Building a research ethos Barbara Edwards 11 June 2010

Aim

Questions for session 1.Why do you want to build a research ethos in the college? 2.What is a research ethos? 3.What are the barriers? 4.What are you doing to achieve a research ethos? 5.What can QAA do?

HEFCE(2009): Good Practice Colleges offering HE generally have a broader definition of what constitutes scholarly activity than HEIs.

DAP Criterion C1: Scholarship and the pedagogical effectiveness of staff Criterion C1 for both FDAP and DAP requires that The staff of an organisation ….will be competent to teach, facilitate learning and undertake assessment to the level of the qualifications being awarded. The guidance differs in the explanation to this criterion in that, in the case of FDAP, there is a responsibility for ensuring that staff maintain a close and professional understanding of current developments in scholarship in their subjects and that structured opportunities for them to do so are both readily available and widely taken up. In the case of the TDAP explanation, reference is made to a responsibility for ensuring that staff maintain a close and professional understanding of current developments in research and scholarship in their subjects and that structured opportunities for them ….are both readily available and widely taken up.

DAP Criterion C1: Scholarship and the pedagogical effectiveness of staff The evidence requirements in both cases vary slightly in that FDAP applicants are required to provide evidence that all teaching staff engaged with the delivery of its higher education programmes have relevant knowledge and understanding of current scholarly developments in their discipline area and at a level appropriate to a Foundation Degree and that such knowledge and understanding directly inform and enhance their teaching. For TDAP, applicants are required to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of current research and advanced scholarship in their discipline area…

MEG recommendations for FE colleges which offer HE: Consider the need for a definition of scholarly activity Monitor staff training/CPD in order to ensure value for money and positive outcome of any training provided Measure impact – how to relate student experience to scholarly activity and vocational currency Benchmark results better

Key questions for colleges How does the college satisfy itself that it is supporting staff to meet the standards for the delivery of its programmes to students? How does the college evaluate the impact of the activity which it its undertaking?

Research Assessment Exercise definition Research for the purpose of the RAE is to be understood as original investigation undertaken in order to gain knowledge and understanding. It includes work of direct relevance to the needs of commerce, industry, and to the public and voluntary sectors; scholarship*; the invention and generation of ideas, images, performances, artefacts including design, where these lead to new or substantially improved insights; and the use of existing knowledge in experimental development to produce new or substantially improved materials, devices, products and processes, including design and construction. It excludes routine testing and routine analysis of materials, components and processes such as for the maintenance of national standards, as distinct from the development of new analytical techniques. It also excludes the development of teaching materials that do not embody original research.

Research Assessment Exercise definition Scholarship for the RAE is defined as the creation, development and maintenance of the intellectual infrastructure of subjects and disciplines, in forms such as dictionaries, scholarly editions, catalogues and contributions to major research databases.