Dumfries and Galloway College – External review (8 April 2016)
Excellent practice
Learning and Teaching Mentor Process
As a result of the 2012 Education Scotland External Review, Dumfries and Galloway
College identified the need to improve learning and teaching practice further. To
support improvement, the college appointed four Learning and Teaching Mentors
who were given nine hours per week remission from teaching duties. Their role was
to improve teaching practice through use of various best practice approaches.
The Learning and Teaching Mentors are managed by the e-learning manager, who
is also responsible for personal development planning and other CPD activities.
Learning and Teaching Mentors support improvement and development for all
full-time and part-time teaching staff. They engage in regular discussions with
Heads of Faculty who prioritise their own faculty requirements, which includes staff
support and other themed activities.
Announced or unannounced developmental visits occur during teaching sessions.
All teaching staff benefit from these experiences at least once over a three-year
period. Classroom visits, conducted by the Learning and Teaching Mentors, identify
strengths of teaching approaches and potential improvements to teaching practice.
The overall learning experience is benchmarked against criteria which initiates
professional dialogue at the end of the teaching session. Where relevant,
improvement recommendations are agreed and where further support is required
appropriate CPD is often provided. The Learning and Teaching Mentors meet
regularly with Heads of Faculties to discuss their developmental visits. Classroom
visit outcomes inform faculty-based self-evaluation reports and planning for CPD.
Teaching staff view the classroom visits positively. They comment that the Learning
and Teaching Mentors support teaching improvement and individual reflection on
teaching practice. These arrangements support college-wide improvement for
learning and teaching and provide helpful information which informs planning for
CPD development.