learning, teaching and assessment strategy 2009-2011

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Learning, Teaching andAssessment Strategy2009-2011


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Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy

National University of Ireland, Galway

Learning, Teaching & Assessment Strategy

2009-2011

The strategy for Learning, Teaching and Assessment at NUI Galway is designedto achieve, on behalf of all students and staff, the highest standard of educational resources for access to knowledge, development of critical thinking,and methods that assure a fair evaluation of success.

I. General Philosophy

NUI Galways strategy for learning and teaching will provide an institutionalculture which:

Recognises an academic practice that includes a balance of commitments: to teaching and research; to support for the academiccommunity; to society at large. This institutional culture supportsthese different dimensions and asserts that their interaction within theUniversity ensures that academic staff and their students succeed inmeeting the challenges of an age of rapid change, of technologicaladvancement, and of economic and cultural transformation.

Works to achieve greater levels of student engagement in theintellectual, cultural and social spheres. To this end the Universityfavours flexibility of course delivery, modularisation, and thedeployment of new technologies to promote, rather than erode, theintellectual challenge and excitement of a higher education. TheUniversity will ensure that these approaches increase and broadenaccess to higher education.

Establishes links between academic programmes and researchactivities, and raises levels of civic awareness and participation withinand beyond the campus, in the knowledge that the University can

contribute to the personal as well as the intellectual transformation of the individual student.

Empowers staff and students in the creation and sharing of knowledge, by supporting a strong technological infrastructure,innovative pedagogical approaches, and institutional structures thatrecognise and reward achievement, foster collegiality, and provideequality of access and opportunity.

Promotes high quality teaching (encompassing a wide range of practices and methods) and pedagogies which encourage activelearning, in which the roles and responsibilities of staff and studentsare clear. In addition, the traditional contrasts between graduateresearch and undergraduate study are re-examined in order to

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achieve for all learners an active intellectual curiosity within sharedlearning communities.

Establishes an inclusive campus and out-reach capacity that promotesdiversity in the student population, provides opportunities for part-time and mature students as well as those from a full range of cultural, linguistic, educational, and socio-economic backgrounds.

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II. Background

The need for a formal strategy for Learning, Teaching and Assessment arisesfrom a number of challenges and opportunities for the institution, which include:

1. The commitment to providing a high quality learning experience for allstudents, striving for excellence in Teaching and Learning.

2. The importance of developing high quality graduates of internationalstandard.

3. The recent investments and developments in Fourth Level research andgraduate study

4. The transformations of Irish society, its economy, and its new diversity5. The internationalisation of education

This strategy constitutes for the University as a whole an agreed framework forlearning, teaching and assessment practice. It applies to undergraduate,postgraduate and other programmes which are officially recognised by theuniversity.

Individual Colleges and Schools will implement this strategy within their owndisciplines and may add relevant additional actions.

The strategy consists of a number of key principles and a specified set of goals.It is subject to review and renewal and the currency of this document is for theperiod 2009-2011.

The document has been drafted by a Working Group established by the Councilof Deans, convened by the Director of CELT and chaired by the Dean of theCollege of Arts, Social Sciences & Celtic Studies.

III Contents/Sections

1. Staff Training and Support for Curriculum Development

2. Bologna, the National Qualifications Framework and the European Credit Transfer (and Accumulation) System (ECTS)

3. Learning Outcomes

4. Approaches to Teaching and Learning

5. Assessment6. Student Engagement

7. Feedback, Evaluation & Review

8. Research-Teaching Linkages

9. Civic Engagement

10. Postgraduate Research Programmes

11. Summary of Action Items

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1. Staff Training & Support for Curriculum Development

The university recognises that academic staff and schools are placed underconsiderable demands given the rapid pace of change in the wider educationalcontext, national strategies to widen participation, the growth of multi- andinter-disciplinarity, the Bologna process, new technologies and research findingson higher education practice. In order, therefore, to ensure the pursuit of (andthe continuation of) excellence in regards teaching and learning it is essentialthat provision is made for staff training and development. To this end, theCentre for Excellence in Learning & Teaching (CELT) plays a vital role, workingin close partnership with the Library, Computer Services and other units.

Actions

(A1.1) The Professional Postgraduate Certificate in Teaching & Learning inHigher Education will be made available to all academic staff free of charge andwill be offered in as flexible a manner as is practicable.

(A1.2) The Postgraduate Diploma and MA in Academic Practice will similarly beavailable to those academic staff who wish to pursue these topics and suchtraining to a higher level, providing opportunities for small scale, individualresearch on aspects of higher education policy and practice.

(A1.3) CELT will provide Seminar, Workshop and Conference series withcontributions from visiting external facilitators/presenters and colleagues withinthe university that focus on aspects of curriculum development, teachingmethods, assessment and higher education policy.

(A1.4) The University will provide appropriate resources to support and sustainstaff development in this area and will seek additional resources whereavailable, targeted to the priority areas identified in this document and theUniversitys strategic plan.

(A1.5) Human Resources and other appropriate offices will ensure that those inthe role of Dean and Head of School will be provided with appropriateprofessional development opportunities and support.

(A1.6) The training and support of postgraduate students, both in terms of theirpotential role in teaching and learning, and for their own professionaldevelopment will be jointly pursued by the Dean of Graduate Studies, the

Colleges and CELT. All students acting in a teaching (or support of learning)capacity will be provided with training opportunities.

(A1.7) Programme Boards (where appropriate) will ensure that part-timeteaching assistants and similar categories of staff will be provided with trainingin tutoring, demonstrating or other relevant skills and that where such trainingis available those staff are required to avail of it.

(A1.8) Blackboard and related technologies will be used to provide access totraining materials and resources for curriculum development. A Teaching andLearning Forum has been established and this will be further developed andenhanced by CELT staff and others, including Vice-Deans with responsibility for

Teaching & Learning issues. This will serve as a one-stop shop for information

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regarding teaching, learning and assessment, providing staff with ready accessto appropriate documentation, policy statements and other materials.

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2. Bologna, the National Qualifications Framework and the EuropeanCredit Transfer (and Accumulation) System (ECTS)

The overall aim of the Bologna process is to create greater transparency acrossdifferent educational systems and structures and promote student mobility. It isdesigned to make international exchange, cooperation and mobility easier andmore flexible.

In pursuit of the development of the European Higher Education Area , Irelandhas endorsed the Bologna Declaration and subsequent communiqus aroundthe issue of the development of a transparent, transferable and interchangeablesystem of credits for educational programmes. 1 In addition, Ireland now has inplace a National Framework of Qualifications within which modules andprogrammes are placed in a 10 level scale.

Bologna Cycles & the National Framework for Qualifications

The Bologna framework groups qualifications into three cycles. These are bestdescribed by considering the types of award available in Ireland as in the tablebelow 2.

The National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) was launched in 2003 (havingbeen established in the Qualifications (Education and Training) Act of 1999). Itconsists of 10 levels (see diagram) and is aligned with Bologna. Guidelines andpolicy recommendations for the University sector are currently being developedas part of a collaborative project between the IUA and the NationalQualifications Authority of Ireland. These will include collective means toaddress learning outcomes (skills and competences), assessment, programmetitles and internationalisation. 3

Bologna Cycle Award-type Irishlevel

Short Cycle (within thefirst c ycle)

Higher Certificate 6

First Cycle Ordinary BachelorDegreeHonours BachelorDegreeHigher Diploma

788

Second Cycle Masters Degree

Postgraduate Diploma

9

9 Third Cycle Doctorate 10

1

Details in the forthcoming Bologna Handbook (2008), but the basic principles are now well established.2 Verification of alignment of national framework with overarching framework, B. Maguire, L. Purser, NationalStakeholder Workshop, Oct 2006 http://www.nqai.ie/docs/international/MAGURE-BRYAN.ppt 3 http://www.nfqnetwork.ie/

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ECTS

All modules in NUI Galway are specified in terms of ECTS.

The European credit transfer and accumulation system is a student-centred system based on the student workload required to achievethe objectives of a programme , objectives preferably specified interms of the learning outcomes and competences to be acquired. 4

The key features of ECTS are as follows 5:

ECTS is based on the principle that 60 credits measure the workloadof a fulltime student during one academic year . The studentworkload of a full-time study programme in Europe amounts in mostcases to around 1500 to 1800 hours per year and in those cases onecredit stands for around 25 to 30 working hours . 6

Credits in ECTS can only be obtained after successful completion of thework required and appropriate assessment of the learning outcomesachieved.

Learning outcomes are sets of competences, expressing what the studentwill know, understand or be able to do after completion of a process of learning, long or short.

Student workload in ECTS consists of the time required to complete allplanned learning activities such as attending lectures, seminars,independent and private study, preparation of projects,examinations, and so forth .

Credits are allocated to all educational components of a studyprogramme (such as modules, courses, placements, dissertation work,etc.) and reflect the quantity of work each component requires to achieveits specific objectives or learning outcomes in relation to the total

4 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (Key Features), European Commission, 2004. Also availableonline at: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/ects/en.pdf , where the credits/hours are derived on the basis

of the academic year.5 ibid6 In the context of Ireland and countries with similar semesters this equates in practical terms to around 20-25 hours per ECTS.

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quantity of work necessary to complete a full year of study successfully.7

Diploma Supplement

The Diploma Supplement (DS) is a document attached to a degreecertificate/award which aims to improve international transparency and atfacilitating the academic and professional recognition of qualifications(diplomas, degrees, certificates etc.). It is designed to provide a description of the nature, level, context, content and status of the studies that weresuccessfully completed by the individual named on the original qualification towhich this supplement is appended. It is intended as a flexible non-prescriptivetool which is designed to save time, money and workload and which isadaptable to local/national requirements. The DS contains details of the specificmodules undertaken by students and therefore offers a richer description thanthe simple award certificate/diploma. 8

All students graduating from programmes in NUI Galway will be provided with aDiploma Supplement which provides a more detailed description of modulestaken and other relevant information. The compilation of the DiplomaSupplement is being explored by Academic Administration & MIS.

Actions

(A2.1) All programmes will be subject to the oversight of the appropriateProgramme Board of the College in which it is taught. All programmes andawards in the university are required to comply with the Bologna Frameworkand the NFQ.

(A2.2) All programmes and modules should be described in terms of LearningOutcomes, ECTS, and, where an award is issued (ie a degree, diploma,certificate, etc) it should be located on the NFQ.

(A2.3) All students and staff should be clear as to the workload associated withECTS weightings and this should be communicated through all availableappropriate channels. It is particularly important to clarify to students theexpectations required of them in terms of individual effort beyond simple classcontact time or assessment requirements.

(A2.4) It is the responsibility of the Programme Board to ensure that appropriateprogramme specifications and module descriptors are available. Support fromthe relevant university offices will be provided and training for academic staff isavailable through CELT. 9

(A2.5) Over the timeframe of this strategy, Colleges will reform theirundergraduate and taught postgraduate programmes 10 to ensure that the

7 The performance of the student is documented by a local/national grade. It is good practice to add an ECTS grade , in particular in the case of credit transfer the ECTS grading scale ranks the students on a statistical basis .8 This is adapted from the official European Commission site for the Diploma Supplement.http://ec.europa.eu./education/policies/rec_qual/recognition/diploma_en.html 9

Resourced from SIF projects and other sources.10 Exceptions will include circumstances in which an alternative is required by an external accreditation body or for specialist professional development, flexible learning, collaborative programmes with other institutions or postgraduateresearch student training.

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standard minimum size of modules on offer corresponds to no fewer than 5ECTS.

(A2.6) Colleges will ensure that there is consistency and comparability in totalworkload across all modules which have the same ECTS weightings.

(A2.7) Colleges and Schools will minimise the number of bonded modules thatarise in their programmes and, in particular, will ensure that all students takingmodules which have the same learning outcomes and general assessmentrequirements are treated as a single cohort in terms of the award of ECTS.

(A2.8) Colleges and Schools will be responsible for localised policy decisionsregarding practical aspects of module and course delivery regarding contacttime, resource allocations, assessment regulations, standards and grading, etc.However, such decisions must be compatible with the strategy outlined in thisdocument.

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3. Learning Outcomes

Learning outcomes are sets of competences, expressing what the studentwill know, understand or be able to do after completion of a process of learning, long or short . 11

An intended learning outcome is a concise description of what a student willhave learnt at the end of some learning process. One of the mainadvantages to stating the intended learning outcomes from a course of study is the way in which this allows one explicitly to consider the ways inwhich the goals for student learning are constructively aligned withboth the methods used for teaching and supporting learning andthe assessment on the programme. 12

Learning outcomes focus on what the student has achieved rather thanmerely focussing on the content of what has been taught.

Learning outcomes focus on what the student can demonstrate at theend of a learning activity. 13

If the Bologna Process is to be successful in meeting the needs andexpectations of learners, all countries need to use learning outcomes as abasis for their national qualifications frameworks, systems for credit transferand accumulation, the diploma supplement, recognition of prior learning andquality assurance. This is a precondition for achieving many of thegoals of the Bologna Process by 2010 .14

Learning outcomes are now the de facto standard (and Bologna compliant)means of describing courses and modules at many levels of education; areflection of the shift from a content centred approach to one which overtlyrecognises that the student is responsible for his/her own learning andhas to be able to demonstrate attainment of key competencies andknowledge before being judged to have successfully completed aprogramme of learning .

There has however been some considerable debate 15 about learning outcomesand, in particular, their traditional association with behaviourist learning modelsand training programmes. This concern is recognised and it is important thattheir educational value and underlying principles of clarity, transparency andcomparability are not lost in overly detailed and mechanistic implementations,

or indeed in the use of vague and over-general descriptions.Learning outcomes used appropriately provide a powerful approach to coursedesign, being used to identify the most effective teaching and assessmentmethods. Learning outcomes, teaching & learning approaches and assessment

11 European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (Key Features), European Commission, 2004. Also availableonline at: http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/education_culture/publ/pdf/ects/en.pdf 12 University of Manchester, Guide to Writing Aims and Intended Learning Outcomes, 2004. Available online athttp://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/medialibrary/tlao/MAP/writing-aims-and-intended-learning-outcomes.pdf 13 Writing and Using Learning Outcomes: A Practical Guide, D. Kennedy, UCC & NAIRTL, 200714

Bologna Process Stocktaking Report, 2007, London, DfES15 Update on the Issues and Applications of Learning Outcomes Associated with the Bologna Process. S. Adams,Bologna Seminar, Edinburgh, 2008. Available online athttp://www.ond.vlaanderen.be/hogeronderwijs/bologna/BolognaSeminars/documents/Edinburgh/Edinburgh_Feb08_Adams.pdf

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methods should be constructively aligned 16 in order to achieve maximumbenefit. Increasingly, the match between specified outcomes and assessment issubject to scrutiny through quality review and professional accreditation bodiesand is also an aspect of the recent developments of the Bologna framework.

Actions

(A3.1) All programmes offered by NUI Galway require to have an associated setof Programme Learning Outcomes.

(A3.2) All modules are required to have a specified set of Learning Outcomeswhich fulfil the purposes outlined above (ie that they provide a means of describing what the student will have learnt by the successful completion of themodule).

(A3.3) Staff will be provided with guidance and advice on writing effective

Learning Outcomes via CELT, the Learning & Teaching Forum and other sources.(A3.4) Programme Boards will consider the extent and effectiveness to whichlearning outcomes are being employed in curricular development and courseprovision and also ensure that over-assessment of students is avoided.

(A3.5) Course Directors will examine the extent to which the Learning Outcomesare being achieved when reviewing courses, assessment and studentperformance

(A3.6) Learning Outcomes at both the programme and module level should beused as the basis on which decisions are made regarding: (a) approaches toteaching & learning, and (b) the selection of assessment methods.

16 Biggs, John (1999) 'What the Student Does: teaching for enhanced learning', Higher Education Research &Development, 18:1, 57 - 75

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4. Approaches to Teaching & Learning

teaching for understanding ..helping students become aware of theircurrent conceptions; highlighting inconsistencies in learnersconceptions and their consequences in real situations; focusing on central

issues that are most problematic for students; finding ways of integratingknowing how with knowing what 17

It is how lecturing is used the underlying approach adopted thatdetermines its effectiveness. Lectures can be a particularly useful way tointroduce a new topic and provide an overview of the relation betweentopics. Moreover, a university teacher should be capable of using lecturesto inspire his or her students through linking personal insights fromresearch and the excitement of scholarship to the process of learning. 18

What is the difference between a curriculum that teaches what is knownand one that teaches how to come to know? Knowledge, even academic

knowledge, is not adequately represented as propositional statementsbut has a historicity that incorporates individuals previous experiences,their perceptions of the immediate situation, their intentions, and theirexperiences of discovery, of recognized tensions, of uncertainties, of ambiguities still unresolved. .It comes closer to scholarship aslearning..university teachers have to renew and develop their model of the learning process well beyond the traditional transmission model. 19

One of the major advantages of having clearly articulated Learning Outcomes isthat they provide an opportunity to re-examine the selection of teachingmethods used in any given module or programme. There has been, in recenttimes, considerable growth in the diversity of teaching and learning methods towhich students are exposed. However, traditional expository lectures stilldominate much of higher education. Whilst such can, in some cases, beeffective learning experiences 20 and a cost effective means of addressing largeenrolment classes, over-reliance on traditional delivery of content can militateagainst student engagement and motivation. Further, the impact of a largelecture load within a tight timescale is often also problematic for lecturing staff.

There is merit in ensuring that students are exposed to a range of teaching andlearning methods across their programme of study. A defining characteristic of a higher education should be one in which learner autonomy and responsibilityare encouraged and rewarded. 21 Many examples exist of teaching and learning

methods that are particularly well suited for third and fourth level programmes.Such, for example, may include: Problem (or enquiry) Based Learning, ProjectWork (both group and individual); Conference courses, e-Learning; Laboratoryand Field Work; Clinical and Practical Skills workshops; participative large classmeetings (ie lectures with opportunities for discussion and activity); learningcommunities and study teams; service learning and civic engagement. Staff training and development, as well as collegial sharing of experience are vitalcatalysts for curricular design and reform, providing opportunities to explore

17 Learning to Teach in Higher Education, P. Ramsden, 2 nd Edn, Routledge Falmer, London, 2003, p 146.18 ibid , p 148.19

Rethinking Teaching for the Knowledge Society, D. Laurillard, Educause Review , Jan/Feb, 2002, pp 16-2520 The Lecturers Toolkit, P. Race, 2002, Kogan Page, London, pp 104-139.21 Indeed, it has been argued that the ambiguous phrase student-centred would be more aptly phrased as learningcentred.

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alternative approaches to teaching and raise the quality of traditionalapproaches.

The increasing range of technologies available to support learning, by itself willnot necessarily tackle the problem if they are merely used as an additionalmeans of content delivery, but will be effective if systematically integratedwithin a blended learning experience or used, perhaps, to free up time withinlectures and classes to allow for a more communicative and participativeapproach; to provide opportunities for extended online communication andcollaboration; or to facilitate creativity and foster critical research andexploration.

Actions

(A4.1) Course Directors and module coordinators 22 will select appropriatemethods of teaching and promoting student learning based on the specifiedLearning Outcomes and link these also with approaches to assessment. While

pragmatic considerations and resource constraints will influence the final choiceof methods, it will be stated at programme level what the methods are thatshould best be used in addressing the intended learning outcomes and inpromoting greater student engagement and responsibility for learning.

(A4.2) The Programme Board of each College, chaired by its Vice-Dean for Teaching & Learning (or equivalent), will undertake a general survey/audit of the range of teaching methods in use across the Colleges programmes with aview to identifying potential areas for development and, where necessary,training and resource requirements. Heads of School will ensure that suchinformation is appropriately collated and discussed within each school.

(A4.3) Quality Review teams will consider the effectiveness of the range of teaching and learning methods deployed in programmes.

(A4.4) Curriculum design and review should consider the totality of the studentlearning experience on the module or programme under consideration andidentify how the different blend of teaching methods and technologies servesthe overall aims and intended outcomes.

(A4.5) All subject disciplines can benefit from the use of a range of newtechnologies to support student learning. Furthermore, many technologies havethe potential of freeing up class contact time for more interactive andparticipative encounters. Training and advice on the range of availabletechnologies will be provided by CELT and consultations with individual Schoolsor Colleges will be possible.

(A4.6) The Blackboard e-Learning system will be provided and supported via apartnership between CELT, Computer Services and Academic Administration.

This system will be available for all modules and courses and to all registeredstudents.

(A4.7) New and emerging technologies will be explored by CELT andsuggestions from academic staff, Colleges and Schools will be welcomed andcan be pursued through the Teaching & Learning Sub-Committee of the ICT

Strategy Committee.

22 ie the staff member responsible for the design and implementation of a given module.

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(A4.8) The University will continuously improve the physical teaching andlearning environment in terms of upgrading of campus accommodation,including new building and refurbishment of existing venues. It will ensure thatthe design of new buildings takes cognisance of good practice in the design(and equipping) of teaching and learning spaces.

(A4.9) The wider learning infrastructure which includes library facilities,teaching venues and computing & network access will be resourcedappropriately in order to ensure that NUI Galway provides a level of support thatis at least commensurate with the standards of other Irish universities but whichaspires beyond this.

5. Assessment

..assessment has three purposes. Firstly, assessment is designed tosupport and thus enhance learning. Secondly, it provides certification forprogress or transfer, and thirdly, it is a form of accountability (quality

assurance) for stakeholders.23

Over the last decade many of us have seen our assessment workloadgrow dramatically, as we work with increasing numbers of students whoare ever more diverse. Consequently, the time we have available todevote to assessing each student has fallen. Even those methods andapproaches which used to work satisfactorily with relatively smallnumbers of students are now labouring as we try to extend them to amass higher education context. It is therefore more important thanever to review the way we design and implement ourassessment . 24

Assessment should be valid, reliable, fair, transparent and authentic. In thecontext of Learning Outcomes, assessment tasks (and marking criteria) shouldenable students to demonstrate their achievement of these outcomes andfacilitate robust decisions. Within each programme, therefore, a range of assessment instruments should be used without over-reliance on a singleapproach (such as the traditional unseen written examination papers). Further,programmes need to avoid over-assessment of students and maximise theopportunity for students to learn from previous assessments (as is agreed to beone of the educational purposes of assessment). 25

Research shows that formative assessment is educationally powerful. 26 TheProgramme Boards will work to ensure that each programme provides studentswith sufficient opportunity for such formative feedback. Each programme willmeasure the degree to which students do engage with such support when it isavailable. Integrative assessment 27 strategies can be developed which attempt

23 Developing a variety of assessment methods, including self and peer assessment an overview D. Lines, AssessmentWorkshop 4, Enhancement Themes., 2004.http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/assessment/Assessment_Workshop_4FINAL.pdf 24 The Lecturers Toolkit P. Race, 2 nd Edn, Kogan Page, London, 2002.25 Adapted from University of Manchester, Assessment Principleshttp://www.campus.manchester.ac.uk/tlso/map/teachinglearningassessment/assessment/sectiona-principles/ 26 Nicol D and Macfarlane-Dick D (2006) Formative assessment and self-regulated learning: a model and seven

principles of good feedback practice, Studies in Higher Education , 31.2, pp 199-21827 Enhancement Themes: Integrative Assessmenthttp://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/themes/IntegrativeAssessment/themes.asp Approaches include using feedforward,cumulative and progressive assessments, for example.

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to tackle this issue within the context of a range of academic disciplines andmodular programmes.

Actions

(A5.1) Assessment tasks will be based upon the intended learning outcomes of modules and programmes and provide students with an opportunity todemonstrate their level of achievement of these outcomes 28 .

(A5.2) Students will acquire (over the course of their particular programme of study) experience of a range of assessment methods and not exclusivelytraditional unseen written examinations for all their modules on any particularprogramme.

(A5.3) The amount, type and timing of assessment will be designed to facilitatestudent learning and intellectual engagement. Over-assessment and similarcoursework deadlines for multiple modules are counter-productive in thisregard. Coordination of assessment tasks should be carried out at the

programme (or year) level to facilitate this requirement.(A5.4) Programme Boards will ensure that there is an appropriate (andcoherent) mix of assessment tasks undertaken by students on each programmeand that the overall amount of assessment is not excessive. Excluding theexceptions referred to in (A2.5), a formal written examination may only be usedfor modules of not less than 5 ECTS.

(A5.5) Programme Boards will monitor grading of assessments and the level of consistency or variation of performance across modules and may makerecommendations to address any such issues as may arise.

(A5.6) Students will be provided (where possible and appropriate) withopportunities for formative assessment and a strategy for balancing formativeand summative assessment may be built around a process of integrativeassessment.

(A5.7) Marking and feedback to students will be timely and when usedformatively should include pointers for future improvement.

(A5.8) Opportunities for peer-assessment and self-assessment (to enablestudents to make judgements about their own level of progress) will be madeavailable where possible.

(A5.9) Students will be notified in good time of the nature, format and gradingcriteria of assessment tasks.

(A5.10) The workload associated with grading and assessing students will alsobe addressed by managing alternative, efficient approaches (in some cases, forexample, through the use of technology, or increased use of self and peerassessment). Emerging workload models for academic staff planning will takeaccount of marking and grading of student assignments and examinations, andseek to ensure that there is a realistic and sustainable distribution of activityand responsibility.

28 Practical approaches to achieving such constructive alignment can include, for example, the use of a grid to identify therelationship between outcomes, teaching & learning methods and assessment.

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(A5.11) Suspected breaches of the disciplinary code, examination security,plagiarism or other aspects related to academic honesty will be formallypursued following the relevant regulatory framework.

(A5.12) Programme Boards (through Course Directors) will periodically reviewthe extent to which the assessment methods used are effective atdemonstrating achievement of the learning outcomes and to ensure their levelof validity and reliability.

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6. Student Engagement

Much of the research carried out on transition to the first year hasbeen driven by issues of student retention and withdrawal. This, inturn, is linked to the impact on the teaching and learning experience

of a mass Higher Education system and the growing diversity of thestudent population. Approaches to supporting transition are linkedto improving preparedness for Higher Education; easing integrationinto the university environment, both academically and socially; andencouraging the development of the autonomous learner. By shiftingthe focus of transition from the issue of student retention andwithdrawal to one of supporting the engagement andempowerment of all learners , successful transition will bemeasured not simply in terms of whether students continue on theirprogrammes but, in doing so, are provided with the opportunity toachieve their full potential. 29

In 2004, a study of student learning support at NUI Galway was undertaken bytwo external consultants in which the various initiatives then under way toaddress study skills, the transition to university and issues faced by variousnon-traditional student groups were reviewed. The report concluded that theinstitution should consider the development of effective learning supportsystems in each College with appropriate staffing and resource levels. Theeffective learning advisors it envisioned would be experienced within theacademic disciplines being supported and would play an instrumental role incurricular reform, particularly with regards to the first year experience.

In 2006, some of these issues were raised again through the convening of aStudent Attendance and Engagement Group who reported to Academic Councilon the additional need to communicate to students institutional expectations interms of levels of engagement and that there is consistency in the delivery of this message.

Some existing programmes for first year induction and the development of appropriate study skills and attitudes (such as that in the Faculty of Commerce)are proving successful in terms of levels of participation and evidence of improved retention. The lessons learned from such programmes should beshared across the institution and where possible similar, or locally adapted,schemes also put in place.

Actions

(A6.1) Colleges and Schools will develop realistic procedures for the monitoringof student attendance at classes which (i) facilitate the identification of studentsfailing to engage with the programme and (ii) allow the estimation of overallstudent attendance as one measure of student participation.

(A6.2) Colleges and Schools will make explicit to students the expectationsrequired of them in order to successfully engage with their programmes of study, including preparation for, attendance and participation in class.

29 First Year Experience Quality Enhancement Theme Practice-Focused Development Project, Interim Report , 2007,R. Whittaker, QAA Scotland

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(A6.3) Programme Boards, Course Directors and individual staff will endeavourto implement teaching and assessment methods that promote active learning,self study and peer-assisted learning (as described in other sections of thisstrategy).

(A6.4) All Colleges shall have in place policies and actions to maximise studentretention on programmes and to facilitate the transition to higher education inthe first year. Coordination of such policies and the sharing of experience will befacilitated through a university-wide retention and induction working groupcomprised of members of academic staff, representatives of appropriateadministrative units and the Students Union.

(A6.5) The University will ensure that colleges have the resources to provideadequate levels of student learning support, for traditional and non-traditionalstudents alike (including those with particular needs), and facilitate thedevelopment of coherent, well-managed induction programmes.

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7. Feedback, Evaluation & Review

Evaluation is an analytical process that is intrinsic to good teaching. 30

Evaluation is better if it is a cooperative but rigorous activity thatpermits teachers to learn from each other in a spirit of peer review andcontinuous enquiry. 31

In contemporary higher education, the regular evaluation of courses andteaching is widely seen both as a necessary component of qualityassurance and quality enhancement (QAA 2003), and as an integralpart of good professional practice (Hounsell 2003). It provides anindispensable feedback loop (Hounsell et al 2006b), alerting course teamsand individual lecturers and tutors to those aspects of teaching, learningand assessment which are functioning well, and those whereexpectations of students and of staff have not yet been adequately met.For teaching staff in particular, it can also provide a second pair of eyes

and ears, throwing light on how a course is perceived andexperienced by the students at whom it is aimed. This is especiallynecessary given research evidence on the disparities between staff andstudent perceptions of what is ostensibly a common experience (see, forexample, Stefani et al 1997; MacLellan 2001; Williams 2005; Carless2006; Crook et al 2006). 32

it is recommended that systematic evaluations of all coursesbe introduced immediately . However, these evaluations must bekept confidential and not made public. The deans and departmentheads should assume the responsibility for the follow-up of courseevaluations.

Students should be informed of actions takenas a

result of the evaluations... 33

Evaluation based on feedback and other evidence is an essential component of professional reflection practice and provides benefit to students, teaching staff,course teams and the institution. A variety of methods can be used to obtainfeedback and assist evaluation of teaching student learning. Amongst these are:

Student feedback questionnaires The Grouped Student Evaluation scheme Peer observation and review The compilation of individual Teaching Portfolios Analysis of student performance and levels of engagement Online tracking and activity monitoring Class Representatives, Staff-student liaison groups and Course

Committees Focus groups

All of these are in use to varying extents within NUI Galway. However, it isimportant to ensure that evaluation processes are coherent and that the

30 Learning to Teach in Higher Education, P. Ramsden, 2 nd Edn, Routledge Falmer, London, 2003, p 20931

ibid, p 22632 Integrative Assessment Guide #1: Monitoring Students Experiences of Assessment, QAA Scotland, 2007,http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/documents/IntegrativeAssessment/IAMonitoring.pdf 33 Quality Review of the National University of Ireland, Galway European University Association, 2004.

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methods we use should be formally linked to the central idea of improvingstudent learning. 34

Actions

(A7.1) Schools will implement a framework for the systematic evaluation of all

courses which they offer. This framework will utilise a range of methods and willfacilitate the rapid identification of critical issues with regard to studentprogress and course delivery. This will include feedback questionnaires onmodules and courses at an appropriate and practicable frequency.

(A7.2) Individual academic staff will routinely avail of opportunities to obtainfeedback on their teaching and monitoring student progress, exploiting, forexample, technologies such as Blackboard.

(A7.3) Students are expected to fully cooperate in evaluations of courses andteaching by completing feedback forms, participating in Staff-Student Liaisonmeetings, nominating student representatives, etc.

(A7.4) Students should be informed of actions taken as a result of evaluation of courses and modules. Where possible, and appropriate, feedback and responsewill be undertaken quickly and in time to address any critical issues.

(A7.5) Evaluation of courses will include periodic reviews of approaches toassessment, range of teaching methods and the extent to which LearningOutcomes at the programme and module level are being achieved.

(A7.6) Grouped Student Evaluation, Peer Review (based on the Partnerships forLearning & Teaching protocol) and other related approaches should be used byacademic staff to obtain a wider range of types of feedback than that affordedsimply by standardised student questionnaires.

(A7.7) Commitment to high quality teaching (and the design, delivery andmanagement of courses) will form part of the Universitys criteria for promotion(Lecturer to Senior Lecturer, and for Personal Professorship), on a par withresearch and other contributions.

(A7.8) Evaluation of teaching, course management and the support of studentlearning and engagement will be considered in applications for promotion andto this effect, academic staff should consider the development of individual

Teaching Portfolios. Such portfolios also support individual reflective practice.

(A7.9) The President will provide an Excellence in Teaching Award scheme on anannual basis, open to all academic staff.

34 Ramsden , p225

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8. Research-Teaching Linkages

Research and teaching are essential and intertwined characteristicsof a university which can be advanced from two perspectives:

that of the students acquiring a higher education, and

that of the work of academic staff employed in higher educationInternational experience suggests that there are various ways in whichthe students learning experience can be effectively enhanced rangingfrom vicarious exposure to the current research of their teachersthrough to the immediate impact of being researchers (broadlydefined) in their own right.

It is becoming clearer that those students who are not learning in an HEenvironment that is informed by research, and in which it is not possibleto access research-related resources, are at a disadvantage compared tothose that are. 35

We are convinced that re-shaping or re-inventing our disciplines anddepartments in a way that focuses more on the teaching-research nexuscan aid students learning, their pride in their discipline anddepartment, staff morale, and the overall effectiveness of thedepartment and the institution . .we are convinced from theresearch evidence and our own experience that these links have to becreated . The nexus does not necessarily occur naturallyIn creatingthe link, or rather links, departments and the disciplinary groupswithin them have key roles to play. 36

It is clear that the contemporary definition of a university is an organisationwhich engages both in teaching and research. However, much research hasdemonstrated that in practice there is often a separation between these tworoles both structurally at the level of institutional policy and in the nature of individual academic practice. Developing stronger linkages between teachingand research needs to be done proactively, but such endeavour offers anopportunity to re-examine issues of student engagement, academic creativity,the fostering of a spirit of enquiry and the sense of intellectual achievement.

Jenkins, Healy and Zetter (2007) make a number of recommendations for linkingteaching and research, as well as providing numerous examples of suchinitiatives in other universities. Specific suggestions include: (1) Develop

students understanding of the role of research in their disciplines; (2) Developstudents abilities to carry out research; (3) Progressively develop studentsunderstanding; (4) Manage students experience of research.

Actions

(8.1) All undergraduate and postgraduate programmes offered by theuniversity shall provide students with opportunities to be made aware of andexplore current research issues in the discipline.

35 UK Research Forum (2004) The relationship between research and teaching in institutions of higher education.

Available online athttp://www.dfes.gov.uk/hegateway/uploads/forums_advice_to_ministers_on_teaching_and_research[1].pdf 36 Linking teaching and research in disciplines and departments, A. Jenkins, M. Healey, R. Zetter, Higher EducationAcademy (2007). http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/York/documents/LinkingTeachingAndResearch_April07.pdf

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(8.2) Schools, colleges and course teams will adopt, and appropriately adapt,the recommendations of Jenkins, Healy & Zetter (listed above) to link teachingand research within their academic discipline area.

(8.3) Research groups, centres and units will collaborate with appropriateacademic units to identify ways in which their work can be bettercommunicated within undergraduate and postgraduate programmes andto explore potential projects and initiatives that will provide studentswith opportunities to experience research activity and skills.

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9. Civic Engagement

Democracy has to be born anew in every generation and education is itsmidwife 37

Service learning is an academic strategy that seeks to engagestudents in activities that enhance academic learning, civic responsibilityand the skills of citizenship, while also enhancing community capacitythrough service. 38

A core aspect of NUI Galways developing institutional strategy (building onprevious Strategic Plans) is that of civic engagement by which is meant arange of activities, attitudes and aspirations designed to reinvigorate therelationship between academe and the wider social and civic context. Inpractical terms this has come to include student volunteering (largely throughthe popular ALIVE programme) and service learning. Participation in either of these domains (ie within or beyond the curriculum) is highly beneficial tostudents in terms of their own personal and intellectual development. Servicelearning however is also a valuable means of teaching subject discipline specificcontent, skills and attitudes and its strength lies in its rootedness in theparticularities of the subject domain as well as in the opportunity to developpartnerships with community and other appropriate organisations.

NUI Galway, based on the response by staff and students in support of theCommunity Knowledge Initiative (CKI), has an excellent opportunity todistinguish itself as Irelands leading university in the area of civic engagement.At the research level this will be expressed through the Institute for Communityand Civic Engagement (which is a network of relevant research groups,

departments and individual scholars), but in terms of teaching and the studentexperience there is considerable scope for innovative new models for degreeprogrammes or simply individual modules which raise these issues.

Actions

(A9.1) All Colleges and Schools will examine the opportunity for greater civicengagement in the programmes which they offer, identifying specific coursesand/or modules which may benefit from this approach. Guidance and supportwill be available from specialist staff in CKI and CELT.

(A9.2) Each College will nominate a member of academic staff withresponsibility for Civic Engagement & Service Learning. Their responsibilities willinclude championing the civic engagement agenda within their broad cognateareas, supporting colleagues (in constituent Schools) in the implementation of relevant programmes and activities and act as a point of contact for the Collegeon these issues.

(A9.3) Course directors and module coordinators who wish to integrate aspectsof service learning into their teaching will be provided with training, supportmaterials and access to a practitioners network.

37

J. Dewey (1907), in Understanding John Dewey: Nature and Cooperative Intelligence, J. Campbell, 1995, Open CourtPublishing, Il.38 Institutionalising Service-Learning in Higher Education: Issues and Strategies for Chief Academic Officers, A. Furco& B. Holland, in Public Work and the Academy , M. Langseth & W. M. Plater (eds), 2004, Anker Publishing, Boston

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(A9.4) Students will be strongly encouraged to consider active participation involuntary activity through the ALIVE programme (or other means) and toparticipate in clubs and societies and to see such experiences as being part of the wider learning experience.

10. Postgraduate Research Programmes

Whilst this strategy applies to both undergraduate and postgraduate courses,there are distinctive aspects of postgraduate research programmes that aremore fully addressed in the Universitys Guidelines for Research DegreeProgrammes and other regulations and policies regarding supervisoryarrangements, the structure and standards of dissertations and theses, ethicalconsiderations in the design and implementation of research projects, etc.

The Dean of Graduate Studies has overall responsibility for many such matters,including the development and coordination of training programmes forresearch students. The Dean also liaises with the Research Office, Colleges,

CELT, graduate schools, individual research groups and centres on aspects of training for both students and supervisors.

New models for doctoral training are being developed and implemented,including a switch to four year programmes and the introduction of substantialprofessional development programmes aimed at equipping graduates with awide repertoire of generic and specialist skills. The provision of such courses tofull-time research students requires flexibility, responsiveness and appropriatelevels of academic credit. The overall purpose is to augment the researchexperience, not to dilute it with extensive compulsory taught programmes.

Developments in doctoral training will arise from new initiatives on FourthLevel Ireland under the auspices of SIF collaborations, Graduate schools andother schemes and may result in additional regulations, requirements,guidelines and course structures over the period of currency of this strategydocument.

Actions

(A10.1) The Dean of Graduate Studies will collate information regarding theprovision of training programmes and workshops for postgraduate research

students and ensure that such information is widely circulated in order toencourage students (and supervisors) to avail of these opportunities.

(A10.2) All postgraduate research students will be offered a range of trainingand professional development opportunities during their period of registration inthe University. Considerable use will be made of online, self-study and otherflexible techniques to facilitate uptake and participation. Blackboard will beused to provide hosting for such materials (where appropriate) and to provideinformation and documentation.

(A10.3) Training, mentoring and support for research student supervisors will beavailable as a key aspect of the University Research Strategy to meet its aim tosubstantially increase the number of successful PhD graduates in the comingyears.

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(A10.4) The current University Guidelines for Research Degree Programmes willbe subject to ongoing review by the Dean of Graduate Studies and amendmentsmade as required.

(A10.5) Research students will be encouraged to participate as fully as possiblein evaluation, consultations and in committees on which they are represented.

(A10.6) Postgraduate students working in a teaching or learning supportcapacity will be offered training and support via courses offered by CELT, theDean of Graduate Studies, the individual Schools and Colleges and otherproviders as appropriate.

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Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy 1.0

learning, teaching and assessment strategy 2009-2011

Documents