The popular micro-credential short course returned in summer 2026. The course comprised of four new 1-hour session topics around teaching and learning. As part of the Aberdeen 2040 Strategy, these Principles for the Delivery of Education build upon our established teaching innovations and achievements and underpin teaching in the academic year. Staff who participated in all four topics gained a digital certificate of completion.
Details of Course Topics below.
- Course Topics
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Topic 1: Belonging and Mattering
Facilitators: Dr Mary Pryor & Dr Aaron Thom, Centre for Academic Development
This interactive session explored how course and programme design choices can strengthen students’ sense of belonging and mattering throughout their learning journey. Drawing on contemporary scholarship, participants considered what it meant for students to both belong and matter within higher education, as well as examining practical approaches to fostering these experiences through curriculum design, learning activities, and the wider student experience.
Topic 2: Inclusive Assessment Design
Facilitators: Dr Aaron Thom & Dr Darren Comber, Centre for Academic Development
This interactive workshop explored how formative and summative assessments could be designed to be both authentic and inclusive. It featured recent innovative practices from the 黑料网, the session examined approaches that supported meaningful learning while promoting equity and accessibility. Participants had the opportunity to discuss the challenges and opportunities associated with inclusive assessment design and reflected on how these principles can be applied within their own contexts.
Topic 3: Group Work
Facilitators: Dr Aaron Thom, Centre for Academic Development & Dr Donna MacCallum, MMSN
This session explored how group work can be used effectively to promote student interaction, collaborative problem-solving, and academic performance, while maintaining a clear pedagogical purpose. Considering both staff and student perspectives, the session examined the benefits and challenges of group work in synchronous and asynchronous learning environments. A case study from a Master’s-level course illustrated how collaborative activities can support the development of transferable skills relevant across disciplines.
Topic 4: MyAberdeen: From Clicks to Insights
Facilitators: Catherine Ogilvie & Megan Buchanan, Centre for Academic Development
This session aimed to demonstrate how student activity and engagement statistics in MyAberdeen can inform you about student activity and performance in your course, as well as provide insights into specific learning materials. We highlighted how statistics reports in MyAberdeen and Panopto can help answer the following questions:
- How are students engaging with the course over time?
- How well are students performing in the course?
- How did students perform in a specific assessment?
- Can I gather insights on specific learning materials?