Event Report

Representatives' Forum 2007

University of Reading, Thursday 6th - Friday 7th September 2007

The Forum intended to bring together as many Centre for Bioscience Representatives as possible to share ideas and discuss learning and teaching issues, and also give the Centre an opportunity to say 'Thank-you' for Representatives contribution to the work of the Centre. Feedback from previous forums has been very positive:

"stimulates and encourages"

"...gave me an opportunity to have informal discussion with colleagues"

"Always a pleasure to make new contacts and prompt thought on teaching issues"

The programme included plenty of opportunities for informal discussion with colleagues who share enthusiasm for learning and teaching. An important element of the forum was the informal sharing of practice amongst Representatives through the swapshop sessions, which, at this years Forum focused on teaching techniques and resources.

Programme - Thursday 6th September
12.00	Registration open
12.30	Lunch
13.30	Welcome and Introduction to the Forum Professor Richard Ellis, Head of Dept. of Agriculture and Food Economics, University of Reading
13.35	Introductions and group discussion Julian Park, Centre for Bioscience and University of Reading
14.00	Keynote Presentation: Enquiry Based Learning Karen O'Rourke, Centre for Excellence in Enquiry Based Learning, University of Manchester
14.45	Refreshments
15.00	Swapshop: Teaching Techniques and Resources 1 Session Chair - Julie Peacock ENGAGE - a new interactive website for life science undergraduate students Gillian Fraser, University of Reading Use of automated on-line quizzes as a means to engage and motivate students to prepare in advance of laboratory practical work Phil Langton, University of Bristol Critical reviews of scientific programmes Jon Scott, University of Leicester Teaching Pharmacology to non-science based health care professionals - PBL or workshops? Iain Coleman, University of Wolverhampton
16.15	Using museums in teaching Field visits to: Museum of English Rural Life OR The Cole Museum of Zoology
18.00	Free time
19.00	Wine Reception
19.30	Forum Dinner

Programme - Friday 7th September
08.00	Breakfast
09.00	Different perspectives on large group teaching: Session chair - Jackie Wilson Managing very large groups Andrea Brown, Institute of Biology and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow The undergraduate experience from a current large cohort group Graeme MacLeod and Shaun Patrick Keegan, University of Glasgow Finding the right employee from large numbers of applications Sean Clayton-Chance, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
10.30	Centre for Bioscience Update and Group Discussion
11.00	Refreshments
11.15	Swapshop:Teaching Techniques and resources 2 Session chair - Jackie Wilson Getting PDP to work Joy Perkins, Aberdeen University Teaching Chemistry to First Year Bioscience Students Stephen McClean, University of Ulster Practitioner co-interpretation: a strategy for engagement of teachers in reflection on teaching practice Keith Johnstone, University of Cambridge What the heck is RSS - and why should I care? A practical guide to subscribing to news feeds and managing information overload. Alan Cann, University of Leicester
12.30	Reflections on the Forum and closing remarks
12.45	Lunch and depart