Dear All

A few responses to Steve's questions:

1. If you hold your own annual learning and teaching conference (or similar type of event) when in the year does it take place? Used to be in the Easter break.

But…. As a change of policy my institution now holds a greater number of much more focussed conferences:

http://www.hw.ac.uk/research/ald/about.htm

2. How many colleagues (staff and students) participate?  Was 30 – 50; the website now claims that 500 staff take part in more focussed training.

3. Do you do anything in particular to encourage and support student involvement?

4. Have there been themes in recent years which you have found particularly effective in stimulating interest and debate?

5. More generally, have you any tips when it comes to generating interest and raising the profile of such events across your institution?

From my experience of visiting other institutions holding the traditional type of Learning and Teaching conference that you're interested in, my advice would be to open the conference to a small number of enthusiasts from OTHER institutions.  These people (from other institutions) stop the L&T conference from being too inward-looking; they bring an outside perspective, and they are normally incredibly enthusiastic – encouraging delegates from the home institution to value more highly this learning opportunity.

Best wishes,

Isabelle

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Isabelle Pottinger

Effective Learning Adviser

Information Services

Cameron Smail Library

Gait 12

Heriot-Watt University

Edinburgh

EH14 4AS  United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)131 451 3062

E-mail: [log in to unmask]

http://www.hw.ac.uk/is/skills-development/study-support.htm

http://www.hw.ac.uk/is/skills-development.htm

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