HSS QAE COMMITTEE PAPER 09/05
For information
Learning and Teaching Strategy
In June 2009, College Planning and Resources Committee endorsed a report into
progress on implementing the College Learning and Teaching Strategy (attached).
The College will be supporting Schools to take forward the following priorities agreed
for 2009-10:
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Research-teaching linkages, in particular in relation to first and second year UG
students;
Personal Development Planning and e-portfolios, at both UG and PGT level;
Peer support for learning for first year UG students;
Assessment - improving feedback on assessment, and promoting innovative
approaches to assessment for both UG and PGT students;
E-learning, at both UG and PGT level.
From 2009-10 the CQAEC will have a central role in providing direction, oversight
and monitoring of the College Learning and Teaching Strategy.
Schools will be asked to report on progress in implementing the Strategy in their QAE
reports.
Tom Ward
September 2009
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Report to College Planning and Resources Committee 8 June 2009
Review of progress in relation to College Learning and Teaching Strategy
The paper summarises progress in relation to the College Learning and Teaching
Strategy, and recommends the priorities for 2009-10. It is based on a review of
Schools’ most recent annual Quality Assurance and Enhancement (QAE) reports and
discussion with Schools’ Learning and Teaching Coordinators.
The Committee is invited to endorse the paper, and Heads of Schools are encouraged
to continue to give priority to implementing the Strategy.
Agreed priorities for 2008-09
In response to the 2008 review of progress in implementing the Strategy, the College
agreed to give priority to the following areas:
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Research-teaching linkages, in particular in relation to first and second year UG
students;
Personal Development Planning and e-portfolios, at both UG and PGT level;
Peer support for learning for first year UG students;
Assessment - improving feedback on assessment, and promoting innovative
approaches to assessment for both UG and PGT students;
E-learning, at both UG and PGT level.
Summary of progress
In general, the College, and individual Schools, have made progress in relation to the
Strategy, though staffing issues have limited the College Office’s ability to support
Schools in relation to the Strategy, and other priorities (in particular, EUCLID) will
have limited Schools’ capacity to engage with the Strategy.
All Schools comment in their QAE reports on how they are responding to the
Strategy, as does OLL. The latest reports provide more evidence of Schools’
engagement with the Strategy than was present in the previous year’s reports. The
majority of Schools demonstrate that they are systematically engaging with the
Strategy, for example through discussing the Strategy at relevant School forums,
developing action plans, and disseminating the Strategy to staff. In other Schools, the
approach to the Strategy appears to be relatively piecemeal and uncoordinated. While
there appears to be a good level of awareness of the Strategy among Schools’ senior
academic managers and office-holders (such as QAE representatives and Directors of
Undergraduate Studies), awareness of the Strategy appears much more varied among
other academic staff.
While there are some issues regarding the extent of strategic engagement with the
Strategy, it is clear that all Schools have examples of positive developments that are
addressing specific strands of the Strategy. Schools are predominantly focussing their
attentions on the issues of research-teaching linkages, feedback and assessment, peer
support for learning, and e-learning. Most Schools appear to feel that it would not be
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realistic to give equal attention to all priorities in the Strategy, and instead are
prioritising specific areas.
The following sections summarise progress at School and College level in relation to
the identified priorities within the Strategy.
Research-teaching linkages
The College has encouraged staff in Schools to engage with the research-teaching
linkages Enhancement Theme. It also encouraged Schools to participate in the 19
March 2008 EUSA-TLA event on research-teaching linkages (well-attended by CHSS
staff). In his role as Institutional Coordinator for the QAA Enhancement Theme on
Research-Teaching linkages, the CHSS Associate Dean (QAE) has conducted
extensive work to review current practices in the College and elsewhere in the
University regarding research-teaching linkages. The report, which the QAA has
recently published, demonstrates that the College has an impressive array of researchteaching linkages, though these are frequently implicit rather than explicitly drawn to
the attention of students. The College has disseminated the report to Schools via the
CQAEC, and it intends to have a session on research-teaching linkages at the planned
June 2009 event (see below).
In their QAE reports most Schools indicate that they have a considerable variety of
positive research-teaching linkages in place, and two Schools (B&E and Health)
indicate that they have developed research-teaching linkages over the last year. B&E
has strengthened its research skills training for UG Business programmes, and
Counselling & Psychotherapy have introduced a range of different activities to
improve research skills training and to create new opportunities for staff and students
to offer presentations on their research.
Peer support for learning and induction
The College held a well-attended event on 28 April 2008 to explore the concept of
Peer Support for Learning, with an external speaker with expertise in relation to
models of peer support, and examples of good practices offered by way of
presentations by colleagues from across the College. It was clear from this event that
there is genuine interest within Schools in developing approaches to peer support for
learning, and a desire for more information regarding approaches taking place
elsewhere in the College. It is also the case that Schools interested in introducing peer
support for learning have, since this event, been in contact with other Schools seeking
further information concerning models used by the latter. Schools’ QAE reports
provide evidence of continued interest in the potential of Peer Support for Learning
activities to assist students with induction and study skills. B&E are piloting a Peer
support scheme on the MA (Honours) International Business programme, having in
recent years established other Peer Support schemes (the Economics Helpdesk and
Mathematics Base). HCA introduced weekly History Helpdesk in 2007-8 for Year
one and 2 students, ‘staffed’ by honours students who offer detailed advice and
guidance on essay writing and study techniques. The College intends to have a session
on peer support for learning at the planned June 2009 event, and is also collating
examples of good practices in this area, which it will disseminate to Schools.
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While the College planned to focus its work to improve student induction on peer
support for learning, it has also taken steps to improve induction arrangements by
enhancing Post-Application Visit day arrangements. It introduced new guidelines for
the 2009 PAVs, and is conducting a fundamental review of PAVs with a view to
introducing wider changes in 2010.
Assessment and feedback
The College has been taking steps to address the issue of feedback and assessment
since 2006-07, and the results of the 2007 and 2008 National Student Surveys gave
these efforts a greater impetus, which led to the introduction of new College guidance.
These guidelines focussed on providing students with better feedback on
examinations in years 1 and 2, providing prompter feedback on coursework, and
providing greater clarity on assessment and feedback. Schools took steps to
implement this guidance during 2007-08, and have taken further action in 2008-09.
The College UG Studies Committee judges that in general Schools are making good
progress in implementing these guidelines and in addressing the issue of feedback and
assessment more generally, though as yet there is no clear evidence of the impact on
student satisfaction and it is doubtful that all markers in the College are meeting the
guidelines for the prompt return of coursework. In addition to implementing these
guidelines, the College has also gathered and shared good practices regarding
feedback forms, and asked all Schools to include in their course questionnaires a
question on feedback on assessment where they do not already do so. In conjunction
with the College guidelines, CUGSC has suggested to P&R that Heads of Subject
Areas should ensure that all academic staff should meet minimum threshold standards
when providing feedback on assessment.
In general, Schools have focussed on practical steps to improve assessment and
feedback, since the NSS findings suggest that these are the more pressing concerns of
students. However, there are also examples of innovation in assessment and feedback
in Schools. For example, in 2007-08, the School of Divinity secured Principal’s
Teaching Award funding to pilot the use of laptop computers for traditional essay
examinations. English Literature is trialling alternative forms of assessment aimed at
providing earlier feedback, particularly for honours students. HCA has run School
workshops to explore innovations in assessment, and some of its courses are piloting
the use of in-built word processor functions to insert comments on coursework
submitted electronically.
Schools have taken substantial steps to improve assessment and feedback mechanisms
in the last two years, and CUGSC believes that staff attitudes to the issue have also
changed considerably during this period. However, investigation at College and
School level has identified contradictory evidence regarding students’ perceptions and
reported views of current feedback and assessment practices. This has led the College
UG Studies Committee to the conclusion that deeper issues, such as a lack of
community experienced by some students, and a perception that students do not have
as much contact with academic staff as they would like, are likely to be contributing
to the disappointing NSS results in relation to feedback and assessment. College
Planning and Resources Committee has discussed the idea that one way to address the
issue of disconnection is by supporting activities that will enhance the sense of
community within Schools or subject areas, by encouraging interaction between
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students outside formal learning. Some Schools already have successful student
societies (for example, Politics), and several Schools (B&E, HCA) have invested
relatively modest resources (for example, by providing students with access to
accommodation) to reinvigorate their student societies.
E-learning
It is clear from School QAE reports that all Schools are actively engaging with the elearning agenda. Developments include the increased use of WebCT, distance
learning developments in some specific areas, the creation of a School staff post to
promote e-learning (HCA), School events to share good practices and stimulate
thinking (HCA and Education), innovative use of e-learning for assessment and
feedback (some examples of which are referred to elsewhere in this report).
Personal Development Planning and e-portfolios, and employability
Some areas of the College already have well-established PDP processes, largely in
relation to professional body requirements. The College’s E-portfolio Steering Group
has worked with subject areas to set up a 2008-09 programme of five pilots (in
Education, Health and B&E) using the PebblePad e-portfolio tool to support PDP, and
the College has provided some funding for a systematic evaluation of these pilots. The
College is however concerned that until there is greater certainty regarding the
University’s future e-portfolio software platform, some areas of the College will be
reluctant to invest staff time in developing e-portfolio related activities. The College
is therefore encouraged that Information Services Group has begun procurement
processes for a long-term e-portfolio software platform. T
The College has engaged with the University’s Employability Initiative, and views
this as the principal vehicle for promoting employability in the College. During 200708 and 2008-09 the Initiative has supported Schools in developing a variety of
projects to promote employability within the curriculum. For example, Divinity has
developed an innovative online ‘Academic Skills for Divinity Students’ course
covering a range of skills necessary for students’ academic and personal success.
Priorities for 2009-10
The University has begun preparing for its next Enhancement-led Institutional
Review, which is scheduled for late 2011. It is likely that a major focus of the ELIR
will be Colleges’ progress in implementing their L&T Strategies, and their progress
on academic enhancement more generally. It is therefore important that the College
and individual Schools can demonstrate progress in implementing the Strategy during
2009-10.
The following should continue to be the priorities for the College in 2009-10, to allow
School the stability and continuity to implement the Strategy:
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Research-teaching linkages, in particular in relation to first and second year UG
students;
Personal Development Planning and e-portfolios, at both UG and PGT level;
Peer support for learning for first year UG students;
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Assessment - improving feedback on assessment, and promoting innovative
approaches to assessment for both UG and PGT students;
E-learning, at both UG and PGT level.
The College’s role in relation to these issues should focus on highlighting and sharing
good practices.
In addition, the College should keep a watching brief on the new Enhancement Theme
on Graduates for the 21st Century.
The College has agreed, subject to ratification from P&R, to expand CQAEC's remit
to include formal responsibility for direction, oversight and monitoring of the College
Learning and Teaching Strategy. CUGSC and CPGSC would have an implementation
role in relation to the Strategy. These changes of Committee remits should assist the
College in coordinating the implementation of the Strategy.
Event
The College has also scheduled a more general event on the Learning and Teaching
Strategy for 5 June 2009. This session will focus in particular on Peer Support for
Learning, Research-Teaching Linkages and Graduates for the 21st Century
Professor Jake Ansell, May 2009
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