Dr David Butler (Senior Lecturer in Drama and Screen Studies, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures)

David’s submission details how he transformed his lectures into an interactive documentary series as he wanted to teach digitally in an engaging and inclusive way. Since August 2022 David has produced 32 of these video lectures that range from 40 to 50 minutes long. The videos are embedded into an Adobe Express page (previously known as Spark) that introduces the topic and provides links to relevant resources. There is also a Padlet where students can respond to questions posed in the lecture and interact with each other before face to face seminars. The lectures were designed using recommendations from consultations with students on how to diversify and decolonise the curriculum and so are a direct result of partnership with students on curriculum design. Post-lockdown these videos have allowed students who are absent due to mitigating circumstances to feel up-to-date and engaged with the lecture content.

In 2020-21 the students nominated the digital lectures for the Faculty of Humanities Outstanding Staff Awards for Teaching, Learning and Student Experience where they won Outstanding Teaching and Outstanding Technology Enhanced Learning. Student testimony talks about how the videos have benefitted their work, engagement and mental health. David was invited to a Faculty of Humanities workshop and panel on engaging, passionate and inspirational teaching and his work will be added to the Humanities Good Practice Library.