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Active Collaborative Learning can help students to respond to one another’s ideas, create a product together.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

Reenvisioning the UDL Guidelines

Because the UDL Guidelines are meant to be informed by feedback from the field as well as new research, they have been updated several times in the past. We are in the process of updating the Guidelines once again.

This update will focus specifically on addressing systemic barriers that result in inequitable learning opportunities and outcomes. CAST aims to develop a transparent, inclusive, and community-driven process. If you are interested in collaborating and staying updated on our progress, we invite you to complete a brief survey.

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The UDL Guidelines are a tool used in the implementation of Universal Design for Learning, a framework to improve and optimize teaching and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans learn. Learn more about the Universal Design for Learning framework from CAST. The UDL Guidelines can be used by educators, curriculum developers, researchers, parents, and anyone else who wants to implement the UDL framework in a learning environment. These guidelines offer a set of concrete suggestions that can be applied to any discipline or domain to ensure that all learners can access and participate in meaningful, challenging learning opportunities.

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INSPIRE: Active Learning Champions\′ Professional Development Scheme (leading to CMALT)

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CHERP are pleased to announce the 18 Active Learning Champions for June 2019 - June 2021.

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CHERP is looking for Student Interns. The internship role is supporting teaching staff in new teaching methods and technologies. This is a great opportunity to gain experience and employability skills.

Are you a current student at Ulster Uni?

Looking to earn some money, gain work experience, enhance your employability and skills, and have an impact on student learning experience?

The Centre for Higher Education Research and Practice is currently looking for expressions of interest from current Ulster University students to take part in a scheme to become CHERP Learning Partners from September 2021.

Expressions of interest are restricted to campus of study and to be eligible you must be a full time registered student at the time the role begins in September 2021 at one of our main Northern Ireland campuses in Belfast/Jordanstown, Coleraine or Magee.

This is a fantastic flexible opportunity that will fit around your student life.

The role

Your role will be to help teaching staff at Ulster, facilitate new creative teaching methods and emerging technologies in their practice by providing just-in-time support and assistance in class when they need it.

For those in Pathway there will also be opportunities to work in partnership with staff on learning and teaching projects.

You may also help evaluate the effectiveness of these methods and technologies through your lived student experiences and help to create digital case studies.

There are 2 pathways # available:

Pathway A 32 days* during Semester 1 and 2 (16 days* each semester)

Pathway B 12 days* during the start of semester 1 and 2 (6 days* each semester) - Belfast only

* 1 day = 6 hours

# Guided by public health guidelines

What that means for you

This means that you will help bring the student voice to new and innovative teaching practices at Ulster to help shape what future teaching looks like.

You will have opportunities to give your perspective on connecting with students on what matters to students and to work as partners with staff.

Successful students will have the opportunity to enhance their employability skills through authentic real life experiences that may help prepare them for work life after their degree.

What you will get paid

This is not employment but a learning and teaching bursary will be available for all successful learning partners.

Pathway A: bursary = £1750 paid in monthly instalments from Oct to May

Pathway B: bursary = £656.25 paid in 2 instalments in October 2021 and February 2022

A full payment schedule will be shared at the induction event on 3 June 2021.

NB. This is a scholarship/bursary, as such you are responsible for any tax implications if your earnings go above the threshold, please see the HMRC Income Manual.

Evidence providing alignment to visa restrictions restrictions will be required if successfully appointed a learning partner and would be a condition of the offer if applicable.

Where you will be based

Each successful learning partner will be based on their base campus of studies (Belfast/Jordanstown, Magee or Coleraine), although depending on public health guidelines the role may be delivered fully online, face-to-face or a combination of both.

We are looking for unique individuals who are:

Interested in learning and teaching

Early adopters of technology

IT proficient

Confident and self-starters

Good team workers

Problem solvers

Excellent communicators

Punctual and reliable

Keen researchers

How to apply (Now closed)

Apply online using this Microsoft form by 3rd May 2021 at 11.59pm.

You need to upload a current CV and record a 2 minute video using FlipGrid explaining how you meet the criteria set out above.

How to create a video

Worried about making a video?

Here is a handy video guide (this video will open in a new window) to get you up and running using FlipGrid.

Previous Learning Partners

Two previous learning partners have shared their experiences below (these videos will open in a new window):

How to prepare for the role

Successful applicants will be required to undertake a 1 day online induction on 3 June 2021 from 10.30 - 3pm to get you ready for your role and provide an opportunity to meet your fellow interns.

There will also be further ongoing support and professional development as required.

Overview Webinar

An overview webinar took place on 26 April at 1pm.

If you have any queries about the role or the application process contact rtg.beggs@ulster.ac.uk. Applications are open until 3 May at 11.59pm

*NB. Interns must continue to remain in good academic standing to continue in the role, this will be reviewed monthly to ensure academic studies is not affected by the role.

Travel costs to and from the workshop from your base campus will be in line with Ulster University policy.

The learning partner role can be terminated at any stage after agreement with the student and CHERP, any outstanding bursary payments will be calculated on a pro-rata basis.

For clarification of eligibility to submit expression of interest email rtg.beggs@ulster.ac.uk

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EXPERIENCE: Student Intern Bursary Opportunity

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CHERP is looking for Student Interns. The internship role is supporting teaching staff in new teaching methods and technologies. This is a great opportunity to gain experience and employability skills. Looking to earn some money, gain work experience, enhance your employability and skills, and have an impact on student learning experience?

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Learning Activity Design

The new learning spaces on our campuses give us a great opportunity to reflect on our practice and enhance it by taking advantage of the opportunities they provide through:

Sequencing of learning activities: Week by week and in session

Planning for out of classroom activities

Encouraging on campus learning

Technology-based self study

Using all spaces available, both formal/informal and physical/digital

Below you will find a number of resources that will help you design learning activities.

Active Learning Activity Cards

CHERP have developed a range of cards to help manage expectations of students and staff around a number of pedagogic topics that are aligned to our Learning and Teaching Strategy and CHERP's Learning Landscapes activity.

CCBYNC Richard Beggs, CHERP, Ulster University

Integrated Curriculum Design Framework (ICDF)

CHERP's ICDF provides staff with templates and guidance around curriculum design, in particular the Module Design Planner offers opportunities for staff to reflect on and enhance their learning outcomes and plan their activities both in class and out of class over a 12 week semester identifying the learning environment required, contact time, reading lists and study time activities on campus.

CCBYNC Colette Murphy, CHERP, Ulster University

Digital Capabilities

Find our more about digital capabilities and why they are important; along with information about the Jisc Digital Capabilities Framework, role profiles and the Jisc Discovery Tool, to reflect on and develop your digital capabilities.

Large Group Teaching

Need some inspiration on how to manage a large group and embed activities into your learning design? Look at our Large Group Teaching Infographic. Watch a video explanation of the graphic.

Download PDF version CCBYNC Richard Beggs, CHERP, Ulster University

Apps for Active Learning

Technology can enable us to adopt active learning even in some of the more traditional spaces. Appropriately identify and utilise learning technology in your teaching through learning design and learning sequencing with ViewPoints Cards, Mapping of Learning Technology available at Ulster and storyboarding techniques. Watch a video presentation on the pilot below:

Watch Video ' Technology for the sake of it, I don't think so' by Richard Beggs

Further info contact Richard Beggs
Ulster Learning Technologies: Other Useful links:
Flipped Learning support at Ulster

Flipped learning is a blended approach to learning and teaching that uses online resources such as video lecture, PDF or article for students to review, so that passive learning is done prior to class. Lecture time is then used for activities based around that week's topic.

Student Voices

Listen to some student digital stories that reflect on their Higher Education journey, the challenges they faced and over came.

Caitlin O'Dowd - Give Up - Watch Video

Tony McGovern - Not Knowing What to do - Watch Video

Christopher Mitchell- My HE story - Watch Video

Watch a video exploring what being a student at HE is, created by Tony McGovern, a student studying Interactive Multimedia Design at Ulster University - Watch Video

Other Useful Resources

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Learning Activity Design The new learning spaces on our campuses give us a great opportunity to reflect on our practice and enhance it by taking advantage of the opportunities they provide through: Sequencing of learning activities: Week by week and in session Planning for out of classroom activities Encouraging on campus learning Technology-based self study Using all spaces available, both formal/informal and physical/digital Below you will find a number of resources that will help you design learning activities.

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Ulster University has invested heavily in its learning environment, with new teaching blocks housing both formal and informal social learning spaces in Coleraine, Magee and our new campus is under development in Belfast as well as the transitional period for our Jordanstown campus.

New Learning Spaces

This is a very exciting time for the institution, its staff and students.

CHERP has been working for a number of years researching into how we can best utilise these new spaces and what pedagogies we can avail of.

Learning Environment Plan

Download PDF version CCBYNC Richard Beggs Ulster University

Coleraine campus

In recent years the Coleraine has had new teaching blocks built that provide excellent learning and teaching spaces that facilitate an active learning approach.

Magee campus

The new teaching block in the Magee campus was recently opened providing excellent learning and teaching spaces that facilitate an active learning approach.

Greater Belfast Development

It is exciting times for Ulster University as we approach the final phases of the development of our new campus.

Learning Landscape Toolkits and Resources

To help you make the most of the opportunities that the new learning spaces provide, CHERP has collated and produced a number of self-help tool kits and resources to enable you to plan your sequencing of learning and design.

Active Learning Champions

CHERP have appointed 18 Active Learning Champions across the institution to help scale up the curriculum design, learning environment and technology adoption aspirations of 5&50 and the Learning and Teaching Strategy and to maximise the opportunities for innovation during this transitional period and to enable staff to be rewarded for taking risks in our learning spaces with new pedagogies, emerging practices and technologies and to inspire others to try new things.

EXPERIENCE: CHERP Learning Partners (Student Interns)

Our students are a huge untapped resource for supporting the enhancement of learning experiences, they have the 'lived experience' of a course and are best placed to support academic staff when they are trying something new or are in a new learning space.

After a successful pilot in January 2020, a new scheme is looking for Learning Partners for Sept 2021. Their remit will be to help teaching staff facilitate new pedagogies in their practice by providing support and assistance in the class when they need it or to help with learning and teaching research studies.

CHERP's Learning Lab

In order to allow our staff to 'Try before they buy' in to the new learning spaces, CHERP have developed the Learning Lab with the support of Estates and DISD.

This flexible and collaborative learning environment allows staff to experience this space as a student on MEd, PgCHEP, FST, Orientation and through revalidation support workshops so they can reflect on their on practice and give them confidence to try out new things.

The space has been designed to facilitate active and collaborative learning and features some of the flexible furniture and technology that will be available in the Greater Belfast Development.

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Ulster University has invested heavily in its learning environment, with new teaching blocks housing both formal and informal social learning spaces in Coleraine, Magee and our new campus is under development in Belfast as well as the transitional period for our Jordanstown campus.