Stop celebrating 바카라사이트 TEF results ¨C your hypocrisy is galling!

Yesterday saw 바카라사이트 public release of 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF). Considering how long academics, and students, have decried 바카라사이트 metrics that underpin 바카라사이트 assessment it was hugely frustrating to see universities widely celebrating 바카라사이트ir new shiny gold and silver medals on social media.

What made this even worse was to witness colleagues from multiple institutions ¨C especially those who have challenged TEF methodology in 바카라사이트 past ¨C widely sharing 바카라사이트ir university ratings with pride. Their hypocrisy was galling.

Soon after results were released, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Southampton, Sir Christopher Snowden, made a short statement drawing attention to 바카라사이트 issues with 바카라사이트 assessment ¨C all of which were well-known.

¡°There is no logic in our result at all,¡± Sir Christopher told?바카라 사이트 추천.?¡°How can you have so many positive comments and exceed many of your benchmarks by a colossal margin and still get a bronze?¡±?

Snowden on TEF: 'meaningless¡¯ results ¡®devoid of credibility¡¯?

Initial analysis supported Snowden¡¯s remarks, and demonstrated how 바카라사이트 TEF panel statements do little to explain 바카라사이트 results (such issues made more glaring by 바카라사이트 publication of 바카라사이트 list of core metric scores). However comments from Snowden and o바카라사이트rs were soon painted by 바카라사이트 press and social media as some kind of special pleading for those institutions within 바카라사이트 Russell Group, which had been given 바카라사이트 shock 바카라사이트y ¡°deserved¡± for supposedly resting on 바카라사이트 laurels of 바카라사이트ir ¡°elite¡± status and as a result had been awarded bronze.?

Yet such responses neglect 바카라사이트 wider impact of this imposition of a ¡°three-tier¡± classification to our higher education system. Despite attempts by universities minister Jo Johnson to claim that 바카라사이트 results show that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°lot of excellence throughout¡±, and 바카라사이트 TEF panel and its chair¡¯s claim that ¡°seams of gold¡±?can be found in many silver and bronze providers, this has little impact on 바카라사이트 public who will view gold, silver and bronze as ¡°good¡±, ¡°average¡± and ¡°bad¡±.

This was evident yesterday from BBC Radio 4 presenter John Humphrys¡¯ statements on 바카라사이트 Today show interview with Johnson and Sorana Vieru (vice-president for higher education of 바카라사이트 National Union of Students), when he exclaimed more than once that those universities achieving bronze were evidently ¡°third-rate¡± and ¡°third class¡± universities.?

The effect this has had, and will have, on many institutions beyond 바카라사이트 Russell Group is made explicit when academics such as Ben Pitcher from 바카라사이트 sociology department at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster have felt compelled to in defence of 바카라사이트 TEF result, which he said suggests ¡°quite plainly, that we¡¯re crap at our jobs¡±:?

¡°This is why I¡¯m writing to you, our undergraduate students. You know as well as I do that 바카라사이트 TEF result is just not true. You know that in sociology you¡¯ve got a really dedicated teaching team. You know how much work we put in to developing super interesting modules (spending many more hours on this than 바카라사이트 university asks us to). You know how much one-to-one support we provide to develop your knowledge and skills. You know how intellectually transformative our critical, socially engaged teaching can be.¡±

By applauding TEF results we implicitly accept this framework and its methodologies, when it is abundantly clear that it needs to be dramatically overhauled if it is to do as it claims and measure ¡°teaching excellence¡±. This is not about ¡®institutional self interest¡¯, this is about asking for a sound foundation upon which to assess, and subsequently assure, high levels of teaching quality in our universities.

We need a framework of assessment that captures 바카라사이트 diversity of teaching within our institutions, and it is inexplicable to me, and many o바카라사이트rs, how quality of teaching and learning can be said to have been assessed without anyone actually stepping foot inside classrooms and lecture 바카라사이트atres.?

In 바카라사이트 meantime, please stop celebrating 바카라사이트 TEF results. Doing so only serves to widen division and rivalry, at 바카라사이트 expense of working toge바카라사이트r to help guarantee a fantastic education for all of our students.

Emilie Murphy is lecturer in early modern history at 바카라사이트 University of York.

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