insight4me Geography: Curriculum Insights From 3 Unis in 1 Hour with University of Glasgow, Cardiff University, and University of Nottingham

insight4me is a series of subject specific webinars for current Year 12/Year 13 students. The sessions support students’ current studies by giving an insight into particular curriculum areas whilst affording students the opportunity to talk to different universities and make informed comparisons about how Geography is taught.

In this insight4me Geography webinar for schools and colleges, three universities, including Cardiff University, University of Nottingham, and University of Glasgow, will have roughly 20 minutes to deliver a punchy, topic based ‘micro’ talk. The universities have the freedom to choose their own topic, a topic that links to the A Level curriculum, and use the time to convey the key points of the discussion/debate for the Year 12/Year 13 students. Through the discussion, the universities are encouraged to provide an insight into the teaching and learning experience of this topic at university, and compare and contrast how other subject areas across the Geography spectrum might be treated. Students will gain an insight into how these subjects continue beyond the A-level curriculum as well as the diverse range of topics that can be explored in Geography at university. By hearing from 3 unis, students will also appreciate how the further study of Geography can vary between institutions, contributing to the depth of their HE research and assisting informed decision making.

Please find details of the topics below:

• University of Glasgow – Dr Ian Shaw, Lecturer in Human Geography in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, will be talking about what geographers have to say about war and conflict, and why war and conflict are always geographic!
• Cardiff University – Dr Richard Gale, Lecturer in Human Geography in the School of Geography and Planning, will present ongoing research about changing neighbourhoods, demography and place-attachment, drawing on action research in the Welsh context.
• University of Nottingham – Dr George Swann, Associate Professor in Palaeoclimatology in the School of Geography, will examine how the issue of global climate change is covered at university, highlighting that this topic extends into a number of human and physical geography topics ranging from oceanography and biogeography to migration, consumptions and public attitudes to science.

Students will have the chance to question each speaker and/or offer their own ideas.

This will be a dynamic, fast paced event with the universities cycling between 3 different virtual rooms. The universities will decide how to manage the time but a rough guide would be a 10-12 minute talk followed by questions from the schools.

Suitable for: Year 12 and 13 students studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Geography.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the 3 topics and discuss some of the key elements. Students can also think about questions they have about studying Geography at university level.

The IT Setup: The setup is similar to Skype, using a pc and webcam, although students take part as a group with the image projected on a whiteboard rather than as individuals in front of lots of pcs. Dedicated videoconferencing equipment is also compatible if available to the school. We will work with your IT department to ensure everything is set up and working prior to the event. The sessions are generally limited to 3 to 5 schools to maintain the interactive nature of the experience. In this event there will be three groups of schools taking part increasing the opportunity to participate.

Booking a Place: If you have a group of students that you would like to take part in this event, please contact us via email or via the contact form at the top right of this webpage (or at the bottom if you are using a mobile device). Subject to availability we will book a place for you. This is free for schools and colleges.