Reflecting on our learning

Volume 2, Issue 5

The theme of this issue of BeJLT is reflecting on our learning for staff and for students. Two interesting perspective pieces from Hilary Rollins and Jude Carroll reflect on their experiences working at universities overseas and how this has widened their perspectives and given them fresh insights into their own learning and teaching by ‘living that [different] reality’. These pieces are complemented by Hanneke Teeken’s paper on the complexities of operating in a different language. The language she writes about is English and she uses examples from her own experience to illustrate how complex, and unrealised, the subtleties of language are that so many of our students and staff have to deal with.

The Haigh and Clifford paper steps back and looks at student learning holistically. This paper enters the Graduate Attribute debate and when the ideas were first presented at the Brookes Student Learning Experience Conference 2009 the value-laden nature of these ideas was hotly contested.

Jill Millar et al’s paper shifts to student’s learning from engaging with feedback and presents three case studies where facilitative dialogue and positive classroom dynamics are the focus of student engagement with feedback on assessment.

Christina Meredith writes about introducing PebblePad, an e-portfolio system, to engage students in reflection on their learning and Personal Development Planning, and raises issues of students’ familiarity with reflective writing and the level of English language required for this activity.

These articles illustrate how multi-layered our learning is and how necessary it is for universities to support the continuing development of their staff in multiple areas – whether it be in internationalisation, e-learning, engaging students with feedback or other areas. Staff, like students, never stop learning and developing.

Valerie Clifford
Chair, BeJLT Editorial Committee

Published: January 2010