UCU Member Briefing

Professional Development Review (PDR) and Student Module Evaluation (SME)

Bilingual – Scroll down for Welsh version

Dear Member

This is the fourth of five email briefings from the UCU committee explaining the UCU (Swansea Branch) position on key issues affecting staff at Swansea University. This briefing is on:

  • Professional Development Review (PDR) and Student Module Evaluation (SME)

Previous briefings (available on the UCU Swansea website) have covered:

  • Academic Career Pathways
  • REF
  • Workload models

Go to:

Each briefing explains management's current position as we understand it, the UCU's position, and what is taking place between the UCU and management in relation to each briefing topic.

PDR

Current position

The Vice-Chancellor explained the University’s position on PDR 2012 in a recent email bulletin to all staff. PDR is linked to ‘supporting and encouraging staff performance’. A new online PDR is being introduced, partly to improve PDR completion rates.The Vice Chancellor suggests that PDR may provide an opportunity to ‘talk about your career direction’ and draws attention to the new Academic Career Pathway policy (on Career Pathways see Briefing and Draft Profiles on our website).

The UCU has asked the Director of Human Resources about the use of SME data for PDR purposes. As we understand from his reply:

  • The University sees the primary purpose of SME to be to gather feedback from students to enable improvements to student learning.
  • The system of electronic SME is seen as introducing a consistent, reliable, accessible and transparent system of feedback from students.
  • The University takes the view that it is extremely important to respond to student feedback on teaching and module delivery by making use of qualitative and quantitative feedback from SME to enhance the quality of provision.
  • The data provided from SME will be analysed at University, College and Programme level to identify areas of good practice, explore resource requirements and identify areas where further support to teaching staff is needed.

Students are asked to respond to 16 questions using a Likert scale (Strongly Agree to Strongly Disagree). We are informed that the University intends to use feedback from three questions to inform PDR. These questions are:

  • I would recommend the lecturer to other students.
  • Feedback on my work has helped me improve my learning.
  • Overall, I am satisfied with the quality of the module.

Management believes that SME will provide better and more meaningful data than that provided by the NSS survey. The intention signalled by Senior Management is to use the data received from responses to the above three questions to feed into PDR to facilitate a meaningful discussion between members of staff and reviewers, to properly recognise good work, and to identify aspects of modules or teaching that may require further development.

The UCU's position on PDR and Academic Career Pathways

We have made the UCU’s position on Academic Career Pathways clear to management on many occasions. The UCU welcomes flexible career pathway options for academic staff, and enhanced recognition of certain previously undervalued aspects of academia. We appreciate that PDR may provide an opportunity to discuss career options. However, we would stress that the introduction of the Academic Career Pathway policy should not be seen as an opportunity for managers and reviewers to seek to persuade staff to focus on duties which they do not willingly accept as appropriate and relevant to their preferred career pathway, and which might result in a change to their existing contractual obligations. Members should note that we do notsuggest or imply that this is what the Vice Chancellor is proposing as an aspect of PDR in the final paragraphs of his email. From our discussions with Senior Management it is apparent that this is not how PDR, or indeed the Academic Career Pathway policy, is viewed. Senior management has assured the UCU that the choice of career pathway should be led by the member of staff concerned. However, we have reservations (arising from feedback from members) about whether or not this is fully appreciated by others who will be required to implement the policy at College level.

The UCU’s position on PDR and SME

We agree that the primary purpose of SME should be to enable improvements to student learning by contributing to understanding of students’ experiences. A standardised cross-institutional system may lead to a consistent, reliable, accessible and transparent system of feedback from students, and will likely reduce workloads for relevant staff. However, our main concern is not how data is collected and collated, but the use to which it is put, and whether it provides information which is appropriate to feed into PDR. University senior management has consistently sought to emphasise to the UCU the positive aspects of SME and its relationship with PDR. We are however concerned that SME questions are too closely modelled on the NSS survey and therefore suffer from many of the criticisms directed at the latter (selective coverage, insufficiently nuanced, crude data outputs, relevance to certain disciplines). Feedback from members informs and confirms this view, while there is also concern that SME does not give proper recognition to the reality of team-teaching, or relevant externalities or contingencies. Whilst we believe that Senior Management will send a clear signal to line managers that the purpose of SME data is to inform a balanced and meaningful discussion between a reviewer and a member of staff, we are very concerned that the SME data will be given an unwarranted degree of credibility and importance by reviewers. This may well lead to pressure on staff to respond to student feedback without proper recognition of the importance of maintaining academic integrity, or the impact of factors outside an individual’s control (e.g. resources, student ability).

What we are doing...

A pilot of module evaluation was undertaken in Engineering, Business and Economics, and English. We are informed that there will be a full review of the first full round of SME following its completion which will be considered in detail by College and University Learning and Teaching Committees, and that UCU will also be invited to consider the relevant report. The UCU has been proactive in making its views on PDR, SME and Academic Career Pathways known to management. We have a watching brief, as ultimately it is for management to implement its own policies. We will continue to raise and discuss the issue of how SME relates to PDR, and any related issues arising from the introduction of the Academic Career Pathways policy during our meetings with University Senior Management. We will also seek to ensure that practices adopted at University level, but more especially at College and School/Department level, recognise the limitations of data outputs from SME for PDR purposes. We will continue to take comments from members on this and on Academic Career Pathways, and where individuals feel aggrieved we will offer advice and where necessary support and representation for individuals to bring a complaint.

What we need from you...

In this instance members will need to alert the Committee when poor practice arises at PDR, for example when staff are unduly pressurised to undertake particular roles, or SME data is used inappropriately.

AnnwylAelod
Dyma'rbedwaredd o bum neges e-bostoddiwrthBwyllgor UCU yneglurosafbwynt UCU ( CangenAbertawe) arfaterionallweddolsy'neffeithioar staff ymMhrifysgolAbertawe. Mae’rcyfarwyddydhwnynglynag:

·AdolygiadDatblygiadProffesiynol (PDR) a GwerthusiadModiwlauMyfyrwyr (SME)
Mae’rcyfarwyddydblaenorol ( syddargaelarwefan UCU Abertawe) weditrafod:
·LlwybrauGyrfaoeddAcademaidd
· REF
·ModelauLlwythGwaith
Ewchi :
Mae pobnegesynesbonio’rhyn a ddeallwnyw barn bresennol y rheolwyr, barn UCU, a’rhynsy'ndigwyddrhwng UCU a’rrheolwyrmewnperthynas â phobpwnc.
PDR
Y Sefyllfabresennol
Eglurodd Is-Ganghellorfarn y Brifysgolar PDR 2012 mewnbwletin e-bostdiweddar a anfonwyd at yr holl staff. Mae’r PDR yngysylltiedig â 'chefnogi ac annogperfformiad staff'. Mae’r PDR ar-leinnewyddyncaeleigyflwyno, ynrhannolermwyngwellacyfraddaucwblhau’r PDR. Mae’r Is-Ganghellorynawgrymu y gallai’r PDR ddarparucyflei 'siarad am gyfeiriadeichgyrfa' ac yntynnusylw at y polisiLlwybrGyrfaAcademaiddnewydd (gweler y Cyfarwyddyda’rProffiliauDrafftarLwybrauGyrfaareingwefan).
Mae’r UCU wediholiCyfarwyddwrAdnoddauDynolynglynâ’rdefnydd o ddata SME at ddibenion PDR. Dyma’rhyn a ddeallwno’iymateb:
·Mae'rBrifysgolynystyriedmaiprifddiben SME ywcasgluadborthganfyfyrwyrermwyngwelladysgu.
· Mae'r system electronig SME yncaelei weld felcyflwyniad system gyson, ddibynadwy, hygyrch a thryloyw o adborthganfyfyrwyr.
·Mae'rBrifysgolo’rfarneifodynbwysigiawniymatebiadborthmyfyrwyrarddysgu a chyflwyniadmodiwlaudrwywneuddefnydd o adborthansoddol a meintiol yr SME iwellaansawdd y ddarpariaeth.
·Bydd y data a ddarparwydgan SME yncaeleiddadansoddiarlefelPrifysgol, Coleg a Rhagleninodimeysydd o arferda,iarchwiliogofynion o ran adnoddau a nodimeysyddllemaeangencefnogaethbellachar y staff dysgu.
Gofynnirifyfyrwyrymatebi 16 o gwestiynauganddefnyddiograddfaLikert (Cytuno’nGryfiAnghytuno'nGryf). Rydymwedicaelgwybodbod y Brifysgolynbwriadudefnyddioadborth o drichwestiwnilywio’r PDR. Y cwestiynauyw:
·Byddwnynargymell y darlithyddifyfyrwyreraill
· Mae adbortharfyngwaithwedifyhelpuiwellafynysg.
·Ar y cyfan, rwy'nfodlonagansawdd y modiwl.
Mae’rRheolwyryncredu y bydd yr SME yndarparu data gwell a mwyystyrlonna'rhyn a ddarperirgan yr arolwg NSS. Mae’nymddangoseifodynfwriadgan yr UwchReolwyriddefnyddio'r data a dderbyniwydo'rymatebioni'r tri chwestiwnuchoddrwyeifwydoimewn PDR ermwynhwylusotrafodaethystyrlonrhwngaelodau o staff ac adolygwyr ac igydnabodgwaithdamewnfforddbriodol ac iadnabodagweddauarfodiwlauneuddysgu a allaiangendatblygiadpellach.
Barn UCU ar PDR a LlwybrauGyrfaAcademaidd
Rydymwedigwneud barn UCU ynglyn â LlwybrauGyrfaAcademaiddyngliri’rrheolwyrarsawlachlysur. Mae UCU yncroesawudewisiadaugyrfallwybrhyblygargyfer staff academaidd, a chydnabyddiaethgwell o raiagweddaupenodolo’rbydacademaidd a danbrisiwydynflaenorol. Rydymhefydyngwerthfawrogi y gallai PDR ddarparucyfleidrafoddewisiadaugyrfa. Foddbynnag, byddemynpwysleisionaddylaicyflwynopolisiLlwybrauGyrfaAcademaiddgaelei weld felcyfleargyferrheolwyr ac adolygwyrigeisioperswadio staff iganolbwyntioarddyletswyddaunadydyntynbarodi’wderbynfelrhaipriodol a pherthnasoli'wdewis o lwybrgyrfa, ac a allaiarwain at newidyneurhwymedigaethaucytundebolpresennol. DylaiAelodaunodinadydymynawgrymumaidyma'rhyn y mae'r Is-Ganghelloryneigynnigfelrhano'r PDR ymmharagraffauolafei e-bost. Ynsgileintrafodaethauâ’ruwchreolwyr, mae'namlwgnaddymasut y mae PDR, nacynwir y polisiLlwybrauGyrfaAcademaidd, yncaeleugweld. Mae’ruwchreolwyrwedisicrhau UCU y dylai’rdewis o LwybrGyrfagaeleiarwaingan yr aelod o staff dansylw. Foddbynnag, maegennymraiamheuon a ywhynyncaeleiwerthfawrogi’nllawnganeraill a fyddyngorfodgweithredu'rpolisiarlefelColeg.
Barn UCU ar PDR ac SME
Rydymyncytunomaigalluogigwelliannauiddysgumyfyrwyrdrwygyfrannu at ddealltwriaeth o brofiad y myfyriwrddylaifodprifddiben SME.Gallai system safonol draws-sefydliadolarwain at system gyson, ddibynadwy, hygyrch a thryloyw o adborthganfyfyrwyr, a fyddyndebygol o leihaullwythgwaith staff perthnasol. Foddbynnag, nidsut y caiff data eigasglua'igoladuyweinprifbryder, ond y defnyddohono, ac osyw'ndarparugwybodaethsy'nbriodoli’wbwydoimewni’r PDR. Mae uwchreolwyr y Brifysgolwediceisiopwysleisioagweddaucadarnhaol SME a’iberthynasâ’r PDR yngysoni UCU. Rydymynpryderu, foddbynnag, bodcwestiynau’r SME wedieumodelu’nrhyagosar yr arolwg NSS ac felly’nagoredilawero'rfeirniadaeth a wneiro’rarolwghwnnw (ymdriniaethddethol, diffygcynildeb, allbynnau data syml). Mae adborthganaelodauwedicyfrannu at, ac wedicadarnhau'rfarnhon, ac maeynabryderhefydnadyw SME ynrhoicydnabyddiaethbriodolirealitiaddysgutîm, nacychwaithallanolionperthnasolneuwrthgefn. Ereinbodyncredu y bydd yr UwchReolwyrynanfonnegesglir at reolwyrllinellmaidiben data SME ywllywiotrafodaethgytbwys ac ystyrlonrhwngadolygydd ac aelodauynystod PDR, rydymynbryderusiawn y bydd yr adolygwyrynrhoipwys ac hygrededddiangenarddata SME. Gall hynarwain at bwysauar staff iymatebiadborthmyfyrwyrhebgydnabyddiaethbriodol o bwysigrwyddcynnaluniondebacademaidd, neueffaithffactorausydd y tuallanireolaeth yr unigolyn (eeadnoddau, gallumyfyrwyr).
Yr hynrydymyneiwneud ...
Mae cynllunpeiloto'rgwerthusiadmodiwlwedicaeleigynnalmewnPeirianneg a Busnes ac Economeg, a Saesneg. Rydymyngwybod y byddadolygiadllawno'rcylchllawncyntaf o SMEyndilyn a fyddyncaeleiystyriedynfanwlganBwyllgorauDysgu ac AddysguColeg a Phrifysgol, ac y bydd UCU yncaeleiwahoddiystyried yr adroddiadperthnasol. Mae UCU wedibodynrhagweithiolwrthroigwybodireolwyrynglynâ’n barn ar PDR, SME ac ar y LlwybrauGyrfaAcademaiddynogystal. Rydymyncadwgolwgar y sefyllfa, achosyn y pen draw cyfrifoldeb y rheolwyrywgweithredueupolisïaueihunain. Byddwnynparhauigodi a thrafodsut y mae SME ynymwneud â PDR, ac unrhywfaterionperthnasolsy'ncodi o gyflwyno'rpolisiLlwybrauGyrfaAcademaiddynystodeincyfarfodyddgydagUwchReolwyr y Brifysgol. Byddwnhefydynceisiosicrhaubodarferion a fabwysiadwydarlefel y Brifysgol, ondynfwyarbennigarlefelColeg ac Ysgol / Adran, yncydnabodcyfyngiadaucanlyniadau data SME at ddibenion PDR. Byddwnynparhauidderbynsylwadauganaelodauarhyn ac arLwybrauGyrfaAcademaidd, ac osywunigolionynteimlo’ndramgwyddiedigbyddwnyncynnigcyngora’rcymorth a chynrychiolaethangenrheidiolermwyniunigolionfedrucyflwynocwyn.
Yr hynrydymeiangengennych chi ...
Yn yr achoshwn, maeangeniaelodauiroigwybodi'rPwyllgor am achosion o arfergwael, pwysauar staff, neuddefnyddamhriodol o ddata SME.