Treasure Island Pedagogies: Episode 38, the one with the Rubik cube

Posted on: 17 February 2025 by Dr Tunde Varga-Atkins in General

In Episode 38, our discussion explored lightbulb moments in education, from fostering student confidence through social constructivism to the power of pedagogies of care and kindness. We examined inclusive assessment, digital wellbeing, and the role of language in shaping learning experiences. Our guests shared insights on creating supportive environments where students and educators alike feel valued, capable, and inspired. As always, we wrapped up with our treasure island teaching props, pedagogies, and personal luxury items—this time featuring Rubik’s Cubes, hammocks, and a surprising essential for daily success.

Speakers: Errol Jones-Rivera, Karine Yusuff, Kathy Chandler

Date: 17 Feb 2025

Treasure Island Pedagogies: Episode 38 podcast

(Treasure Island Pedagogies Episode 38 - Podcast Transcript)

Read or listen to find out our guests’ lightbulb moments, teaching props, pedagogies and luxury items that they would take to their Treasure Islands for precious contact time with students. 

Errol Jones-Rivera

• Original discipline: Creative Writing, Literary Criticism
• Current Role:Academic Developer – I teach Course Design and Assessment Design on the University of Glasgow PgCAP. I also design and disseminate methods and materials to help lecturers more easily create constructively aligned/inclusive teaching and assessment, and I advise on implementing strategy.
• Lightbulb moment:  A talented lecturer was having difficult time seeing how our PgCAP Concepts applied to their practice. Everything we said in class sounded like subjective gobbledygook to them. Even though everything we were saying and everything they were doing in their own practice was actually lining up quite well. So, a colleague and I sat down with them and put in the time. We worked together to really try to listen, drawing on everything we knew about pedagogy, educational psychology, and our time working with educators. It wasn’t an easy one. But when their submission for our class came in, I couldn’t have been more impressed. I might have even got a little misty-eyed.
• Teaching Prop or Pedagogy: Good ol’fashioned constructive alignment. I’m a “first principles” kind of person.
• Luxury item:Rubics Cube (or a picture of my wife)

Karine Yusuff

• Original discipline: Mental Health/Psychiatric Nursing
• Current Role: Senior lecturer teaching Master of Healthcare Leadership
• Lightbulb moment:a Digital Practice Showcase initiative that celebrates digital practices of colleagues. This made each champion feel special and colleagues look forward to the next Digital Practice showcase for ideas/good practice.
• Teaching Prop or Pedagogy: Digital well-being
• Luxury item: Toothbrush and toothpaste.

Kathy Chandler

• Original discipline: Health and Social Care
• Current Role:Lecturer in Technology Enhanced Learning in the Department of Educational Research.
• Lightbulb moment:  :Carefully prepared breakout room activity in pairs where students realised that there was 'someone else like me' and started to believe that if the student they were paired with was studying successfully despite the challenges they faced, then they could be successful too.
• Teaching Prop or Pedagogy: Pedagogies of care and kindness with lots of intentional hospitality.
• Luxury item: A large hammock.

Any Sparks? How Might Our Joined-Up Treasure Islands Look Like?

A shared theme throughout our discussion was building confidence—both in students and educators. Whether through constructive alignment, digital capability-building, or pedagogies of care, our approaches reinforce the idea that learning is deeply human and relational. Recognising that people often know more than they think, and that small moments of connection can transform experiences, is key to creating more inclusive and supportive learning environments.