The Learning and Teaching Strategy and Schools/Departments

Stephen Bostock, Academic Staff Developer (a personal view)

HEFCE is using University’s Learning and Teaching Strategies as one mechanism to improve teaching. In return for a small annual grant, Universities commit themselves to improvements that they then have to demonstrate. Keele’s Strategy is unexceptional, continuing its provision of campus-based, broad degrees while addressing several issues on the national agenda. The Strategy’s broad aims in teaching are that teachers continue to develop good practice by enquiry into its effects on learning, and awareness of relevant research.  In student learning the aims are achievement, breadth and capability (thinking skills and lifelong learning). Emphases are on ‘active learning’, personal contact with teachers, and the purposeful use of learning resources.

The Strategy addresses the following issues on the national agenda:

• Assessment – innovation is encouraged, for example in self- and peer-assessment and computer assisted assessment
• Key skills (communication, numeracy, IT, team work, problem solving, self assessment) – continue to be embedded/identified in subject programmes
• Communication and Information Technology – audit IT skill provision, further develop policy on providing IT skills, staff development for IT and teaching
• Work-related learning – based on current initiatives to develop a policy and targets.

The mechanisms for achieving the objectives are:

• A Teaching and Learning Committee to oversee strategy
• Grants to departments for innovation projects in teaching and learning
• Better dissemination of good practice – Keele Teaching Network workshops incorporated into the SDT unit provision, Supporting Learning and Teaching web site (www.keele.ac.uk/depts/aa/landt)
• More academic staff development provision: supporting a growing Teaching and Learning in HE Programme (Education), a central Staff Development and Training unit now in Academic Affairs (2 half time secondments of Academic Staff Developers), a nationally accredited Teaching and Learning with Technology programme (Stephen Bostock), provision for part time teachers and contract researchers. The SDT unit to coordinate all staff development and training
• Measurement of teaching loads should encourage teaching for active learning.
• Departments/Schools should have learning and teaching committees, and learning and teaching strategies. Project grants, help and advice will encourage innovations and changes to help achieve the University’s strategy, which the university L&T Committee aggregates and reports to HEFCE.
• The two Academic Staff Developers to support institutional, departmental and individual development. At institutional level they are part of the L&T Committee, and feed it departmental views. At departmental level Stephen Bostock supports the Social Science and Humanities Faculties. This might include supporting an innovation project, commenting on draft documents, contributing to a departmental workshop on a current issue, procuring skills training. A free internal consultant.