Pandemic pedagogies: reflections on pedagogical approaches to art and design librarianship during a pandemic

The covid-19 pandemic instigated a rapid digital shift in UK higher education libraries, changing the way teaching was delivered. The digital shift of the pandemic meant library teaching was reimagined for online delivery, however pedagogical principles were challenged by new ways of working. How can a pedagogical approach for art and design librarianship adapt to online delivery when grounded in embodied, material and sensory experiences? Taking a reflective approach which brings together personal experience with discussion of selected literature, this article explores how pedagogical approaches to art and design librarianship have been continually reshaped by the pandemic

Restoring the Balance: Wisdom and the Spirit of the Age

Facing multiple challenges, from coronavirus to climate degradation, we need to reexamine where we are now and ask how individuals, organisations and society can move forward to a better future. Based on a model designed to encourage relational aspects of health care practice, we argue that the complexity of contemporary issues requires a holistic approach incorporating three different angles: organisational culture, personal development and specific spiritual competencies. We explore how our culture is out of balance and suggest ways to build a better future

Analysis of Trustworthiness in Machine Learning and Deep Learning

Trustworthy Machine Learning (TML) represents a set of mechanisms and explainable layers, which enrich the learning model in order to be clear, understood, thus trusted by users. A literature review has been conducted in this paper to provide a comprehensive analysis on TML perception. A quantitative study accompanied with qualitative observations have been discussed by categorizing machine learning algorithms and emphasising deep learning ones, the latter models have achieved very high performance as real-world function approximators (e.g., natural language and signal processing, robotics, etc.). However, to be fully adapted by humans, a level of transparency needs to be guaranteed which makes the task harder regarding recent techniques (e.g., fully connected layers in neural net-works, dynamic bias, parallelism, etc.). The paper covered both academics and practitioners works, some promising results have been covered, the goal is a high trade-off transparency/accuracy achievement towards a reliable learning approach

Supporting lecturers to diversify their reading lists: the Broaden my Bookshelf Reading List Toolkit

A case study which describes the origins and processes of creating the Broaden my Bookshelf Reading list toolkit. This is a new resource to enable academics to diversify or decolonise their reading lists at the University of Huddersfield

Curiosity and an Entrepreneurial Mindset: Views from Fellows of the University

Generally, people will associate the term ‘entrepreneurship’ with starting a business. It is this, certainly, but really entrepreneurship covers a wide spectrum of activities – it is a way of behaving. This booklet discusses entrepreneurial behaviour – and the mindset that drives this – in terms of finding opportunities to create value for others, whilst (ideally) doing something a person enjoys and can do well. There is an implicit realisation that there will always be challenge, uncertainty and risk involved. The booklet draws upon interviews with successful people who all have an association with the University; and, because the underlying message is relevant for every student across the University, the booklet sets out to encourage and enable readers to reflect upon their own capabilities and ambitions

Identifying student retention factors of a UK university using the concept of a learning community: a qualitative approach

The UK will need a skilled IT work force to maintain its position as a world leader in computing research and development. This study investigated the experience of learning communities amongst first year undergraduate computing students at a UK university. The concept of a learning community was used to examine its influence on student academic and social integration, the issues students need to overcome and the knowledge they need to acquire to become successful. A qualitative approach was employed using the ‘unfolding matrix’, which was completed during group interviews. The data analysis results revealed that learning communities critically affect students’ academic and social integration. Specifically, the importance of student support and guidance from academic staff was considered, as well as student relationships with other students and academic staff. Furthermore, developing a sense of personal awareness and the need to develop an effective academic skill-set to succeed were identified as critical

Broaden my Bookshelf: working with the University of Huddersfield SU to tackle the attainment gap

The article describes the origins and aims of the Broaden my Bookshelf initiative at the University of Huddersfield and details some of the successes and challenges of the project

Playful Learning for Information Literacy Development

Play is often seen as frivolous, childish, suitable only for young children. In contrast, this paper will discuss the idea that using playful learning approaches are often a good fit for the development of information literacy in all ages. To do this, it will outline the meaning of information literacy that the author takes, explain where playful learning is placed within learning theories and pedagogies, and show why and how they fit together. Examples of playful practice in library and information literacy training will be given to illustrate current practice, together with gaps within that practice. It will briefly address some of the barriers to using playful learning approaches in information literacy development, and offer some ways forward for information literacy practitioners

Keeping the Faith: A History of Northern Soul

In the 1970s, Northern Soul held a pivotal position in British youth culture. Originating in the English North and Midlands in the late-1960s, by the mid-1970s it was attracting thousands of enthusiasts across the country. This book is a social history of Northern Soul, examining the origins and development of this music scene, its clubs, publications and practices. Northern Soul emerged in a period when working class communities were beginning to be transformed by deindustrialisation and the rise of new political movements around the politics of race, gender and locality. Locating Northern Soul in these shifting economic and social contexts of the English North and Midlands in the 1970s, the authors argue that people kept the faith not just with music, but with a culture that was connected to wider aspects of work, home, relationships and social identities. Drawing on an expansive range of sources, including oral histories, magazines and fanzines, diaries and letters, this book offers a detailed and empathetic reading of a working class culture that was created and consumed by thousands of young people in the 1970s. The authors highlight the complex ways in which class, race and gender identities acted as forces for both unity and fragmentation on the dancefloors of iconic clubs such as the Twisted Wheel in Manchester, Blackpool Mecca, the Torch in Stoke-on-Trent, the Catacombs in Wolverhampton and the Casino in Wigan. Marking a significant contribution to the historiography of youth culture, this book is essential reading for those interested in popular music and everyday life in in postwar Britain