In this post, Colm Harmon, Vice-Principal Students, introduces Teaching Matters’ two special Spotlight Series on Remote Teaching and Alternative Assessment Methods to support staff in transitioning to remote teaching…
With the move to remote teaching from 23rd March 2020, many colleagues across the University are faced with the challenge of making a very rapid transition to online teaching, along with consideration of alternatives methods of end course assessment.
In addition to the excellent guidance on teaching online provided by Information Services, we have a huge amount of relevant experience and expertise across the University. We will be using two new Teaching Matters Spotlight Series to share some of these insights.
Spotlight on Remote Teaching will focus on some of the approaches, techniques and tools you could consider when making this change to remote teaching. It will also include reflections from staff and students on their experience of online learning, and consideration of community and engagement when teaching remotely.
Spotlight on Alternative Assessment methods will explore the range of traditional and novel assessment methods that could be used or repurposed in the short and longer term.
Both Spotlight series will include a mix of new and previously published blogs. If you have practice to share or topics you would like to see covered please contact teachingmatters@ed.ac.uk. We’d be delighted to hear from you.
Please use the web links #remoteteaching and #alternative assessments to share these blogs with colleagues.
Useful resourceS
- Information Services Teaching Continuity web pages
- Assessment Continuity webpages on the Information Services website
- New guidance for students on using online learning tools
Colm Harmon is Vice-Principal Students and holds a personal chair in Applied Economics. As Vice-Principal Students he has strategic responsibility for student experience and the development of innovative approaches to all aspects of student satisfaction and experience, including curriculum development, and the nurturing of a high-performance culture in teaching and learning.
Before joining Edinburgh Colm was Vice-Provost (Academic Performance) and Professor of Economics, University of Sydney. Prior to this his academic career was at University College Dublin most latterly as Professor of Economics and Director of the Geary Institute.