Academics, get your thoughts on the page and unlock your reflective superpower Embedding writing time into an educator’s schedule and sharing insights with others can turn fleeting ideas into actions that improve teaching practices

Embedding writing time into an educator’s schedule and sharing insights with others can turn fleeting ideas into actions that improve teaching practices: www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/academics-get-you... #HigherEd #AcademicSky #EduSky

Beyond mission statements: financially literate academics make better career choices The most valuable research you do this year will not be for your next paper but into your employer and yourself, writes Tom Chapman. Here, he outlines findings from his analysis of university financial statements, offering insight into what to expect when planning a move

The most valuable research you do this year will not be for your next paper but into your employer and yourself, writes Tom Chapman: www.timeshighereducation.com/campus/beyond-mission-st... #ECRchat #AcademicChatter #Academia

We have had more than 80 submissions for this year’s ANTF symposium with lots of interactive and highly valuable sessions which will make this symposium really exciting to attend.

Thank you so much for the great topic and question. I joined late, but I managed to do it... thanks to the LTHEchat community for sharing all these examples #LTHEchat

Happy to share. There is a book and maybe a movie about Patch Adams. If you have not watched it, try to find it as it narrates a beatiful story about the use humour / clowning to have better relationships between doctors and patients and learning too #LTHEchat

Great point Sandra. It is on my to-do list to create a workshop on clowning for educators (PhD students who would like to teach). I need to find the time and courage to do it #LTHEchat

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A6 I think we should understand that humour is not the centre but an unexpected outcome. We should start from the basis: storytelling, relaxation techniques, clowning (to learn how to play in class and re-discover our inner child), stand-up comedy, and improve workshops can help #LTHEchat

Q6 What resources or institutional support would help with the productive uses of humour in education?

Reply with A6 #LTHEchat and your response

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A5 Do not force humour. We should focus on developing the story, it should be natural (it is not for everyone), explore mistakes/embarrassment of ourselves when creating humour, and more importantly, we should play first (sometimes humour can be very simple like sounds, faces, etc) #LTHEchat

Q5 How can we minimise the risk of negative outcomes of humour in education?

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Gustavo Espinoza Ramos Gustavo Espinoza Ramos is a Lecturer in Management and Marketing at the University of Westminster

When I lived in Peru, I took a training to become a clown for hospitals 😂 This gave me the tools to know myself better and to use my own mistakes and audience responses to 'play'. Then humour was an outcome. This is part of my story wonkhe.com/staff/gustav... #LTHEchat

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A1 Teaching in HE is getting more complex and goes beyond subject knowledge. We should use other tools, such as humour, to develop #learning. #Humour is not for everyone, but it can be trained. Using more tools in our professions makes us more complete professionals #LTHEchat

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A4 We should avoid mocking sensitive topics: politics, stereotypes, cultural differences, etc. We should understand that humour is another tool or hook we can use to trigger engagement. We should use this according to our own personalities and not force it (although we could learn it) #LTHEchat

Q4 Are there any uses of humour you think should be avoided in education?

Reply A4 #LTHEchat and your response

A2 - part 2: This is a blog that I wrote about how clowning techniques can help educators in student learning. There are also elements of humour and improv, too #LTHEchat wonkhe.com/staff/gustav...

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A2 Some educators did not know how to use it, as humour can offend others. Educators should avoid sensitive topics, stereotypes, etc. It does not have to be a joke; it can be playful wordplay, sounds, expressions, improv. Humour helped me to remember moments, engage in learning activities #LTHEchat

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A3 Humour can serve as a hook to enhance student #engagement, belonging and learning #experience. This can be developed through storytelling from lecturers and between students. People said: #students will forget what we told them, but they never forget how we make them #feel #LTHEchat

Q1 How do you feel about academics using humour in higher education teaching?

Reply with A1 #LTHEchat and your response

Q2 When you were a student, what were your experiences of educators using humour?

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Q3 Are there any uses of humour you think are more beneficial to use in education?

Reply with A3 #LTHEchat and your response.

Join us this Wednesday 18th March at 8 pm GMT where we’ll be exploring the Use of Humour in Higher Education with @hankumna.bsky.social

Great idea... although not sure if I could have explain my PhD thesis in a dance

Thanks for the feedback, Rachel. You may not remember, but I learned a lot from the external examiner course that you delivered for Advance HE nearly 3-4 years ago. It was very helpful. Thank you very much #LTHEChat

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A1 It makes me reflect on surface and deep #learning, and on how students can demonstrate it in visual, written, and performance ways. Also, how critical thinking is evolving to use AI as a tool to evaluate outputs (like students are becoming like 'PhD supervisors' reading thesis drafts) #LTHEChat

Apologies, I just joined very late (and I thought this term would be more relaxed 😂) and am catching up with some questions. Great topic #LTHEChat

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A2 In my case, I prefer to call it a 'challenging enough' assessment, in which #students can choose some theories / concepts / tools, apply the #theoretical concepts covered in the module, and #evaluate the quality of the literature resources. It can be a #visual or written assessment #LTHEChat

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A3 by showing #examples of ethical use of #AI tools and practising them in class. Analysing the #prompts, #outputs, and cases of #hallucinations. An open discussion with students about how they think can use Gen AI tools #LTHEChat

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A6 Be more flexible with some policies, like the AI-Proof Assessments. Depending on the discipline, some assessments can use #exams, but critical analysis should be based on analysing prompts and outputs in written #assessments. #Presentations are good, but do not avoid students using AI #LTHEChat

Q6: How can institutions ensure that educators retain autonomy in deciding how GenAI fits (or does not fit) within their pedagogical practice?

Reply with A6 #LTHEChat and your response

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A4 Depending on the #discipline, students can analyse real cases, especially if they feel connected with them. For example, about #sustainability, I notice some students care more about social aspects than environmental ones. Giving them #choice is important #LTHEChat