University News & Insights

Using reflective moments to share, evidence, and enhance our practice In a previous Teaching and Learning seminar, we explored reflection on action. This is the process of examining our teaching after the event to learn, refine, and grow. This week, we started to look at ways in which we can make the idea explicit and shareable. Our focus was on how we, as an academic team, can evidence and share our practice, where we shared the process of what we do, learn from each other, and think critically about how to make it better. In our session, we examined how reflection becomes meaningful when it’s linked to evidence of practice student work, feedback, classroom observations, and specifically examples of active learning in action. Our focus was about moving from “What did I teach?” to “How do I know my students learned?”. The seminar put forward the notion that once we start to engage with the practice or the idea of Donald Schön’s concept of reflection on action, is it then possible to share the moments of reflection and change amongst ourselves? What the seminar wanted to reach was answers to the following: The opportunity to share our work with our colleagues means that our reflection can become collaboration where there is a collective process of learning and improvement. Why does this matter? Across the sector, expectations from students in terms of what they want from their academic lecturers and from their studies have changed. Expectations for evidence-based teaching has also grown. Frameworks such as the BQA Review and the UK Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) both highlight the importance of demonstrating impact through student engagement and valuing teaching. At EUB, this means moving from describing the principles that underpin our teaching methods to showing their effectiveness. Our focus is on beginning to collect concrete “reflection on action” examples which are supported by videos, photographs, or annotated student work that capture how active learning strategies are used in practice. This not only helps us meet external expectations but, more importantly, strengthens our internal culture of professional learning. We believe that good teaching is framed through clear expectations, support, and a shared culture of continuous improvement. How can we do it in practice? Our seminar discussions centred on practical ways to make reflection visible and actionable: By embedding these cycles of evidence and reflection, we aim to find out if we can begin to see a clearer picture of our impact on students’ engagement, confidence, and skills. Sharing Good Practice at EUB As a teaching community, sharing is one of our most powerful tools for improvement. When colleagues talk about what works, show examples of activities, and reflect openly on challenges, we aim to begin to build a collective knowledge base that benefits us all. As a follow up to the seminar, the TLC will continue to develop opportunities for cross-disciplinary sharing, where colleagues can showcase their reflections and evidence in a supportive environment. The TLC will support academic faculties to: Our collective goal is to move beyond simply carrying out reflection to embedding a culture of inquiry, evidence, and professional collaboration across EUB. References Schön, D.A. (1983). The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action. Basic Books. EUB Teaching and Learning Centre (2025). Reflection on Action Seminar and Portfolio Framework.

Graduate Attributes: Exploring how our students shape their futures through skills, values, and reflection In this post, I wanted to share and reflect on a recent session with our new students focused on our Graduate Attributes. The students worked in small groups to discuss and consider the skills, values, and characteristics that underpin our five EUB Graduate Attributes. With plenty of post-it notes and a lively discussion, the session aimed to give students the opportunity to think about what our graduate attributes can mean to them personally, and how they can take ownership of them during their time at university What are EUB Graduate Attributes? Graduate attributes represent the essential skills, knowledge, and qualities that universities seek to cultivate so students can thrive both during and beyond their studies. At EUB we talk about five graduate attributes that we believe shape not only academic success, but also the kind of people and professionals our students become: Together, these attributes provide a framework for the kind of graduates we aspire to nurture: adaptable, innovative, and socially conscious leaders. Why do graduate attributes matter? Graduate attributes are more than abstract ideals. Research and sector trends consistently highlight that employers and communities value not only subject expertise, but also critical thinking, digital literacy, cultural awareness, and social responsibility. For our students, these attributes open pathways to professional success and empower them to make meaningful contributions to society. By working actively with the attributes during their studies students begin to see how their academic and extracurricular experiences interconnect, shaping both who they are now and who they are becoming. How can we bring attributes to life in practice? Our recent session provided a clear example. In small groups, students explored each attribute, noting the skills, behaviours, and values they believed were most relevant. Post-it notes clustered around each attribute raised awareness and attention as well as capturing a range of insights: •            Problem-solving means not just finding answers, but asking better questions. •            Social responsibility is about small everyday choices as well as big community projects. •            Being globally aware includes listening to peers from other cultures right here at EUB. This collaborative, interactive format encouraged students to define attributes in their own words and recognise them in their everyday academic and personal lives. As lecturers, we can build on this approach by embedding graduate attributes into our curriculum, our seminar sessions, assessment activities, and feedback conversations — helping students continually connect their active engagement in different sessions with the wider global community they participate in. Graduate Attributes and the Falcon Award At EUB, we are taking the opportunity to encourage students to explicitly engage with our Graduate Attributes. The Graduate Attributes have been embedded into our Falcon Graduate Attribute Award. This award will recognise students who demonstrate high engagement with the attributes through self-awareness and reflection. Working towards the award involves: Students who complete the process receive a certificate and LinkedIn badge, formal recognition that enhances their employability and professional profile. More importantly, they gain confidence in articulating the value of their EUB education, both to themselves and to future employers. The role of the Teaching and Learning Centre The Teaching and Learning Centre collaborates with staff across EUB to embed graduate attributes meaningfully into teaching, learning, and assessment. We provide training, guidance, and opportunities to innovate in curriculum design, helping colleagues align their modules with the attribute framework. During the academic year, we will also run seminar sessions where staff can share practice, and students can showcase how they are developing the attributes through their studies and extracurricular activities. Together, these conversations ensure that graduate attributes remain a living, dynamic part of our ethos, not just a list of words. Graduate Attributes embedded in EUB teaching practice The session with the students reminded me that when students are invited to actively engage with our graduate attributes, they bring fresh perspectives and a strong sense of ownership. As staff, we have the opportunity to harness that energy, embedding attributes across all aspects of the student journey. I hope this reflection sparks conversations in your teaching teams. If you would like to explore further how graduate attributes can be integrated into your modules or how your students can participate in the Falcon Graduate Attribute Award please connect with us at the Teaching and Learning Centre. Together, we can ensure that our graduates leave EUB with not only academic excellence but also the confidence, skills, and values to shape a better future.

Placing our students at the heart of the learning process. Active Learning: what it is, why it matters Welcome to this edition of our Teaching and Learning Bulletin (now shared as a blog).Our aim is to offer ideas and approaches that can enrich our students’ learning experiences and encourage us to look at our teaching and learning practices from fresh perspectives. Building on discussions from our recent Teaching and Learning session during staff induction week, I’d like to continue embedding into our Teaching and Learning ethos the concept of active learning. This is an approach that places our students at the heart of the learning process. As a reminder of what we explored together, you’ll find below an overview of what active learning is, why it matters, and how we can begin to embed it meaningfully in our classrooms. What is active learning? Active learning places students at the centre of the educational process. Instead of sitting back as information is passively provided to them, students are encouraged to interact with content through tasks that require reflection, application, and collaboration. This approach is grounded in constructivist learning theory, which recognises that learners build new knowledge by connecting it to what they already know (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 1999). Social constructivism, as articulated by Vygotsky (1978), adds that learning is shaped through interaction — reinforcing the value of collaborative and cooperative environments in our classrooms. In practice, active learning can take on many forms from pair work and structured discussions, group problem-solving, debates, to case studies and case-based tasks. What matters is that students are thinking with the material, not just about it. Why does active learning matter? There is a growing body of evidence showing the impact of active learning. Freeman et al. (2014) found that it significantly improves student performance and reduces failure rates compared to traditional lectures. Similarly, Prince (2004) and Michael (2006) argue that active learning not only promotes deeper understanding but also develops the transferable skills our graduates will need. Importantly, the purpose of active learning goes beyond content mastery. It fosters critical thinking, problem-solving, and metacognitive awareness (Anderson et al., 2005; Kember & Leung, 2005). It also creates a more inclusive, motivating environment that benefits students from diverse backgrounds (Eddy & Hogan, 2014; Theobald et al., 2020). When students feel engaged and supported, they are more likely to take ownership of their learning. How can we make active learning work? While the benefits are clear, successful active learning requires intentional planning and facilitation. As lecturers, this means designing learning environments that encourage participation, risk-taking, and reflection. Activities should be aligned to learning outcomes and structured in ways that scaffold students’ engagement, giving them the confidence to participate fully. It can be tempting to see active learning as a single strategy or activity. In reality, it is a mindset that places our students as active participants in constructing their own learning journeys. This said, on the TLC Moodle page you will find practical examples of active learning. These examples range from project-based assignments where students participate in real-life assignments, to in-class activities that encourage students to remain engaged and active during lectures and seminars. These types of activities include using online survey tools, like Kahoots, to present concept checking questions during the lecture or prompt discussion at the beginning of a session to raise awareness of misconceptions, shared understanding and individual knowledge. The examples also include think-pair-share questions that students can participate with during and towards the end of academic sessions. How the Teaching and Learning Centre can support you The Teaching and Learning Centre collaborates with you to provide training, support and guidance to help you plan, innovate and develop your use of active learning activities and techniques. Our aim is to work alongside you as you explore and embed new approaches in your teaching. Throughout the academic year, we will run seminar sessions that bring colleagues together to share and learn from one another’s practice. These sessions will highlight different ways in which active learning can enhance our students’ experiences — from fostering deeper understanding to building their confidence and independence as learners. By connecting theory with lived practice, and by learning from each other, we can build a vibrant, collaborative culture of active learning across our classrooms. Moving Forward As always, we hope this piece prompts fresh conversations in your teams and inspires you to try something new. If you would like to explore active learning further or discuss how it might work in your own teaching context, please do get in touch with us at the Teaching and Learning Centre, come along to our regular seminars or put your name forward to run a seminar in collaboration with us. Let’s continue to learn from and with each other as we shape rich, engaging learning environments for our students. Some Useful References: Anderson, W.A., Mitchell, S.M. and Osgood, M.P., 2005. Comparison of student performance in cooperative learning and traditional lecture-based biochemistry classes. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education, 33(6), pp.387–393. Bransford, J.D., Brown, A.L. and Cocking, R.R., 1999. How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. Washington, DC: National Academy Press. Brame, C.J., 2016. Active learning. Vanderbilt University Center for Teaching. Available at: https://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/active-learning/ Eddy, S.L. and Hogan, K.A., 2014. Getting under the hood: How and for whom does increasing course structure work? CBE—Life Sciences Education, 13(3), pp.453–468. Freeman, S., Eddy, S.L., McDonough, M., Smith, M.K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H. and Wenderoth, M.P., 2014. Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(23), pp.8410–8415. Kember, D. and Leung, D.Y.P., 2005. The influence of active learning experiences on the development of graduate capabilities. Studies in Higher Education, 30(2), pp.155–170. Kozanitis, A. & Nenciovici, L., 2023. Effect of active learning versus traditional lecturing on the learning achievement of college students in humanities and social sciences: A meta-analysis. Higher Education, 86, pp.547–569. Michael, J., 2006. Where’s the evidence that active learning works? Advances in Physiology Education, 30(4),