iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Reposted by Dr Helen Webster

Sandra Sinfield @danceswithcloud.bsky.social · 24/10/2025

#LTHEchat A6 Sadly most SLTs do not come from LD backgrounds, they do not understand LD & its values nor what it can do for students & for their HEI - this means that different people have different conceptualisations even when in disussion w each other. Shared understanding of the field would help.

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

This is terrifying, and I’m not sure I’ve seen this dimension reflected in the any of the work and guidance on AI and assessment. In Ed Dev and LD we need to see our students holistically not just as learners.

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Although there is no professional progression in LD elsewhere either. You might luck into one of the few institutions which pay more, contract better or there’s a head of LD role going but you haven’t “gone” anywhere in career terms. You lose staff from the profession as well as the institution.

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

The recognition model of FHEA, ALDINHE, SEDA etc doesn’t have the same clout as, say, GMC or even trade union like BMA. Even with CILIP now, unis can just opt to not care if a librarian is not registered and current and working in line with professional standards

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

Absolutely. LDers and other 3rd space professionals, but also to some extent academics too, don’t have the strong external professional body that might also have a role in determining what the job is. It’s what the uni says it is, w/o power to assert “this is also my profession as well as job”

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 23/10/2025

One cause is a very flat and crude understanding of the knowledge and skills that go into such work, how they build from entry level to skilled practitioner. I’ve done some work around differentiating this and ALDinHE’s distinction between practitioner and senior practitioner goes some way

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

It’s been so lovely to participate again- I’ve missed the community on Twitter and #LTHEChat especially, but this is the topic to draw me out again! Thank you!

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

I’ve also found that LD is often located and subordinated under another profession- eap, librarians or ed dev, and this makes it hard to operate in our own right or be heard. #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A6 it’s important to bear in mind that a lot of extra “help” can sometimes be heaped on those least able to take time to engage with it. And a decolonised approach which invites open discussion of culturally privileged norms rather than assuming them or expecting uncritical adoption. #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

That’s interesting…. Every location for LD has pros and cons, but also trends over the years. It was all alongside counselling when I started, then libraries was all the rage, back into student services, alongside ed dev… #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A5 One thing that’s been an absolute joy to me has been learning more about how related professions work and think and figuring out how we can riff off each other fruitfully. I’ve worked with amazing colleagues in other professions on collaborative sessions #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A VERY SHOUTY CROSS ONE 😫#LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

I could rant about this too. I’m no longer in an LD role.

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A5 Respectful and interprofessional ones- recognising we all have slightly different conceptualisation of what these “skills” are and different pedagogies, between the professions. #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A2 I’d love to see students given the chance to do a commentary on their own work. Like a DVD extra, talking through the choices and rationale and uncertainties behind the finished product #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

There’s no progression either- the loss of experience and expertise as people find there’s nowhere to go is so sad. #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

There’s more literature being done on this (ive externaled for 2 PhDs on the topic recently and written about it myself) but it’s often not read by those with clout. #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A3 More resourcing for LD units! And more influence - LDers find it hard to make the case for high quality provision as they are often perceived as just support staff rather than collaborators. Ability to say no to bolt on makes space for the good collaborations and builds the case #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

I’d love to accompany this with some personas work- plotting from the perspective of e.g an international student, a disabled student, a first generation student and see how we can build flexibility in #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Important to be holistic and factor freshers flu into any academic literacies *nods* #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Tom was a lovely person and a passionate LDer #LoveLD

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A2 scaffolded assignments are great, tho not all students have the same linear path through their work. TBH, dialogue with students, getting them to identify the need, own it and ask questions rather than telling them #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

And the more fine grained you can make it, the better- not just think like a uni student, but a second year uni student of x subject who’s in their second semester and has y energy levels and motivation 🤣 #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Gosh yes- and also to summon the LDers to come deliver a bolt-on session in some otherwise unfilled lecture slot with no opportunity to discuss or share authentic examples. #LTHEChat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A1 #LTHEChat the other dimension, as well as discipline embedding, is student lifecycle embedding- at what point does the curriculum AND the student experience of learning give rise to a particular AcLits need so they can engage with it? That varies a bit between students but we can narrow it down.

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

A1 #LTHEChat I think we mustn’t conflate embedded with tailored and central with bespoke- as an LDer, it’s perfectly possible to do a very generic session “embedded” in the timetable and a very student-centred one centrally. It’s a collaboration between LDers and subject academics

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Reposted by Dr Helen Webster

Dr Chris Martin CPsychol AFBPsS @drchrism.bsky.social · 20/10/2025

Very much looking forward to discussing the embedding of academic skills in the curriculum in this week’s #LTHEchat

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Evening, #LTHEChat! It’s been a long time since I’ve been on Bluesky- but a topic dear to my heart! Good to see everyone too

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Reposted by Dr Helen Webster

LTHEchat @lthechat.bsky.social · 22/10/2025

Twelve minutes to go until this evening’s #LTHEchat :) This evening we will be discussing embedding academic skills into the curriculum. Still time to read through the blogpost at lthechat.com/2025/10/20/l... before we get started tonight #LTHEchat @drchrism.bsky.social

lthechat.com

LTHE Chat 340: Embedding Academic Skills in UK Higher Education: Why It Matters

Join us on Bluesky with guest Dr Chris Martin @drchrism.bsky.social on Wednesday 22nd October 2025 at 20:00 BST When engaging in conversations with academic colleagues, the…

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 20/08/2025

A student just described me as an academic chiropractor- her writing process was stiff so I cricked it and she could write again… I love that!

media.tenor.com

a man is laying on a table in front of a wall that says dr joseph cipria

Alt: a man is laying on a table as a chiropractor adjusts his spine

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

Featuring the OG Scholastic Rat for recognition purposes! It was so lovely to meet in person, and a fab workshop! Just the boost I needed to get back into social media

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 28/06/2025

It was so lovely to meet you in person at last!

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

If you can get me back in the swing of things again, it’d be doing me a massive service! Life pressures too mean I’ve really disengaged of late, and I miss my online community

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

No pressure at all!! Honestly I will be cheerleading you and also it will be really helpful for me as I lost the plot a bit when we all dispersed from Twitter, and other platforms either have evolved hugely or are totally new so I am not familiar with the new landscape! Definitely overwhelmed.

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 26/06/2025

@puiyin.bsky.social I see you’re giving a talk in Oxford today! Just signed myself up. Been off social media for a while and it’s time to reengage - looking forward to being reenergised this afternoon!

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

Im broadening my professional base from Learning Development and while there is a lot to learn, its strengthened my conviction that #LoveLD is fundamentally a holistic, person-centred activity and not just delivering “study skills”

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 15/03/2025

End of my first term at Merton College Oxford. It’s been a very welcoming experience and an absolute joy to be working with students again. There’s an exciting sense of potential and possibility in helping support this community

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 13/03/2025

Central Oxford in the low evening spring sunlight on the way home

Helen, a white woman with brown hair and glasses in the low evening sunlight in front of Christ church Oxford, a handsome old building

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 15/02/2025

We’re going to the Medieval Women exhibition at the British Library next weekend!

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Reposted by Dr Helen Webster

Professor Julie Hulme @juliehulme-psyc.bsky.social · 18/12/2024

It’s okay if you’re not feeling merry over the winter break. Student Space run by @studentmindsorg.bsky.social is here to support you 24/7 over the holidays. Visit: studentspace.org.uk

studentspace.org.uk

Home

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

I go through a weird period oct-nov where I read folk horror and ghost stories but by December my bones have been thoroughly chilled and I want something a bit more about the return of the light, even if epic battles against darkness are involved!

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Dr Helen Webster @scholastic-rat.bsky.social · 14/12/2024

Still read it every year! Along with the box of delights (dodgy ending) and the Children of Greene Knowe with its gently devastating twist

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Reposted by Dr Helen Webster

Association for Learning Development in Higher Education @aldinhe.bsky.social · 12/12/2024

The Learning Development Project podcast: new episode #30! Join Dr Steve White discussing the trouble with academic literacies - its tensions and contradiction, the role of voice and power, and the importance of context - and how we might move forward. aldinhe.ac.uk/networking/t... #LoveLD

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