On September 18th the annual Institute of Science and Technology (IST) Technical Conference was held in Birmingham and I was one of a small number of attendees from the University of Edinburgh. The IST is an independent body which is firmly committed to the enhancement of professional development and recognition for technical and specialist staff […]

What is self-directed learning? The most commonly accepted definition of self-directed learning (SDL) is that outlined by Malcolm Knowles, back in 1975: ”In its broadest meaning, self-directed learning describes a process in which individuals take the initiative, with or without the help of others, in diagnosing their learning needs, formulating learning goals, identifying human and […]

A recent survey from technicians across the University highlighted that over 83% of individuals had not accessed any CPD (Continuous Professional Development) in the last 12 months. When looking at the top barriers it was a lack of time to undertake training, a lack of funding and people not being clear on what CPD to […]

The Technical Managers in Universities (TMU) is a national network of technical managers working in higher education and research. This year’s TMU conference 2018 was held at the Engineering and Science Learning Centre on the leafy campus of the University of Nottingham on 12th and 13th April 2018. In conjunction with Midlands Innovation and the […]

Did you know that you can keep track of your own learning in the platform? We’ve had a feature for a while that allowed you to see what materials you had been using. But it was all a bit plain and simple, and hidden away in the ‘My Profile’ section. Based on user feedback, we’ve […]

CPD – what is it and where does it come from?   Continuing Professional Development is the means by which people maintain their knowledge and skills related to their professional lives both currently and in the future. CPD comprises updating particular areas of competence, developing personal and managerial skills and broadening experience and expertise.   […]

This week’s guest post is a member of a critical, but sometimes unsung, community at Edinburgh – our technical staff.  Marianne Keith is currently a research technician based at The Roslin Institute.   I am currently working in a research environment, having chopped and changed several times since starting on my career path back in […]

Last week I was lucky enough to be able to attend a media workshop “Standing up for Science” organised by the “Voice of Young Science” network, run by the charity “Sense about Science”. The event was held on Friday 22nd of September, and hosted by the University of Edinburgh. Sense about Science are a charity […]