Disciplinary Commons A cultural shift

Externality In research, external assesment key to worth of work –Peer review is fundamental –Objectives and methodology are (normally) pretty clear In teaching, externality is uncommon –Peer review is optional –Objectives are clear, methodology is not

Teaching vs Research In so many ways, research is easier than teaching –Goals clearer, manageable noise –Working with peers So why do (did) I rate externality in teaching as optional –Perhaps this ‘did’ has been the biggest impact of this whole process

A mix of process and culture Process of research requires externality Process of teaching does not –Some moderation of assessment –Exposure of derived results but not derivation Limited double marking –Seen as easier and hard to measure Good at my job if I get 92.5% pass rate?

Time for teaching Never committed so much time to thinking about what I am doing –20+ hour days – never took work with me –A lot of reflection Time spent writing portfolio –Not enough but more than I would have done otherwise

Impact on 1 st year programming Increased confidence that aims, objectives, design, and goals are ok –Not wildly out of step with others –Slower, of course Some changes to teaching approach –As a result of peer review –As a result of discussions

Impact on 1 st year programming Peer review –Space works well, staff well chosen (MS) Overall framework ok –Lectures too short (DK) Not enough examples Don’t integrate support tool –Aware of what I am missing Small tutorials and white board (MS) Technology (QC)

Not really about 1 st year prog. Self reflection –Got something to reflect against now Changed year 2 teaching too –E.g. individual (free form) assessment (SJ) Year 4 is small group based –Nothing specific taken from DC

The spin – offs (external) Wider network of expertise –And two papers Sally and Quintin –Data mining Dimitar –Emerging strategy for computational model abstraction … surprising synergies here

The spin – offs (internal) Going to devise a lightweight review scheme –Lateral (year) and longitudinal (subject) oral justification of design Not audited formally –Limited to immediate teaching team at first Firm up the scheme

… and so to next year As ever, external factors drive harder than internal –May not be teaching OOP1 (or OOP2) –Fundamental change in assessment practice at years 1 and 2 (not 3 and 4) Portfolio-based vivas and academic tutorship –Inspired by Computer Arts But these are perturbations –This was never about 1 st year programming –It was about teaching (whatever) better

And finally A portfolio artefact?