1. Information for Higher Education Consultation Event Heather Fry Director (Education and Participation) HEFCE

2. Welcome! Purposes of the day: – Learn more about background to the consultation proposals – Learn more about the proposals themselves – A chance for you to put forward views and ask questions

3. Information: a widely identified weakness Broad concern about poor information for students : Cooke Report (HEFCE 2002); Coalition Agreement; NUS; the wider public; the media ; and Browne Review Lack of information as a barrier to progression: The ‘Four Cities’ report (HEFCE, 2007) ‘Widening Participation in higher education’ (NAO, 2008) Evaluation of Aimhigher: learner attainment and progression (NFER, 2010) Lack of information about types of provision: 'Study of UK Online Learning‘ (University of Oxford, 2010) ……

4. ‘I am committed to improving the information available to prospective students and their parents… it is in everyone's interest that students make well-informed decisions about what and where to study…we need to do better on careers advice and information’ David Willets, September 2010 Ministerial interest

5. Securing a sustainable future for higher education ‘The relationship between the student and the institution will be at the heart of the system….There will be improvements in the information and guidance given to students when they are choosing courses’ Browne Review, October 2010

6. Joint Consultation HEFCE, UUK and Guild HE in partnership With advice from Higher Education Public Information Steering Group (HEPISG) Key strands of the consultation: 1.Purposes of information 2.Wider data set for QAA purposes 3.The publication of Key Information Sets (KIS) 4.Enhancements to the NSS

7. 1. Purposes of information about HE? To inform the public, especially prospective students, about the quality of higher education and aid student choice To help provide evidence to contribute to quality assurance processes in institutions. To help provide information that institutions can use to enhance the quality of their higher education provision.

8. 2. Quality assurance & information provision Broad set of information – useful to those inside and outside of HE Needs to be made more accessible (but no set format) Information provision subject to judgement in new review method

9. 3. The Key Information Set (KIS) Based on HEFCE commissioned research Putting information prospective students find useful in places we know they look for it KIS for each course in England, publishing: Course information and satisfaction Costs Employability Designed to aid prospective student choice, needs may evolve over time

10. 4. National Student Survey Enhancement Enabling students’ unions to nominate one optional questions from the question bank Potential benefits: Greater student involvement Greater institutional involvement with optional questions Incentive for greater SU support, engagement and promotion of survey Encourage action and feedback

11. Enhancing the provision of information for prospective students An important agenda An agenda in evolution HEFCE and partners will provide comprehensive guidance and support institutions

12. More information: Public Information for Higher Education Consultation event www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/qual/public /infoset.htm