Centre of Higher Education Research and Practice (CHERP)

Programme Leader Network

A community of practice for UOB HE programme leaders to share good practices. Offering peer discussion and support to enhance NSS outcomes.

All sessions will be held via Zoom. Sessions will be held on;

• 24 February 2025 – 10.30-11.30am
• 28 March 2025 – 1-2pm
• 28 April 2025 – 10.30-11.30am
• 19 May 2025 – 10.30-11.30am

The Resilient Researcher

Rise & Resilience: The Researcher’s Morning Series

13 Weeks to Resilience: Building Strength, Balance, Wellbeing and Research Success

This project aims to support busy academics and practitioners as they navigate the dual challenges of balancing work and study. Recognizing the demands on professionals who strive to excel in both areas, this initiative provides a structured space for developing resilience, enhancing research skills, and fostering work-life harmony.

The objectives of the project are as follows:

1. Supporting Colleagues in Understanding a Coherent Research Process – This project will guide participants through each stage of the research process, offering clarity and structure to enhance their confidence and effectiveness in research.
2. Facilitating Networking and Collaborative Opportunities – By bringing together like-minded individuals, the project encourages connections and collaboration, enabling participants to build a support network that fosters shared learning, and professional growth.
3. Learning and Adopting Wellbeing Strategies for a Balanced Work-Life – Alongside academic skills, participants will engage in wellbeing practices aimed at supporting resilience, reducing stress, and achieving a more sustainable and balanced approach to work study, and life.
4. Understanding Effective Approaches to Applied Research and Publications – This objective emphasises practical strategies for conducting and publishing impactful research, equipping participants with the tools to translate their research efforts into meaningful, publishable work.

Through these objectives, the project aims to build a foundation of resilience that will empower participants to succeed in both their academic, personal and professional pursuits.

All sessions will run 8-9am on Tuesdays, specific dates and further details of each session are indicated in the events schedule.

Primary point of contact: Dr Scott J Threlfall, S.Threlfall@Bolton.ac.uk

Each session starts and finishes with a breathing activity to set you up for your day ahead:

We start sessions with a Vagus Nerve Reset: Rest, Digest and Restore.

We conclude our meetings with Box Breathing Sunrise: Your Daily Calm in 5.

All sessions will be held via Zoom. Scheduled sessions will be as follows;

• Week 1: Reflection and Reflexivity – Tuesday 28 January 2025, 8-9am
• Week 2: Boolean Search Strategy – Tuesday 4 February 2025, 8-9am
• Week 3: The Golden Tread Between Aim, Objectives and Questions – Tuesday 11 February 2025, 8-9am
• Week 4: The Philosophical Pillars of Research – Tuesday 25 February 2025, 8-9am
• Week 5: Breathing Techniques and Meditation – Tuesday 4 March 2025, 8-9am
• Week 6: Qualitative Methodology – Tuesday 11 March 2025, 8-9am
• Week 7: Quantitative Methodology – Tuesday 18 March 2025, 8-9am
• Week 8: Mixed Methodology – Tuesday 25 March 2025, 8-9am
• Week 9: Judging Quality, Rigour and Research Ethics – Tuesday 1 April 2025, 8-9am
• Week 10: Selecting and Publishing in Journals – Tuesday 29 April, 8-9am
• Week 11: Networking & Developing a Support Framework – Tuesday 6 May 2025, 8-9am
• Week 12: Improving Your VO2 Max and Life Expectancy – Tuesday 13 May 2025, 8-9am
• Week 13: Andrew Huberman’s Breathing Protocol – A Neuroscientific Destress – Tuesday 10 May 2025, 8-9am

New to Teaching Drop Ins

A very relaxed drop-in session where new members of teaching staff can ask questions about anything related to their teaching roles.

No appointment is required. All sessions will be held via Zoom. Drop-ins will be available on the following dates;

• 03 February 2025 – 4-5pm
• 17 February 2025 – 4-5pm
• 03 March 2025 – 4-5pm
• 24 March 2025 – 4-5pm

Disability Inclusion

Our Disability Inclusion CPD scheme is delivered by a diverse team of colleagues with expertise in areas such as accessibility, inclusive teaching practices, and supporting neurodiverse learners. This programme equips educators with practical strategies and insights to foster inclusive learning environments that meet the needs of all students.

Each session will include distribution of a useful 1 or 2-sided Fact Sheet/Top Tips for Lecturers. All sessions will be held via Zoom.

Scheduled sessions will be as follows;

• Introduction to The Neurodiversity Paradigm and The Associated Terminology – Monday 3 February 2025, 4-5pm
• Meeting the Needs of Dyslexic Students / Meeting the Needs of Students With Physical and Medical Conditions / Making Lessons Accessible for Deaf Students – Monday 10 February 2025, 4-5pm
• The Role of The Disability Service Team and Lecturers in Meeting the Needs of Disabled Students – Monday 17 February 2025, 4-5pm
• An Introduction to Universal Design for Learning (UDL) – Monday 10 March 2025, 4-5pm
• Meeting the Needs of Students with Social Emotional and Mental Health (SEMH) Needs – Friday 21 March 2025, 1-2pm
Book a place

AI Essentials for HE Educators

AI Essentials for HE Educators explores the transformative potential of artificial intelligence in higher education, equipping educators with practical insights to enhance teaching, learning, and administrative practices. It provides an overview of key AI tools and ethical considerations, fostering informed integration into pedagogical strategies. The resource empowers educators to leverage AI for innovation while addressing challenges such as equity, accessibility, and the evolving role of HE teachers. All sessions will be held via Zoom.

Scheduled sessions will be as follows;

• Empowering Educators: Navigating Generative AI in Modern Teaching Practice – Tuesday 4 February 2025, 5-6.30pm
• Generative AI in Practice: Tools and Techniques for the Classroom – Tuesday 25 February 2025, 5-6.30pm
• Generative AI in Education: Ethical Insights and Big Questions – Tuesday 11 March 2025, 5-6.30pm
• Developing AI Literacy – Monday 17 March 2025, 4-5pm
• AI Critical Friend Not Critical Foe – Wednesday 2 April 2025, 5-6pm
• AI as a Tool for Professional Development – Tuesday 6 May 2025, 5-6pm

TIRI-AE Online Teaching & Learning Chats

TIRI-AE stands for Teaching Intensive, Research Informed, Assessment Enabled. The core purpose of the TIRI-AE agenda is to provide excellent teaching and learning which is underpinned by rigorous research.

The TIRI-AE online Teaching & Learning chats are bite sized 30-minute professional discussion forums, created to provide creative spaces and open opportunities for critical debate and professional knowledge exchange.

Each session will be hosted by a TIRI Professor and/ or expert lecturer and topics will cover a range of ‘hot topics’ in Higher Education (HE) teaching and learning. These 30-minute TIRI-AE sessions will provide opportunities for discussion, providing further insights and tools to enhance the teaching and learning experience, to create a vibrant classroom culture. Each session is designed to be interactive, evidence-based, and adaptable to your academic disciplines.

All sessions will be held via Zoom. Scheduled sessions will be as follows;

• Session 1: What’s your Story? Storytelling as a Pedagogic Tool – Thursday 30 January 2025, 5-5.30pm
• Session 2: Teach to the Top – Adaptive Teaching – Thursday 6 February, 5-5.30pm
• Session 3: Setting the Scene – Expectations and Behaviours – Top Strategies for Educators – Thursday 13 February, 5-5.30pm
• Session 4: AI in Assessment: Friend, Foe, or Game-Changer? – Thursday 20 February, 5-5.30pm
• Session 5: Teaching Multilingual Classes Using Translanguaging – Thursday 27 February, 5-5.30pm
• Session 6: Thinking through practice: re-envisioning teaching, learning and assessment through real-world pedagogy – Thursday 6 March, 5-5.30pm
• Session 7: Future-Ready Pedagogy: Harnessing Emerging Technologies for Assessment and Learning – Thursday 13 March 2025, 5-5.30pm

English for Academic Purposes

Welcome to English for Academic Purposes

Sign up here for practical CPD sessions delivered through the Centre for Higher Education Research and Practice (CHERP), designed to develop and enhance your practice.

For questions, contact Kat Cridland, Lead for EAP (k.cridland@bolton.ac.uk).

Burnley College CPD

This series of CPD sessions will be delivered by Burnley College in collaboration with the University of Bolton in order to share CPD across the organisations.

Regent College London (RCL) Academic Staff Development (ASD) Programme

Regent College London is collaborating with the University of Bolton to share CPD across the organisations. This series of CPD sessions delivered by Regent College London form part of RCL's Academic Staff Development (ASD) Programme. 

All sessions will be held via Microsoft Teams. Scheduled sessions will be as follows;

• Decolonisation of the Curriculum via the Promotion of Critical Pedagogy – Wednesday 29 January 2025, 9-10am
• Impactful Teaching – Structuring Effective and Engaging Lessons – Tuesday 4 February 2025, 9-10am
• Cultural Integration and Stakeholder Collaboration in Curriculum Development - The case study of a Sri Lankan psychology – Wednesday 12 February 2025, 9-10am
• Integrating Active Learning Strategies into Teaching Observation Practices – Wednesday 19 February 2025, 9-10am
• EdTech Series: Wonderful Whiteboards – Wednesday 26 February 2025, 9-10am
• Using AI Tools in Your Teaching – Wednesday 12 March 2025, 1-2pm
• EdTech Series: Fun with Forms – Energising and Engaging Enthusiastic e-students – Wednesday 26 March 2025, 9-10am

PG Cert – for all staff and partners

If you're currently employed in teaching and learning in higher or professional education, then this Advance HE-approved programme may be for you. If you're employed at the University of Bolton, then this programme is ideal if you have relevant experience, and aspire to gain a teaching qualification and professional recognition.

For more information and to apply:

Part-Time on campus PgCert Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education

Part-Time PgCert Teaching and Learning in Higher and Professional Education (Online)