The document discusses an approach to teaching that encourages students to take control of their own learning. It advocates for teachers to act as facilitators rather than experts, in order to democratize the learning experience. The key message is to "Do One Thing Differently" (DOTD) in teaching, even if it is a small change, in order to improve the student experience. The presenters provide examples from their own teaching in media production, dance, and healthcare management where they strive to consider learning from the student perspective and empower student-led learning. Attendees are asked to consider how one of the teaching approaches described could be applied to their own contexts.

1. Trust thyself –
learning and
letting go
Zoë Allman and Kerry Francksen (De Montfort University)
Simon Moralee (Manchester Business School)
Email / Twitter:
zallman@dmu.ac.uk / @zoe_a
kfrancksen@dmu.ac.uk / @kerryfrancksen
simon.moralee@mbs.ac.uk / @simonmoralee

2. The background to today’s session
 Our work focuses on the duality of roles that students
and lecturers play in sharing responsibilities for
creating productive and worthwhile teaching and
learning environments.
 Taking student-centred learning as a starting point, we
were all recently appointed DMU Teacher Fellows and
our projects challenge students to take control of their
learning as a means of democratising the learning
experience.
 Our view is that the lecturer is more facilitator and
environment creator than sage or expert and this
approach advocates getting students to trust
themselves to learn as well as getting lecturers to
trust themselves and let go of control.
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

3. The key message
Do One Thing Differently
(DOTD)
 This is our underpinning principle and
driving ethos
 It doesn’t have to be a major change
 In fact, smaller changes, more often, work
really well
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

4. Our stories
 Zoe: Principal Lecturer, Media Production
 Working as an academic in the same school where I
was an undergraduate student, I’ve always
approached teaching from the point of view of the
student experience. Having sat directly on the
other side I often question: what do I remember
from lectures? What topics stayed with me? Which
lecturers really got the point across? Reflecting on
these and similar questions allows me to consider
my teaching approaches, with the learner at the
heart of every decision.
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

5. Our stories
 Kerry: Senior Lecturer, Dance
 Having been engaged in learning and teaching across a range of
disciplines (including dance, performing arts and music) for 15
years I have become more and more interested in how I might
enable and facilitate opportunities for students to let go of, or
open-up, their focus on end goals (for example ‘how do I get
my ‘A’ grade’?) and actually engage in the process of learning
from a positive position as a learner... I am interested in trying
to enable learners to recognise that the acquisition of skills and
knowledge as a continual process will lead them not only to
their ‘A’ grade, but will offer them an understanding of
learning and teaching that truly enables them to trust
themselves as an effective learner, equipped to transfer their
understanding across a range of contexts. Key to this has been
interdisciplinary learning, where students from all of the above
disciplines come together to work on creative and collaborative
projects through the uses of creative technologies.
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

6. Our stories
 Simon: Lecturer, Health Care Management
 Since coming into academia from the NHS seven
years ago, my starting point has always been to try
and understand what makes students tick and I
always felt I wouldn’t be able to do that until I’d
considered things from their point of view, until I’d
walked in their shoes and sat in their seats, so to
speak. Over several years I have endeavoured to
approach ‘teaching’ more as an exercise in
facilitative learning – to transmit some content and
knowledge, but to ensure that at every opportunity
students can talk, discuss, disagree, be confused
and ultimately overcome that confusion, through a
variety of different methods and approaches.
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

7. Let’s get going!
 You’ve been provided with some ‘vignettes’ of our
experiences from across our disciplines of dance,
management and media production
 We want you to briefly read one or two of the vignettes
and think about how you might take the principles, ideas
or content provided in them and apply it to your own
context (5 minutes).
 Discuss this in pairs/threes (10 minutes)
 Make a pledge to do one thing differently (DOTD) (5
minutes)
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

8. HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014

9. Contact details
 Zoë Allman, Media Production
zallman@dmu.ac.uk / @zoe_a
 Kerry Francksen
kfrancksen@dmu.ac.uk / @kerryfrancksen
 Simon Moralee
simon.moralee@mbs.ac.uk / @simonmoralee
Our blog:
http://zallma00.our.dmu.ac.uk/2014/04/17/hea-
social-sciences-conference-2014-trust-thyself-
learning-and-letting-go/
HEA Social Science Conference, Birmingham, 22nd May 2014