Festival of Scholarship Event Information and Recordings 

After six successful years as an inward-facing event, we were excited to open the festival out to the wider Higher Education sector, encouraging collaboration and dialogue beyond our institution. The festival was a great opportunity to celebrate the diverse Praxis projects from the past year, from innovative uses of video technology in teacher education to exploring staff perspectives on anti-racist and inclusive assessment practices.

What unites all Praxis projects is a shared commitment to research-rich practices in teaching, a focus on enhancing student learning, and a curiosity for professional growth.

This event featured presentations on issues relevant to Wellness, Education and Language Studies and the broader Higher Education sector. We invited anyone interested in innovative pedagogic research to join us for lively discussions that could shape the future of teaching and learning. You can find the event agenda in the link below. 

Event agenda

Keynote speaker

This year we were delighted to welcome Syra Shakir as our keynote speaker. Syra is an Associate Professor in Learning and Teaching and Strategic Lead on Race Equity at Leeds Trinity University. Syra works on embedding race equity in the curriculum, decolonisation, anti-racist pedagogy, storytelling and co-creation with students to build belonging. Syra delivers a range of anti-racist training workshops to universities, schools, the public and private sectors using creative outputs and alternative ways of dealing with wicked problems of racism. Syra is also a qualified social worker with children and families.

This year the keynote was From the Race Equality Charter to building an Anti-Racist University: Mechanisms for Change

Several years ago, my leadership within the Race Equality Charter deepened my commitment to tackling racial inequities in higher education. It became clear to me that, for decades, universities have failed to address the differential outcomes experienced by students from racialised backgrounds, manifesting in poor retention rates and the persistent awarding gap. At the same time, students across all backgrounds have struggled with developing a true sense of belonging, feeling disconnected from their institutions, their peers, and the curriculum. These systemic issues have profound consequences for student achievement, well-being, and engagement. This realisation propelled my mission to work towards building an anti-racist university, one where every student and staff member, irrespective of race, feels seen, valued, and supported to succeed. It is time to move beyond rhetoric and into action, building a university where all students and staff, no matter their background, can thrive. I discuss mechanisms to support much needed changes, reflecting research findings, theoretical underpinnings, radical activism and sharing lived experiences. 

Event Videos

AM Parallel Session A

Supporting minoritised student experience of Taught Postgraduate assessment: a co-creation project – Judy Chandler & Bob Hallawell

Student use of ChatGPT – Felipe Tessarolo

Starting as we mean to go on: understanding induction experiences for students who declare mental health difficulties – Nichola Kentzer, Ian MacDonald & Jess Pinchbeck

Tutor and student experiences of Discord as a module communication channel – Olivia Kelly

AM Parallel Session B

Peer to peer mentoring network for younger learners on Level 1 modules in the School of Languages and Applied Linguistics – impact and challenges – Danielle Pullen

Voices from Beyond the Walls: Student reflections on their Access learning journeys within English Prisons – Eira Patterson

Practice Tutors’ views on their readiness for supporting OU pre-registration nursing students who require reasonable adjustments for clinical placement – Liz King

Breakout rooms: the virtual dance begins – Zsuzsanna Bárkányi & Bärbel Brash

PM Parallel Session A

Proactive motivational support and online students with mental health challenges: an emancipatory action research study – Annie Storkey

It's good to talk - Exploring effective professional conversations in teacher education – Angela Thomas & Cath Bleasdale

Spaces for Mattering; The Early Childhood Student Journey – Joanne Josephidou, Eleonora Teszenyi, Julie Buck, Jane Dorrian, Linda Plowright-Pepper & Lucy Rodriguez-Leon 

Exploring the impact of using Enquiry-Based Learning on the experience of nursing students. Exploring the impact of using Enquiry-Based Learning on the experience of nursing students – Nicola Goodall

Designing effective interventions for improving completion and outcomes on joint degrees – Olwyn O’Malley & Joanna Mirek-Tooth

PM Parallel Session B

Offering students the opportunity to improve the integrity of their assessments through 15-minute success conversations in an era of Gen-AI – Chelle Oldham

Improving the integrity of student assessments through group academic conduct learning opportunities – Chelle Oldham & Claire Long

Investigating the effectiveness of module design for engagement and participation in the first year of presentation – Lucy Henning & Sally Hunt

An exploration of staff perspectives about anti-racist and inclusive assessment in ECYS – Mel Green

Using video-enhanced reflective practice with students to develop their communication and reflection skills – Sarah Brown