1. The meeting discussed student and staff feedback on hybrid teaching formats, with concerns raised about back-to-back online and in-person sessions and lack of engagement during online sessions. Actions were agreed to address these issues. 2. Exam format changes and their impact on students were also discussed, with actions to investigate on-campus exam spaces and a central exam issues submission point. 3. Time management challenges for students, especially with hybrid learning, were discussed along with suggestions to provide more guidance resources upfront and encourage use of existing support modules. The meeting closed with an agreement to schedule future meetings.

1. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log
Date: 18.11.2021, 1-2:30pm (Online Meeting,viaZoom)
Attendees: 26 attendees
Vikki Carolan(VK,StudentExperienceLead,CoChair)
MadalenaOliveira(MO,DepartmentRep,CoChair)
Dr. Nikki Jordan-Mahy(BSc/MSci BiochemistryCourse Leader)
Joel Kesterton(JK,StudentEngagementManager)
MilicentHeaton(MH,Students'Union,Minute-taker)
Catherine Duckett(CD,Postgraduate AcademicDeliveryManager)
Sara Raza (SR, BSc Hon Biomedical SciencesCourseRep)
Tanya Klymenko(TK,Staff)
DexterHammonds(DH,BSc Hon BiochemistryCourse Rep)
CoreyHorobin(CH,BSc Hon ChemistryCourse Rep)
Emma Spruce (ES,BSc Hon Biomedical Science Course Rep)
TiffanyTran(TT, BSc Hon Chemistry withFoundationYearCourse Rep)
RobertBradshaw(RB, Staff)
ADINA DOROBANTU(AD,BSc Hon Biomedical Science Course Rep)
Divyani Mistry(DM, BSc Hon Biomedical Science Course Rep)
Daniel Kelly(DK,Staff)
WalidOmara (WO,PGD AcademicPractise (DA) Course Rep)
Matt Maple (MM, BSc Hon HumanBiologyCourse Rep)
NITIN CHAUDHARY (NC,MSc PharmacologyandBiotechnologyCourse Rep)
Lola Morrin (LM, BSc Hon BiologyCourse Rep)
Neil Cross(NC,Staff)
Alex Hamilton(AH,Staff)
Jane Gurman (JG,BiologyStaff)
KeithMiller(KM,Staff)
Laura Cole (LC,Biomedical Science Staff)
DavidSmith(DS,Course Rep)
Apologies: Annabel Nicholls, Eloise Moore,SarahSmall-Haywood

2. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log
Discussion
item
Notes Actions
Minutes &
Actions from
the previous
meeting
N/A – first meeting of the year, no previous record readily available N/A
Item 1:
Introductions
‘Whowe are
and why we are
chairing this
meeting’
Thanksto all course repsforattending
Introfrom all attendeesand apologiesaccepted.
N/A
Item 2:
‘Purpose of the
group’
The purpose of the meetingwasexplained,alongside howthiscomplementedotherrepresentationmeetings,suchas
StudentStaff CommitteeMeetings.Discussionof concerns,actions,andfeedbacktoraise toCollege StudentBoards
wouldbe identified.
An overviewof the agendawassharedonscreen,notingissuesonthisagendaare fromstaff and repfeedback.
N/A
Item 3:
Discussionof
‘hottopics’
Hybrid teaching and Engagement/timetabling:
Repswere askedforfeedbackon back-to-backonline and in-personsessions.
- Studentsnotedinresponse thatthere isaconcernaround havingtotravel home intime foran online classwhen
there’sashort breakbetweensessions
- Commuterstudentsnotedaconcernaroundcommutingfora 1 hour session,justtotravel forhoursto returnhome.
Thiswas commonfeedback
-Studentsnotedit’sunlikelypossible buthavingone laptop/screenatthe frontof in-personsessions wouldbe helpful
so some can dial in

3. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log
Staff offeredsuggestionsto avoidstudentsmissingsessionsandteachingby:
-Bookingclassroomspace (individual orgroup)
-Bookinglibraryrooms(thoughnotedthismaybe unfeasibleforwhole cohortsgivenspace concerns)
-Spendtime oncampusto ‘make a day of it’if commutinginfor onlyone session,suchasheadingtothe libraryetc.
One staff memberfeltitwasa personal choice tonot travel for1 hour,not a universityexperience concern
VCnotifiedattendeesthatthere is a rule for :05 startand:55 end times so there’s a10 minute breakbetweensessions.
It’sunclear howwidely this is followedbutrepsdid notseem aware.Studentswereempoweredtoremindstaff of this.
It wasnotedthe Universitywerein the processof addressingthis,asurvey wascirculated with reps promptedby MOto
shareconcernsin this form
ACTION (1)
Additionally,itwasnotedthere were concernsaround engagementinsessions,whichwasfeltquitewidelybystaff
membership.Examplesof frustratingelementsstaff raisedwere:
1) Blankscreens/camerasoff andnotknowingif studentswere vacant,notingbodylanguagewasimportanttohelp
staff interpretlevelsof understandingduringteaching.Itwasnotedas ‘worse thanlastyear’for cameralevelsand
concernsof ‘more attendance,lessengagement’were echoed
Staff soughtto understandfurtherwhycameraswere turnedoff forstudents.Itwasnotedthiswasfrustratingfor
studentsespeciallyinsituationswhere theydidn’tfeel comfortable.Examplesgivenwere:
-discomfortin joiningactivelyin publicspacessuchaslibraries
-nofundsto purchase a camera forthisuse
-brokenequipment
-needingtouse aphone – lesseasyto joinvia
-highlevelsof discomfort,particularlywithlevel 5studentswhohave norelationshipswithpeersandare social
confidence lackingafterayear of Covid-learningandthe followingimpacttheyfeel fromthis.
It was clearthat staff didn’tfeel theseexamplessatisfiedthe queryaroundwhythe issue iswidespreadamongst
cohorts.Examplesof:
-What wouldstudentsdoif staff chose toturn theircamerasoff?
ACTION 1: Course
Reps to
encourage peers
with feedbackon
back to back
online and in-
personsessions
to complete
central University
survey

4. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log
-What wouldstudentsdoinajob interviewsituation(inferringtheywouldaccessacamera)?
were posedinresponse alongside:
-Notingitwasn’ta very‘graduate’approach
-Staff declaringtheydon’twish toaskstudentsanymore forassumptiontheywouldn’trespondandturncamerason
showcasingthe levelof frustrationstaff have reachedregardingthisconcern
ACTION (2)
Q on thistopic– whyare sessionsstilldeliveredhybridif the Universityisencouragingpeople tocome backonto
campus?
A – planningoccursmonthsin advance sothese judgementcallswere made previously.Feedbackfromlastyearon
recordedmaterial waspositive,notingtime torewatchcontent,watchintheirowntime.
2) Staff teaching,assumingrecordedmaterial hasbeenwatchedandstudentsweretherefore prepared
It was fedbackby some studentsthatpre-recordedmaterial canbe overwhelmingasthere isa lotto independently
cover.It was discussedthatpreviouslyadditional timetableswere usedtoputin‘recommended’time forthe
independentlearning,thoughlargelymixedresponsesinpositive andnegativewere resulting.
The concludedrecommendationtosupportthis wasforstaff to ensure theyrelease all onlinecontentonone regular
scheduleddayaweeksostudentscanplanaround this.
3) Studentsbeinginpublicspacesandgettingdistracted,notinglibraryspaces asexamplesof thisandthe needfor
institutional provision
Additional feedbackon timetabling:
Studentsraisedconcerns overcancellationsnotbeingcirculatedwith sufficientnotice.Staff didnote thatusuallythese
are due to illnessandtherefore aren’t somethingthatmore notice couldbe givenfor.Suggestionthatstudents
becomingfamiliarwithhoweachmodule notifiesthemof thingslikechangestotimetablesiskey,sotheyknowwhatto
lookforor expect.Nocentralisedapproach.
ACTION 2: Course
Reps were asked
to ensure their
cameras were on
to see if this
encouragesmore
widespreaduse
amongst groups

5. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log
Changesto examformat
It was notedthatpreviously24hourswere givenforexams,thisyearthishaschangedto 4 hours and thishas
generatedsome anxietyfromstudents.
Staff clarifiedthat:
-Thisisstill withadditionaltime,i.e.3hourexamsare 4 hours if online,toinclude anyITtime,extratime neededto
type etc.
-Thisisalsoto protect studentwellbeing –e.g.lastyearstaff couldsee studentsinassessmentfor9+ excessivehours
and wantto preventthis,especiallyinwiderassessmentperiodswithmultiple examinationsinashortperiod
-Additionallythisistocombatplagiarismandcheating
-Thisdecisionwasmade alongside the DisabledStudentSupportGroup,toensure it’sinclusive.
-There wassome discussionastowhetherstudentswhohave learningcontractsorspecial circumstancesconcernsstill
getadditional time ontopof this,withsome staff believingtheydo,andotherstheydon’t.The conclusionwasthatthis
perhapsdependsonextensivenessof theircontract,conditionetc.
-There wassome discussiononwhatthe appropriate actionisif a studentfindsthemselveswithtechconcerns.Some
module leaderssuggestedemailingcontenttothemsothisisprovento be submittedontime etc.butothershad a
concernfor viabilityof thisgivenvolume. Otherssuggestedscreenshotstoconfirmthe stage of workat deadline time.
It was clarifiedthese suggestionsare nota Department-widerecommendation.
Q – Are there dedicatedspacesoncampuswhere studentscancomplete examsif theywish? Thiswasagreedtobe a
goodideaby manyattendees,especiallygivenconsiderationstothose insharedaccommodation,withchildcare needs
etc.
Departmentisinvestigatinglibraryspacesforthispurpose,noting there wouldn’tbe enoughindividualroomsforthe
requirednumberof studentsatthattime if manywantedto sitexamson-site.Nodemonstratorwasneeded,but
facilitiesconcernswere felt.
ACTION (3)
Q – Is there a central examentrypointforproblemstobe submittedto?
A - https://sheffieldhallam.sharepoint.com/sites/3007/academicservices/Exams
On thistopic,studentsalsowishedtosee markschemesandquestionexamplestohelptheirpreparation.
ACTION 3:
Department Staff
to feedfeedback
on on-campus
virtual exam and
suitable study
spaces up to the
College Level to
seekresolution
and
recommendations

6. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log
Postgraduate time management– update and suggestions
General feedbackfromstaff wasthattime managementwaspoorinsome areas. It wasnotedby staff that some
Undergraduate studentsmaybenefitfromguidance too. Staff airedfrustrationsthatstudentsweren’tindependently
seekingtoresolve the issueand neededmore supportinthisarea(1-1s,blackboardhave resourcestosupportthem).
Staff additionallysharedviews concernedstudentswould‘become outof control’if theycan’tattendor plana 9-5
workingdayduringtheirstudies.
Suggestionsaroundhowtoimprove thisincluded:
-Studentsgettingadviceaheadof whenthe course startsfrommodule leaders,especiallyaroundmanaginghybrid
learning
-Encouragingstudentstostartutilisingthe ‘howtouse this’module andweekly‘whattodo’sessionslotsof courses
offer
It was notedsome of thisfeedbackcame fromthe contextof studentstryingtojuggle multipleparttime jobswiththeir
studies, orwhilstfactoringintravel time fromcommuterstudents andnotseekingtobe disorganised. Itwasalsonoted
thisisa transitionperiodasstudentsbecomefamiliarwithroutineagain,unlike theirupheavedroutine duringthe
pandemic.
Library resourcesrefresher
It was observedthatBlackboardcanbe daunting to become familiarwith,especiallyif studentsmissedanyweek1
sessions.Suggestionof apre-recordedvideoresource beingproducedtosupportthis,notingaverybrief pre-recorded
videowassharedbutnot indepth.
JK suggestedthissite: https://www.shu.ac.uk/digital-skills/online-learning/blackboard
ACTION (4)
ACTION 4: Vikki
Carolan to follow
up with Libraries
team to see if
guidance can be
updated
Item 4: AOB Nobodyhadfurtherbusiness.
Thanksgivento all attendeesasmeetingwasclosed.
Nextmeetingistobe scheduled.
N/A

7. BIOSCIENCES & CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENTSTUDENTBOARD | 2021-22
Discussion Summary and Action Log