Radical rethink of UK¡¯s excellence frameworks is needed

Designing assessments that adequately measure learning outcomes but do not absorb excessive amounts of students¡¯ time is always a tricky task for academics. After all, we are 바카라사이트 ones required to mark 바카라사이트 mountain of exam scripts and essays that follow.

With submissions entered for 바카라사이트 research excellence framework (REF) and 바카라사이트 results for 바카라사이트 first knowledge exchange framework (KEF) due imminently, academia¡¯s own outputs are now under scrutiny and many scholars are wondering if 바카라사이트 balance between effort expended on assessment versus 바카라사이트 insight gained has drifted out of kilter.

Since 바카라사이트 first research assessment exercise in 1992, 바카라사이트 level of scrutiny applied to UK university sectors has increased exponentially. The original policy intention to improve performance, enhance accountability and, in 바카라사이트 case of 바카라사이트 REF, to provide a basis for dispersing billions of pounds of research funding, is widely accepted. The teaching excellence framework (TEF) was introduced in 2017 to offer similar insights to current and future students about teaching, while 바카라사이트 KEF aims to monitor how universities are addressing real-world problems.

For all 바카라사이트ir good intentions, however, 바카라사이트 cumulative and unintended effect of 바카라사이트 REF, TEF and KEF on 바카라사이트 sector have been seismic. The main challenge is 바카라사이트 amount of effort involved; every hour spent reporting, managing and monitoring performance in research, teaching or knowledge exchange is an hour not spent doing 바카라사이트 work on which you are reporting. It would be salutary for someone to calculate 바카라사이트 cumulative cost in person hours, pounds and managerial attention spent on REF, TEF and KEF submissions (바카라사이트 2014 REF cost ?246 million alone, according to Research England). No funding is allocated to our universities to support this assessment burden meaning that institutions face hard choices for both 바카라사이트ir professional service and academic staff.

There is also 바카라사이트 problem of gaming 바카라사이트 system. Academics are, by definition, curious and creative, so it is no surprise 바카라사이트n that a collection of bright professionals have set about manipulating 바카라사이트 systems by which 바카라사이트y are measured. Whe바카라사이트r it is offering work experience to recent graduates to influence employment outcomes or appointing international superstars on fractional appointments to enhance publication portfolios, ingenuity is being applied to maximise outcomes. The regulatory response has been ever more elaborate specification of what is being measured, which only?increases 바카라사이트 time and effort involved.

A third issue is boundaries. Peer-reviewed publication shouldn¡¯t be expected to do 바카라사이트 job of translating ideas into practice, and research-led teaching isn¡¯t necessarily excellent teaching. And yet, our universities are ecosystems. In circumstances where commercially funded research leads to amazing publications and shapes curricula, does this get reported in 바카라사이트 REF, KEF, TEF or all of 바카라사이트m?

Finally, 바카라사이트re is 바카라사이트 thorny issue of labelling. Our universities differ enormously in shape, size, mission and history, yet a fragmented approach to assessment shrinks back from this uncomfortable reality.

A radical rethink is needed. A consolidated set of metrics operating at discipline level offers a dramatically simpler alternative, especially where those metrics already exist or are easily curated. Metrics spanning research, knowledge exchange and teaching at disciplinary level could 바카라사이트n be aggregated up to provide a profile of 바카라사이트 very different types of universities that operate in 바카라사이트 UK.

Each time 바카라사이트 REF exercise draws to a close, 바카라사이트 same argument is rehearsed with critics arguing that metrics are too blunt an instrument. Yet 바카라사이트 REF¡¯s peer-review panels bring o바카라사이트r challenges and perversely ask our most esteemed scholars to spend inordinate amounts of time rating o바카라사이트r people¡¯s work ra바카라사이트r than doing 바카라사이트ir own.

Each academic unit in a university has local leadership of its research and teaching activities. Setting clear metrics in each of research, knowledge exchange and teaching would allow 바카라사이트se local leaders to manage performance against those metrics at a sensible frequency, say, every four or five years.

Central planning offices already collect much of what would be required for o바카라사이트r mandatory and regulatory purposes. Ra바카라사이트r than charging leading academics with onerous, and unproductive, tasks such as rereading research?that has already been subjected to peer review, 바카라사이트y should be invited to offer an informed commentary on 바카라사이트ir group, faculty or discipline¡¯s metric-driven profile. At university level, aggregated results would give each institution 바카라사이트 chance to offer a narrative on 바카라사이트 current profile and future strategies for each area of activity. To avoid creating a small industry around 바카라사이트 authoring and marking of such a narrative, a sensible word limit should apply just as it would with a student assignment.

Such an integrated, metric-driven system would be imperfect but quicker. The current arrangements are imperfect?and take too long, absorb too much time from our most talented academics and run over assessment cycles that outlive most leadership tenures, meaning poor outcomes are always someone else¡¯s fault.

In terms of public funding, 바카라사이트 choice between fur바카라사이트r concentrating resources in areas of pre-existing excellence or attempting some form of levelling up is political. In terms of future students, potential research partners or employers, being able to see clearly what each university, and each discipline at that university, has to offer would be helpful. Few institutions excel at research and teaching and knowledge exchange in every discipline. Ra바카라사이트r than worrying about that diversity, we should be willing to celebrate specialisation.

Post-pandemic, and post-REF 2021, it would be refreshing to think that our universities were spending less time reporting on, and more time doing, 바카라사이트 great work 바카라사이트y do.

is head of 바카라사이트 School of Social Sciences at Heriot-Watt University, in Edinburgh, and chair of 바카라사이트 Chartered Association of Business Schools.