LTA Connect: Compassionate Pedagogies - Exploring the Impact of Connectedness on Academic Experience

Session Outline

The University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) is committed to providing high-quality education to rural populations, often through distance learning modalities. Whilst online education is utilised globally, it carries the risk of student isolation. Without substantial internal motivation, feelings of isolation can hinder a student’s ability to study effectively, resulting in suboptimal educational outcomes. Additionally, distance learning may impede a student’s sense of belonging within a community, further compromising academic attainment, by limiting learner interactions with like-minded peers, opportunities for reassurance, and the beneficial effects of friendly competition that fosters/sustains motivation.

This presentation will discuss the findings and conclusions from a qualitative study investigating how dental therapist students, enrolled in a blended-learning program at the UHI, experience connectedness. This concept is defined as a student's perception of belonging and acceptance by the people involved in their learning and is considered crucial for enabling students to develop skills within a learning environment.

The lead researcher, Mx Hassan Shariff, will provide a brief overview of the study's research methods and explore the concept of connectedness, highlighting its positive impact on educational experience. Drawing on student perceptions, Hassan will discuss strategies supported by pedagogical evidence-base that can be implemented in virtual classrooms to enhance connectedness and a compassionate approach to pedagogy.

Presenter

Mx. Hassan Raza Shariff

Mx. Hassan Shariff is presently a lecturer in the BSc Oral Health Science programme at the University of the Highlands and Islands. Hassan embarked on his dental career as a dental nurse, having earned an FdSc in Dental Nursing from the University of Northampton. His commitment to enhancing patient health outcomes motivated him to obtain a BSc (Hons) in Dental Hygiene and Therapy, thereby qualifying as a dental therapist and primary practitioner in oral healthcare. Through his interactions with individual patients, Hassan discerned the imperative for systemic interventions to promote population-based health. Consequently, he completed a PGCert in Dental Public Health at the University of Manchester, where he acquired knowledge on tailoring policies to address the needs of local populations. This qualification highlighted the vital importance of education in sustaining a high quality of life and propelled him towards a career in academia. Hassan is currently pursuing an M.Ed. in Tertiary and Higher Education at the University of the Highlands and Islands and has recently been awarded Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy. As the child of immigrants and the first in his family to attend university, Hassan is acutely aware of the systemic barriers that impede individuals from low socio-economic backgrounds from achieving comparable success to their more privileged counterparts. This recognition underpins his unwavering dedication to fostering equity in his educational practices.

Learning and Teaching Enhancement Strategy Values

Advance HE Professional Standards Framework

V2 promote engagement in learning and equity of opportunity for all to reach their potential

V3 use scholarship, or research, or professional learning, or other evidence-informed approaches as a basis for effective practice

V4 respond to the wider context in which higher education operates, recognising implications for practice

V5 collaborate with others to enhance practice

K1 how learners learn, generally and within specific subjects

K4 appropriate use of digital and/or other technologies, and resources for learning

A1 design and plan learning activities and/or programmes

A2 teach and/or support learning through appropriate approaches and environments

A5 enhance practice through own continuing professional development

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