Creating Abertay University's own "Sticky Campus" Speakers: Alastair Robertson, director of teaching and learning enhancement, University of Abertay Dundee Liam Hutchinson, learning enhancement coordinator, University of Abertay Dundee This session will provide the audience with an overview of Abertay's efforts to create a new "sticky campus" through new learning spaces and embracing digital technologies that enhance students' learning and engagement. There will be particular reference to the staff development aspects of this strategic initiative. Conversational platforms as an alternative to the LMS - the results of the Aula pilot at Ravensbourne Speakers: Rosemary Stott, associate dean, learning innovation, Ravensbourne Anders Krohn, co-founder and CEO, Aula Building on Jisc and Educause’s work on ‘next generation digital learning environments’, this presentation explores the theory and its practical implications at institutional scale. The rationale for and results of the Ravensbourne pilot of the conversational platform Aula, used as an alternative to the LMS and emails, are discussed.

1. Creating Abertay University’s
own “Sticky Campus”

2. abertay.ac.uk
Dr Alastair Robertson and Liam Hutchinson
Teaching and Learning Enhancement
Abertay University
JISC Digifest 2018, 7th March 2018
Creating Abertay University’s
own ‘Sticky Campus’

3. abertay.ac.uk
Our Students

4. abertay.ac.uk
The ‘Sticky’ Campus
Creating the right on-campus
environment and spaces where
students will want to come and stay!

5. abertay.ac.uk
Abertay – “Choosing Our Own Path”
• Wholescale transformation of our pedagogic approach since 2013
• Three strategic priorities: reforming our curriculum, incentivising student
performance, raising the status of teaching
• Resulting in e.g.
New academic calendar, portfolio review, curriculum reform, new module structure,
interdisciplinary electives, Assessment policy, GPA, HEAR, EMA, HEA-accredited
staff CPD scheme, teaching funding scheme etc.

6. abertay.ac.uk
No Room For Complacency
• Significant rise in student satisfaction across all scales in the NSS, league table
rises BUT
• Student retention, attainment, graduate-level employability, raising the quality bar
uniformly are all still challenges!
• Creating a sticky campus for Abertay- alignment of pedagogy, estates development,
IT, organisation and management (e.g. timetabling), student support.
• NOT TRIVIAL?!

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Active Learning @Abertayuni

8. abertay.ac.uk
Active Learning @Abertayuni

9. abertay.ac.uk
Active Learning @Abertayuni

10. abertay.ac.uk
Building Learning Communities

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It’s Not Just About The Right Spaces

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Staff and student support
 Over to Liam!

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Supporting Active Learning &
The Sticky Campus
Key actions/activities:
• Development of staff and student
digital capability
• Promotion of new facilities
• Classroom Support
• Supporting course development
• Working with other services to ensure
functional integration of new spaces
and technologies

14. abertay.ac.uk
Development - Workshops
Workshops available on timetabled and
adhoc basis.
• Collaborative learning suite
• Media suite
• Science Labs
• Creative Design Suite/IT Training Suite
• Pebblepad
• Blackboard
• Turning Point response system
• Catchbox

15. abertay.ac.uk
Development – Online Resources
Intranet resources include:
• Video demonstrations
• Interactive learning objects
• e-literature
• Supporting class content
(e.g. Powerpoint slides)
• Quick links to external
resources

16. abertay.ac.uk
Development – Online Courses
Self assessed mini courses available
through Blackboard.
Available courses:
• Blackboard Essentials
• Electronic Management of Assessment
• Video for Learning

17. abertay.ac.uk
On Going Projects
Other on-going projects include:
• Student response system trial
• Promotion of Video for learning and
flipped classroom teaching approach
• Mental health nursing Digi- OAR
• VLE and e-Portfolio review

18. abertay.ac.uk
Future Work
• Evaluation of new facilities
• More flexible learning spaces
• Introduction of incentive schemes (e.g.
digital badges for achievement and
staff/student digital champions)
• Development of resource catalogue
• Video conferencing project

19. Thank you!
Any questions?

20. Conversational platforms as an
alternative to the LMS - the
results of the Aula pilot at
Ravensbourne

21. Conversational platforms as an alternative to the LMS - the results of the Aula
pilot at Ravensbourne
Dr Rosemary Stott, Associate Dean, Learning Innovation, Ravensbourne
@Rosemarystott
r.stott@rave.ac.uk
Anders Krohn, Co-founder and CEO, Aula
@Anders_Krohn
anders@aula.education

24. Mindsets & Skillsets

25. But there are no bean bags in my LMS*
*http://digitallearning.middcreate.net/digital-tools/bean-bags-in-the-lms/
She asked why should she not be able to create a comfortable space for
dialogue in her course? “I want my LMS to have bean bags in it, so that
students can have a comfortable place to talk, to study, to engage.”
Sean Morris: Bean Bags in the LMS, Middlebury Digital Learning 2016

26. It Started with the Two Digital Infrastructure Elephants on Campus

27. ‘[The LMS has been] highly successful in enabling the administration of learning
but less so in enabling learning itself…’
‘It’s basically impossible to counsel students off-campus when they don’t use
emails.’
Student Welfare Officer
It Started with the Two Digital Infrastructure Elephants on Campus

28. What went Wrong?

29. From Digitisation of Administration and Content to Technology-
Enhanced Educational Experiences

30. ‘Conversational’ Means Powerful and Intuitive -
Technologically and Pedagogically

31. Aula - A ‘Conversational’ Alternative
to Learning Management Systems and Emails
An ecosystem of integrations.
Think, mathematicians ‘chatting
equations’.

32. Aula - A ‘Conversational’ Alternative
to Learning Management Systems and Emails
A foundational layer for educational
communication. Think, distance learners
connecting with your ‘virtual library’.
An ecosystem of integrations.
Think, mathematicians ‘chatting
equations’.

33. The Aula Pilot
6 courses
from a range of Media and Design undergraduate courses
280 first-year students
(12% of the student population)

34. First Term Survey - Students
Surveyed N=65 (27 %)

35. First Term Survey - Course Leaders
Surveyed course leaders on 6 programmes

36. First Term Focus Group Conversations - Educators and Students
Senior Lecturer, Fashion Buying and Brand Management
‘Before I was using a variety of platforms to communicate with students, but now I
just use Aula. It’s saving me about one hour a day.’
Senior Lecturer, Animation
‘The simplicity and streamlined nature of Aula seemed like an issue at first. But now
I see it as a key advantage.’
Educators
Student, Fashion Buying and Brand Management
‘It feels more professional to use Aula than Facebook or other social media for
learning.’
Student in a Course Liaison Committee
‘Let’s just Aula that.’
Students

37. Challenges and Opportunities

38. Opportunities - The Conversational Student Journey

39. Opportunities - The Conversational Student Journey
Phase 1

40. Opportunities - The Conversational Student Journey
Phase 2

41. Opportunities - The Conversational Student Journey
Phase 3

42. Questions?
Dr Rosemary Stott, Associate Dean, Learning Innovation, Ravensbourne
@Rosemarystott
r.stott@rave.ac.uk
Anders Krohn, Co-founder and CEO, Aula
@Anders_Krohn
anders@aula.education

43. Thank you!
Any questions?