Student illustrators

Teaching Matters blog has an ongoing opportunity for University of Edinburgh students to showcase their artwork. There is also currently a second, time-bound opportunity for a University of Edinburgh student to create an illustration to be used as the central image for the upcoming Learning and Teaching Conference. Please see details below.

Opportunity 1: Teaching Matters blog illustrations - details of the opportunity

Teaching Matters is The University of Edinburgh’s website, blog and podcast for reflection, debate and sharing good practice in learning and teaching. We have a steadily growing readership with around 7,000 views per month.  

We are looking to showcase University of Edinburgh student illustrations that will speak to one of our Teaching Matters blog or podcast themes. Students will have the opportunity to either create one original artwork or provide an existing piece from their portfolio. We welcome a range of styles and mediums including illustration, graphic design, photography, etc. By collaborating with staff at the Institute for Academic Development, students will gain valuable insights into how blogging serves as a tool for communicating about the theory and practice of teaching and learning.

Token of our appreciation: £50 Blackwells gift voucher

This opportunity is open throughout the academic year.

University of Edinburgh students: Send a sample of your artwork and/or website along with a short statement (max 200 words) explaining what you hope to learn from this experience to teachingmatters@ed.ac.uk.

Examples of Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) student illustrations on Teaching Matters:

Teaching Matters blog post - Unpacking diversity in postgraduate taught programmes

Teaching Matters blog post - Open e-Textbooks for access to music education

Questions? Contact the blog’s editor Jenny at teachingmatters@ed.ac.uk. 

Opportunity 2: Learning and Teaching Conference central image illustration opportunity – Deadline 12 December 2024

The University of Edinburgh’s Learning and Teaching Conference team is looking to commission a University of Edinburgh student to create an original illustration for this year’s conference entitled: ‘Transformative assessment and feedback’, which will be held 17 June 2025. In the last two years, we have had a very successful student illustrations being used as our central image throughout the Learning and Teaching Conferences (see illustrations on the Conference webpages: Learning and Teaching Conference 2023 – Resources from the Learning and Teaching Conference 2023 (ed.ac.uk) and Learning and Teaching Conference 2022 – SHAPING OUR FUTURES | 14 – 16 JUNE (ed.ac.uk)).

For interested University of Edinburgh students, please email a few sketches and ideas of your illustration to lt.conference@ed.ac.uk. Then, the Conference team will review submissions, and select one illustrator to develop the Conference image. The selected illustrator will be paid £200, as a one-off casual payment, and would agree to their illustration being used on the conference’s various promotional material.

The Conference team are open to any ideas on how to convey the theme ‘transformative assessment and feedback’, and could touch upon topics that will likely come up at the conference, which include: Assessment and AI; student co-creation of assessment; Inclusive assessment practice; Authentic assessment: connecting to real-world skills and competencies; Assessment for learning: process over product; Feedback for growth and development; and Innovative approaches in assessment & feedback, such as ungrading, assessing interdisciplinary work.

The deadline for submitting your ideas is: 12 December 2024.

Questions: Please email lt.conference@ed.ac.uk if you have any questions or would like more information about this second opportunity.