Three of The Faculty of Biological Sciences academic staff have been awarded fellowships through the University’s Student Education Fellowship scheme (USEFs). Dr. Aysha Divan and Dr. James Pickering have both been awarded full fellowships, and Dr. Stephanie McBurney has been awarded a developmental Fellowship. They will all use their funding to develop individual student education research projects. These projects cover a breadth of contemporary opportunities and issues that are of interest to current higher education institutions.
Dr. Divan’s projects focuses on defining training pathways through the Masters programmes to align with industrial needs. This will involve working with employers to develop industry-focused modules and programmes and consider flexible modes of delivery of postgraduate training.
Dr. Pickering will use his funding to develop an innovative way of providing teaching resources to students via a series of eBooks. These eBooks will offer bespoke screencasts, podcasts, text and hyperlinks. These resources will enable students of varying needs to access essential information in a format which suites their learning style. Moreover, it responds to the developing popularity of smart phones and tablets among students as learning tools.
Dr. McBurney’s project will focus on developing the personal tutorial system within The Faculty of Biological Sciences to see how it can be developed in a way to have an even greater impact upon student education. By analysing systems such as Leeds for Life, the project will help with the development and distribution of resources of value to both students and tutors. Dr. McBurney stated that a ‘student-centred, evidence-based approach should impact positively on the student experience.’
Collectively the projects address University’s strategic priorities to further enhance the quality of teaching, as well as the wider issue of aiding the transition of students from study into work. They are highly relevant to the trends and issues that exist within higher education, and will highlight the University of Leeds’ ability to adapt and respond to the needs of students.
25th March 2013