Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy

HIGHER EDUCATION

LEARNING, TEACHING & ASSESSMENT STRATEGY

2014-2017

Version 1.4

Updated 19thMarch 2015

Contents

Aim

Method

Evaluation

Finance Monitoring and Review

Context and Background

Vertical and Horizontal Integration

Key Objectives for the College and the HE Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy

Linking the HE Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy with the overall College Strategic Plan

Excellence in Teaching and Learning & Assessment

HE LTAS Aims

Employability and Enterprise

HE LTAS Aims

Increasing HE Orientation

HE LTAS Aims

Growth

Sustainability

HE LTAS Aims

Conclusion

Aim

The aim of this strategy is to outline the strategic objectives for Learning, Teaching & Assessment in Higher Education [HE] at the College. The strategy will be presented in a way that clearly shows how the HE Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy [LTAS] supports the College’s overall strategy. This document will demonstrate concise strategic goals that will help the College to move forward.

Method

The previous HE LTAS was produced in 2007 and updated in 2009, but needed further development to align with the College’s current Strategic Plan. This new strategy has been developed within the Learning, Teaching & Assessment Committee to ensure that the HE LTAS supports the achievement of the College’s current strategic aims and objectives. Further revisions have been made following discussions at the Academic Board in March 2015

Evaluation

Progress of the new HE LTAS will be monitored by the Learning, Teaching & Assessment Committee and reported to the Principalship to approve its alignment to the College’s Strategic Objectives. The HE LTAS, and any revisions, will also be reported to the Academic Board for final approval.

Finance Monitoring and Review

The Heads of Schoolwill work with the Finance department to review budgets to ensure that the HE LTAS objectives are achievable. A formal mid-year review exercise will be reported to the Finance & Resources Committee of the Corporation.

Context and Background

Recently the further and higher education sectors have been subject to considerable changes in areas such as funding, patterns of participation and academic delivery. In particular the HE sector has entered a transitional period with considerable uncertainty as to the nature of the more market-orientated environment that will emerge in due course. The College management therefore believes that it is now appropriate to review the Strategic Plan and to operate to a shorter time horizon. This overall College plan is therefore intended to have a three-year duration.

In setting out its strategic objectives the College remains mindful that it must continue the essential features of its present provision. Nevertheless, it also acknowledges that in some areas there is a need for progress and improvement.

In setting out strategic objectives, the College is focusing on those areas that require significant change. In doing so the College recognises that it must not lose sight of the important factors that have enabled its present success, namely:

Quality Services;
Quality People; and
Quality Infrastructure.

Chief amongst these is the College staff. The people who work at the College make it what it is today: a friendly and welcoming organisation committed to excellence and above all a high quality student experience. The College is aware that it must act as both a supportive employer and as an educational establishment committed to excellence that must be borne out by staff performance and the quality of students’ experiences.

This overall College plan is supported by the underpinning strategies of the College together with associated operating plans. The format of the key strategies has been prescribed by the College Principalship; these strategies will be concise and will contain a limited number of objectives. These in turn will be reflected in underpinning operating plans for teams across the College. In concentrating on change a key factor is the implementation of the College’s vision. There has never been a lack of imagination about how the College might change but there must be a sufficient focus on the execution of its strategies.

The College recognises that continuous review of, and response to changes in, the operating environment is a fundamental aspect of the College’s operation. Strategies and targets may consequently be modified in response to changes in the external and College environments. In any event, the College will formally review progress in implementing planned changes twice each year. Overall, these objectives seek to build on what is good within the College and make it better for students, staff and other key stakeholders.

Vertical and Horizontal Integration

The HE LTAS strategic objectives need to align vertically with the College’s overall strategy as well as horizontally within learning, teaching and assessment at HE and its procedures, to ensure, “a ‘match’ or ‘fit’ between the overall direction of the organisation and the way in which its people should be managed”[1].

Key Objectives for the College and the HE Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy

This HE LTAS supports the College’s mission to provide:

Exceptional education for creative careers

As such, it is intended to reflect the values of the institution as follows:

Creativity and excellence

Opportunity, achievement and student engagement

Employability, enterprise and professional practice

Collaboration and community

The main purpose of the HE LTAS is to support and enhance the quality of learning and teaching at undergraduate level within the College, in order to provide a student-centred experience that empowers students through the development of increasing independence. The strategy is intended to develop the College’s strengths in the teaching of vocational art, design and media that facilitates students to become creative and professional practitioners with the skills required for employment and/or postgraduate study. Also, it is underpinned by the College’s commitment to promoting equality and diversity within a framework of widening participation.

Linking the HE Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy with the overall College Strategic Plan

The College has 5 key objectives set out in the Strategic Plan 2013-2016, the achievement of which the HE LTAShas been designed to promote. Below are the 5 key college objectives and the aims for developments in undergraduate learning, teaching and assessment that are required to support these:

1Excellence in Teaching and Learning & Assessment

The College has a reputation for the quality of its provision. Though well-deserved, this could be easily lost. The quality of provision must therefore be maintained – and if possible improved – throughout the life of this Strategy.

HE LTAS Aims:

To monitor excellence in learning, teaching and assessment through performance management and observation of teaching
To promote distinctiveness in the curriculum offer through high quality learning, teaching and assessment
To support the student learning journey towards independence through robust tutorial systems
To provide opportunities for enhancement, enrichment, diversity and externality
To develop student confidence and critical engagement
To promote risk-taking and innovative practice
To maintain high quality resources and facilities to support learning

2Employability and Enterprise

In an increasingly competitive market, where employment in the creative industries is usually predicated on a degree, the College must improve the co-ordination of its links with employers and its ability to assist graduates in finding employment. Within this strategic objective, the HE LTAS will align with the Employability & Enterprise Review and Action Plan.

HE LTAS Aims:

To develop and deliver curriculum content that is relevant to industry and professional creative practice
To enhance knowledge and skills in preparation for employment and post-graduate study
To provide relevant live projects and work-related learning opportunities

3Increasing HE Orientation

The College considers that its strategic direction is based upon the expansion of its HE activity. This is predicated on increasing the HE orientation of its staff by focusing on the development of a research culture and its contribution to UK HE, the nature of the staff research and scholarly activity undertaken in the College and a student experience which fully meets the standards expected.Within this strategic objective, the LTAS will align with the Research & Staff Development Strategy.

HE LTAS Aims:

To enhance learning opportunities for students through relevant staff research and development, scholarly activity and critical engagement with creative practice and/or pedagogic developments
To develop the progression of independent learning and critical engagement
To clearly define the differentiation between academic and pastoral support and student access to this support
To promote and provide opportunities for collaborative learning and the sharing of good practice
To enhance the preparation of students for post-graduate study

4Growth

The College is small, and in the past has not managed to seize fully the available opportunities for growth. The College believes that there are opportunities for growth even in the present difficult market and that these may be progressed without compromising quality or financial effectiveness which are paramount. The aims set out in the previous three sections of the HE LTAS are designed to contribute to the College’s strategic objectives for growth.

5Sustainability

The College has always been financially sound and is determined to remain so. However, the nation’s public finances will be experiencing a challenging period in the near future. The interrelationship between quality of provision, development of facilities and financial effectiveness can be challenging. The College believes that the potential for tension is minimised by the provision of accurate and timely management information.

HE LTAS Aims:

To facilitate the effective delivery of curricula and use of learning resources
To promote the transition and progression to HE
To provide a learning environment that adds value to local and regional communities and contributes to the sustainability of these communities

Below is a diagram that integrates all of these objectives:

Managing the inter-relationship between these priorities and functions will be the key task for HE learning, teaching and assessment over the life of this Strategy.

Conclusion

All of the above mentioned HE LTAS strategic objectives meet that of the overall College strategic objectives. The HE Heads of Schoolwill not only aim to meet the objectives of the College but will communicate with other departments to ensure that the HE LTAS strategic objectives are realistic and whether they have an impact on other departments.

The HE LTAS will aim to be flexible with its objectives to ensure that they meet the changing needs of the College.

[1]‘Human Resource Management at Work’, Mick Marchington and Adrian Wilkinson, 3rd edition, CIPD, 2005.