Nicola Beer

Inclusive curriculum development in Higher Education is increasingly witnessing the development of institutional inclusive curriculum frameworks and toolkits. This short paper introduces one such framework recently developed at a modern university in the South East of England. The IDEAS model (Inclusive learning and teaching, Digital inclusion, Employability learning, assessment for learning, Sustainability mindset) involves a range of distinctive features in both design and scope, and was likewise co-created by colleagues working in the educational development and access and participation domains of academic practice. In a discussion structured by the stages of a traditional quest narrative, the paper relates the genesis, development and early implementation of the IDEAS model and draws attention to some of its distinctive emphases as well as its points of correspondence with wider sectoral initiatives on inclusive curriculum development.

The varied role of librarians in Higher Education increasingly includes a substantial amount of teaching, supported by expertise in learning design, pedagogy and technology enhanced delivery of learning. This role is demonstrably misunderstood or underestimated outside the profession, leading to difficulty for librarians achieving recognition for their expertise. This research analyses the job descriptions for 41 Higher Education librarian roles, advertised between Autumn 2016 and Summer 2017, cross-referencing them with the Higher Education Academy’s UK Professional Standards Framework, demonstrating the extent of librarian experience in learning and teaching. The job descriptions demonstrate that teaching forms a significant part of many librarian roles in HE and that Fellowship of the HEA is an attainable aim. It also indicates areas for development for librarians, in particular around assessing and providing feedback to learners. Potential further research is suggested to extend this project.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether platforms designed for the delivery of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) can be used effectively to deliver postgraduate degrees that provide a learning experience aligning with the educational aims of the accrediting institution. Specifically, this research will evaluate a two-week open course (MOOC) in Healthcare Research delivered by Coventry University on the FutureLearn platform as part of their online MSc Nursing degree. It will attempt to measure the extent of transformative learning experienced by learners on this course, in sympathy with Coventry University’s educational strategy which is strongly focussed on the provision of transformative learning experiences (Coventry University, 2015).