Time for TEA Teaching Excellence in the University Alliance Dr Graham Holden Deputy Director Teaching Excellence Alliance Programme Director of Learning and Teaching Directorate of Learning Enhancement and Academic Development Sheffield Hallam University g.j.holden@shu.ac.uk @GrahamJHolden 29th June 2017

The changing landscape for higher education Original image by Ben Brooksbank Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0

Exam Question In this new landscape one of the most pressing questions for higher education providers is to think in new and challenging ways about their mission and how to articulate, develop and support teaching excellence in their context. Creative Commons 3 - CC BY-SA 3.0

Excellence is a wicked issue .. 'the meaning of the term has is imprecise, and the implications of universal excellence unclear' Gillies D J M (2007) Excellence and Education: rhetorical reality, Education, Knowledge and Economy 1 (1), 19-36 'ambiguity and ambivalence across the sector as to what constitutes excellence' 'excellence is used to differentiate threshold quality teaching and higher-level quality teaching in order to clarify reward and recognition pathways' Gunn, V., & Fisk, A. (2013). Considering teaching excellence in higher education: 2007-2013: a literature review since the CHERI Report 2007.

Excellence is a wicked issue .. 'it is hard to see how an application judged to be excellent in an institution with one focus could also be considered excellent in another institution with a different focus' Gibbs, G. (2008). Conceptions of teaching excellence underlying teaching award schemes. teaching excellence was a “contested concept which is historically and situationally contingent“. Skelton*, A. (2004). Understanding ‘teaching excellence’in higher education: a critical evaluation of the National Teaching Fellowships Scheme. Studies in Higher Education, 29(4), 451-468.

What the TEF says .. Gold 'The provider achieves consistently outstanding outcomes for its students from all backgrounds' .'..outstanding levels of stretch that ensures all students are significantly challenged to achieve their full potential, and acquire knowledge, skills and understanding.' '...outstanding personalised provision secures the highest levels of engagement and active commitment to learning and study from students' 'Students are consistently and frequently engaged with developments from the forefront of research, scholarship or practice....'

No one path to success I am continually reminded that it would be a sad, narrow world in which there was just one way to do things well; a singular path to success; only one road to excellence.   definitions of excellence in learning and teaching need to be similarly reflexive, recognising both the context and purpose of a university’s mission, and the drivers sitting behind our students’ desire to study at university Dr Sam Grogan Pro Vice Chancellor Student Experience University of Salford Director of Teaching Alliance Programme

A bit about the University Alliance The Alliance educates 24% of all students in the UK and 40% of all part-time students in the UK 43% of successful graduate start-ups (those surviving 3+ years) come from Alliance graduates

Time for TEA The Teaching Excellence Alliance is a new venture which brings together Alliance universities to promote excellent teaching and learning. Teaching Excellence Alliance (TEA) is a programme designed to: Better understand and define – as well as champion and showcase – excellent teaching at Alliance institutions Support development of this distinctive UA excellence in academic – employer engagement and student support

A question for you What do you think is distinctive about teaching and learning in the University Alliance? Creative Commons 3 - CC BY-SA 3.0

Herrington's 9 Principles Herrington’s 9 Principles of Authentic Learning Provide an authentic context that reflects the way the knowledge will be used in real life Provide authentic tasks and activities Provide access to expert performances Provide multiple roles and perspectives Support collaborative construction of knowledge Promote reflection to enable abstractions to be formed Promote articulation to enable tacit knowledge to be made explicit Provide coaching and scaffolding Provide for authentic assessment of learning. Herrington, J., Parker, J. & Boase-Jelinek, D. (2014). Connected authentic learning: Reflection and intentional learning. Australian Journal of Education, 58(1), pp. 23–35.

Teaching Excellence in the Alliance (1) University Alliance institutions’ excellent teaching is characterised by: Contemporary current curricula co-created in partnership with our students, employers, community groups and service users Progressive and innovative pedagogies which integrate live, employer-relevant challenges for learning and assessment with input from employers, community groups and service users, using real world environments and simulations to provide work-based learning opportunities Supporting individual students to succeed and develop at every stage of their student journey, from their first click on our website to graduation and beyond Enabling our students to engage with our academics and directly with employers in effective and innovative ways

Teaching Excellence in the Alliance (2) Achieving excellence means that students: Graduate with interpersonal skills, attitudes and resilience as well as the subject-based knowledge necessary for sustained success within a connected 21st Century workplace. Are prepared, adaptive and confident in what they have to offer Have developed social capital to help them succeed throughout their lives

Teaching Excellence in the Alliance Contemporary curricula designed in partnership Graduates that meet the needs of employers Learning from real world challenges and experiences Progressive and innovative pedagogies Authentic assessment Research and practice informed Programmes that build social capital and support success for all our students

Dissemination and Engagement Activities Teaching Excellence Alliance Programme Outcomes / Benefits Dissemination and Engagement Activities UA institutions Context Promoting, Supporting and developing excellence Recognising and accrediting excellence Frameworks, Resources and Toolkits Sandpit Supporting and developing staff HER Act & TEF Changing student expectations Staff Definition & core values Students A distinct offer (our core values) Students as partners Engagement with employers & professions Success for all (inclusion and engagement) Employers and external agencies Staff and Student Engagement Engagement with Employers and Professions

Thank you Find out more: http://www.unialliance.ac.uk/tea