Dr Rebecca Pike
BSc (Hons), PGCE, PhD, BSc(Bristol), PGCE(Lond.)
Expertise
Current positions
Senior Lecturer
School of Biological Sciences
Contact
Press and media
Many of our academics speak to the media as experts in their field of research. If you are a journalist, please contact the University’s Media and PR Team:
Research interests
I am currently a Senior Lecturer in the School of Biological Sciences at the Univeristy of Bristol. I am passionate about improving the educational experience for all students through integrating innovative and evidence-based practices into my teaching and encouraging others to do the same.
I have extensive experience of university teaching, currently within the subjects of behavioural biology, statistics and coding using R, conservation biology, professional development, and sustainability. I supervise students through a range of practical projects, field work and literature review projects as well as being an academic personal tutor. I thoroughly enjoy teaching and many of my current research projects are related to enhancing teaching and learning in higher education, particulary in the areas of Assessment & Feedback. Some of my initiatives have been recognised as best practice by the Bristol Institute of Learning and Teaching (BILT) namely the Assessment & Feedback Portfolio and the Feedback Cafe. I am also a member of the EAT ERASMUS+ project, Enhancing Equity, Agency and Transparency in Assessment and Feedback Practices in Higher Education, working with international and interdisciplinary partners to improve assessment literacy in higher education institutions.
I am an active member within the University and hold a range of administrative roles including School Assessment & Feedback Lead, Year 1 Lead, Lead Exam Officer and am a member of the School teaching committee. These roles allow me to contribute to governance and management processes as well as support colleagues to pursue and develop their own teaching and pedagogic research goals.
In my scientific research, my PhD thesis focused on the reproductive decisions of animals, including birds and humans, applying optimisation and simulation models to explore these decisions.
Projects and supervisions
Research projects
Improving assessment literacy - introducing an online interactive Assessment & Feedback Portfolio to the School of Biological Sciences
Role
Co-Principal Investigator
Description
We evaluated the impact of the AFP through a series of voluntary online surveys and focus groups.
The use of the tools within the AFP was mixed with some…Managing organisational unit
School of Biological SciencesDates
01/08/2021
The Feedback Cafe - creating opportunities for dialogue between staff and students regarding assessment and feedback
Principal Investigator
Description
Higher education institutions face significant challenges in providing effective assessment and feedback practices that foster student learning and engagement. Feedback practices can be unproductive when high staff workload meets low…Managing organisational unit
School of Biological SciencesDates
01/08/2021
Staff and student perspectives on contract cheating
Principal Investigator
Description
Since Covid-19, a wider range of assessment formats have been employed across Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), including open-book examinations. Whilst there is opportunity for increased authenticity with open-book assessments and…Managing organisational unit
School of Biological SciencesDates
01/09/2020
The value of integrating postgraduate tutors into an undergraduate tutorial programme.
Principal Investigator
Description
Integrating postgraduate students as tutors within a first-year undergraduate tutorial programme benefits students as well as staff. In response to increased student numbers and staff workload, postgraduate students were recruited…Managing organisational unit
School of Biological SciencesDates
01/09/2020
Publications
Recent publications
01/01/2024Empowering student agency in assessment and feedback in Biological Sciences.
Learner-generated podcasts: an authentic and enjoyable assessment for students working in pairs
Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education
Not all Bloom and gloom: assessing constructive alignment, higher order cognitive skills, and their influence on students’ perceived learning within the practical components of an undergraduate biology course
Journal of Biological Education
Student and staff perspectives of open-book versus closed-book assessments – a case study from an undergraduate biology course
A Self-Regulatory Approach to Assessment in Higher Education
A Self-Regulatory Approach to Assessment in Higher Education
Thesis
A theoretical investigation of parental decisions
Supervisors
Award date
26/09/2017