We’re back after a very enjoyable, yet rather fleeting Easter holiday. Is it reasonable to begin counting down days to the summer holidays yet?
We’ve started the Term off with a big bang. The #EduExe2019 Conference was in full swing today, on our own home turf, Building One!
The day began with short talks on topics ranging from the future of digital education in a post-digital world to ‘Flip Teaching’. Lunchtime was our chance to shine: we had our smart new posters (see below) up in the Business School for all visitors to see. We all pitched our projects, alongside many other Exeter Incubator Projects. The #BEM2034 was at the forefront of many of our discussions; we really believe we will benefit from sharing a social learning pedagogy for years to come.
~ Ben, Shuyi and Luke at the EduExe Conference showcasing the #iSTEPexeter poster ~
Our partners at EdTech Exeter were also in the room, discussing the need for the speedy development of a new online module selection platform, after many of us had difficulties trying to choose our modules. For more information about what EdTech Exeter are up to – follow them on Twitter @EdTechExeter!
One project team participating on Friday showcased the new Enlitened app, which was of particular interest to us. It is a Student-based app, which primarily targets the wellbeing of students and aims to achieve a generally better, healthier university experience for them. Students simply answer a few questions, using a scale system. Articles are then automatically filtered, and results tailored to the needs of each student based on their answers. This leads to higher motivation levels and a better university experience all-round. The app can be found on the app store and play store.
Among others at the Conference were the Digital Humanities team, again supported by the Education Incubator. They were showcasing the new Digital Humanities Hub, which cost £1.2 million and features state-of-the-art equipment. The Geography Department were also in full-swing with their new Inventa virtual field trip software, which allows students to navigate areas which are part of their studies using an Xbox controller, saving both time and money.
Overall, the day itself was a tremendous success, with so much being learned by all three of us. And there is much more still to come. We have the opportunity for another Focus Group, and we shall be pitching our new proposal for next year in the forthcoming weeks – stay tuned.
In the meantime, all of us here at SDM HQ would like to take this opportunity to wish you all the best of luck in your upcoming exams. Work hard! Play hard! We’ll be online throughout the exam season, so if you need any support, be it a quick pointer or just someone to talk to, we’ll be happy to help!
We have below included a Wakelet, a combination of all the tweets from the day using the #EduExe19 – click here.
Student Digital Mentors 