Blackpool and The Fylde College Annual Teaching and Learning Conference 2022

In early July 2022, the HE Annual Learning and Teaching event comprised of an external keynote speech followed by a series of breakout sessions along the key theme of: ‘Scholarship and Research’, aligned with colleague presentations from the 2021 Scholarship Review. A range of complementary HE self-paced materials were also made available on the day. Over 100 colleagues who deliver and support HE attended the event and breakout sessions.

We welcomed our keynote speaker, Professor Mick Healey, HE Consultant and Researcher and Emeritus Professor at the University of Gloucestershire. Professor Healey delivered an informative session entitled “Engaging Students as Partners in Research and Inquiry in College Based HE”.

In his presentation Professor Healey discussed how much current debate concerns the form that research and scholarship should take in the HE in FE / College-Based HE (CBHE) sector. Most of these discussions have concentrated on the implications for staff; in this session he extended this discussion to how students in CBHE may be engaged as partners in research and inquiry, how curricula may be designed to achieve this and what departmental, institutional, and national strategies are needed to foster these developments. The session explored the variety of ways in which undergraduate research and inquiry-based learning are undertaken using numerous mini case studies from different disciplines, departments and institutions in Australasia, Europe and North America.

There were then two further breakout sessions which were recorded (as was the keynote) to allow colleagues to self-pace their learning and refer back to.

Our first breakout was delivered by external academic, Dr Laura Machin, Senior Lecturer in Medical Ethics from Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University on “Insider research ethics, also known as practitioner research”. The session explored the complexities of when a person is both a practitioner and a researcher within the same setting or environment. In this session, the challenges, and ethical dilemmas that insider researchers can face were explored. The session was interactive with time given to briefly discuss a case study. Finally, the session reviewed what considerations need to be in place when designing, conducting, and reviewing insider research projects.

The second breakout session was delivered by B&FC’s Head of Digital and Learning Resource Centre (LRC), Dr Jonathan Mann. He presented on “Academic Integrity”. He explained that this term is a broad description of written and unwritten rules, traditions, and conventions, which can differ from institution to institution. The term has both positive and negative connotations, and crosses the border between compliance, professional ethics, professional identity, and academic malpractice. The session was a blend of scholarly inquiry and practical support which sought to provide a more holistic perspective on academic integrity as a concept and in application. The session was of great use to both experienced and new users of these systems.

Some of our staff from both curriculum and service areas who received funding from the Scholarship and Research and Development Scheme during 2021-22, presented the following:

• The pursuit of happiness: an early year’s explorative study into the challenges of recognising and supporting child health and wellbeing

Françoise Pell, Senior Tutor S&R (Society, Health & Childhood)

• The Realm(s) of Belongingness (Online)

Colette Mazzola-Randles, Senior Tutor S&R and Curriculum Manager (CM)

• ‘Is Die Hard a Christmas Movie?’ A brief investigation into the application of genre

Dr Ashley Lister, Programme Leader (Leadership, Management & Lifestyle)

• Development of a MEMS Hotplate-based Photoacoustic CO2 Sensor

Dr Lucky Ishaku, Senior Tutor S&R (Engineering & Science)

• The impact of diet and nutrition on the wellbeing of students at B&FC: A case study into student’s perceptions at Levels one and two regarding the importance of dietary intake on wellbeing

Graham Mason, Programme Leader (Leadership, Management & Lifestyle) and Mark Bellfield, Specialist Practitioner (Leadership, Management & Lifestyle)

The feedback from our external guests, presenters and delegates was very positive and we are now looking ahead to next year’s conference.