Author Archives: Andrew Middleton

About Andrew Middleton

NTF, PFHEA, committed to active learning, co-operative pedagogies, media-enhanced teaching and learning, authentic learning, postdigital learning spaces. Key publication: Middleton, A. (2018). Reimagining Spaces for Learning in Higher Education. Palgrave.

Creative Assessment

In this episode of Exquisite Education, Andrew and Beatriz consider what we might understand by the term ‘creative assessment’. They discuss this in relation to a new sector-wide initiative that invites any educator to discuss and share ideas and practice relating … Continue reading

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Creative Assessment – what is it?

In higher education assessment is recognised as a driving force for student engagement and curriculum design. How does this tally with a desire for active student-centred learning? How can it accommodate the artistry in the academic practitioner who seeks to … Continue reading

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Transgressive learning – moving away from a mindset of inevitability

Transgressive learning is a term associated with sustainability. Wals (2021), for example, discusses the Power of Transgressive Learning in an excellent post. My own interest in the term, however, came from reflecting on educational work I am currently involved in … Continue reading

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Being smarter than AI – rethinking our assessment design?

The discussion channels used by educational developers have been dominated by the topic of ChatGPT since the New Year. There are two dimensions to this: concerns over academic integrity and the opportunity ChatGPT and other AI tools bring to assessment. … Continue reading

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Absence of detail and the value of ambiguity in art and education

This post pulls together ideas about the value of ambiguity and space in art and education by drawing upon my diverse experiences as educator, artist, and musician. It wanders! In some ways, it is about creating room to wander. I hope you it connects with your own wanderings. Continue reading

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A Man Walked into a Bar: humour, space, self-deprecation, #activelearning

In this post I explore the pedagogy of humour in the context of higher education teaching and learning and begin to realise there’s more to humour in the classroom than having a bit of fun! This was my starting point, … Continue reading

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Ritual in the learning environment

In this post I explore what is meant by ritual in relation to the teaching and learning experience and, as we reset our post-pandemic classrooms, why we should care. Given that there is little obligation to care, beyond a notion … Continue reading

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Connecting curiosity, creativity and criticality

In this post I explore creativity and critical thinking and how they connect with the fostering of curiosity. This post continues my exploration of curiosity as a state of learning in which learner motivation and agency are central. Following on … Continue reading

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Community of Enhancement

I keep returning to the phrase Community of Enhancement to describe my philosophy behind my staff development role. It is not astounding but, significantly for me, it is a better than Community of Practice. It reflects and models the ethos … Continue reading

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