In May 2019 the King’s Business School launched a KEATS-based bespoke education hub to act as a one-stop central space to support teaching and learning, list key dates and build a vibrant learning community. It responds to concerns that good practice was not being shared effectively, version control of documents was problematic, and there was no repository to support initiatives such as peer review, GTA induction and education strategy projects. The aim is for it to become a powerful vehicle to enhance pedagogic practice, facilitate communication between staff, increase productivity by offering highly efficient and effective tools for educational delivery and share best practice around digital education.
The hub is a collaborative effort co-led by Sally Everett (Professor of Business Education and Vice-Dean of Education) with several school contributors. The layout and content drew inspiration from a student’s research project as part of a Technology and Innovation module. Its focus is on providing templated activities and file resources as well as celebrating innovation across the faculty. Examples of resources include assignment activities, templated documents such as Word and Slide files to ensure learning materials are accessible and have a consistent style, and easy to implement active learning methods for large classes.
Other guidance and resources available include:
• A repository for good practice emerging out of the new KBS Peer Review Development Scheme pedagogic resources for peer/group/self-assessment and feedback, active learning, inclusive education, technology enhanced learning.
• Support for our Graduate Teaching Assistants and their new induction programme.
• Subject Group Innovation Workshop resources e.g. Lego Serious Play.
• Materials from the KBS education symposium series (full day staff workshops run in KBS).
• Listings of education-focused staff development opportunities HEA Fellowship materials and guidance.
• Key dates, deadlines and policies – including an Education Team structure and calendar of key dates.
• Templates and video resources to help set up modules.
The TEL section opens with a short instructional screencast that runs through how to import content from the hub into one’s own module homepage. Also included in the section is a link to CTEL’s KEATS pages for Technology Enhanced Learning and recommended and recognised technologies, digital reading lists, information and a booking form for screen recording and writing equipment.
A symposium day was run as part of the launch. The morning sessions saw King’s Academy use the jigsaw method to share ideas, before KBS academics shared what active learning approaches work when they teach large classes. A hot lunch was then enjoyed before the afternoon sessions that offered an opportunity to walk through the KEATS-based education hub, and showcase our virtual learning environment through presentations with the help of colleagues from CTEL including Riaz Toorabally and Andreas Konstantinidis.
At the end of the workshop a forum announcement was sent to all staff via the hub which also asked for feedback. We are keen to ensure it has all the sections people need, and gather ideas on what else might be useful, what is not useful and how it can support people’s pedagogic practice.
The launch of the Hub was well received and also doubled up as a first run to inform the next one. We will also be using what was learnt for our September staff inductions. It’d be great to know if others have set about or worked on something similar, and always keen to receive comments or suggestions on what we may have missed out or could have done better!
Written by Haz Feliks
Haz leads King’s Business School digital education services ensuring on-campus and off-campus programmes are supported in the development and delivery of e-learning content. They co-ordinate the technology-enhanced learning team working alongside CTEL to facilitate: academic and student engagement and co-design of the online learning environment, faculty and centre TEL initiatives for analysis, hardware and software solutions, baseline and template process, and bench-marking and school-wide change projects.
