Fwd: Physical Sciences Newsletter- including events and workshops

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Email not displaying correctly? Click here to view it in your browser. HE STEM STEM Physical Sciences Newsletter March 2012 March 2012   In this edition: STEM Conference Discipline conferences Forthcoming workshops New to teaching event Teaching development grants New research tenders Resources to review   Introduction Welcome to the second Physical Sciences newsletter. I am now starting to settle into my Higher Education Academy role as the Discipline Lead for the Physical Sciences, and I hope that you will agree after reading the rest of the newsletter that there is plenty going on. I have particularly enjoyed visiting colleagues in forensic science, physics and chemistry, and hope to meet many more of you in the coming months. While I hope to see many of you at the events we are sponsoring, I am also very happy to visit departments so do get in touch via paul.yates@heacademy.ac.uk if you would like me to do this. Paul Yates   STEM Conference The programme for the conference is now available on the HEA website and you will see that there is an excellent programme within the physical sciences. It also worth noting that some of the physical science papers also appear within the STEM Learning and Teaching Issues sessions, so do look out for them there. Although the conference is currently full, you can have your name added to the waiting list by e-mailing externalevents@heacademy.ac.uk with your name, institution and desired booking (e.g. full conference with dinner). Discipline Conferences The Higher Education Academy is pleased to be sponsoring the major UK educational conferences in the physical sciences later this year. FORREST (FORensic RESearch and Teaching) takes place at Abertay University on 26th and 27th June. Further details of the programme and registration are available on their website. The Physics Higher Education Conference and the Variety in Chemistry Education meetings are combining forces this year, and will meeting on 30th and 31st August at the University of Edinburgh. Further details will be available shortly.   Forthcoming Workshops The full workshop programme can be found on the HEA website. Those of most obvious interest to physical scientists are as follows: Improving Learner Experience in Forensic Science Higher Education and Practitioner Training, Tuesday 15th May, Cranfield University Peer Assisted Learning/Student Ownership of Learning/Student Generated Content, Wednesday 16th May, University of Manchester Developing Independent Learning Skills in the Physical Sciences, Thursday 31st May, University of Reading Problem Based Learning, Monday 9th to Wednesday 11th July, University of Leicester Please book for these via the web page above. In addition, on Thursday 14th June we are holding a workshop on "Lectures without Lecturing" at the Higher Education Academy in York. Confirmed speakers are Simon Bates (Edinburgh), Dave McGarvey (Keele) and David Read (Southampton). If you do something other than lecturing in your formal lecture slots we would be interested in hearing about it, so please get in touch via paul.yates@heacademy.ac.uk and consider contributing a talk to this event. New to Teaching Event This is aimed at those who have been teaching for no more than two years, and will take place in Birmingham on 6th and 7th June. Heads of Department are asked to nominate eligible members of staff who they feel would benefit from attending. Nominations should be sent to paul.yates@heacademy.ac.uk. Teaching Development Grants A reminder that the call for Collaborative Teaching Development Grants, which should be in the areas of employability or internationalisation, close on 22nd April. New Research Tenders The Higher Education Academy has put out an invitation to tender for four exciting new projects. The deadline for applications is 2nd April and further details are available on the HEA news pages and on the HEA funding pages. Resources to Review Martin Greenhow and his colleagues have been developing an extensive set of online questions called maths e.g. which are now being hosted at MathCentre.  Although the questions are maths based , they have wide applicability and will be of interest to those teaching the physical sciences. The student interface can be found here. If anyone would like be interested in writing a review of these resources for a subsequent edition of the newsletter, please contact me at paul.yates@heacademy.ac.uk to discuss possible arrangements. I would also be pleased to consider including reviews of other resources for future editions of the newsletter, so please let me know if you are aware of any that you think would be of interest to colleagues. About the Higher Education Academy The HEA is a national body for enhancing learning and teaching in higher education in the UK. We work with institutions across the HE system to help bring about change in learning and teaching to improve the outcomes for students. We do this by recognising and rewarding excellent teaching, bringing together people and resources to research and share best practice and by helping influence, shape and implement policy. The HEA supports staff in higher education throughout their career from those who are new to teaching through to senior management. We offer services in 28 disciplines and throughout the UK, and have offices in England, Wales and Scotland. Through the partnership management team we work directly with institutions to understand individual circumstances and priorities and bring together resources to meet them. Owned by Universities UK and Guild HE, the HEA is funded by the four national funding councils, institutional subscriptions and project income. For more recent news, events and funding opportunities, subscribe to Academy Update. The Higher Education Academy, Company Limited by Guarantee Registered Number 4931031. Registered Office: The Higher Education Academy, Innovation Way, York Science Park, Heslington, York, YO10 5BR, United Kingdom. Registered as Charity Number 1101607.

--  David Andrew,  Head of Academic Practice Senior Tutor     The Learning Institute  Queen Mary, University of London Mile End, London E1 4NS   02078822803 02081446753   Book an appointment with me at http://doodle.com/DavidAndrew