1. SPHERE Study Visit:
University of Edinburgh (October 2017)
The role of the Institute for Academic Development in supporting staff to enhance learning & teaching
Jon Turner & Cathy Bovill
Institute for Academic Development
University of Edinburgh

2. IAD Remit and Role
Provide support for staff and students in teaching, learning and researcher development
Support programme and curriculum development and enhancement
Focus on University level strategic priorities
All depends on partnership working
We have strong connections around the university

3. The University of Edinburgh
~37,900 students
24,300 undergraduate; 8,800 masters; 4,800 doctoral
12,200 Scotland, 9,700 rest of UK, 4,800 EU, 11,200 rest of world
Highly devolved structure:
3 Colleges (Science & Engineering, Medicine & Veterinary Medicine, Humanities & Social Science)
20 Schools (e.g. Physics, Chemistry, Engineering)
Senate committees
University level support services
including the Institute for Academic Development

4. Structures – who is responsible?
University Support Services (e.g. Institute for Academic Development)
Senate [University] Committees (Chaired by Vice or Assistant Principals)
Colleges
(Deans for Learning & Teaching, QA, Postgraduate and Researcher Development)
Schools
(Directors of Teaching & Learning, QA Graduate School and Research)

5. How does this compare to your University? Do you have an IAD equivalent? Who is responsible for teaching enhancement?

6. Teaching as an unambiguous strategic priority
Strategic context:
Teaching as an unambiguous strategic priority
Academic Careers: recruitment, annual review, promotion
Investment in training for university teaching
Informal support, conversations about teaching, networks & communities of practice
Support for innovation, experimentation & enhancement

7. Building profile and celebrating teaching
Key connections to support culture change
Building profile and celebrating teaching
CPD Framework for Learning & Teaching
Includes wide range of approaches (credit bearing courses, workshops, practice sharing, case studies, curriculum enhancement, scholarship of teaching & learning, leadership roles etc.)
External accreditation from Higher Education Academy
Links to other provision and development opportunities (e.g. leadership & management programmes)
Recording, tracking and reporting attendance, engagement, completion;
Links to annual reviews
Insentivisation: Links to grade profiles, promotion & reward processes; and career planning

8. Reward & Recognition (Promotion)
Challenge:
Converting policy into practice & impact
Approach:
Exemplars of Excellence in Education (additional guidance for academic promotions)

9. How is teacher development incentivised in your University
How is teacher development incentivised in your University? Recruitment and promotion? Support and training?

10. Why a CPD Framework? (Continuing Professional Development)
Positive impact on student learning of staff engagement with substantive CPD
Desire to offer a coherent framework of CPD opportunities that can be tailored to different roles, career stages and personal requirements
Link to annual development review, individual career development & School plans for teaching enhancement
Provide formal recognition and validation of staff expertise and experience
Link to reward & recognition (promotion)
Ability to respond to future external demands (HESA/TEF)

11. Design Principles
Provide flexible pathways (career stage, role, experience, individual’s requirements)
Strengthen symbiotic link between CPD and practice
Encourage reflective practice and draw upon broad range of CPD opportunities
Emphasise and support relevance of CPD throughout an academic career
Have robust and credible system for validation and accreditation of CPD framework and pathways
Accredited by Higher Education Academy (HEA) and mapped against UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF)
Pilot and develop appropriate model to scale up

12. University CPD Framework for Learning and Teaching

13. Edinburgh Teaching Award
Approach:
Flexible to suit interests and accommodate busy roles
Draws on and recognises existing experience & expertise
Select from and engage in broad range of CPD activities:
Workshops & courses (IAD, School, external)
Secondments, networks, mentoring
Curriculum development, applied pedagogic research, course evaluation
Mentor, group meetings, structure and support (eg writing retreats)
Final submission:
Reflective blog or presentation
Reference
Assessed by panel including external

14. Progress to Date Strong & manageable demand Impact & evaluation
84 completers to date; 292 enrolled
~150 expected to join university level cohorts AY17/18
School versions in Veterinary Medicine & Maths (+ others under consideration)
Impact & evaluation
Positive formal external evaluation
Positive feedback from participants (useful insights, changing practice, feeling valued, conversations about learning)
Encouraging levels of interest from Schools (too soon to judge culture change)
Development of cross-University communities of practice
Increasingly built into reward, review and recruitment
Key challenge: time for participants and mentors

16. Do you have formal/accredited teacher development programmes
Do you have formal/accredited teacher development programmes? Structure, organisation, content

17. Teacher development:
Importance of formal and informal CPD

18. Conversations about teaching, networks & communities of practice

19. Practice sharing, celebrating & promoting teaching
Links to IAD case studies, teaching matters and other case study collections around the university

20. Teaching Matters Blog

21. Support for innovation, experimentation & enhancement

22. Secondments to the IAD Structure
Part-time, usually up to 2 academic years
Specific focus with broader relevance and links
Projects
Identification and prioritisation jointly with College/School committees
Dissemination and practice sharing via IAD
Past Projects
English language support for on-line Masters; Edinburgh Award; Sustainability in the curriculum
Current Projects
Implementing Flip Classroom; SLICCs; Widening Access; Excellence in doctoral education programme

23. PTAS – Principal’s Teaching Award Scheme

26. The Institute for Academic Development