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Family and study: Striking a balance!
Victoria Dalton - BA (Hons) English Literature student - shares her guide to balancing family and study commitments -
BGU Lecturers suggest improved disaster risk reduction policy for Bangladesh
Bangladesh has more than 700km of coastline within the Bay of Bengal (BoB). It is a low-lying flood plain and high population density country. Due to the geographical location and topography, any cyclonic activities on BoB and beyond on it, on the Indian Ocean, impact on the coastal communities in Bangladesh. (Below photo: Approximate origin and path of severe tropical cyclone Amphan on May 2020) -
Joint Research Venture to Help Better Equip Lincolnshire Visitor Economy
Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Chris Jackson has successfully been awarded funding from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) to run a collaborative research project with Dr Georgiana Els, University of Lincoln (UoL). The purpose of the project is to engage with communities and organisations in the Lincolnshire visitor economy (“City -County-Coast”) to explore what skills and attributes may be needed to better-equip the sector to cope with high levels of uncertainty in an fast-changing environment. “This is a great learning collaboration” says Chris. “We’re using the industry-specific practice and experience of UoL and combining this with research into future-fit adult learning.” “There’s also a twist to this that QAA jumped on – we’re using students to design and deliver a programme in a team-learning initiative. This builds on work that Georgiana and I have already carried out with Team Entrepreneurship students from BGU working on 24-hour business challenges with Leisure and Tourism Students from UoL.” Professor of Educational Learning, Phil Wood commented, “This is an exciting initiative that is looking to establish catalytic questions rather than definitive answers, with all participants benefitting from the outcomes. It can also help to inform us as educators how we can develop engaging, relevant learning that supports the communities that we serve.” The programme launches in May and will be looking to recruit a small group of students from both universities who would be interested in engaging in live collaborative research whist developing their own skills and attributes. Further information on the venture can be found by contacting chris.jackson@bishopg.ac.uk -
Classes Return as Sports & Fitness Centre Continues Re-Opening
With the Government confirming the continued easing of national restrictions the Sports & Fitness Centre team at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) are delighted to be able to continue their reopening process by restarting classes and welcoming back their community members. Community members can return to BGU Sport & Fitness Centre for the gym sessions and classes from 24th May adhering to same covid protocol as presently in place for all BGU staff / students. You can find more details on those protocols here. Additionally, opening hours will be returning to standard: Monday – Friday: 7.30am – 8.30pm Weekends: 9am – 2pm Gym sessions Gym sessions need to be pre-booked via email / phone; (01522) 583680 / sports@bishopg.ac.uk. Please do not come to the gym without booking as the team will not be able to admit you. Classes For the foreseeable future classes will be operating on the following timetable: Monday 4.30 – 5.15pm Abs & Interval Training 5.30 – 6.30pm Pilates Wednesday 5.30 – 6.15pm Legs, Bums & Tums 6.30 – 7.15pm Pilates Thursday 1.00 – 2.00pm Pilates 6.30 – 7.15pm Cardiotone Friday 5.15 – 6.15pm Circuits The team hope to be able to return to their full programme soon. Places will be limited and offered on a first come, first served basis, so please pre-book your place via email / phone; (01522) 583680 / sports@bishopg.ac.uk Community Member Payments Payments for monthly memberships will restart from 1 June 2021. As a gesture of goodwill the team will be providing all members (monthly / quarterly and annual memberships) with 7 days free access. External Hire The team are also delighted to confirm that external hirers can now return to their facilities (subject national requirements). Please contact them for more information on how to set up bookings and necessary documentation The team look forward to seeing you back on site and catching up after such a long period. Remember, if you have any questions, they are happy to help, either over the phone, by email or in person. -
Benefits of Refugee Doctors Project Highlighted in LORIC Review
The Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre (LORIC) team at Bishop Grosseteste University have worked with the Lincolnshire Refugee Doctors Project (LRDP) to conduct an independent evaluation of their programme, which has recently completed its first year in operation. The evaluation, funded by Research England’s Strategic Priorities Fund, involved: Summarising the work of the programme to date including ‘The LRDP model’Reviewing how the programme has gone so farConsidering the programme in comparison to other refugee doctors programmes Considering the specific challenges that operating in a rural area bringsConsidering the social impact of the programme for its participants, NHS organisations, and other stakeholdersWriting up a report of the findings It has highlighted the breadth of organisations that LRDP are involved with across the region and nationally, the benefits of a flexible approach to recruitment, and the value the doctors place on the friendly, “family ethos” of the programme in assisting them with their holistic support needs. Following the culmination of the review, Vince Ion, Chair of the Board for the LRDP, thanked the LORIC team for their work: “We are delighted to present this independent review of our work to date, which describes what we have achieved so far on our journey. We would like to thank all those who contributed to the production of this review, especially our members whose journeys to join us continue to amaze and reward us, and are the reason why we are delivering this project. This report is a description of our beginning; there is much more to be done, including a further review of our work to detail our effectiveness and value for money and we hope to commission this in the next few years.” The report will be used by Lincolnshire Refugee Doctors Project to support their business strategy and also to raise awareness of the programme, and of refugee doctors in the UK. If you would like to discuss how the LORIC team can support your business or organisation please contact loric@bishopg.ac.uk -
Evaluation of the impact of the Carers Quality Award on staff and students at Bishop Grosseteste University
We are seeking the views of BGU students and staff to help evaluate the impact of the Carers Quality Award on staff and students at Bishop Grosseteste University. The aim of this study is to explore staff and student perspectives of the impact of the Carers Quality Award across the institution. This is alongside the aim to ascertain whether those not with caring responsibilities have an awareness of the Award and its purposes. We seek to better understand how impactful the Award is on carers (staff and students), along with those who are not carers, and whether they consider the Award has made a difference to them. We are also seeking volunteers from the staff and students at BGU who are willing to take part in some interviews. Please contact Leanne Mchugh (leanne.mchugh@bishopg.ac.uk) for further details. -
‘Dedicated’ Students Look to Create a Legacy with First Student-Led Research Conference at BGU
‘Dedicated’ Students Look to Create a Legacy with First Student-Led Research Conference at BGU In April 2021, a group of seven dedicated final year BA Primary Education students took the lead in successfully delivering an online research conference to 100 of their peers and lecturers on conducting educational research. The group of students, supported by project-lead Dr Ashley Compton and Student Engagement Facilitator, Helen Waters-Marsh, planned, organised, and delivered a range of live online workshops as well as producing pre-recorded conference materials, all during the lockdown of 2021. Dr Ashley Compton discussed the origins and future of the conference: “Helen and I started talking about this in the spring of 2019. We had preparations for the first conference well under way when lockdown hit. This was before the world got used to existing through Teams and Zoom so at that point, we were forced to cancelled it. We were determined to try again this year so planned it as an online conference from the beginning.” “A group of students volunteered and proved to be dedicated and reliable. We worked together to produce a programme and shared out the jobs. The students were great about producing content and encouraged contributions from their fellow students.” “The conference was well attended by year two students and was incredibly useful for their current research module, but more importantly preparing them for their dissertation next year.” “The whole thing went so well that we intend to do this again next year.” Bethanie Crawley, one of the students who organised the conference, shared her experience and how she hopes it will impact her future: “I got involved with the student led conference as a way of paying back the help I have received over my three years training” “I gained a sense of comradery working with people I possibly haven't had much contact with previously. I was more motivated to get on with my assignments while we discussed the issues that arise in research as I now had solutions within my head” “I would highly recommend getting involved in the conference. You get to develop so many skills in presenting, teamwork, and time management. It also looks amazing on a job application for when you are applying as it shows you can work in a team.” “I am going to use this experience to have the confidence to get involved with other projects throughout my first couple of years teaching. I have presented online and been involved with delivering online material which will help in the case of possible teaching online based on the issues of the current climate, this is a good skill to have currently” Another student conference organiser, Molly-Ann Burnett, has since had a successful job interview where she was able to draw on her experiences organising the Student-led Research Conference: “In recent job applications, I have mentioned my role in the conference when discussing elements of professionalism and leadership. I drew on the experience in a successful job interview, speaking about how it developed my confidence and demonstrated my ability to work as part of a team” “I have gained some much-needed confidence in using technology for presentations, something which is sure to become more relevant in future years. I have also gained confidence in interacting with others, be that the team, contributors and those who attended the final conference” Alisha Gibbs, final year BA Primary Education student, said she got involved as she knew how challenging a dissertation can be: “It was so rewarding to be sharing advice and it was also a confidence boost to sit back and realise how much you have accomplished. I also found that I felt much more confident with leading and speaking in front of large groups which is an important skill to have” Student Conference Organiser Louise Beasley shared Alisha’s sentiments about organising the conference: “I grew in confidence when presenting live to the second years, it also helped me to reflect on my research and how far I had come since my second year. I also really like helping others, so I got a sense of pride and accomplishment through this” -
British Educational Research Association releases findings on BGU research on NQT experiences
The British Education Research Association (BERA) have released initial findings of a British Academy funded research currently being carried out by Bishop Grosseteste University’s (BGU) Professor Phil Wood, Dr. Emma Clarke and Dr. Aimee Quickfall. The blog post, titled ‘How newly qualified teachers are coping in the time of Covid-19’, shares initial findings from interviews and surveys carried out this year, with further data collection ongoing into August. You can read it in full by clicking here. Phil, Professor of Education Change at BGU, explained the context of the current newly qualified teacher cohort: “Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) have arguably always had tough challenges to overcome, but the pandemic has added to these challenges, including rapid adaptations to initial teacher education content (ITE) delivery in 2019/20 and many involved in ITE and NQT support fear that the pandemic has created a ‘lost cohort’.” However, the research trio have found that whilst the year has been challenging, there are reasons to be cheerful. Emma, Senior Lecturer in Primary and Early Years ITE at BGU, explained what the participants are reporting so far: “We have been surprised by some of the data coming out of our project so far. The majority of NQTs – 77 per cent – agreed or strongly agreed that their ITE prepared them well for their NQT year, with just under 30 per cent reporting that they did not feel confident on entering their NQT year. Almost 80 per cent of NQTs agreed or strongly agreed that they were being supported well by colleagues to develop their teaching practice, and 81 per cent agreed or strongly agreed that despite Covid-19 they were continuing to develop their skills as a teacher.” The project involves national survey results as well as in depth interviews with NQTs, which Aimee, Head of Programmes for Primary and Early Years ITE at BGU, commented on: “As researchers we have been mindful that often national research on teacher experiences involves large scale survey data and a limited range of answers. This study has provided opportunities for the NQTs themselves to explain what they have been through and what resources have supported them to succeed. We can use these findings to improve preparation for early career teachers.” NQTs have been sharing their pragmatic approaches to their first year in the profession, and whilst the year has been very challenging and some NQTs are reporting fewer uplifting experiences, participants like Alisha have commented on how relationships and networks that started in their universities and training providers have supported them: “Everyone on my PGCE course… we’ve still got our little group chat and that’s been great because when something goes completely wrong and you can just throw that in, and somebody else goes, ‘Well actually that’s gone wrong for me as well. I’m confident that we’ll all pass our NQT year. It’s just working out how we can get more support or navigate through this interesting time.” You can find more information on the wide range of innovative PGCE courses offered by BGU on our website. Alternatively you can contact our Enquiries Team or join us on one our Open Days to find out how to begin your journey into teaching. -
BGU Officially Welcome New Students at Annual Matriculation Ceremony
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) formally enrolled over 1000 students and welcomed nearly 600 of those students at the annual Matriculation Ceremony on Friday 8 October 2021. Now in its seventh year the welcoming ceremony has become an established and popular part of the academic calendar. All newly enrolled students are invited to the ceremony, held in the grand surroundings of Lincoln Cathedral, which gives both undergraduate and postgraduate students the chance to meet University staff and each other. This year’s ceremony began at 3pm with a procession of over 100 BGU members of staff before the new students were officially welcomed to the University by the University’s Chancellor, Dame Judith Mayhew-Jonas, the Vice-Chancellor, the Reverend Canon Professor Peter Neil, the President of the Students’ Union, Erin Bell and the The Vice-Chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, The Reverend Canon Neil Burgess. As a symbol of their belonging in BGU, all students were given a specially designed gold badge. The Vice-Chancellor explained why the event has become such an important part of the student journey at BGU: “The Matriculation Ceremony marks our students’ formal entry into the University. In addition to offering a friendly welcome to all those who are starting their studies here this year, it marks their entry into BGU’s academic community, of which every student is an integral member. It is also emphasised that we are all there to guide and support the students throughout their time with us. This year feels particularly special, as it is the first time we have gathered together in the Cathedral for almost two years.” The ceremony closed with a performance from the BGU choir followed by speeches from Harry Mill, second year Education Studies and Mathematics student, and Bethany Mcallister, second year English Literature student. If you would like to become a part of the BGU community visit our website to find out about all the exciting courses available to you or contact our Enquiries Team today. You can watch this year’s ceremony and find a photo album on our Facebook page -
Perceptions of Death in Collective Memory: Numbers | Spaces | Texts (2021-22)
Research by Sibylle Erle Death is an abstract concept. I have always been interested in Death; not because I am morbid but because I want to live a better life. Having co-organized Academic and Creative Responses to Death and Dying (since 2017) with Peter Green at BGU, I realised that I needed to move on as well as back into my own discipline. I wanted to contemporize my interest in Death, which is rooted in the Romantic period where it connects to my research on Mary Wollstonecraft, Joanna Baillie and Mary Shelley. This is how it happened. In conversation with Dr Makrina Agaoglou, from the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (ICMAT) in Madrid, I realised how Mathematics could inform and teach non-mathematicians about how mathematical modelling can give some inside information on what is happening and if and how outcomes can be predicted. Sophie Ungerer a London-based architect and designer working at the University of Brighton, on the other hand, showed me how COVID-19 has affected the way we move in our minds and through our cities, including the spaces designated for preoccupation with death, such as graveyards, (makeshift) morgues or memorials. In my head I quickly moved from “What is the maths behind the current pandemic?” to “How should we inhabit public spaces – as well as the intimate space between us”. Our project seeks to explore the perceptions of death in the context of COVID-19 and how they were affected by the pandemic. COVID-19 has been represented by mathematical graphs describing a global phenomenum, that are abstract and not always easily processed by the public; the data, moreover, is counterpointed by a plethora of individual stories about loss, mental health and lockdowns. Yet, though the threat of death is omni-present and has shaped our societies and lives irreversibly, many still have not experienced death first-hand. Death is well-documented in the public eye, but all too often the dying had to die alone to ensure the safety of their loved ones and related communities. This disconnect - between the public and the private - has to do with how we process ‘the facts‘. Through our project we want to take stock of how the current situation is poised; it is not about knowing or not knowing, it is rather to do with accepting or rejecting ‘the facts‘. Using interdisciplinary collaboration, we aim to explore the perceptions of death: from the abstract, for the general public, the parameters that affect the spreading of the virus and thus define social distancing, to how empirical experience of death may be represented in text and space. Our project is funded by AlumNode (a collaboration between the Heidelberg Laureate Forum Foundation (HLFF) and the German Scholars Organization (GSO), funded by the Klaus Tschira Stiftung (KTS). Facts rarely produce empathy; and this is where the TEXT (Literature) comes in. For any information contact Sibylle Erle, FRSA, FHEA, who is Reader in English Literature and lead of RKEU Literature and Literacies. She teaches on the English programmes as well as on MA Children’s Literature and Literacies. Our first event on 2 November brings together Speakers from different disciplines who will explore ‘Death’ from different angles: we will have short presentations, a round table and a creative workshop; This will be lead by artist Marina White Raven, who I have been working with since the first Lockdown on a story titled, 'What did you do during lockdown?' - Find out more about that story here. What remains? Each point or number on those graphs holds its own story. Is it personal stories that will compete with the trends in the formation of the collective memory of the time we are now living through? How do we perceive, construct as well as represent Death in our daily lives? For details: https://www.icmat.es/congresos/2021/PDM-NST/index.php To register: https://predictiondeathmemory.eventbrite.co.uk
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