Session 39: Integrating real-world projects into the curriculum: a case study into bridging classroom to business and society through business clinics and project experiences in UK & Malaysia

Session overview: This British Council-funded project fosters international collaboration between Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and YPC International College, aimed at creating a sustainable model of partnership via Business and Digital Clinics. By integrating student and staff contributions into purposeful, real-world projects, the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between academia, business, and society. Over 700 students from the UK and Malaysia participate in industrial projects spanning diverse industries, tackling real-world business and societal challenges. The Business and Digital Clinics provide a dynamic platform for students to develop and showcase their projects, fostering cross-cultural exchange and innovation. Through this initiative, students share reflections and insights gained from their live experiences, culminating in an international competition that highlights their achievements and impact. Project Goals The initiative will facilitate an international competition where final-year students from UKMUC member institutions work on projects that focus on both business solutions and societal impact. Projects will be assessed on their academic merit and innovation, with top submissions chosen for regional showcases in both countries. Local winners will be selected based on criteria such as feasibility and impact, with the winning students receiving an international trip to further develop their ideas. Project Phases Business Clinic Students present and discuss their projects informally, fostering peer learning and feedback. Showcase events in Malaysia and the UK where the top 20 projects are evaluated by panels of business leaders and community stakeholders. Local winners receive prizes and are selected for the international exchange program. Podcast Series A platform to share student stories, industry insights, and lessons learned from the projects. The series will highlight the business and societal impacts of the projects, promoting cross-cultural engagement. This presentation will provide an overview of the project, showcase examples of student work and reflections, and offer the audience new strategies for collaborating with their own partner students. Through these efforts, the project aims to enhance curriculum content, cultivate industry partnerships, and inspire global audiences by sharing knowledge and best practices from both the UK and Malaysian contexts. Key learning points from this session: Attendees will learn how to integrate real-world projects into their curriculum, foster cross-cultural collaboration, and build industry partnerships. Key takeaways include strategies for engaging students in impactful projects, enhancing global learning experiences, and using innovative platforms like Business and Digital Clinics to bridge academia, business, and society. Integrating real-world projects into the curriculum: a case study into bridging classroom to business and society through business clinics and project experiences in UK & Malaysia PowerPoint. Business Development in an Innovative Tech Start-up poster. Project in operational customer service, marketing and sales support poster. AI Innovations: Integrating AI into digital marketing to enhance audience connection and campaign efficiency poster. Only LJMU staff and students have access to the above resources

Session 44: Yes, we see you! A case study providing university access for adults with learning disabilities

Session overview: ‘Yes, we see you!’ is a collaborative project between LJMU and Mencap Liverpool & Sefton, supported by the LJMU Diversity and Inclusion Fund. Building on Mencap Liverpool & Sefton’s ‘Do you see me?’ communications campaign—which sought to increase visibility for adults with learning disabilities and promote their inclusion in society—this initiative addresses the lack of access these individuals have to university experiences. Staff and students across various LJMU faculties developed and piloted a programme designed to provide meaningful access to educational opportunities for Mencap Liverpool & Sefton members. This culminated in the delivery of three mini-modules: 1. Relationship Education, 2. Sports, and 3. Creative Writing. This project offered participants a unique opportunity to engage with university life and fostered collaboration between students and individuals with learning disabilities, promoting mutual understanding and advocacy for inclusion. This session will explore the challenges of organising the programme, highlight key outcomes, and present perspectives from both LJMU students who supported the initiative and Mencap members who participated in the lessons. The project underscores the importance of partnerships in creating inclusive opportunities and demonstrates how academic institutions can play a role in advancing equity and social justice. Key learning points from this session: Attendees will learn how collaborative initiatives can enhance inclusion for underrepresented groups, adoptable strategies for developing inclusive programmes, and ways to foster enriching student engagement with individuals with learning disabilities. Key messages include promoting equity, overcoming organisational challenges, and the broader impact of university-led projects on societal inclusion and social justice. Yes, we see you! A case study providing university access for adults with learning disabilities PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource

Session 19 Lightning talk: Advancing practice showcase event: cultivating peer support as an educational strategy for postgraduate and Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) learners

Session overview: The prevalence of mental health issues in university students is increasing rapidly (450% increase, in recent years). One aspect of education that students find particularly stressful is public speaking assessments such as oral presentations. These assessments are a crucial component of a higher education syllabus for evaluating students’ ability to communicate ideas effectively whilst also providing transferrable skills for the workplace. However, 80% of students from two UK Universities reported that oral presentations were a source of social anxiety impacting on learning and well-being. Therefore, it is important to explore potential stress buffers to help students cope with these assessments. A potential tool for alleviating stress is exercise. The health benefits of regular exercise have been studied extensively with evidence supporting mood-boosting and stress-reducing properties. The present study aimed to investigate the effects of regular exercise in stress reactivity during oral presentation assessments. Salivary cortisol was measured immediately before, immediately after, 20 minutes after, and at 5:00 pm on the evening of the oral presentation. Baseline cortisol samples were also taken a week prior to the assessments, 30 minutes after waking and at 5:00 pm for comparison. Our data suggest a significant attenuation of cortisol responses immediately before an oral presentation assessment in students with high pre-existing physical activity levels compared to those with low/moderate physical activity levels. With this study, we aim to highlight evidence that campaigning for regular exercise amongst university students is essential for improving student well-being and student outcomes. Key learning points from this session: This study clearly shows that regular exercise has stress buffering effects during assessments involving oral presentation. This information can be interesting to all colleagues across the university as oral presentations are a common type of assessment in most educational settings. Advancing practice showcase event: cultivating peer support as an educational strategy for postgraduate and Advanced Clinical Practice (ACP) learners PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource

Case Study: Blending Asynchronous and Synchronous

Many staff have had different responses to working online but Simone has “enjoyed online teaching and learning and found it did not impact on the quality of my interactions.” Her approach was to swap the lecture time (1 hour) with an online live chat in Canvas, which she later delivered via Zoom with its in-built screen share option so she could show PowerPoint slides. For the remaining 2 hours contact time, she had prepared a pre-recorded Panopto lecture of around 20 minutes, which delivered the lecture materials in summary. She uploaded this in the weekly session along with additional study materials, including embedded documentaries (on YouTube) and reading materials. Simone explained that “I asked them at the end of the first hour to spend the next 60 to 90 minutes engaging with these materials, after which I met with students again in the online live chat or (later) Zoom to summarise the session and let them ask questions about the materials.” This way, she kept to the timetabled delivery time, which was good for students who liked the formal timetabled structure, as it allowed them to maintain their usual learning and stay in touch with Simone and other students. “So, in short, I found that this blended approach to teaching (including live chat/zoom, pre-recorded short lectures, and additional material available in each week in Canvas) during the actual timetabled session worked very effectively. I appreciate we are not a remote university, however this came pretty close to physical contact delivery.” Student engagement Simone found the student engagement “excellent”. See believes this was connected to staying within the normal 3 hour slot. However, there was one student who was classed as shielded (even within his own home) and emailed to say he suffered from extreme anxiety and stress, and as a result did not take part in the live online learning, but read up all the materials and achieved very good results in the assessment. Simone acknowledged that a key issue for online learning is mental health caused by the pandemic, plus technical equipment requirements, as some students found it tricky to access the different technology

Case Study: Bringing students together through active learning and simulations

SummaryA framework of active and flipped learning through incorporating simulation.Further Information:Subject Area:Business ManagementLevel: 7Class Size: 25 The school of leadership and organisational development within the MBA have a strong focus on improving practice within the workplace. This programme strongly encourage students to share how their learning has been applied in practice.Project Management ModuleThe module is an optional and enables students to critically evaluate the key concepts that relate to stakeholders, critical success, risk management, project planning.A typical cohort size is around 20 to 25 students. Students have experience in managing organisation projects, they often face challenges and experience high levels of change and uncertainty. However, sometimes their traditional approach to project management doesn\u27t really meet the challenges that they\u27re facing. They tend not to have any formal training inproject management theory or practice. The framework for the module incorporates learning simulations and principles of action learning to build more of a collaborative learning experience for the students. Natalie purchased a business simulation programme from an external company.Why use simulation? They create a level playing field in a learning environment Use real life scenarios Realistic conditions to set up reflective discussions A chance to apply theory to practice Bring students together to work collaboratively Presents a series of questions to students that they then have to think about and take action Reveal the unintended consequences Can be better than the real world experiences Simulation negatives: It can be expensive, business simulation can cost up to £500 pounds for a cohort of 25 students Setting up hardware and software can be challenging Some students focus more on the simulation process instead of learning about the task. The framework uses action learning to provide a useful lens to enhance learning within the simulations. It encourages students to develop their capabilities as professionals, to build learning relationships beyond the modules. It also helps to give attention to clarify the natureof the problem, rather than just jumping straight into solutions. It also helps develop the ability to ask questions and listening more to the experiences of others and gaining multiple perspectives. Because student groups are presented the same scenario, they\u27re given the same information at the same time, revealing different ways with different outcomes. They can then reflect on why we do things differently, providing another lens - bringing learning and simulations together.Natalie did an online practicum, a simulated virtual world, a safe space where our students could come and apply theory to practice with reflections and questioning and listening, being core within these two days of delivery.Discussion BoardsNatalie also utilised Canvas discussion boards very successfully which were linked directly to units of content to reflect on your own experiences and how you would apply theory. These became a rich and valuable source for collaboration and exchange for students. They were given a case study, a pre simulation report to do before they turned up to class. This used theidea of flipped learning and was allocated 25% of the final mark. Natalie would have liked to have had this as a formative assessment, but experienced has taught her that tying this to a summative assessment creates greater motivation for students to complete the assignment.The main aim of this pre simulation report was to get the students to turn on prepared for the session.Natalie gave students space to complete the simulation phases, but checked in and out of the room to see how they were progressing. When students reached key phases or critical decisions, they stopped the simulations and reviewed their decision, reflected on what hadhappened, how they felt previous experiences. They regrouped on what they could learn from that and then they planned for the next phase. Principles of action learning were embedded in these debrief sessions and most importantly, Natalie saw the benefits of reflecting togethersocially, where she saw the biggest change in perspectives, opinions and practices. Flipped, Action Learning and simulation really made this module enjoyable to teach and improved the students engagement, performance and satisfaction.Natalie found that her teaching practice moved away from giving information to a balance of providing activities and supporting students through the process

Session 71: A men\u27s mental health podcast with a hug!

Session overview Men typically make up 75% of suicide deaths in the UK; in England, the highest suicide rate is among males aged 45–49, with 25.3 per 100,000 (ONS, 2024). Men are less likely to seek treatment for their mental health (Mind, 2020) and just 36% of all NHS referrals for psychological therapy are for men (Mental Health UK, 2024). It is also important to consider the concerning data that, in the context of poor mental health outcomes, 90% of individuals sleeping on the streets in England are men over the age of 26 who are from the United Kingdom (Housing and Communities, 2024) and that proportionally men make up to 96% of the total prison population (HM Prison and Probation Service, 2024). The Man Hug podcast began in early 2023 and it became a medium to capture the essence of these discussions to encourage men to talk. The podcast has three aims: Provide a platform for men with lived experience to share their mental health stories. Showcase the network of support that exists to help and support men Normalise the experience of talking about mental health to tackle the stigma associated with it. As hosts of the podcast, we are determined to demonstrate that poor mental health affects all men across class, demographic, and cultural lines, and that, by talking, our guests demonstrate positive male role models – and that it’s good to talk. To date, the podcast has addressed various themes such as addiction, grief, loneliness, suicide, neurodiversity, and memories. Following an evaluation the podcast is proving to be a useful educational tool for students and staff to enhance knowledge about mental health and to improve signposting. Key learning points from this session: How Podcasts can be used to enhance knowledge The power of Lived Experience (Experts by Experience) How staff and students can signpost people to the right mental health support. A men\u27s mental health podcast with a hug! PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource

Case Study Increasing Tutorial Attendance and Engagement through Assessment Design

Overview:  This initiative involves assigning a percentage of module marks (e.g. 10%) to a "tutorial portfolio" component focused solely on attendance and engagement in tutorials. The goal is to incentivise student attendance and participation in tutorials, which cover key module content.  Implementation:  Embed the tutorial portfolio component in core modules across all program levels (e.g. levels 3-5).  Allocate set percentages for attendance (e.g. 1%) and engagement (e.g. 1%) respectively per tutorial.  Allow students to miss one tutorial without penalty to account for potential absences.  Have tutors track and submit attendance and engagement marks to the module leader.  With tutorial groups capped at 8 students, attendance verification has not been an issue or cause of student complaints about unfair marking.  Despite a cultural move away from providing marks solely for attendance, there has been little philosophical objection among staff about incentivising attendance through this assessment design.  As this initiative is still in the early stages of implementation (second year), the programs have no plans to significantly develop or modify the tutorial portfolio assessment in the near future.  Impact:  Anecdotally, the initiative has driven an improvement in tutorial attendance rates.  Very few students fail modules solely due to not attempting the tutorial portfolio component.  Over time, the familiarity between students and regular tutors supports increased participation.  Assigning marks for attendance and participation has increased the perceived importance and value of tutorials for both students and staff.  Considerations:  Can require additional coordination for tutors to track and submit marks.  Needs clear communication to students on tutorial importance and portfolio assessment.  Reasonable adjustments may be needed to accommodate student absences due to illness etc.&nbsp

Case Study: Using Panopto for Live and Recorded Lectures and Q&A sessions

Panopto is a lecture recording platform which can be used to pre-record lectures or to host live lectures after which the recording will be made available. Panopto includes a number of features that enable students to interact with content and the lecturer as they might in a live, face-to-face lecture environment.  Some of these features are an enhancement on what might be possible within a traditional lecture environment.  Shane has used Panopto in a number of ways for both live online delivery but also recording of lectures, but highlights some of these particular features: In Panopto viewer, lecturers can time-stamp/bookmark sections of the lecture to help break it up into shorter clips that are more digestible. These bookmarks can be used to quickly navigate to the relevant slide/audio-visual recording. In Panopto viewer, students can also use Notes to annotate sections of the lecture in a similar manner, but these Notes are only available to the individual student. Students can use these Notes to indicate a point of particular interest/relevance and/or to identify a point for which they need further clarification.  These Notes are time-stamped according to the exact point in the lecture (commentary and slide position) so that students can easily refer back, if needed. For lectures delivered live through Panopto, students can raise questions/comments through the Discussion feature.  These questions will be available for the lecturer and other students to see, and so it may be desirable to concurrently avail of platforms that facilitate anonymous questions such as Padlet or Vevox. Encouraging student engagement Another way in which Shane has used Panopto is for pre-recording lectures.  Students will have continued access to this recording, that they can watch and re-watch as needed.  Using the Notes feature, as described, they can highlight parts of interest or that require further clarification.  A number of days post-release of the recording, Shane runs Q&A sessions where he will respond to student queries prompted by the recording.  Students can post questions publicly (via Panopto) or anonymously (via other freeware such as Padlet. Vevox would work well, too).  Allowing questions to be posted anonymously is seen to make students feel more comfortable with asking questions that they might not otherwise be happy to do in a large classroom environment. These questions can be answered using Panopto in the context of the lecture recording (audio-visual, slides, Notes, and other bookmarks) making it easier for students to synthesise information compared to when questions are answered across multiple channels (e.g., one-to-one, via email, during office hours, Canvas Discussion threads, or Canvas inbox messages). Shane sees particular benefits for student engagement in providing Panopto recordings that include both video and audio of the lecturer alongside the slides.  Whilst it is important for content to be well prepared in advance, as would be the case for a live face-to-face lecture, there is no need for recorded lectures to be over-rehearsed or too scripted.  In an online learning environment, it is important that the personality of the lecturer comes across to students; overly scripted or rehearsed lectures may diminish engagement of the student with the lecturer. Delivering a continuous video with the facility for time-stamping may be a useful way of ensuring the lecturer can let their personality shine through, while providing both staff (using bookmarks) and students (using Notes) with the option to break a lecture up into sub-topics

Session 15: The MasteryPath – an adaptive learning approach that promotes online learning

Session overview: Many higher education institutions are now tapping into the growing number of educational technologies accessible for teaching and learning (T&L) purposes. Indeed, the opportunity and ability to embed digital tools into the T&L process have transformed higher education. The use of such practices has been amplified further by COVID-19, as well as pedagogical research and institutions (i.e., Advance HE) advocating for a hybrid and/or blended approach to learning. One such adaptive learning tool available to teachers is the MasteryPath (MP), a tool that breaks down subject matter into small units of online learning that students can undertake at their own pace. Here, only once a learner has a thorough comprehension of a specific topic can they move onto the next. As a team, we initially constructed two automated MPs, which had the primary objective of encouraging students to explore certain areas of the LJMU website (referencing and student systems). Over the past 4 years this adaptive learning approach has been utilised across the business school, with, more recently, this approach being piloted with student futures remodelling the ‘Future Focus’ task. Over this time, qualitative and quantitative data has been collected from both students and staff across three programmes with over 1000 students completing a MP as both a summative and a formative assessment. In this presentation, we will discuss the positive impact of these MPs on student learning through the data collected within the context of the constant evolution of this tool. Key learning points from this session: To see the impact of adaptive learning tool on student learning. Evidence will be drawn from a range of different assessments, subsequent assessments, student feedback, and colleague feedback within the Business School. The MasteryPath – an adaptive learning approach that promotes online learning PowerPoint. Only LJMU staff and students have access to this resource