Sandra Sinfield

In the end they only acted when they realised that neoliberal libertarianism meant huge profits for some in the very chaos we lived through. It happened in plain sight - and shamelssly. #MakethempaybacktheCovidmillions

‘Chaotic and indecisive’: key findings of report on UK’s Covid response under Tories Second pandemic report focuses on decision-making, organisation and messaging by senior politicians including Boris Johnson

‪ "If a mandatory lockdown had been imposed a week earlier in March 2020, there would have been about 23,000 fewer deaths, it concluded." www.theguardian.com/world/2025/n...

An anchor chart titled "The Learning Pit" shows a drawing of a pit, with the sides labeled "Try to solve" and "Deep learning and understanding." The bottom is labeled "Making mistakes," "Deep thinking," "Collaboration" and "Explore all options." Thought bubbles are included throughout: "I'm confused," "What if ...," etc.

🔦 It might seem dark down there in the learning pit – but it's really a sign that you're one step closer to mastery, reminds T Mrs. Hunter:

#StudentSuccess

Do teaching fellowships actually improve teaching? If you want to get promoted in UK academia you will probably need to apply for an Advance HE fellowship. But there is widespread scepticism that this extended ‘box-ticking exercise’ improves pedagogy,...

For those interested after today's #LTHEchat, I wrote the 2nd (more positive) part of this article - I think you need a subscription whether insitutional or individual to see it. Do teaching fellowships actually improve teaching? www.timeshighereducation.com/depth/do-tea...

New LinkedIn group:

Stories of hope to reimagine education
www.linkedin.com/groups/16296...

Everyone welcome!

Super helpful tips from the amazing @drkatharinejewitt.bsky.social

If you ever wanted to know everything about making a podcast (or how to do it better) but were afraid to ask, then fear not. I have given my 'Podcasting for Academics and Professionals' course a little refresh.

andy-s-school-aeae.thinkific.com/courses/acad...

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I definitely need to get better at that! Keeping a folder of feedback emails (or screenshots of lovely LinkedIn posts) is something I’ve started doing too #LTHEchat

thanks as always to the guest author @richbale.bsky.social , fellow #lthechatters for insights and to the organising team behind the scenes that do all the magic. And of course @suebecks.bsky.social for keeping this brill chat going #lthechat

See you all next week - same time, same place! #LTHEchat Next week we will be joined by Nikita-Marie Bridgeman, @nbridgeman.bsky.social , discussing Meeting Students Where They Are: Making Independent Study Work for Every Learner

YES - thank you for this - I followed on behind - but felt very much part of a great #LTHEchat

Thank you to @richbale.bsky.social and to everyone who participated. #LTHEchat

#LTHEchat A6 I am completely biased: I love our validated PGCert where staff gather together to learn, to share and discuss - to experience new things and reflect on them - and in the process be supported to complete a PSF Logbook. This is active, powerful CPD with a Fellowship route integrated.

We introduced a dialogic route this year and it was felt to be so rewarding for both applicant and reviewers - the reviewers in particular felt they gained far more for their own practice by listening and questioning others about theirs! #lthechat

A5 Also, mentoring opportunities (much like @aldinhe.bsky.social does for CeP) might help staff in different roles to consider the impact of their practice from different perspectives which can often be helped by having a mentor in a different role to your own #LTHEchat

Yes - we offer those going the experiential route the option of written or dialogic applications - and on the PGCert we support alternative presentation of evidence which can include audio PPT presentations... #LTHEchat

#LTHEchat A5 Writing retreats and social support for those going the experiential route, but I love our accredited PGCert which includes facilitating the experience of active/creative learning with reflection - linked to the assmts & PSF Logbook: so learning, developing, sharing and reflecting!

It's why I was happy to be part of a CATE - and not moved to apply for an NTF !! :-D

#LTHEchat A4 I believe in collaboration and social learning - but we highlight that we are doing this with our PGCerters - dialogix learning, group assignments, P2P teaching, dialogic reflection & peer review - so this is actively scaffolded across the PGCert & reflected back to the participants.

That's why I tell all our PGCerters to collect those quotes during every teaching session - or afterwards! Not that I remember to do this myself! But it helps if your students write reflective learning logs - for there will be quotes in there to mine! #LTHEchat

A3 Showing the 'I' in the 'we' as my Fellowships Lead said to me, was difficult, especially at PFHEA. Thinking of a persona of me presenting the evidence helped. I did mine in an internal presentation / dialogue for 45 minutes #LTHEChat @richbale.bsky.social

A2 I learned how to ‘be reflective’ during my MSc as it was central to one of the modules, however when it came to fellowship it made me consider things from multiple perspectives, so I started looking at things a lot more holistically which has certainly improved my practice #LTHEchat

#LTHEchat A3 The main challenges were remembering to give examples of practice rather than just talk about practice. This is something then to continually help our PGCerters with: Give an example of that - how do you know it worked - capture a quote from a student/a peer. They don't want to boast!

#LTHEchat A3 Modelling active/creative practice as we immerse our PGCerters in it experientially - setting assignments designed to improve real practice and encouraging our PGCerters to consider this part of ongoing action research - which they should also try to publish as a step into #SoTL

#LTHEchat A2 The intense reflection, the meta-engagement with my own practice was a powerful learning experience. Now on our PGCert, which is validated by AdvanceHE to Fellow, we help others reflect on their practice and to surface examples of effective, values driven practice to showcase.

And as our #TomBurns used to say to our PGCert peeps: this is about you, not the course or the module or the university in the abstract - but you as a practitioner: what you do - your values - your practice... and how that manifests in your teaching, learning and assessments practices #LTHEchat

#LTHEchat A1 My role & context shifted from being a Learning Developer in a widening participation uni to being a Staff Developer, explicitly placed as a reflective practitioner to work alongside students and now staff to make sense of, critique & succeed in HE & also become reflective practitioners

screenshot of the ALDinHE website showing various communities of practice with pictures to represent them.

ALDinHE members have set up community of practice groups which provides an informal, supportive environment within which professionals working in and around 'Learning Development' can interact and share experiences. https://aldinhe.ac.uk/networking/communities-of-practice #LoveLD

YouTube video by Centre for Global Higher Education (Un)Making knowledge: towards cognitive justice in international higher education

You can now catch up on the recording here www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLwO...

Why is every concept of 'utopia' so much more terrifying than dystopia? Utopis is surveillance and control. Dystopia offers resistance, revolution, transgression. Much more liberating! (Do we feel liberated yet?)