Centre for Academic Innovation events

The Learning and Teaching Conference brings together our educators, students, researchers and practitioners to exchange and share best practice and pedagogy.  It also provides a platform to present and discuss our most recent innovations, trends and concerns as well as practical challenges encountered and solutions adopted.

The main Teaching and Learning conference for 2020/21 moved from September 2020 to February 2021. In its place, on Friday 11 September, DMU's Centre for Academic Innovation (CAI) held a virtual mini-conference on teaching, learning and personal tutoring in the context of Covid-19 and social distancing.

The conference was held on Microsoft Teams and attracted around 200 delegates from our Academic and Professional Services staff.

Delegates were able to select four presentations to attend from a choice of 20 and join a panel discussion in the afternoon. Professor Jackie Labbe commented on the efforts in adapting to our new teaching and learning environment in her keynote speech.

The conference provided an opportunity for staff to come together virtually and discuss the important issues confronting higher education at this time.

Take a look at the resources from the conference.

CAI hosts a seminar and masterclass series. The seminar series focuses on providing a space for academics, students and practitioners to engage in deep conversations about a particular topic in deep and critical ways. The masterclasses are spaces for experts to showcase examples of great practice and transfer skills, knowledge and values to other lecturers. Both of these focus on academic and pedagogic innovation and disruption with internal and externally invited speakers.

Seminar recordings

• Anti-racism and decolonisation in teaching and learning (DMU login required)
• Virtual teaching best practice (DMU login required)
• Student engagement during Covid-19 (DMU login required)

Masterclass recordings

• Anti-racism and decolonisation in the classroom workshop and presentation (DMU login required)

The annual DMU Festival of Teaching takes place in the spring. The Centre for Academic Innovation (CAI) and Library and Learning Services jointly lead the delivery of the project with DMU's Public Engagement Department as a key partner. Festival events take place across places and spaces on campus and in the city. It is a celebration of learning and teaching, a thank you to the city, and a showcase for the talents and passion of DMU staff as they support learning through their vibrant teaching.

Further information (internal access only)

CAI holds virtual coffee mornings to enable staff to connect with their peers on pedagogic topics and share a space for the development of praxis. We invite staff to grab a tea or coffee, log into Microsoft Teams and discuss, share, problem-solve and support.

With many colleagues working independently while social distancing measures are in place, the coffee mornings offer another way to connect with each other across the university and address current teaching and learning issues as well as discuss new pedagogic ideas.

Sign up for our next coffee morning or register for future dates.

Engendering disruptive pedagogy is one of the central tenets of CAI, and in this context, CAI holds a termly 'disruptive lab.'

The purpose of the 'disruptive lab' is to generate spaces for disruption where DMU staff can share innovative proposals/ideas that positively disrupt teaching, learning, assessment and feedback within DMU.

All members of stall are welcome.

Rethinking transition (supporting students in becoming good students)

Watch the recording (DMU login required)

Commercial disruption and setting up students to fail

Watch the recording (DMU login required)