EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS

The Magazine of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA)

Issue 15.3 September 2014 ISSN 1469-3267 Terms of engagement: £9.50 Cover price (UK only) Contents Reflections from the SEDA 1 Terms of engagement: Reflections from the SEDA Spring Teaching, Spring Teaching, Learning Learning and Assessment Conference 2014 Claire Taylor and Assessment Conference 3 What I know now…reflections on involvement in a partners in learning scheme 2014 John Lea, Ben Harvey Sporle, Andrew Lombart, Dani Pellowe, Claire Taylor, St Mary’s University Kate Riseley and Dave Thomas 7 The Student Fellows Scheme: Held this year on the banks of the river Tyne in the heart of Newcastle, SEDA’s A partnership ... Spring Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference was titled ‘Engaging Stuart Sims, Tom Lowe, Students: Engaging Staff’. The conference explored the theme of engagement Gabrielle Barnes and Laura Hutber from multiple perspectives and we were particularly pleased to welcome student 10 Enabling creative professional contributors at conference keynote and plenary sessions. Each keynote address conversations ... provoked a range of reactions and questions from conference delegates and Bridget Hanna, Fiona Campbell and it is upon the keynote addresses that I wish to focus, reflecting upon ‘terms of Elaine Mowat engagement’ for the educational developer in particular. 13 Dialogue as a developmental tool Peter Lumsden and Laurence Eagle Dan Derricott, Student Engagement Officer at the University of Lincoln, opened the 16 International consultancy: conference on day one by presenting a case study of how student engagement has Reflections on... begun to be embedded at Lincoln. Dan defined student engagement as ‘working Mike Laycock in partnership with students to improve the quality of what we do’. A suitably 22 What are the student academic broad definition; perhaps, some may say, a ‘catch all’. We were taken through a representatives of 2014-15 phased approach to the development of a more engaged environment, starting with prioritising? institutional leadership and moving through local engagement through engagement Debbie McVitty, NUS champions, the development of a default position in terms of engagement and then 23 Creating an online portfolio for followers becoming leaders themselves. Full details of the work at the University SEDA Fellowship of Lincoln can be found on their website. Dan posed some interesting ideas Susannah Quinsee and challenges – students on staff recruitment panels; executive staff members 26 Educational development in shadowing students in order to understand the ‘lived’ student experience; re- Canada and the UK inventing subject committees and advisory groups, to name but a few. His account Celia Popovic was at times inspiring and at times overwhelming; even Dan himself acknowledged SEDA the danger of ‘initiative overload’ in developing the engagement agenda. Woburn House, 20 - 24 Tavistock Square On day two, we were joined by Liam Jarnecki, Director of the Student Engagement London WC1H 9HF Partnership. The Student Engagement Partnership is a collaboration between the Tel 020 7380 6767 National Union of Students and the higher education sector in England which aims Fax 020 7387 2655 to help students and their associated representative bodies become partners in the Email [email protected] student experience. Liam began with the premise that ‘The SU is now formally More information about SEDA’s involved in the academic process’, although some conference delegates questioned activities can be found on our website: whether this was actually the case for all Students’ Unions. Liam described the www.seda.ac.uk work of the Student Engagement Partnership as founded upon being ‘listeners; conversationalists; content creators’ and emphasised that Students’ Unions would Registered in England, No. 3709481. Registered in England and Wales as a charity, No.1089537 be key delivery partners. Conference delegates welcomed the assertion that the SEDA Supporting and Leading Educational Change EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS The Magazine of SEDA Partnership wished to see ‘behavioural change, not a paper chase’, but there was some lively debate around the role of educational developers within the Partnership’s scheme, with concern expressed that perhaps academic endeavour Issue 15.3 was being marginalised. We now know that the Higher Education Academy is leading on the pedagogic framework in relation to the work of the Partnership. 2014 We look forward to seeing the scheme unfold and to understanding more fully the role of educational development within it. Finally, there was much discussion Editorial Committee around how to measure impact and the shortcomings of instruments such as the National Student Survey in this respect. Regardless of how the engagement agenda Dr Vivienne Caruana is conceived and defined, there was clearly a vocal group at the Conference who Leeds Metropolitan University contended that metrics and measures will do little to enable us to understand impact and effectiveness and even that campaigns such as ‘You said, we did’ did Dr Peter Gossman little to promote partnership-working but actually undermined the principles of Manchester Metropolitan University collegiality, community and dialogue. Elizabeth Grant Higher Education Consultant Colin Bryson, Director of the Combined Honours Centre at Newcastle University, and Curriculum Advisor and chair of RAISE (Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement), delivered the closing conference keynote, ably assisted by students who shared John Lea powerful and convincing accounts of their part in engagement activity. Colin’s Canterbury Christ Church starting point was one that extolled the virtues of staff and students working in University partnership as being fundamental to a profound and authentic higher education experience; indeed Colin was quite clear that education should be exemplary, Dr Debbie McVitty dynamic, progressive, public, ethical and democratic. This was the framework National Union of Students within which true student-staff engagement should and could occur. In exploring Chrissie Nerantzi the Combined Honours Department at Newcastle, we learned that it was a department with an identity and it was upon this that true engagement was Manchester Metropolitan University founded and flourished. Fundamentally, Colin contended that the engagement Steve Outram agenda must be exciting and it must embody and exemplify transformative The Higher Education Academy learning.

Dr David Ross The three keynote speakers brought different interpretations of the student University of the West of Scotland engagement agenda to the conference and it was quite clear from early on in the proceedings that a key issue on the engagement agenda was of definitions. Just Dr Karen Strickland what do we mean when we talk about staff and student engagement? Can we Robert Gordon University actually agree on meanings and definitions? And, actually…does it matter? For Naomi Thompson example, Dan Derricott was fairly relaxed around the whole issue of definitions and University of Roehampton types of activities that may constitute engagement. He suggested that language and understanding were bound to vary across departments and that was okay as long as Professor James Wisdom key underlying and unifying principles were understood. One conference delegate Higher Education Consultant identified that such variety was a positive thing, commenting in their evaluation that this would be the key aspect they would take away from the conference: ‘There’s no clear model for student engagement; it’s a many faceted topic open 2014 (Vol.15) to many interpretations – this could or should be celebrated more!’ Another Annual Subscription Rates delegate noted that they would leave the conference and ‘Think about what we mean by student engagement…’ Liam Jarnecki was clear that openness around Individual subscriptions are £38 engagement definitions was acceptable, although conference delegates were keen sterling per year (4 issues) within to suggest that perhaps more focused definitions would bring more benefits to the the UK. Overseas subscribers engagement endeavour. Colin brought a further dimension to the issue of terms and should add £5 sterling postage and definitions, firmly espousing the view that engagement was no mere transactional packing for delivery within the EU activity, but rather was integral to a truly authentic, vibrant and transformative or £8 sterling for the rest of the higher education experience. world. So, where next for Educational Developers and the engagement agenda? Where Packs of 10 copies (each copy do we fit in and what is our contribution to the engagement debate? Just what containing 4 issues) are available are our ‘terms of engagement’ both with students and with staff? Well, there is no for £270 sterling. doubt that there was an appetite amongst conference delegates to explore the engagement agenda more deeply and with the SEDA mission and values more All orders should be sent to the to the fore in order to shape discussion. I had conversations with delegates who SEDA Office, either with payment were disappointed that the platform we provided at the conference did not take or official order. the opportunity to explore, critically analyse and constructively challenge the NB SEDA members automatically viewpoints being presented and I take that on board as something to reflect upon going forwards. However, others felt there was too much challenge, response receive copies of Educational Developments.

2 www.seda.ac.uk Terms of engagement: Reflections from the SEDA Spring Teaching, Learning and Assessment Conference 2014 and reaction to issues raised and too little encouragement students. Perhaps this could even extend to supporting and of dialogue and collaboration. Clearly, it is hard to get the engaging students as educational developers? There were balance right, but both perspectives indicate a healthy many good examples at the conference of students involved interest from conference delegates in seeing SEDA have a in, and often leading, worthwhile learning and teaching voice with regard to key higher education debates and the initiatives and maybe SEDA is now ready to explore more engagement agenda in particular on this occasion. formal acknowledgement and recognition of students as educational developers. So perhaps it is timely to remind ourselves of SEDA’s core mission, which is to enable members: Clearly we (the SEDA community) are on a journey with regard to engagement, but if we believe that deeper • To enhance their capabilities in leading and supporting engagement is good for student and staff learning (as educational change, development and provision many of the conference sessions asserted) then we have a • To assist the professional development of new and proactive role to play in contributing to the development experienced academic staff; staff in learning and of the engagement agenda. In 2012 McVitty asserted that teaching support roles; and those involved in special ‘students’ unions and educational developers are natural initiatives to enhance and develop learning and allies in the project of educational development and change’ teaching across the higher education sector and suggested that Educational Developers are best placed • To lead and support improvements in the quality of to engage with students around direct conversations related students’ educational experiences to pedagogical issues, or to broker and facilitate such • To assist the strategic development of institutions in conversations between academic staff and students. Let us relation to educational change and development lead and continue such conversations within and beyond the • To encourage and support the development and SEDA community, engaging with staff and students alike. application of greater understanding of the teaching process and the nature of students’ learning. References and further reading RAISE (http://raise-network.ning.com/). I see nothing in SEDA’s mission that flies in the face of engagement initiatives with both students and staff; rather, The Student Engagement Partnership (http://tsep.org.uk/). our mission represents our ‘terms of engagement’. SEDA has University of Lincoln, Student Engagement (http://studentengagement. a good track record of providing resources and networks that blogs.lincoln.ac.uk/). really do enhance the capability to lead and support change Bryson, C. (ed.) (2014) Understanding and Developing Student and its members both act as, and work with, change agents Engagement, Routledge. within Universities and Colleges. Such change agents come McVitty, D. (2012) ‘How much do students need to know about in a variety of guises – academic colleagues, professional pedagogy?’, Educational Developments,13.4, p. 16. support services, colleagues external to higher education and, of course, students. In assisting the professional Dr Claire Taylor is Pro-Vice-Chancellor at St Mary’s development of those involved in initiatives to enhance and University, Twickenham and Co-Chair of the SEDA develop learning and teaching, educational developers need Conference and Events Committee (claire.taylor@smuc. to develop and employ approaches that engage staff and ac.uk; @DrClaireTaylor).

What I know now…reflections on involvement in a partners in learning scheme

John Lea, Ben Harvey Sporle, Andrew Lombart, Dani Pellowe, Kate Riseley and Dave Thomas, Canterbury Christ Church University

Introduction heading of student engagement. their research skills while engaging Like many other universities and Nonetheless, a question remains in those activities, and, where colleges, Canterbury Christ Church about how close these notions appropriate, earn University credit University has been experimenting of engagement are to the formal as a result of that engagement? And with ideas related to students as curriculum. For example, whilst it whilst campaigns like `you said, we partners in learning. Looking around is clear that students can benefit did’ may have their place, the nature the University it is easy to see how enormously from a range of of that dialogue seems far removed students can get involved in a wide volunteering activities, wouldn’t it be from the sorts of dialogue we all try to range of activities, all under the even better if students could enhance encourage in undergraduate seminars. www.seda.ac.uk 3 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

One year on, this article reports at the University of Lincoln, neatly level, the teacher is not there for on the establishment of a Student summarised in conceiving the student the sake of the student, both have Ambassadors for Learning and as producer of knowledge rather than their justification in the service of Teaching (SALT) scheme which as mere consumer of knowledge scholarship.’ (von Humboldt, attempts to widen and enrich notions (Neary, 2014). But it also struck me W. 1810) of student engagement along these that, although radical sounding, it is lines. The first part contextualises the the notion of student as consumer `…learning is maximised when scheme, and the second part contains which is the truly radical position – it judgements by the learner (in reflections from some of the SALTs being radically different from a long the form of self-assessment) are themselves. line of consistent thinking on what emphasised and judgements universities are for. by the teacher are minimised.’ The SALT scheme: Conceptual (Gibbs, quoting Carl Rogers, in underpinning From this position it was then a small Bryan and Clegg, 2006, p. 27) Our SALT scheme was conceived on step to produce a vision statement, a train journey back from a Society including ideas to work collaboratively `Research and inquiry is not just for Research into Higher Education with students on research projects for those who choose to pursue (SRHE) seminar in London, where related to learning and teaching; on an academic career. It is central to I had heard from Sabine Little on change projects related to learning professional life in the twenty-first how she had been able to employ and teaching; and to include students century.’ (Brew, 2007, p. 7) a number of students – known as as partners in the peer review process SALTs – at Sheffield University to work at the University. Clearly, we are still `[We should] encourage and on projects across the University, and in the early stages of developing and enable students to learn in a follow-up session from Ben Little embedding all these notions and by ways that parallel or reflect the about how he had – of necessity, due their very nature they remain fraught ways academic staff themselves to losing a number of colleagues – with difficulties. For example, do we approach research and learn in transformed the learning experience agree that all forms of consumerism their disciplines or professional on his Middlesex University course by are bad – should academics publish area.’ (Healey and Jenkins, having the students direct more of the books that students can’t afford; 2009, p. 28) learning. Both struck chords with me. should student accommodation be Firstly, although we had active student run like a workers co-operative; Sometimes, I have clashed with reps at the University, by definition should companies like Starbucks be colleagues who tell me that I am taking they were there to represent the banned from university campuses? Do things too far, at that point taking some interests of their peer group on their we agree that students must engage comfort here: course and not therefore required to in scholarly ways and can students get involved in wider matters relating really be considered as peers? What `The concept of “listening to to learning and teaching. Secondly, do we do when academic colleagues the student voice” – implicitly armed with only a smattering of argue that collaborating with students if not deliberately – supports pedagogical knowledge, surely on pedagogic research will ruin their the perspective of student as students would be able to be not just REFable status? And perhaps most “consumer”, whereas “students directors of their own learning but also troubling, particularly while we wait as change agents” explicitly co-creators of their own curricula? for a national student engagement supports a view of the student as Indeed, it struck me further that all the survey in the UK, will all this extra “active collaborator” and “co- pedagogical ideas I discuss with new effort – on behalf of students and producer”, with the potential staff on our PGCert course could easily staff – pay off in terms of enhanced for transformation.’ (Dunne and be discussed with students. Indeed, satisfaction? Zandstra, 2011, p. 4) why not open up the existing taught sessions to students as well as staff – or, On the whole, I have enjoyed rising And sometimes I have clashed with at least in the first instance, open them to these challenges, and I have the SALTs on just how much they need up to the SALTs? been hugely encouraged by the to know about HE pedagogy to be conversations (or, perhaps better, effective partners, taking some comfort The wider conceptual framework professional dialogues) I have had with here: for the scheme also included an the SALTs on these subjects. That said, attempt to use it as a counter to the and particularly when emotionally `It is possible to imagine a consumerist turn in UK HE which drained by the challenges, I have scenario in which academics was couching fee-paying students as also taken refuge in some supportive conduct serious conversations with consumers of educational products, quotations: students in which pedagogical and preventing them from seeing the decisions are challenged or University as a space in which they `The relationship between teacher defended with reference to the might develop their own forms of and learner is… completely evidence rather than to feelings or scholarship. On this front I was hugely different in higher education from unsubstantiated beliefs.’ (McVitty, indebted to Mike Neary and his work what it is in schools. At the higher 2012, p. 16)

4 www.seda.ac.uk What I know now…reflections on involvement in a partners in learning scheme

Our scheme was conceptually Kate Ben conceived in the collective spirit of Being part of the SALT team increased Studying American Studies at the these quotations, along with that initial my sense of belonging to the University was hugely rewarding in desire to ensure that the other laudable University and enabled me to have a multitude of ways, but the main notions of student engagement did not much more mature conversations difficulty it presented was trying to crowd out those more closely related with academics, which I think work out just how I could transfer to the formal curriculum and the inevitably resulted in me learning into the world of work the skills and classroom, that is, where students are more, and importantly, learning knowledge I had picked up. It was most clearly partners in their learning. more about me. It would have been this problem that my SALT project very easy to conceive of my SALT aimed to fix; aiming to show students The SALT scheme: In practice role as demanding my right to be – both current and prospective – just The rest of this article contains details heard and be entertained because what options they really did have of some of the projects the SALTs have student engagement is the fashion. available to them. To this end I have Actually, the relationships that have worked closely with the careers been involved in and their personal grown from the networking that team, and recently the web editor for reflections of being involved in the being a SALT requires, have enabled the faculty, to attempt to tackle this scheme overall. To date, the University me to work in true partnership with issue by providing clear and concise has employed 14 SALTs recruited academics and professional staff. I’m information on exactly what skills Arts from across the student population now also much clearer about the and Humanities students pick up and and across the University faculties, importance of listening more than how alumni from the same courses had and includes a student engagement speaking, and realising what exactly used them in their own working lives. officer, who has co-ordinated their academics and professional staff In the context of increased student projects, monitored their progress, and actually do know! For example, for fees, it is more important than ever organised their pay (£8 per hour). the project I am involved in now, on that students understand where their peer observation and review, I did studies could lead them. Dani go in initially waving my placard, My interest has been in communication, demanding that students should Once this project is completed, I hope not in addressing the traditional be involved in the observations of it will make a considerable difference question of how academics might teaching: ‘But what does the student and spread to other subject areas better communicate information to get from it?’ said an academic. What whose students suffer with the same students, but how it might aid dialogue a question! I had never thought of it. problems. Even though the project between them. To this end I have Consequently, that conversation has could still be described as being in its worked on developing an online now taken this project wandering off infancy, I have already been made to community for all staff and students in new and interesting directions. feel that it is highly valued and that the within the faculty of education, University as a whole appreciates my to communicate, share news and Last year I also worked with a couple efforts. Being a SALT has been one of thoughts, as well as useful information. of SALTs looking at student transition the most rewarding aspects of my time Secondly, a club or society, called issues. We designed and produced a as a student, and I’m sure that this itself Learned, has been set up, assigning simple bookmark with Ten Hot Tips will enhance my own employability. times, dates and locations to get for new students, and I also worked together and discuss current issues in with my department to devise and Dave a relaxed environment. Lastly, I have launch a peer-mentoring programme. The project I was involved in worked with the sustainability team to In that last project my ignorance saw me collaborating with the improve the aesthetics of the campus, about sustainability was embarrassing; Equality and Diversity Manager to I honestly thought it was just to do investigate students’ experiences and to help create a relaxed working with trees. I now understood the perceptions of inclusive practice at environment. need for sustainability in all we do, the University. The Higher Education and the need to embed the projects Academy’s (HEA) principles on Throughout the three branches that we undertake within existing inclusive curriculum design were of my project I have realised the University frameworks to help enable used as a baseline to formulate a importance of time management, but sustainability. To illustrate this, my questionnaire to gather data from also the importance of compromise, mentoring scheme, whilst successful students about their perception of prioritisation, and persistence, as an idea, was very much driven by the curriculum and teaching and and thereby the importance the programme director and myself. learning strategies employed at of communication itself in the What would happen if and when the University and their impact in successful completion of a project on one of us left? After talking (key word enabling/preventing a positive student communication, and that with a little that) we were then able to integrate experience. Participants for the survey imagination it is perfectly possible for it into the existing pattern of personal were recruited from across all three even large faculties like mine to help tutoring. Sometimes being a SALT campuses by working in partnership students and staff better learn and simply means learning about how the with the academics to promote the teach together. university already works. project. www.seda.ac.uk 5 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

The data was collected and analysed, members of the Education Studies engaged in the life of their University. based on Interpretative Phenomenological programme I administer are requesting And yes, these SALTs were highly Analysis, to understand the students’ I use my experience as a SALT engaged students in the first place, but lived experience and the findings were to give advice on assessment what they know now is in large part used to inform the University’s ongoing feedback methods and possible as a result of actually being a SALT, work in designing strategies to promote improvements with staff-student liaison and, as ambassadors, it was always and maintain inclusive practice within representatives. envisaged that their work would in the institution. Naturally, this project some way be infectious amongst all also enhanced my own understanding I feel my training as a SALT has been students. of research processes. epitomised by my recent nomination for a University Golden Apple Award, Next steps? One: to demonstrate to Subsequently, and on completion of nominated by the students on the the University that paying a bigger my undergraduate degree, I have programme I administer. I am very cohort of SALTs for their work is a transferred the skills and experience humbled by this nomination and also very small price to pay for a potential gained in my role as a SALT to become glad that students appreciated my huge return; two: to try to ensure, a new full-time student engagement ability to understand their concerns where appropriate, that more students officer. A key thing I learnt whilst as well as relate to them. Overall, can earn University credit for the being a SALT is that if students are my experience as a SALT has taught kinds of projects and campaigns empowered as partners in learning, me a great deal regarding not just that they get involved with; three: their input in designing strategies and what my University has given me, but to promote the use of a wide range policies to promote and develop an importantly what I can give back to my of research methods and encourage inclusive curriculum across the University. creative experimentation amongst all University can be key to its students when working on learning implementation and success. After all, Conclusion and teaching-related projects and students are experts on being students. Given some of the risks we had to campaigns. take to get our SALT scheme Andrew moving, and the inevitable problems References I feel honoured to be one of the first of maintaining momentum, it is Brew, A. (2007) ‘Research and teaching from pioneer SALTs at the University, and extremely gratifying to hear of the the students’ perspective’, in International very pleased to have been able to work positive impact that the various Policies and Practices for Academic Enquiry: an international colloquium, Marwell: with one of the University’s learning projects have had on departments Winchester, UK. technologists on a project about and faculties at the University. But Bryan, C. and Clegg, K. (eds.) (2006) e-feedback. My role in the project what has struck me most about the Innovative Assessment in Higher Education, was to collate views from students scheme to date are its much more London: Routledge. on how effective their assignment intangible and intrinsic aspects; Dunne, E. and Zandstra, R. (2011) Students feedback was for them and what they how it has been able to prompt and as Change Agents: new ways of engaging with learning and teaching in higher education, would like to see improved, with the promote aspects of personal growth. Bristol: Escalate. aim of producing an evidence base And these dimensions appear to Healey, M. and Jenkins, A. (2009) Developing on feedback methods most likely to reach back to notions of Maslow- Undergraduate Research and Inquiry, York: enhance learning. Being a SALT gave like ‘self-actualisation’ and Rogerian HEA. me more confidence mainly because ‘significant learning’ indicating that Humboldt, W. von, (1810) [1970] ‘On of the great reception that my ideas there is actually nothing new here, just the spirit and organisational framework of have had from my fellow SALTs and a confirmation of sound underpinning intellectual institutions in Berlin’, Minerva, 8, pp. 242-267. staff. The constructive criticism and pedagogic (or andragogic) practice in McVitty, D. (2012) ‘How much do students support from my project sponsor higher education. need to know about pedagogy?’ Educational have also helped me develop an Developments, 13 (4), p. 16. effective method to build a project, What the scheme also seems to Neary, M. (2014) ‘Student as producer: communicate ideas, and develop my confirm is that working in partnership curriculum development, institutional change organisational and presentational with students is not about turning up and reinventing “the idea of university” as a radical political project’, Educational skills. the volume control on student voice, Developments,15 (1), pp. 10-13. or allowing students to rule the roost; On graduating I became a programme but is, at heart, about listening to John Lea is Assistant Director for administrator at the University where each other and learning from each Learning and Teaching at Canterbury I have been able to use my SALT other. In addition, it is also clear to Christ Church University. Ben Harvey knowledge to good effect. I am me that these SALTs, and the others Sporle, Andrew Lombart, Dani currently assisting academics in the like them around the sector, are highly Pellowe, Kate Riseley and Dave Faculty of Education with a potential employable, not because they have Thomas were undergraduates and research publication on student views studied on work-related degrees but SALTs at Canterbury Christ Church on assessment feedback. Furthermore, because they have been actively University between 2012 and 2014.

6 www.seda.ac.uk The Student Fellows Scheme: A partnership between the University of Winchester and Winchester Student Union The Student Fellows Scheme: A partnership between the University of Winchester and Winchester Student Union Stuart Sims, Tom Lowe, Gabrielle Barnes and Laura Hutber, University of Winchester and Winchester Student Union

As part of the joint ambition between the University of equal stake in decision-making and accountability. While Winchester and Winchester Student Union to embed an creating successful partnerships and improving student inclusive culture of opportunities for engagement and engagement and employability were key goals of the scheme, partnership, we have developed the Student Fellows the research undertaken by these partnerships was designed Scheme (SFS). The purpose of the SFS is to recruit, train to effect real change at programme and institutional level. and empower students who can work alongside academics Prioritising impact in this way encouraged staff and students and professional staff on educational development projects. to work closely on issues that are important to them, and These projects address a diverse range of topics varying in engendered a stronger relationship between the SU and the scope and size but all must enhance the student learning institution to improve the student learning experience. experience. We will discuss the development of the SFS including a discussion of the challenges we have faced and The current incarnation of the SFS developed from the an outline of how our cross-institution partnership initiative pioneering work done in its ‘proof of concept’ stage the will progress in the future. Because the SFS is predicated previous year. This involved a much smaller SFS as part of a upon valuing the contribution of students, this article JISC-funded FASTECH project at Winchester and Bath Spa includes outlines of two example projects written by Student University (Hyland et al. 2013). Inspired by this, Tom Lowe, Fellows themselves. SU VP Education, and Camille Shepherd, LTDU Research Officer, planned the logistics of the SFS in July 2013. The SU What is the Student Fellows Scheme? brought the communication networks of the student body The SFS is an attempt to increase the level of student to the Scheme, whilst the LTDU brought experience and engagement at the University of Winchester and to empower expertise in teaching and learning. A successful partnership students to address varied issues, problems or barriers has emerged through negotiations between the SU, LTDU to a satisfying teaching, learning and social experience. and Senior Managers reflecting our differing priorities for The role of the Student Fellow predominantly consists of student (and staff) engagement. At times there have been engaging in social scientific research with their student peers, inherent tensions such as how ‘student led’ the partnerships implementing new initiatives or developing interventions for were, to what extent they served institutional needs, and enhancement. These projects are carried out in partnership how staff perceive their roles. These issues were overcome with a staff mentor whom Fellows are paired with based through the participation and commitment of all parties and on their overlapping areas of interest. These staff mentors their mutual priority to enhance student engagement. facilitate the project (e.g. drawing upon their existing networks to disseminate findings) but the projects are The majority of funding for the SFS is used for a £600 bursary ultimately student led. provided to each Student Fellow to support their research activities and time commitment to the scheme. While Building the initiative we recognise that there are many issues raised by paying The SFS is the result of meetings between the Executive Committee of the Student Union (SU) and the Learning and Teaching Development Unit (LTDU) to expand active student engagement at Winchester. Student activity around feedback and educational enhancement currently sat in only two forms at Winchester (Student Academic Representatives and SU Executive Committee), with no activity in between. Therefore there was a demand for empowered students to commit time to improving the student experience across programmes and departments of the University, for maximum student-led cross-campus change.

Partnership was the priority from the outset. The Scheme was co-funded by the Student Academic Council and the Vicki Wright and Jasmine Wyatt (Student Fellows) discussing University Senior Management Team, giving both parties an their projects with Dr Stewart Cotterill (LTDU) www.seda.ac.uk 7 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014 students to work on projects related to student engagement, myself in academic opportunities and pursuits available to our experience has shown that the amount of effort required me alongside my degree. I began my work for the SFS by of the Student Fellows coupled with students’ ‘time-poor’ submitting an application after seeing the advertisement university experience has more than justified the use of on the intranet. I attended an interview for the role and a bursary in this way. One Fellow encapsulated the issue expressed my enthusiasm and interest in making a positive well by saying ‘I don’t do it because of the bursary, but I impact as well as providing examples of my own ideas. After couldn’t do it without it’. We also support students with any receiving a place on the scheme I attended a training session additional costs that they incur through conducting their which was useful and engaging, giving me inspiration on how research or implementing their initiatives. to tackle my task as well as introducing me to the methods of pursuit available to me. Because the Student Fellows receive financial support from the LTDU and SU for participating in the scheme, we have I was paired with my course leader to improve the Modular a rigorous application, interview and induction process to Feedback Forms for my BA Vocal and Choral Studies course ensure that students are properly equipped to carry out this – this later mushroomed into improving feedback forms for work and that they are participating for ‘the right reasons’. the entire Performing Arts department. We discussed the The SFS is advertised extensively across the institution, language and content of the current forms, how these could in particular through our intranet and social media. The be improved upon and how the project had now grown experience and expertise of the SU in engaging with students to encompass a change of form for the entire department. is invaluable in the initial recruitment communication phase. The second meeting was my first Programme Committee Prospective Student Fellows are asked to submit a CV and Meeting for my course in the first semester. This gave me an a supporting statement outlining both their suitability and opportunity to talk to the second and third year students who their areas of research interest. The applications are reviewed had already completed modular feedback. I also spoke to by the co-managers of the scheme and those of a suitable our course administrator who agreed to send me a copy of standard are then invited to a panel interview. The panels the current feedback form. are always a mixture of staff from the SU and LTDU to reflect the partnership which supports and maintains the SFS. The I faced mild resistance for change, being informed that the interviews cover various topics but are specifically focused feedback forms are standardised within the department and towards ensuring a high level of commitment to the issues are already updated by others. They were not interested students would like to address and what skills they have and in meeting with me or the project. Instead of letting this will need to develop to address them. From the interviews, development dissuade me from proceeding, I decided we were impressed to find the applicants had an incredibly to seek feedback and interest from students within the high awareness of the current Higher Education environment department. I conducted informal discussions with both and the University’s workings, which led to the recruitment individual Student Reps and my class as a whole; I contrasted of 60 Student Fellows in 2013-14. their responses with comments and observations made by students from other departments with differing feedback Following successful recruitment, the 60 Student Fellows form designs. were trained to conduct social science and educational research by Prof Graham Gibbs and Dr. Tansy Jessop. My focus for the redraft was the design of the questions, as These sessions aimed to inspire and empower the students they were ambiguous and vague. Other departments had as agents of change who will have a great impact on the differing designs breaking these more generalised questions enhancement of the student experience at Winchester. down into sub-sections. This added clarity to the questions Following this a call for staff expressions of interest to work allowing students to respond more accurately. The second with Student Fellows led to pairing of partners. Projects were element I focused on was the language and phrasing used. created collaboratively around mutual areas of interest to Within my own lectures I had students feeding back to conduct research in the following semester in 2014. me that they did not understand what the questions were asking them. By simplifying the language or by restructuring Example projects questions, students can tackle feedback with confidence. The To engage and provide motivations for students and staff as additional positive factor that this has on student feedback partners in the SFS, few restrictions are placed on the scope is the increased likelihood of qualitative information – if of the research and enhancement areas. This created a wide students understand what is being asked of them, they are range of projects exploring areas such as assessment and less likely to avoid giving additional feedback. I also phrased feedback, combined pathways student experience, student the qualitative questions in a fashion that would stimulate engagement, curriculum design and technology-enhanced students to see them as part of the feedback form, as learning. Two example projects from students are given opposed to an optional space that can be overlooked. below in detail. With the new layout completed, I informed the programme Gabrielle Barnes – Redrafting modular feedback forms for leader that I would be sending her the hard copy over the the Performing Arts department summer, as it was now the semester of dissertations and I was extremely privileged to be a part of the Winchester extreme pressure. She will then use this form to run a focus Student Fellows Scheme; it has been one of the highlights group in her own time, as well as feeding back to myself with of my first year here and has inspired me to immerse ideas for further improvement. In turn I have also sent out

8 www.seda.ac.uk The Student Fellows Scheme: A partnership between the University of Winchester and Winchester Student Union a copy of the feedback form to the students of Vocal and • Problem Question: An easily accessible booklet Choral via Facebook. I am currently awaiting responses. or ‘how-to’ guide to answering problem questions successfully through the use of example answers and Laura Hutber – Providing a physical approach to learning breakdowns of grade distinctions. and teaching the law My project’s main aim has been to provide a more Throughout our work on the project, we have aimed to interactive means of facilitating legal education at the produce resources which have practical value and will actively University through the creation of resources. My role was be utilised by both students and lecturers to facilitate both to co-manage the project with my supervising lecturer by learning and teaching Law at the University of Winchester. As carrying out the vast majority of ground work and general a dyslexic student, the opportunity to work towards increasing administration. the ‘accessibility’ of reading Law at Winchester has been both an honour and an enlightening experience through which I Our first steps were to recruit ten Student Consultants (SCs) have continuously learnt new skills. The project has become a from the second and third years to assist us with researching platform for further change and improvement within the Law and creating these resources. This was done by speaking to department and next year I hope to make even greater efforts students in lectures and via email, inviting them to apply to assist in the development of my course. for the position. Once the positions had been filled, I brought several of the SCs into a first year law lecture with Impact me to gather qualitative data on which concepts or subject Currently coming to the end of the first year of the SFS, both areas on the law course could be focused upon during our the SU and the LTDU have begun to conduct internal and research. This was done by asking students to decide in external dissemination of the projects. An active internal small groups to list four topics which they considered the dissemination on the intranet is being created, so that most challenging to learn or be taught. lessons learnt or enhancements made in one department can be shared across the institution. When this process is The results from the survey were then analysed by the multiplied by the number of Fellows projects, mass cross- whole cohort of SCs at a focus group meeting. In addition campus student-led enhancement is achieved in a very small to the widely utilised concept of Equity and also so- amount of time. Other internal dissemination of projects called ‘Problem Questions’ which form a large portion of has been through presentations, workshops and posters at assessment formats in all years, the second year modules the University’s Learning and Teaching Day and externally of Criminal and Employment Law were selected as our key at SEDA Spring Conference in May 2014. Recently the SU areas of focus. Each topic was then allocated to a group of and LTDU held a two-day Writers’ Retreat for our Student 2-3 SCs who agreed to complete some individual research Fellows, to give training in academic writing and guidance into their area. in the publication process to help further dissemination. For the Student Fellows themselves, they have gained unique The following weeks were spent devising initial plans for research, negotiation and innovation skills in making change how each group could create an interactive resource for and project management, which has already been reported their topic in ways which would appeal to different learning by Fellows to give them confidence when entering the styles and preferences. Their ideas were then presented at a graduate employability market. second focus group meeting where I facilitated a practical, peer review-style session to provide critique and allow their ideas to be developed further. Final reports were then submitted by the SCs on their resources to allow the legal accuracy of their content to be checked. Plans were also made as to how their resource could be successfully implemented onto the course and reviewed by fellow students.

Summary of each resource:

• Employment Law: A digital video depicting various Laura Hutber and Gabrielle Barnes (Student Fellows) scenarios taking place within a ‘solicitor’s office’, presenting at SEDA Conference, Newcastle (2014) through which a ‘solicitor’ explains the law in an exaggerated, comical manner to a ‘client’ who Conclusion and reflection enquires about their legal predicament As with any new initiative at a Higher Education institution, • Criminal Law: A strategic card game incorporating the SFS has not been without its share of challenges, key offences and defences within Criminal Law to test most of which were oriented around communication, knowledge and understanding both to students and staff involved in the scheme, once • Equity: A digital video using a simple analogy of boats the projects had commenced. Keeping contact with 60 on a river via the use of props to physically and different partnership projects to ensure the student and staff visually explain the key concept of Equity and its experience was at its best was difficult for a management origins team of two, with no previous years to be reflected upon. www.seda.ac.uk 9 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

Also many of the projects would be unique to the scheme, This redesign was also undertaken to make the process more so it was important to bring the Fellows back together to transparent and accessible to staff members who were often provide motivation to continue and to develop a community unclear about the nature of their role. In the first year the of practice. staff role was less developed due to the focus on engaging students in the initial roll-out of the scheme and this is being In reflecting on the first year, the structure of the SFS addressed with further communication and resources to staff has been refined for its second year. Specifically, we are next year. The projects are also running across the whole providing three defined pathways to allow more tailored academic year rather than one semester, to allow more training, guidance and future development. Rather than access to student feedback and enrichment opportunities for restricting the scope of the scheme, these three pathways are our participants such as conferences. designed to broaden the focus and increase the number of projects which explore institution-wide issues: The management and staff-student partnerships have been integral to the success of the scheme and have allowed 1) Enhancement it to continue to grow. Recruitment has already begun Aimed Projects (EAP) for the second year of the scheme, with more exciting Researching issues enhancements and research set to be conducted as the identified from presence of the SFS on campus at Winchester increases. key performance indicators, staff and References students develop Hyland, P., Jessop, T., El-Hakim, Y., Adams, J., Barlow, A., Morgan, G. and Shepherd, C. (2013) FASTECH Feedback and Assessment for the project together. Students with Technology, Report for JISC. 2) Evidence Led Projects (ELP) Dr Stuart Sims is a Research Officer and Co-Manager of the Researching Student Fellows Scheme ([email protected]), evidence-based Tom Lowe is Vice-President, Education and Co-Manager of issues developed Lief Keay-Chaplin (Student Fellow) the Student Fellows Scheme ([email protected]), by students, being promoting the SFS to students and Gabrielle Barnes ([email protected]. matched with ac.uk) and Laura Hutber ([email protected]. suitable staff members. ac.uk) are Student Fellows, at the University of Winchester. 3) Institutionally Strategic Projects (ISP) Researching issues of importance to the whole university, Twitter: @Student_Fellows developed by staff, students or in collaboration. Blog: www.seed-research-centre.com

Enabling creative professional conversations around Academic Leadership through Dialogue

Bridget Hanna, Fiona Campbell and Elaine Mowat, Edinburgh Napier University

Professional conversations are essential engagement with professional described their use within their own to the enhancement of practice in conversations: SEDA, dialogue institution (Flint and Oxley, 2008). any profession (Shaw, 2002; Francis through using dialogue sheets and Describing these as an innovative and D’Annunzio-Green, 2005) and an opportunity to use these around tool to change institutional dialogue can enable employee engagement, conceptualisations of Academic which could be used by academic ownership and empowerment. But Leadership. developers to adopt less traditional how can we support such professional facilitation roles, the workshop conversations in academic development? Thread one: Unpicking the leaders ably modelled this facilitative And how best can we encourage them threads approach. In exemplary SEDA to be creative, democratic, purposeful Participants at the SEDA workshop interactive style, participants had – and enjoyable? Placing Student Voices at the Heart the opportunity not only to learn of Institutional Dialogue in Spring about Dialogue Sheets but also Three key threads wove together 2008 were introduced to Dialogue to experience them by engaging to underpin our approach to Sheets (Holtham and Courtney, in active dialogue with fellow academic development and our 2006) by Flint and Oxley who participants.

10 www.seda.ac.uk Enabling creative professional conversations around Academic Leadership through Dialogue

Impressed and inspired by how inform our thinking we commissioned was particularly useful. This dialogic Dialogue Sheets provided a neutral, a student-generated literature approach was used to surface, structured space for dialogic discussion review. The results led us to the structure and develop the views and which can be logged, we immediately conclusion that we needed to think understandings of Academic as well introduced them to Edinburgh Napier predominantly about the context in as Professional Services staff around and, in the intervening years, we have which Academic Leadership would ‘Academic Leadership’. The outcome developed, extended and used them be enacted. This led us to concluding is a set of key principles which will be to enable strategic discussion which that our Academic Leadership used to underpin the development engages, stimulates and challenges project could have a wider strategic of Academic Leadership at Edinburgh participants. These discussions have impact on the culture around and Napier. focused on various areas including values of our university. We wanted academic transitions, technology- to find a way of generating our We asked six key questions on our enhanced learning and academic programme and for that generation Dialogue Sheets to elicit a current leadership, and we have employed to be transformational, by disrupting state, a desired state, some thought them within institutional conferences, normal ways of talking about about the process and finally some management meetings and cross- leadership through thinking about personal reflection. The six questions sector project teams. Significantly, how we want to lead academically. where: Dialogue Sheets democratise discussion By looking to ourselves rather than and empower participants enabling the at others we could create a space for 1. How does Academic Leadership views of all to be respected and the emergence of a contextualised work at Edinburgh Napier valued. programme that answers our University? institutional needs. These needs 2. What does Academic Leadership But what is dialogue? Isn’t it all just included wanting to stimulate more need to look like to deliver the talk? Alexander (2004) distinguishes boundary-crossing in our approach, Academic Strategy? between conversation as relaxed focusing on the key academic roles of 3. How do you currently demonstrate and often directionless and dialogue Lecturer and Senior Lecturer (rather Academic Leadership in your role? which is characterised by purposeful than on senior roles) and ensuring that 4. How should we develop Academic questioning and the linking of ideas in the process we built a community Leadership at Edinburgh Napier into ‘coherent lines of thinking and of academic leaders. In effect this University? enquiry’ – this is essentially the process was about Edinburgh Napier 5. What are the enablers/barriers to dialogic principle of cumulation. It is re-conceptualising Academic effective Academic Leadership at this type of dialogue within professional Leadership as a University. Edinburgh Napier University? conversations (Francis and D’Annunzio- 6. How would you like to describe Green, 2005) we wanted to enable. This increasing emphasis on a Academic Leadership at Edinburgh contextualised approach to academic Napier University to the Higher We left inspired and began employing leadership meant that a dialogic tool Education Sector in Scotland? Dialogue Sheets in our work and developing them further to engage, stimulate and challenge colleagues in multiple contexts. One of those contexts has been in our approach to developing a programme to support the development of our academic leaders.

Thread two: Academic Leadership and the importance of institutional context Academic Leadership has been identified as critical for the development of the HE sector as a whole (Leadership Foundation Strategy, 2010-2014) and has been identified as central to our institution’s strategic direction in our strategic review.

There is a very real lack of agreement around definitions of academic leadership (Bolden et al., 2012). To Using a dialogue sheet for Academic Leadership

www.seda.ac.uk 11 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

Notably, staff found the most difficult • Academic Leadership is personal development through question to answer (as evidenced emerging and dynamic. engaging in reflective practice, through their completed dialogue We therefore remain open to dialogue and feedback. sheets) was Question 3. It seems we all views and contributions, • The principle of academic are used to asking this question of however challenging, diverse freedom and autonomy is others but not of ourselves. This is and controversial, and are valued as being fundamental to potentially an important institutional supportive of a continuing the exercise of thought blind spot in many institutions: dialogue around its scope and leadership and the nature. advancement of innovation in ‘It’s interesting, isn’t it, that we • Academic Leadership cannot teaching, learning, and applied were are all asking you for a be neatly defined; it is complex, research. definition when we should really multi-faceted, and includes • In recognition of the creative be thinking about what Academic both formal and informal tension between business and Leadership means to ourselves leadership roles which cross Academic Leadership, the first.’ (Participant) boundaries. Therefore, in development of Academic developing Academic Leadership takes place within The main focus of the sessions was Leadership we acknowledge this context and is broadly an opportunity for participants to and embrace this ambiguity and aligned with organisational engage in dialogue with each other, complexity. aims and values. We fulfil our in order to experience ‘thinking • The development of Academic academic aims through all areas together’, not simply ‘reporting out old Leadership should happen of the University and have a thoughts’ (Isaacs, 1999). Participants within an environment responsibility to work across were invited to consider Kantor’s which supports quality, learning, professional and discipline Four Player Model (Kantor, 2012) and innovation and promotes boundaries with respect and the significance of a good balance of effective and collaborative understanding. We are all advocacy (moving and opposing) and working. It covers both the working to the same purpose. inquiry (following and bystanding) for development of Academic effective dialogue. Dialogue sheets Leadership at both individual To leverage strategic support for the were used to democratise and capture and organisational levels. principles we involved key sponsors the thinking of the groups. • In recognition of the diversity of within both academic departments Academic Leadership and and Human Resources. Building on The entire process took several months academic areas across the this work we have taken the principles to roll out across all campuses and University, approaches to the to both our University Leadership faculties. Finally we had the substance development of Academic Team and to our Academic Strategy of what was important to all our Leadership are tailored, and Enhancement Committee (ASEC). colleagues about how our academic blended and balanced These important strategic bodies leaders should develop. We surfaced between meeting individual, supported our approach and the quite a lot of tangential information role and organisational outputs. It also stimulated some wider in the process so it was important development need. Leadership conversations about our approach. to honour this and to provide development occurs across opportunities for the University to professional practice as well as Reflecting on where we are now and address issues in other relevant ways in formal programmes. how we need to move forward we are such as through staff engagement • All staff have a personal aware that Dialogue Sheets themselves processes. It was also important to responsibility for being are only one way of approaching the close the communication loop and let committed to their own need to disrupt normal patterns of colleagues know how we would take development and for taking the interactions. There is a chance we their thinking forward. development of Academic could over-use this one approach. The Leadership (both their own and, key to its usefulness is its disruptive These are the ten key principles as appropriately, that of nature through which it equalises and identified as important for Academic colleagues) seriously. therefore democratises contributions. Leadership at Edinburgh Napier • Academic Leadership is, at Because of our boundary-spanning University: heart, collegiate. We all have a approach (our core premise is that responsibility for our own all of our colleagues have something • The outcomes of Academic actions and how we work with to contribute to the definition and Leadership are aligned with colleagues across the university development of Academic Leadership), student outcomes, in terms to produce a culture which this tool was useful in taking away of both student learning and values Academic Leadership. some of the power issues that could employability. There are clear expectations have emerged within the sessions. • The development of Academic of each of us in fulfilling our One of the defining moments so far Leadership is valued and seen self- and personal leadership in the project has been reading the as central to the organisation. and staying open to continuing sorts of comments participants have

12 www.seda.ac.uk Enabling creative professional conversations around Academic Leadership through Dialogue made. We have already changed their how dialogue sheets might be used to References conceptions of Academic Leadership facilitate discussion around important Alexander, R. J. (2004) Towards Dialogic and perhaps we underestimated the issues like Academic Leadership. We Teaching. Rethinking classroom talk, 1st usefulness of early interventions as also wanted our SEDA colleagues to edition, York, Dialogos. part of the development itself. experience how this could happen and Bolden, R., Gosling, J. and O’Brien, A. (2012) to be able to take this back to their Academic Leadership: changing conceptions, identities and experiences in UK higher The Academic Professional own institutional practice: education, Project Report London: Leadership Development approach has therefore Foundation for Higher Education. been to define Academic Leadership ‘Embodied how to run an Flint, A. and Oxley, A. (2008) ‘Placing student in a way that is contextualised and interesting workshop with voices at the heart of institutional dialogue’, supports how those of us involved in emphasis on experimental SEDA Spring conference, May 2008, London the academic endeavour want it to learning, thank you.’ (Participant) (http://tinyurl.com/nf5xuyx). develop. This is perhaps something Francis, H. and D’Annunzio-Green, N. (2005) ‘HRM and the pursuit of a service culture: quite different to other development Weaving a future managerial encounters with competing programmes: This year sees us moving Academic discourses’, Employee Relations Journal, 27, 1, Leadership into a development stage pp. 71-85. ‘I found the session really in tune with the principles developed Holtham, C. and Courtney, N. (2006) ‘About different from anything I’d through dialogue and using dialogue dialogue sheets’, Quality in Business Education been to before. I felt valued (available at http://www.qube.ac.uk/QuBE/ sheets. The fact that these were toolbox/diags/dialogsheet/dialsht/). and listened to. Wonderful.’ introduced to us through SEDA and Isaacs, W. (1999) Dialogue and the Art of (Participant) that we have had a chance to come Thinking Together: a pioneering approach back to SEDA focusing on one of to communicating in business and in life, Thread three: Returning to the most important issues facing all Doubleday, New York. SEDA our institutions today is testament Kantor, D. (2012) Reading the Room: group to their continued salience. That as dynamics for coaches and leaders, Jossey-Bass, We returned to SEDA in 2013 with CA. our innovative use of professional academic developers we continue to Leadership Foundation Strategy 2010-2014 conversations and Dialogue Sheets. engage with strategic change and with (available at http://www.lfhe.ac.uk/). each other seems to be at the core of By enabling fellow developers to Shaw, P. (2002) Changing Conversations experience the potential of this SEDA’s values. in Organizations: a complexity approach facilitative tool, we hope to empower to change, Complexity and Emergence in them in order to develop effective A case study of our use of Dialogue Organizations, Routledge. professional conversations in their Sheets has been developed for the own contexts. University’s LTA Resource Bank (now Bridget Hanna and Elaine Mowat available through JORUM), which are Educational Developers and In running this SEDA session we includes a number of exemplars to Fiona Campbell is Head of Academic wanted our professional conversations encourage the use of Dialogue Sheets Professional Development, at to be around an appreciation of just in different contexts. Edinburgh Napier University.

Dialogue as a developmental tool

Peter Lumsden, University of Central Lancashire, and Laurence Eagle, University of Sunderland

This article shows how an ongoing dialogue between staff with In 2010, Laurence attended a meeting of course leaders shared academic identities (the authors were both trained and others involved with PGCerts in learning and teaching in the Biosciences) can have unexpected benefits in their in higher education in the North. A chance meeting at the common role as educational developers. coffee machine led them to a chat from which it quickly became apparent that they shared not only a discipline and Background educational background but also an interest in different Peter and Laurence both studied biology as undergraduates, forms of feedback. Peter had carried out a study on audio after which Laurence taught biochemistry for 18 years and feedback but was not sure what to do with the data he had Peter, after gaining a PhD and doing a post-doc in Japan, generated and Laurence suggested that it was publishable on taught a mix of biology subjects for 15 years. Several years its own and that he would like to perhaps use some of it as a ago Peter moved into the field of educational development, basis for a collaborative project into audio feedback. and became a module tutor on the PGCert in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education at his home institution. Laurence Peter then presented a poster on this work at the November is the programme leader for the PGCert at his university. 2011 SEDA conference and expressed his intention to

www.seda.ac.uk 13 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014 publish it in a journal. Laurence had embarked on his own For the next cohort (12/13), Laurence will relate to UK PSF study into audio feedback based partly on Peter’s work more overtly. and the two of them were then asked by James Wisdom to prepare and submit an article for Educational Developments. As a further aside, Laurence is reading up on e-portfolios….

Structure of this article Reflection: We both agreed that through the ongoing We agreed to maintain a dialogue, sharing our evolving exchange with participants, we will obviate the need for experiences as tutors on our respective PGCert programmes. summative feedback. During a reflection assignment there are This article follows the development of this dialogue between both our formative comments and their own self-assessment colleagues with a shared academic identity/culture over a – achieved simply by their doing it. Laurence is taking this period of two years. This has enabled us to communicate further by getting participants to submit extracts of their quickly (an academic shorthand of sorts) and gain a trust that learning journals as evidence for their achievement of the might have been more difficult had we come from different different dimensions of the UK PSF. disciplines. The initial focus was around audio feedback, but soon this extended to a wider conversation on issues We then moved on to discuss how to do feedback on a relating to our roles; here Peter’s experience in educational written piece, and our experiences of Turnitin. Laurence uses development has also allowed Laurence to reflect upon his comment boxes in Word to annotate scripts, which actually new role and allowed him to appreciate his new academic led to more insightful comments than did hand-written identity. annotations. The same thing happens for Laurence on Grade- mark. However, although he finds it great as a submission There follows a mix of a direct account of discussions tool, making the process easier, and the plagiarism detection (recorded by Peter at the time), together with subsequent is a bonus, he does not like the fact that you have to remain reflections on these (italicised), and an overall view on online whilst marking the scripts. I asked about Grade-mark how this dialogue has informed our developing practice, and highlighting – Laurence told me that if you download the particularly in the context of our PGCert programmes. file, you get a pdf showing where you have highlighted.

27 January 2012: Face-time discussion Actions – Peter to explore how to deal with mass audio Laurence said that on seeing Peter’s SEDA poster he went feedback, so that participants don’t see everyone else’s away with the idea of this being a good thing to do, and to comments. try it. Talking with someone else about the approach was a confidence builder. Reflection (Peter): We are talking the same language, and ideas seem to bounce back and forth; the idea of developing He has applied it to a blog which PGCert participants approaches to and use of audio feedback seems to be produce. The assignment was initially participants simply widening to cover formative feedback as an essential component writing about their experiences, and was voluntary. Some of learning; the dialogue activity we are engaging in is of itself people did, and then Laurence started to make comments interesting – is this actually the main focus of the paper?? on it. ‘Keep a diary’ was the old format and was used to illustrate examples of participants’ practice. Laurence Reflection (Laurence): My immediate thoughts are that we then put the exercise online, which is why he was able to are starting to enact our conversations, in that our reflections comment, using the WebCT journaling tool. The current are becoming triggers for our actions concerning the operation 11/12 cohort blog every week to the brief of: ‘some of our individual programmes. reflection on something that has happened to you’. 2 October 2012 Laurence decided to give audio feedback a try, using the Laurence proposed that we do a joint presentation at audio app on a mobile phone, as this was easier for him the HEA annual meeting. For Laurence this would be the than an MP3 recorder. He piloted the approach with a group first collaborative research presentation that he has ever of 15 with whom he had a positive and social relationship. committed to. He found that audio feedback is quicker, and suits his style. When asked ‘how are you finding this?’ one participant 21 March 2013: Phone call preferred written, and for her, Laurence carried on doing Very positive comments from participants on the ongoing use written feedback, though he noticed that it took longer of recording messages on mobile phone for feedback. This doing written comments. Other participants have said that year (12/13) Laurence has gone the whole hog with audio audio is more authentic. As a further development, one feedback on written work. He was using track changes in student wanted to give audio feedback to Laurence! This Word for summative written assessment, and then went fully cohort started off hesitantly, but is getting more comfortable. onto audio for commenting on student reflective diaries. Keeping it going is a challenge. At the moment the blogs are private between individual participants and Laurence. In a separate development, his PGCert group are indicating in their diary entries which of the dimensions of the PSF apply. For Laurence audio is typically a couple of minutes, which is much quicker than written. He attaches the audio file to Reflection (Laurence): This represented a sea change in replies in WebCT. assessment practice in that an assignment was being used

14 www.seda.ac.uk Dialogue as a developmental tool in this case not only for measuring progress but also as a as I asked Laurence about his being at home, to which method for supporting participants throughout their early he replied that he was planning his schedule for the years of teaching. whole year. I had intended to discuss the pedagogy of assessment criteria, but at this point Laurence mentioned 12 June 2013: Skype his preparation for Descriptor 3 of the UK PSF, which We seemed to have moved to talking about social media, took us off down the path of comparing the schemes at and Laurence mentioned Google+. Google Hangouts our institutions – UCLan is still at a pilot stage, with the sounds like something (else!) for me to explore. Could this intention of using a dialogue route (as for Descriptor 2); be used in the PGCert here at UCLan? Sunderland uses a submission to a panel. This discussion galvanised Laurence to say that he would have a draft of his Returned to the feedback used on the PGCert, and the Descriptor 3 by the time of the Friends of the North meeting reflective account of a teaching session by participants. This in Durham. led us to talk about how to improve learning outcomes by applying learning theory, and how, from my in-house So, on to assessment criteria/marking criteria. The context research, undergraduates certainly say that one-to-one here is that I am writing a document to become part of the feedback on their work is ideal. Laurence: ‘interesting you University guide to assessment. I explained that I needed to should say that….’, and indicates that our conversation has produce something by way of generic criteria, but I wanted thrown up another idea. Ah yes, I could do this by Skype! these to be clearly separate from the marking criteria, ….or maybe we could offer them the option of face to which are linked to specific assignments. My thinking had face or Skype. We then explored the fact that some people progressed to the point of using different language, and might not like audio so we do need to give them the option. referring to learning outcomes per se, rather than to use Laurence then noted that he sometimes says something in any wording associated with cognitive activity. Laurence audio that he might not say face to face…i.e. the audio may suggested that the concept of value-added and the evidence have a greater richness in terms of content as well as scoring for that might be useful, since this was essentially the from the angle of the affective domain. conceptual model underlying assessment for learning.

We then discussed the HEA meeting and ‘our Talk’ – We then talked about the ‘journey’, which we had already agreed that we would first review briefly what our learning talked about with Descriptor 3. This sparked ideas around has been so far (which sounds very much like the critical assessment practice, and the submission of drafts as part of discussion we run as one of the assignments on the first the actual assignment, and to judge the improvement from module of the PGCert), and then we would ‘wing it’, doing draft to final submission. This could be referred to in the a ‘live’ conversation around a recent experience – e.g. I feedback, but also the student might comment on this as (PL) am to run an Adobe Connect session next week on the part of their final submission. PGCert. Laurence then really got carried away and suggested that a HEA conference 2013 way to further distinguish assessment criteria from marking The poster and the live session were both very successful criteria would be to remove the numerical categories, and (Eagle and Lumsden, 2013). The poster evolved naturally to use non-numerical designators such as A, B, C, D – he between us, with Laurence providing an outline with speech also sent me a link to the HEA project which will look at bubbles, which I looked at and ‘saw’ a DNA spiral as the alternatives to degree classification. Am now progressing this scaffold onto which we could attach the speech bubbles. and will send Laurence an update shortly. Using Dropbox allowed us to develop the idea effectively. 3 March 2014: Phone call Our ‘talk’ also went well: Happy new year, Laurence, as he is about to start a block of two weeks for the PGCert cohort, and I, having just Helen Barefoot (@HelenBarefoot) 03/07/2013 14:44 finished a week of level 6 workshops, now have a group Very much enjoying seeing @PLumsden & @legal69 progressing to start one of the level 7 modules. Again, the having a great conversation about their PGCert parallels in our development were quite eerie. Laurence developments at respective HEIs #HEAconf13 is using PGCert graduates to deliver some of the material in that their experiences are now being fed back to the And following that we had this email from one of those who current cohort, and I also have previous participants lined attended our session: up to deliver some sessions. We’ve both started using social media more widely; I have set up a Facebook group for the 15.7.13 Had my first meeting with X by Skype PGCert cohort and Laurence is intending to make use of this afternoon – inspired by your and Laurence’s Twitter during the coming session. All of this links through presentation. It was really productive and useful. PGC to a common issue for us, namely building communities Buddies are taking off! of practice within schools/departments. We both have a frustration that the enthusiasm that is developed during 25 September 2013: Skype the PGCert is not sustained after participants complete the A further Skype session with Laurence which took us into course. We plan to do a final comparison at the end of the unexpected but very fruitful territory. It actually began month. www.seda.ac.uk 15 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

Overall reflections a new approach to classroom teaching in that I became part of the student cohort for sessions I was not teaching, thus Peter: This dialogue has happened at a time of considerable allowing me to become an active participant in the delivery of change e.g. I am now course leader of the PGCert. Although the Programme’s learning outcomes. not frequent it has always provided stimulation and each time I have come away with at least one idea. I can probably All of these developments stem directly or indirectly from the identify three significant developments where the dialogue has dialogues I have been having with Peter as can be seen from directly assisted me: these discussion notes. Our shared academic backgrounds seem to have allowed us to form and sustain a partnership a) I have become far more intimately involved in the even when our institutional environments might have worked pedagogy of assessment and feedback, both at a practical against us (Lee, 2004). Our shared culture has allowed us level within the PGCert course, but have also actively to reinforce our academic identities even in times of great sought ways of contributing within my University e.g. change (Becher, 1990; Henkel, 2005), and achieve curricular writing a University guide, and running workshops for enhancements that we would not have gained without our schools continuing collaboration (Briggs, 2007; Eagle and Lumsden, b) On the PGCert course, our discussion has stimulated 2013). me to try different technologies; one assignment is now a blog, which has evolved to a shared blog using the References Blackboard blog tool Becher, T. (1990) ‘The counter-culture of specialisation’, European c) Dialogue as a tool itself within CPD – since my Journal of Education, vol. 25, no. 3, Disciplinary Cultures, pp. 333-346. relationship with Laurence began, I have become an Briggs, C. L. (2007) ‘Curriculum collaboration: a key to continuous assessor for SD2, and have carried out a number of program renewal’, Journal of Higher Education, vol. 78, no. 6, pp. 676- these, and am now on the point of embarking on my 711. own path to D3. Eagle, L. A. and Lumsden, P. (2013) ‘“Peterful” working: how cross- institutional dialogue can enhance the learning and teaching experience for students in both institutions’, HEA Annual conference, 2013. Laurence: Over the last three years I have changed the Henkel, M. (2005) ‘Academic identity and autonomy in a changing culture of my PGCert to enhance the student experience and policy environment’, Higher Education, 49, pp. 155-176. this has led to a greater achievement rate on the programme Lee, J. (2004) ‘Comparing institutional relationships with academic (32% to 100% successful completion of the programme). departments: a study of five academic fields’, Research in Higher These steps have included: use of online critical incident Education, vol. 45, no. 6, pp. 603-624. diaries to give timely and individual feedback to new staff as they progress through their first year of teaching; the rewriting Peter Lumsden is a Principal Lecturer in the Learning of course handbooks to be more student centred; regular Development Unit at the University of Central Lancashire, social meetings to develop group cohesion and identity; and Laurence Eagle is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of individual meetings with staff to discuss problems/issues; and Education and Society at the University of Sunderland.

International consultancy: Reflections on, and implications for, educational development

Mike Laycock, HE Consultant

For a number of years now I have in spite of my own western European continuous, seamless human undertaken consultancy in countries norms and values. communication and connection). I as disparate in culture and educational have included recorded comments traditions as Indonesia, India, and the The consultancy example I would of staff and students in interviews Western Balkans. Although most of like to draw on to exemplify my undertaken at the time to illustrate these have not involved acting directly reflections on these issues involved these reflections. as an educational developer, they my role in evaluating the effectiveness have challenged my preconceptions of a Tempus project in 2012 which, Tawasol and sometimes confirmed many of my ambitiously, was attempting to The project was to support the own assumptions and beliefs about introduce service learning into five creation of effective cross-curricula educational development. I have learnt universities in two countries in the service learning and ‘civic engagement from people with whom I have worked Middle East – Lebanon and Jordan. centres’ in Jordan and Lebanon and have offered observations that I The project became known by its through utilising the specialist expertise have hoped were culturally relevant, Arabic name ‘Tawasol’ (implying and resources of EU universities. This

16 www.seda.ac.uk International consultancy: Reflections on, and implications for, educational development consortium of nine universities (4 There have been some rather grand institutional culture and that it was EU, 3 Jordanian and 2 Lebanese) was transformational claims about service important for each to develop their involved in putting this application learning. Butin’s (2006) analysis own understanding of the importance together, led by a university in the ‘reveals some of the fundamental and of service learning. United Kingdom. To my knowledge, underlying assumptions of the service- none of the university representatives, learning field’. He notes that much The project certainly demonstrated including the project coordinators, had discussion views: that service learning can find a formal background in educational enthusiastic support across divergent development but each faced what ‘The notion of service-learning as cultural, political and religious developers face in attempting to an overarching and transformative boundaries, though different introduce new models of learning in agent of social change and social cultural interpretations can and do their own institutions. justice in higher education and occur within institutions, between society more generally by focusing institutions in the same country and In addition to establishing these on three specific claims made by between different countries in the centres the Tawasol Project was to the service-learning movement – Middle East. Extrapolation from this engage in the ‘training and education that service-learning is a means (a) general principle of generating local of administrative and academic staff’ to transform pedagogy, (b) to usher meaning would mean that most/many in delivering service learning and in a more democratic and socially educational development projects will civic engagement partnerships and just politics in higher education, find greater support once the project programmes; the preparation and and (c) to redirect post-secondary has acknowledged that meaning training of students; the establishment institutions outward toward public for particular institutions/faculties/ of effective community engagements work rather than inward toward departments/disciplines. and partnerships with enterprises; academic elitism.’ (Butin, 2006, and the promotion of cross-cultural p. 478) Dealing with traditional learning and understanding. academic cultures and The cultural portability of institutional resistance From its inception, then, a number of service learning Even with the backing of European assumptions concerning educational In acknowledging this grand narrative funding, project representatives development were made – and what initially intrigued me about found the introduction of service principally that ‘Centres’ would the project was the assumption that learning a complicated task in terms further the cause of the service service learning, having US origins, of traditional academic cultures. This learning project and that staff was deemed culturally portable to is acknowledged in the literature. development was key to successful universities in the Middle East despite Zlotkowski (1995), for example, has implementation. Tempus officials suggesting that the asserted that the institutionalisation of project proposal ‘did not demonstrate service learning requires institutions Since my evaluation was conducted why the concept of service learning to go far beyond implementation in the final year of this 3-year project and civic engagement was particularly issues and will ultimately depend on I was keen to see whether their important for the partner countries’. the complete ‘transformation of a set experience had added anything to of elitist, self-referential academic these initial assumptions. However, it became clear that, in the assumptions’ (Zlotkovski, 1995, p. main, partners were clear about the 130). Staff admitted that: Service learning importance of service learning but with Service learning involves students in notable differences between them. In ‘There are major tensions in community projects addressing and the Lebanon, service learning seemed importing the idea of service contributing to the wellbeing of local to have a strong political impetus to its learning to the Middle East. We and national communities. Unlike development and success. By contrast, need to speak frankly and openly volunteering it is formally assessed service learning in Jordan seemed to about the limitations. In this part and is credited towards the student’s be directed towards national pride of the world which has all the course. The initial Tempus grant and helping the advancement of the problems you can imagine, still the application claimed that: country. For example, when asked why universities think they are towers he had become involved in service for the élite.’ (Staff: Lebanon) ‘Service-learning, as a pedagogical learning a computing student said: methodology, began in the US Of special interest to me was how but has, since relatively humble ‘It’s my country so I have to be relative novices in both service learning beginnings in the early 1980s, involved. There is a need for and/or educational development dealt been exported across the globe developing these systems in our with inevitable feelings of peripheral [and that] Jordan and Lebanon country.’ (Student: Jordan) participation in the dominant socio- will be seen as an exemplar of the cultural life of their universities when trend to greater university and It was clear from the evaluative the legitimacy of their pedagogical, local community engagement in research that each institution in social and political beliefs in terms universities around the world.’ Jordan and Lebanon had its own of service learning was sometimes in www.seda.ac.uk 17 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014 question. Underwood et al. (2000) weekly basis. So we work with staff are engaged in the fulfilment also noted these difficulties and departments on certain projects of that mission.’ (Holland, 2009, complexities for developers in: – like working with the Landscape p. 31) Department.’ (Staff: Lebanon) ‘Confronting institutional The assumption of staff resistance and opportunity, of Mission/strategic plans development testing the boundaries of their Many were clear that the long-term The original Tempus bid placed knowledge of the institution in success of service learning was, to emphasis on the supposed importance which they work and its resilience an extent, dependent on a strategic of staff development in securing the or impenetrability.’ (Underwood approach to its development. Some embedding of service learning in the et al., 2000, p. 11) felt that it would be important to refer participating universities, creating a to the mission of the university but that core membership with the awareness The development of ‘Civic this did not guarantee progress which and skills to drive change from Engagement Centres’ in some cases was challenging: course level upwards and outwards Would the establishment of Civic across the universities. Workshops, Engagement Centres be without ‘Despite the fact that the first held in various locations, were a key controversy? Certainly there seemed statement of our mission is to facet of the project and were well to be more institutional persuasion serve the community in many received by staff from all partner required than just the initial financial ways.’ (Staff: Jordan) institutions. Though staff development outlay: was successful they questioned the ‘We needed to convince the extent to which such development ‘We said (to the President) we President and this wasn’t was a necessary, but not necessarily need to have a task force to see easy because there are a few sufficient, lever for change: misunderstandings among the if there is enough interest. This ‘I think the staff development senior staff so we struggled. But engages all the faculty members. side of it has been very successful the idea of community service The long term goal is to try and but how quantifiable that has is in the central mission of this initiate a Centre.’ (Staff: Lebanon) been in terms of reform of the University historically.’ (Staff: curriculum I’m not sure. Now I’m Lebanon) ‘Because of the diversity of the being more prescriptive and we colleges we have at the university, are now gathering documentation ‘It needs to be in the strategic plan to have our own centre is a and asking what is on that course of the School. All Schools here good idea but it will have to take and how is it embedded.’ (Co- have a strategic plan. If it is in the into consideration the nature of Director, UK) teaching in each school.’ (Staff: strategic plan then there should Jordan) be something measurable...say Within institutions – ‘Top down’ in 2020 we should have 50% of and ‘bottom up’ development The only private university in the our courses with service learning.’ Two basic implementation models project had other concerns in its (Staff: Jordan) seemed to be in evidence across the recognition for the need for a Centre: These views are supported by partnership. The first was reliant on individual enthusiasm from individual ‘It’s difficult to persuade the the literature. Holland (2009), for members of staff, usually encouraged University. It’s important to example, has noted that: by the co-ordinators: have a central Centre...but we ‘For the service movement to be are academics and they are the ‘It’s important to start with the owners and they have to see the sustained and institutionalized, right people. When I chose people economic benefits. We could each institution must develop its I spoke to students and asked make an economic study and try own understanding of the degree who is the closest person to them to justify it...’ (Staff: Jordan) to which service is an integral in their faculty. I really wanted component of the academic people to believe in the idea so I At one university in Lebanon, the mission.’ (Holland, 2009, p. 30) interviewed people to see if they Centre began without EU funding. were motivated.’ (Staff: Jordan) Community outreach had always been And that: an institutional function. Its approach ‘It should start from the was ‘project driven’ reducing the ‘Every institution needs to department. As long as you keep workload for departments: establish a clear and definitive it optional everyone will support statement of mission that it. If it’s mandatory it will be ‘Establishing projects and reflects its own goals. Even more challenged. Service learning needs community partners is a major important is the need for strong to be part of each discipline rather part of our work and we have leadership to ensure that the than a common course for the many with whom we work on a energy and ambition of faculty and University.’ (Staff: Jordan)

18 www.seda.ac.uk International consultancy: Reflections on, and implications for, educational development

Though this tactic was instrumental Research v teaching As has been noted, a further in allowing more and more individual Third, many recognised that standard assumption of the grant application examples to be developed in a wide promotion routes were governed was that service learning would range of disciplines, staff recognised by disciplinary research rather than find take-up in a wide variety of that further progress was dependent research into service learning: disciplinary settings such as education, on persuading senior managers of environmental sciences, health the value of service learning for their ‘The promotion process is based sciences, human rights, technology university: on how many papers you have and engineering. However, Butin has written. We have no promotional argued that service learning has found ‘If we convince the President basis in terms of service learning its application only in a small range of we might have more strategic so this does not encourage faculty specific disciplines: development but having individual to work with the community even initatives will not work on a larger in their research.’ (Staff: Lebanon) ‘Campus Compact’s (2004) scale or long term.’ (Staff: Jordan) annual membership survey shows ‘Because I am in the engineering the following departments with ‘The administration needs to department my research should be the highest offering of service- encourage people to do it. At the in the engineering field. Research learning courses: education moment it’s ‘‘If you’re interested into service learning would be (69%), sociology (56%), English you can do it; if not, don’t do it’’. “supporting research” (and) all (55%), psychology (55%), Awareness is only one condition this work I cannot put in my file business/accounting (46%), for integration.’ (Staff: Jordan) for promotion in the engineering communications (46%),and field. So that’s frustrating.’ (Staff: health/health related (45%).’ Workload Jordan) (Butin, 2006, p. 479) There were some caveats to the staff development/awareness tactic with Student support and Assessment raised challenging issues an individualistic, voluntary ‘goodwill’ for staff, particularly those for whom approach to development. Workload involvement assessment of reflection had never Within each institution students were was an issue if the use of the Tempus been part of the process in their invited to make presentations both to funding was less than transparent: discipline: students and staff on the work they ‘My colleagues are not interested have been undertaking and its value to ‘For Education, the assessment because teachers in my university them and to their work on the course. of reflection is more usual but and in Jordan are overloaded. This My evaluation further recommended for us technical people we know is like extra work. I had to do it that additional awards for students one plus one equals two! In the and I had to work at nights, talk to were considered such as Citizenship/ technical disciplines I don’t think it other people, talk to managers to Service Learning awards. Staff will be easy to do the assessment get permission and so on.’ recognised the importance of students because we don’t normally assess (Co-Director: Jordan) as ambassadors for service learning: on that basis.’ (Staff: Jordan) ‘We need to do more about Recognition and reward spreading the word. We just need Reflections The evaluation of the Tawasol project Second, the importance of recognition students to talk about their work. I confirmed a number of principles and reward, particularly promotion could speak for hours but it would about the nature of educational for staff, was identified as key to the be nothing like how students development I have held for many long-term development and success speak from the heart about what years and that these principles are of service learning in all the partner they did.’ (Staff: Jordan) universities: perhaps universal and have relevance and application in very different ‘Unless it becomes directly part Assessment of service educational systems and cultures: of the credit for promotion – learning how much you did was service Faculty commented that service • Progress in educational learning – then I don’t think it will learning involved them in reviewing development is managed more spread widely and it will remain a their assessment procedures and, for easily if those encouraged to personal initiative.’ (Staff: Jordan) some, moving outside of the ‘comfort introduce it see its relevance to zone’ of their standard processes and their own institutional/ ‘Motivating people is very procedures: disciplinary culture important and if faculty could • Staff who may be novices be rewarded with a certificate or ‘We need to change the in the practice of educational an award because there is a lot assessment too. We need to development learn through of work involved and people say know that students are learning experience how to deal why should I do extra work – for something not just doing service with institutional peripherality what?’ (Staff: Jordan) learning.’ (Co-Director: Jordan) through a range of tactics www.seda.ac.uk 19 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

designed to reduce resistance. Full engagement High engagement Low engagement These tactics are fundamental to most developments, not just Mission/ Development is Development is an Development is service learning. They include strategic central to mission element of some not mentioned in encouraging: plans and/or institutional faculty strategic mission or faculty - the inclusion of the strategic plans plans strategic plans development in mission Managerial Clear support for Some senior Senior management statements/strategic plans support development from management have little - the engagement and support senior management involved in knowledge of, nor of senior managers in all relevant development involvement in, - increasing staff involvement institutional development through rewarding activities communications in promotion and recognition - the building of centres/ Organisation Bespoke centre/ Designated and Few designated structures specifically to structure institute which dedicated Faculty structures/ promote and support the promotes/supports administration administration to development development to support promote/support - student ambassadors for the development development development promoting it Staff Institutional staff Staff awareness through presentations/ Staff are unaware of involvement awareness of of development development in the publications development is high is present in majority of Faculties - revised assessment policies and apparent in some Faculties and Departments and strategies, if required, to curriculum design and apparent in acknowledge the and interdisciplinary curriculum design development. and collaborative work Perhaps more interesting is that these tactics seem to be universal in Promotion/ Research into Guidelines exist Development is encouraging the institutionalisation of recognition development is for documenting not mentioned in service learning. Furco’s (2002) work, included in criteria and rewarding/ promotion/rewards for example, offers a systematic rubric for hiring and recognising guidelines for gauging incremental progress. He promotion/rewards development operationalises institutionalisation across five distinct dimensions ‘which Student Students encouraged Students Students not are considered by most service- involvement to be ambassadors encouraged encouraged learning experts to be key factors for for development by to promote to promote higher education service-learning making institutional development in development institutionalization’ (Furco, 2002, presentations/ Faculty/ within or outside p. 1): publishing etc. Departmental institution events/meetings

• Philosophy and mission Assessment Development is Development is Development is not • Faculty support and acknowledged in acknowledged acknowledged in involvement revised institutional in changed and assessment • Student support and assessment agreed involvement strategies/policies departmental/ • Community participation and faculty practices partnerships • Institutional support. Table 1 Indicators of an Engaged Institution References Underwood, C., Welsh, M., Gauvain, M. Finally, the matrix (Table 1), right, has and Duffy, S. (2000) ‘Learning at the edges: been designed both to reflect how staff Butin, D. W. (2006) ‘The limits of service- challenges to the sustainability of service in the Middle East saw developmental learning in higher education’, Review of learning in higher education’, Language and Higher Education, vol. 29, no. 4, pp. 473-498, Learning across the Disciplines, 4.3. progress locally and to offer a broad Johns Hopkins University Press. Zlotkowski, Edward (1995) ‘Does service- template based on their reflections Furco, A. (2002) Self-assessment Rubric for and my own in terms of how an learning have a future?’, New England the Institutionalization of Service-Learning in Resource Center for Higher Education engaged institution could demonstrate Higher Education, Berkeley, CA: University of Publications, Paper 16 its commitment to any large-scale California. (http://scholarworks.umb.edu/nerche_ educational development. Since Holland, B. (2009) ‘Analyzing institutional pubs/16). community participation is specific commitment to service: a model of key organizational factors’ [Electronic Version] Mike Laycock is an independent HE to service learning it has not been Michigan Journal of Community Service included in this general matrix. Learning, pp. 30-41. Consultant ([email protected]).

20 www.seda.ac.uk Book Review

pedagogic perspectives and disciplinary backgrounds including English, humanities, philosophy and cultural Book Review studies. The book is divided into three parts: ‘Historical Perspectives’, ‘Emerging Trends’ and ‘Towards a Pedagogy Education as Civic of Hope’. A limitation of the collection, from a non-US Engagement − perspective, is the focus of each section being almost Toward a more entirely on the US. The editors might usefully have excised democratic society the rationale given by one contributor for focusing solely on the American university, ‘because it is acknowledged to be the dominant institution in the world today that governs Gary A. Olson and other countries’ expectations of the university ’ (p. 54). Lynn Worsham (eds.) That aside, readers from all parts of the world can engage with the stimulating theoretical explorations and insights Series: Education, Politics, which transcend geography; these include considerations of and Public Life major international cultural and critical pedagogy theorists, Palgrave Macmillan, 2012 for example, Bourdieu, Gramsci, Dewey and Freire. ISBN: 9781137033697 Educational developers, independent of their geography, might have a warm response to all this; after all, promoting Reference to Satan in the opening of the book immediately critical inquiry and collaboration are key aspects of what grabs the reader’s attention; we learn that US presidential we do. But how to respond to John W. Presley, ‘Even now, candidate Rick Santorum ‘long connected higher education more scientization...in the guise of assessment is aimed at to the work of Satan’ (p. ix). Furthermore, ‘populist rage on holding teachers and faculty “empirically” responsible for the right is aimed at the educated not the wealthy, in spite teaching measurable simplistic outcomes’ (p. 305)? of inequality, insecurity, and impoverishment’ (p. xi). Later there is reference to a widely circulated report, ‘Defending The book would benefit from including more examples civilization: how our universities are failing America and of critical pedagogy in practice. An ‘Afterword’ seems what can be done about it’ (p. 97). Such bombardment, to recognise this, drawing attention to the American together with the aftermath of 9/11, forms the backdrop Democracy Project. Inevitably a collection of journal articles for the ten essays selected from the Journal of Advanced lacks the overall coherence of a set of commissioned book Composition (JAC). These essays construct a powerful and contributions. Yet it is the passionately argued-for role of impassioned assault on the values and practices of corporate, critical pedagogy which gives the book consistency and market-driven higher education. Collectively, they argue for purchase. Here civic engagement is not bolt-on activity for education as civic engagement, which as Susan Searls Giroux students; rather there is recognition that civic engagement puts it, ‘revitalises the relationship between the university and has to be striven for and centred at the core of student public life...Educators must not only demystify those forms of learning to build and sustain democracy. This collection knowledge that undermine democratic social relations, but merits careful study. also provide opportunities for students to engage in public discourses, deliberations, and social relations that put into Kristine Mason O’Connor is Emeritus Professor place democratic identities, practices, and values’ (p. 41). Higher Educational Development at the University of Gloucestershire and Lindsey McEwen is Professor of The authors are well up to making the case for education Environmental Management at the University of the West of as civic engagement – equipped as they are with critical England. Copyright Notice to Copyright for all published material is held by SEDA unless stated otherwise. Contributors may use their material elsewhere after publication without permission, but the Publishers following note should be added: ‘First published in Educational Developments, issue number and date’. Permission is required for use by a third party. Books for review should Articles in Educational Developments have been refereed for quality and edited for publication be sent to: by the Editorial Committee. We welcome articles that have been created through open electronic media such as personal blogs and discussion lists. Once published in Educational Developments, such articles should be acknowledged in the format described above. SEDA The publishers have endeavoured to find the copyright holders of all material in this magazine. If Woburn House, we have infringed copyright, we shall be pleased, on being satisfied as to the owner’s title, to pay 20 - 24 Tavistock Square, an appropriate fee as if prior permission had been obtained. London Every effort has been made to ensure accuracy in all published material. However, the Editorial WC1H 9HF Committee and the publishers cannot accept any liability for any inaccuracy accepted in good faith from reputable sources. Email Any opinions expressed are those of the authors. [email protected]

www.seda.ac.uk 21 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014 What are the student academic representatives of 2014-15 prioritising?

Debbie McVitty, NUS

Over the summer students’ union representatives care about. If anyone larger conversation to be had about elected officers are likely to attend ever makes grand claims about whether technology could support an NUS residential training event to ‘what students want’, be sure to tell achieving the intended learning develop themselves as representatives, them that in 2014-15 alone students outcomes from a lecture in a more build networks with student sabbatical identified 83 different concerns from creative way than simply posting officers in other institutions and grow Academic Societies to Widening a recording. Or even to challenge their understanding of national policy Participation by way of Bursaries, the idea that the lecture is the issues and NUS campaign priorities. Community, E-Books, Fair Pay, Global primary vehicle for learning in higher One of our events is called Education Learning Partnerships, Mentoring, education. and Representation and it is targeted Postgraduate Facilities, Reading Weeks, at students elected into education or Student-led Learning and Virtual Despite all this infinite variety of academic affairs roles in their unions. Learning Environment. Truly our sector student concern, three issues stand far is as diverse as they say. above the rest, and these will surprise The overriding theme of the course almost nobody. In reverse order is making change in education and Encouragingly for the educational these are: Employability, Assessment to do that we make participants do development community, a significant and Feedback and Student Voice. all kinds of uncomfortable things like number named Teaching and Learning It is perhaps, unsurprising that research a policy topic and prepare a (or Learning and Teaching) as an area elected students’ union officers paper, blog or video on their findings, of priority work. Study resources also focus on student voice; this is after all in the course of three hours. We make an appearance, with students all one of the core purposes of a make them pretend to be a Vice- manifesting particular concern about students’ union and in the sphere of Chancellor or university finance study space. Increasingly a concern academic representation normally manager and make tough decisions for equality and diversity is perceived falls to the education officer to about how to respond to external as part of the job of an academic oversee. But it might also indicate policy change. We give them a representative, with students citing the widespread need for a more whistle-stop tour of quality, pedagogy, disability, fair access and inclusive rigorous consideration of student student experience, fair access and curricula as among their priority voice concepts and practices; as the myriad of other topics they will concerns. Some concerns, admittedly, higher education delivery and be called upon to be knowledgeable caused some scratching of heads – students diversify, the ‘student on about in their roles. including the officer who, opaquely, a committee’ model is creaking identified ‘Transparency’ as a key ominously. But the course is not just for them. priority. Another cited Social Justice, Each of these attendees comes from which is heartening in this era of Given the amount of effort invested a different institution in the UK and marketisation and offers a pleasing in assessment and feedback in recent each was elected by students with counterweight to the student officer years it might be disappointing to see a mandate for lobbying for change who prioritised Value for Money. students continue to identify it as an in their education. By analysing area for development. But a more their manifestos we gain an insight Technology is a growing area of positive spin is that students recognise into what is bothering students concern, particularly the ever- its importance. They want the parts right now (or at least, their elected controversial lecture capture. of their learning experience that representatives). I make no claim to Representatives are keen to ensure contribute the most directly to their scientific accuracy in the following that lectures are available to success to be good – whatever that paragraphs – we simply read their students who are unable (or perhaps means. More than that, they want manifestos and logged their identified unwilling) to attend in person. There to have a say in what their learning priorities. Of the 85 delegates to is an opportunity here to harness the looks like. Finally, they want to be the course we were able to identify disruptive power of technology to confident that they will be prepared at least one priority for 63 of them more constructive ends than merely to face the outside world when they and the majority of these had three giving students another excuse to have completed their qualification. distinct priorities. skip the lecture. Lecture capture is of course valuable for students with Dr Debbie McVitty is the Head of The first thing that strikes you is the specific learning needs and those Further and Higher Education at the sheer diversity of things that student on shift work but there may be a National Union of Students.

22 www.seda.ac.uk Creating an online portfolio for SEDA Fellowship Creating an online portfolio for SEDA Fellowship

Susannah Quinsee, City University, London

Rather longer ago than I care to remember I attended a development session on preparing my SEDA fellowship I should also add at this point that I had decided, with help portfolio. After discussing various techniques for reflection from my mentor (thanks Shân Wareing), to write my narrative and the kind of evidence that we might use we were as a ‘year in the life of’. This was a great format as it enabled invited to view some successful portfolios. Turning around, me to cover all the criteria but in a more natural way. It I was confronted by a table groaning with mighty tomes of also avoided repetition and made it easier to ensure that paperwork. In black forbidding folders. I summoned the I covered all the requirements with a variety of examples. strength to lift one of these and nearly collapsed under the This was particularly useful for ensuring that the SEDA values weight. Once opened, though, the portfolios were full of were covered. It is a useful way to structure the work as the vibrant, engaging material, but also complicated systems of narrative flow I found more fluid and I would recommend it. cross-referencing and tables to ensure that all the evidence It does mean, however, that you need considerable cross- was cross-matched to the right criteria. Whilst obviously referencing and the ability to link files in multiple ways. representing a tremendous effort and culmination of work, I wasn’t convinced that presenting the evidence in this manner My initial plan was to use a dedicated portfolio tool. I really did justice to the thought and inter-connectedness of was drawn to Mahara. As the company’s website proudly the work submitted. There must be a different way, I thought, proclaims: and vowed to find it. ‘Mahara is a fully featured web application to build your A year later, and with woefully little completed on my electronic portfolio. You can create journals, upload portfolio, I discovered I was pregnant with twins about the files, embed social media resources from the web and same time that I grasped the fact that the fellowship route collaborate with other users in groups.’ (Mahara.org) was changing. Both these circumstances required me to knuckle down and complete my portfolio with a rather This seemed to fit exactly what I wanted. I could upload files. hard and non-negotiable set of deadlines. Furthermore, the I could embed external resources. There seemed to be the dreaded black plastic portfolio folder had arrived, sitting ability to add in external users. It is open source, there are glowering at me from under my desk, chiding me for my lack lots of free sites. Great. of progress. Something had to be done. No, not great. Two hours later, and nearly in tears, I would The idea of creating an e-portfolio appealed to me, not just have been quite happy if I never heard of Mahara again because I wanted to do something different, but also because (apologies if you are a lover of it, we just didn’t have the all my work is so located in the digital environment. Having a chemistry). I have to add the caveat at this point that Mahara background in e-learning too, I seemed to owe it to my work may have developed since, as it was three years ago that and profession to present my portfolio in digital form. It’ll be I was attempting to shoehorn my portfolio into it. My first a piece of cake, I thought to myself. problem was that I found it very hard to work out how to link files together. I could upload things easily enough My requirements for a digital portfolio were as follows: but couldn’t find them again. Secondly, my structure for describing and analysing my year just wouldn’t work as • Be quick and easy to use I couldn’t link files into multiple places with a narrative. • Ability to upload a range of files – pdf, Office suite, However, my biggest problem was that I couldn’t tag files to images create a tag cloud which would enable the reviewers to just • Link to external web pages click on the particular value or descriptor and easily see all • Create narrative pieces around each file the evidence. I found it really hard to work out whether my • Link files in multiple ways files were public or not and who had access. I think Mahara • Tag files to enable cross-referencing would be great if you are just uploading files without needing • Enable a limited set of users to view the content but to create a framework around them in terms of a narrative or not edit it presenting that framework to others. • Ensure the content is available for a considerable period of time The other big problem I encountered with Mahara was that • Ideally not incur any additional cost or licences although there are indeed many free sites, they are often • Have internal navigation to signpost my examiners limited in functionality. In order to get the file storage I through my content required – a SEDA portfolio can be rather large, particularly • ‘Home’ or ‘landing’ page that introduced the portfolio. if you are including presentations and images – I needed to

www.seda.ac.uk 23 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014 subscribe to a service. If you use marhara.org any content system which seems to imply some kind of ownership but you create expires within twenty four hours, so you have to the very nature of an e-portfolio is that it is user-driven and go elsewhere. I found it hard to know on some sites whether determined. Although not coming up against this in a strong the content I was creating was public or not and how to way as part of this work, I was aware of that tension in trying control the access. Although other subscription services gave to create something that was ostensibly my own portfolio but me additional functionality, and greater ability to control required viewing, accessing and assessment by an external access to my content, they come with a cost attached. agency. There are also additional complexities around Some of the issues I experienced may have been linked to limiting the entire portfolio, in some e-portfolio systems, to the control of various functions on the subscription sites small groups of users or complex processes in which you can I was using. Then there are issues about what access you limit access to various files but not all. get and what tools are available through different services. One particular issue is that you are often very limited on the After discounting both these e-portfolio systems, I was style and templates you can use which limits your ability to rather at a loss as to how to proceed. A simple website? A personalise your portfolio. I think I must have created about big Word document? My colleague, who was completing four or five different portfolios with different sites before I her fellowship application at the same time, was proudly resigned myself to the fact that this wasn’t going to work. filling her black binder and printing out reams of evidence Sorry Mahara – it’s not you…it’s me… with aplomb, which berated my lack of progress. I seemed incapable of proceeding at all with my fellowship application Still determined to use a portfolio tool (that black folder until I had found the right tool. In the meantime, the twin was looking decidedly smug under my desk) I then thought bump was growing larger, a physical manifestation of the I would use Pebblepad. We had an institutional licence for clock ticking towards the deadline. Pebblepad at City and have a couple of fantastic Pebblepad superusers in my team. Pebblepad describes itself as a It was at this point that my partner suggested I look at ‘personal learning system’ (pebblepad.co.uk) and is very Wordpress. An IT geek, at his own admission, he had used popular in a number of UK Universities. I have to admit that Wordpress for a while and indeed I had played around whilst I have dabbled with Pebblepad in the past I have never with it at various points, as well as having a rather neglected been a great fan as I have found it rather counter-intuitive blog (www.sqhq.co.uk). I wasn’t convinced. I thought to the way I wanted to work. However, I have heard very that Wordpress was a rather flat structure for blogging good things about it and I thought that perhaps I had just and wouldn’t enable the file management or content been trying to use it for the wrong thing. Writing a portfolio management that the e-portfolio systems offered me. I had for SEDA must surely be a good application of the software, an account at wordpress.com as I had created a blog for an right? extended trip to America a couple of years before so that I could update the team back home as to what I was up to. Wrong. Again I found myself increasingly frustrated by the inability to link files and create a narrative around them. Wordpress is probably the best known, free and open- Admittedly I was able to do more on Pebblepad than I had source blogging tool, however, it has developed into a been able to achieve with Mahara but it just didn’t fit my relatively sophisticated content management system. It also style in terms of the year-in-the-life-of narrative with links has an inherent bias towards social media integration, due to other applications. On the positive side, you can tag files, to it being a blogging platform, and this means that it has a which is a big plus in terms of portfolio creation. I also got number of neat integration features in terms of social media in quite a mess about access and presentation. It took a long as well as the ability to plug in additional tools. For example, time to upload files and then I would lose track of where I you can create tag clouds easily in Wordpress and link was. I should of course add the caveat that Pebblepad may between items on your blog with relative ease. This was a big have moved on over the past three years, but at that point it plus for me as I really wanted to create a tag cloud so that just didn’t give me the flexibility. my examiners could easily find out which evidence pieces related to the descriptors. One issue that I found myself exploring in my use of both these tools, but particularly something that has bothered The other thing I immediately liked about Wordpress was me with institutionally managed portfolios, is the issue of that I could name the URL for my blog – so I was able to ownership. When we first introduced Pebblepad into City, create a whole site dedicated to my SEDA portfolio. This one of the drivers was the ability for students to create meant that I wasn’t confused as to the content and knew that content that they could then take with them when they I had everything I needed in one place. graduated. And I think that Pebblepad has been great in terms of a very user-driven system in the way that the user Playing with Wordpress enabled me to more coherently owns and manages their content. However, this has often articulate my design requirements, as demonstrated by the been at odds with the University’s desire to assess and screen shots below. oversee that content when it is used as part of an assessment, which was often the main driver behind students needing to It did not take long for me to set up the Wordpress page as I create accessible portfolios. There seems to be an inherent wanted. Uploading content did take a little longer but I was contradiction or tension in many e-portfolio systems that able to organise my thoughts as I went along and work out are provided by institutions – the institution provides the which key evidence pieces I required, then link them into

24 www.seda.ac.uk Creating an online portfolio for SEDA Fellowship different files. I was very happy with the internal navigation which did involve a little bit of HTML work but nothing Link to different types of content overly geeky! I also liked the fact I could create a customised - some of these evidence and coherent home page or landing page where I was able q pieces were documents, to introduce myself and my portfolio (demonstrated in screen others images or urls shot 1). This has been a challenge in some of the e-portfolio q tools I used.

Static menu items q q q

Create internal navigation qStandard text pages relating to each month in my ‘year in the life of’ Screen shot 3 Internal navigation and content linking

Tagging text pages and relevant pieces with the outcomes or Screen shot 1 Home page values they related to enabled finding of all evidence in one Tagging content enabled the range of items that covered place, but items could also be used in multiple places by just a particular value to be easily found. Furthermore I could repeatedly linking in. Creating categories also enabled easier categorise material too so if the examiner selected a navigation and ordering, as demonstrated in screen shot 4. particular outcome they could easily see all the pages relating to that particular outcome, as demonstrated in screen shot 2.

Categories enable examiners to easily find evidence pieces

Set of links to the evidence pieces from text pages q Screen shot 2 Evidence linking to outcomes Screen shot 4 Category view

This mixed mode use of evidence should have been enabled I was also easily able to limit access to my examiners, by a portfolio tool but the sheer amount of evidence and although they did have to validate their accounts – this was complexity of multiple mapping made it much more relatively straightforward. difficult. Wishing to determine the internal navigation also complicated the use of a standard e-portfolio tool, as I had thought a lot about how I wanted to structure my demonstrated in screen shot 3. content and although I had to alter this a little to compensate for the features of Wordpress, this tool did give me the most I should also add at this point that I had done a lot of flexibility in terms of structure and ease of use. planning in relation to the structure and where I wanted the evidence to be, how evidence related to different outcomes In conclusion, then, I would recommend Wordpress as a tool or values, and what examples I was going to use to ensure I if you are considering a digital portfolio. I would also suggest demonstrated breadth. that you spend a lot of time thinking about the structure of I did try to do a mapping on a grid at various points, but in your work and what story or narrative you are creating. The the end the navigation in Wordpress by using categories and ‘day in the life of’ worked really well for me as it enabled me tags enabled me to represent how I met each outcome and to create my story of my role in an easy to structure fashion. value in a way I found more intuitive – as a list! You could So I would urge you to take the plunge and go digital for add a grid document into Wordpress if you wanted to as it your portfolio! would be just a series of links to relevant content – whether text pages or files. www.seda.ac.uk 25 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

Top tips for creating a (digital) portfolio Information for • Think carefully about your requirements. • Have a look at other portfolios – paper-based and Contributors online – to determine your requirements. The Editorial Committee of Educational Developments • Explore different tools and try them out early on – do not welcomes contributions on any aspect of staff and commit until you are sure all your requirements can be educational development likely to be of interest to readers. met, in case you find that you need to change things later. • Map out your structure and where your evidence will go Submission of an article to Educational Developments implies that it has not been published elsewhere and that it is not in graphical form – I spent a lot of time with large sheets currently being considered by any other publisher or editor. of paper and post-its! • Don’t be worried that you have to be an IT expert (or a The Editorial Committee reserves the right to make minor geek!) to engage in an e-portfolio; it does not have to be alterations during the editing process in order to adapt technically hard if you have done your planning. articles to the house style and length. Such alterations will • Think carefully about the story you want to tell and how not affect the main content of the article. A proof copy will not be supplied to authors prior to printing. your portfolio will support this. For more information please see: Professor Susannah Quinsee is Director of the Learning www.seda.ac.uk/publications Development Centre at City University, London.

Educational development in Canada and the UK Celia Popovic, York University, Toronto

Taken from blog in April 2012 – We’ve looked at the content of While it is fairly easy to research fees the courses in the two places – and course content it is less easy ‘I’m in two minds about and again the choice isn’t simple to find out about the culture in the recommending a transfer to – in Britain she is taking French university and the attitude to teaching university in Canada – obviously and Spanish – she is in a cohort and learning. In the four months the big pull for Rad and I would be of students taking the same I’ve been here I’ve started to notice to have B on the same continent as subjects, there is an element of significant differences between Canada us, then there is the matter of fees. choice – out of 6 modules per and the UK. It seems to me that In the past North America was year she has four compulsory Canadian universities illustrate what horribly expensive compared with modules (two in each language) might have happened in the UK had the UK – but with the recent hike then she can choose a further we not seen the end of tenure, the in fees in the UK (up to £9,000 per two from a wide range of choices creation of post-92 universities and the year for students starting this year) including topics not directly smashing of unions. the average fee for home students connected to her main subjects in Canada of around $5,000 per – for instance European Film. All three of these changes were year (£3,000) for domestic students She will end up after 4 years (the brought about by the Conservative and $15,000 for international third year will be spent in French Government led by Margaret Thatcher students (£10,000) looks quite and Spanish speaking countries) who in 1979 became the first (and attractive. You do have to factor with a degree in French and so far only) female prime minister in an additional year though, as Spanish and should be fluent in of Britain. In the 80s, Thatcher’s while most degrees take 3 years both languages. Conservative Government changed in the UK, in Ontario they are 4 the face of British society by smashing years in length as students leave If she transfers here she will take union power, all in the name of school a year earlier than in Britain. a similar course but with much improving the ‘flexibility’ of the labour The attraction is even greater if she more choice over modules. As pool. Universities were included in goes to my own university – as a she will join the second year this change of approach as laws were faculty member fees are waived of the program she will end at passed that reduced the power of the for my dependents. So that looks the same time. There is no year unions. Bizarrely these changes were like a no brainer. However, B has abroad though, so it seems likely apparently supported by those most already started a course at a British her level of fluency will be less affected by them, given that Thatcher university, has settled in well and at the end of a Canadian degree was elected as Prime Minister three made plenty of friends. than a British one.’ times.

26 www.seda.ac.uk Educational development in Canada and the UK

Also thanks to Thatcher and her longer have tenure – some may have short-term contracts. While this frees government, in the UK we have had permanent posts, but many are on up the tenured academics to research, the benefit of a tranche of former renewable contracts. Most research it does not necessarily lead to the best polytechnics becoming universities. is funded by external grants or undergraduate experience. These post-92 (the year of the mass supported by teaching funds – so it is expansion) universities compete possible that ‘academic freedom’ has One of the many surprises for me with the older institutions to win been curtailed to an extent in the UK, is the disconnect between the research grants and some have been but I’m not convinced this is the result perception of Britain by Canadians very successful, but most will still of the loss of tenure, rather a focusing and the respective cultures – several call themselves teaching-focused. on where and how limited funds are people have referred to Britain as This expansion of teaching-focused spent. being highly socialist. I think the basis universities resulted in the growth of of this is probably the NHS (moment’s my area – educational development. As in all universities across the world silence here as we all mourn the While there are some highly there are inspirational teachers at my passing of that great institution if the effective teaching support centres university. However, there is also a news I’ve heard recently about the in research-intensive universities, pervasive culture of valuing research Cameron Government’s changes most development in the 90s, at far more than teaching. For anyone are true). My experience so far is least, occurred in teaching-focused who has worked in a research- that Canada is far more socialist institutions. In the 2000s the Labour intensive university in the UK this than Britain, certainly in the field Government invested in teaching, won’t come as a surprise. Typically, in of labour relations. In recent weeks formed the Higher Education the UK and in Canada, teaching fees the news has been full of various Academy (with mixed results) and subsidise research activity, but when threatened and actual strikes. At the started to change the focus from academics are rated or rewarded start of the year local government research-only to teaching and research trumps teaching almost every workers threatened to strike; last research – and the pre-92s started to time. In Canada this is particularly week librarians pulled out of work pay attention. It is now the norm for true. The argument goes that in (the group of well-dressed rather a new academic in any UK university order to attract the best academics polite-seeming people milling round to attend some sort of teacher training (for which read researchers) it is the library in Toronto was rather course. This marks a huge change; important not to overload them with incongruous, but I tooted my support when I was a student at Nottingham rather dreary undergraduate teaching. as we drove by); Air Canada pilots in the early 80s, for instance, none of However, those making this argument pulled a sickie this week (150 phoned my lecturers would have received any will also claim that active researchers in sick in protest at something or sort of teacher training. produce wonderful teachers. This other, rather than actually strike as can be true, but it is not guaranteed. their union did not support strike When the Conservatives granted In fact it is likely to be the opposite, action); a couple of weeks ago ground university status to the polytechnics, particularly if those active researchers staff at Pearson Airport (Toronto) they also reviewed the employment don’t enjoy or have a talent for, or called a wildcat strike for one day; in contracts for academics. Until 1992 heaven forbid have any training in, Montreal the students are striking (I universities followed a similar tenure teaching. find this one hard to understand, as process to what is still in place in I can’t work out who apart from the Canada and the US. Here, over The end result (and forgive me but students is affected by that action) and a period of say 6 or 7 years, an I’ve glossed over quite a few of the my own institution has just avoided academic proves him or herself in the nuances) is that in Canada we have a strike by TAs in the latest round of key areas of teaching, research and an educational system that is highly negotiations. service. They produce evidence of reliant on doctoral students supporting their work, in the form of a dossier, undergraduate courses. So these are So where does that leave us? Like this is considered by their peers, and students who themselves may have so much in life there are good and if approved the academic is awarded completed the course they are now bad aspects to the two systems. I tenure. Tenure means they are now teaching only a year or two earlier. do find the lack of accountability a full member of faculty, and have This is not what was intended when for academics shocking. I’ve not a job for life. This gives security so the system was created – these TAs elaborated on it here, but along that the academic is free to research (Teaching Assistants) were usually with academic freedom Canadian whatever seems appropriate to them supposed to support the professors academics are much less likely to have (academic freedom) free from the by helping to facilitate discussions their research output measured – no fear of being sacked by those who and lend a hand with grading papers RAE in Canada. On the other hand fund the university, if they for instance and exams. In return the TAs received the lack of measurements, audit and a discover uncomfortable truths. This is a modest income to help offset general air of not having to look over a good thing for the academics and, the costs of their doctoral studies. one’s shoulder is refreshing. My job is many would argue, for academia – Through successive negotiations with to try to move the culture of my new particularly knowledge creation – in strongly supported unions, we now institution to one that values teaching general. However, it makes it difficult have TAs who are paid generously more than at present and to support for those trying to bring about change ($40 per hour), and used extensively my colleagues in this journey. to have much impact. Academics – in several universities more than with tenure can do precisely as they half of all undergraduate teaching is Celia Popovic is Director Teaching please. Academics in the UK no performed by TAs and teachers on Commons at York University, Toronto.

www.seda.ac.uk 27 EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENTS 15.3 SEPTEMBER 2014

SEDA News New SEDA Fellowship Holders Courses in Supporting and Leading We congratulate the following individuals who have Educational Change 2014-15 successfully completed our Supporting and Leading SEDA is now taking registrations for its courses in Educational Change course and been awarded Fellowship educational change: of SEDA: • Supporting and Leading Educational Change (Professional Qualification Course), 27 October Roisin Donnolly FSEDA, Dublin Institute of Technology 2014-13 February 2015 Darren Gash FSEDA, University of Surrey • Online Introduction to Educational Change: Karen Hamilton FSEDA, Open University a four-week online workshop, 3-28 November Lisa Hayes FSEDA, University of Bedfordshire 2014 and again from 23 February-20 March 2015 Juliet Hinrichsen FSEDA, University of Greenwich Further details and bookings forms are available on the Deena Ingham FSEDA, Loughborough University SEDA website. Kathryn James FSEDA, University of Wales, Trinity St David Tamsin Lister FSEDA, Open University 19th Annual SEDA Conference Giles Martin FSEDA, University of Bath Opportunities and challenges for academic development in a post-digital age Fiona McHardy FSEDA, University of Roehampton Julian Priddle FSEDA, Anglia Ruskin University National College Learning and Conference Centre, Jen Smith FSEDA, Keele University Nottingham. 13-14 November 2014 Penny Sweasey FSEDA, Manchester Metropolitan University Book online at www.seda.ac.uk

The latest SEDA Special SEDA’s free online publication Supporting Higher Education in College Settings Edited by John Lea 53 Powerful £12, from the SEDA website Ideas Every Contributors: Angus Carpenter (educational consultant); Kay Dutton Teacher (University of Chester), Claire Gray (Plymouth University), Eve Rapley (University of Bedfordshire), Jonathan Simmons (University of the West Should of England), Ellen Thinnesen (Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Know About Education) and Rebecca Turner (Plymouth University). This SEDA Special supports teachers, managers and staff developers Professor Graham Gibbs who are working in colleges providing higher education either directly or through partnerships with universities. It is also valuable for Based on the rationale that ‘thinking university staff engaged in these partnerships. It recognises the varied about teaching’ is at least as important provision of this growing sector and will help college staff who are as teaching methods, Professor Graham beginning to provide some higher education courses, as well as those Gibbs is publishing one ‘powerful idea’ a who are seeking to enhance their more established courses. week through the Publications pages of the SEDA website (http://www.seda.ac.uk/ Each chapter deals with the common questions and themes which arise from considering higher education provided through colleges. publications.html?p=5_6). These include: capturing HE-ness and nurturing an HE ethos; developing appropriate forms of research and scholarship; enhancing These thought-provoking texts deserve peer observation and reviewing HE practice; conceptualising consideration amongst the higher the nature of knowledge in vocational curricula; and accessing education community. They are also and developing relevant continuing professional development essential reading for educational opportunities. developers and participants on PG Certificate courses. Each chapter considers the context of its theme, critically discusses the relevant issues and gives practical advice on ways to enhance Go to http://thesedablog.wordpress.com/ provision. The authors have a depth of knowledge and experience from working in this important sector of higher education, both in the to comment on the ideas, or follow the UK and around the world. discussion on Twitter #53ideas.

28 www.seda.ac.uk