Reflective Teaching: TRI Programme
On the 1st of November, 2023, the Student Success Central Team proudly launched the TRI (Teach, Reflect, Innovate) Programme in collaboration with the Division of Natural Sciences, thanks to the incredible support of Professor Dan Lloyd, Director of Education. The Reflective Teaching Workshop, which was the first event of the program, was expertly facilitated by Professor Ijeoma Uchegbu, a renowned Professor of Pharmaceutical Nanoscience. Professor Uchegbu’s presentation was titled ‘Moving the needle on equity, diversity and inclusion. During the workshop, Professor Uchegbu shared her insights on how she has evaluated course curricula and challenged conventional teaching methods in the Sciences at UCL. The theme of the workshop, Inclusive Teaching, was thoughtfully chosen to encourage inclusivity and diversity in the learning environment at Kent. It was an amazing opportunity for all participants to learn and reflect on their teaching practices in a supportive and innovative environment.
As educators, it is crucial to engage in reflective teaching in order to reach the pinnacle of teaching excellence. This powerful practice enables lecturers to pinpoint their areas of expertise as well as areas that need improvement, create and implement innovative teaching techniques, strengthen their communication and interpersonal abilities, promote a more inclusive and supportive learning atmosphere, and more efficiently cater to the distinct needs of their students. Reflective teaching encourages collaboration among staff, and students, and co-creates knowledge that meets the needs of learners during their time at Kent.
Wondering about the benefits of reflective teaching practices? It is imperative that academics understand the importance of student engagement for achieving a good degree. By acknowledging the relationship between student engagement and academic performance, effective strategies can be developed to encourage student participation. Reflective teaching is a powerful tool that can help educators cultivate crucial elements in their students, such as competence, autonomy, critical thinking, and metacognition. These qualities are linked to higher student retention rates, greater continuation, and increased completion rates, among other positive outcomes. The diagram ‘Benefits of Reflective Teaching’ provides a visual representation of these impacts.
Figure 1: Benefits of Reflective Teaching
The University of Kent has implemented a more student-centric approach by adopting a streamlined module structure of 20 credits, replacing the previous 15 credit system. This change, along with the simplification of module selection, aims to enhance the overall student experience. Additionally, the university has undertaken an EM25 (Education Modernisation) course redesign initiative to further improve the quality of education offered to students. In line with this, the TRI programme offers valuable academic support and practical guidance on how to make course content delivery more inclusive for the diverse student population at Kent.
For any inquiries related to TRI, feel free to reach out to the Student Success Central Team through studentsuccessproject@kent.ac.uk or y.kolajo@kent.ac.uk. We would be pleased to provide you with any additional technical details or information you may require.