In this difficult period of adjusting to online learning and teaching, gaining recognition for your teaching as an HEA Fellow may not be something at the foremost of your to do list. However its a very rewarding application process, enabling you to reflect on your teaching practice, celebrate the approaches that have worked well and consider ways to support more effective student learning. As part of SALT’s 500 Fellows celebration, read how one of our current Fellows and assessors found it helpful along with their application tips.
Dr. Rhys Jones, Senior Lecturer and Programme Director for the MA in Digital Media in the College of Arts and Humanities shares his experience of applying the UK PSF in his teaching practice and tips from his role as mentor and assessor for those applying for HEA Fellowship through the Swansea Application Route for experienced staff. Rhys gained HEA Fellowship recognition through completion of the PG Cert in teaching in HE (PGCtHE) in 2012 through the medium of Welsh. He has been assessing PGCtHE portfolios since 2015, and supporting the Swansea Application Route since 2017. (More details about Rhys: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/arts-and-humanities/academic/jonesr/)
“I’ve been working at Swansea University for twelve years, first as a Welsh-medium teaching fellow, then as a lecturer in Digital Media. I finished the PG Cert in 2012 when it was a large portfolio of work with cross-references at the front to the UK Professional Standards Framework [1]. In some respects, I feel I started the PG Cert too early, because I found the reflection on practice to be so important and I didn’t have that much teaching experience to reflect upon. I really enjoyed covering aspects of the theories about learning and learning about varying methods to gain feedback from students. For example, “minute papers [2]”, where students identify one thing learnt from the session – which I use in paper and electronic form as part of my ‘teaching toolkit’ – the variety of tools I can use to gauge how students are learning and how effective my teaching is.”
What is the most important dimension of practice of the UKPSF for you?
“It’s a jigsaw. You cannot view them in isolation – they need one another and even if you consider the Areas of Activity by themselves, the Core Knowledge and Professional Values- the Ks and Vs – are implicit. It’s likely you won’t be an effective teacher if you view them in isolation. For me now, it’s difficult to separate these dimensions.”
So, given your subject (lecturer in digital media), how much important is K4 – the use and value of appropriate technology – to you?
“The key word there is appropriate. You have to critically examine why you are using the technology. Ironically in the PG Cert I used a paper version, rather than an electronic version, of the “minute paper” approach to evaluate the effectiveness of my teaching intervention (K5) and when asked why, well I explained that it was the technology most appropriate to the circumstances. That’s the value of K4: it comes down to knowing what is possible and when and how to use it. This morning I used Kahoot, sometimes I use PollEverywhere[3], but on other occasions I use Google Forms to collect information about student needs as part of their dissertation preparation for example. Certain digital technologies can establish the student’s baseline level of knowledge, check surface level understanding. It’s about knowing what you want to do first, then asking yourself, is a digital approach appropriate? It can be as unhelpful to rush into using digital technologies as it can be not to use them at all. You need to have an awareness of when and why to use them.”
What’s been the impact on your practice of your assessing role?
It’s been pleasing to see, ….that there is some universality in teaching regardless of the discipline
“It’s been pleasing to see, through reading or talking with applicants, that there is some universality in teaching regardless of the discipline. For example, being a bit worried about teaching large classes! It doesn’t matter if it’s management, science or engineering, the teacher can feel the same!
I’ve also been able to take some tips from other applications and apply that in my own practice.”
How else have you maintained ‘good standing’ as an HEA Fellow
“I’ve not been able to go to many formal CPD sessions through SALT/staff development. But for us, having colleagues nearby on one corridor – this is vitally important to enable corridor conversations to take place. I can go and discuss how a session has gone and share tips on different approaches. This enables us to impact one another’s practice.
I do consider Twitter to be part of my CPD: I follow some key people who are teaching interesting courses, teaching in my discipline or cognate subject area and I also follow some HEA Principal Fellows – they often have interesting stuff to share. I follow some hashtags also such as #AcademicTwitter which can be very useful as long as you’re prepared to filter through tweets. I also occasionally lurk around #LTHEChat [4]
Words of Encouragement for Future applicants?
“It’s worth applying, because it will help you reflect on your teaching practice. We really don’t do that enough because of time pressures, but developing your application will give you a more holistic view of your role and will help you to be better in the classroom.
Don’t be scared of the teaching theories either – there are nuggets of wisdom. I’m very keen on evidence-based pedagogical interventions. I particularly welcome the work of Professor Phil Newton – he busts many myths [5]. And don’t think that new is always good – for instance there’s a lot of encouragement to go to a flipped classroom approach, but there is evidence that a well-planned and presented lecture can be just as effective in supporting student learning.”
Top Tips for someone putting a claim for HEA Fellowship together?
Think of it as an investment for your future, for developing your personal journey through reflection on your practice
“Read the material on teaching approaches and teaching in your discipline but be critical of it. Is it underpinned by literature (V3) and does it consider how students learn (K3)? Also, try and apply that material in your work. For example, if it’s known that students learn better in short periods of teaching activity, then design your teaching sessions accordingly.
Also be open to be critical of your own teaching. A major reason for referring applications is that the person hasn’t demonstrated that their approach is effective, mainly because they haven’t reflected on their practice. Of course there is a great complexity of factors to take into account with different student cohorts, but you can acknowledge these caveats and recognise that perhaps there is scope for a change.
You may think you don’t have enough time to put in a ‘good’ application, but think of it as an investment for your future, for developing your personal journey through reflection on your practice.”
And where are you heading?
“Well. I’ve been programme director for the MA in Digital Media since 2013. That enables me to have a much broader perspective of our provision – to consider: what are incoming students looking for? How does our curriculum align with industry and subject benchmarks? I’ve also just finished six years as departmental assessment officer and been able, I hope, to influence the practices of my colleagues about QA of assessment. At some point, I’ll be considering an application for Senior Fellowship.”
[1]The UKPSF was updated in 2011. Rhys’ work was referenced to the version of the framework that applied prior to then.
[2] There is a range of summaries about the use and value of minute papers. An early article is that of Stead D. (2005) “ A review of the one-minute paper”, in Active Learning In Higher Education Vol 6(2), 118-131. (https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1469787405054237)
[3] There is a range of options to engage students and to check their understanding. See SALT’s website for a comparison of these: https://salt.swan.ac.uk/polling-solutions-aka-clickers/
[4] LTHEChat is a weekly Twitter chat hosted on Wednesday evenings 8- 9 p.m. during term-time on a variety of topics: https://lthechat.com/
[5] Phil Newton’s staff profile: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/medicine/learningandteaching/newtonpm/.
Notes:
For help interpreting the UKPSF Dimensions of Practice, see these resources available on the HEA’s website: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/dimensions-framework.
Also, see SALT’s website for information about Senior Fellow criteria: https://salt.swan.ac.uk/routes-to-fellowship-2/
Remaining in Good Standing is expected as part of the Code of Practice for HEA Fellows – see SALT website: https://salt.swan.ac.uk/after-fellowship-what-next/
Since this interview in February 2020, many things have changed in how we teach/support learning in HE! Notably, in the use of appropriate learning technologies and also that the design and implementation of effective learning activities remain vitally important, whether face to face, or delivered online or asynchronously.
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Cymraeg
[Yn y cyfnod anodd hwn o ymaddasu i ddysgu ac addysgu ar-lein, efallai na fydd ennill clod ar gyfer eich addysgu fel Cymrawd yr Academi Addysg Uwch ar ben eich rhestr o bethau y mae’n rhaid ichi eu gwneud. Serch hynny mae’r broses ymgeisio yn werthfawr iawn, yn eich galluogi i adlewyrchu ar eich arfer addysgu, dathlu’r ymagweddau sydd wedi gweithio’n dda ac ystyried ffyrdd o gefnogi dysgu mwy effeithiol gan fyfyrwyr. Fel rhan o ddathliad 500 o Gymrodorion gan SALT, darllenwch am y ffordd roedd o fudd i un o’n Cymrodorion ac aseswyr presennol, ynghyd â’i awgrymiadau ar gyfer ymgeisio.
Dr Rhys Jones, Uwch Ddarlithydd a Chyfarwyddwr Rhaglen MA Cyfryngau Digidol yng Ngholeg y Celfyddydau a’r Dyniaethau sy’n rhannu ei brofiad o roi Fframwaith Safonau Proffesiynol y DU ar waith yn ei ymarfer addysgu. Mae e hefyd yn cynnig awgrymiadau o’i rôl fel mentor ac asesydd ar gyfer y rhai sy’n gwneud cais am Gymrodoriaeth yr AAU trwy Lwybr Cais Abertawe ar gyfer staff profiadol. Enillodd Rhys gydnabyddiaeth Cymrodoriaeth yr AAU trwy gwblhau Tystysgrif Uwchraddedig Addysgu mewn Addysg Uwch (TUAAU/PGCtHE) yn 2012 trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Mae wedi bod yn asesu portffolios PGCtHE ers 2015, ac wedi cefnogi Llwybr Cais Abertawe ers 2017. (Mwy o fanylion am Rhys: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/arts-and-humanities/academic/jonesr/ )
“Rydw i wedi bod yn gweithio ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe ers 12 mlynedd, yn gyntaf fel cymrawd dysgu cyfrwng Cymraeg, yna fel darlithydd yn y Cyfryngau Digidol. Gorffennais y Dystysgrif Addysgu yn 2012 pan oedd yn bortffolio mawr o waith gyda chroesgyfeiriadau yn y tu blaen i Fframwaith Safonau Proffesiynol y DU.[1] Mewn rhai ffyrdd, efallai i fi gychwyn ar y Dystysgrif yn rhy gynnar, am i fi weld bod y myfyrio ar ymarfer mor bwysig a doedd gyda fi ddim gymaint o brofiad addysgu i fyfyrio arno. Fe wnes i fwynhau ymdrin ag agweddau ar y damcaniaethau am ddysgu a dysgu am amrywiol ddulliau i gael adborth gan fyfyrwyr. Er enghraifft, “papurau munud”[2], lle mae myfyrwyr yn nodi un peth a ddysgwyd o’r sesiwn – rwy’n defnyddio’r rhain ar bapur ac yn electronig fel rhan o’m ‘hoffer addysgu’ – yr amrywiaeth o bethau y galla i ddefnyddio i fesur sut mae myfyrwyr yn dysgu a pha mor effeithiol yw fy addysgu. ”
Beth yw dimensiwn pwysicaf Fframwaith Safonau Proffesiynol y DU i chi?
“Mae’n jig-so. Does dim posib i chi eu gweld ar eu pennau eu hunain – hyd yn oed os ydych chi’n ystyried y Meysydd Gweithgaredd ynddynt eu hunain, mae’r Wybodaeth Graidd a’r Gwerthoedd Proffesiynol ymhlyg yn hynny. Mae’n debyg na fyddwch chi’n addysgu’n effeithiol os ydych chi’n eu gweld ar wahân. I mi nawr, mae’n anodd gwahanu pob dimensiwn. ”
Felly, o ystyried eich pwnc (darlithydd yn y cyfryngau digidol), pa mor bwysig yw K4 – defnydd a gwerth technoleg briodol – i chi?
“Allweddol yw’r gair allweddol fan’na! Mae’n rhaid i chi archwilio’n feirniadol pam ydych chi’n defnyddio’r dechnoleg. Yn eironig, yn y Dystysgrif Addysgu defnyddiais fersiwn bapur, yn hytrach na fersiwn electronig, o’r dull “papur munud” i werthuso pa mor effeithiol oedd fy ymyrraeth addysgu (K5) a phan ofynnwyd i mi pam, wel esboniais ei fod yn briodol ar y pryd. Dyna yw gwir werth K4: mae’n fater o wybod beth sy’n bosibl a phryd a sut i’w ddefnyddio. Bore ‘ma, roeddwn i’n defnyddio Kahoot, weithiau dwi’n defnyddio PollEverywhere[3], ond ar adegau eraill rwy’n defnyddio Google Forms i gasglu gwybodaeth am anghenion myfyrwyr fel rhan o’r paratoi ar gyfer eu traethawd hir er enghraifft. Gall y technolegau adael i chi wybod lefel sylfaenol gwybodaeth y myfyriwr, gwirio dealltwriaeth lefel wyneb. Mae’n fater o wybod beth rydych chi am ei wneud, yna gofyn i chi’ch hun, a yw’r dull digidol yn briodol? Gall fod yr un mor niweidiol rhuthro i mewn i ddefnyddio technolegau digidol ag y gall fod i beidio â’u defnyddio o gwbl. Mae angen i chi fod ag ymwybyddiaeth o bryd a pham i’w defnyddio.
Beth yw effaith eich rôl asesu ar eich ymarfer?
Mae wedi bod yn braf gweld, bod rhywfaint o gyffredinoldeb mewn addysgu gwaeth beth yw’r ddisgyblaeth
“Mae wedi bod yn braf gweld, trwy ddarllen neu siarad ag ymgeiswyr, bod rhywfaint o gyffredinoldeb mewn addysgu gwaeth beth yw’r ddisgyblaeth. Er enghraifft, bod nifer yn poeni am ddysgu dosbarthiadau mawr! Does dim ots ai rheolaeth, gwyddoniaeth neu beirianneg yw’r pwnc, gall yr addysgwr deimlo’r un peth!
Rwyf hefyd wedi gallu cymryd rhai awgrymiadau o geisiadau eraill a rhoi hynny ar waith yn fy ymarfer fy hun. ”
Sut arall ydych chi wedi cynnal ‘arfer da’ fel Cymrawd AAU?
“Dydw i ddim wedi gallu mynd i lawer o sesiynau DPP ffurfiol trwy SALT / datblygu staff. Ond i fi, mae cael cydweithwyr gerllaw ar un coridor wedi bod yn hanfodol bwysig er mwyn galluogi ‘sgyrsiau coridor’ i ddigwydd. Gallaf fynd i drafod sut mae sesiwn wedi mynd a rhannu awgrymiadau ar wahanol ddulliau. Mae hyn yn ein galluogi i effeithio ar arfer ein gilydd.
Rydw i yn ystyried Twitter yn rhan o fy DPP: rwy’n dilyn rhai pobl allweddol sy’n dysgu cyrsiau diddorol, efallai’n dysgu o fewn fy nisgyblaeth neu faes pwnc cysylltiedig ac rwyf hefyd yn dilyn rhai o Brif Gymrodyr yr AAU – yn aml mae ganddyn nhw bethau diddorol i’w rhannu. Rwy’n dilyn rhai hashnodau hefyd fel #AcademicTwitter, a all fod yn ddefnyddiol iawn cyn belled â’ch bod chi’n barod i hidlo trwy negeseuon trydar. Rwyf hefyd yn llechu o gwmpas #LTHEChat[] o bryd i’w gilydd [4]
Geiriau i annog ymgeiswyr y dyfodol?
“Mae’n werth gwneud cais, oherwydd bydd yn eich helpu chi i fyfyrio ar eich ymarfer addysgu. Dydyn ni ddim yn gwneud hynny ddigon oherwydd pwysau amser, ond bydd datblygu’ch cais yn rhoi golwg fwy cyflawn i chi o’ch rôl, a bydd yn eich helpu i fod yn well yn yr ystafell ddosbarth..
Peidiwch â bod ofn y damcaniaethau addysgu chwaith – mae yna ddarnau o ddoethineb. Rwy’n frwd iawn dros ymyriadau addysg sydd â thystiolaeth tu ôl iddyn nhw. Rwy’n croesawu gwaith yr Athro Phil Newton yn arbennig – mae’n chwalu llawer o fythau [5]. A pheidiwch â meddwl bod newydd bob amser yn dda – er enghraifft mae yna lawer o anogaeth i fynd i ddull ystafell ddosbarth wedi’i fflipio, ond mae tystiolaeth y gall darlith wedi’i chynllunio a’i chyflwyno’n dda fod yr un mor effeithiol wrth gefnogi dysgu myfyrwyr. ”
Syniadau Da i rywun sy’n paratoi cais am Gymrodoriaeth AAU?
…meddyliwch amdano fel buddsoddiad ar gyfer eich dyfodol, ar gyfer datblygu eich taith bersonol trwy fyfyrio ar eich ymarfer
“Darllenwch y deunydd ar ddulliau addysgu ac addysgu yn eich disgyblaeth ond byddwch yn feirniadol ohono. A yw llenyddiaeth (V3) yn sail iddo ac a yw’n ystyried sut mae myfyrwyr yn dysgu (K3)? Hefyd, ceisiwch roi’r deunydd hwnnw ar waith. Er enghraifft, os yw’n hysbys bod myfyrwyr yn dysgu’n well mewn cyfnodau byr o weithgaredd addysgu, yna dyluniwch eich sesiynau addysgu yn unol â hynny.
Hefyd, byddwch yn agored i fod yn feirniadol o’ch addysgu eich hun. Un o’r prif resymau dros beidio cymeradwyo ceisiadau’n syth yw nad yw’r unigolyn wedi dangos bod eu dulliau’n effeithiol, yn bennaf oherwydd nad ydyn nhw wedi myfyrio ar eu hymarfer. Wrth gwrs mae ffactorau cymhleth i’w hystyried gyda charfannau myfyrwyr gwahanol, ond gallwch chi gydnabod y cyfyngiadau hyn a sylwi efallai bod lle i newid.
Efallai eich bod yn meddwl nad oes gennych ddigon o amser i gyflwyno cais ‘da’, ond meddyliwch amdano fel buddsoddiad ar gyfer eich dyfodol, ar gyfer datblygu eich taith bersonol trwy fyfyrio ar eich ymarfer.”
Ac i ble ydych chi’n mynd?
““Wel. Rydw i wedi bod yn gyfarwyddwr rhaglen ar gyfer yr MA yn y Cyfryngau Digidol ers 2013. Mae hynny’n fy ngalluogi i gael persbectif llawer ehangach o’n darpariaeth – i ystyried: beth mae myfyrwyr sy’n dod i mewn yn chwilio amdano? Sut mae ein cwricwlwm yn cyd-fynd â meincnodau diwydiant a phwnc? Rwyf hefyd newydd orffen chwe blynedd fel swyddog asesu adrannol ac wedi gallu, gobeithio, dylanwadu ar arferion fy nghydweithwyr o ran safonau ansawdd asesu. Ar ryw adeg, byddaf yn ystyried gwneud cais am Uwch Gymrodoriaeth.””
[1] Cafodd yr UKPSF ei ddiweddaru yn 2011. Mapiwyd gwaith Rhys i fersiwn y fframwaith a oedd yn bodoli cyn hynny.
[2] Mae yna amryw o grynodebau am werth a defnydd papurau munud. Erthygl gynnar yw un Stead D. (2005) “A review of the one-minute paper”, yn Active Learning In Higher Education Cyfrol 6(2), 118-131. (https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1469787405054237)
[3] Mae yna ystod o ffyrdd i ennyn diddordeb myfyrwyr ac i wirio eu dealltwriaeth. Gweler gwefan SALT am gymhariaeth o’r rhain: https://salt.swan.ac.uk/cy/polling-solutions-aka-clickers/
[4] Sgwrs Twitter wythnosol yw LTHEChat a gynhelir ar nos Fercher yn ystod y tymor rhwng 8- 9 p.m, ar amrywiaeth o bynciau: https://lthechat.com/
[5] Proffil staff Phil Newton: https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/medicine/learningandteaching/newtonpm/
Nodyn:
Am help i ddehongli Dimensiynau Ymarfer UKPSF, gweler yr adnoddau hyn ar wefan yr AAU: https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/knowledge-hub/dimensions-framework
Hefyd, gweler gwefan SALT i gael gwybodaeth am feini prawf Uwch Gymrawd: https://salt.swan.ac.uk/cy/routes-to-fellowship-2
Disgwylir i Gymrodyr yr AAU aros mewn Arfer Da fel rhan o’r Cod Ymarfer – gweler gwefan SALT: https://salt.swan.ac.uk/cy/after-fellowship-what-next/
Ers y cyfweliad hwn ym mis Chwefror 2020, mae llawer o bethau wedi newid o ran sut rydym yn addysgu/cefnogi dysgu mewn addysg uwch! Yn arbennig, wrth ddefnyddio technolegau dysgu priodol a hefyd bod dylunio a gweithredu gweithgareddau dysgu effeithiol yn parhau i fod yn hanfodol bwysig, p’un ai wyneb yn wyneb, neu ar-lein neu ar adegau gwahanol.
Yamni Nigam is a Professor on the Enhanced Innovation and Engagement strand and has been working at Swansea University for over 20 years. She teaches on the broad multidisciplinary topic of Biomedical Sciences – specifically covering anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology – in the College of Human and Health Science. You may also know her through her research into maggots (recently supporting the production team of the BBC hospital drama Casualty) and she’s been recognised for her work through many local and national awards.
Mae Yamni Nigam yn Athro ar faes Arloesedd ac Ymgysylltiad Uwch ac wedi bod yn dysgu ym Mhrifysgol Abertawe am dros 20 mlynedd. Mae hi’n dysgu ar y topig eang, amlddisgyblaeth o Wyddorau Biofeddygol – yn benodol yn ymdrin ag anatomeg, ffisioleg a phathoffisioleg – yng Ngholeg y Gwyddorau Dynol ac Iechyd. Efallai eich bod yn nabod hi trwy ei ymchwil i mewn i gynrhon (yn ddiweddar yn cefnogi tîm cynhyrchu’r ddrama ysbyty, Casualty sydd ar y BBC) ac mae hi wedi cael ei adnabod am ei gwaith trwy wobrwyon lleol a chenedlaethol.