The criteria of effective teaching in universities of the future: My University, my goodness? Deakin Teaching and Learning conference 2 November, 2011 Professor Marcia Devlin (Deakin) Professor Karen Starr (Deakin) Associate Professor Angela Carbone (Monash)

Overview A brief contextual overview What the research says about effective teaching What My University uses as proxies of effective teaching Implications for the sector? Caveat: we may raise more questions than we answer…

Contextual overview Federal government 20/40 targets TEQSA focus on learning outcomes Quality assurance imperatives Performance funding UES CLA Composite indicator My University website

Research on effective teaching Devlin and Samarawickrema (2010): No universally accepted definition Broadly understood as teaching that: is oriented to and focused on students and their learning; meets the requirements of the context in which it occurs (Devlin 2007); and requires a set of particular skills and practices as identified by research (Penny 2003).

Skills and practices of effective teaching “The relationship between the ALTC criteria and the validated dimensions of effective teaching from the peer-reviewed literature appears strong.” (Devlin and Samarawickrema, 2010, p. 118)

Skills and practices of effective teaching (1) Approaches to teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn; (2) Development of curricula and resources that reflect a command of the field; (3) Approaches to assessment and feedback that foster independent learning; (4) Respect and support for the development of students as individuals ALTC, 2011 (RIP) 

Measuring effective teaching Standards-based quality assurance framework for Higher Education has sharpened the need for the sector to: articulate how it monitors the quality of the teaching students receive; the steps taken to form or improve good teaching practices; and evaluate the efficacy of those steps. Performance funding will be determined in part by quality of teaching – but what is effective teaching and how can we measure it?

Measuring effective teaching ALTC sponsored project- cross institutional collaboration Monash-Melbourne-Griffith (2011-2012) Three phases Systematic review looking at instruments used to assess and measure teaching quality (current phase) Cross sectional comparative study to assess the impact of GCHE on teaching quality and scholarship (2012) A longitudinal study of impact of GCHE on participants at varies stages on completing GCHE (2012)

Measuring effective teaching Outcomes: ‘Readiness Reports’— how institutions might measure, and report on the efficacy of professional development provision in teaching A Professional Development Impact Toolkit, which includes an ‘open source’— freely available —instrument for measuring the impact of professional development in education

My University proxy indicators My University will include “indicators such as”: course information; information about fees; campus facilities; information about access to student services; student/staff ratios; results of student satisfaction surveys; measures of graduate skills; graduate outcomes; and the quality of teaching and learning outcomes.

My University proxy indicators My University will include “indicators such as”: course information; information about fees; Information campus facilities; information about access to student services; student/staff ratios; results of student satisfaction surveys; measures of graduate skills; graduate outcomes; and the quality of teaching and learning outcomes.

My University proxy indicators My University will include “indicators such as”: course information; information about fees; campus facilities; information about access to student services; student/staff ratios; Assumptions? results of student satisfaction surveys; measures of graduate skills; graduate outcomes; and the quality of teaching and learning outcomes.

My University proxy indicators My University will include “indicators such as”: course information; information about fees; campus facilities; information about access to student services; student/staff ratios; results of student satisfaction surveys; measures of graduate skills; graduate outcomes; and the quality of teaching and learning outcomes.

My University proxy indicators Let’s focus on: results of student satisfaction surveys; measures of graduate skills; graduate outcomes; and the quality of teaching and learning outcomes.

1. Results of satisfaction surveys Likely to be CEQ data? CEQ data on teaching quality/overall satisfaction? Might this be the results of the UES? Is student satisfaction a good proxy for the quality of teaching or of student learning?

2. Measures of graduate skills Generic skills? As measured by GCA? CLA? No indication of pre and post measures How do we know what skills were developed through university education and what skills might have already been held by students? What about graduate values/’non-skills’?

3. Graduate outcomes Employment rates? Full time only? Starting salaries? Overall satisfaction again? Will the value add of university be considered? Will the value add of the teaching/teachers who made a (huge) difference be considered?

4. The quality of teaching and learning outcomes UES? CLA? Composite TQI? (institution level) A test/questionnaire, that may or may not be reliable and valid, undertaken (on a voluntary basis) by a minority of students in vastly different institutions, with vastly different student cohorts, including different cohorts at pre and post stage testing… how useful might this be?

What is different about the criteria? ALTC Specific Directly related to teaching Valid Reliable Underpinned by research Must be proven through multiple sources (self, students, peers, superiors, previous wards, external recognition etc) My University Proxies Course level Graduate focus Validity, reliability and methodological queries Heavily reliant on student opinion

The criteria of effective teaching in universities of the future: My University, my goodness?

References/sources ALTC website: http://www.altc.edu.au/ DEEWR website: Devlin, M. (2007). An examination of a solution-focused approach to university teaching development. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Melbourne, Australia. Devlin, M. (2010). Non-traditional student achievement: Theory, policy and practice in Australian higher education. Refereed proceedings of the First Year in Higher Education (FYHE) international conference, Adelaide, June 27-30, 2010. Devlin, M. and Samarawickrema, G. (2010). The criteria of effective teaching in a changing higher education context. Higher Education Research and Development 29(2) 111-124.