In this second episode in the LITE Bites series exploring Educational Gain and Student Futures, Bee Bond is joined by Rebecca Padgett from Leeds University Business School to explore how enterprise consultancy projects support students’ educational gain and future employability.

Rebecca discusses the design of the Level 6 Enterprise Consultancy module, where students work on live consultancy briefs with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and Social Enterprises. Together, they explore authentic learning, formative assessment, and how confidence, professional identity, and graduate‑relevant skills can be developed through real‑world learning at scale.

This episode will be of interest to colleagues involved in experiential learning, enterprise education, and authentic assessment.

Resources mentioned:

Peer evaluation for group work in higher education (Buddycheck).

Cappfinity strengths profile.

Institute of Student Employers for graduate and early careers research and insights.

Scott, K. (2019). Radical candor: Be a kick-ass boss without losing your humanity (Rev. ed.). St. Martin’s Press.

Student Minds for student mental health and wellbeing research.

This episode of LITE Bites is hosted by LITE Student Partner Bianca Joseph. She talks to LITE Strategic Lead for Students as Partners and LITE Higher Education Research Support Officer Tanya Hathaway about her experience working as a student in collaboration with University staff.

For more information about student partnership, read:

• Cook-Sather, A., Bovill, C. and Felten, P. (2014) Engaging students as partners in learning and teaching in higher education: a guide for faculty. San Francisco: Jossey‑Bass.
• Mercer-Mapstone et al. (2017) ‘A systematic literature review of students as partners in higher education’, International Journal for Students as Partners, 1(1), pp. 1–23. doi:10.15173/ijsap.v1i1.3119.

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Robert Averies is joined by Andrew Kirton (Philosophy) to reflect on his recently completed LITE Fellowship: 'Removing dominance and gatekeeping in higher education'.

Andrew's research set out to explore how academic standards and disciplinary norms might be 'opened up', challenged, and owned by students - rather than imposed upon them. He reflects on his Fellowship journey, the role of philosophy in pedagogical inquiry, and the lesser explored relationship between higher education and learning to drive!

You can read more about Andrew's LITE Fellowship here, and explore other LITE Fellowships here.

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Robert Averies is joined by Angela Newton (Library) to reflect on her recently completed LITE Fellowship: 'Developing Object Based Learning at Leeds'.

Angela's research sought to 'build accessible evidence-based OBL scenarios that could be used in teaching, both within the School of Sociology and Social Policy and across Faculties, giving students new, unique and inspiring learning opportunities.'

You can read more about Angela's LITE Fellowship here, and explore other LITE Fellowships here.

Wider links:

• Interested in ;Teaching With Objects'? You can access Angela's article on playful learning here, and teaching sociology and social policy here.
• Ready for another pod? You can listen to Angela's L&T Chat Show episode here (Spotify account required).
• Keen to explore OBL further? You can access Angela's 'Good practice in OBL' Padlet here. You can access Angela's 'Key readings in OBL' Padlet here. You can access Angela's 'Good questions to ask students in OBL scenarios' Padlet here.

Welcome to the final episode of the first LITE Methods mini-series: a Q&A special with members of the LITE Research Team!

Robert is joined by colleagues Izzy Harvey, Matthew Bachmann and Lucy Hemingway to discuss your questions on all things pedagogical research. From collaborative methods, 'safe(r)' spaces and working with pre-university students, to the relationships between generalisability and reflexivity - we've got your questions covered.

You can find links to resources discussed in the episode categorised below.

Information and outputs from LITE Fellowships:

You can access Jenna Isherwood's story circles toolkit here.

You can read more about Barbara Kempf's Fellowship here, and Rachael O'Connor's Fellowship here.

Reflexivity:

You can access Lucy's reflexivity resource here.

U-18s research guidance:

You can read more about the Ethical Research Involving Children guidance here.

You can read the UK Government's guidance on research with children and young people here.

You can access University of Leeds guidance on research integrity here.

You can explore the National Centre for Research Methods website here. LITE also hosts examples of creative qualitative research methods, which you can read about here,

It's already the third and final episode of our new methods mini-series (time flies, right!). Today, three guests join Robert to discuss listening rooms in pedagogical research:

Clare Taylor (Disability Contact Liaison Officer, Disability Services),

Stacey Mottershaw (Associate Professor, Leeds University Business School), and

Lauren Mottle (Academic Development Consultant, Organisational Development and Professional Learning)

After an introduction to listening rooms and the ways in which it has been used by the group, we touch upon its benefits and challenges, before delving into some of the ways the method causes us to rethink the role of the researcher and participants in pedagogical research.

You can read more about Clare's Fellowship here and Lauren's Fellowship here.

You can view Stacey's listening rooms toolkit here.

Please submit your question for our Q&A special here! Deadline: 25th April, 11am.

In the second episode of LITE's new methods-mini series, Robert's guests reflect on the use of story circles in pedagogical research. He is joined by:

Beth Norfolk (mature BA student, School of English) and

Jenna Isherwood (Deputy Head of International Student Office)

Join us to reflect on what makes story circles such a powerful way of involving students in pedagogical research, consider tips and tricks for using it in practice, and share ambitions for its involvement in future student education work.

You can read more about Jenna's LITE Fellowship here and view her story circles toolkit here.

Please submit your question for our Q&A special here! Deadline: 25th April, 11am.

Welcome to LITE's brand new research methods mini-series!

In this first episode, Robert is joined by three guests to discuss the use of reflective journals and logs in pedagogical research:

Rachael O'Connor (Associate Professor in Legal Education, School of Law),

Sedek Abrahem (Masters student, School of Law), and

Sarah Joyce (Lead Instructional Designer, Digital Education Service)

This episode includes an in-depth reflection of what it was like to use the method, its benefits and challenges, and handy tips for usage in pedagogical research. You can also look forward to an Italian dessert-themed escapade.

You can read more about Rachael's LITE Fellowship here, and Sarah's Fellowship here.

Please submit your question for our Q&A special here! Deadline: 25th April, 11am.

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Emma Peasland is joined by Samantha Stark (Digital Education Service) to discuss what she learned during her recent LITE fellowship.

Samantha's research set out to evaluate the efficacy of a new pedagogical framework to support the design of online master’s degree modules at the University of Leeds, with a focus on building capacity for active learning.

You can read more about Samantha's fellowship here, and explore other LITE fellowships here.

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Emma Peasland asks Chiara La Sala (School of Languages, Cultures and Societies) to reflect on her recently completed LITE Fellowship, its findings, and potential next steps.

Chiara's research sought to understand the ways in which Postgraduate Research students (PGRs) engaged in teaching might positively impact pedagogic practices at the University of Leeds.

You can read more about Chiara's Fellowship here, and explore other LITE Fellowships here.

In the first of our 'En-LITE-ning Dialogues', a new occasional series of in-depth discussions exploring educational topics, Leeds Institute for Teaching Excellence (LITE) Director Gabriel Cavalli is joined by two guests with a shared interest in sustainable innovation and design.

The first guest is Margaret Bearman, Research Professor at the Centre for Research Assessment and Digital Learning (CRADLE), Deakin University. Margaret was in Leeds to attend the Student Education Conference 2025, and to deliver the keynote presentation titled 'Exploring sustainable innovation in university teaching and learning'.

The second guest is Jeff Grabill, Deputy Vice Chancellor for Student Education at the University of Leeds. Prior to joining Leeds, Jeff was the Associate Provost for Teaching, Learning, and Technology at Michigan State University.

As with each episode in this series, guests are joined by a member of the LITE team (Robert Averies) to provide an additional reflective lens.

Join us as we 'let the magic emerge'...

Music credits: Taste of saxophone by Fresh_Morning on pixabay

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Manoj Ravi and Mohsen Besharat bring us up to speed on the first year of their LITE fellowship. Listen in for the preliminary findings of their research into authentic assessment delivery, its application to an upcoming module assessment pilot, and the duo's wider reflections on their fellowship journey to date. Part 2 will be released in autumn 2025.

You can see more of our research fellowships here, and read more about Manoj and Mohsen's project here.

UPDATE: the manuscript referred to in this episode has now been published by the European Journal of Engineering Education. You can access the article here.

In this first episode of the LITE Bites series on Educational Gain and Student Futures, Bee Bond is joined by colleagues Caroline Campbell and Geoffrey Nsanja to explore how their pedagogical research sheds light on what students value, how they experience learning, and how we might meaningfully understand “educational gain” across different disciplines.

Together, they discuss the role of inclusive formative and summative assessment, the hidden and relational dimensions of academic practice, and how these insights are shaping Bee’s work as the LITE Strategic Lead for Student Futures and Educational Gain.

Read Bee and Agne’s article “Educational Gain: Why bother?”.

You can read about Bee’s LITE Fellowship here.

References mentioned:

Bakhtin, M. M. (1981). The dialogic imagination: Four essays. University of Texas Press.

Bakhtin, M. M. (1986). Speech genres and other late essays. University of Texas Press.

Gee, P. (2008). Social linguistics and literacies: Ideology in discourses (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Hulme, A., & Evans, M. (2025). Evaluating the impact of embedded academic language and literacies provision in a School of Education and School of Music. ESP Today, 13(2), 419–440. https://doi.fil.bg.ac.rs/pdf/journals/esptoday/2025-2/esptoday-2025-13-2-8.pdf

Leki, I. (2017). Undergraduates in a second language: Challenges and complexities of academic literacy development. Routledge. (Original work published 2007)

Maton, K., & Moore, R. (Eds.). (2010). Social realism, knowledge and the sociology of education: Coalitions of the mind. Continuum/Bloomsbury.

Tibbetts, N. A., & Chapman, T. (2023). A guide to in‑sessional English for academic purposes: Paradigms and practices. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003193715

Turner, J. (2011). Language in the Academy: Cultural Reflexivity and Intercultural Dynamics. Multilingual Matters & Channel View Publications. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.29308504

Wingate, U. (2015). Academic Literacy and Student Diversity: The Case for Inclusive Practice. Multilingual Matters & Channel View Publications. https://doi.org/10.2307/jj.26931983

In the fifth episode of the LITE Bites series, Emma Peasland asks Emily Crosbie about her recently completed fellowship investigating the impact of in-module student engagement with business professionals through the Leeds University Business School Leaders in Residence Programme. Emily shares insights from students and business professionals and shares recommendations for those wanting to offer similar opportunities.

Episode 4 of LITE Bites features a conversation with Jiani Liu who shares her fellowship on assessment literacy and student success, which was completed in early 2023. Jiani explored how students develop their confidence and readiness for assessments in undergraduate modules.

You can see more of our research fellowships here, and read more about Jiani's research and access the outputs here.

Hear from LITE Fellow Gillian Proctor who discusses her fellowship: Authenticity and Connection Online. Gillian has spent two years researching the psychology of online learning using the interesting method of Action Research Groups. Gillian shares the findings from the research as well as discussing outputs that educators can use to structure synchronous online sessions.

You can see more of our research fellowships here, and read more about Gillian's research and access the outputs here.

In the second LITE Bite of the series, Dave Riley asks Laura Loyola-Hernandez about the innovative methodologies that she has used over the course of her LITE fellowship "Community-led Pedagogies to Diversify the Curriculum".

Hear from LITE Fellow Michelle Schneider who discusses her research into student and staff perceptions of the Learning Development team's provision here at Leeds. You can see more of our research fellowships here and read more about Michelle's research here. The Learning Development Team at Leeds aims to develop the academic literacies of all taught students through a dual model of embedded and co-curricular support. This study focuses on the centralised co-curricular Skills@Library offer, the ethos of which is developmental, supportive and complementary to the curriculum rather than ‘generic’, ‘remedial’ or ‘bolt on’, which are critiques generally associated with non-embedded skills development. This small-scale research project aimed to better understand how the Skills@Library cocurricular service is perceived by academic staff and students, with a particular focus on the latter.

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Alba del Pozo Garcia (LITE Fellow & Feedback Incubator Lead) joins Robert to discuss her pedagogical research on inclusive formative assessment, its practice-based implications, and the ways this has fed into her role as LITE Feedback Incubator Lead. Adding to the discussion is Izzy Harvey (Research Assistant at LITE), who is in the early stages of PhD research focusing on feedback in Higher Education.

You can learn about and join the Feedback Incubator here.

You can read about Alba's LITE Fellowship here.

A recording of Alba's SEC2026 presentation 'From assessment to feedback: shifting the focus' is available to view (University of Leeds staff only). You can access it via the SEC2026 Rewind here.

Manoj Ravi and Mohsen Besharat join Robert Averies for Part Two of their popular LITE Bites episode on their LITE Fellowship 'Assessment Flexibility to Embed Real-professional practice'.

Listen to Manoj and Mohsen discuss their findings from the second phase of their pedagogical research and its relevance to colleagues considering innovations to their authentic assessment and formative feedback policies and approaches.

To find out more about Manoj and Mohsen's work, read their paper on a 'holistic consideration of authentic assessments', published in the European Journal of Engineering Education. You can also read the proceedings of the workshop they delivered at SEFI 2025.

In this episode of LITE Bites, Hayley Bullard is joined by Clare Wright (Professor of Linguistics & Language Teaching), Alison Leslie (Lecturer in English for Academic Purposes) and student partner Sally Heier (Research and Innovation Service) who will be discussing their recently completed project titled Stepping Up, Standing Out: Supporting international taught postgraduates to make the most of their year in Leeds.

To find out more about their project, visit their LITE page which also has a link to their full snapshot of the project. Alison and Clare have also published work from their project in the Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal.

Episode topics/timings

1.16 Introductions of research team

3.49 - What inspired the project: collaboration and a need for change

9.25 Research design: changing approach and putting student co-creation first

15.56 Sally’s student experience of research recruitment and the importance of active student participation

19.50 Flipping the deficit narrative of international students

26.48 Using infographics to communicate findings and strategies for dissemination

31.51 Engaging hearts and minds in HE

40.03 Outputs of the project

47.01 Advice for people considering pedagogical research

52.55 Sally’s advice for engaging students in research and advice for students thinking about getting involved

In the second episode from LITE Graduate Interns Oliver Bingham (Ollie) and Yu-Hsuan Lin (Lynda), they dive deeper into seminar spaces.

Do students care where they learn? This podcast explores student and staff preferences for teaching rooms, and how these spaces can impact learning.

Learn more about the Student Education & Experience Programme and Ollie and Lynda's research on the LITE intranet site, where you can also review the education spaces playbook. External to the University of Leeds? Email LITE@leeds.ac.uk to find out more.

LITE Graduate Interns Oliver Bingham (Ollie) and Yu-Hsuan Lin (Lynda) undertook a study into the provision of seminar rooms as part of the Student Education & Experience Programme, an Estates development programme which ensure University spaces provide a welcoming and inclusive experience where all our communities can belong, learn, thrive and succeed. In this podcast, they share some of their findings.

Learn more about the programme and their research on the LITE intranet site, where you can also review the education spaces playbook. External to the University of Leeds? Email LITE@leeds.ac.uk to find out more.

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Robert Averies and Hayley Bullard are joined by Jenny Brady (Inclusive Learning and Teaching Manager & LITE Incubator Lead for Inclusive Education and Belonging) and Mike Kerr (University of Leeds Alumni & former LITE Research Assistant) to reflect on their previous LITE research, 'Listening to disabled students for an inclusive curriculum'.

Jenny and Mike's work focused on gaining an understanding of disabled students' experiences at the University of Leeds and what can be learnt from listening to student perspectives.

To read about the Jenny and Mike's findings, follow this link: Listening to disabled students for an inclusive curriculum

To learn more about Inclusive teaching and learning at the University of Leeds, follow the links below:

Inclusivity and Accessibility

Education for Mental Health Toolkit

Guidance for staff on working with disabled students

2024 Access Insights Report

For listeners external to the University of Leeds:

Belonging at Leeds - Organisational Development and Professional Learning (OD&PL)

Inclusive Teaching at Leeds

Support for Disabled Students at Leeds

In the latest episode of LITE Bites, Emma Peasland is joined by Anne Tallontire (School of Earth and Environment), Thomas Cooper (Sustainability Service) and William Young (School of Earth and Environment) to reflect on their LITE Fellowship: 'Redefining Sustainability in the Curriculum'

The research aimed to generate an institutional understanding of sustainability, climate change and equality through Education for Sustainable Development (ESD).

You can read more about their LITE Fellowship here, and explore other LITE Fellowships here.