A Cup of TEA

In this last episode of series 6 of A Cup of TEA podcast, Catherine and Mike meet Joanne Black and James Bray both working in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Passionate about good health and well-being and doing something for our campus population, staff and students, they embarked on a collaborative project with catering staff to add nutritious, affordable and culture diverse menu options in our main restaurant! So came about Hull’thier Choices. Find out about their research outcomes. This spontaneous conversation unmissably leads to their teaching practice and we leave you to discover snippets of it.So here is James, a Senior Lecturer in Sport Nutrition and Physiology. "Alongside my academic work, I am also a high-performing endurance athlete. Collectively, this has given me a deep appreciation for the importance of quality nutrition in supporting performance and recovery. While much of the focus is often on physical output, nutrition is equally vital for brain function and cognitive performance." Here is Jo, Programme Director and Senior Lecturer in Nutrition and Dietetics. "As a registered dietitian for almost 18 years, I’ve seen first‑hand the powerful role nutrition plays in health and wellbeing, both in prevention and treatment. I’m passionate about making sure our campus community has access to affordable, nutritious and inclusive food, helping staff and students thrive academically and in their health." One of the biggest challenges to eating well, however, is the cost, which was a key consideration behind the Hull’thier Choices menu redesign in Canham Turner. This is where Jo and James stepped in to work closely with the chefs in Canham Turner to develop meals that are both nutritionally balanced and affordable. Their goal was simple: to make high-quality, accessible nutrition available to students and staff, supporting both physical health and academic performance.  “One thing Jo and I are both really passionate about is giving students the best possible chance and we started looking at some of the literature, there are some quite alarming stats about how long students spend on campus per week so we thought that would be a really good opportunity if we could do something really strong with the menus […] so our thought was that if we could give them one decent quality meal per day, that is a nice place to start” "A big part of this is about the public health aspects which in clinical practice wasn't always at the forefront . We've always trained about it so it's really nice to actually be able to put that at the forefront of what we're doing and actually helping the population health, not just one individual patient. It's about helping the campus population: staff and student!"Relevant linksAs mentioned in the podcast: https://www.menusofchange.org/about-mocwith another really useful resource Jo and James tried to base some of their work off: https://ciaprochef.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Menus-of-Change-Principles-Report.pdf Thank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it. If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy. Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari 

his week Catherine and Mike are joined by Stuart Lilford, Lecturer in Game Design, in the School of Arts & Humanities, Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences & Education.Stuart reflects on his journey from working in the industry to lecturing in an area he’s always loved. “the best job I’ve ever had, teaching a subject I’m passionate about and enjoy, meeting lots of interesting people i.e. students and everything different every day”. You’ll hear about assessment, the need for variety and authenticity, Stuart’s use of video feedback, podcasting, Mentimeter and a promise for a gold cheese-cake, flip-class teaching and inclusive practice. AI and how to AI proof assessment will be touched upon, as well as gamification and much more!Stuart Lilford is an award-winning game designer and educator with over a decade of experience teaching game design at university level. With a professional background that includes work at leading studios such as Rare and Codemasters, Stuart has contributed to multiple BAFTA Award-winning titles and brings real industry insight into his teaching. His work focuses on helping students understand not just how games are made, but why they work—exploring design, player experience, and creative thinking.Alongside teaching, Stuart is an active voice in the wider games community. He has delivered talks and workshops at events including the Yorkshire Games Festival, AMAZE Berlin, and Leeds International Festival. He also co-hosts the Games Every Designer Should Play podcast, which breaks down influential video games and the lessons they offer designers. Stuart is passionate about developing the next generation of creative thinkers and designers.Relevant link: The Games Every Designer Should PlayYouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ShouldPlayPodApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/games-every-designer-should-play/id1737815102 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0avCM1eCGvYzx7FiAKawQ9 Amazon Music: https://music.amazon.co.uk/podcasts/0b6b4184-6fd7-43b8-a54c-4917ad3de2f7/games-every-designer-should-playThank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it. If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.  Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari 

Join Catherine and Mike this week with Dr Stephanie Brown, Lecturer in Criminology, in the School of Criminology, Politics & Law, in the Faculty of Arts, Social Sciences & Education.Stephanie is Lecturer in Criminology at the University of Hull. She is a BBC / AHRC New Generation Thinker. She is a historical criminologist, exploring change and continuity in crime, punishment, and policing from the middle ages to the modern-day. An expert in the law, context, and history of homicide, suicide, and abortion, her research uncovers how society’s views of violence, gender, ethnicity, and class shape who is seen as a ‘criminal’ and how the law is applied in England and Wales. Stephanie is a co-creator of Medieval Murder Maps, an interactive website giving a unique insight into violence and justice in medieval England.. Alongside her academic research, she is passionate about public history and regularly works with schools, museums, and community groups to bring the history of crime and justice to wider audiences.Thank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it.  If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.  Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari 

This week Catherine and Mike are joined by Dr Bianca Kronemann and Dr Steven Forrest who present A step into the future, an AdvanceHE funded project which explore personalised student education and career pathways using AI and virtual reality, to solve global sustainability challenges. As well as numerous quality project outcomes, they will share hints and tips to take on board!Bianca is a lecturer at Hull University Business School and researches the societal implications of artificial intelligence, with a particular focus on how AI shapes decision-making and learning. Within the Step into the Future project, she contributes expertise on the responsible and critical use of AI in educational settings. Bianca has worked with industry partners including Google and Wired Consulting, and has helped make complex AI issues accessible to wider audiences through public engagement, including a podcast with the BBC.Steven is a lecturer in the Energy and Environment Institute and is Programme Director for the MSc in Flood Risk Management. Steven researches and teaches on the role of civil society in flood resilience, sustainable transformations post-disaster, creative engagement tools (including serious board games), and the role of digital technologies for addressing sustainability challenges.Bianca: “We don’t need to become an AI expert to tackle this but I think we should encourage students to do it in any capacity they want to but then fulfil our responsibility as an educator to challenge them to review the output of what they get out of this because we are the expert in the field […] and reflect together critically on this… whether I want to use it personally or not, I need to engage with whatever is coming out of AI… “Steven:” When designing assessment, be aware of AI and recognise that the days when you could set an assignment and be confident that no-one had used AI are maybe behind us! Make our assessment more inclusive and integrate AI into them. A step before that, think about how we teach students AI responsibly; that’s taking into account the environmental costs and impact e.g. water, carbon emissions; as well as in terms of ethical issues; some students won’t want to use AI for ethical reasons and as educators we need to be prepared for that and offer alternative means to do the same activity and be sensitive to that.”Relevant linksA step into the future: AI in classroom teaching | Advance HEhttps://youtu.be/_NZcG9lfBKchttps://youtu.be/uVnTVDg3478Thank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it. If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.  Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari 

This week Mike and Catherine are joined by Jonathan Squirrell, Academic writing support tutor within the Foundation Year Team, who reflects on his work with Foundation Year students, bridging gaps and breaking barriers.Jonathan Squirrell signed a short-term contract with the University of Hull in 2010 and since he is still here it can only be assumed he has been making himself useful. Since 2018 he has been part of the Foundation Year team, where he now specialises in academic writing skills. As well as coordinating and teaching on core Foundation Year modules, Jonathan provides one-to-one supervision and support to students from across all faculties. The online resources he has created to develop writing skills led to a nomination for a Student Choice award in 2025. Jonathan is a Fellow of AdvanceHE and has presented at national and international conferences on student engagement and experience, curriculum design, feedback, and academic writing resources. He has been part of institutional working groups and two Student Staff Partnership projects. Alongside his work on academic writing, Jonathan has an MA in Creative Writing and has taught on the degree programme. He published his first novel in 2024. “Success is a personal thing. We get students you can see growing, and you know they’re going to get a first, they’ll be doing a PhD, and I’ll be calling them ‘boss’ in 10 years’ time! But then there are the other ones who didn’t think they could do it, they maybe took a punt, at clearing, ‘shall I put an application in?’ You see them at open days, they’re really unsure, they could be in the Library looking around… ‘Is this for me? … Can I do this?’ and of course they are the really satisfying ones… when they begin to get a bit of feedback, ‘Yeah, actually, I can do this’… That’s the full power of education, isn’t it? Ultimately, you’re hoping to change lives!”Thank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it.If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari

Join us this week as we meet Daniel Preece, Lecturer in Forensic Science in the Centre for Biomedicine in the Hull York Medical School, discussing learning technologies, constructive failure and AI. Dr. Daniel Preece is the Programme Director for Forensic Science at the University of Hull, where he leads curriculum design, teaching innovation, and student experience within the forensic sciences. His professional background encompasses forensic drug analysis, toxicology, virology, and analytical chemistry; he has also previously worked with police and legal casework in interpreting and presenting forensic evidence. Daniel began his journey into forensic and analytical science at Sheffield Hallam University, returning to university years later to undertake a PhD exploring the bio-tribological properties of medical glove polymers for clinical applications at the University of Sheffield. As a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA), Daniel is passionate about developing inclusive, research-led teaching and enhancing employability for students entering scientific professions. His pedagogical interests focus on experiential learning, assessment design, and curriculum alignment with professional standards in forensic science and chemistry. Beyond teaching, he is an active researcher in forensic science education and applied analytical science.“I tend to lead the students to fail a little bit […] doing it wrong teaches the students more […] I try and get teaching fellows and associate to think more about how they teach the students, not to give them all the answers and have the students teach themselves…”Relevant links:Daniel's LinkedIn profile Mimes select fewDaniel's University profile Thank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it.If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari

Join Catherine and Mike who meet Dom Henri, Senior Lecturer in Biological Science, Andrew Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Education Studies, and Kate Bridgeman, Teaching Enhancement Officer in the Teaching Excellence Academy, relating their journey on a QAA collaborative project on competence-based assessment. Dr Dom Henri completed a PhD in ecology at Exeter, before starting as an education-focused lecturer at the University of Hull in 2014, becoming a Senior Lecturer in Zoology in 2019. Over the last decade, Dom has performed multiple department-level leadership roles (e.g. Director of Studies), steered national networks for professional bodies, and taught subjects across ecology, animal behaviour and conservation to students at every level of study. A National Teaching Fellow & Principal Fellow of AdvanceHE, Dom is a past winner of the Royal Society of Biology’s Higher Education Teacher of the Year Award. His interests include student employability and competence, playful learning, and assessment-focused curriculum design.Dr Andrew Holmes: Senior Lecturer in the School of Education, he teaches at Masters & UG level. His research interests include HE pedagogy, assessment in HE: including assessment literacy, rubrics & assessment feedback. As Senior Fellow of Hull's Teaching Excellence Academy from 2023-2024 he worked collaboratively with Dom Henri and Kate Bridgeman to develop the C-BAss competence based curriculum development framework, which supports programme teams in a structured 'backwards design' approach to curriculum design and places emphasis on the need of key stakeholders - students and employers. Andrew's research can be found at Dr Andrew Holmes Andrew is a Director and Trustee of the charity Hull & East Yorkshire Children's University and has worked with and supported their work for over 15 years. Kate Bridgeman is a dedicated and innovative Educational Developer at the University of Hull, where she has worked for over a decade. A Senior Fellow of AdvanceHE, she holds a MA in Education and a BA (Hons) in Electronic Business and eCommerce. Kate brings a strategic, evidence-informed, and friendly approach to enhancing learning, teaching, and assessment across disciplines.She teaches Postgraduate Researchers and sessional staff through programmes such as Passport to University Teaching and Professional Practice in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, fostering reflective practice and transferable academic skills. Kate is involved with institution-wide initiatives in inclusive education, authentic assessment, and student engagement. Her expertise spans curriculum design, academic development, and digital pedagogy. Relevant links:C-BAss framework: QAA Competence Based Education Project – Collaborative Enhancement ProjectThank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it.If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari

This week, join us and Dr Gillian Jackson, a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Palliative Care at Hull York Medical School reflecting on the start of her journey in teaching, building an online community for the MSc in Palliative Care and enhancing her pedagogical practice.Gillian's research interests focus on improving equity in access to and quality of palliative care, cancer care, and the detection, assessment, management, and prevention of delirium. She specialises in mixed methods research, with expertise in the evaluation of complex interventions in real-world healthcare settings. She is currently a co-applicant and Research Fellow lead on the DAMPen Delirium II trial, which focuses on improving care for people experiencing delirium in palliative care inpatient settings.Gillian is Deputy Module Lead for the Introduction and Advanced Implementation Science modules on the MSc Palliative Care programme, while additionally contributing to teaching across other modules of the MSc and MBBS programmes."We had a calibration meeting, quite a daunting but insightful experience with a whole range of expertise and levels of experiences […] the whole process helped me to reflect on my own practice and also observe the learning dynamic in giving feedback.” Thank you for taking time to listen to our podcast. We hope you enjoy it.If you have not subscribed yet, please do and share it with anyone you think might enjoy.Cup of TEA artwork created by Layla Jabbari