College of Science and Engineering Learning and Teaching Strategy Planning Meeting Initial Reflections Nick Hulton

The Strategy, Key issues: What were/ are the drivers? Why a College Strategy? What do we say? Where are we at?

Leitch Report In the 21st Century, our natural resource is our people – and their potential is both untapped and vast. Skills will unlock that potential. The prize for our country will be enormous – higher productivity, the creation of wealth and social justice.

Skills for Scotland (Oct 2007): Scotland’s greatest asset is our people. We want to build a self- confident, outward looking Scotland – an ambitious nation with opportunities for everyone to contribute and benefit and make a positive contribution to Scotland’s prosperity. Investing in our people’s skills, ensuring that skills contribute as much as possible to sustainable economic growth, is central to unlocking our potential.

Skills for Scotland effective time management planning and organising effective oral and written communication skills the ability to solve problems being able to undertake tasks or make submissions at short notice the ability to work with others to achieve common goals the ability to think critically and creatively the ability to learn and to continue learning the ability to take responsibility for professional development having the skills needed to manage, or be managed by, others (which draws on many of the other skills in this list)

Key Aptitudes for Generation-Y The ability to learn and continue learning Flexibility and adaptability Innovation, imagination and independence Dealing with complexity ‘Social Skills’: teamwork and leadership Taking responsibility, professionalism Taking responsibility

Why a College Strategy? Stimulus A common message Mutual support Start-up resources

So what is the Strategy? A set of Principles Expression so far through a number of targeted courses

We are committed to the scholarship of learning and teaching. As academics, we will learn how to develop our teaching approaches in order to achieve better learning by our students, and to help them to develop as effective and independent learners. 1.The Scholarship of Learning and Teaching “It’s worth spending some time getting this right”

2.Learning with Enquiry We are a scholarly community based on enquiry, and on generating knowledge. Students will be made familiar with the scientific method from the beginning of their studies; there will be a strong strand of learning with enquiry (learning to ask the right questions) at all levels, integrated where possible with our research activities. “Research is our business and it should be out students too…”

Our learning environment, and the requirements and expectations that we communicate to students, will be designed to ensure that they are given, and feel, a genuine responsibility for their own learning, seeing rewards and benefits from effectively managing their activities, and negative consequences from failing to do so. 3.Personal Learning “Students learn best when they want to, rather than because they have to…”

Collaborative learning of an informal nature will be encouraged and study-support measures will be designed with that in mind. Where possible, our degree programmes will contain significant elements of formal collaborative learning, supported by academic staff and by flexible computer-based interactions. “Doing stuff together is cool…” 4.Collaborative Learning

Wherever possible, learning opportunities will respond to the variety of students’ circumstances, experience and aptitudes. 5.Flexibility of Learning Styles “Martini Learning… One size does not always fit all…”

In pre-honours years, preparedness to progress to the next level and excellence will be assessed by separate elements of summative assessment. The extent of formal summative assessment will be the minimum required for these purposes. Students will monitor their own learning by self-assessment. In honours years, summative assessment will be the minimum required to assess the students’ achievement. Students will monitor their own learning by self-assessment. All assessment should be formative, in the sense that students receive feedback on (or can self-assess) their performance. 6.Assessment for Learning “Make sure assessment is a learning experience…”

Stage 1 Implementation – ‘Vanguard Courses’ Opportunities for self-assessment, to allow students to monitor their attainment of learning outcomes Less formal assessment Encouragement of reflection, and focus on personal development Encouragement, where appropriate, to choose the mode of learning that suits them best – lectures, workshops, books, electronic resources, … No monitoring of student attendance Promote group working and interactive learning Evaluate changes in student attitudes

New Stimuli QAA Enhancement Themes: - Research – Teaching Linkages - First Year - Flexible Delivery - Integrative Assessment National Student Survey Employability Project

Downstream considerations Teaching space and infrastructure Allocation of resource vs research activity