Evans, David ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6874-3845 (2025) Superpowers for Level 7 Learning (Learning and Teaching in Higher Education Blog 341). Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, #LTHE Chat.

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Abstract

Bluesky #LTHEchat with guest Professor David T Evans @david-t-evans.bsky.social on Wednesday 29th October 2025 at 20:00 GMT
(LTHE Chat #341). "Superpowers? I understand not everyone in Higher Education appreciates the notion of 'superpowers' in relation to academia. I adapt it, playing on a term proposed by Emilee Wapnick (2019; 2021), regarding the superpowers of multipotentialities. This blog and the subsequent Bluesky synchronous chat is based on my novel session, to post graduate students, focused on Superpowers for Level 7 Learning. The audience, healthcare students transitioning into post graduate studies or returning for subsequent years. I used the term 'superpowers' to ignite their curiosity, combat the oft-present 'imposter syndrome' and, hopefully, inspire them into a love of curiosity (enquiry) in learning. #LTHEchat The weekly Learning and Teaching in HE chat created by the community for the community-Wednesday 8-9pm.

Item Type:	Other
Additional Information:	I was invited to write this blog, and curate a 1 hour, national, on-line chat, hosted at @lthechat.bsky.social The questions used throughout the synchronous, on-line session were: 1) How might the use of creative metaphors, such as “superpowers,” reframe students’ perceptions of their academic capabilities and ease imposter syndrome in postgraduate learning? 2) To what extent do educators explicitly teach the meaning and progression of academic descriptors (e.g., criticality, synthesis, evaluation, complexity) rather than assuming students understand them? 3) How can “criticality” be differentiated pedagogically from “critical thinking”, encouraging students to engage in deeper andragogical enquiry rather than surface-level critique? 4) In which ways can reflexivity be embedded across curricula to help postgraduate learners navigate and integrate their professional and academic identities? 5) How can higher education institutions better cultivate “academic citizenship” among professional postgraduate learners whose roles extend beyond traditional academic spaces? 6) What evidence or feedback mechanisms might be used to evaluate the impact of innovative teaching conceptualisations - such as “superpowers” - on learner confidence, engagement, and academic output?
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Superpowers, Level 7, criticality, reflexivity, academic citizenship
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Faculty / School / Research Centre / Research Group:	Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development Faculty of Education, Health & Human Sciences > Institute for Lifecourse Development > Centre for Inequalities
Related URLs:	Author
Last Modified:	30 Oct 2025 16:53
URI:	https://gala.gre.ac.uk/id/eprint/51341

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