College of Arts and Social Sciences Quality Enhancement: Themes and Strategies 2nd Teaching & Learning Staff Forum Wednesday 24th November 2004

Part 1 Enhancement Themes College of Arts and Social Sciences

Professor Trevor Salmon Director of Teaching & Learning Dr Mary Pryor Academic Learning & Study Unit College of Arts and Social Sciences Responding to Student Needs

Quality Enhancement Theme for 2003/4 Led by Professor John Harper (RGU) Project Report available January 2005 Work to be disseminated through a web-based tool-kit Responding to Student Needs Context

Responding to Student Needs Four Strands Academic Learning Support, Assessment, Technology-Related, Course Content, Staff Professional Development Increasing diversity, Holistic Approach: Academic, Administrative and Pastoral Approach, Key Issues Models and Systems of Support, Use of Technology, Student Expectations Student Transition, Staged Dissemination of Information Developing the first year curriculum Approaches to integrating student support Personal tutor systems and their alternatives Induction

Make first year a priority –Foundation for retention and student development Deliver effective transition –Understand student expectations –Understand what happens in Schools –Meet diverse needs Responding to Student Needs What do we need to do?

Communicate our expectations Appropriate curriculum –Best teachers –Common intra-disciplinary expectations –Right tools at the right time –Early assessment Responding to Student Needs What do we need to do?

Approachability - Smile for Students Person and Professional Advisors - Accessible! Compulsory year 1 learning course Induction days/coffee/small teambuilding sessions Practice exams with detailed feedback Maximum numbers in tutorial groups, badges Encouragement to join discipline societies Easy access to information (Noticeboards/web) Getting student feedback Responding to Student Needs CASS Activities: School Level

Re-launch of SK1003 –Theme - Get yourself connected… –Early computer registration –Students as demonstrators –Pilot scheme First MA Welcome First Year Experience Questionnaire Responding to Student Needs CASS Activities: College Level

Academic Welcome (2 sessions) Thursday 23 September - Freshers Week (Advising) Inspirational and informative! 200+ students at each session Speakers: Professor Trevor Salmon – CASS DoTL Mr Steve Duggan - Student Support Services Dr Mary Pryor – Academic Learning & Study Unit Dr Aenea Reid - DISS Responding to Student Needs MA Welcome

Rationale Identified by the Retention & Progression Strategy Team as an important research area for the University Identified by CASS as a key priority CASS – SK1003 students - pilot for the Institution Responding to Student Needs 1st Year Experience Questionnaire

Questionnaire Web-based questionnaire - 25% response rate (7% for Napier) Prize draw (£20 book tokens) offered as an incentive Run during the 8 th week of teaching Responding to Student Needs 1st Year Experience Questionnaire

Student Profile 69% < 18 yrs (9% 26+) 71% from Scotland (23% from Aberdeen) 80% MA, 16% BEd/BMus 99% Full-time 99% Entered into Year Family expectations To study a particular course It postponed working full-time To improve career prospects Other Counts Reasons for going to University 1st Year Experience Questionnaire

Preliminary findings… MA Welcome 56% attended the MA welcome – 75% found it useful 81% non-MA students had an Induction – 91% found it useful Information related to their Academic Studies 1st Year Experience Questionnaire

Timetabled academic study Percent (%) Personal academic study Percent (%) < 1011 – 1516 > < 1011 – 1516 > Time (hours) 1st Year Experience Questionnaire

Submitted first assignment For some courses For all courses For none Percent (%) In employment No job Percent (%) < 1011–15 16 > Time (hours) 1st Year Experience Questionnaire

Overall 1 st Year Experience 74% feel they belong to the University community 72% agreed that their experiences so far match their expectations 88% would recommend the University to their friends 20% have changed their courses 69% agreed that their courses are as good as they were expecting 1st Year Experience Questionnaire Information related to their Academic Studies

What can we do to make the transition to university more effective? What key areas should we focus on? In Future….. Responding to Student Needs

Dr Graeme Roberts Vice Principal Teaching & Learning College of Arts and Social Sciences Employability

Because: Many students believe increases chances of well- paid and meaningful employment One of SHEFCs hallmarks of a high quality HE sector is where learning and teaching promotes the employability of students ELIR includes consideration of the HEIs approach to the employability of its students SFC publication Learning to Work report as framework for consultation and policy development Employability QE Theme: Important and Timely

Because: ESECT (Enhancing Student Employability Co- ordination Team) briefings and practical toolkits LTSN Generic Centre guidance on enhancing student employability Support for employability theme in 2004 by HEA subject centres Employability QE Theme: Important and Timely Great Opportunity for Scottish Universities to build on and exploit this material

Employability What is Employability? A set of achievements - skills, understandings and personal attributes - that make graduates more likely to gain employment and be successful in their chosen occupations.

To help Scottish sector engage effectively by: Creating a clearer understanding of what it means Raising its profile and its benefits across the sector Encouraging and assisting the development of institutional strategies that embed employability in the entire student experience Working with the Scottish Group developing material to support introduction of Personal Development Planning in 2006 Employability Aims of Steering Committee

To ensure that programme of work is informed and shaped by sectors needs and priorities, ICs have provided detailed information about: How each university plans to engage with theme What it hopes the outcomes of that engagement will be What assistance it needs Any proposals it may have for a local employability event Employability Network of Institutional Contacts

Considering: Mapping current level of employability activity in each School Identifying good practice for sharing with the rest of University and sector Assisting Schools to embed employability in curriculum Working with Students Association to promote employability through extra-curricular activities Addressing implications of Learning to Work report Employability Employability Strategy Working Group

Has agreed to develop an institutional strategy that: Builds on current policy on provision of career education, information and guidance (February 2002) Incorporates provision for PDP Takes account of Learning to Work report Provides overarching framework and guidance for development and delivery of College and School action plans and development partnership between Students Association and Careers Service Employability Employability Strategy Working Group

Seeking advice and comment on how to: Develop and implement an effective employability strategy in a research-led university How to make the best use of briefing materials and toolkits developed by ESECT How to take account of the needs of local and national employers How to monitor and assess effectiveness of our strategy Employability Employability Strategy Working Group

Part 2 Quality Enhancement College of Arts and Social Sciences

Dr Nick Spedding Administrative Officer, Registry College of Arts and Social Sciences Overview of QE Framework & QE Strategy

Quality Assurance - ensures things are OK –Focuses on what is taught at what level –Retrospective –Bureaucratic, confrontational –Box-ticking, form-filling, hoop-jumping extravaganza QE Framework & Strategy Quality Enhancement is not….. As it turns out, we are very good at this!

Quality Enhancement - always making things better –Focuses on students and the wider learning experience –Forward thinking: future actions, strategic planning –Partnership, constructive dialogue –To produce genuine change QE Framework & Strategy Beyond Quality Assurance This is work in progress, guided by SHEFCs Quality Enhancement Framework

Five Core Aspects: –New standards of public information –Working more closely with students –No more QAA subject inspections; Internal Teaching Review (ITR) only –Key themes to guide Scotland-wide QE activities –Enhancement-Led Institutional Review (ELIR) QE Framework & Strategy Quality Enhancement Framework

QAA definition of QE: Taking deliberate steps to bring about continual improvement in the effectiveness of the learning experience of students HE Academy definition of QE: An inclusive concept and a collective enterprise (that) includes significant strategic initiatives and the many small things that people do to try and make things better QE Framework & Strategy This is the gap our QE strategy should help us bridge!

–Explicit statement of intent –Draws together key principles of QE and identifies key agents –Includes action points for the central administration –Toolkit to guide thought and action at all levels QE Framework & Strategy UofAs Quality Enhancement Strategy

QE Framework & Strategy UofAs Quality Enhancement Strategy The QES provides a central framework to encourage and support the pursuit of better practice in teaching and learning, but the responsibility to undertake enhancement activities rests primarily with individuals and groups in the Universitys Schools and other academic units

Dr Graeme Roberts Vice Principal Teaching & Learning College of Arts and Social Sciences Institutional Priorities: Preparing for ELIR

Audit of management of quality and standards through institutional review Also looks at our management of QE Outcome of a public document - judgement and commentary Opportunity for a serious critical reflection on our strengths and weaknesses Comments on draft by end of term Preparing for ELIR ELIR

QE strategy and action plan New teaching and learning infrastructure Robustness of revised ITR system Revision of class representative system* Promotion of e-learning* Investment in teaching infrastructure* (*case studies) Preparing for ELIR Strengths?

Student feedback system Lack of co-ordination of learning support services Arrangements for sharing of best practice Professional development of staff for their role in teaching and learning Recognition and reward of teaching excellence Management of implementation of QE strategy Preparing for ELIR Weaknesses?

Effective approach to QA - moving emphasis to QE Regularly reviews key elements of QA strategy Staff conscientious about teaching but perceive advancement depends on research Effective ad hoc innovation at subject level - now seeking to manage process more effectively Preparing for ELIR Overall Picture?

Low participation in educational staff development and engagement with HEA subject Strong and effective partnership with students Committed to excellence in teaching and research Preparing for ELIR Overall Picture?

Ms Cathy Macaslan Head of School - School of Education College of Arts and Social Sciences Institutional Priorities: Review of Teaching & Learning Strategy

Critical reflection How effective are we? In which ways are we effective? Strengths What are our target areas for development? What should inform such choices? Review of Teaching & Learning Strategy

Teaching and learning in a research-led institution Outcomes measured against benchmarks Information to inform development plan Dovetailing enhancement theme Review of Teaching & Learning Strategy Strategic Review

C. Macaslan, Head of School of Education (Convener) Bill Long, Director of Undergraduate Programmes (Science) Gillian Mackintosh, Registry Julie McAndrews, Centre for Lifelong Learning Darren Comber, Educational Staff Development Unit Aenea Reid, DISS Clerk, TBC Mary Cotter, DTL, College of Life Sciences and Medicine Trevor Salmon, DTL, College of Physical Sciences Gordon Walkden, DTL, College of Physical Sciences Calum Mair, Vice-President (Education), Students Association Doug Marr, School of Education, Court nominee on UCTL Review of Teaching & Learning Strategy Review Group

Research-led University ranked in the UK top 20 Distinctiveness of the student learning experience Students making us their first choice university Fees-only students Students from low participation groups Students successfully transferring from FE Part-time and mature students Our student body Student retention and progression rates, especially in year 1 Employability of our graduates Develop and deliver within the University a new evidence-based model for the Scottish teacher in the 21 st century (the Hunter Project) Review of Teaching & Learning Strategy Remit To conduct a thorough review and holistic revision of the Universitys approach to undergraduate teaching, learning and assessment, in the light of our aims:

Mr Calum Mair Vice Principal Education, Students Association College of Arts and Social Sciences A Students Perspective: What does QE Mean?

good degree high essay marks cheap booze free gym pass four years that I enjoy A Students Perspective

Student A Student B T & LSportSocialJob Student C

13,500 students would give a different answer 120 different Nationalities would give a different answer A Students Perspective

School Perspective – No idea Undergraduate Perspective – No idea Post-Graduate Perspective – A Review of quality and standards Graduate Perspective – Increasing the standard of educational attainment A Students Perspective

QAA Perspective QE is a term that describes the continuous improvement of both quality and standards in higher education, and students have a very important role to play in this process. A Students Perspective

-Encapsulate all! -Diverse -Interchangeable -Open to interpretation A Students Perspective

Quality Enhancement is about the learning opportunities available to a student, via teaching, support, facilities and services. A Students Perspective

Therefore QE differs for every student perspective; It differs for the Student Sabbatical It differs for the Active Student Rep It differs for the In-Active Student It differs for the Future Student….. A Students Perspective

QE means everything to some and nothing to others! A Students Perspective

To enhance the Student Experience you need to enhance all aspects of the system, all aspects that touch on student life 24 hours a day 7 days a week, 365 days a year. From applying to UCAS to beyond Alumni Relations. A Students Perspective

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