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Lecturer awarded prestigious grant funding

Chance to study interactive teaching in America

SENIOR Lecturer in Law Catherine Easton has been awarded one of the first International Scholarships from the Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Catherine will be travelling to Vanderbilt University, in Nashville, to research the use of interactive technology in the classroom and whether it has a real effect on student success.

She will spend two six-week periods at the university in Spring next year, first carrying out a scoping study and then analysing the data.

Catherine already uses clicker technology – similar to the handheld devices seen on television game shows – to allow students to interact with her lectures, but is hoping to soon be able to trial the use of mobile phones to get student responses.

Surprised

She said: “I was very surprised to receive the grant as they were open to academics in any discipline. There are not many studies which look at the actual tangible results of interactive technology. It is a research project, and I will also be trying to create best practice guides.”

Just 13 academics received the grants, which were open to universities across the country for projects which build on the HEA’s work in one or more of its seven key thematic areas of assessment; education for sustainable development; employability; internationalisation; flexible learning; retention and success; and reward and recognition of teaching.

The outcomes of Catherine’s research will be shared with learning institutions across the UK upon completion.

Published Monday, 28th May 2012