Dr Liz Beaty, Director Strategic Academic Practice and Partnership Individual Learning and Institutional Change: Developing Higher Education

Overview The nature of education development. Individual learning Institutional change Promoting development in higher education.

Question: Optimistic or Pessimistic? Over the past 20 years has education improved or got worse? Do you enjoy/thrive on change or are you frightened of it? Would it be better if we went back or forwards?

What is development? Nothing matters Everything matters Whose judgement counts? How do we know when change is for the better? Counsel of despair Overwork! Wisdom: knowledge experience and insight Evaluation - against our values

SEDA Values An understanding of how people learn. Scholarship, professionalism and ethical practice Working in and developing learning communities Working effectively with diversity and promoting inclusivity Continuing reflection on professional practice Developing people and processes.

My background Sociology Research on student learning Management learning Professional standards for teaching. Changing with technology National Policy –the HE white paper Developing a new University Individual learning Institutional change

Research on learning There definitely is such a thing as society Life chances are radically affected by accidents of birth. The personal context within which we learn affects the significance and effects of that learning. Individual differences including motivations are key to understanding direction of effort.

Individual development cycle Control Competence Confidence

Educational Developer as Teacher Care for the subject Care for the learner Design the course to scaffold the learning Assess formatively to help understanding of strengths and weaknesses to build competence in study.

Cycle of action and reflection Kolb’s learning cycle

Balance Support Challenge

Educational Developer as Manager Listen to the innovators and those who disagree Create a structure for effective dialogue Balance support and challenge Create a scaffold for change.

a different kind of scaffold: -

10 year history of TQEF Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund Question – how to give greater focus to teaching –A HEFCE L&T strategy 1998 Institutional strategies, Subject Centres National Teaching Fellowship Scheme –Evaluation and maturity –A Government white paper 2003 Professional Standards for teaching Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Funds to support Research Informed Teaching. –New TQEF 2006 (£580million)

74 CETLs £330million 5 years Northumbria University

Professional Standards for Teaching SEDA – –Professional Development Accreditation Framework HE Academy – –Accreditation of programmes against the standards

Creating conversation between policy and practice policy practice

Educational Developer as Policy maker Understand the area of practice and build on what is already there. Work alongside the innovators, invest in effective teams. Actively search out research and scholarship evidence. Create incentives for change. Find the room for manoeuvre and support iterative change.

Educational Development Requires –care for the who and how as well as the what of change –sensitivity to context –listening skills as well as influencing skills –creativity and patience –a strong value base.

What and How matters Dialogic process –Needs assessment –2 way Communication Spiral process –3 C development –Action learning –Formative evaluation Promoting Higher Educational Development

Understand the nature of the change you are involved with: realignment, restructuring or radical change Be careful what you wish for Change is powerful – ensure it is life enhancing

Develop : Agency and Structure

Thank you