Focusing the kaleidoscope: Investigating the newly formed role of “Academic Lead” at a research-led University

This paper reports on a Leadership Foundation funded research project exploring the ways in which one UK institution has implemented a new ‘distributed’ leadership model. Crucially, the project examines the impact of the model on both those who are leaders and those being led. The report is organised over seven sections. First, we provide the rationale for the study. Second, we give contextual background to the model being examined. Third, we outline the research project’s key aims and research questions. Next, we outline the theoretical framework that guided the study. Then, we describe the study’s methods, present the findings and, in the final section, highlight a range of questions which have arisen from our research for the case study institution to consider

A Connected Curriculum for Higher Education

Is it possible to bring university research and student education into a more connected, more symbiotic relationship? If so, can we develop programmes of study that enable faculty, students and ‘real world’ communities to connect in new ways? In this accessible book, Dilly Fung argues that it is not only possible but also potentially transformational to develop new forms of research-based education. Presenting the Connected Curriculum framework already adopted by UCL, she opens windows onto new initiatives related to, for example, research-based education, internationalisation, the global classroom, interdisciplinarity and public engagement

Submitting to MedEdPORTAL: Do it right the first time

Presented as a Small Group/Roundtable Discussion at 2020 IUSM Education Day.Medical educators at Indiana University School of Medicine (IUSM) are encouraged to publish in MedEdPORTAL: The Journal of Teaching and Learning Resources. Published by the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), MedEdPORTAL is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal for medical education scholarship. These publications contain complete curricula, including objectives, instructor guides, slides, and assessments, ready to be implemented in the classroom. When faculty members apply for promotion, MedEdPORTAL can demonstrate the quality of their work through peer-review, citation counts, and other usage reports. Despite submitting high quality learning modules, medical educators receive rejections from the MedEdPORTAL 62% of time. Reasons for rejection include insufficient educational context and assessment, mismatch of educational objectives and instructional content, and failure to build on existing curricula. Of immediately rejected submissions, 90% also have copyright issues. MedEdPORTAL is a member of the Open Access Scholarly Publishers Association (OASPA) and therefore has strict requirements for copyright and licensing images in the education materials. These requirements are difficult to navigate. For faculty who are not familiar with copyright and licensing, these barriers can be frustrating enough to deter them from submitting curricula. This workshop introduced MedEdPORTAL, described the submission process, and shared our strategies for putting together a successful submission. By the end of the workshop, participants were able to: • Identify curricula they have developed that would fit with the goals of MedEdPORTAL’s publishers • Use template to complete the Educational Summary Report (ESR) • Classify content as that which requires copyright permission, is in the public domain, or has a Creative Commons license • Navigate the process of manuscript submission and revisio

American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating

Review of: "American Organic: A Cultural History of Farming, Gardening, Shopping, and Eating," by Robin O’Sullivan

Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life

Review of: Water and What We Know: Following the Roots of a Northern Life, by Karen Babine

The Furrow and Us: Essays on Soil and Sentiment

Review of: "The Furrow and Us: Essays on Soil and Sentiment," by Walter Thomas Jack, edited by Zachary Michael Jack