aldinhe keynote: divination and forecasting, the future of higher education
DESCRIPTION
Keynote for ALDinHE conference held at Queens University, Belfast in April 2011.TRANSCRIPT
Divination and Forecasting: What
Will Happen in the Future of HE?
Becka ColleyDean of Students
National Teaching Fellow
The Runes They Say…
• Chris might finally have started to relax
• Eloise will have knitted a sexy jumper for
everyone in the audience
• Ed will snigger every time I mention technology
• 3 people will fall asleep
• Matches and gas lamps will have made a
comeback, but only in booths in the Crown
• I will have spoken too fast, again
• And it will all still be Nick Clegg‟s fault
By the end of this keynote I
predict that…
Areas of Focus…
• Changing nature of student population and
expectations about HE experience
• Impact on institutions of new funding regime
• Role of Learning Development
But first!
Let‟s do some shared thinking…
not really ;-)
Card sort instructions
In groups, discuss the student quotes
• Decide if they are related to issues of:
– social
– academic
– professional service
– organisational
• What would you do to support the student?
How would you do this?
• 5mins!
To get you thinking…
Students 2.0?
• Who/what are modern students?
– A vision of students today(Wesch, 2007)
– Engaging Students at Bradford (Currant, 2009)
• What issues do they face?
• What challenges does this pose for us?
• How do we respond to differences from the
„norm‟?
Stating the Obvious But…
…Higher Education is changing:
• “The university system is in need of „radical
change‟ to provide a better deal for taxpayers
and students” (Willetts, 10 June 2010)
• How is the sector going to respond?
• What will you do differently?
• How can Learning Development support
this process?
• Over last 20 years Higher education has
undergone radical and unprecedented
change (Education Act, 1992; Dearing Report, 1997; Roberts Report, 2003; Leitch
Report, 2006; Browne, 2010; CSR, 2010)
• Learners are entering with different
expectations and assumptions about their
experiences
• The student body has become dramatically
more heterogeneous and has fragmented
in some cases
The Impact of ‘massification’
What will happen to HE?
Go Back to Basics??
Become Futuristic??
Universities 2.0?
• Diversity of entry routes
• Issues of dealing with developing autonomy
• Earning whilst learning
• Disengaged learners seeking qualification
• Pressures on the system and individuals
• Changing processes within an inflexible
system
• Tradition and history
£9000 a year
fees will be the
exception not the
rule.
“Certain tutors appear arrogant and unwilling
to listen to student's views. Tutors are
often unable to make lectures interesting
and/or teach the subject matter in a way
that clearly communicates the information
and is stimulating. £3,000+ per year
definitely not worth it.” [quote from NSS]
In the context of…
• How long to see the impact and effects?
• And how long before even more change??
Outcome = Mixed (imho…)
Those that
can, will and
those that
can‟t, will
(struggle…)
What does this mean for
• Staff
• Students
• Institutions
• Society
• Learning
Development
• You???
• Universities need to become less
fragmented but not turn into a
unstimulating vanilla experience or a
corporate collective…
Expectation management is key
• Support
• Integration
• Transition issues
• Success
• Awareness
• Personalisation within a complicated and
fragmented system
It’s All About Expectations…
How do students think they learn best?
“I prefer practical learning as I like to do things
and get bored when just listening to
someone talking. I do quite well when working
in a group as well as it gives me more ideas
and opinions”
“Through repetition. I like to study independently
initially but then to consolidate the learning I like to
discuss it and have feedback on it. I have a low
attention span and so find a lot of reading and quiet
time very hard work. I like to interact with people and
so the discussion and debate of ideas appeals to me
greatly”
“I learn best from doing things or thinking
through a problem with other people or by
writing something down, drawing it. I don't
learn much by just reading something”
The Traditional Curriculum…
University of X provides per module:
• Lectures x 2 hours x 12
• Seminars x 1 hour x 6
• Group tutorials x 1 hour x 3
– Group work (with assessed presentation)
• 100+ hours of independent study (aka the
library) per module
• Assessed by coursework and 3 hour exam
And if they’re really lucky they get…
• “I do not get enough contact time. I am paying over £3000 a
year and this semester I will have no lectures. This is not
value for money!”
• “We are paying a lot of money to gain a degree only to be let
down time and time again!”
• “More lecturers for the money I'm paying”
• “Too much self-directed studies, not enough help from staff,
not sufficient lecture hours, too much money paid for not
enough hours.”
• “The tuition fees are really expensive and they don't give us
enough lecture time and I don't know what we are actually
paying for.”
And the students say…
(and that‟s before £9000 for September
2012…)
1. Make Research-Based Learning the Standard
2. Construct an Inquiry-Based Freshman Year
3. Build on the Freshman Foundation
4. Remove Barriers to Interdisciplinary Education
5. Link Communication Skills and Course Work
6. Use Information Technology Creatively
7. Culminate with a Capstone Experience
8. Educate Graduate Students as Apprentice Teachers
9. Change Faculty Reward Systems
10. Cultivate a Sense of Community
Ten Ways to Change Undergraduate Education
The Boyer Commission on
Educating Undergraduates
in the Research University: REINVENTING
UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION
Boyer, 1999
What role does Learning Development
have in all this?
Who is the most senior person in your
institution that
• supports
• knows about
• understands (and champions) Learning
Development?(VC, DVC, PVC, Dean/Director, Head of Department, Head of the Unit??)
• What relationship do you have with senior
management? Academic staff?
How many of your Units
were mentioned in your
University‟s access
agreement?
How do we work with academics?
Beyond HEIn HEPre-entry
Academic system
Social system
Organisational system
Professional services system
Student
relations
Dispositions
& capacities
Student
engagement
& belonging
HE system
May & Thomas, 2010
• How do programmes become „grounded and
nourished‟?
• What does your institution do to welcome
students & support with transition?
• How do you provide social interactions with
teachers/staff and other students?
• How do you embed course advice and
support services?
• Where does Learning Development feature in
this?
Intervention level: Core principles
Intervention level
Proactive Inclusive
Flexible
Transparent
Ongoing Timely
Integrated
Collaborative
• VFM
• USP
• Collaboration
• Collegiality
• Sustainability
• Effectiveness
• Efficiency
• Individualisation
• Personalisation
• Strategic direction
• Mission
• Access agreements…
Buzz Word Bingo…
The role of learning development is crucial
• To help staff succeed, we are vital
• To help students succeed, we are vital
• To help institutions succeed, we are vital
• Position to influence
• Keep fighting!
“I think things have changed so much
since I started working in LD in 2006 - we
have so much more confidence as a
professional community now, but we do
still need to be reminded of the importance
of being pro-active and not reactive.”
Remember…the
only certainty is
uncertainty.
The Runes Said:
• Poerdh: time of crisis, many
choices open but what choice is
made will affect you and others for
a long time to come. This rune is a
danger sign…
• Thorn: updating of thoughts and
opinions, think carefully about
what is wanted.
• Os [r]: misjudgement, outcome
disaster if action not changed.
• Rad [r]: challenge the way things
are seen.
• Hoel: struggle and effort needed,
victory can be won but at a cost.
Conflict can not be avoided,
destruction of obsolete, removal of
the irrelevant.
• Nyd: great opportunities at hand.
• Ehwis: strength, courage, tenacity,
perseverance.
• Ing: wisdom and advice from
others, gathering of friends. Laying
of foundations that will last for a
long time, good time in life,
approval of others.
• Interpretation: it‟s gonna be hard
but we‟ll get there…!
Any Questions?!
<Thank you!/>