We seek and develop academic partnerships with those organisations that can enrich the student learning experience at this University. The organisations may be local or global, but they have to persuade us that, through collaboration, they can help us develop the vibrant learning community to which we aspire. Professor stuart Brand Director of Learning anD teaching anD CETL Director www.bcu.ac.uk centre for Learning PartnerShiPS 5 Introduction In 2005, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) awarded Birmingham City University a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). the award focused on an exploration of how over the past five years, the CETL has this booklet will showcase our work around: the student experience could be improved evolved and has become embedded in the • Diversity of partnerships through the development of learning university through the centre for Learning • International partnerships partnerships between universities and Partnerships (cLP). the cLP now seeks to • Community partnerships the health and social care sector. develop wider relationships with colleges, • Student partnerships universities and employers that can enrich • Staff partnerships student experiences at Birmingham city • Employer partnerships University. this booklet will explore some • Technology partnerships of the successes of the past five years and perhaps indicate the future for the centre for Learning Partnerships. www.bcu.ac.uk www.bcu.ac.uk centre for Learning PartnerShiPS 7 “international collaborations, such as these, the CetL director’s help to shape the learning community we can offer students when they attend the University. however, the University also Perspective seeks to develop the learning partnerships that enable us to work with partners to better prepare students who are considering attending university. “Birmingham city Students’ Union and the University are working together to develop and foster the Learning community initiative. as well as managing the SaP scheme the Students’ Union is working with the “the partnership with the University of University to try and better prepare students Pittsburgh has seen the University’s first for progression into university. it is also UK-USa student exchange programme working with the University and colleges being developed, an initiative that has to try and reshape the student academic resulted in student nurses from both representation and support provision By the forging of new sides of the atlantic transforming their that is available at colleges. alignment of relationships with employers however, the need for all CETL activities understanding of global nursing and activities through a co-ordinated function and local further education, to demonstrate an improvement to the global health care systems. the success could lead to improved services for students the University is determined to create new student experience has remained paramount. of this could lead to further opportunities at colleges and a better understanding and exciting opportunities for its students. to study abroad for the rest of the of what awaits students as they consider new partnerships with the University of “in recent years, the focus of the new University’s students. progressing to university. Pittsburgh, copenhagen Business School partnerships has been on the theme of and north West Missouri State University developing learning communities with have been accompanied by the forging advice and evidence from international of new relationships with local further universities being aligned to implementation “International collaborations help to shape the learning community education colleges and schools. none and embedding within our own processes. we can offer students when they attend the University.” of this would have been possible without the diverse experiences of partner the funding attributed to the CETL award organisations enables the University from HEFCE. to identify those opportunities that can have the most impact upon students “the collaboration with copenhagen “through learning partnerships, Birmingham “the CETL award was the largest and in Birmingham. Business School (cBS) resulted in cBS city University seeks to enrich the learning most significant project funding that this staff and students leading curriculum community at Birmingham city University. University had ever received. as a result, Work with international universities has change projects with 18 staff and students it will collaborate with those organisations the prominence it afforded learning and substantially informed the development from Birmingham city Business School. that espouse and demonstrate a teaching and the impetus this gave to of the Student academic Partners (SaP) the highly successful pilot project can comparable ethos through effective learning learning and teaching developments cannot Scheme which has seen the implementation now be offered to other staff and students partnerships. this University has the be overstated. over the five year period of of over 30 collaborative projects (students in faculties around the University. opportunity to enrich and transform lives the CETL the focus has changed as it has and staff) that seek to inform and co-create and we believe that this is best switched from one of health care orientation new curricula and student opportunities “north West Missouri State University has achieved in partnership. to one that encompasses all subject areas. for the future. a sophisticated student employment scheme. Staff and students from that University are working with the University to explore the collaborative opportunities around this work Professor stuart Brand PROFESSOR stuart Brand and that of our own SaP scheme. Director of Learning anD teaching www.bcu.ac.uk www.bcu.ac.uk centre for Learning PartnerShiPS 9 In the five years of the CETL it has collaborated with a large number of people working for a great variety of organisations. The CETL would like to thank these organisations for their support and looks forward to continuing its collaboration in the future. • Bath Spa University • HEA Social Work and Social Policy • Sheffield hallam University • Birmingham, Black country and Solihull Subject centre • Solihull college Lifelong Learning network • Heart of england NHS foundation trust • South Birmingham college • Birmingham and Solihull Mental health • Higher education academy • South Birmingham Primary care trust NHS foundation trust • Inquiring Pedagogies (iPeD) research • Stourbridge college • Birmingham children’s hospital NHS network • Sixth form college, Solihull foundation trust • JiSc • University college Birmingham • Birmingham city Students’ Union • Laerdal Medical Limited • University hospital Birmingham NHS • Birmingham east and north (BEN) • London Metropolitan University Primary care trust foundation trust • Middlesex University • Centre for advancement of • University of Bedfordshire inter-professional education (CAIPe) • National Union of Students • University of Birmingham • City college, coventry • NHS West Midlands, Strategic health • University of Dundee authority • Copenhagen Business School • University of exeter • Northumbria University • Dudley college • University of hertfordshire • Northwest Missouri State University • Dudley Primary care trust • University of huddersfield • The nursing and Midwifery council • HEA geography earth and environmental • University of hull • Oxford Brookes University Sciences Subject centre • University of Leicester • Quality assurance agency • University of Manchester • Regents college, Leicester • University of Pittsburgh • Royal national institute for the Blind (RNIB) • University of Plymouth • Sandwell college • University of Sheffield • Saxion University of applied Sciences, • University of Warwick enschede, netherlands • Walsall college www.bcu.ac.uk www.bcu.ac.uk centre for Learning PartnerShiPS 11 International Partnerships The CETL has been invigorated by the level of interest in its work from overseas institutions. The learning partnerships ethos and the desire to develop the learning community has resonated The trip was a once in a lifetime with many international partners. experience that gave us the opportunity to not only learn about, but also in particular, formal collaboration this developing relationship has also led agreements have been signed with: to the instigation of the first UK-US student • Copenhagen Business School exchange scheme for the University within • North West Missouri State University the faculty of health and the development experience first-hand, nursing and • University of Dundee and delivery of staff development workshops • University of Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh. future goals include the development of joint research bids and health care delivery within the UK. Many universities strive for innovation explorations of joint initiatives in e-learning in education but find numerous barriers and staff development. a journal article preventing the university as a whole, and has been completed and will appear in the Communicating with nursing students individual staff within that university, from international Journal of nursing education making much needed changes. to devise Scholarship showcasing different aspects education that can keep pace with the and perspectives of collaboration. in a different country showed us a modern world, the sharing of experiences across different organisations and cultures can offer solutions. new perspective from a different