Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Seminars

Sharing new ways of teaching

Best practice of teaching methodologies across the disciplines.

The Society for Natural Sciences Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Group are hosting a series of monthly lunchtime

Since 2021, the Society for Natural Sciences’ Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Group has hosted a programme of regular online seminars that showcase and support the sharing of best practice in science education (laterally through our hosting of the Horizons in STEM network) .

All seminars are open and free to attend, and we warmly welcome both Society members and non-members. Please feel free to share these events with colleagues who may be interested.

Please register for upcoming events to receive joining details – membership details are here.

For more info please contact the SNS PedR/SoTL group (pedr@socnatsci.org)

Links to previous seminars can be found here.

Feb 2021 – What’s the Point of A-level Science?
Prof Nicky King talks about the issues and impact of pre-university education on the possible success of interdisciplinary sciences.

March 2021 – A Synoptic Approach to Learning
Dr Christopher Brignell talks about the integration of different disciplines, research and teaching, employability skills and sustainable development.

April 2021 – Pedagogical Games in Higher Education Mathematics
Dr Layal Hakim from the University of Exeter gives an overview of the challenges and opportunities within higher education mathematics teaching.

May 2021 – YouTube Videos in Teaching Biology: The Example of Cell Division
Prof Pat Heslop-Harrison from the University of Leicester discusses the relevance and use of YouTube as a resource for supporting biology teaching.

June 2021 – Blended Gold Standard PBL- Issues and Achievements
Dr Corrina Cory from the University of Exeter talks about her reflections of problem-based learning methodologies.

July 2021 – Getting into Pedagogic Research
Prof Derek Raine delivers a 2-part session on how to tackle a pedagogic approach, and in the second talk focusses on how to disseminate the findings to share with a broad audience.

September 2021 – Student Perceptions of Embedded Employability Skills
Dr sarah Gretton talks about methods to embed skills within natural sciences courses to enable development of students, with a specific focus on broad ranging and transferable prfessional skills for enhanced employability.

October 2021 – Reflections on building an National Teaching Fellowship case
Dr Jane White from the University of Bath talks about her National Teaching Fellowship, giving a little background on her background and the steps involved in applying for the fellowship

Novemeber 2021 – Innovating, Integrating and Influencing: A Science Program for the 21st Century
Dr Sarah Symons from McMaster Univresity talks about developing an interdisciplinary study programme.

January 2022 – This is what we believe – A perspective on interdisciplinarity
Prof Derek Raine gives his thoughts and perspectives on working across and within the interface between the disciplines.

February 2022 – What can pandemic policies such as no-detriment tell us about awarding gaps?
Prof Nicky King discusses what the pandemic has taught us about awarding gaps with respect to university no-detriment policies.

March 2022 – Systems thinking approaches to interdisciplinary learning for sustainable development.
Dr Glenn Hurst gives an insightful overview of methodologies for interdisciplinary learning.

September 2022 – Should OBOW exams replace traditional Closed book exams in STEM: Perspectives from the student experience.
Dr Laura Roberts & Dr Joanne Berry Swansea University

October 2022 – Disciplinary literacies in STEM: What do undergraduates read, how do they read it, and can we teach scientific reading more effectively?”
Katharine Hubbard, University of Hull 

November 2022 – Widening Participation across the Sciences – Lessons learned from 7 years running a STEM foundation course.
Harmony Lansdown, University of Leicester 

January 2023 – Decolonising the Science Curriculum: Potential Actions and Case Study
Dr Neil Williams, Kingston University

March 2023 – Spaced Repetition (with or without Peer Learning)
Prof Alison Voice (University of Leeds)

May 2023 – Evaluation of student skills portfolios
Dr Cressida Lyon from University of Bath 

October 2023 – STEM integration and relationships between STEM subjects
Dr Rory McDonald, Liverpool John Moores University

November 2023 – Student attitudes to learning Science
Emeritus Prof Derek Raine, University of Leicester