68 | JADE
EDITOR’S EPILOGUE|| 69
EDITOR’S EPILOGUE
before the deadline….again, you know who you are.
anuary….a month synonymous with assessment
in Higher Education (HE). As I write this, winter
has yet to descend upon Keele but there is no
mistaking the palpable aura of intensity all
across campus as staff and students prepare
for the first assessment period of 2016. This year more
than any other I have been faced with a plethora of emails
from student learners (I use that word intentionally as
it encompasses both undergraduate and post graduate
/ staff learners) in relation to assessments they will
shortly submit. So far, so normal, but what makes this
year so different is that I have noticed for the first time a
commonality in tone, content and urgency, irrespective of
whether the person writing the email is staff or student
and I also noticed a marked conservation in the types of
inquiry I am getting. This observation is contrasted with
my own current interest in inclusive teaching practice and
facilitating learning in an inclusive environment, where the
central idea is one of catering to diversity in the learner
population in all types of classrooms. However, I am
seeing a great deal of similarity in the drivers of learning
from a very diverse range of learners….to give an example,
my very first question (which came through on xmas eve!)
was about clarifying word limits and whether there would
be a penalty if these were exceeded….from a member of
staff! As an aside, I am always impressed at how quickly
certain staff can display behavi