Designing and Delivering Courses/Modules in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences: a workshop for new and recently appointed teaching staff

23-24 May 2000
Hornton Grange, University of Birmingham Conference Centre

Aims and Learning Outcomes of the Workshop

On completion of the workshop participants will have had the opportunity to:

• learn about and evaluate a range of approaches, methods and resources for teaching, learning and assessment in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences and share good practice;
• appreciate how general training in teaching, learning and assessment in higher education needs to be interpreted, adapted and supplemented for effective use in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences;
• share experiences of, and concerns about teaching our subjects with other new teaching staff and with experienced practitioners in these subjects;
• create plans to improve their teaching and for their continuing professional development in teaching our subjects;
• evaluate the workshop and help the staff to improve it for future years.

The workshop is funded by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and will be monitored by the Institute for Teaching and Learning (ILT).

Staff

Issues concerning safety, equal opportunities, part-time students, special-needs students and distance learners will be dealt with by embedding them in each of the programme's sessions as appropriate.

Day 1	23 May
Session 1	Introduction. Defining the key issues for the group and for you. (11.00) (Alan Jenkins and Gordon Clark)
Session 2	Learning outcomes and assessment in our subjects (Brian Chalkley and Mick Healey)
Session 3	Parallel sessions in: Communication and information technology in our subjects (Mick Healey and Phil Gravestock) Resource-based learning in our subjects (Brian Chalkley) Integrating skills development with academic content: a problem-based learning exercise (Jenny Blumhof, Marianne Hall and Andrew Honeybone) Lecturing in our subjects (Gordon Clark)
Session 4	Experiencing fieldwork (Alan Jenkins)
Day 2	24 May
Session 5	Parallel sessions in: Communication and information technology in our subjects (Mick Healey and Phil Gravestock) Laboratory classes in our subjects (Helen King and Neil Thomas) Resource-based learning in our subjects (Brian Chalkley) Small-group teaching in our subjects (Gordon Clark)
Session 6	Parallel sessions in: Integrating skills development with academic content: a problem-based learning exercise (Jenny Blumhof, Marianne Hall and Andrew Honeybone) Supervising our research students (Gordon Clark) Laboratory classes in our subjects (Helen King and Neil Thomas) Work experience, employer links and employability for our students (Brian Chalkley)
Session 7	Preparing a new module or block of teaching (Helen King and Neil Thomas)
Session 8	Producing an event profile and personal action plan for continuing professional development (Alan Jenkins and Gordon Clark)

(The workshop will end at 16.30)

Throughout the workshop participants will have access to a 'resource library' and a 'swap-shop', where requests for assistance can be made.

The workshop (including accommodation and meals) will be free of charge

There is a limit on the number of places available and applicants will be treated on a 'first come, first served' basis with, in the first instance, a restriction of one member of staff per department. Reserve places for further members of staff may be booked.

Booking Form

Please return the form by Wednesday 15 March 2000. After this date we will allocate any remaining places to names on the reserve list.

Name:

Address:

Tel:

Fax:

Email:

Please list the name(s) of staff in your department who would also like to attend the workshop:

Reserve name 1:

Reserve name 2:

Signature of Head of Department:

Return to:
Dr Phil Gravestock, Geography and Environmental Management Research Unit (GEMRU), Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, Francis Close Hall, Swindon Road, Cheltenham, GL50 4AZ

The booking form is also available as a pdf file