Prof. Pam Birtill's Avatar

Prof. Pam Birtill

@diervilla

Professor in the Psychology of Learning at University of Leeds. Welsh learner, #psychology academic, higher education and assessment, #linoprint artist, #allotment holder, weaver, spinner and all round dabbler. Northern. She/her/hi. SFHEA. NTF.

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Latest posts by Prof. Pam Birtill @diervilla

I am too British. Just spent about a minute wondering how this was an indicator of class…. But if you want an example for teaching about observation!

10.03.2026 18:01 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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This looks like it could be a really handy tool.

www.imf.org/en/publicati...

10.03.2026 16:10 πŸ‘ 74 πŸ” 19 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 5

I would be interested in discussing - it’s an area I’m increasingly interested in.

09.03.2026 22:14 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Good to see this from JISC

09.03.2026 18:39 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

So awful to see the fire in Glasgow, hope everyone is safe.

08.03.2026 21:18 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

That’s the thing for me. Don’t seem in the spirit of how the rules were designed which was in an age without VAR

07.03.2026 21:07 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This! Turnitin has twisted our concept of plagiarism, and encourages meaningless paraphrasing.

07.03.2026 20:54 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A heron

A heron

Yay, the heron is back on campus

05.03.2026 16:02 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

British Academy response to the Department for Education's technical consultation on the Interational Student Levy
18 February 2026
Background
The Department for Education is consulting on the proposed levy on international student income, due to be introduced in England in August 2028.

British Academy response to the Department for Education's technical consultation on the Interational Student Levy 18 February 2026 Background The Department for Education is consulting on the proposed levy on international student income, due to be introduced in England in August 2028.

β€˜We remain deeply concerned that universities will be unable to absorb the cost of the levy’s
introduction. The loss of cross-subsidy for domestic teaching & research will harm
universities’ ability to deliver their core functions’
Our response to the levy
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/documents/60...

03.03.2026 12:06 πŸ‘ 33 πŸ” 31 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

The morning before I went Cambridge university I was cleaning toilets at Harrogate ladies college.

04.03.2026 21:56 πŸ‘ 165 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 1

In Leeds we simply sigh. Trams. Please? It’s been over 25 years, and will be another decade yet… if ever.

04.03.2026 21:49 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

No. Fossil fuels are not the future.

04.03.2026 21:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Monique Botha (@drmbothapsych.bsky.social) Autistic and ADHD researcher focusing on minority stress, meta-science, and dehumanization of neurodivergent people in science and research. Big believer in #NothingAboutUsWithoutUs

Wonderful to welcome @drmbothapsych.bsky.social to University of Leeds school of Psychology today, to hear about their important work looking at the language we use when talking about autism and autistic people in research, and how that can dehumanise people.

04.03.2026 21:13 πŸ‘ 10 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 1
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Leeds' new local paper West Yorkshire deserves great local journalism. Help us launch it.

Leeds people! Support independent journalism in our city - leeds.ghost.io/r/429d058d?m... they need a few more folks to sign up, but it’s worth it. We need quality independent journalism, and these people have a great track record

04.03.2026 18:04 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

One of the first things I learned as a professor is that accommodations don’t make the class/assessment easier β€” they just make it inclusive. Doing a moral panic on accommodations is just gross and ableist.

04.03.2026 02:36 πŸ‘ 502 πŸ” 65 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 0

tl;dr: more people should watch this gentleman's speech and think seriously about what he is saying

bsky.app/profile/slcl...

03.03.2026 03:43 πŸ‘ 1683 πŸ” 423 πŸ’¬ 14 πŸ“Œ 3

This looks like some pretty major changes. Exciting to see a more flexible and scientifically valid approach to diagnosis.

02.03.2026 22:13 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
A Welsh flag in the centre taken through yellow daffodils. There is sea in the foreground and misty hills beyond - the photo is of an estuary. It’s Porthmeirion in north wales.

A Welsh flag in the centre taken through yellow daffodils. There is sea in the foreground and misty hills beyond - the photo is of an estuary. It’s Porthmeirion in north wales.

Dydd gwyl Dewi sant hapus!

01.03.2026 20:56 πŸ‘ 13 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I love this.

01.03.2026 09:35 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

What a lack of grace we've seen across the board today.

Whether you agree with her politics or not, Hannah Spencer was evidently a top notch candidate and Parliament will be richer with her there. Obvious from the off.

We all need to drink the water from this democratic well.

27.02.2026 21:22 πŸ‘ 214 πŸ” 44 πŸ’¬ 5 πŸ“Œ 0

I have been promoted to Prof on research and teaching track, entirely for my student education and leadership work - it is possible. I will defend my T&S colleagues from the divide and conquer narrative, and I have had horrible conversations with R focused colleagues about teaching.

28.02.2026 09:44 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Yes, there are systemic problems. Who pays for the time for research focused colleagues to write grants, in our current system? It is students, who are attracted by the quality teaching as signalled by NSS.

28.02.2026 09:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0

Blaming this on teaching focused colleagues is deeply unfair.

28.02.2026 09:30 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 0

Are you really saying that teaching only focused academics reduce the chances of research focused academics in doing effective and high quality research? Because that is a strong claim that requires evidence. In universities we need to do good quality teaching. Students pay a vast amount to learn.

28.02.2026 09:03 πŸ‘ 7 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Can Sadiq Khan stop Asif Aziz's mass evictions? We went to the billionaire's home to get answers, as a leading homelessness charity cut ties with the landlord and tenants begged the mayor to save their homes.

Breaking:
*Asif Aziz's mass evictions of Londoners appear to be BACK ON
*Sadiq Khan personally demands immediate response from the landlord
*Leading homelessness charity cuts ties with the Aziz family and refuses donation
*Questions over legality of paperwork
www.londoncentric.media/p/asif-aziz-...

27.02.2026 17:36 πŸ‘ 391 πŸ” 217 πŸ’¬ 12 πŸ“Œ 31

I think it very much depends on the colour temperature, and the drivers - the frequency they flash at

27.02.2026 13:58 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Wires within wires – the hidden complexity of managing higher education assessment Debbie McVitty finds out why the people who administer university assessment are navigating an ever more tangled landscape – and why that complexity is not a sign of failure

This, from WonkHE feels like they are looking inside my head. Assessment is HARD! wonkhe.com/blogs/wires-...

26.02.2026 13:39 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This report was clearly written by AI too!

25.02.2026 21:26 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Yes, very much this.

25.02.2026 11:46 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

This is why inclusive practices are so important.

24.02.2026 23:05 πŸ‘ 5 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0