Direct Entry Students

Leading up to the pre-enrolment orientation day that I had planned for the Newquay and Falmouth direct entry students, I was a tad nervous about doing a good job and meeting their expectations. I felt like I had a lot riding on my shoulders to ensure the day was a success, not only for the students, but also for myself.

To prepare for this session, I contacted Susan Hayley in the school office for maps, Colin Munn for the correct degree handbooks, and the admissions team to provide bags. I collected various bits of information and resources that I stuffed each bag with that would help students not only be aware of university resources, but also know where to find them. I arranged parking on campus for their mini-bus and greeted the students as they arrived on the 5th floor of the Davy Bldg.

The programme leads gave short presentations about their respective degree courses and Pete introduced the South Africa field course for those students that had elected to attend in September. After the lecturers left, I asked the students to introduce themselves and tell me what their interests in marine biology were, essentially why they wanted to study it. By listening to the students talk about themselves and their interests I was able to signpost them to staff they may wish to work with in the future. It also allowed them to ask questions relating directly to their interests.

After the introductions, I systematically went through each piece of information found in their bags with them to ensure 1) they knew what was in there and 2) giving them yet another opportunity to ask questions about services and resources available to them. Some of our current students from the three degrees (across years) arrived around this time. I felt it would be a great idea to provide time over lunch for peer-to-peer discussions. I believe both sets of students enjoyed the experience.

After lunch, two current first year MBCE students (and PALS leaders for next year) arrived. I introduced these students so that those going to SA would recognise at least two people. To close out the day, me and two current 3rd year students took the direct entry students on a tour of the facilities located within the Davy Bldg (Lab Plus, the ecology storeroom, molecular lab, 6th floor labs and CT rooms). Two of our technicians introduced the students to the resources and gave them examples of the types of activities/research they might wish to undertake during their degrees.

Before the students departed, I asked them for feedback on the day. One of the major complaints was the lack of (smoke) breaks during the day and that there was too much walking around the Davy Bldg (up and down stairs). On the whole though, the feedback was tremendously positive and they went away feeling very informed about (and overwhelmed by) the resources the university offers students. Most were excited to be arriving in September. Others were a bit scared, but by the end of the day, most all of the students seemed excited by their prospects. I consider that a job well done.

Enhancing your teaching: Focusing on large groups workshop (+ Eric Mazur)

I attended this workshop today led by Priska in ED. Interestingly enough, she showed us a video featuring Eric Mazur (Applied Physics Prof at Harvard) and his interactive teaching style he uses in large lectures. I say interesting because two days previous I watched the 1.5 hour long clip (Confessions of a converted lecturer) on the PGCAP module website. I found how he engages with students inspiring, especially teaching a difficult subject like Physics. Using his ideas such as pre- and post-tests to see where the students are at, at the beginning and end of their learning journey provides good feedback to teaching staff to better unpack the critical areas of the subject content that students are strugggling with.

I also liked his idea of giving the students reading to do prior to coming to lectures, and then spending very little time lecturing during the scheduled time, but rather asking & answering questions and discussing questions and answers with peers. By using 'clickers', he gets instantaneous feedback as to whether or not students understand the topic being covered. This type of approach will require a fair amount of work in the development of the module as you need to design really good questions, but once you have a bank of questions to pull from, leading the discussions and facilitating students' learning should be easier and less time consuming.

As for the rest of the workshop, it was interesting that there was a person that teaches in education in the group that was fairly argumentative. He thought what students said about how they learned was total crap.... really?? Don't they know how they learn? He said that some students using 'learning styles' as a crutch or rather, an excuse... For example, "I'm sorry, I can't learn that because you are not teaching it in a way that I learn." I can see his point to a degree, but isn't it our job to teach the content in a VARIETY of ways to engage with the widest audience possible? I think that it is the role of an educator.

Through the discussions that took place, we talked about TEL in the classroom. The argumentative man said something about using Twitter in the classroom. I asked about what he was doing to engage the students in that way. He uses the module code as a #hashtag and can then address any questions/concerns/etc by looking at the comments/questions the students have posted and lead their learning in that way. I thought that sounded like a great idea. I will ask the 2nd years whilst in South Africa what their thoughts are on such an approach to Q & A sessions.

Making it happen! How to set your project team up for success

I spent the afternoon of the 18th at a 3 hour workshop covering project management. In light of my meeting with Mick Fuller and Andy F. on the 10th, I felt that this would be a step in the right direction regarding my CPD and hopefully aid in me being able to successfully pull off the huge project regarding postgrads/undergrads. It was a great course, I just wish that it had been longer as we were unable to cover all of the material the facilitator had prepared. I did get to see Satish again though, which was great. He explained in greater detail the changes he was hoping to make over the course of the summer. Very ambitious, and potentially some barriers, but hopefully with our newfound negotiation skills he'll be able to manage it. It would be a very positive outcome for the students.

What I gained from this course is improving my powers of negotiation, listening to people's fears of change and then facilitating their ability to change. I thought about how I might employ these skills in my upcoming meeting with all of the programme leads concerning PALS. I need to be able to SELL the programme and its benefits to the academics because without their support it will be very difficult to get student buy-in... maybe.

BCUR

Today I managed to nip out and see one of our MB students (Alex Leeper) give a presentation as part of the British Conference for Undergraduate Research (BCUR). She used Prezi for her presentation. I had never seen anything like it before and was totally blown away by the 'cool factor' of the technology. Alex gave a good presentation, but sadly she didn't win any prizes. Another one of our students, Vicky Sleight, won best poster presentation (£200 worth of Amazon vouchers). GO VICKY!!

What is interesting about this whole conference is that NO ONE else within my research group told the students about this conference nor encouraged them to participate. I may be making big assumptions here, but probably most of them felt that since it wasn't a purely scientific conference what would be the point in attending. Students should undertake as many opportunities such as this during their degrees as physically/mentally possible. Students, no matter what discipline they're in, need to gain skills in presenting, communicating, leadership and improve their self-confidence. BCUR offered a perfect vehicle for this to occur. In my mind, perhaps this is part of the huge cultural difference between the US and the UK in how people approach life, especially those that are driven to succeed.

PGCAP Negotiated Study Modules

So on the 11th & 12th, I had the first of two sessions for the Negotiated Study Modules (NSMs), PGCAP 760 & 770. I decided to undertake the Learning Development (760) and Technology Enhanced Learning (770) modules to complete the full PGCAP programme this year. Joe was to have been leading the class, but had to travel to Brighton for a funeral so Carolyn stepped in to lead. There were only 5 of us in the LD group, but it was great to interact with such a small number of 'students'. One peer, Satish who is a new lecturer in Architecture, is great. I had a very positive interaction with Satish whilst wearing my LD hat. He was feeling in over his head with this module and that he maybe had made a bad decision by choosing undertake this NSM. After breaking down his thoughts, fears and concerns, it became apparent to both of us that he has chosen wisely as this module should really help him in his new role of programme leader. Understanding the LD pedagogy will help him to implement the changes that he would like undertake that will improve the connectivity between the taught materials across a few modules within the first year and link more effectively to 2nd year material.

During the LD session, we had to creatively illustrate one of the papers that we had to read prior to the session. Three of us worked together on the 'Embedding Study Skills' paper... we came up with something great to illustrate the differences between embedding study skills into the modules themselves as opposed to having them as a 'bolt-on' addition to degrees. Here is what we came up with: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151526569784871&set=a.10151293046004871.490068.511454870&type=3&theater

I thought I had a clear idea as to what I wanted to research for the LD assignment, but as the day progressed, by mind started to fill with so many ideas. That has been the crux of the whole PGCAP course... the more I learn, the more I want to explore. What I think that I have finally settled on is looking at the performance differences in students when study skills are embedded in programmes rather than the bolt-on approach. I feel that Plymouth is a mixture of the two. Some academics embrace developing their modules with the students' needs in mind, whereas others only consider what is easiest for them. I am hopeful to find enough primary literature to make a good assessment of it and perhaps use it to build a case to improve our skills module.

As for the NSM 770 (TEL), I had hoped for more hands-on learning, but there was an awful lot of discussing instead. We did venture into creating an online quiz, which was pretty cool. There was also a lot of talk about using an iPad in and outside the classroom. It seems that most all people in MBERC have been given an iPad to use in their work, but not me. Sad. Not sure how I can move this forward so that I have access to all resources that other staff have. Can I make a business case? I need to spend a lot of time thinking about how to approach some of these issues tactfully so that whatever the outcome it is in my favour.

However, there are so many ways I want to use TEL in what I do. I just have to remember that 1) Rome wasn't built in a day and 2) that small changes over time are more likely to be accepted than big changes over a short period of time. These are the two concepts that I struggle with the most as I have such grand ideas rattling around in my head.

Looking back over the PGCAP week...

WOW... my head is spinning a bit. Four out of 5 days this past week have been spent on the PGCAP course. The first two days were finishing off the core module (PGCAP 700) where we covered topics such as group work, equality and diversity, and research informed teaching before giving some peer feedback on the short piece we had to write as part of our assignment. The last two days were for out Negotiated Study Modules. I had selected to do Learning Development (PGCAP 760) and Technology Enhanced Learning (PGCAP770) as I felt they would help me in both of my current roles at uni.

All I know at this moment in time is that there is a tremendous amount of work ahead... 10,000 words (1 x 5,000 and 2 x 2,500) before it is all said and done. UGH. I did get good feedback on my extract, so it would seem that I am at least headed in the right direction. Although since Tuesday, I have begun reworking it again after attending the NSMs and doing some mind-mapping exercises today. It is going to be extremely difficult to keep focussed and address each of the learning outcomes as well as the UK Professional Standards Framework values. :-S I feel that there will be SEVERAL iterations of each section to make sure that my writing is concise and addresses all of the criteria for a PASS.

Meeting with Mick Fuller

On the 10th, Andy and I had a meeting with Mick Fuller, the Head of the Graduate School, to talk about how to enhance the employability of our postgraduate students whilst providing greater opportunities for our undergraduates. When I was a PhD student I did lots of things that have helped improve my CV immensely in terms of leadership, organisation, teaching, etc. Most PhD students do not undertake the sort of opportunities that were so important to me. There have been an increasing number of publications surrounding the employability of doctoral graduates and it seems that most universities are missing the mark in developing a student's skills. Articles in Nature, Science, and Conservation Biology as well as other educational journals all make the point that PhD graduates don't have the requisite transferrable skills that employers want. Pretty eye opening for anyone involved in teaching at a university.

It was a tremendously positive meeting and Mick fully supported what I was bringing to the table. He talked about a timeline and rollout, what some of the barriers might be and who I need to approach to get the ball rolling. This, like everything else, is super exciting in what it may deliver and how it will change our PhD students' lives, BUT, just like everything else that I get involved with will take a lot of time, negotiation, organisation, etc. I am excited to undertake this project within the School of Marine Science & Engineering in this pilot, but I am wondering WHEN ON EARTH might I find the time to commit to getting this off the ground. Maybe this summer..... along with everything else!

What happens at an anarcho-punk gig...

On Friday night, Dave and I met up in the Nowhere for a couple of drinks before heading off to the bus station to see The Bus Station Loonies and The Subhumans at Maggies. Whilst in the pub we started chatting about various things regarding MBERC, students, teaching, PALS, etc. It was a really great conversation, but I still need to do a lot of work to convince Dave (and the others) that we really do need to consider change in our approach to teaching.

The age old question was asked, do I want to be a full-time learning development advisor? And the answer remains the same... having a foot in both camps is mutually beneficial as I can incorporate best practice from both worlds into each. Dave agreed with me. I also told him that MBERC really needs someone like me within the group, someone that continue to create and develop opportunities for our students, someone that listens and helps them find what they are looking for. I think he agreed with that too. I made it clear there is a lot of stuff that I do is sight-unseen and went on to explain working with John & Cat at the Wembury Marine Centre to give our students an opportunity to present their research to a wider audience, considering how you address an interested public. These are crucial skills for graduating students to have today and our students aren't being pushed as hard as they could be to perform even better.

Dave said that there was data on what our graduates are doing post-qualification. I would like to see that data and explore what's there. It could be a real eye-opener for me. I did tell Dave though, even if our graduates are doing well in getting jobs and into postgraduate degree programmes, that is still room for improvement. And that we need to move from 'good' to 'great' as Maureen Powers says. I told him that he should meet her... he rolled his eyes.

We talked about the PALS programme and I said that it was coming into our degrees whether or not anyone else liked it. I told him how excited the students are about having this programme, how many of them said that they wished that it had been in place this year for them to take advantage of that knowledge, how some of them even want it to be between 2nd and 3rd year. We talked about how we will implement this into the marine degrees. I am going to set up a meeting with Dave, Kerry and Mark (all programme leads). I will put together a short presentation about what PALS is, why it is important and what can be achieved. We can then discuss what they would like the PALS leaders to focus on initially and then let it develop and become student-driven. I think it will be a very good meeting and I am looking forward to getting it underway.

Ideas are flooding in...

In preparing for the final part of the taught portion of the PGCAP course, there has been a lot of reading and researching information involved. What it has led to is an increase in the number of ideas of how I might begin to restructure the courses that I am involved with teaching... moving lectures from a passive experience to a more interactive/active learning environment for the students. I am pretty excited by the prospects. I can only hope that the other academics support this type of change.

And the students depart for Roscoff...

Prior to the MBO and MBCE 1st year students departing for Roscoff, I headed down to the ferry terminal to talk to them all about the PALS programme, why is important for them to be PALS leaders and how they can help facilitate better interactions between year groups as well as across degrees. There were lots of questions and a tremendous amount of interest. I think that we may well have more applications than places, which is great, but then I worry about the selection process.

Leading on from that, I've emailed Carolyn to ask about that very thing. I've also asked that the deadline be extended to 18 April so that the students will have the opportunity to apply pre- and post-Roscoff as many of them have been away for all of the Easter holidays. We'll see what she says. I am also going to send out a reminder email to all of the first years with the particulars about the programme with a link to the online application form.

ALDinHE conference

WOW... the ALDinHE conference was a tremendous experience. I got to meet some really inspiring learning developers/educators from around the country and hear about all of the exciting ways they are working to engage with students in higher education. It was great to meet some people that are like me, with a foot in both camps and to hear that they have the same uphill battles to fight in terms of getting academics to see that learning development isn't something hokey and irrelevant to teaching core subject material.

There was an awful lot of creativity going on during the sessions. It was so nice to see people unafraid of embracing creativity and truly thinking outside of the box. I really, really, really want to bring that into our marine bio classes. It could really make them that much more dynamic and engaging. I know that there will be tremendous resistance, but I am ready to take on the the unbelievers.

One of the last sessions was led by PALS leaders at Plymouth. Carolyn had asked me to email all of the 1st year students and invite any of them who still might be in town to come along to the session so that they may get a first hand taste of what it's like to be a PALS leader. Two of my students came along, which was FANTASTIC! One had already applied and the other was on the fence about applying. I have since found out she has now applied. :-) It was good to be able to get the students engaged, to see how PALS sessions can be run, and to be able to talk to other student leaders. It was great and I am so happy to have been given that opportunity for our marine students.

Sweden field course...

Going to Sweden as academic staff for the 2nd year MBO field course was a phenomenal opportunity. Not only did I get to spend the week with my PGCAP mentor, Geoff, I also got to know and talk to Kerry a whole lot. What I came to realise is that I am not alone in my battle for change in how students are taught. The Sweden field course is a perfect example of that in that it isn't about generating numbers and testing hypotheses... it is about the power of discovery and observations. It is about listening and connecting the dots, and creating the bigger picture.... how do habitats influence habits? Of course the students were assessed during the field course. They had a set of 30 organisms that they they had to identify during a spot test and a 20 question theory test to take on the last day. They also had a keep a field/lab notebook during the whole week, which was to include notes from lectures/talks given on the ship, drawings of organisms, information about the types of sampling undertaken, what were the physical conditions of the water like, etc. A great learning experience indeed.

In terms of taxonomy, at first the students were put off by the 'big green bible' (Hayward & Ryland), but the vast majority told me that by the end of the week, they loved the book and found it incredibly useful. They had managed to work through their frustrations and come out with knowledge and understanding. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

As I had had little contact with these students prior to Sweden, it was interesting to hear their stories and get their take on their degree course so far. I was astounded to hear that they were not really given the opportunity to do some basic taxonomy whilst they were at Roscoff the previous year. They told me that everything was identified for them and that they hadn't even opened Hayward & Ryland before arriving in Sweden.

During the lab sessions, it came to light that none of them were aware of the fact that Geoff had written the mollusc section of the book... when I pointed that out to them, Geoff was further elevated on that pedestal they had firmly placed him on. He commands great respect from the students and this comes from how he engages with them. He treats them as equals, encourages them to think, and comes across as a normal person. This is exactly how I want all student interactions that I am involved with to occur... person to person... it makes sense.

Being able to converse freely with Geoff, Kerry and Roger was great. There was simply YEARS and YEARS and YEARS of experience there. We talked about the introduction of the PALS programme into the marine biology degrees. Both Kerry and Geoff seem interested, but also weary in some ways. I think it is just going to be a matter of proving to everyone through evidence how great the programme really is and why it is so vital to students success and confidence.

There were soooooo many late night conversations between Kerry and I. Very inspirational. I really like her and I want her to shine. But, just like me, she feels that there are certain members of our research group (as does Geoff) that are dividing the group, making it nearly impossible to function effectively and cohesively. It all boils down to communication and the fact that it simply isn't happening on the 6th floor. It doesn't do any good finger pointing, but it was said that Pete should be facilitating this conversation. Pete has tried (Red Chairs lunch date every Tuesday), but Pete is also drowning in lots of other admin stuff that he can't ever get on top of. With it being the year of the REF, people are stressed out, strung out and seemingly pissed off. Hmmm... we have many problems that we need to address. Our group really needs an away day to sort a whole bunch of stuff out.

Not quite how I anticipated spending my holiday...

Well, the news came yesterday that I have been selected to interview for the full-time LDA post... whilst I am in Sweden. In the end I finally said yes, but it does mean that I have to spend valuable holiday time putting together yet another 5 minute presentation. I will have the train journey to London to work on it and a bit of time once I am at Joan's. I hope to have the majority of it completed before the plane leaves Gatwick as I just need to focus on having fun with my friends. Fingers crossed for a good outcome though... some stability in my life would be a welcome relief.

Learning Development Wordle

Progress at last...

With Colin Munn's help, I finally have managed to find a suitable time to get the PALS presentation scheduled. I think that I will still travel down to the ferry terminal for both cohorts and give them yet another little pep talk.

Frustrated and annoyed...

As expected, the general acceptance of the idea of PALS coming into the Marine Biology degrees is lukewarm at best. I have a major uphill battle to wage with this one. BUT... because it is soooo important to me, I am willing to put in the elbow grease and apply the great American CAN-DO attitude to hopefully win the day! Watch this space!

Slowly building a case...

What I keep banging on about regarding PhD students and employability! Must finalise a date for a meeting with Mick Fuller ASAP! http://www.nature.com/naturejobs/science/articles/10.1038/nj7437-393a

2nd year direct entry students

In looking ahead to the 2013-14 academic year, I have been in discussions with Dave and Kerry regarding the direct entry students from Falmouth and Newquay. After meeting with a few of the students in this current cohort, it became apparent that they didn't have a proper (or really any) induction once they arrived on the Plymouth campus. So, steps are being put into place to avoid that from happening this coming year, especially if there may be up to 30 direct entry students (MBCE & MBO).

I have been put in charge of coordinating efforts between Susan Haley, Colin Munn, Dave and Kerry to make the students feel welcome and actually have an induction to the various resources available to them on campus (computing, LabPlus, the library, the UPSU (pastoral care), student support services, etc.). I may try to get PALS leaders involved in helping them feel welcome, which would create a win-win situation as they would be of the same year group.

There is lots of work to do to put together a dynamic induction programme for the arriving students, but I think if they get off to great start when they first arrive, then perhaps they will fare better throughout the rest of their degrees. One can only hope.

PALS in Marine Biology!

Just a quick note to say that my PALS proposal has been fully funded for the 2013-14 academic year! This is HUGE and such AWESOME news for our students! I can't wait to get it going!

Very irritated!

Just a quick entry... I am utterly and totally annoyed that someone on the 6th floor has removed the flyer that I posted about LD Talk for students to see as they stand around and wait at the north door to be let in. Talk about subversive and underhanded tactics. I wish that there was someone that I could complain to.

Threatened Aquatic Ecosystems

Late Friday afternoon, I had a great chat with Simon about the Threatened Aquatic Ecosystems module and some of my ideas for the module in the 2013-14 academic year. I brought up the idea of considering the entire Plym catchment area as a whole(as the Water Framework Directive does) and build a module like the 'Land Use and Water Quality Issues of Puget Sound' course I took at UW back in 2002. It was a fantastic course and I learned so much by seeing and doing rather than just being trapped in a lecture hall every day. It would be great to start at the top of the catchment and work our way down, similar to the Masters module led by Gillian Glegg that I took back in Autumn 2007. I would really like to visit the waste treatment plant with the students as that left a huge impression on me in Seattle. Simon thought all of this sounded like a great idea! And to me, it makes much more sense to run a module like this... you know, joined up thinking, rather than visiting two sites (upper and lower) on the Plym with the students writing practically identical reports for both assessments.

Simon also said that he has been receiving very positive feedback about Manuela and I from the students. Now that is GREAT NEWS and definitely something to be happy about. :-)

More observations in Threatened Aquatic Ecosystems....

So, over the past few weeks I have sat in on the Threatened Aquatic Ecosystems lectures and watched Simon, being aware that I will likely step into taking over his slots. It is sad for me to say that he seems to just be going through the motions whilst lecturing on this subject area (acid rain, eutrophication, impacts to freshwater ecosystems). Students don't seem inspired by what they are hearing either. Hmmm...

We had the Cadover Bridge field day on 31 January and thankfully it wasn't raining or snowing whilst we were up there. The students didn't seem to take the sampling exercise very seriously and there seemed to be a lot more joking around than actual work being done. Perhaps this wasn't helped by the white trays being forgotten at uni so the students were unable to sort their samples in the field.

Last Tuesday, we had the first of the two practical sessions. Students were to sort through their samples and identify all of the organisms to family level, count the number of individuals in each family and maintain quality control by sending a representative from each group to the other groups to make sure everyone was identifying all organisms the same. I don't think the quality control happened and now, with most groups having finished identifying their organisms, will find it difficult to know if their data match the other groups with whom they have been paired. Again, hmmmm...

On Tuesday, 12/2, I have my PGCAP tutor teaching observation from 9-10am. I had to submit my REP form to Jennie Winter, which I did by Thursday last week. Sadly, she sent it back to me and told me that my intended learning outcomes (ILOs) were not SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, & timely) and that I needed to rewrite them. I worked on them again on Friday and emailed the form again late on Friday afternoon. I am hopeful that they are now in the correct format and meet her criteria and that they are indeed SMART.

I must say, I am fairly nervous about the upcoming teaching observation on Tuesday. I am leading/introducing the session to the students. I must remember to frame everything within the appropriate context. I want to address why identifying organisms is important (uh oh, there's that word!) based on an interview that I had with the Environment Agency last summer. I also want to address the lack of quality control issue as well as briefly talk about sampling protocols and labelling. Then, it will be turned over to the students who will be doing a variety of tasks; finishing identifying organisms, collating data, calculating the Shannon-Weiner index and Pielou's Evenness and starting to think about BMWP scores. I am sure that the hour that Jennie is there observing will just fly by, but still... and then there is the meeting afterwards for her to give me feedback. Stressful, stressful, stressful.

Peer teaching observation

So today I had my peer teaching observation. Manuela came to the last of the marine invertebrate practicals (ploychaetes) in MBIO105, which is also the hardest of the bunch, to give me some feedback about my teaching. As Andy had a student crying in his office, I got the session underway, reiterating to the students the reason why this sort of taxonomic work is important. I talked about my experience during one of the job interviews that I had with the Environment Agency last year. I think that enlightened them a bit more that identifying and drawing organisms is more than just an academic exercise.

I had hoped to move about the room as I always do with the students, but rather unfortunately, one of the students seemed to dominate my time with the identification of a single species. The student sitting next to her also became fairly demanding of my time. I found myself getting frustrated as I couldn't get away. I never want to discourage a student from learning, but these two were doing very little of it on their own. Then Nic started asking questions too and was getting frustrated with the specimens as he wasn't able to manipulate them in the right way to see the features. I was very frustrated by this stage. After about an hour or so, Manuela left and it was only then that I managed to get away from the students that had taken up most of my time during the practical. I was then able to move freely about the rest of room and engage with the rest of the cohort... typical.

One student that had been working on a specimen (Spirobis sp.) knew what the worm was from the outset. I told her that it was important to know what makes up that family and that she could then work backwards in the key to still learn, despite already knowing the genus. After an hour had passed, she was still working on the same specimen. I told her that she should move on to something new, picking a species she didn't know. She seemed slightly offended at this, but come on, how long can one faff over the same specimen and get nothing else done.

One of the demanding students came to me again, regarding the same specimen. Enough was seriously enough.

Looking back, how should I have handled this interaction better? Could I have done something differently that would have not upset the student, but allowed me to move on to the rest of the class?

PALS proposal

Earlier in January, Colin Munn and Andy forwarded me a message (independently) sent out from Lynda Rodwell about the SoMSE Teaching and Learning Awards. Ooo... I was tremendously excited by this and decided I was going to submit a proposal. It is my hope to see the PALS programme implemented within the marine biology degree programmes. So, after finally getting some expenditures from Carolyn, I put together a 1 page proposal. I asked Rikka for feedback and he provided some very constructive feedback for me. During a quick chat with him, he told me he thought that it was great that I applying for this award and that he had been at Plymouth for 5-6 years before he decided to apply for a similar award. That made me feel great in light of knowing how some of the others in my research group feel about me. Knowing that Rikka thought I was doing something 'right' was almost a sigh of relief.

So, after getting feedback from Colin, Jason, Andy and Carolyn, I sent the proposal off to Lynda with just about everything crossed. I will find out sometime in mid-late February whether or not my proposal will be funded. I'd really like to see this funded as it would be GREAT for all of our students!

Getting things done...

Well, after a bit of procrastination, I have finally managed to nail down a time for my PGCAP tutor to come and do one of my teaching observations. Jennie will be coming during one of the Threatened Aquatic Ecosystems pracs. Simon has said that if I want to lead that session I am more than welcome to. We'll see how I feel closer to the time.

As for other things, I have finished the award proposal to try and implement PALS into the marine bio degrees. I have given a copy to Rikka and to Andy to get some feedback. How awesome would it be to be allocated the funding?!?!?

Change is definitely afoot within MBERC... so many things that are coming that will have HUGE impacts on our group. It makes me sad... it also makes me a bit worried. It'll be interesting to find out what Pete has to say in the meeting on Friday. Perhaps my post is secure within the group, perhaps not.

I attended the PU Strategy 2020 Workshop today. It was an interesting experience. I don't find the VC an inspiring speaker, but I do like where they would like to see the university to be at in 8 years time. There is a lot of new thinking out there. It could be a great experience for students and staff alike. It was really great to get to speak to people at my table from very different backgrounds and roles on campus. More organic sessions such as this need to occur more often. Change could happen sooner, ideas could be more creative and the vision could be greatly expanded.... but perhaps I am bit too much of a dreamer.

The permanent full time LD post was advertised today. I plan on applying and see what happens. I feel so welcomed within LD. It's a nice place to work with really great people, but I am not sure that it can totally fulfil all of my career aspirations. I'll cross that bridge if I come to it.

And finally, very depressing news. I just found out that one of our lecturers will be leaving at the end of this academic year. That makes me sad as he was a good laugh and always fun on field courses. A big, big hole will be left in his absence. Damn...

But in other news, I had some really great experiences in Learning Development this week and feel so much more appreciated in my role as a Learning Development Advisor than I do as in my lecturing role. On Monday, I shadowed Joe on a Presentations workshop for 3rd year Environmental Science students... it was a nice mix of humour and good ideas on how to present data... and yourself! :-)

We also had quite a meeting about the PhD writing up workshop on Wednesday. It seemed I would play a greater role than originally expected, which was great. This was followed up by the weekly team meeting, which was also good to see the directions the group is likely to head in the future.

I had my first go alone in the Drop-In Zone in the library. Sadly, there were no students that came to see me. I am still pretty nervous about providing the right sort of feedback at the right level, but I guess that is something that will only come in time and with lots of practice.

This coming Monday I will start learning the ropes of the email submissions through the Learn mailbox. Should be good, but again, a little terrifying at the same time. All of the others in the group seem so eloquent in their replies to the students, but I must remember, they have been doing this for YEARS! I am new to this process, but it doesn't mean I am incapable. I want to work hard at making this job work for me!

Reflecting on the past week...

So, as with anything, time and distance helps to mend bad things and bad feelings. I feel like I am moving through the 5 stages of grief after the news from last Friday.

5 Stages of Grief:

1. Denial --  the world becomes meaningless and overwhelming. Life makes no sense. We are in a state of shock and denial. We go numb. 
2. Anger -- Underneath anger is pain, your pain. Anger is strength and it can be an anchor, giving temporary structure to the nothingness of loss. At first grief feels like being lost at sea: no connection to anything.
3. Bargaining -- We become lost in a maze of “If only…” or “What if…” statements. We want life returned to what is was…if only, if only, if only. The “if onlys” cause us to find fault in ourselves and what we “think” we could have done differently. 
4. Depression -- We withdraw from life, left in a fog of intense sadness, wondering, perhaps, if there is any point in going on alone? The first question to ask yourself is whether or not the situation you’re in is actually depressing. 
5. Acceptance -- Finding acceptance may be just having more good days than bad ones. Instead of denying our feelings, we listen to our needs; we move, we change, we grow, we evolve. 

I currently feel that I am in the anger phase... I want nothing more that show the doubters that they are beyond wrong in their thoughts.

MBERC teaching and observing...

On Tuesday I attended the 1st of 6 lectures given by Simon in Threatened Aqautic Ecosystems. These are the sets of lectures I am due to take over next academic year, breathing new life into the topic. :-) I have never seen Simon lecture before, but had heard comments from students through the years. It seems he doesn't get much joy out of doing it. He apologised numerous times during the lecture and said the word 'important' about 50 times! I hope that when I take over I don't do the same!

Self doubt....

I learned something in the pub tonight that is tremendously upsetting to me. Some folks in my research group feel that since I don't want to be a hardcore researcher, I have no purpose teaching, no purpose in being a lecturer. Talk about making me cry my eyes out... I want nothing but the best for out students and will do whatever it takes to make that happen. I am devastated. I have no idea how to manage how I am currently feeling.

Manu has been a super star in trying to fight my corner. I gave her several hugs at the pub tonight. It made her uncomfortable.... she had no idea that I would react the way that I did (letting the tears flow). After speaking with me and attending the PGCAP course with me last week, she now understands what I am trying to achieve and believes in me. She knows that I am striving to be an excellent educator. Perhaps she has persuaded one other to realise that is what I am trying to be. How many others need to be persuaded? Can they be? Should I even try? I feel so lost at this moment in time. All I want is to inspire, engage and help the next generation of scientists to find their way... and be successful in their journey. Is that so wrong? Is that not to be valued? I can't stop crying about this.

Writing skills...

One of the areas that I really want to focus my PGCAP assessments around is the lack of writing undertaken by undergraduates at Plymouth University. This goes hand in hand with the lack of good feedback received from the lecturers. The more involved I become in my LDA role, the more it is becoming apparent that writing, or the lack thereof, really does hinder PU students ability to be competitive on the job market. One of the things the Dean said in yesterday's meeting is that employers in and around Plymouth don't want to employ our undergrads as they are not prepared to lead and run projects, offices, and contribute in a valuable way. Partly this comes down to lack of communication skills.

After chatting with Pete about what the students undertake at St Andrews (loads of assessments and writing that makes our students look like they don't do anything), I find myself asking the question, why do some lecturers think that the students at Plymouth are over-assessed?

Meeting with the Dean of Students!

Thursday took an unexpected turn... I was to have had a meeting with the Dean of Students, Dr Maureen Powers on Friday morning, but arrived to an email asking that it be brought forward to Thursday afternoon. WHOA... I wasn't quite dressed for the occasion, but I believe that I was mentally and physically prepared for the meeting. I couldn't confirm with Andy until after the Natural History practical had finished so it was all a bit rushed.

The meeting started a bit late due to Maureen being off campus. She is a real whirlwind of energy. I liked her from the start. Maybe it's because she is an American and has her own vision that is very much in line with my own in looking at the UK system, specifically how things happen at Plymouth and thinking about ways in which it could be improved. It was an incredible meeting and I am so happy to have had the opportunity to meet with her and discuss ways in which to create a win-win-win-win situation for all at this university. There is tremendous potential for this university to go from good to great! I AM EXCITED!

I am now looking forward to see where she takes Andy and I's ideas and how the rest of the higher ups respond to it. I am hopeful that the marine degrees can form a pilot study to trial some of the ways in which we can improve teaching and learning for all!

Another great day!

Today was a whirlwind of activity. I shadowed Eloise during 3 one-to-one tutorials, followed by a 2 hour meeting about planning a PhD student writing workshop, and then shadowing Eloise on the Drop-In Zone. Really great interactions with the students during the tutorials. It is interesting to see and learn how Louise and Joe draw out the critical information that the student isn't exactly aware of being the real problem that they are struggling with. Students come to LD looking for feedback on referencing and writing when really they are having trouble with critical thinking and focussing their work. It may take me some time to get to grips with it all, but I feel that at least I may have something to contribute initially and build on my skills from there. It looks like Monday I may be covering the Drop-In Zone on my own for just over an hour.

Other good things... I had a productive meeting with Andy tonight regarding our meeting with the Dean of Students on Friday morning. I am looking forward to meeting Maureen Powers and hopefully we will have a good chat about how to move some of my ideas forward initially at the research group/school level so that we create a win-win-win-win solution (undergrad, postgrad, academic, & institution). I also came up with a possible solution about how to improve writing skills and provide opportunities for feedback (and developing the skills to critically assess work) for undergrads and postgrads without creating more work for academic staff. We'll see where it all goes. And with any luck all of this proposed 'work' can form part of my own PGCAP module requirements.

I have been lauded by John H. about securing a meeting with the Dean. He likes my style and finds my can-do attitude very refreshing. It is lovely to feel like I am going to make a positive contribution to the team.

So many good things...

Tuesday was fab! Had a good Learning Development (all team) meeting this morning followed by a productive lunch meeting with the group. Lots of ideas were batted around and all of them are quite exciting for students, their learning development and opportunities for them to really become 'students as partners'. There may be great potential in the development of one of those ideas to help me fulfil one of the Negotiated Study Topics modules I will be taking later this year as part of the PGCAP course. Exciting times indeed.

I also nailed down some more teaching commitments for this term today. It is looking to be a very full diary, but good to really hit the ground running in 2013. There are so many things to look forward to and be thankful for. Although I am and will be working many more hours than I am being paid, it's all about career development this year. And I know that this is only the beginning! Rock on!

Learning Development Advisor -- first day in the new post!

On Monday I had my first full day as a Learning Development Advisor. I had been anxious, nervous and excited about starting my new post. It was great and all of the people in LD are just fantastic. :-) The great news?? All of the resources one could ever need to complete the PGCAP writing assignment are literally next to my desk! Hurrah!

Favourite learning & exploring quotes...

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn." — Benjamin Franklin

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore." — André Gide 

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” — Lao Tzu

"Failure is success if we learn from it." — Malcolm Forbes

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones that you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." — Mark Twain

PGCAP Mentor... sorted!

One of our first tasks after the completion of the first 3 days of the PGCAP course was to secure a mentor. After speaking with Andy, I decided to ask Geoff Wigham. Although he may be retiring this year, students really like him and he has YEARS of experience under his belt. I have enjoyed watching Geoff teach in the past and I am hoping that he can give me so tips and tricks to improve my own teaching. PLUS... he'll get to observe my teaching whilst we are in Sweden in March. All systems go it would seem!

PGCAP - Day 2: Micro-teach session

Today, the 2nd day of the PGCAP course, each of us had to present a micro-teach session. I chose to talk about completing the SWCP and how to successfully undertake a car-free long-distance walk using online planning resources. Despite running out of time, I received great feedback... passionate, enthusiastic, really engaged with my audience, people wanting to walk more, people wanting to discover new places, and even people loving my photography. What a great day! Now, to just tone down on the content and really focus on telling a CONCISE story!

PGCAP - Day 1

Greeted by 40 people in a classroom, the PGCAP (cohort C) course got under way. We started the day with an ice breaker task (good and bad personal experiences in education) working in groups (by table). It really set the tone for a very enjoyable day, learning about learning styles and teaching theory. There is going to be a tremendous amount of work involved in the assignment and making sure that all criteria is successfully completed, but I have a feeling I will have a great tutor, need to find a good mentor and have a fantastic peer in Manuela. This is going to an incredible year in terms of my career development!