Teachingandsupportinglearning

All of our thinking about teaching and learning isunderpinned by the fundamental belief that, asstudents, we are active partners in the learningprocess and have a critical responsibility in termsof achieving success. However, we believe thissuccess can only be achieved in partnership withexcellent teaching at the universities and collegesat which we are studying.We are aware that in recent years manyuniversities and colleges have placed anincreased emphasis on raising the standard ofteaching within their institutions. We welcomethis focus, and are delighted to share examplesof such practice in this report. Each year, theNational Student Survey (NSS) reports on variousaspects of teaching and supporting learning,ranging from academic support to assessmentand feedback. The 2008-09 survey found that83% of students are satisﬁed with theirteaching on their course. We acknowledge thatthis is a strong overall satisfaction rate andcommend those institutions who are achievingwell in this area.Nevertheless, the student juries (held in early2008) revealed that students were facinga range of issues relating to teaching andsupporting learning and ranked this as a priorityarea to be addressed in future. This chimes withmany of our own experiences in this area. TheNSS also shows that satisfaction rates withassessment and feedback remain comparativelylow at 65% and that the general satisfactionrate varies considerably from one university toanother. We were therefore keen to create avision of what it would look like if all universitiesand colleges provided outstanding teaching tosupport their students to learn to the best of theirindividual abilities.We were joined in our discussions by ProfessorPaul Ramsden (Chief Executive of the HigherEducation Academy, HE Academy), who wasinvited by John Denham (then Secretary of Stateof the Department for Innovation, Universitiesand Skills) to set out key issues for teachingand the student experience over the next tento ﬁfteen years to feed into the debate on theFuture of HE. Professor Ramsden highlighted theincreasing requirement for the academic world torecognise that curriculum and teaching methodsmust continue to evolve to meet the broaderneeds of the economy and society and to ensurecurrency beyond the university walls.As Forum members, we welcome the stepsalready being undertaken by many individualinstitutions and the HE Academy to encourageand promote professional development inteaching in higher education. We have learnedthat these include such initiatives as:paid teaching fellowships (e.g. GreenwichUniversity and Kings College London, as justtwo examples)explicit links between achievement in teachingand learning* and the criteria for promotionfrom lecturer to senior lecturer (for example,Roehampton University)Associate, Fellow and Senior Fellow status inrecognition of an individual’s commitment toenhancing the student experience(HE Academy)

the HE Academy’s annual high proﬁle fellowshipawards scheme for excellent teaching

†

However, the student juries, our own experiences,and the NSS results indicated to us thatalthough many institutions are already achievingexcellence in teaching and learning, othershave further to go, and we cannot afford to becomplacent if we are to ensure that all studentsachieve as well as they might.Our work, therefore, covered a broad examinationof issues relating to teaching and supportinglearning, along with a more detailed explorationof the opportunities and challenges relating totechnology-enhanced learning in particular.

Linked to the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching

†

HE Academy National Teaching Fellowship Scheme, in which ﬁftyacademics receive a £10,000 grant in recognition of individualexcellence in teaching

Why focusonteachingand supportinglearning?

13 National Student Forum – Annual Report

A Vision forTeaching andLearning:

how will we know if we aregetting it right?

As a student, if I am to be successfulin my learning experience,I acknowledge that I need to:

be an active partner in my learningstrive for excellence in all my academic achievementsbe pro-active in undertaking any researchview my learning whilst in higher education as broader than justmy academic achievementstake seriously the feedback I am given in order to maximisemy potential

In recognition of learning as a partnership between me as an individual and my university or college, I expect to ﬁnd that:

15 National Student Forum – Annual Report

my lecturers enjoy teaching,and value their interactionswith studentsthere is sufﬁcient contact timefor my particular course and I amclear about the degree to whichmy lecturer is available to me foradditional support – and how to goabout getting thisthe university has clearly taken thetime to construct a course that isrelevant, and varied in its methodsof deliveryI can study for a degree in anymode (e.g. full-time, part-time,distance) and be successfulI can access lectures in a variety offormats e.g. podcasts after lecturesmy course offers the right balancebetween structure and ﬂexibilityof modules, appropriate to theparticular subject I am studyingI can transfer credit betweenuniversities and colleges forappropriate degrees

there are different resourcesand areas of buildings to suitdifferent learnersresources are available to me ata time that is convenient to meall resources and buildingsare accessible to all students,including those with disabilitiesinﬂuencing course developmentand content where appropriateengaging with my assessmentand ways of being assessedworking with my peers tocollaborate, support and mentoreach otherI am encouraged to develop anawareness of my strengths andweaknesses with regard to myresearch and study skills andhow these are applicable todifferent contexts of my lifeI am encouraged to develop‘soft’ skills in the classroomthat translate into broaderinterpersonal skills for lifeI have a clear acknowledgementof my experiences andachievements, including non-academic achievements, e.g.my time spent volunteering iscredited towards my degreeassessment methods arevaried, relevant to the contenttaught and include feedbackwhere possiblefeedback is used to help me,not judge me

I feel comfortable discussingany learning or support needs Ihave because tailored supportand a personalised approach ismainstream

my learning experience is a highpriority for the universitymy courses are ﬂexible yetstructured, and transferableessential resources are easy toaccess and readily availableI can be an active partner to myuniversity or college in the design andmanagement of my own educationmy university/college encourages meto view my education as more thanjust subject knowledgeassessment and feedback areused to help me learnmy learning is, where possible,personalised to my needs