 Hello everybody and welcome to this parallel session at the alt conference welcome I'll hit I'm here as chair But I'm I'm not going to get all that involved. You'll see me background at the end for Q&A this session is called are we there yet and It's becoming a tell scholar code switching and building identity through the alt We're saying elisig elisig elisig. I'm going to say Scholar scheme and we've got Denise and Jess here to speak to this But I believe you're representing more people than that So what I'm going to do is head over to you about 20 minutes and then we'll Q&A background at the end do You know comment and question as we go in the chat It's a nice way of kind of seeing people and also I'll collect questions up on the quiet in the background as we go Okay over to you guys Thank you Dave, I think we're getting the slides up as we say hi There's just I apologize There's been a little technical issue from my end with the slides But we'll be showing them very shortly, but we can start without them. Sorry. Sorry about that Denise Do you want to just start and yeah, I got up here. Yeah appearing. That's lovely. Thanks Emma Thank those of you that don't know who elisig are we're a group that was established in 2008 But has just become a special interest group in alt in 2019 and it's around Evaluating learners experience of e-learning and technology enhanced learning We've been today We're going to talk a little bit about a scholar scheme that we've piloting at the moment and the title are we there yet is a Proma, you know that sort of prodding around In becoming a tell scholar Do you ever arrive there and if you're on the journey? Some of you may want to contact us outside this session if you think you're there that or or at least On the way so please add to the chat any details if you would like to talk to us outside this Session as you can see on the slide. There's a number of us who have got two hats in this scholar scheme. We're both Advisors to scholars as well as conducting some research around the experience of being on a scholar program And I'm going to talk a little bit about Why we're doing that so next slide Jess or Emma and Why Now we have really looked at this sort of thing around What is the learning technology profession and you know, it's got a lot of highly capable and motivated people Some of us have come from a sort of learning technologist or educational design background However, when you're moving into Research and conducting research or wanting to become a scholar You can hit a lot of bumps. Some of that is maybe contextual to do with your institution, but it also can be things to do with professional identity and In a sense being an expert in one thing and then becoming a novice researcher one of the things that we've done in the Look, you know doing this research project around the scholar scene is we've looked at that the tell research Field is quite interdisciplinary. It's quite into professional. There is good things about that but also negative It's quite fragmented Which can be problematic and trying to strive to become more scholarly can become quite a challenge and This is one of the reasons why we wanted to sort of have a pilot and investigate the pilot as we were doing it and Next slide. Thank you. I Wanted to just talk a couple of minutes around what the scholar scheme is and what the purpose of it The aim was for both us as advisors as well as for the scholars is to gain new skills develop and enhance existing skills and knowledge Develop viable career goals, you know, hopefully disseminate findings so it was a professional learning opportunity and Also for those of us that are quite experienced in being in this field We really wanted to support others who are on a professional learning and of course there is things around networking and Building up sheds shared understanding and and the slides. Hopefully that slide sort of mirrors some of our thinking around that But there is definitely the thing about sharing giving back trying to find some consensus about some of the the concepts that were involved in and That's what we wanted to do the next slide Slide for I wanted, you know, we've got three three backpackers here on their journey They're not quite there yet But the scholar scheme had three pathways. We had some scholars coming in as early early career Professionals who may be new to the field didn't have a professional particularly strong professional network and Wanting to try and develop what I would call a sort of feasible professional development plan Then we had quite a lot of mid-career professionals both learning technologists as well as Academics who may be in a particular discipline. Jess is going to talk a little bit about that Soon on some other slides, but it was people who were looking at applying for senior C-mol Or maybe senior fellowship of the higher education Academy and get someone to Chat with them about their application and then we've got another cohort of Colleagues who were trying to establish or better ground their publication practice Developer publishing plan look at ways to disseminate their research and know where The places are that they can Disseminate that work and the next slide Jess. I Wanted to just share briefly and I know that this session may not have the space for this but when in our all of our professional lives and and doing certain amounts of research and professional development or Working on programs with academics around this sort of scholarship of teaching learning We know that there is a gap between sort of educational inquiry and then learning technologists and being scholars We also know that that there is not a shared Understanding about scholarly approaches when it comes to educational technology and educational inquiry We also know that thing around Building up reflections of from novice to expert around Sottle and this is why we wanted to do the pilot scheme as well as research It is that there is this nice interface around Do being experience of it and then reporting on those experiences another thing that's Influenced us is the work of Rupert Weger if another colleagues at Cambridge around Dialogic education and how through dialogue It's not just about learning and sharing, but actually creating a Learning a shared learning through that dialogue and it's something that we're all not all of us are totally on Top-off, but it's work that we some of us have been using in our Teaching with academics who may be trying to get into Sottle now the code switching which was in our title is Something that I knew a bit around from bilingual Students switching from one language to another and maybe having you know Italian grandparents versus English parents and how you might behave and how you have to adapt in two different worlds And it is something that has been taken up in You know bi-racial Academics and and other people in the US so it is something that we would like to sort of explore in our research Jess over to you Okay, so next slide please. So where are we at? What's happened with the Scholar scheme? and it was set up earlier this year and in The spring we put a call out for people to show an interest in whether they want to be involved And we had a good response from the community and we had 50 people commit to the scheme And there was a fluke by flesher fluke an equal split between scholars and advisors those that were wanting to be advisors and those that that wanted to to to learn from those advisors and as Denise alluded to we have had a real diversity in the Different colleagues who have signed up who've come along and and it's really created some really rich interesting conversations So we've had learning technologists We've had academic staff who are new to the area of subtle and a dabbling into this space and professional service staff to colleagues in both the public and private sectors and so a real diverse mix and And I'll talk a bit about What we're doing and the 50 that signed up unfortunately because of time and the challenge that we are in at the moment this mad world Not everyone has ever been able to see it through and so I think we're around 36 or so now but Again the commitment and and the The people want to commit the best will in the world is not always possible What we doing so there's a team space that we set up to disseminate some of the the Communications and and that in itself has had some challenges to so we're learning a lot as we go We've had we started we kick started it with a scholar scheme introduction meeting Well, we've got the group together and and we went into different breakout rooms depending on our area of interest so that we had colleagues who wanted to explore scholarship of teaching learning it was in their Professional recognition Applications, but also then we had colleagues who are new to the area of research wanted to develop their research methodologies more And those that were about to publish but wanted to know exactly how do we publish? Where do we go? So it was a real diverse mix of different needs and we split them up into interest groups in that space and had some Really interesting conversations and really I accidentally found that the group meetings were a really good valuable source of conversation inspiration and motivation The core of the scheme is the one-to-ones between advisors and scholars and that's been running throughout It's very much left to the advice and scholars to set up that relationship and to establish those meetings we asked colleagues to commit to so many meetings and things back for and and Work together and organizing those and then the the final thing is the scholarship these Sorry the showcase event which will help me happily at the end of the year where we invite colleagues to share where they're at And what they're doing. Sorry. I'm an excite And so it's all very well. We're doing all these things We want to evaluate what we want to learn from it. There's so much to learn from this space We are learning all the time about the different opportunities and challenges that are forwarded with them this this scheme So we want to evaluate from the perspective of how can we sustain the scheme? Is this something we want to continue long term what lessons can we learn if we run it again? But also we want to learn from the colleagues engaged in the scheme about their challenges and the support required in this Spaces of subtle and how can we overcome it and as Denise has already alluded to we've identified through the literature that there is a gap in the way and some elements of this So for example how our identities are what they are and how it relates to how we engage with scholarship So there's also an area that we want to plug there as well So we identified some research questions around experiences around Conceptions around subtle and we have got ethical approval to to run a research project alongside the scholar scheme for this next slide please So how we do this we're taking a mixed methodology approach So we've initiated a pre-scheme survey to find out the aspirations what people are hoping to get out of the experience Then there's a series of confidence logs that we're Advertising promoting throughout these are just prompt questions that we share with the scholars and advisors Around what their experiences are of the scheme what their aspirations are and if they're being met And also how has the engagement changed their own practice? So the questions is very much a personal thing the logs. We're not asking to see them We're suggesting that people keep it and then when they come to the post-scheme interview They can share some reflections on those logs there So it's very much to help them set goals to help them take stock and to help them move forwards And then there's a post-scheme survey at the end where we'll obviously use that to inform on how we proceed But also the data collected see if there's been any change from the pre-scheme to the post-scheme And then we're following up in the new year with some more qualitative analysis of post-scheme Interviews that will carry out in the new year and this is for interviews Again, all of these with their plighter scholars and the advisors who want to hear from both perspectives in this space Next slide, please Okay, so I'm just gonna share some initial key findings from the pre survey So the first one's around key motivations We asked colleagues to just share with us what their initial hopes and aspirations are and how they've evolved or lived up to expectations Is we're excited to hear and see But as you can see from the word cloud one of the key drivers is the publishing and having skills to help with that but also really came through as very important was the opportunity to collaborate and network with colleagues from across the UK and Be inspired by each other And that's I think where the group meetings have really helped in that space as well as the one-to-one We've all got a lot out of it from speaking personally from someone who's involved both in the research But also as a scholar So they follow up Evaluation will hopefully see if that we have lived up to expectation if we have plugged some gaps if there is still some work to be Done in that space And as I said, we meet quite regularly the project team the core project team And we've we've identified areas where there have been challenges as well and things that we need to do to support that So sorry next slide Next slide, please And and the other question we asked was around existing institutional support for subtle From colleagues who are in a range of different roles What was really interesting was this question was how people had defined support and what they thought subtle when so Many had said that that the opportunity to just meet and share practice really helped And so the SA felt supported in that respect But then they may not necessarily have the opportunity or the funding or the time to commit to to developing that space So the majority is using the pie chart the majority feel that they don't have explicit support in that it's not a departmental motivation There's other competing factors We are in a crazy world We have been and so other things factors have surfaced that have taken priority And so it's not always possible to have the space to develop those research skills and publications due to competing demands And time allocation so there is still more work to do to help with this and that's where we come in but We're still learning and it'll be interesting to see how how we can help support colleagues further next slide please So where to next we've got a group scholar meeting again in October So we're continuing with the group theme obviously one-to-ones will continue to take place to the end of the year We've extended it because of the situation that we're in and from demand from colleagues in the community in the Scholar scheme community that they'd like it to continue the showcase event in December is currently being planned We're trying to make it as informal as possible and so that everyone can participate and we can get some insights into Experiences of everyone and then again those that have signed up for the research have We have interviews in the new year that we'd like to follow up with those and have hopefully more Data on on the perceptions and opportunities that they've had through the scheme next slide, please Okay, and we have got a padlet and sorry Where we are asking inviting contributions We we want to have a wider perspective as well as to what Sottle means to the wider community So and we'll share that padlet link with you But it's just an opportunity to hear from you about what it means to you and do you feel supported in this space and That if you are interested in becoming involved with any of our research and do drop us a line And we'd love to hear from you We're we're very keen to obviously we're focusing on the Scholar scheme But we're very keen to hear more widely and the thoughts from the community wider community So I'm conscious of time so final slide I am the final slices just a shameless plug so if you are interested in getting involved with us and I'll at least exert We're an active group There's lots of things that we've hosted over the past year webinars the Scholar scheme just being several But do do join us and give us at the website and find out more, but it's just a complete shameless plug and Yeah, so back to questions any questions really. Thank you Hello, and hello, Jim Hi, so questions We've got some people we've got some comments and stuff floating around there. I think one of the things that I wanted to ask just to get started is Where the extent to which Okay, let me start from the beginning It's about like career progression and reward and recognition and how that relates to this Because obviously people have very broad remits as you say the kind of code switching Which means there's a limited amount of time for each of those identities and how do you see that relating to? career progression reward and recognition and You know in what ways Institutions may or may not be responding to that Any I I'll answer a little bit. Look, I think that's really complex depending on where you are what your remit is What institution you're at and what your institution is doing in regards to? Recognition and promotion and things like that. So I think it what I think we would like to do is maybe After the experience it might be further research But it is a complex a really hard question Dave And I think a lot of people have sort of on their own back kind of undone the puzzle and Are on their way and some have succeeded, but I I I don't think we can say Categorically anything Jess or Jim if you've got anything you want to say in regards to that I've been involved in any sick for For a for a number of years and it's always been a frustration that The early years researchers or people that are just trying to develop their skills don't have a nap network to rely on in their own institutions and I think this was core to my interest in in in working with Denise on on this scholar scheme is to build out That capacity for people to network more and if it's one thing that I've learned from my own practice in research is You need allies you need people out there to tell you just to keep you going really Yeah, and in terms of the code switching and the identities, I know and I know Pete is in the room Watching how we put it somewhere Peter Bryant We did a little bit of work Well, he did most of it. I'll be honest with Don Landclost a few years ago about About a kind of agility of identity because actually if you have multiple identities, then sometimes You don't feel like you necessarily fit in properly anywhere. Is that something that you've seen in the people you've been talking to? We haven't got to that part of the the the thing that this sense of belonging I think is it or or feeling part of something. I think that is an interesting point and We would like to try and hopefully see from Especially the interviews if we can probe a bit around this particular area because it's not fixed and I think I wonder if there's a gender thing Sometimes when you're a full-time worker and a mother and looking after elderly parents you have to code switch all the time from Ringing the school to a formal meeting to that and I think lockdown and the pandemic has sort of proved how superhuman a Lot of women who you know So maybe that that they might I'd like to know if there was a gender thing But also I think it's around your institution and how you might be perceived by colleagues and how you might have to read You know resell yourself or repackage yourself reinvent yourself Um Sorry Dave, we're not really I'm not sure if we're helping answer your question. No, no, that's no this is Something that we're very passionate about and there is lots of Gats in the literature about this in this specific space around learning technology and Scholarship and I think it could be around practice and practical versus theory and how that you know The hierarchy of that even is challenging, you know, so we're there's obviously this Box that we're going through and looking at the different things in the box Yeah, yeah, and I know from my institution that the relationship between theory and practice and how they inform each other is it's really complex and Actually making sure that they inform each other there's comments in the chat talking about this one from Saying third space professional syndrome and Imposter syndrome and all of those kind of things so I think I mean I just perhaps perhaps I'm speaking from what I know of my team in the area that I think that there's that aspect to it as well That it's it's easy to feel like we use the term belonging In terms of the in you know Encouraging people or giving them the confidence to start taking a more scholarly route to institutional research To what extent this is a question for me really because it's because it's one thing to do the institutional research It's another thing to have your institution respond to the research To what extent has that come up through the work the because I think that in a way for me They're two different art forms. It's doing the research and then there's fight and then there's there's producing outputs and Operating in such a way that you encourage your institution to respond That's an interesting question book and I think it varies on the institution and I think if there is a rigorous approach to something that's large scale and there are some institutions where those things have existed where There's a group of people who may be learning technologist as well as Academics working on things that might come to publication I think it might be knowing about the different channels of how that gets communicated and how your institution values that but Just this thing about belonging. It's kind of like you have to invite yourself to the party Or they crash the party. I mean, I'm sorry that you know, I've got teenage Daughters and they just you know, it's like well, you can't wait for permission to be invited You actually have to get crashed. So I think things like that is knowing how to leverage who can be senior colleagues who can Advocate on your behalf or you know, and I don't know Dave, you know, we can talk outside what institution that I'm in an institution Which is University of Nottingham where there is a there's tensions but there's also an understanding that you know people come from different pathways and The quality of the research will speak for itself if so, it's a complex one I'm sorry. I think these things are really hard to talk about or can make comparisons between Institutions sometimes it's person, you know people who are in charge of particular senior roles. Yeah, I do. I agree with you about Curial in that way. Yeah, I think I think that idea of being a little bit elbow-y To make things happen is it, you know, there's actually what you find is most really senior people are actually quite elbow-y And that's how they got there In almost any hierarchical structure If you wait to be invited, it might never happen and just just to round up because we're at a time and cocoa has Put in a really interesting comment about librarians becoming scholars and a funder She says fundamental and fascinating question is by whom and for whom Which I think is just a nice way of, you know, that's a really important question to ask And I think that's what I'd say that a lot of people in in the area of You know learning technology digital learning the kind of alt community They're probably asking themselves that question In quite a big way given the pandemic but also just generally I think as the whole professional area sort of evolves and and becomes actually More increasingly embedded as part of the fabric of our institutions It still can be quite bumpy. I think and not always equitable But thank you. Thank you for that. That was great. Thank you for running to time And I'm sure people can contact you if they want to know more and as you know, you put padlock up and we've got a link to The group as well In the in the chat. Thank you guys. Yeah. Thank you everybody Cheers. Thank you Thank you