Planning and designing your teaching

The University of Leeds strategy 2020-2030 states that the first aim in achieving our Student Education vision is to:

Engage students as partners in their education, through active and inclusive approaches to learning, and research-based content.

When planning and designing our teaching it will be important for us to consider how we can:

Enhance the education we offer by embedding evidence-based, active and inclusive approaches for learning and assessment across the institution.
Transform our curriculum by placing student success at its heart, streamlining our portfolio, and adopting a consistent programme structure that facilitates student choice.
Enhance our commitment to widening participation, retention and attainment, with a focus on evidence-based interventions that support the achievement of challenging targets for particular groups.
Ensure that our students are equipped with the learning, skills and attributes to support positive outcomes aligned with their career aspirations and the needs of society and employers.

This information on this page has been developed to help you incorporate the main themes of the strategy when planning and designing your teaching.

Visit our Assessment and feedback practice page for support in these areas of your teaching practice.

Evidence-based, active and inclusive approaches

It is important we understand what we are asking of our students and why, and that we provide them with the information and resources they need. It is equally important that our students are involved and learn to take charge of their own learning. Ideally helping them develop their skills to learn and find answers for themselves.

Pedagogy and learning theories

This Sway resource introduces you to pedagogy and learning theories and how they can be used when planning teaching.

Active learning strategies

This Sway resource called 'Exploring pedagogical strategies and active learning' takes you through a sample of learning strategies that could help your students take part in their learning.

Planning your teaching

Together these resources are designed to help you consider planning your teaching whether that is a single teaching session or a whole module. Thinking about how to incorporate student choice and working with our students as partners.

Step by step guide to planning a teaching session

This Sway suggests a step by step guide to planning a teaching session

ABC guide to module design

This online resource is designed to help plan your modules to be student-centred using ABC method.

Facilitating an ABC session

This Sway resource is for staff who facilitate module teams to redesign modules for hybrid learning using the ABC method.

Teaching observation

Teaching observation is a powerful tool to develop teaching this resource aims to guide you through the process.

Students as partners

At its roots partnership is about investing students with the power to co-create, not just knowledge or learning, but the higher education institution itself

- National Union of Students

the future of student engagement lies in partnership.

- Bryson, 2014

UoL commitment to working collaboratively with students is reflected in the Leeds Partnership. The Leeds partnership is a recognition of the fact that being part of the University community is a participatory process with shared responsibilities between students and staff for making the most of the opportunities that are available.

Resources to help you explore partnerships with your students:

Sharing practice

Explore the TIPS Blog and TIPS channel for articles and videos created by colleagues showcasing their excellent practice in teaching and learning. Use key terms to focus your search using the search box. Examples include:

Get involved with LITE's - Share, Adopt, Adapt Workshops (SAAW) aimed at showcasing best practice across the University if you missed one recap on the discussion on the LITE Stream channel. Find out about pedagogic research at Leeds.