Book Review of Amanda Arbouin (2018) Black British Graduates: Untold Stories

Black British Graduates focuses on the experiences of ten graduates of African-Caribbean parentage and, as Arbouin declares, is “The first to document the life chances of black graduates in the UK” (p. 1).  In this qualitative account, the research participants, who were in their thirties and forties and established professionals, review their compulsory and post-compulsory education, and their careers.  The book chronicles the personal testimonies in relation to the barriers negotiated in the pursuit of academic qualifications.  The ‘life trajectory research approach’ covers the participants’ schooling (spanning the 1970s and 1980s) and university (1980s, 1990s and 2000s).  I was enraptured by this sense of social history and, as my own schooling and university experiences (as a young Asian) spanned the 1970s and 1980s, I could empathise with many of the comments.  Overall, it is a book of extraordinary texture, intimacy and purpose.[Review continues

Internationalisation: cui bono?

Many universities are striving to internationalise, each with its own rationale.  To benefit students, these efforts must go beyond the recruitment of international students and the development of transnational education, even though these bring their own fiscal and cultural rewards.  Here we examine the value of the other strands of the international agenda – student and staff exchange and internationalising the curriculum – as the aspects that most directly benefit the student experience

The student journey: time to make it personal

Current discussion about graduate employability and career options for graduates provides the opportunity to assess the degree choices students make and the skills they learn.  As part of an LJMU Curriculum Development Internship, two students contacted employers in the forensic science (and related industries) field and identified skills that employers feel that graduates lack.  Three sessions were then devised to embed these enterprise/personal skills into a skills module.  Student engagement was excellent and further work is now being undertaken to embed similar sessions into subject specific modules

What does a beige top and a load of boxes have to do with teaching?

According to Darling Hammond (2006) teaching is a serious business which involves developing policies and practices fro \u27powerful learning\u27 which meet the needs of learners. So, does it really matter what you wear; where and how you stand; how you speak; what you do with your hands or what the room looks like? You might not think so on first thought but we have discovered that it does makes a difference and is important. A small group of staff has been working with an external consultant on just these matters as well as individually developing their own particular needs and having fun with it. This short reflection shares with you a project about \u27Peer Review\u27 - but perhaps not as you would know it

Supporting students’ mental health and wellbeing through the integration of companion animals into tutorial programmes at a teaching-led university

 This paper considers the protocols and processes of a small-scale project involving final year students and the companion animals (dogs and guinea pigs) of tutors, aimed at improving student wellbeing and fostering relational learning.  Narratives and survey data revealed a range of perceived benefits including those relating to the technique of distraction to reduce anxiety and improve student wellbeing.  Also identified are possible further benefits including relational learning and improved attendance.  The paper reflects on a range of other issues, such as the welfare of the animals, potential risks and objections from staff and students. Recommendations from the pilot project are provided and the potential for further research identified.

Attendance and attainment are they linked: a study in the first-year of a bioscience degree

There is much evidence in the literature that suggests that student attendance rate is linked with both attainment and retention. Levels of attendance have been shown to be influenced by many factors, such as part-time work and day and time of learning opportunity. The aims of this current study were to investigate the links between a) attendance and attainment b) attendance and day/time of the module in two first-year modules of a bioscience degree. The results confirm the link between attendance and module attainment, but did not find a relationship between attendance and timetabling of the module. Therefore, for any university aiming to increase their overall student attainment the key recommendation would be the introduction of a robust and visible attendance monitoring system

What is a good higher education teacher?: "Am I what I say I am?"

The Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (LTHE) programme has been in place at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) since 1995; one of the first to be nationally recognised by the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA). Since then it has been revised several times drawing on a range of sources and influences including participant feedback, local and national educational initiatives and research into student learning to keep the curriculum relevant, up to date and appropriately challenging. In 2007 the programme underwent a major review which included mapping the LJMU aims and outcomes to the United Kingdom\u27s Professional Standards Framework that had been published in Februrary 2006. This paper outlines the impact on one participant of one of the changes introduced in 2007. It attempts to demonstrate how an assessment task set at the start of the course influenced a senior lecturer in music from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts and provided him with a framework for on-going interrogation of his teaching within the wider higher education (HE) context

Making space for somatic practice in higher education

It is heartening to acknowledge that in recent years somatic practice has been given a rightful place in the curriculm of a number of undergraduate dance courses. As an advocate and facilitator of somatic educationthis paper has been designed to address the significance of its inclusion, especially with regards to its value of nurtuing dance technique, creative play and personal artistry in performance

Personal enquiry project: students\u27 perceptions of world of work initiatives; does anybody know that they\u27re out there?

The influence of the current economic climate, and the inherent challenges that preside within it, mean that it is not enough for a modern graduate to approach the employment market armed with a good degree. It has become increasingly important that graduates have, and can evidence, employability skills. This had led higher education insitutions towards a culture of employability and as such Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) reponded with the implementation of the LJMU WoW TM (World of Work) initiative. Similarly, in 2005, the School of Sport and Exercise Sciences at LJMU was recognised as a Centre of Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL); the Centre for Excellence in Leadership and Professional Learning (CELPL), and subsequently introduced a local approach towards formally addressing employability needs. This article considers the students\u27 perspective of such LJMU employability initiatives, in order to see how well recognised and valued these are amongst the student population

Publishing or perishing? The scale and state of open access institutional higher education journals in the UK

This paper provides an overview of open access institutional higher education journals in the UK.  These are in-house publications that are focused on developing staff and disseminating, largely, localised accounts and reflections of academic practice.  This study found that around ten per cent of UK higher education institutions have an institutional journal, and these vary in style and focus.  Developing and sustaining an institutional journal has been challenging, as evidenced by the often sporadic patterns of publication.  This paper reflects on a number of themes, including: governance and quality; scale and scope; and publishing platforms used.  The paper offers suggestions for future research, particularly in relation to the value and impact of these journals for (a) the contributor, (b) the institution, and (c) the wider academic community