Introduction: We are entering a “new normal” where it’s university but not as we know it. The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the most significant change to university education that we have ever seen; namely the move to remote and/or blended teaching, assessment and student support. Staff and students adapted very rapidly to distance learning in March 2020 when lockdown began in the UK. Many temporary “reactive” adjustments were made to curricula and assessments in order to meet learning outcomes and to progress students successfully. Now, academic staff across the globe are preparing to start a new academic year with a more purposeful plan for remote teaching, assessment, feedback and student support. As we get ready for a very different start to term over the remaining few weeks, what are the most helpful and important considerations to make sure that this is a tremendous success for everybody? In this #LTHEtweetchat (9th September 8pm) we will discuss preparations for staff and students and we hope that everybody will be keen to share ideas and best practice to make the most of the final few weeks of preparation.

Dr Jo Rushworth @bioLOLogy_DMU is a National Teaching Fellow and Associate Professor of Teaching and Learning at De Montfort University, Leicester. Jo is a keen advocate of Universal Design for Learning to ensure flexibility and choice within curricula. She is a pioneer of the idea of “lecturer as learner” – Jo thinks that all lecturers should experience remote learning from their students’ perspectives. She has recently blogged about her experience of learning Mandarin Chinese remotely, as well as learning the piano, both of which have helped her to completely rethink her teaching from a student’s point of view. Jo is excited about working collaboratively with her Student Lecturers, creating a virtual escape lab game with one of her dissertation project students and continuing to learn from her colleagues and students in the new term. She is one of the co-creators of the website www.lecturemotely.com.

Dr TJ Moore @DrTJMoore is a Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead for the Biomedical Science Programme at De Montfort University, Leicester.  TJ has taught in HE institutions around the world, including Africa, South East Asia, China, Europe and the UK. These international experiences have taught TJ how to connect with multi-cultural student cohorts and how to break through the “language barriers” of non-native English speakers by understanding his audiences and adapting his teaching techniques appropriately to each one.  TJ is an advocate of the flipped classroom, in particular his own Semi-Flipped Classroom model which he has used with great success around the world.  He loves the challenge that moving online has brought about and can’t wait to see the innovations that this will bring. He is one of the co-creators of the website www.lecturemotely.com.

Dr Beth Rogoyski @brogoyski is a Lecturer and Deputy Programme Lead for the Biomedical Science Programme at De Montfort University, Leicester. Beth has teaching experience across a variety of backgrounds, and has created and been involved in several initiatives to increase engagement with STEM in under-represented communities. Beth is also a keen artist and communicator, combining all three passions to help deliver scientific content in a variety of mediums through @PhDoodles and with international collaborators. Although coming from a research background and used to long hours in the lab, Beth has enjoyed the change of pace and creativity that has come from transitioning to an online model of teaching and learning, and the renewed opportunity to meet like-minded educators this has inadvertently brought about. She is one of the co-creators of the website www.lecturemotely.com.

See the wakelet for this chat here