Learning and Teaching in Economics and International Business @ Aston University

Reflections from the Aston L&T Festival 2026: Key Takeaways from the Festival and What’s Next? with Chris Wilson 21.08.2026 17мин

This episode is part of a series reflecting on the AstonLearning & Teaching Festival, held in July 2026, which brought colleagues from across the University together to share innovative practice, exchange ideas and inspire new possibilities in learning and teaching.In this episode, Karishma Patel (AstonUniversity) is joined by Chris Wilson, Senior Teaching Fellow and Director of the Aston Centre for Excellence in Educational Innovation (ACE), and one of the key organisers behind the Festival. Chris reflects on how the Festival went andshares some of the key themes and conversations that emerged, offering insight into what these might tell us about the direction of learning and teaching at Aston. He also introduces the newly established ACE and shares his vision forits role in supporting educational innovation across the University.

Reflections from the Aston L&T Festival 2026: The Future of Higher Education with Virginie Grzelczyk (plus Some Thoughts on NTFS & PFHEA) 21.08.2026 18мин

This episode is part of a series reflecting on the AstonLearning & Teaching Festival, held in July 2026, which brought colleagues from across the University together to share innovative practice, exchange ideas and inspire new possibilities in learning and teaching.In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) isjoined by Virginie Grzelczyk, Head of Inclusion and Development at Aston University and Principal Fellow of Advance HE. Virginie was part of a panel discussion that ranged from the future of Advance HE and the changing higher education landscape to the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme and Principal Fellowship of Advance HE. Together, they reflect on some of the key ideas and conversations that emerged from the session, before ending with a short discussion on NTFS and PFHEA and a few considerations for colleagues who may be thinking aboutpursuing them.

Reflections from the Aston L&T Festival 2026: Understanding and Supporting Students’ Use of Disciplinary Tools with Dean Garratt & Chiara Paola Donegani 21.08.2026 16мин

This episode is part of a series reflecting on the AstonLearning & Teaching Festival, held in July 2026, which brought colleagues from across the University together to share innovative practice, exchange ideas and inspire new possibilities in learning and teaching.In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) isjoined by Dean Garratt and Dr Chiara Paola Donegani, both Senior Teaching Fellows in Economics at Aston University. They discuss their session, The Diagram on the Assessment Students Wouldn't Draw, which explored why students were not using diagrams effectively in their assessments, despite diagrams being an important disciplinary tool in economics. Dean and Chiara share how they investigated the issue, some of their surprising findings, and potential ways of responding to it. They also consider whether this might point to a broader challenge across disciplines, where students may struggle to use the tools that are central to disciplinary thinking and practice.

Reflections from the Aston L&T Festival 2026: Flexible Assessment with Miri Firth 21.08.2026 17мин

This episode is part of a series reflecting on the AstonLearning & Teaching Festival, held in July 2026, which brought colleagues from across the University together to share innovative practice, exchange ideas and inspire new possibilities in learning and teaching.In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) isjoined by Miri Firth, Senior Lecturer at the University of Manchester and Principal Fellow of Advance HE. Miri delivered the Festival keynote on flexible assessment, drawing on her extensive work in this area. Her work has shaped national policy and institutional practice, including through the award-winning University of Manchester Assessment Toolkit. Together, they explore what flexible assessment means in practice, why it matters, and how we might rethink assessment to better support both students and staff.

Reflections from the Aston L&T Festival 2026: What Stood Out? and Looking Ahead with Paul Jones 21.08.2026 17мин

This episode is part of a series reflecting on the Aston Learning & Teaching Festival, held in July 2026, which brought colleagues from across the University together to share innovative practice, exchange ideas and inspire new possibilities in learning and teaching.In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) is joined by Paul Jones, Associate Dean for Postgraduate Education and Student Experience and Senior Teaching Fellow. Together, they reflect on some of the standout sessions from the Festival, as well as the keynote, sharing their thoughts and perspectives on the day. They also consider how the ideas andconversations from the Festival might be shared more widely.

Designing Authentic Open Book Assessment in the Age of AI - with Dr Shafaq Malik 04.03.2026 18мин

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel (Aston University) is joined by Dr Shafaq Malik (Aston University) to explore the thoughtful redesign of assessment in a final-year undergraduate finance module.Faced with the challenge of maintaining an open-book format while navigating the growing presence of generative AI and the risk of collusion, Shafaq shares how she reimagined the assessment to better reflect authentic, real-world finance practice. She discusses the practical considerations behind the redesign and how the changes not only addressed emerging challenges but also enhanced student engagement and ownership of learning.

Analogy-based Cartoons in Teaching: The Cartoon Creation Centre Erkan Demirbas and colleagues from the University of Lincoln 25.02.2026 26мин

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) catches up with Erkan Demirbas (University of Lincoln), who previously joined the podcast to share insights into his development of analogy-based cartoons to enhance teaching in economics, statistics and finance. In this episode, Erkan returns to share how the project has evolved into the Cartoon Creation Centre (CCC), an international network of academics and students using analogy-based storytelling to make complex concepts more accessible. He is joined by several members of the CCC: Bee-Yen Toh (Queens University Belfast), Xia Zhu (Open University) and Senani Thenuwara (University of Colombo). Listen to learn more about the Cartoon Creation Centre and how to get involved.

Problem-based learning with Dr Yaprak Tavman and Dr Tim Burnett 16.10.2025 43мин

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel (Aston University) speaks with Dr Yaprak Tavman (University of York) about her experience developing a problem-based learning module in economics in partnership with students. Problem based learning is a student-centred approach in which students can work on authentic real-world problems through group workand self-directed learning. Dr Tim Burnett (Aston University) also joins the conversation to share his thoughts on problem-based learning.

Reflections from the Aston Learning and Teaching Festival 2025 - Part 2 16.04.2025 54мин

In this second part of a two-part special, Karishma Patel (Teaching Fellow in Economics, Aston University) reflects on the recent Aston University Learning and Teaching Festival, held on campus on 1st April 2025. The festival brought together staff and students to share ideas, explore innovative practice, and discuss some of the key challenges in higher education today.In this episode, the focus is on the themes of Belonging and Community, and Student Partnership and Co-Creation. We hear from those who chaired some of these sessions: Sunday Blake (Policy Manager, GuildHE), Gareth Woods (Associate Dean Education and Student Experience,College of Engineering and Physical Sciences, Aston University), and Stephen Rooney (Learning Development Adviser, Library and Learning Services, Aston University). We also hear from a brilliant group of Aston Students’ Unioncommittee members: Taher Gadiwala (Vice President Communities), Sayeed Farooq (Vice President Student Activities), Karina Jutlla (Vice President Welfare), Juan Carlos Garcia Belza (President), and Afia Amanoullah (Vice PresidentEducation).This episode explores what meaningful student partnership can look like in practice, how small actions can make a big difference to students’ sense of belonging, and the importance of seeing the academic and wider student experiences as one.

Reflections from the Aston Learning and Teaching Festival 2025 - Part 1 16.04.2025 59мин

In this first of a two-part special, Karishma Patel (Teaching Fellow in Economics, Aston University) reflects on the recent Aston University Learning and Teaching Festival, held oncampus on 1st April 2025. The festival brought together staff and students to share ideas, explore innovative practice, and discuss some of the key challenges in higher education today.In this episode, the focus is on the themes of Digital and AI in Learning and Teaching, and Assessment and Feedback. We hear from keynote speakers Francis Goodburn (Founding Headteacher, Aston University Mathematics School) and Professor Naomi Winstone (Professor of Educational Psychology, University of Surrey). We also hear from two of Aston’s Associate Deans for Education and Student Experience, Paul Jones (College of Business and Social Sciences) and Saira Hussain (School of Optometry). Finally, we hear some reflections from Robbie Love (Senior Lecturer in Communication and Culture, Aston University).The episode explores a range of insights from the evolving role of the lecturer in an AI-driven world to how we can enhance student engagement with feedback. Join Karishma as she reflects on all the great discussions that happened across the day.

Bringing Concepts to Life: Analogy-Based Cartoons in Teaching – with Erkan Demirbas and colleagues from the University of Lincoln 11.04.2025 26мин

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Erkan Demirbas, Davina Bird, Jane Charlesworth, and Abdul Haque from the University of Lincoln to share insights into their project, which focuses on creating analogy-based cartoons to enhance teaching in economics, statistics,and finance. James Burlison, a student at the University of Lincoln, also joins the discussion to share his views on the innovation. They talk about how they came up with the ideas for the cartoons, how students were involved in the creative process, and how they have been using these cartoons in their teaching.

A Negotiation Game to Embed Sustainability into the Curriculum – with Dr Alexandra Arntsen 21.02.2025 27мин

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel from Aston University speaks with Dr Alexandra Arntsen (Nottingham Business School) about her innovative approach to embedding sustainability into the curriculum. Alex talks us through her use of a negotiation role-playing game that she has used to engage students from various disciplines in discussions around climate change. She shares her thoughts on the importance of embedding sustainability into our teaching, as well as insights into the how the game works, student reactions and practical ideas for bringing it into your own teaching.

Using Social Networks to Enhance Student Engagement with Dr Sofia Izquierdo Sanchez and Dr William Tayler 04.12.2024 34мин

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel from Aston University is joined by Dr Sofia Izquierdo Sanchez (University of Manchester) and Dr William Tayler (Lancaster University) to discuss their innovative use of Instagram in economics education. Together, they made the account dailylifeecon, where they create content designed to complement their teaching by connecting economic concepts to everyday life. They share insights from their research that finds a positive link between student engagement with the account and various student outcomes. They also share lots of practical advice and inspiration for educators interested in exploring similar initiatives.

Placements Unpacked: Application Tips, University Support & Life on Placement 07.11.2024 50мин

Join us for an engaging live recording of the Learning and Teaching in Economics podcast, hosted by Dr Karishma Patel, a Teaching Fellow at Aston University. This episode covers all you need to know about placements for Aston's economics students! Second-year BSc Economics student Alex Taylor, currently applying for placements, leads the discussion and poses questions to our panel, including Placement Preparation Manager Andrew Hollings. We also have live call-ins from two Aston students currently on placement: Jemima Maluta, a BSc Economics student at HSBC, and Ngoza Chama, a BSc International Business and Economics student at The Walt Disney Company. They discuss their journey through the application process, the learning curve, and the exciting opportunities their placement years have offered. Whether you're actively applying or just curious about placements at Aston, this episode is packed with insights and advice to guide you! Watch the video version on Youtube here: https://shorturl.at/mj6G7

Boosting Student Engagement Through Extra-Curricular Activities - A Design Thinking Approach 29.10.2024 34мин

In this episode, Dr. Karishma Patel from Aston University welcomes three colleagues from Newcastle University Business School: Joanne Parker (Lecturer in Accounting), Dr. Ana Bogdanovic (Senior Lecturer in Marketing and Director of Education), and Dr. Yulia Dzenkovska (Lecturer in Marketing). Together, they share their experience of using the design thinking framework to enhance student engagement through extracurricular activities. They also provide lots of practical tips on how to use this framework for other projects.

Exploring Design Thinking in Higher Education with Tony Morgan 26.09.2024 22мин

In this episode, Dr. Karishma Patel (Aston University) is joined by Tony Morgan, an Associate Professor in Innovation Management Practice at Leeds University Business School. Tony is one of the founders of the University of Leeds' design thinking community. Design thinking is a problem-solving framework that focuses empathy and a user-centred approach to deeply understand issues and create effective solutions, and has being increasingly applied in Higher Education. Tony shares his experience of unknowingly using the design thinking methodology in the workplace and later applying its principles in higher education. He also shares some ideas for initial steps we can take if we are interested in using the design thinking framework ourselves.

Technology in Teaching: Finding the Balance with Dr Alex Squires 15.07.2024 34мин

In this episode, Dr Karishma Patel (Aston University) is joined by Dr Alex Squires (The University of Manchester), who recently presented at one of the Birmingham Economics Education Seminars (BEES). Alex shares examples of his use of technology in the classroom, and reflects on his journey towards finding a more balanced approach to integrating technology in teaching to improve student engagement.

Aston Student Journeys: From Freshers to Finals 19.06.2024 34мин

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) is in conversation with Aston students Sumedha Sharma (BSc Economics) and Luc Burns (BSc Economics and Management) who have recently completed their final year assessments. They share their experiences on making friends in the first year, navigating placement applications and managing their time during the final year. Whether you're a current student or an aspiring one, this episode is full of valuable insights and tips for making the most of your university experience. Lecturers can also gain perspectives on the lived experience of their students, offering insights into some of the challenges and triumphs faced during university.

Increasing the Diversity in Economics Students with Discover Economics 26.03.2024 28мин

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Sam McLoughlin (Senior Campaign Manager at Discover Economics), Dr Tim Burnett (Senior Teaching Fellow at Aston University and Academic Champion for Discover Economics), and Amy East (Student at Aston University and Student Champion for Discover Economics), to share insights into their collaborative efforts with Discover Economics to increase the diversity in economics students. They discuss the importance of this initiative and suggest ways in which current economics undergraduate students, lecturers and school teachers can get involved.

Enhancing Learning and Engagement Through Escape Room Games with Dr Maria Psyllou 03.03.2024 28мин

In this episode, Karishma Patel (Aston University) invites Dr Maria Psyllou from the University of Birmingham, who recently presented at one of the Birmingham Economics Education Seminars (BEES), to discuss an escape room style game that she introduced into an introductory mathematics course for undergraduate economics students. Maria shares valuable insights into her approach, and provides useful suggestions for implementation on economics courses and beyond.