UNIVERSITY OF BEDFORDSHIRE
Education Strategy (2008 – 13): Transformational Education
1. Introduction
1. This document details a revised Education Strategy for the University of Bedfordshire to
replace the current version which ends this academic year. It builds on existing practices and
current priorities and is thus evolutionary in nature. The initial section provides some context
to the priorities which the strategy is seeking to address with an emphasis on the external
environment. The next section presents the draft Education Strategy; its key themes and
core aims. The Education plan identifies four proposed strands to our work over an initial
three-year period, this is followed by a discussion of the relationship between these strands
and the core themes. Finally an action plan for the initial period is provided.
2. This is the first Education Strategy developed specifically for the University of
Bedfordshire. It takes as its starting point the University’s plan for 2007 – 2012 New Futures
and builds on work already underway across the University including the educational
principles and priorities set out in the Curriculum Review 2008 (CRe8). It has been informed
by initial discussions with staff from across the University. The main priorities for the strategy
were seen to be learner development and employability. The need for relative stability and
the time to work with and develop the ideas in CRe8 were central to staff concerns about
curriculum issues as was the need to evidence, share and develop our existing excellent
practice and allow for subject contextualisation. Increasing diversity (of students and of our
operations) was also identified as a key issue as well as responding to an ever-changing
external environment.
3. The Education Strategy covers a five-year period of the University’s plan. With a more
detailed plan for the first three-years which identifies the specific actions which will be
implemented to achieve the strategy together with an associated timeframe and
responsibilities. The initial Education Plan covers the first half of the period of the
overarching strategy (2008 – 2010) at which point it will be reviewed.
2. Context
4. The University’s vision is of ‘a world where all are able to benefit from transformational
experiences’. The Education Strategy identifies ways in which the University will directly
support the attainment of this vision and the University’s mission ‘to create a vibrant multicultural learning community which enables people to transform their lives by participating in
excellent, innovative education, scholarship and research.’ As a new regional University with
growing national and international links, this period of our strategy focuses on maximizing our
potential as well as that of our students. The University has plans to grow its student
numbers, both at home and overseas, as developments allow. Growth will come from
exploiting new markets and ensuring that the University has an excellent reputation for the
quality of the educational experience it provides.
5. Locally, there are new opportunities as a result of our increased regional footprint,
changes in regional government and because of investment in the region and in the
regeneration of Luton. The University must respond to the needs of an economically growing
region for a highly skilled, creative and responsive workforce and for the wider social and
cultural requirements of the local community. Providing appropriate progression routes
though links with Schools, Colleges and partner organisations and with initiatives such as
Campus Luton will be important here as well as ensuring that the academic community is
effectively networked with the wider community of which it is part.
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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6. We will respond to changes in the 14 - 19 curriculum and the development of diplomas to
ensure that these provide additional entry routes to vocational higher education, not
additional barriers, and that our curricula are matched with students’ prior experiences so that
there is seamless developmental progression.
7. Our student body is becoming increasingly diverse and their expectations of higher
education are changing and evolving placing a greater emphasis on status, quality and
service. We need to respond by continuously improving the quality of the educational
experience and emphasising education as a partnership between the University and its
students.
8. The Leitch report sets a challenging agenda for universities to respond to the needs of
employers. As a vocational institution with close links with employers, we need to ensure that
we are fully responsive to demand-led education through developing our CPD and part-time
taught provision to meet the needs of the local market wherever appropriate building on the
outcomes of our pilot Hefce-funded K-club project. We also must respond to changes at
higher education level being signaled by the outcomes of the Burgess review and the
increased emphasis being placed on students as partners in the learning process through
student fees, the National Student Survey and possible changes in the QAA methodology.
9. An increasing number of our students are being taught in partner colleges and other
organisations at home and around the world. We will continue to work with our partners to
share our educational vision and support its local contextualisation and implementation so
that all of our students experience a transformational educational experience tailored to local
circumstances.
10. The University needs to respond to developments in Europe designed to support student
mobility and to align more closely educational systems through the Bologna accord and other
initiatives. Recruiting students from, and preparing students for, a global marketplace will be
an important dimension to our work. Maximising the use we make of the potential our diverse
community offers for providing a rich, diverse and multi-cultural learning experience for all our
students will be an important facet of our work.
11. Technology is changing when, how and where students can engage with their learning.
Ensuring that we harness technology to support student learning and open access to new
markets will be an important feature of our work over this period. Expectations of the learning
environment are being changed through developments such as the ‘Building schools for the
future’ initiative. The University has agreed to make a major investment in its Luton campus
which will improve the learning environment and residential accommodation. It needs to
ensure that all of its sites provide a learning environment which meets, and exceeds, growing
student expectations and supports the delivery of our innovative and transformational
curriculum.
12. The unit of resource to support teaching has been in decline and this trend is expected to
continue. The University must continue to review how its uses its scarce resources to
support the student learning experience efficiently and effectively. This will mean examining
our systems and processes as well as considering how the use of technology, together with
other developments, affects staff roles and skills-sets to ensure that we are using our
expertise and resources to best effect.
13. The educational landscape is changing at an increasingly fast rate, driven by local,
national and international initiatives, by increased competition and globalization, and fuelled
by technological developments and increased staff and student mobility. The University of
Bedfordshire must remain aware of the likely impact of these developments and to respond in
a flexible, dynamic and timely manner. The Education Strategy aims to provide a strategic
framework which enables this to occur.
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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3. The Education Strategy
Our Vision
14. Our vision is of a University of Bedfordshire graduate 1 who is knowledgeable, critical and
creative; who understands who they are and what they want to achieve; who can
communicate effectively, evidence attainments and function in context, and who has the
skills, self-confidence and self-regulatory abilities to manage their own development. Such a
graduate is eminently employable, capable of working with and learning from others, of
adding significantly to their local community and prepared for life in an ever-changing
environment.
Our aims
15. The Strategy is wide ranging and has been developed to integrate with other institutional
strategies notably the Estates, Human Resources and Financial strategies. Its aims are to
support and sustain the University’s development through providing:
o
An exciting and engaging curriculum which supports the transition into higher education,
raises expectations, broadens horizons and provides students with the skills, knowledge
and wider attributes required for employment and lifelong learning.
o
A learning process which recognises the needs and priorities of the individual student,
promotes deep and meaningful learning underpinned by scholarship and research,
provides opportunities to develop and practise employability skills in a supportive
environment, and which emphasises students, in partnership with the university, taking
responsibility for their development and achieving their aims.
o
Student support which is integrated into the learning process so that students’ learning
needs are diagnosed, delivered, monitored and reviewed regularly throughout their
studies.
o
A blended learning environment where staff with the experience, skills and knowledge
required to deliver a vocationally relevant higher education curriculum provide significant
added-value to the learning process and are supported in this by the physical and virtual
environment, the workplace and life experiences.
o
A physical learning environment which enables staff to explore innovative and effective
approaches to supporting students’ learning, and which creates a challenging, vibrant
and exciting working and learning environment.
16. Achieving these aims will require action by the entire University community. The
Education strategy sets an overarching direction of travel and identifies institutional actions
but it also recognises that achieving our aims will require localised implementation and
adaptation to reflect the needs of particular subjects and students.
The Themes
17. The key themes which cut across many areas of the strategy are:
o
Access to higher education for all who can benefit: providing an educational
environment which supports students’ transition into higher education and enables them
to maximize their potential and transform their lives.
o
Improving student learning and attainment: ensuring that all students are challenged
by a contemporary, research informed curriculum and supported in maximizing their
potential.
1
Graduate is used here as a generic term to encompass students who complete any University of
Bedfordshire award
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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o
A multi-cultural and multi-national student community: recognising and learning from
students’ different perspectives, and preparing them for global citizenship and a global
workplace.
o
An employability-focused curriculum: preparing full-time students for the transition into
employment, enabling part-time students to extend their knowledge, skills and
understanding, and enabling all students to maximise their opportunities.
o
Becoming a ‘distributed’ university: supporting our students’ learning in a variety of
environments; the university and its various sites, partner institutions in the UK and
overseas, at home, at play and at work.
o
Continuously improving the learning environment: providing students with a sense of
community, and a responsive real and virtual infrastructure that meets their needs and
those of their subject.
o
Using resources and expertise to maximise student learning: ensuring all our
resources are used effectively and efficiently.
o
Developing an evidence-informed approach within communities of practice: a
culture in which staff and students are empowered to explore, evaluate and innovate
within a mutually supportive and developmental environment.
4. The Initial Phase (2008 – 10)
18. There are four stands to our work in the initial phase of our strategy.
A Curriculum delivery and the learning infrastructure
B Learner development and support
C Extending and reviewing institutional structures
D Academic staff and processes
19. The intended objectives for each strand are detailed below and the actions which will be
taken to implement them are provided in the Action Plan at the end of this document.
A
Curriculum delivery and the learning infrastructure
20. The Curriculum Review for 2008 (CRe8) sets a broad agenda for teaching and learning.
During this stage of our Strategy we will:
B
A1
Enable students to produce evidence of their achievements and attainments drawn
from curricular and extra-curricular experiences
A2
Further support the implementation of a curriculum which emphasises student
development throughout their course
A3
Extend the opportunities for students to gain and benefit from meaningful work
experience
A4
Further integrate our research and scholarship into our curriculum, and enable students
to value, develop and apply research skills in a variety of contexts
A5
Set learning in a framework which emphasises ethical issues and students
understanding how to function in context
A6
Expand the role of e-learning so that a blended approach is the primary mechanism of
delivery and there is increased supported distance learning in selected areas
Learner development and support
21. Supporting the personalised needs of our diverse student body as part of a partnership
with our students, will remain a priority. During this phase of the Strategy we will:
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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B1
Further integrate the work of professional support staff with that of academic teams in
raising aspirations and responding to students’ needs
B2
Exploit the use of the Portal to provide access to integrated support mechanisms for
students studying in the University, at home, in the workplace and overseas
B3
Implement actions designed to develop students’ sense of belonging to, and being
integrated with, a community especially at the department/course level
B4
Provide detailed transcripts for all our students which provide evidence of learner
development and attainment
B5
Continuously develop our schemes to hear the student voice and to respond
appropriately
B6
Extend our ability to recruit, monitor and support the learning of a diverse student body
B7
Further develop approaches designed to encourage student self-regulation, motivation
and engagement
C
Extending and reviewing institutional structures
22. We will continue to ensure that we have a learning infrastructure that meets the needs of
our curriculum, our students and those who support their learning. During this phase of our
Strategy we will:
C1
Extend the opportunities we provide to students for part-time CPD and personal
development
C2
Extend schemes to support student progression and lifelong learning
C3
Review our framework for Foundation degrees and the opportunities they provide for
widening access to HE and for progression
C4
Review taught postgraduate structures and support mechanisms
C5
Continue to develop learning spaces which support an experiential curriculum
C6
Develop a systematic approach to increased Internationalisation of our student body
and of our curriculum
C7
Explore the development and use of ‘value-added’ indicators to measure the impact of
our curriculum on student attainment
D
Academic staff and related processes
23. The effective delivery of our curriculum to a diverse student body in an ever-changing
world requires staff who are knowledgeable and flexible facilitators of the learning process.
During this phase of our strategy we will:
D1
Review and revise staff roles and support mechanisms
D2
Extend support for part-time staff, and for visiting and associate lectures across all our
provision; including PCE to FE partners
D3
Review the roles of those who support the learning process to ensure that staff
experience, skills and expertise are being used effectively and efficiently
D4
Support staff and curriculum development through developing a community of practice
to sustain curriculum development and innovation at the individual tutor level, and
focusing institutional-level educational and curriculum development on the work of
course teams
D5
Foster a culture of action research and evidence-informed practice
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D6
Continue to develop a close, dynamic and synergistic relationship between research,
teaching and student learning
5. Relating the themes and strands
24. Truly transformational education requires us to ensure that the entire university
community is mobilized to support the needs of individual students in a way that broadens
horizons and opens up new opportunities. This section links the themes and the intended
outcomes (identified in brackets) for each of the strands.
Access to higher education for all who can benefit
25. Our Access mission leads to diversity in our student body in terms of aspirations,
maturity, nationality, gender, ethnicity, prior attainment, prior study, mode and location of
study. Valuing and responding to this diversity requires work at the institutional, course and
individual student level.
26. The personalised learning dimension of CRe8 is designed to address this issue, it sets a
framework within which we can respond to the needs of all our students, whatever their ability
and motivation. The next stage of our development is to embed monitoring and support
processes robustly into the curriculum so that students’ needs are routinely identified and
supported. The major responsibility for this will lie with course teams supported by the
specialist areas of the University and through increased integrated on-line support. (B1, B2)
27. Preliminary work underway within the University has highlighted that it is not sufficient to
provide an appropriate learning environment and an exciting and engaging curriculum, for
some of our students we need to look at processes that will change their resilience, self
esteem and self-efficacy beliefs. This is a challenging agenda but one where the rewards in
providing a truly transformational experience are large. We will continue to work in this area,
using an evidence-based approach to foster student engagement and motivation and to view
learning as a process rather than a series of events and activities. (B7)
28. The University must ensure that it is not advantaging or disadvantaging any one group
within its diverse student population. We need to develop routine systems of monitoring and
action planning to ensure that we are providing equality of opportunity. Understanding the
impact of our curriculum on our diverse student body and ensuring we meet our ethical and
legal responsibilities will be a core part of our work over the period of the Strategy and we will
also explore ways in which we can measure the ‘value-added’ of our curriculum to our
students. (B6, C7)
29. Widening access also includes the provision of courses and units to support continued
life-long learning. We need to ensure that we have courses and structures in place that
provide ladders of progression for all students, respond to the increasingly diverse market
and provide education at a time and place that meets the needs of the learner. We will
review our courses to ensure that progression routes are available, further develop our
provision for ‘associate’ students to provide flexible access to units or to designated awards.
The University has developed a framework for Blended learning provision and within this we
need to ensure that we have an increasing number of units and courses at mode 3
(supported distance learning and distance learning) to enable the support of a diverse range
of students and open up new markets for our courses. (A6, C1, C2, C3).
Improving student learning and attainment
30. The vocational distinctiveness and access nature of our mission is supported through a
curriculum which places a strong emphasis on employability and personal development
planning whether at undergraduate or postgraduate level. The key features of this curriculum
are set out in the Curriculum Review for 2008 and were agreed by Academic Board in
October 2007. The implementation of this curriculum is designed to support student
recruitment, retention and attainment.
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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31. The University has already taken major steps to move away from a purely didactic model
of learning based on knowledge transmission to one where students are actively engaged in
the learning process through work-related learning and educational activities designed to
stimulate and engage students in the educational process. The ‘realistic learning’ dimension
of CRe8 emphasises a learning experience which is meaningful, active, reflective,
collaboratie and creative. We will continue our work in this area, supporting and sustaining
these changes through developments in the learning infrastructure (both real and virtual) and
in the utilisation of staff and their associated skills-sets. (A6, C5, D1)
32. At the core of a University is the way in which the research and scholarship of staff
informs, enriches and transforms the learning experience of students. Our courses must
remain at the forefront of developments. We need to ensure that the research and
scholarship of our staff bears directly on the learning experience of students and that
students understand the importance of research, not only in terms of the development of their
subject, but in being able to hone their own research skills and to apply these and their
subject knowledge to new and complex situations. We will continue to develop a close and
considered relationship between research and the curriculum augmented by research into the
curriculum itself. (A4, B3, D1, D6)
33. CRe8 envisages a ‘spiral and scaffolded’ curriculum which increasingly enhances
students’ skills and attributes and which links together units within and across levels. We will
provide a framework for core activities (PDP, group work, presentations, research skills,
Career Management skills, etc.) to support this activity and which ensures that students
experience a developmental curriculum. (A2)
34. The prime focus of our recent work has been at undergraduate level, in the latter part of
this period we will focus more on our postgraduate provision and review the effectiveness of
our learning structures, processes and procedures to ensure that they are supporting the
needs of students studying at this level. (C4)
35. The University has been piloting the use of e-portfolios to structure and support student
learning. E-portfolios fit with the PDP model of learning, support the personalisation agenda
and can also serve to structure learning for students studying remotely from the University.
We will further develop the use of e-portfolios as a framework to enable all students to record
and review their progress and e-PDP as a means for structured and supported development
(A1).
36. The Burgess report2 recommended that all students should have a Higher Education
Achievement Report (HEAR). We will develop our own distinctive HEAR, in line with Burgess
expectations, that encourages students to reflect on and evidence their attainments and
which provides an easily verified ‘rich picture’ of students broad attainments. (B4)
37. The University’s own experiences, supported by national and international research,
indicate that core to student attainment and retention is the issue of students feeling part of a
community. We will continue our work in this area helping to support the development of
subject communities broadly focused on the department/course including supporting subjectfocused clubs and societies, schemes for peer-assisted learning, and designated learning
spaces. (B3)
38. Prime responsibility for identifying and meeting the needs of students resides with course
teams and we will continue to develop processes for student support which see this as a
natural part of learning. Central to our strategy is integrating the work of academic course
teams with professional support staff from Learning Resources, the Centre for Personal and
Career Development, and Professional and Academic Development. This approach is
enshrined in our developing information literacy and English language strategies. The
challenge for the forthcoming period is to ensure that there is effective and co-operative
working with links between local and corporate structures which meet the needs of the
2
http://bookshop.universitiesuk.ac.uk/downloads/Burgess_final.pdf
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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different student groups. PDP processes will be important here in supporting the needs of our
students wherever they are studying and in linking to the various support structures as well as
effective monitoring and assessment feedback mechanisms. (B1)
39. To support the implementation of our curriculum, we need to monitor, evaluate and
continuously improve its effectiveness through an evidence-based approach and a culture of
continuous improvement built around action research and a revised CPD process. (D5)
A multi-cultural and multi-national student community
40. We need to ensure we recognise and fully utilise the opportunities provided by our
diverse student body. We will continue our work on this dimension exploring how the
university community as a whole can be enriched by its constituent sub-communities and the
opportunities these provide to hear of alternative perspectives and to learn from others. (B3,
C6)
An employability-focused curriculum
41. Employability forms a core strand within CRe8 and is supported by the other dimensions.
Our interpretation of employability has relevance for both our full-time and part-time student
population since it focuses on developing life-long learning and career management skills.
We will continue our work in this area, building on the K-club pilot, and supporting the needs
of our diverse student groups as appropriate.
42. The Professional Student element recognises the importance of students understanding
the values and ethics of their subject and being able to function effectively ‘in context’. We
will continue embedding activities which emphasise working in a professional manner within
our curriculum, linked to PDP processes, and evaluating their impact. (A5)
43. The development of Employability skills are supported by meaningful work experience.
We will expand our work in this area to ensure that, wherever feasible and appropriate,
students have the opportunity to benefit from real world experiences as an integrated and
supported part of their learning. (A3)
Becoming a ‘distributed’ university
44. The University’s plan is based on a balanced portfolio including trans-national education,
and regional and national partner institutions delivering our curriculum. We will continue to
work with our partners on delivering a curriculum underpinned by the principles enshrined in
CRe8 whilst being sensitive to their different stages of development in working with this
agenda and of local contexts.
45. Working with and through partners requires us to have in place appropriate support
mechanisms for staff and students. We need to develop significantly our work-based,
blended and distance learning provision and ensure that we have resources and structures
that will support learning remote from the main campuses. (B2, D2)
Continuously improving the learning environment
46. The learning environment embraces both the physical and virtual worlds in which our
students learn. The needs of an employability-based curriculum in an institution dedicated to
innovative, exciting and effective teaching, means that we must ensure that all our estate is
appropriately configured to create an environment which supports students’ learning. This
requires us to improve continuously both the standard and nature of the teaching space.
Building on our experience of the Business Pods, new Media environments, at Polhill and
with social learning spaces, we will continue to develop learning environments which support
realistic learning, mimic employment scenarios and facilitate the movement from large to
small group teaching. Furthermore, the design of the estate plays a key role in developing a
sense of community both at the institutional and local level.
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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47. The construction of a new building on the Luton campus during this period will provide
the main focus for estate development. Our broad vision for the Luton campus is of this new
building providing the ‘hub’ for student support activities within an estate which also contains
identifiable departmental space. We will develop a framework for the utilisation of the
University’s Estate, derived from our Estates and Education strategies, which identifies how
we will further adapt and develop the estate and utilise resources for capital development as
they become available to achieve our aims. (C5)
48. Technology continuously develops and we will monitor, review and evaluate how
technology can help and support student learning whilst ensuring that it is pedagogy which
drives the learning process. We will continue to work towards the integration of our on-line
resources (Blackboard, My portfolio, SITS e-vision, student support, learning resources,
Hobsons Ask, CMS on-line etc.) with SITS e-vision and other technologies to maximise the
advantages that the new portal will bring. We are also exploring shared services. Supporting
face-to-face teaching, guidance and support with further on-line support will enhance
classroom-based activities, delivering the background knowledge, supporting diagnostic and
self-assessment processes and providing access to support and information. The virtual
environment provides an important facet of the higher education experience for students
studying away from our main campuses whether directly with us or through our collaborative
partners. We will ensure that it reflects our values and creates a dynamic, stimulating and
professional environment which supports students’ learning. (A6, B2)
49. One of the key elements in our strategy is to ensure that we maximise the benefits that a
VLE can provide, linked to the needs of each subject and the support of students’ learning.
The University is developing a matrix for e-learning and will develop indicators of
performance against the matrix and targets for more widespread use of e-learning as part of
a true blended learning approach and the development of further provision delivered primarily
through supported distance learning. We will continue our work on our technology-enhanced
learning strategy, which is aligned with this strategy, to ensure that we maximize the use that
can be made of new technologies in support of the Cre8 curriculum and learner development
more broadly. (A6, D5)
Using resources and staff expertise to maximise student learning
50. Delivery of the Education strategy will require the effective and efficient use of the
expertise of academic, administrative and professional support staff. We need to ensure that
the roles of each are clear, that we recruit, support and retain high quality staff, that structures
support their effective operation and that necessary bureaucratic procedures are undertaken
by the most appropriate individuals supported by the use of technology wherever appropriate.
(B1, D1)
51. Central to delivering our curriculum and maximizing the impact of the learning
environments we are creating, is enabling academic staff to act as facilitators of the learning
process. This requires a review of staff roles and their development and support, to ensure
that they align with the strategic direction we are taking and make sure we meet IiP
requirements. (D1)
52. Responding to the development needs of the increasingly diverse range of staff
supporting our students (full-time, part-time, VLs, professional support) whether within the
main campus or in collaborating institutions will be important to sustain the strategy. To
support this we will further develop on-line resources covering key aspects of the academic
and support roles as they impact on student learning and develop a community of practice in
which staff expertise can be shared across the institution providing a just-in-time response to
staff development needs. (D2)
Developing an evidence-informed approach within communities of practice
53. Whilst this sets the overall strategic direction for our work, fundamental to our success
will be developing individuals, systems and processes to support local implementation and to
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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continuously develop, flex and adapt to internal and external changes. Hence our focus is
not only on actions but on processes which will help and support a culture of continuous
improvement including:
o
Fostering creativity and innovation in how we teach
o
The development of local communities within an overarching University community
o
The sharing of practices amongst the community so that staff development is not the
responsibility solely of a functional area but is shared by the entire community
o
An evidence-informed approach to teaching, learning and student support
54. We will review our internal staff support and development processes and further develop
our quality enhancement procedures to support the identification and dissemination of
effective practice. (D4, D5)
Mark Atlay
Director of Teaching and Learning
Education Strategy (AB) May08
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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Action Plan
Action
Target
Lead
Responsibility
A
Curriculum delivery and the learning infrastructure
A1
Enable students to produce
evidence of their achievements
and attainments
Increase use of e-portfolios and
supporting e-PDP processes
Appropriate e-portfolio tool identified (December
2008)
Target 75% of all students have structured eportfolios linked to their curriculum (Sept. 2010)
Head of e-learning
with Field chairs
and programme
leaders
A2
Support the development of a
spiral and scaffolded curriculum
Develop and implement a
framework for core learning
activities
Two frameworks developed and implemented
each year (from PDP, group work,
presentations, research skills, CMS)
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
A3
Extend the opportunities for
students to gain and benefit from
meaningful work experience
(i) Extend schemes for sandwich
courses, work placements and
work experience units
(ii) Implement across
undergraduate provision
(i) Guidance produced by December 2008
(ii) All undergraduate students to have the
opportunity for structured meaningful work
experience by 2010
(i) Director of
Teaching and
Learning
(ii) Heads of
Department
A4
Further integrate our research
and scholarship into our
curriculum, and enable students
to develop and apply their
research skills
(i) Develop institutional framework
and
(ii) Support departments in
developing strategies to met
subject needs
(i) Institutional framework by December 2008
(ii) All departments to have Research and
teaching statements covering the relationship
between research and teaching by 2010.
(i) Director of
Teaching and
Learning
(ii) Heads of
Department
A5
Set learning in a framework
which emphasises ethical issues
and students understanding how
to function in context
Support departments in
developing strategies to meet
subject needs
Professional student framework implemented in
all areas by 2010
Director of T&L with
Field and
programme leaders
A6
Expand the role of e-learning
Develop targets for measuring
blended learning including
computer based formative and
summative assessments
Support implementation of TEL strategy
Target 50% of units are mode 2 by 2010
Develop 20 courses for mode 3/4 by 2010
Head of e-learning
with Heads of
Department
Education Strategy: Transformational education
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Action
Target
Lead
Responsibility
B
Learner development and support
B1
Further integrate the work of
professional support staff with
that of academic teams
Develop and implement
Information literacy and English
language strategies
Integrated student referral and support
mechanisms
Director of Learning
Resources
B2
Exploit the use of the Portal and
provide access to integrated
support mechanisms
Develop integrated on-line
support mechanisms covering
PAD and Careers areas
Integrated support resources available piloted
2008/9 for full implementation 2009/10
Head of e-learning
with Head of CPCD
and Head of PAD
B3
Actively develop a sense of
community
Overarching strategy developed
drawing on best practice and
implemented at institutional and
local levels
Implement 2008 onwards
Director of T&L with
Heads of
Department
B4
Provide detailed transcripts for
all our students which provide
evidence of learner development
and attainment
Develop UoB HEAR
Pilot 2008/09
Implement 2009 onwards
Associate Director
of CETL
B5
Continuously develop our
schemes for hearing the student
voice
Review effectiveness of existing
systems
Review undertaken in 2008/09
Director of Quality
B6
Extend our ability to recruit,
monitor and support the learning
of a diverse student body
(i) Produced a balanced course
portfolio
(ii) Ensure admissions policies
reflect our commitment to access
and equality
(iii) Expand systems for diversity
monitoring
(i) Course portfolio reviewed and action plan
produced for each faculty
(ii) For 2009 recruitment
(iii) Reviewed and revised 2008/09
(i) Deans
(ii) Registrar
(iii) Director of
Teaching and
Learning
B7
Further develop approaches
designed to encourage student
self-regulation. motivation and
engagement
Review outcome of piloting ELLI
and other approaches
Strategies developed for piloting 2009/10
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
Education Strategy: Transformational education
12
Action
Target
Lead
Responsibility
C
Extending and reviewing institutional structures
C1
Extend the opportunities for CPD
and personal development
Develop and implement an
institutional approach to
expanding CPD opportunities for
external clients
Implementation from 2009/10
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
C2
Extend schemes to support
student progression and lifelong
learning
(i) Revise work-based learning
schemes
(ii) Develop structures to support
student progression at all stages
(i) June 2009
(ii) For implementation September 2010
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
C3
Revise the framework for
Foundation degrees to maximize
the opportunities for attainment
and progression
(i) Revise the role of link tutor
(ii) Review and revise framework
(i) Approved for implementation 2008/09
(ii) Approved for implementation 2009/10
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
C4
Review taught postgraduate
structures and support
mechanisms
Review undertaken
Review during 2010/11
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
C5
Continue to develop learning
spaces
Develop a framework for estate
development and utilisation
derived from the Education and
Estate strategies which
emphasises innovative teaching
space and social learning
By March 2009
Director of Estates
and Facilities with
the Director of
Teaching and
Learning
C6
Develop a systematic approach
to increased Internationalisation
Approach developed through
benchmarking practice
Developed 2008/09
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
C7
Explore the development and
use of ‘value-added’ indicators to
measure the impact or our
curriculum
Identify means of measuring
value added and explore their use
Develop during 2010/11
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
Education Strategy: Transformational education
13
Action
Target
Lead
Responsibility
D
Academic staff and processes
D1
Review and revise staff roles and
support mechanisms
Structures reviewed and revised
In place for start of 2009/10
DVC (Academic)
with Director of
Teaching and
Learning
D2
Extend the support for part-time
staff, visiting lecturers and
associate lectures
Structures and materials
developed and extended
Developed in 2008/09
Director of HR with
Head of Teaching
Quality
Enhancement
D3
Review the roles of those who
support the learning process
Revise roles and provide
appropriate staff development
Review undertaken in 2008/09 and
implemented in 2009
Director of
Teaching and
Learning with
Director of Quality
D4
Support staff and curriculum
development
Develop a community of practice
to sustain curriculum development
and innovation at the individual
tutor level, and focusing
institutional-level educational and
curriculum development on the
work of course teams
Strategy developed by December 2008
Implementation continuously supported
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
D5
Foster a culture of action
research and evidence-informed
practice
Strategy developed and actioned
Strategy developed by December 2008
Implementation continuously supported
Director of
Teaching and
Learning
D6
Continue to develop a dynamic
and synergistic relationship
between research, teaching and
student learning
Departmental plans developed
and actioned
All departments working on implementing
departmental plans from 2009
Heads of
Department
Education Strategy: Transformational education
14