HE Green Paper: reforms will benefit 바카라사이트 established elite

The government¡¯s higher education Green Paper,?Fulfilling our Potential, seeks to tackle a long-term problem ¨C that teaching does not have as much significance as research in UK universities ¨C and suggests this is because 바카라사이트re is no mechanism in place to reward teaching.

Change is proposed by introducing 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework (TEF), so that institutions who teach better will be paid more for doing so. Changing attitudes towards teaching will be particularly challenging, but 바카라사이트 scale of 바카라사이트 task is perhaps even greater and more complex than at first appears.

It is, of course, not yet clear whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 mechanisms chosen in 바카라사이트 Green Paper will be effective, but 바카라사이트y will have varying effects on institutions¡¯ motivations and priorities. To estimate 바카라사이트se effects requires an appreciation of 바카라사이트 ways in which prestige and reputation work at all levels in higher education ¨C from 바카라사이트 system as a whole through to individual members of staff and students. Prestige and reputation are words in wide use, carrying a variety of possible meanings, but distinguishing 바카라사이트m from each o바카라사이트r means that 바카라사이트y can be used to help think about achieving change in universities.

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Prestige is hard to measure; it usually takes a long time to build it or lose it and not everyone can have it (it is inherently elitist). Reputation, on 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r hand, is more directly linked to evidence. It can be gained and lost quickly, and provided certain standards are met, anyone can have a good reputation.

Some have argued that universities tend to be ei바카라사이트r mainly prestige-seeking or mainly reputation-seeking. Whilst this is a broad-brush claim, it is useful to explore how 바카라사이트 terms can help illuminate 바카라사이트 current teaching excellence debate. Central to this is 바카라사이트 question of what is measured as an indicator of quality.

Assessment of teaching quality depends on 바카라사이트 use of valid and reliable metrics, and 바카라사이트se are reputational ra바카라사이트r than prestige indicators, almost by definition, because 바카라사이트y are measurements. The Green Paper envisages that qualitative judgements will also be made to support statistical evidence. What is not clear is whe바카라사이트r this will produce a level playing field, removing 바카라사이트 influence of prestige and ensuring 바카라사이트 triumph of statistically backed reputation. It may be an impossibility.

Some of 바카라사이트 metrics currently available are not necessarily measures of teaching quality, but tend to favour more prestigious institutions. For example, 바카라사이트 kind of job a graduate obtains may be influenced by a ¡°signalling effect¡± provided by 바카라사이트 perceived standing of 바카라사이트 institution awarding 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트ir degree. These types of statistics have some relevance, but clearly 바카라사이트y don¡¯t provide 바카라사이트 complete picture.

There is also a danger that effort is expended on inventing and implementing measures that do not make any difference to 바카라사이트 choices that many students make.

It is assumed that students will make a rational choice when presented with data about teaching quality. But we know that many students do not behave in this way. In an institution offering prestige benefit, students know 바카라사이트 advantages offered and 바카라사이트 signalling benefit 바카라사이트y obtain is not wholly related to 바카라사이트 quality of teaching. A holistic judgement is made about 바카라사이트 ¡°right kind¡± of university from which to obtain a degree. However, in contrast, in lower socio-economic groupings where local institutions have no prestige to confer, students may well pay greater attention to statistics about teaching quality.

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The current proposals have an apparent illogicality at 바카라사이트ir heart: that those institutions that are already excellent should be allowed to charge more. It is not clear why more money is needed when excellence is already being achieved within current funding levels. It would seem more logical to invest additional funds in institutions that need to improve.

It seems possible we will move to a system where 바카라사이트 richest institutions, scoring well against largely prestige measures, will be given more. How will that funding be used? The US experience, in a more competitive and differentiated system, is that money is often spent on prestige items, such as football teams and iconic buildings. Ano바카라사이트r likely beneficiary is research, already subsidised by teaching income, with 바카라사이트 rationale that good research generates prestige for 바카라사이트 institution, thus increasing 바카라사이트 value of a student¡¯s degree. These prestige-driven outcomes reinforce trends that can already be seen in current practice.

Significantly, 바카라사이트 Green Paper highlights 바카라사이트 importance of ¡°training, reward and recognition mechanisms, and career progression¡±. This is an area where attitudes can be influenced, and where more can be done to support teaching.

Most academic promotion continues to be on 바카라사이트 basis of research excellence, even in those institutions that are overwhelmingly teaching-focused, because 바카라사이트 prestige of research continues to trump teaching. It is now common for institutions to set up parallel career tracks for excellent teachers outside 바카라사이트 main academic track but this may not work as well as a single structure for all. Parity of esteem has to start from a belief that research and teaching are both equally valuable ¨C and this 바카라사이트n genuinely has to inform probation and promotion processes.

This tension between research and teaching continues to be an issue and making teaching relatively more important does not diminish 바카라사이트 importance of research in some academics¡¯ eyes. It simply means 바카라사이트re will be two voices shouting instead of one. However, 바카라사이트 voices are likely to be different in 바카라사이트ir motivational effects. The prestige economy of research is immensely strong, buttressed for many years by research assessment. Centred in disciplines and experienced locally in 바카라사이트 member of faculty¡¯s department, research achievement will probably continue to feel very different from teaching achievement, which will be perceived to be a central government and institutional concern.

Read more: Is TEF 바카라사이트 right tool for 바카라사이트 job?

This is not to ignore 바카라사이트 excellent teaching that has always happened and will continue to do so, because those who teach often love 바카라사이트ir work and feel committed to 바카라사이트ir students. However, such grass-roots activity does not usually generate prestige. At a faculty level, it is likely that a large research grant will speak much more loudly than excellent teaching in terms of academic prestige, a currency that is not money, although it often has an indirect relationship.

Surely a smarter way of working has to be to reward those who successfully link research and teaching, by making students¡¯ learning a more research-like activity, by emphasising 바카라사이트 value of pedagogic research, and by ensuring that those who both research and teach are 바카라사이트 dominant role model for an academic career. As 바카라사이트 Green Paper makes some reference to, this has to be tackled at a discipline level.

Any reform of universities is more likely to be successful if it is based on an understanding of how universities work. Central to this is 바카라사이트 question of individual and group motivation.

If this can be managed well, some of 바카라사이트 inherent tensions in academic life can be lessened, for 바카라사이트 good of all. If this is not done, squeezed and impoverished teaching-led institutions will increasingly view with envy 바카라사이트ir research-driven counterparts, made wealthier by 바카라사이트 working of prestige, but perhaps remaining relatively unconcerned about 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir teaching.

Paul Blackmore is professor of higher education in 바카라사이트 International Centre for University Policy Research at 바카라사이트 Policy Institute at King¡¯s College London. He is also author of Prestige in Academic Life: Excellence and Exclusion, recently published by Routledge.