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BGU Sports Students Run Tag Rugby ‘Megafest’ Alongside the RFU
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) students worked alongside the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and a number of Lincolnshire schools to put on a Tag Rugby ‘Megafest’ for 200 primary school pupils from across the county. Run by BGU Sport, Coaching & Physical Education students with organisational support from Jenny Elsom (Priory City of Lincoln Academy & BGU graduate) and Michelle Mamby (Pembroke Priory - School Games Organiser with the Youth Sport Trust) the all-day event offered skills workshops in the morning followed by competitive games in the afternoon. Both sessions were designed to not only get children active and engaged in sport, but also to build wider skills in including team work and communication. Seb Adams, a 2nd year Sport, Coaching & Physical Education student currently on a Sport Promotion & Leadership placement with the RFU, explained why offering such events for children was an important aspect of their course: “Children can lose opportunities to experience new sports as they reach secondary school. To be able to offer them a chance to take part and have fun with rugby surrounded by expert coaches is fantastic for both their mental and physical development.” BGU works alongside a number of sporting organisations as a part of the Sport, Coaching and Physical Education course including the RFU who are directly involved in the practical delivery of the rugby coaching modules. David Cotton-Betteridge, Community Rugby Coach for England Rugby, has been working with the BGU sports students as part of the Young Ambassador Programme which targets potential coaches. He was pleased to see the students bringing the sport to a new generation of players: “It’s been great to work on this event with the student coaches here at BGU. The Megafest is a fantastic opportunity for children to experience and most importantly enjoy rugby, the day was a great success and we’re already looking forward to next year”. If you are interested in pursuing a future in sports education and coaching you can find more information about Sport courses at BGU on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Academics Share Practice and Advice with Chinese Nursery Head Teachers
Last week Alison Riley – Programme Leader Early Childhood Studies (ECS) – and Mary-Louise Maynes – Senior Lecturer ECS – of Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) met with a group of Chinese Nursery Head teachers to discuss the practice and provision of Early Years Education. The visiting Heads were viewing nursery schools across the Lincoln area, exploring different options and methods of provision with the meeting at BGU offering a chance to talk informally and for the teachers to understand how Early Years education is taught. The work carried out on the ECS course at BGU facilitating the training of teachers to work in the Early Years sector was of particular interest to the delegates. With staff in their nurseries mostly untrained in education provision they were keen to find out about the different forms of training for early years professionals in the UK. With educational provision for under twos increasing in China, the Head Teachers were also very keen to hear about the work BGU does with its students to develop their understanding of the needs of young children in the 0-2 age range as encouraging this sector is an important objective for them in China. Mary-Louise Maynes was delighted with the success of the visit and excited at the prospect of further collaboration in the future: “They were full of enthusiasm for making links with BGU and we hope to create some opportunities in the future for us to share ideas about practice. At the end of the session they gave us a number of gifts made by staff and children in their nurseries which we are looking forward to sharing with our students“ You can find out more about our Early Childhood Studies degree along with our full portfolio of degrees on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
BGU Students Present to National Teaching Conference
Second year Primary Education students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) shared their research into 21st Century Digital Literacies at the Annual TEAN (Teacher Education Advancement Network) Conference in Birmingham earlier this month. Led by Senior Lecturer Emma Rogers the students – Charlotte Hallam, Fiona Sanderson, Millie Holland, Christina Flynn, Ellie Marshall and Amelia Challen – presented their collaborative study to a engrossed audience of academics and professionals from Higher Education institutions across the United Kingdom. Their project, funded by the Learning and Teaching Innovation Fund from BGU’s CELT Team, involved 3 Primary classrooms where students and pupils experienced collaborating within a digital space. Their confident presentation was not only well received by the delegates but also a fantastic opportunity for the students (alongside other BGU colleagues) to demonstrate their innovative research skills to the wider Higher Education industry. Emma Rogers was keen to champion their achievements: "It was a great opportunity for the students to present to other universities and they really rose to the challenge. “They represented our University with professionalism and confidence. A wide range of universities were represented at the TEAN conference, with lecturers from around the country sharing their research and developments. “BGU was very well represented with a number of colleagues from the Primary team delivering workshops." The Teacher Education Advancement Network (TEAN) is a collaborative initiative for teacher education providers and associated organisations that strives to improve the quality of teacher training available across the four countries of the UK. BGU is dedicated to bringing cutting edge and innovative research to the Higher Education sector. If you are interested in becoming a part of that drive, contact our Enquiries Team or visit our website today to discover fascinating new opportunities. -
BGU degree course leading the battle against assignment cheats
The use by students of essay and assignment writing companies has hit the headlines once again with a number of YouTube vloggers coming under fire for endorsing academic cheating. A BBC Trending investigation discovered over 1000 videos encouraging students to save themselves time and effort by paying online services to complete written assignments and presentations on their behalf. YouTube has since removed the videos but the investigation still highlights not only how widespread the practice has become but also the battle faced by universities to ensure that the work submitted by students is their own. To help combat the problem, a number of the degree programmes at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have begun to evolve new assessment methods, as Senior Lecturer Chris Jackson explains: “The use of assignment writing services can be an issue when assessment relies on written assignments which are not necessarily contextualised to the learners own life or direct experience, relying predominantly on hypothetical or theoretical argument. The approach to learning which BGU has adopted in its BA (Hons) Business (Team Entrepreneurship) degree programme offers an interesting alternative to the reliance on theoretical critique. On this course, assessments are both practical and written, requiring students to synthesise their personal learning journey with appropriate theory and/or resource. In this way, the evidence each student produces is highly individual and it would be extremely difficult for an unrelated third party to be able to fulfil the requirements of the assignment brief. BGU are one of seven universities in the UK who have adopted the Finnish Tiimiakatemia, or Team Academy, methodology of “learning by doing” in the field of business education. Although this method of assessment cannot be used as a panacea to the issue - nor is it appropriate in every situation - it raises the question of how appropriate current assessment methods are and to what extent they evidence personal learning. The use of assignment writing services, though not illegal, is expressly forbidden at BGU. If any of our students are struggling with their assignments or workload we would encourage them to seek support from our Student Advice Team who will be able to help them get back on top of things. You can find more information on our Business (Team Entrepreneurship) course, as well as our full portfolio of degrees on our website. -
BGU celebrate women’s voting rights through Vote 100 events
The history of the campaign for votes for women is inspiring and compelling, and still has great political significance in the present. Through 2018 and since, staff and students at BGU and other Lincolnshire communities have been exploring this history and its contemporary resonance. This engagement has found special expression through the creation of a touring exhibition, exhibition ‘Vote100: A Lincolnshire View of Women’s Suffrage’, and we have captured some of the reflections on its production and importance. The exhibition, which is continuing to tour locally, was created collaboratively with other organisations and individuals, including Lincoln Central Library and the local Fawcett Society as lead partners. It has formed the showpiece for part of a series of events celebrating important dates in the history of women’s voting rights and the extension of the franchise by #Vote100BGU project at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) and elsewhere in Lincolnshire through 2017-18 and into 2019. February 6 2018 marked the 100th anniversary of the Representation of the People Act 1918, which enabled all men and some women over the age of 30 to vote for the first time. July 2 2018 marked the 90th anniversary of the Equal Franchise Act, which gave women the same voting rights as men from the age of 21. December 14 2018 was the centenary of the first general election in which women could exercise their newly gained right to vote. BGU hosted a series of events in the lead up to the centenary on February 6 2018, and since. Lectures, debates, performances and more, including student-directed events, celebrated the important milestones. History and English Literature staff Dr Andrew Jackson and Dr Claudia Capancioni, and students, Elaine Johnson, Sian Hope-Johnson, Jasmine Mills along with team members from BGSU were particularly active in supporting the various events. BGU was founded in 1862 as the Lincoln Diocesan Training School for Mistresses, and through much of its history was a college specialising in preparing young women for the teaching profession. ‘Equal opportunities for women in professional life was at the heart of BGU’s original purpose. The history of the University over more than a century and a half make it a fitting setting to celebrate 100 years of progress in electoral and political opportunities for women.’ Dr Andrew Jackson, Head of Research, Bishop Grosseteste University. Upcoming dates: Our itinerant exhibition will contribute to the Wolds Women of Influence this summer. It will be at Spilsby Franklin Hall from 5th June to 26th July 2019. The exhibition will continue to tour throughout the year, please check back here for more information. Previous events: 2018, December 14. The Vote100 exhibition formed the backdrop to an event to mark the centenary of the 1918 General Election. The event also featured an extract from the play, 'The World At Her Feet', introduced by Dr Claudia Capancioni (BGU) and Stephen Gillard and Sam Miles (Lincoln Mystery Plays); an extract from the play, 'The Forgotten Suffragette', introduced by Phoebe Wall-Palmer (Lincoln Performing Arts Centre) and Rachel Baynton (Proto-type Theater); a talk by Prof. Krista Cowman (Lincoln University); and contemporary writings introduced by Dr Andrew Jackson, and read by Elaine Johnson, Sian Hope-Johnson and Jasmine Mills 2018, December 10 – 13. The Vote100 exhibition was placed on display in the historic Old Stonebow Guildhall on the invitation of the City of Lincoln Council, as part of the lead up to the centenary of the 1918 General Election 2018, November 17. The Lincoln Labour Club hosted the Vote100 exhibition for their event to recognise and celebrate women’s rights: ‘100 years of Women’s Suffrage: Learning from their Legacy’. The exhibition was opened by Karen Lee MP and Professor Krista Cowman from the University of Lincoln, who introduced the collection within its historical context and explored its ongoing significance. The event also featured readings from letters in the BGU archive of 1909, on the arguments for and against women’s suffrage. The readings were introduced by Dr Andrew Jackson, and presented by Elaine Johnson, Sian Hope-Johnson and Jasmine Mills. 2018, November 16. The Vote100 exhibition provided the stimulus and inspiration for a workshop with local schools for the Being Human Festival, led by Dr Claudia Capancioni and Sian Hope-Johnson. The Being Human Festival theme for 2018 was ‘Origins and Endings’. 2018, October 4 - November 13. The Vote 100 exhibition was on display as part of North Kesteven District Council’s Local Democracy Week, and tying in with European Local Democracy Week / UK Parliament Week. The portable exhibition was to be found in the Council Chamber, Sleaford Town Hall, and at Kesteven & Sleaford Girls High School in Sleaford, Sir Robert Pattinson Academy in North Hykeham, and in the Terry O’Toole Theatre, Nth Hykeham, over this period. 2018, September 27. BGU sponsored a Vote100-inspired evening event for the Lincoln Book Festival. The Festival’s theme for 2018 was ‘Revolution’, and under the banner of ‘Sisters of the Revolution, there were talks by authors Jane Robinson, Maggie Andrews and Janis Lomas, introduced by Prof. Krista Cowman of the University of Lincoln. 2018, June 4 – July 2. The exhibition ‘Vote100: A Lincolnshire View of Women’s Suffrage’, at Lincoln Central Library on Freeschool Lane, Lincoln. The exhibition was designed by History and English staff and students at BGU, Dr Andrew Jackson, Dr Claudia Capancioni, Elaine Johnson, Sian Hope-Johnson and Jasmine Mills; together with staff of Lincoln Central Library. The exhibition features Lincolnshire’s contribution, set in the context on the progress towards achieving the vote in 1918, and the equalising of the franchise in 1928. 2018, February 9. Women into politics event at BGU Students’ Union (BGSU). The evening included a debate on ‘who should sit on the iron throne’. Guest speakers included Lincoln MP Karen Lee, former BGSU President Becca Smith and BGSU Manager Abigail Rogers. 2018, February 6. Andrew Jackson and Sian Hope-Johnson, BGU SU Officer and Eng Lit student, featured on BBC Radio Lincolnshire, discussing the historical and contemporary significance of Vote100. Andrew and Sian appear a number of times through the first hour of a three-hour programme marking the event, available on BBC Catch-Up here. 2018, February 5. Parliamentary Reform in 1918: Continuity, Reform or Revolution? In this talk noted historian, Professor Martin Pugh, explored a number of important and relevant questions surrounding the Representation of the People Act 1918. 2017, November 27. BGU hosted the Lincolnshire heat of the Historical Association Great Debate 2017 on the topic of: ‘Was the 1918 extension of the franchise the most significant moment in British democratic history?’ The heat, organised by the City of Lincoln Historical Association was open to Lincolnshire schools and sixth form colleges. Further information is available from Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall at BGU. 2017, November 18 and 23. Part of BGU’s engagement with the national Being Human Festival on this year’s theme of ‘Lost and Found’. An event for two Lincoln-based schools on November 23 was organised in collaboration with the charities Slam Jam and First Story. The event on Saturday November 23 was open to the public and celebrated ‘Becoming teachers: women’s college life from 1862 to 1918’. This occasion considered the life and opportunities for young women in this period in history. Further information is available from Dr Claudia Capancioni at BGU. 2017, November 6. The first event relating to Vote 100, a lecture for the City of Lincoln Historical Association. Dr Andrew Jackson, Head of School of Humanities at BGU, presented ‘Life on the First World War Home Front: Distressing or a Blessing?’ Andrew was accompanied by Maureen Sutton, folklore historian and dialect poet. Maureen read some extracts of the work of the Lincolnshire home-front poet, Bernard Samuel Gilbert, whose writings considered the lives, experiences and opportunities for working women 100 years ago. Further information is available from Andrew or Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall at BGU. Articles: Dr Andrew Jackson: Celebrating votes for women one hundred years on, The Lincolnite. For further information: Dr Andrew Jackson, Head of Research, BGU andrew.jackson@bishopg.ac.uk Dr Claudia Capancioni, Programme Leader for English, claudia.capancioni@bishopg.ac.uk Staff from the Research Department at BGU are involved in the organisation of our Vote 100 events. Find out more about their work here. -
From Visual to Verbal, the Many Ways to Understand Mathematics
By Elizabeth Kimber – Programme Leader for Mathematics at Bishop Grosseteste University The Conversation UK recently published a piece written by Vicky Neale (people.maths.ox.ac.uk/neale) (Whitehead Lecturer at Balliol College, University of Oxford) and myself about how there are many ways to think about mathematics. From visual to verbal – there’s more than one way to understand maths was written for a general audience and aimed to address the idea that being ‘mathematical’ is about thinking in one particular way. We used the example of ellipses because while they aren’t generally covered in school mathematics, they are all around us and are amenable to being looked at in various ways that may be familiar from school maths. Encouraging students to think in different ways about mathematics is a big part of how we teach at BGU and we are not alone in this. At A level, many students have been encouraged to work algebraically and geometrically to get a fuller sense of functions and graphs, perhaps supported by dynamic geometry software. However, many students have developed a preferred approach to their school mathematics and expect to continue working only in this way during their undergraduate studies. If they do this, then they’ll be missing out on powerful ways of thinking. We need to build up students’ confidence in thinking in different ways and extend it undergraduate mathematics. A big part of mathematics is about making sense of definitions and theorems. For example, what it means for a sequence of numbers to converge. These results can be expressed very formally using words and mathematical notation, and the pressures of assessment make it tempting to move quickly into helping students write in this formal style before the underlying ideas have taken shape. However, our workshop-style teaching sessions give students the opportunity to explore these underlying ideas. This might involve working visually or numerically, perhaps using technology, but the most crucial aspect is the opportunity for students to discuss their thinking with each other. I’m struck by how much students use gestures to describe their mathematical ideas to each other, often before they are ready to commit these ideas to paper. The gestures and discussion help to reveal students’ different ways of thinking and provokes others to ask questions and refine their ideas. This frequently flags up related issues that I couldn’t possibly cover in a lecture. We do also spend time writing up solutions to problems to help develop students’ mathematical writing style, but we don’t rush into this at the expense of grappling with the underlying ideas. “The way in which our lessons are styled as a workshop rather than a lecture has been extremely helpful in allowing me to gain an understanding of the course content. The informal style of the workshop allows me to feel much more comfortable when discussing a topic that I am not confident in.” 1st Year student “Since studying at BGU my confidence in and passion for mathematics has increased. The small group teaching creates the optimum environment for discussion – students no longer simply accept the maths but question what we are learning, to understand how and why the maths works. This has helped me to understand the maths in greater depth, compared to studying A-level.” 1st Year student Working on this piece with Vicky was an interesting exercise in itself, but it also prompted me to reflect on my teaching at BGU and the great advantage of our long workshop-style teaching sessions. You can find the full article on The Conversation. For more information on our Mathematics courses, visit our website or get in touch with our Enquiries Team who will be more than happy to help you. -
BGSU Provide Donations to Support Lincolnshire’s Homeless
The team at Bishop Grosseteste University Students’ Union (BGSU) have worked hard to support local Lincoln charity the Nomad Trust by collecting food donations worth over £350. With BGU students heading home for the summer, the team saw a perfect opportunity to make a difference, encouraging students to use collection boxes placed in every halls kitchen rather than throwing away food they didn’t use. Their efforts led to a huge variety of donations which were then quality and date checked by staff volunteers from across BGU before being donated to the Nomad Trust. Being able to both support homelessness efforts in the county and combat the problem of food waste was incredibly exciting for BGSU, Students’ Union Manager Abigail Rogers said: “Our students are really passionate about supporting the homeless and donating their left over food is a way they can help those who are vulnerable whilst also positively impacting the local community that they have been a part of whilst studying at BGU.” Part of YMCA Lincolnshire, the Nomad Trust is dedicated to supporting those struggling with homelessness across the county. Accepting the donation from BGSU a spokesperson for the Charity was keen to highlight the positive impact their efforts would have: “We feed anywhere from 6 to 23 people twice a day so everything that BGSU has donated will get used because donations keep us going on, all year round they are so important. And looking at the amount they’ve brought we will be able to feed a good number of meals which is brilliant.” Along with the donation to the Nomad Trust, the food collection has also created supplies for BGU’s internal food bank, which helps to support vulnerable students in times of need. Staff and students at BGU regularly go above and beyond to support important charities around the world. You can find more information on their amazing efforts on our news page. -
BGU ignites entrepreneurial spark in Brno
Dr Elinor Vettraino, Head Coach and Programme Leader for Business and Enterprise at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU), was invited to Brno in the Czech Republic to share practice, experience and knowledge with staff and teacher educators at Masaryk University focusing on the development of entrepreneurial learning. Accompanying Dr Elinor Vettraino was BGU Student Daria Pipczynska, Team Entrepreneur and Director of Entity, a first year team company on the BA (Hons) Business (Team Entrepreneurship) programme at BGU. Dr Vettraino was pleased to see the trip offer a forum for international cooperation and development between two dynamic institutions: “It was an exciting opportunity to engage in a knowledge exchange process that will benefit both BGU and Masaryk.” As part of this international visit to Brno Dr Vettraino and Miss Pipczynska delivered a workshop on innovation using Team Academy methodology to teacher coordinators and social innovators. In addition they engaged in a number of meetings with Masaryk Universities faculties of education to move forward future international collaboration relating to entrepreneurial education, something that Miss Pipczynska was excited to see develop: “I was both excited and grateful to be invited to share my knowledge and experience of our Team Entrepreneurship programme. I look forward to supporting Masaryk as it develops on its entrepreneurial journey.” A highlight of their trip was their invitation to the South Moravian Innovation Centre (JIC) 15th year anniversary celebration event. This evening event came after exciting and significant meetings with JIC and Impact Hub, two prominent social innovation organizations in Brno with a view to create collaborative ventures. For Dr Vettraino the visit was an important step forward in BGU’s international relations: “The celebration event we attended highlighted the importance of maintaining innovative partnerships during a time of geo-political instability in Europe. The timing of these conversations were therefore very apt.” For more information on business programmes at BGU please contact our Enquiries Team or visit website. -
BGU Student Wins Place on UK Literacy Association Panel
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) Education Studies student Hayley Booth has won an NEU sponsored conference place at the United Kingdom Literacy Association International Conference in Cardiff and an opportunity to meet prize-winning children’s authors and illustrators. Hayley was nominated by Education Studies tutor, Helen Hendry, after taking part in the United Kingdom Literacy Association book awards shadowing scheme. The national scheme takes place each year and offers students around the UK the chance to vote for their favourite new children’s book in a range of age group categories. To be awarded the conference place, students were required to demonstrate an outstanding contribution to the shadowing process. Hayley, currently in her second year of Education Studies at BGU, used one of the shortlisted texts ‘The Night Gardener’ by the Fan brothers as a creative stimulus for teaching in a recent school placement. She also involved her Year 1/2 class in sharing all the shortlisted books. This then led to an in school book display as well as many repeated readings of ‘Oi Dog!’ by Kes and Claire Gray, which was picked out by the pupils as their favourite. Speaking on Hayley’s success Lynda Graham from the UKLA said: “Many congratulations to Hayley and to Bishop Grosseteste. We had a record number of strong entries this year. We loved your report of Hayley's passion, commitment and energy. For Hayley, taking part in the award and building the UKLA nominated books into her teaching has been a fantastic experience: “I really enjoyed reading the nominated books and being able to use them when I was on placement to see what the children thought of them. It gave me an insight into popular picture-book authors and what I can use in future lessons when I become a teacher” You can find more information on all our courses, including Education Studies, on our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team. -
SENI Students Experience the Power of Inclusive Leadership
Special Educational Needs & Inclusion (SENI) students from Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) had the opportunity to boost their leadership and management skills with a trip to Eon’s Blackburn Meadows Renewable Energy Plant in Sheffield. As part of their degree course the group of Level 6 students have been studying the benefits and practices of inclusive leadership with the visit to Blackburn Meadows offering an opportunity to see it in action at a multi-company. Following a presentation on organisational management by David Lowles, Blackburn Meadows’ Asset Manager, the students were given the chance to tour the plant’s educational centre and production areas. Along with the hands on experience of inclusive leadership the trip, to one of the only renewable energy plants in the country, offered the students the chance to gain knowledge in a number of new educational areas including renewable energy, environmental protection and off site learning. Dr Julia Lindley-Baker, Programme Leader for SENI at BGU, was delighted with the range of experiences enjoyed by the students: “On top of the fascinating presentations from the staff at Eon; our students were able to gain a unique insight into environmental sustainability and understanding of different leadership styles which allowed them to reflect on graduate opportunities in a diverse educational setting. “It was also fun exploring how waste wood is turned into electricity for both domestic and district heating systems. Now we know how Ikea flat packs and snooker tables keep the city warm!” You can find out more about the opportunities available on our SENI courses by visiting our website or by contacting our Enquiries Team.
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