Beyond the Technology

Dr Swati Virmani, senior lecturer in economics at De Montfort University, joins us to talk all about the importance of continuous professional development (CPD). An Associate Member of the Association for Learning Technology, she also holds an impressive list of qualifications from around the world. To share the varied experiences of pandemic teaching had by her colleagues, Swati co-created a monograph, recording lessons learned and challenges overcome. We hear all about these stories, and why it's so important that staff feel heard, especially during difficult times. Swati also shares her thoughts on the link between staff wellbeing and CPD, her thoughts on the impact that technology might have on the future of CPD, and what she hopes might happen in the future.

This week's episode is all about teaching students on the autism spectrum, with the incredibly inspirational and creative Charlotte Judd, from Weston Bay College. Weston Bay is the only residential autism training environment in the UK, and Charlotte paints a brilliant picture of what it's like to work, and study there. Everything from ensuring the wellbeing of students, to improving digital skills, and training students for the workplace, is perfectly tailored to the needs of each individual student. Charlotte explains how they supported students during lockdown – including everything from online cooking classes, to work experience placements in COVID-19 test centres.

In this episode, we were joined by Keith W McIntosh, vice president for information services and CIO at the University of Richmond who is a keynote speaker at this year's Digifest. Coding graphic with text on top that says beyond the technology, the education 4.0 podcast. We spoke to Keith about his extensive work in diversity, equity, and inclusion, which includes his journey launching Intersections, a discussion group that started organically within his division then grew to include students, faculty, and staff from across the university. This group meets weekly to discuss the -isms of today, their roots in the past, and their impacts on our future.

In this episode we chat with Simon Hayhoe, Digifest speaker and author of six books on disability and the arts. His work is the subject of many international academic courses, and his specialisms are impressive and varied, from culture to disability, technology and teaching. We chat about his presentation at Digifest next week: accessible technology 4.0, inclusion 2.0 - what next?, as well as where his passion for the subject comes from, how to embrace accessibility on a budget, and what the future holds when making sure technology works for everyone. Simon is currently based at the University of Bath, and is also a temporary advisor for the World Health Organisation's Academy - as well as a centre research associate in the Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science at the London School of Economics and an associate of the Scottish Sensory Centre, University of Edinburgh.

Back in November 2020, we chatted to Hannah Mathias, e-learning manager at Cardiff and Vale College, where they've created a personalised learning bot for GCSE Maths and English. Hannah runs through how the bot can be used by students, how it's programmed by staff, and how it can be used to support students to complete their work. Embedded into Microsoft Teams, teachers can easily add and tag up resources and assignments for students. The bot uses gamification and other rewards for student engagement and aims to provide a personalised learner experience. The team are also working on a bot to support student wellbeing – not to replace human contact, but to point students towards the support they might need. It's a work in process, but Hannah explores how technology might support student wellbeing in the future. The wellbeing bot in the pipeline is learner-led and designed by a student. At Jisc we're holding several online sessions around mental wellbeing in further and higher education. On the 24 of February, there's a further education round table discussion: strategies and tactics for improving the wellbeing of staff and learners. Learn more and sign up here. We're keen to cover the subjects that matter to you, so do get in touch with us at podcast@jisc.ac.uk if you'd like to come on the show or have any suggestions.

Our guest for this episode is Professor Parama Chaudhury, professor in the department of economics at University College London. Edtech fanatic, and departmental e-learning champion, Parama's enthusiasm about using technology to support teaching and learning is infectious. She shares an abundance of tips, as well as stories from her time teaching in America and the UK, and what she's learned along the way. The biggest theme in this episode is the importance of structure for students, especially now with lockdowns and online learning having a huge impact on our lives. We discuss wellbeing, how the student experience has changed, and how and why Parama was an early adopter of online assessment.

This week we speak to Hayley Mulenda, all about student mental health. Hayley is an award winning international speaker, author and change agent, who speaks openly about her struggles with mental health as a student, and how best to support students who need help.

In this episode we go on a guided tour of a virtual world for students, created by Itzel Lopez, an international officer from Cardiff and Vale college. Itzel's students use the bespoke online environment to benefit both their education and mental wellbeing. The platform is complete with beach-side wellness centre and spaces to socialise. Students can also travel to art galleries and countries all around the world. Itzel explains how the teaching possibilities are endless when working with second life, sharing the benefits of highly customisable environments. Examples include psychology students looking inside visual representations of the human mind, and simulations of physical trade training, such as working on virtual construction sites. This interview is full of tips and ideas about getting started if you'd like to start a similar world for your own students, helping them to socialise and share knowledge, without leaving their homes – something that's become incredibly useful over the past year.

Our guest this week is Jamie Giarraputo, a teaching and learning coach from South Thames College Group. Jamie leapt from the music industry into teaching, and in his own words, fell in love with the whole process. Edtech, innovation, and digital skills are at the heart of his passion for teaching, and Jamie shares some brilliant tips and tech that can be used to engage learners. Initially self-isolating during lockdown, Jamie turned to Instagram to share quick, informative and accessible updates to support staff with remote teaching. The TLA team are now on Instagram and Youtube, where they gain comments from teachers all around the world. Jamie explains the benefits of using social media to support staff to upskill, and the positive impact that such social media accounts can have on staff wellbeing during situations like lockdown.

This week our guest is Dr Chris Bonfield, a technology-enhanced learning manager from the University of Bath. Chris is a once medical medieval historian-turned future gazer, who's research explores education 4.0 around the globe. Chris's experience gives him a unique perspective about the potential that technology has to enrich the educational experience. We chat all about his findings and what the UK can learn from the rest of the world, what's driving the change in employment and how higher education can react to industry 4.0.