Scotland’s Quality Enhancement Themes: a creative approach embracing institutional diversity

Dr Claire Carney, Head of Enhancement Quality Assurance Agency Scotland

Outline

:

• Background and scene-setting • Scotland’s enhancement-led approach: the Quality Enhancement Framework • Enhancement Themes • Graduates for the 21st Century • Current Enhancement Theme: Developing and Supporting the Curriculum • Conclusions and findings • How to keep informed

Background: Scotland

• a devolved parliament • its own education system • 19 higher education institutions including: – undergraduate curriculum based on four-year honours degree programmes – no undergraduate student fees

Enhancement-led approach in Scotland

•

Enhancement

-

taking deliberate steps to bring about improvement in the effectiveness of the learning experiences of students.

• Aims to enhance the student learning experience and encourages student engagement and participation • Emphasises partnership & collaboration

Quality Enhancement Framework



away

from top-down compliance processes to participative and critical supported self evaluation; 

away

from audit and towards improvement; 

away

from ruffling the surface of HE practices and towards permeating the system; 

away

from mechanistic models based solely on inputs and outcomes and towards more sensitive forms of evidence of cultural change, while maintaining rigour and challenge’.

Quality Enhancement Framework

• • • • • Institution-led quality review Enhancement-led Institutional Review greater voice for student representatives in institutional quality systems (sparqs) improved public information about quality national programme of Enhancement Themes

Enhancement Themes

Oversight of the Themes

• Strategy and vision 2012-16:

Our strategic aim is to ensure that our HE institutions work together to develop, foster and embed a culture of quality enhancement in learning and teaching, through effective partnerships involving staff, students and other stakeholders

SHEEC - objectives

• Evidence-based • Evaluation • Internationalisation • Leadership and influence • Quality Culture • SHEEC decides the broad topic for each Theme including the order in which Themes take place

Enhancement Themes

2005 2006 2007 Employability Flexible Delivery Assessment & IA 2008 2009 2010 SHEEC – July 2005 → The First Year Research-Teaching Linkages 2011 Graduates for the 21st Century 2012-2014 10

How are Themes developed?

Individual Enhancement Themes are taken forward through: • sectoral consultation and scoping • the appointment of a steering committee

In all of the above, there is flexibility & evolution

Graduates for the 21st Century

• began work in 2010 • steering committee chaired by Professor Philip Winn, University of Strathclyde

Graduates for the 21st Century

G21C aimed to: • integrate and consolidate aspects of all the previous Enhancement Themes • and to consider

what should be the attributes of a graduate from Scottish higher education in the 21st century and how can the achievement of these attributes best be supported?

Graduates for the 21st Century

Shift in approach:

process rather than product

• Steering Committee • institutions: teams allow for institutional priorities to be addressed • areas of shared interest: work facilitated by project facilitators • sectoral: a symposium series to consider the Theme’s wider implications

More about sharing and learning

What did HEIs do..?

Evidence gathering and enquiry Awareness raising & communication channels Institutions’ strategies for taking forward the Enhancement Theme Seedcorn projects and Award schemes Looking over the fence - learning from elsewhere Policy refinement & strategic development Review & updating of pedagogical practices

Graduates for the 21st Century

• Has it been a successful Theme?

– Yes – evidence of engagement and interest across the sector.

– Evidence in current ELIR reports – Feature in many HEIs programme designs – Increasingly incorporated into prospectuses – “Graduate Attributes”, like “Research-Teaching Linkages”, is now a universal concept through the sector.

Current Theme

• • • Developing and Supporting the Curriculum How is the curriculum, in its broadest sense, shaped and delivered?

Who is it for? How is the student body changing?

What support is required for staff?

Developing and Supporting the Curriculum

• Institutional work: lots of momentum • Student network • Commissioned work • Flexible Curriculum • Staff: enhancing teaching • Curriculum for Excellence

A Learning Continuum

• New school curriculum (CfE) - Delivering the 4 capacities •

successful learner, confident individual, responsible citizen, effective contributor

• Capacities much in common with graduate type attributes -

Make reasoned evaluations - Apply critical thinking in new contexts

• CfE impact on HE curriculum??

•

We are all researchers..

Are they worth it…?

• • • • • • identify sector-wide strategic needs and aspirations sector-led and owned engages with the academic community at all levels engages with the student body national and international good practice supports the management of change

Some things to remember…

• • • • Themes are not a panacea nor will they be able to answer all questions time and resource limited but cumulative reflection to enhance the student learning experience Evaluation – it seems to be working...

Conclusion:

• Need high level buy-in but also mechanisms to influence middle-layer • Do not need a huge amount of resource • Build relationships and trust • Don’t do too much too soon • Broad Themes work – it allows for institutional diversity • It takes time for culture change

Enhancement Themes website:

www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk

International Enhancement Themes Conference 11-13 June 2015