PTAS Projects 2023-24

March 2024

Co-creating a culturally responsive pedagogy

School: Health in Social Science (Nursing Studies)

Team: Lorraine Close Dr Jenni Tocher Dr Sarah Rhynas Dr Lissette Aviles Dr Catherine Clarissa Charlotte Taylor Dr Susanne Kean Paul Creighton and Dr Glenna Nightingale

Abstract

This project aims to develop a culturally responsive pedagogical approach embedded in clinical skills and simulation delivery at the University of Edinburgh Department of Nursing Studies in the School of Health in Social Science. Its focus is to integrate justice, equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and sustainability in the planning, development and delivery of simulation-based education curricula and to create open educational resources (OER) that support this.

Incorporating student perspectives towards Generative AI

School: Physics & Astronomy

Team: Dr Ross Galloway Joe Marsh Rossney Dr Britton Smith and Dr Joseph Zuntz

Abstract

The project seeks to understand how the experience of undergraduate students taking programming courses has changed, and is changing, due to the sudden availability of 'Generative Artificial Intelligence' (GenAI) systems such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and GitHub's CoPilot. The insights will feed into the development of a set of guidelines and recommendations aimed at Course Organisers. Anticipating a wider relevance than the courses we are directly involved with, we will take steps to disseminate the findings of our study among colleagues in the SoPA, the broader University community, and further afield. The key results will be submitted for publication in a Focused Collection of the peer-reviewed journal Physical Review Physics Education Research. Finally, this study will serve as a baseline and potentially a blueprint for follow-up work as the technological landscape evolves.

Open Educational Resources core engineering mathematics

Schools: Mathematics, and Engineering

Team: Dr Konstantina Zerva, Dr Simon Taylor, Prof Daniel Friedrich Dr Nicholas Polydorides, Mr Malthe Sporring, and Mr Santiago Borio

Abstract

This project centres on extending the interactive HELM (Helping Engineers to Learn Mathematics) workbooks to cover the first two years of the Engineering Mathematics. The workbooks have existed in static PDF format since 2005 and have used widely across the UK. In 2020, the School of Mathematics led a conversion of the PDFs into a series of online interactive workbooks using the STACK software. These online workbooks are covering the first year of Engineering Mathematics, which remain in active use even two years after the return to in-person teaching. Furthermore, the interactive HELM workbooks have already been in use from other Higher Education institutions across the UK and the international STACK community.

The project will use the experience of the team members to complete the set of interactive workbooks to cover two years of Engineering Mathematics. These resources will be used within the University of Edinburgh and will be made available as an OER under CC-BY licence. In parallel with this, we will create a standard and well-documented workflow that will support improvements in the “translation” of paper-based questions into auto-marked questions.

Improving commuter students’ experiences of assessment, degree outcomes and labour market prospects

School: Moray House School of Education and Sport with Institute for Academic Development, Centre for Open Learning and the Widening Participation Office

Team: Professor Sheila Riddell, Dr Hazel Christie, Professor Lyn Tett, Rachael King, and Kirstin Henry

Abstract

This project aims to:

Explore commuter students’ experiences of assessment;

Analyse the progression rates and degree outcomes of commuter students relative to non- commuters, controlling for relevant variables (such as WP status, SIMD, ethnicity, age, sex and disability) using university administrative data;

Analyse commuter students’ employment outcomes compared with non-commuting students, using Graduate Outcomes Survey data;

Understand the reasons behind material differences in the degree and labour market outcomes of commuter students, using survey and interview data.

Inform university policy and practice with regard to addressing inequalities in degree and labour market outcomes between commuters/non-commuters and WP/non-WP undergraduates more widely.

Embedding Accessibility into Higher Education Courses and Programmes

School: Informatics with Information Services Group, Learning, Teaching & Web Services, Health in Social Science, Disability and Learning Support Service, and Disability Information

Team: Aurora Constantin, Dr Tracey Madden, Dr Joanna Alexjuk, Jan Gardiner, Viki Galt and Dr Cristina Adriana Alexandru

Abstract

Teaching accessibility in higher education (HE) is essential for equity promotion, legal compliance, professional readiness, diversity, inclusion, ethical fulfilment, innovation encouragement, and leadership in fostering an inclusive society. Recent studies highlight a significant gap in formal education on accessibility (Jia et al., 2021). For instance, skills and knowledge crucial for designing accessible technology are often overlooked in Computer Science courses, despite the rising demand for accessibility skills in job postings (Worsley & Bar-El, 2022; Ladner & May, 2017).

This project aims to bridge this gap by investigating methods to embed accessibility into courses in the School of Informatics (SoI), School of Education (SoE), and School of Health in Social Science (HISS) at Edinburgh. Accessibility is particularly crucial in these schools because it ensures that technology, educational materials, and health-related information are accessible to all. By integrating accessibility principles into the curriculum of these Schools, we not only promote accessibility within these disciplines but also equip future professionals with the skills to create accessible products, educational resources, and healthcare services.

Our goal is to understand the perspectives of educators, teaching support providers, and learning technologists and identify the support needed to integrate accessibility effectively into teaching. Additionally, we aim to engage students, alumni, relevant university support groups, professional bodies and companies, to determine the accessibility knowledge and skills that our students are expected to possess. Finally, we will develop practical recommendations for embedding accessibility into HE courses.

Understanding and Shaping Generative AI Integration in Computer Science Education

School: Informatics with Mathematics, Education and the Business School

Team: Dr. Pavlos Andreadis, Professor Judy Robertson, Dr Cristina Adriana Alexandru, Dr Heather Yorston, Dr Stuart King, Dr Felipe Costa Sperb and Mr Vidminas Vizgirda

Abstract

Our project focuses on enhancing the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI), particularly Generative AI (GenAI), into Computer Science (CS) programmes. Through an internal survey and collaboration with faculty and students from schools that include CS programmes (Informatics, Mathematics and Business School), we will identify applications, challenges, and best practices specific to CS Education.

The project involves compiling internal case studies, conducting surveys, and focus groups, as well as developing recommendations on using GenAI in teaching based on the experience of our different communities. Our goal is to empower Schools, staff and students, to navigate the dynamic landscape of AI in education responsibly and innovatively.

We recognize the need to safeguard against improper integration and ensure preparedness for the widespread use of GenAI, including by students. Our investigation will therefore also cover potential pitfalls stemming from its improper adoption, relevant mitigation strategies, and guidelines for its responsible use.

The outcomes will include a detailed report, a toolkit for faculty, and recommendations for future projects. These will be disseminated to other schools in the College of Science and Engineering (CSE), as well as through publications for the benefit of the wider CS Education community.

Clients as Partners in Education: Valuing and Developing Relationships

School: R(D)SVS

Team: Dr Carolyn Morton, Dr Kirsty Hughes, and Prof Susan Rhind

Abstract

The R(D)SVS has developed a distinctive client volunteer programme for delivering communication skills training. While ‘simulated clients’ (actors using scripts to deliver clinical scenarios) are used commonly, there is little research on the use of authentic clients. This project aims to explore the motivations and experiences of our established group of eight client volunteers as co-educators within the BVM&S curriculum and the reciprocal experiences of our 3rd and 4th year students engaging with them in classes. A further aim is to enhance the partnership and use the data to inform and evolve the programme. Individual semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the clients with the data analysed using an inductive thematic approach. A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach will capture the student experience of engaging with the clients and perceived value. Outputs will be shared through presentations and publications as we envisage the insight gained will be of value to the wider veterinary and medical education community looking to explore more authentic and economical communication skills training and to other disciplines in the context of employability.

October 2023

Co-Creation of a New Development Needs Analysis for PGR Students.

School: Institute for Academic Development with Careers Service, Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, Literatures, Languages and Cultures, and History, Classics, and Archaeology

Team: Dr Anna Pilz, Dr Fiona Philippi, Dr Sharon Maguire, Dr Tom MacGillivray, Prof Laura Bradley, and Dr Kimberley Czajkowski

Abstract

We aim to co-create an evidence-based Development Needs Analysis (DNA) for postgraduate researchers (PhD students; abbreviated as PGRs) that is fit for purpose, attuned to STEM and SHAPE PGRs, and connects research-related considerations to those of broader career development. PTAS funding will enable a timely collaboration between the IAD, Careers Service, and Doctoral College, in partnership with Precision Medicine (PM), the School of History, Classics, and Archaeology (HCA). The project will run over nineteen months and consist of three phases, engaging with the core user groups in each phase: PGRs and supervisors. Phase One will be an evidence-based Learning Needs Analysis via surveys, benchmarking existing Training and/or DNAs across the University and the sector. Phase Two will see the co-creation of a new DNA via focus groups along with the creation of a suite of resources, with a trial implementation in PM’s Doctoral Training Programme and in HCA (AY 2024-5). Phase Three will evaluate the use of the new DNA and materials via surveys and focus groups, resulting in: Open Educational Resources (DNA, resources), and dissemination of findings; a summary report on early adopters with proposal to the Doctoral College, which can consult with College PGR Committees regarding a formal proposal to Senate Education Committee. Project outcomes will enhance the student experience, strengthen collaboration and best-practice sharing among relevant services, inform local and central-level PGR and supervisor training, and potentially lead to cross-University application.

A co-design approach to developing novel clinical reasoning assessments.

School: Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies and Edinburgh Medical School

Team: Dr Alexander Corbishley, Dr Jill MacKay, Dr Paul Knight, and Eoghan Clarkson

Abstract

Clinical reasoning is a core skill that all clinicians are expected to develop both prior to graduation and as their careers progress. It is a complex skill that requires students to work across a range of knowledge domains, whilst simultaneously applying this knowledge to the clinical context. There is significant interest in approaches to curriculum and assessment design that develop clinical reasoning skills, ambiguity tolerance and the ability to work across a variety of knowledge domains.

In accordance with the University’s recently revised Assessment and Feedback Principles and Priorities, we propose a project where students will work with faculty to use the ExamSys open source assessment platform to co-design clinical reasoning assessments that are appropriate for the assessment of large classes. This will include exploring the use of “autocomplete” functionality in question responses to avoid the pitfalls presented by existing multiple choice and short answer question formats. Student and faculty working groups will be used to evaluate whether such an approach to clinical reasoning assessment is tractable, against a number of success criteria, including staff workload, student experience, competency development and mainstreaming of learning adjustments. To ensure that the project findings are applicable across different clinical domains, this project will work with staff and students from the undergraduate BVM&S (veterinary) programme and the post-graduate online MSc Pain Management (human) programme. At the end of the project, a briefing paper will be prepared for the respective programme Learning & Teaching Committees and the Head of Information Technology (CMVM).

Beyond the dissertation

School: Edinburgh Medical School (Clinical Education and Biomedical Sciences)

Team: Dr Kirstin Stuart James, Brian Carlin, Dr Jess Gurney, and Andrew Irving

Abstract

Students on ‘MSc Clinical Education’ and ‘MSc Biodiversity, Wildlife, and Ecosystem Health’ told us they wanted more breadth to the final year of their learning, and for it to better inform their practice. As the sole method of assessment in both fully-online programmes, the written dissertation by research did not always offer the applicability, flexibility or relevance they looked-for as busy, working professionals. When core, inequities in access to helpful infrastructures-including local research mentors, Ethics Committees and research participants-likewise had the potential to be disadvantaging.

We took on board these concerns and in 2022 redesigned our final-year MSc curricula. Referred to here and throughout as ‘diversified curricula’, both programmes designed a ‘pathway’ approach to MSc completion which, while still including a dissertation, now offers choice in alternate pathways to completion.

In Academic Year 2022_23 progression through the diversified curricula proved successful with positive student feedback, and strong progression rates across all pathways. However, we do not yet know whether we are meeting student expectations, nor how best to support students when choice in pathways to completion is offered.

Funding is sought for this new project as evaluation of this innovative approach to MSc goes beyond usual monitoring and feedback processes. Research methods are required with the overarching aim of collaboratively informing and developing student-focussed best practice guidance around diversified curricula. While postgraduate students are our primary stakeholders, learning from this study can be applied internally and externally by programmes also looking to diversify MSc curricula.

Investigating conceptions and conceptual change in the teaching of large STEM classes

School: Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, and Biology

Team: Dr George Kinnear, Dr Anna Wood, Dr Ross Galloway, Professor Susan Rhind, and Professor Heather McQueen

Abstract

In this project, which will run over two calendar years, we will take a longitudinal approach to exploring both teachers’ conceptions of teaching large classes and how those conceptions can be changed.

In two previous PTAS-funded studies we developed a new approach to supporting reflection in STEM teachers. This approach, named CeDAR (Collaborative Data-led Approach to Reflection) involves the provision of accurate, quantitative and personalised data about teaching practices in large classes, (using the FILL+, Framework for Interactive Learning in Lectures) together with a supportive discussion about the data. We found that teachers valued this approach, that it helped them to reflect on their teaching and they reported that they would change their future teaching as a result. We hypothesise that CeDAR catalyses teachers to make changes to their teaching and that it does this through generating conceptual change.

The project will consist of three interlinked studies which will explore this hypothesis. Study 1 will investigate, through semi-structured interviews, teachers’ conceptions of teaching large classes. Study 2, taking a longitudinal approach, will explore whether and in what ways the CeDAR intervention changes teachers’ conceptions of teaching and Study 3 will analyse how actual teaching practices (as measured by the FILL+ tool) have changed.

Hearing the silent voices

School: Informatics, Mathematics, Business School, and Biological Sciences

Team: Dr Fiona McNeill, Dr Nikola Popovic, Dr Heather Yorston, Mr Phil Marston, and Prof Patrick Walsh

Abstract

Student voices get lost in large courses. It is highly challenging for teaching staff to understand how students are experiencing their learning and teaching: the feedback they do receive is often from those students who are most able to amplify their own voices. Many voices are not heard; in particular, those of marginalised groups of students are often overlooked. Existing mechanisms for encouraging students to feed back on their learning experiences are helpful, but limited; furthermore, many students do not engage with them. Nevertheless, most students express a desire to be heard. We have spent the past two years in dialogue with students and staff across the university on how they experience and engage with feedback mechanisms, and what potential routes and barriers to improving the feedback process might be.

This project will develop practical approaches towards implementing our knowledge and expertise in a large-course environment, where engaging with students is hardest. We intend to workshop themes resulting from our data to create usable tools and techniques: with students, to understand how they would engage with these and how they would meet their needs, and with staff to understand potential barriers to implementation – particularly within the context of the overwhelming workload many teaching staff have to struggle with – and how these may be overcome. We will trial our techniques through pilot schemes in several schools, after which polished materials will be created and promoted which will improve our ability to hear the voices of diverse students in large courses across the university.

Towards an ecological pluriversity

School: Moray House School of Education and Sport

Team: Dr Courtney Rose Stafford-Walter, Dr Shari Sabeti, Dr Ramsey Affifi

Abstract

This project explores the educational potential of dialogue with Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) holders, to both decolonise higher education curricula, and address the accelerating ecological crisis. TEK offers beliefs, knowledges and practices associated with understanding and restoring threatened ecologies (Robinson et al 2021). As TEK is increasingly threatened, the intersection of social injustice and the destruction of the planetary life support system becomes evident (de Sousa Santos 2015). Education would seem a part of the solution, but instead currently exacerbates the problem. As formal education spreads across the world, abstract information and ‘lifelong learning’ skills deemed transferable in the global workplace replace the deep, multigenerational and accumulated knowledge practices attuned and responsive to local places (Orr 2000).

Formal education is not going away, so it must be transformed. We will work with an Indigenous community that has produced a formal curriculum integrating TEK, now taught across Southern Guyana. Their Environmental Education Curriculum (EEC) was developed by an Indigenous conservationist, who co-created the provision in conversation with community.

Developing EEC as a case study and inspiration, we will co-create the curriculum of MHSES’ new course, Education for the Environment and Sustainability (EfES) with MSc students and Indigenous peoples. We will document this process and develop resources for future use in this course, and for others seeking to explore the tensions of dialogue between TEK and formal education. By embedding sustainability and foregrounding Indigenous voices in the co-constructed curriculum, the project is in line with Curriculum Transformation and UofE strategy 2030.

A systematic approach to enable production of accessible course materials

School: Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy, Engineering, and Philosophy, Psychology and Language Science

Team: Dr Charlotte Desvages, Mrs Ania Domagala, Dr Ben Goddard, Mr Ian Hesketh, Ms Elena Ioannidou, Dr Pavel Iosad, Dr Steven O’Hagan, and Dr Konstantina Zerva

Abstract

The University is required to provide learning materials in accessible formats. Although guidance is provided through Information Services for some document formats (e.g., MS Office), workflows deviating from these are not currently supported. In particular, in subjects where extensive use of mathematical notation, or other non-standard characters, is required, the LaTeX typesetting language is used almost ubiquitously to generate PDF lecture notes, worksheets, and slides. However, these documents do not currently fulfil accessibility requirements.

Different approaches to produce accessible documents from LaTeX source files exist; however, none are standard, and they are certainly not widely adopted across the University. Barriers include technological expertise and means, workload, and inconsistent quality of output. We aim to close this gap by identifying and overcoming such barriers in a systematic manner, working in collaboration with a diverse community of educators and students.

To do so, the project team will guide student interns to carry out the technical work of co-creating a standardised workflow, in continuous consultation with teaching staff. This will be followed by training and dissemination workshops, which, together with the provision of well-documented workflows, guidance, and template documents, will support both immediate and long-term improvements to the student experience.

Generative AI in education

School: Business School

Team: Dr Jordana Viotto Da Cruz, Dr Susan Dunnett, and Prof Raluca Bunduchi

Abstract

Our aim is to understand the acceptance of generative AI among students, the practices that students employ in leveraging generative AI to support their assignment, and how the acceptance and practices impact their performance in their assessment. Our research is designed in three parts. In the first part, we will use a survey to collect data about the students’ adoption attitudes towards generative AI. In the second part, we will run an experiment investigating students’ practices with generative AI and the related outcomes through an in- class exercise. The exercise involves generating a business idea and leveraging generative AI to refine this idea. The final part of the study will include interviews with a sample group of students, which allows in-depth exploration of their attitudes, adoption and use of AI. We will provide opportunity to reflect on their engagement with generative AI across their studies and the ethics of AI use.

This project will provide insights into the actual practices that students engage in with AI during their assignments and will then link these practices with different attitudes and specific outcomes on their performance. We aim to provide robust analyses that will inform education professionals and institutions to help them to understand students’ approach to, use of, and understanding of AI. This will allow Universities to situate their AI policy and guidance within a deep understanding of student perspectives and practices. Our study will also enable a discussion at a societal level regarding the use of generative AI in educational contexts.