Dr David Hope reflects on using ArcGIS StoryMaps as a summative assessment for a second-year undergraduate module and offers practical advice and inspiration for colleagues interested in the potential of this digital tool as a form of authentic assessment.
Dr Cong Zhang, Lecturer in Phonetics and Phonology in ECLS, discusses embedding authentic, engaging, and practical digital literacy skills into phonetics learning through interactive tools, online assessments, and creative multimedia projects.
Alina Schartner, Lecturer in Applied Linguistics collaborated with Nathan Rousseau, from Indiana University-Purdue University, Columbus (IUPUC) on a 4-week curriculum-embedded virtual exchange activity entitled ‘critical intercultural incidents’, involving MA Cross-Cultural Communication students at Newcastle University and undergraduate sociology students at (IUPUC).
Dr Adam Rathbone, Lecturer in Social and Clinical Pharmacy at the School of Pharmacy collaborated with Dr Meganne Masko, Associate Professor of Music Therapy, to adapt the intergroup dialogue method of developing cultural competence to a virtual exchange between Pharmacy students in Newcastle and Music Therapy students from Indiana University – Purdue University, Indiana (IUPUI).
As part of a doctoral research study, Dr Lucy Hatt, a Senior Lecturer in NUBS, conducted concept mapping workshops across all years of an undergraduate entrepreneurship programme. This case study explains how the workshops enabled the evaluation of students’ understanding of entrepreneurship and discusses the benefits of concept mapping as a tool to help students and educators visualise the development of conceptual understanding.
Dr Catherine Douglas (staff: she/her) and Manjot Brar (student intern: she/her) from the School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, discuss the development of an innovative ice-breaking board game to enable students to discuss effective strategies for addressing common group working issues, and learn about the value of feedback. Students were integral to the design of the game which was funded to address requests for support in preparing for groupwork. This extremely successful pilot initiative will continue to be used and can be loaned out to anyone interested in reviewing the game and trialing with their students.
Colleagues in SNES are using ThingLink to create 360 degree virtual environments to replace traditional fieldwork activities. Feedback so far has been excellent with high levels of synchronous and non-synchronous student engagement. Read on to find out more…