I decided to investigate blended learning as an approach to learning and teaching as not only does it sit well with my philosophy of learning and teaching but also fits as an appropriate strategy for the programmes on which I teach. Blended learning encourages students to take responsibility for their own learning whilst providing support and scaffolding of learning and echoes how I see myself, as a facilitator of learning (K1). This is echoed by Shuell (1986) in Biggs and Tang (2007) who argues that what is learned is determined by what the student does rather than what the teacher does. In reading about blended learning, I identified that whilst I have been using face-to-face teaching and technology, I have not been using either as effectively as I could and that I need to make the technology transform and improve the learning experience (Torrisi-Steele and Drew, 2013). Reflecting on Shuell, I also need to use the technology to facilitate the learning rather than use it merely as a tool for teaching and sharing resources. By employing a blend of face-to-face teaching and online learning that is planned to complement each other, I will be better placed to use my students’ learning time more effectively and include a variety of teaching strategies to meet their learning needs. To that end I am currently revamping the tutor-directed tasks (TDT) associated with each of my inputs to integrate the use of technology in a more meaningful way (A1, K4). I also aim to increase the opportunities for the students to become co-creators of their learning through contributing to an online discussion about the symbiotic relationship between mathematics and science, which is an aspect of my MA2 module that previous students have struggled to understand. Students becoming partners in the learning process and acting as student experts can help them to develop a deeper understanding of their subject as they need to understand the concepts and knowledge in order to teach someone else (Healey, Bovill and Jenkins, 2015) (V3). Tolsgaards et al. (2007) cited in Healey, Bovill and Jenkins (2015) go further suggesting that students actually learn more from their peers than from teaching staff. Whilst this is completely plausible, I would suggest that there may be other factors at play leading Tolsgaards et al. to their conclusions and just because the students are learning more does not mean to say that what they are learning is of the same quality. Sherrington (2016, no page) takes the opposite view that we should be concentrating on teacher-centred learning rather than student-centred learning because ‘If learners are going to learn, teachers should teach and teach well’. I think I fall somewhere in between both Sherrington and Tolsgaards et al.; what I have read about scholarship, not just being about your academic ability and knowledge of your subject but about how you communicate your knowledge, how you engage your learners and how you reflect on your practice to develop your own learning, brings together their dichotomous viewpoints and reflects the Standards for Registration and Career Long Professional Learning (GTSC, 2012), the professional standards by which teachers are judged (V4). Andreson (2000) quoted in Ashwin (2015) suggests a more simplistic view of scholarly teaching being what we teach, how we teach it and why we are teaching it. In thinking about scholarly teaching, reflecting on my tutor’s observation of my lecture and considering my investigations into blended learning, ‘how we teach it’ seems to be an appropriate area for development for next year.

However, as part of the planning cycle, assessment has to feature in how we teach. Having explored suggestions from the University of Strathclyde (2008) outlining good practice in assessment and feedback, there were no aspects that I could dispute; there is a mismatch, however, between what I know good assessment and feedback looks like and the type of assessment I have been asked to develop and the format of feedback it is possible for me to provide given the time pressures. But the reality of developing and writing a module assessment to fit into a programme of assessments, and the need to maintain academically rigorous standards, means that compromises to the format and originality of an assessment are inevitable (K6). In trying to be creative in how my students could present their work I investigated reflective journals and online discussion boards as methods of assessment. However, whilst both reflective journals and discussion boards are valuable tools to aid students with reflecting on their practice and sharing their knowledge and understanding, I cannot presently see a way to use these tools for assessment purposes (K2).

Schön (1983) suggests that reflection on action is a part of continued professional learning; giving time and space to examine a situation, collecting information and ideas about how to move forward and also having the opportunity to process thoughts and feelings are important aspects of developing both professionally and personally. The opportunity to observe a colleague, reflect on what I saw and to think about and carefully plan the type of feedback that was required, was both a privilege and a significant professional learning experience. I was able to give detailed feedback but was also able to reflect on my own practice and take several practical ideas away that I have subsequently implemented. The observations also challenged me to think about the impact and importance of learning with and from others and that I must continue to make time to engage in observations in order to continue to develop and grow as an early career lecturer (see Peer Observation of teaching patch) (K6). As I have only observed colleagues in my own discipline, I feel that it is important for me to look beyond Education and Social Work and identify other colleagues from whom I can learn (K5).

In conclusion, whilst I have found it difficult to weave my learning on this module into my day-to-day work, the key activities and reading have afforded me the opportunity to think about what I do well and what I need to do to improve. Consequently, I have collated points of action from each of the topic units and my Next Steps for session 2016-17.