure about this, but you could potentially explore some of the teaching and learning issues, which are raised when attempting to strike this vocational-intellectual balance'.

In response to this comment, I would suspect that the reader has misunderstood the nature of the academic study of Education. Even since my days as an undergraduate, I have found this relative ignorance about what Education Departments ‘do’ to be a persistent problem. The most common misconception is that practical or vocational training is the only possible activity (i.e. teacher training), so one aim of my writing this essay was to try and capture what is meant by the ‘academic study’ of both the system and classic learning/teaching theories. In this instance, I was perhaps not altogether successful! The practicalities of vocational aspects of teaching and learning (which stem from policy-making and assessment methods, for one thing) are placed in the academic context and include elements of educational philosophy and historical ‘lessons’. Given that we place emphasis on the academic study of education, it is inappropriate to talk about ‘vocation’ in the hands-on, doing-a-job sense of the word in this context.

Paragraph 3 read as follows:

To teach Education at degree level requires a distinct movement away from the ‘spoon feeding’ often experienced in the school environment, providing students with the tools for critical thinking and the relative freedom to explore individual standpoints within the broader context of established models and theories. While lectures may spark interest, outline the main issues and offer suggestions for further investigation, seminars should foster a climate in which it is desirable to debate the key factors and be unafraid to articulate an opinion. Further teaching responsibilities should include advice on how to approach academic essays and guidance on how to make efficient use of reading time.

Comment 3 (a), in response to Paragraph 3, read as follows:

‘I am wondering how the assessment process works, what the balance of exams and assessed project work is, whether there are practical exercises with peers…’

Most of the modules run by the education Department were assessed using a combination of different methods. Perhaps the most conventional and most regularly used methods were traditional academic essays and written exams (either 2 or 3 hours in length, with both seen- and unseen-papers). Level 1 students were typically expected to write one essay (worth 40%) and sit one 2-hour examination, but there was more variety built into the Level 3 courses. For example, some modules were 100% assessed course work based on two essays, or a lengthier ‘project-style’ assignment. Others used a combination of essay plus written exam (the latter being 3-hours long), while others required students to do ‘group research’ and produce report-style projects.

During the course of my modules, I would also expect my students to do elements of non-assessed work, including class presentations and seminar-based workshops (often requiring small amounts of preparation before hand). I regarded this as being important in developing general study skills and discipline, fostering a greater sense of engagement with the topic and confidence to offer an opinion, whilst also helping them accumulate essay and revision notes without really realising it!

Comment 3 (b), in response to Paragraph 3, read as follows:

‘Lectures and seminars are obviously the main teaching and learning tools used in education and you draw out the ways in which they relate and support each other. Are there any other teaching formats which are regularly used in the Education Department (participant observation of learning; group sessions)?’

The variety of teaching formats that one can employ would obviously depend on the nature, scope and content of the modules. From my own perspective, I tended to try and build a greater variety of teaching methods into my Level 3 module, given that Level 1 students were arguably too busy ‘acclimatising’ to university and new study styles to be subjected to too much variation!

In my second teaching year, I substituted one conventional lecture with a ‘field trip’, giving the students a chance to spend the afternoon observing literacy practices in local primary schools. While this turned into a logistical nightmare, the students gained a great deal from the experience and their observations coloured discussions in subsequent seminar sessions. When access to primary schools tightened up, I realised that it would have been impossible to re-organise a similar experience for a subsequent group of students, so I took them to a Children’s Book Conference instead. Not only were they able to enjoy the academic conference experience (with name-badges included), but were also able to speak to researchers in the field and witness certain practical applications of book collections.

Paragraph 4 read as follows:

Students should leave an Education course with at least some idea of how they have come to be who they are, how their development relates to established theories and whether or not their own experience of the formal education system has influenced or effected them. The two major strands within the discipline of Education are ‘learning’ and ‘teaching’. These strands are distinctive yet strongly inter-linked and it is the responsibility of an Education Department to encourage an appreciation and understanding of this fundamental interrelationship.

Comment 4 (a), in response to Paragraph 4, read as follows:

‘These tricksy words! Maybe it would be useful to clarify exactly what the distinction is and how they inter-link etc. Is one aim of the Education degree to promote in its graduates not just the ability to teach but the enduring capacity to be learners as well?’

Comment 4 (b), in response to Paragraph 4, read as follows:

‘One thing here – which I think we have all overlooked a little – is the issue of studying. Now I’m not sure what the exact difference between learning and studying is (except that it seems to suggest a more independent form of learning on behalf of the student) but it may be worth mentioning’

Comments (a) and (b) can arguably be taken together, given that they essentially question what we mean when we use the words ‘learning’ and ‘teaching’. For purposes of clarity, I will take each of these words in turn.

‘Learning’, within an educational institution, is said to be about changing the ways in which learners understand, experience or conceptualise the world around them (Ramsden, 1992: 4), in the specific context of the concepts and methods that are characteristic of the particular discipline or profession being studied. In the context of a degree in Education, for example, learners would be expected to engage with and acknowledge the various academic disciplines involved, as well as the specific educational theories embroiled within those fields, in order to ‘learn’ about key concepts and methods. The idea of learning as a qualitative change in a person’s view of reality is essential in that it implies changing how we, as ‘beginner lecturers’, think about and experience teaching (see Ramsden, 1992: 4), which clearly ties in with Comment 4 (a).

‘Teaching’ is often conceptualised in terms of three theories – as telling/transmission, as organising student activity, and as an activity that makes learning possible (Fry et al., 1999: 21) – which might help to explain some of the subtle complexities involved. Teaching also involves a process whereby students are somehow initiated into the discourses of a given academic field and should, by the end of their degree, be able to handle those discourses with ease. This issue is particularly apparent in Education Departments in that all discourses are inter-disciplinary in nature.

Fry et al. (1999: 21) note that, despite many years of research into learning, it is not easy to translate knowledge into practical teaching implications, but the interconnectedness of ‘learning’ and ‘teaching’ should be infinitely apparent. For example, as ‘beginner lecturers’, we should show an awareness of how learning styles can and should be addressed by given teaching methods, where one concept goes hand-in-hand with the other. Indeed, as Ramsden (1992: 6) stresses, to teach is to make an assumption about what and how students learn; so to teach well implies learning about students’ learning. The reality of the connection between learning and teaching is most apparent when one listens to what students have to say about their learning experiences in different teaching scenarios (Ramsden, 1992: 86). This emphasises the importance of using exit slips with students in order to help inform thinking on teaching methods (see Reflective Cycles).

2.2 Presentation: Audio-visual Aids – Multimedia in Education

During the induction weekend, individuals were asked to give brief presentations on a topic of their choice. Given that I have a particular interest in visual communications and concepts such as ‘mind-mapping’, I decided to consider the use of audio-visual aids in the context of my own teaching in the Department of Education. I regard the use of audio-visuals as particularly important in terms of ‘sign-posting’ lecture content, and also as a way of making often-abstract concepts more memorable (a copy of the OHP bullet-points used in this presentation is included in Appendix A.2).

A substantial number of options are available in terms of the kinds of visual aids that one can utilise as a way to improve the effectiveness of learning experiences in both lecture and seminar contexts. For the purpose of my short presentation, I chose to focus on my own personal use of OHPs, slides, video, and digicams.

OHPs (Over-head Projections)

From the moment I started teaching, I began using OHPs as a matter of course. In many ways one could describe them as the most basic of visual aids and something that students have generally come to expect in lectures. For the purpose of large group teaching, one should always be mindful of certain ‘basic rules’ about OHPs, in the sense that it is advisable to use a large clear font (e.g. ‘Comic Sans MS’, 26 point) and ensure that the text is well-spaced on the acetate sheet. From my own point of view, I also group related pieces of information together and place them within boxes or borders, to indicate to my students the basic ‘layering’ or ‘framing’ of information within a lecture.

In the context of disseminating information to a mass audience in a cost-effective way, OHPs are a particularly useful way of identifying key themes, or printing quotes, references and transcriptions. They can also be used to reproduce a combination of different stimuli, from straightforward text and diagrams to pictures (both monochrome and colour).

The main way in which I use OHPs is to breakdown the flow of the lecture into digestible ‘chunks’. The key points can be drawn out in an explicit way, facilitating the students’ comprehension of both the lecture framework and the main points of the argument/account being presented. Rather than showing an acetate sheet in its entirety, it is more effective to gradually reveal each of the key points by using a piece of card to ‘hide’ anything that is not directly relevant to what is being said. This approach helps to limit confusion amongst the students and ensures focus on certain concepts, as well as providing easily identifiable headings to frame lecture notes and to reinforce or make explicit the most significant issues.

The use of OHPs can also benefit the lecturer. It is all too easy (and sometimes tempting) to digress within a lecture context and talk about something that is not directly relevant to the module. Given that time is at a premium, especially for thick modules when a lot of material needs to be introduced in a short time, it is important that lectures retain a distinct shape and clear direction. Lecturers can adopt a kind of ‘good practice’ by using OHPs to help keep their presentations together in an organised and logical way. Indeed, when students are being introduced to disciplines and concepts for the first time (particularly true at Level 1), a simple and explicit structure is essential and has a direct impact on levels of understanding.

Slides

While OHPs can be used to reproduce images, slides are conventionally regarded as the best way to show high quality colour pictures to large audiences. Indeed, slides can often provide a novel alternative to OHPs, adding a new dimension to lecture presentation. Perhaps the only remit is the need to ensure that the pictures are organised correctly in accordance with the running order of the lecture, since there is nothing more irritating to the observer than a lecturer aimlessly searching for the desired image.

While slides are frequently used in disciplines such as art history, they are equally valuable in other contexts. On one occasion, I used slides to show a series of pictures that children had drawn, as a way to illustrate some key theories about how children can understand and reproduce televisual technical conventions. Using the pictures as a backdrop to the rather abstract commentary about ‘multi-media literacies’ proved most effective, particularly since it would have been difficult to adequately describe the various ways in which the child designers exploited certain techniques in order to convey their narrative messages. Children’s drawings are by their very nature rather charming, so being able to show examples of colourful and visually appealing pictures in a lecture context compounded the learning experience for my students (which later became evident in the positive feedback I received).

Slides become increasingly effective when used in conjunction with OHPs, since the latter can provide printed commentary and lists of key points pertaining to the former. Most lecture theatres are sufficiently large to have room for the two projections side by side, and in many ways image-plus-text is a simple and logical way of offering memorable illustrations of lecture content in a way that suits most ‘thinking styles’ (but particularly visual thinkers).

Video

While thinking of ways to present somewhat dry subjects in a more memorable and appealing way, it can often be useful to show video clips. Video has proved useful on a number of occasions, but the most successful of these from my own teaching perspective has been a seminar-based viewing session of a BBC programme focusing on the 1944 Education Act.

While a discussion of the actual legislative papers would have been greeted with unenthusiastic sighs and yawns, the video provided a very rich basis for a discussion of the development of an education system in the context of social history. The period-specific imagery and personal testimonials, together with experience-enhancing audio effects, clearly brought the educational politics to life and helped my students to realise the kind of impact that the system can have on both society and individuals (including themselves and their families). Evidence of the impact that this video made later became evident in the essays and exam answers produced by the students, demonstrating the importance of how carefully lecturers should think about the most effective and memorable ways to present or illustrate module content.

Digicam

With the increased use of IT in lecturing contexts, I have found that digital cameras are a very useful and convenient method of image capture. It can often be disconcertingly difficult and time-consuming to acquire slides, especially at short notice, so the immediacy of digicam images can be extremely useful.

In my own teaching, a module on children’s literacy offers a simple example of the ways in which one can utilise the possibilities of a digicam. As part of the module, I encouraged my students to explore the construction of a ‘literate environment’ within a primary school context. In the past, it had been possible to easily organise school visits for the students, where small groups could spend a block of time in local primary schools making field observations and talking with teachers. However, a number of difficulties have recently arisen with regards to stringent police checks on anyone who comes into contact with children. Schools are understandably reluctant to operate an ‘open door policy’ and it is now near impossible to organise group visits.

Rather than frame a replacement lecture around the theories of promoting literacy and literate activities within the school environment, which is something that the students could read up on for themselves, I have gone about building up an ‘image library’ of digicam pictures. By visiting local schools myself, I have been able to photograph examples of how ‘literacy’ saturates the school environment. These pictures have been invaluable as a basis for discussion of issues like wall displays, ‘signposts’ in school corridors, explanatory posters to do with English/Welsh grammar, the library corner etc. Using such real life examples can help students to comprehend the inherent promotion of literacy in schools, and can also enliven the abstract concepts that they encounter within the structure of the module.

Powerpoint

Having already discussed the main ways in which I exploit audio-visual aids in the context of my own teaching, it is also appropriate to mention Powerpoint since this seems to have become increasingly dominant in lectures. Unfortunately, Powerpoint technology was not something I was able to use in my lectures (although I have been trained in how to use it), since I do not own a laptop computer of my own and departmental provision was not available (at that time).

In many ways, Powerpoint can be an interesting way to combine all the techniques mentioned previously. It is possible to layer a number of different ‘slides’ containing a mix of text and pictures, together with moving image and sound (where available), to create a truly multi-media experience. However, while the presentational possibilities of such a medium are vast, it is also worth noting that Powerpoint has many shortfalls.

It is true to say that Powerpoint can make possible very slick and glossy presentations, but there is a very real danger that these will not necessarily run according to plan. On innumerable occasions, I have seen the technology ‘running away’ from the speaker and seemingly having a mind of its own! Even when working from the local rather than the network drive, there are no guarantees that the software will run smoothly. It is therefore important to ensure that one has back-up copies of the Powerpoint slides on OHP acetates, that can be shown if such an ‘emergency’ arises.

There is also a risk that Powerpoint lectures shift the focus of both the lecturer and the students. It is possible to rely or concentrate too heavily on the ‘appearance’ of information in a lecture rather than on the substance. One can be left with a superbly executed presentation that looks visually appealing, but which in reality has very little content to speak of. It can also be possible to produce a presentation that overuses Powerpoint gadgetry and on-screen effects, resulting in a delivery that is so ‘busy’ it detracts from the content and distracts the audience. I would conclude that Powerpoint is wonderful if used carefully and sparingly, but I am yet to be convinced that it is the best alternative to the more ‘traditional’ methods I stick to and feel comfortable with.

2.2.1 Feedback on the presentation

After I delivered the presentation, there was a brief opportunity for colleagues to ask questions and/or comment on what I had to say. On the whole, there was general agreement with the content of my talk and most people had experience of at least one method of audio-visual presentation in lectures.

One valid point was made, however, in defence of my description of OHPs as something that students regard as the ‘expected minimum’ in lectures. A colleague who taught mainly practical sessions (on video production) stressed that the nature of his field made it impossible to present lectures in any formal way, based around a series of points on an OHP transparency. He explained that his students would not actually ‘expect’ a structure or approach of that kind, and were geared more towards hand-on experience and peer-group interaction. It was therefore agreed that audio-visuals do not work in all teaching contexts and that one must carefully choose the most effective way to convey the material one teaches.

2.3 Poster Session

During the course of the Induction, a ‘handout’ entitled ‘Small Group Teaching’ was distributed to all. This basically contained a series of quotes made by students pertaining to what they did (or did not) get out of the seminar learning experience. I wanted to use this as the theoretical basis for my poster session, given that most of my teaching experience up to that point had been in the small group context.

I wanted to generate some ideas about how to encourage students to participate actively in seminar discussions and be unafraid to voice an opinion. The poster was arranged in such a way that both the ‘teacher’ and ‘student’ were considered in terms of the role played by the former and the constraints placed upon the latter. This was then followed by a number of practical suggestions in terms of making the seminar context less ‘painful’ for the parties involved, before a brief assessment of how the suggested methodologies might be positively assessed in terms of outcomes. The information presented on the poster was later consolidated and confirmed in the literature e.g. Jaques (1991) and Habeshaw et al. (1984).

An A4 version of what was an A2-sized poster in included in Appendix A.3.

2.3.1 Feedback on the poster

Feedback on the poster turned out to be minimal and somewhat confusing, stemming from the fact that the task was poorly explained and no one in the group seemed to know what they were doing or how they should respond to their classmates. The only criticism levelled at my coverage of the issues was that there was ‘too much information’ displayed. However, I was at a loss to see how this could have been too much of a failing, given that the information was displayed clearly, cumulatively and with an awareness of graphic appeal (arguably the main remit for a ‘poster’). I would emphasise that a certain level of detail was essential, given the complex nature of the subject matter, and that the poster did succeed in identifying and contextualising the ‘problem’, before suggesting potential ‘solutions’, with a brief assessment of what the likely ‘outcomes’ might be.

2.4 Formal training and development sessions within tHE Scheme

In addition to the teaching development commentary provided in this portfolio, I attended a number of training, skills and development courses. After the initial residential tHE induction programme, which in itself raised many questions and queries, I went on to participate in a number of varying courses and workshops that were organised both centrally and at departmental level.

The courses I chose to attend were selected on the basis of what seemed most useful in terms of the activities I undertook on a regular basis in the Education Department. Throughout the two-year period to which this portfolio pertains, I was also given an increasing number of departmental administrative responsibilities, and this was a further informed my selection of courses and workshops. The table below summarises the courses undertaken:

Table 2.4.1: Summary of Staff Development Courses and Workshops

As is the nature of such things, my impression of the varying courses undertaken worked on a sliding scale from ‘very useful’ to ‘totally useless’.

On the whole, and perhaps predictably, the departmental courses proved to be the most useful and challenging. The session on ‘assessment’ raised a number of interesting ‘problems’, and the colleague who led the session was a foremost authority in the field so he ensured that everyone was set thinking about the advantages and disadvantages of certain assessment methods. As a consequence of this session, I was involved in the initial planning stages of a series of formal assessment criteria (for coursework assignments), which was later made explicit to the students and used as a matter of course in the grading of essays. (Examples of essay feedback using this assessment method will be discussed in Chapter 5)

The departmental session on recruitment also proved useful, especially in conjunction with the centrally organised ‘Marketing & Recruitment for Departments’ session. During the course of the last two years, I was given responsibility for co-ordinating departmental Visiting Days, as well as representing Education at the larger and more general college Open Days, so these two courses were especially relevant to one of my main administrative roles. The background philosophies offered by the courses, together with the practical experience gained through meeting and speaking to prospective students and their families, meant that I was able to perfect my ‘sales pitch’! It was most gratifying to subsequently welcome many of the visiting students as full-time undergraduates and this, for me, underlined the importance of doing a thorough and professional job at the first point of contact. Reading a book on the history and architecture of Old College also helped to colour my narrative!

The centrally organised ‘Vocal Skills’ course was a fairly pleasant way of spending an afternoon, once the initial feelings of utter foolishness had passed. Whilst the course did not really teach me anything new (having already been put through the rigours of breathing exercises and skills for voice projection in the context of school theatre productions and public speaking events), it proved useful as a reminder of how to protect and improve vocal capability.

Perhaps the weakest of the centrally organised sessions I attended was that on ‘Meeting the Developmental Needs of Students’. One of my initial impressions was that the title of the course was somewhat misleading, and this feeling was later substantiated during peer discussions. Many of those who had enrolled on the course were hoping to be introduced to theories of how to pitch formal teaching sessions (especially lectures) at a broad range of abilities. Indeed, such a skill is vital if all students are to be able to ‘develop’ their thinking and knowledge about different academic disciplines and fields. Instead, we found ourselves having to sit through a dangerously shallow session, in which we were strangely encouraged to play amateur psychologist by thinking about our students, newly arrived at university, as being similar in their developmental needs to 0- to 5-year-old children! As someone with grounding in developmental psychology, I found this session to be bizarre, inappropriate and startlingly inaccurate.

On a more positive note, the ‘Dyslexia Matters’ course was most helpful. I chose to attend this course because I was teaching two severely dyslexic first-year students and very much wanted to establish exactly what kinds of assistance is offered by the university in terms of student support. I also had many questions in my mind as to the kinds of strategies I might be able to subtly introduce into my teaching to enhance the learning experiences of these students. Fortunately, given my own academic background and my more-than-passing interest in the various ‘types’ of dyslexia, the course confirmed for me that I was already tackling the various teaching considerations in an appropriate manner.

I also attended a session targeted specifically at women, in terms of ‘How to be Assertive’. This was a curious session, in that it bordered on encouraging the formation of some kind of ‘sisterhood’ for downtrodden, non-assertive women everywhere! Whilst some of the very realistic and reasonable techniques for dealing with different kinds of people were incredibly simple, effective and useful, the main assurance that I took away with me from the session was that I am not as timid and weak as I thought I was. This revelation, in itself, resulted in a boost of self-confidence, so one could conclude that the session was ultimately useful.

In addition to the courses listed above, I was also registered to attend two other courses –  ‘Writing Skills – Problems with Academic Writing’ and ‘Writing Seminar – Writing an Academic Paper’. Unfortunately, due to the fact that the Writer in Residence at the time was seriously ill, both sessions were cancelled and never rescheduled. Perhaps ironically, these were the two courses I wished to attend the most, given that new academic appointments are under equal if not more pressure to develop and publish their research as they are to become effective teachers. Needless to say, if any further courses of this type are offered, I will be attending.

Finally, the three computer unit IT skills courses formed the last component of the formal training and development sessions undertaken within the two-year period to which this portfolio pertains, and the skills learnt in at least two of the course have been in daily use ever since. During the last two years, I sought to develop my basic web skills with the intention of using webpages for teaching support (cf. Chapter 3.4 Teaching Innovation), and the FrontPage course proved to be excellent grounding for this purpose. This development also ties in neatly with approaches encouraged by Marketing & Recruitment at the university, because a strong web-presence is good publicity for the university as well as individual departments. While the skills learnt in the Blackboard and PowerPoint courses have been used to a lesser extent, I do believe that at least background knowledge of different computer software packages is vital.

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This page was last modified 12 Dec 2005