The ASPIRE Network

TLN Webinar – Giving choice a chance: Assessment optionality in political studies education | The Political Studies Association (PSA) ‘Giving choice a chance: Assessment optionality in political studies education’ with Jeremy Moulton, University of York Wednesday 3 December, 1:30pm to 3pmThis practice-sharing webinar will present…

*PSA EVENT* 'Giving Choice a Chance: Assessment optionality in #PoliticalStudies #education. #Teaching & Learning Network webinar with Jeremy Moulton @jeremymoulton.bsky.social @psateach.bsky.social
📆 3 December, 1:30 - 3pm
➡️ FREE and open to all

TLN Webinar – Using Objects to Enhance Learning in Political Science Education | The Political Studies Association (PSA) ‘Using Objects to Enhance Learning in Political Science Education’ with William L Allen, University of Southampton Tuesday 13 January, 12:30pmMost higher education teaching activities rely on texts.…

*PSA EVENT* 'Using Objects to Enhance Learning in #PoliticalScience #Education - #Teaching & Learning Network Webinar with William L Allen.
📆 Tuesday 13 January, 12:30pm, online
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Our post in @hepi-news.bsky.social highlight the importance of teaching & scholarship work! @chrisfeathers.bsky.social @sudhirselvaraj.bsky.social @louisepears.bsky.social @jeremymoulton.bsky.social @annaplunkett.bsky.social

More new @aspirenetwork.bsky.social work! Check out this HEPI blog on the importance of the teaching track!

Our post in @hepi-news.bsky.social highlight the importance of teaching & scholarship work! @chrisfeathers.bsky.social @sudhirselvaraj.bsky.social @louisepears.bsky.social @jeremymoulton.bsky.social @annaplunkett.bsky.social

Great to see so many colleagues and friends at the @aspirenetwork.bsky.social online launch event today! Some great ideas shared and really exciting opportunities, if you're not a member already, Sign Up!

JOIN US TOMORROW!

🔊BONUS EPISODE of the Politics and Pedagogy podcast is out 'Student Voice: Student-led Exhibits', with @polisatleeds.bsky.social students Sean Wong and Chloe Simpson. Available on all platforms: rss.com/podcasts/pol...

The role of pedagogical research in education-focused careers: a short series Following on from the new innovation of the ‘SoTL roundup’ at the start of the month, which Jeremy got the ball rolling with yesterday, we’re also going to start the new academic …

This week on @alpsblog.bsky.social, we are publishing a short series on the role of pedagogical research in education-focused careers. My intro to the series is here: activelearningps.com/2025/09/02/t...
@aspirenetwork.bsky.social

@jeremymoulton.bsky.social @louisepears.bsky.social @annaplunkett.bsky.social @chrisfeathers.bsky.social @mlebourdon.bsky.social

Please join us next week, 9th September, for our online event! Sign up here: www.aspirenetwork.uk/event-detail...

ASPIRE Network Online Welcome Event | aspirenetwork.uk Following our in-person launch event in June, we will be hosting a post-summer break online welcome to new members of the network in September, discussing our plans for the future, and kicking off the...

🔊REMINDER - September 9th we have our first online event, sign up and join us here www.aspirenetwork.uk/event-detail.... Have a lovely summer!

ASPIRE Network Online Welcome Event | aspirenetwork.uk Following our in-person launch event in June, we will be hosting a post-summer break online welcome to new members of the network in September, discussing our plans for the future, and kicking off the...

🔊REMINDER - September 9th we have our first online event, sign up and join us here www.aspirenetwork.uk/event-detail.... Have a lovely summer!

Great question from @profcathyelliott.bsky.social!

What's your advice for getting an education focused role?

What are other social scientists doing in their research methods modules these days? I'm wanting to refresh things a bit. How do you find policy analysis? Am considering a session on this, in addition to decolonial & creative methods. I also run a session on digital methods which students often use

Where’s Cathy? Joyful reflections on tricky times Me at the Aspire Network launch talking about joyful education careers I felt a bit bad when I read Pigeon’s post apologising for a short absence from blogging for Very Serious Reasons! (Happ…

Unlike any sensible person, who keeps up with their blogging duties regularly and in a calm tone of voice, I have saved everything up for a long, generally exuberant, in places slightly moany post right at the end of the year.

activelearningps.com/2025/07/14/w...

@alpsblog.bsky.social

Me talking to the Aspire network launch. Slide in the background says 'The Joy of the Teaching Track'

The work various brilliant colleagues are doing on education-focused careers @aspirenetwork.bsky.social and the delight of getting to speak at their launch
activelearningps.com/2025/03/31/i...

Reference lists: The good, the bad, and the ugly I have, barring a few late submissions that will slowly filter in over the coming days and weeks, finished marking for the summer. Generally, the quality of the assessments has been good and it’s a…

New @alpsblog.bsky.social post from me:

'Reference lists: The good, the bad, and the ugly'

I'm proposing an exercise for how we might teach students what sources are worth sourcing...

activelearningps.com/2025/06/20/r...

Thank you to all that attended our roundtable at #BISA2025! It was a stimulating discussion on all things scholarship, practice and solidarity. @mybisa.bsky.social ( we even had our smallest member join the panel!)

Great to speak to the #BISA2025 Teaching and Learning cafe about the research project we are planning with the @aspirenetwork.bsky.social network, thanks @mybisa.bsky.social

We are at @mybisa.bsky.social hosting a panel on Pedagogical Scholarship! Join us tomorrow at 4:45 in Amsterdam Room, Europa Hotel #BISA2025 @louisepears.bsky.social @annaplunkett.bsky.social @mlebourdon.bsky.social

We are at @mybisa.bsky.social hosting a panel on Pedagogical Scholarship! Join us tomorrow at 4:45 in Amsterdam Room, Europa Hotel #BISA2025 @louisepears.bsky.social @annaplunkett.bsky.social @mlebourdon.bsky.social

A week since our launch! Have you joined us? www.aspirenetwork.uk

Political Studies Association Teaching and Learning Network Conference | The Political Studies Association (PSA) Theme: Teaching Well4th-5th September 2025 This year’s PSA TLN annual conference will take place on Thursday 4th and Friday 5th of September at Royal Holloway, University of London, in Egham, Surrey.…

*PSA EVENT* Save the date for our Teaching & Learning Network Conference
📆 4 - 5 September @royalholloway.bsky.social‬.
➡️ Bringing together the teaching and learning community to share practices, ideas and experiences.
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The members list on the ASPIRE website was updated this morning - do check out the brilliant group of academics that are already part of the network and their SoTL interests. Your future teaching & learning collaborations/ co-authors could be there!

www.aspirenetwork.uk/aspire-members

A team photo of people who attended the launch at King’s on Monday.

A picture from a roundtable on the day.

A photo of the ASPIRE network’s board.

A photo of Hillary and Anna introducing the day with a welcome from KCL.

Back in York after a great time in London for the launch of the @aspirenetwork.bsky.social.

Feeling massively motivated now - and really looking forward to the work that will follow with the network in the coming weeks, months and years.

These jobs in Research Methods & in Comparative Politics are so-called "teaching track" jobs.

But ultimately, the jobs will be as much about educational leadership as teaching.

And there are many different routes within the "track", as yesterday's @aspirenetwork.bsky.social conference showed.

2/5

What a day! Thank you everyone who joined us for the launch of @aspirenetwork.bsky.social, big thank you to our key notes @profcathyelliott.bsky.social @teachpolitics.bsky.social and congrats to my fellow board members 🎉

We had a brilliant #aspirelaunch
today, Teaching track academics from across the UK came together to discuss how we can work together and innovate in this space
We began with a roundtable with the @aspirenetwork.bsky.social board, sharing our vision and the motivation behind the network

All topped off with a great drinks reception where we could all chat and get to know everyone in @aspirenetwork.bsky.social