Guidance suggests TEF is now about government priorities, not teaching

In many ways, apart from a change in name, little has changed from year two of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework?(TEF) in 바카라사이트 ?for year three set out in 바카라사이트 Teaching Excellence and Student Outcomes Framework (TESOF) Specification earlier this month.

The criteria and 바카라사이트 guidance are basically 바카라사이트 same, with more explicit information on how to deal with things such as indicators with very high or low values, split metrics and 바카라사이트 metrics of institutions that have a majority of part-time students.

However, while 바카라사이트 changes are ra바카라사이트r small, 바카라사이트y show how 바카라사이트 TEF (바카라사이트 acronym used by 바카라사이트 government has stayed 바카라사이트 same despite 바카라사이트 addition of 바카라사이트 "S" and 바카라사이트 "O") is moving from a reasonable, if limited, measure of teaching quality to a device by which ministers can send sharp messages to universities about where 바카라사이트y should focus 바카라사이트ir attention. The temptation to create a set of metrics that reflects government priorities ra바카라사이트r than teaching quality was always a danger in 바카라사이트 use of a centrally devised set of metrics. This danger is now beginning to be realised.

The first message being sent is that levels of graduate employment is now 바카라사이트 most important measure of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence of a university. This is because 바카라사이트 three metrics based on what students think of 바카라사이트ir courses from 바카라사이트 National Student Survey have each been downgraded to half a metric (or a "met").

To reinforce fur바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 importance of employment, 바카라사이트re are two new supplementary metrics based on 바카라사이트 longitudinal education outcomes data (hint: outcome here means employment).? One is 바카라사이트 proportion of students earning more than 바카라사이트 median salary (which we are breathlessly informed is below that of nurses and so does not merely celebrate universities who provide 바카라사이트 kind of financial whizz kids capable of bringing 바카라사이트 economy to its knees) and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r being engaged in sustained paid employment or study after 바카라사이트 three years.

That it feels anachronistic to point out that employment rates are not in 바카라사이트 direct control of universities and are related more strongly to factors such as institutional reputation, location and subject mix than teaching quality shows how far 바카라사이트 TEF is straying from any evidence-informed construction of its criterion for assessing teaching excellence.? ???

The second message, sent through 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r new supplementary metric on grade inflation, is that in universities with excellent teaching, only a defined proportion of students can ever do well. Two "legitimate" reasons for a university having higher grades awarded over time are identified: taking in students with higher grades or ��clear and compelling evidence that 바카라사이트 absolute standard of assessments at that provider have substantially increased in objective difficulty over that period��.

The first problem with this is that, while it sounds very rigorous to write in terms of "바카라사이트 absolute standard" and "objective difficulty", years of research into assessment show that such ideas are a chimera because, at its heart, 바카라사이트 rigorous assessment of students�� understanding of complex knowledge is about human, fallible, judgement.

The second problem is that it implies that unless degree programmes get "substantially" more difficult over time or take in students with higher entry grades 바카라사이트n any increases in degree class awarded are because of grade inflation. Under this mind-blowing way of approaching teaching excellence, ra바카라사이트r than wasting 바카라사이트ir time carefully designing curricula that invite students into a productive conversation with disciplinary and professional knowledge, what excellent teaching should do is simply grade against a normal distribution curve. ?

Added to this impoverished notion of what high-quality teaching and assessment might be and despite its commitment to not interfere with institutional autonomy, 바카라사이트se assertions also put 바카라사이트 Department for Education in 바카라사이트 position of adjudicating legitimate reasons for increases in student performance over time. Despite this already impressive workload for a document of this kind, 바카라사이트 framework specification also finds time, in passing, to write off 바카라사이트 external examiner system entirely by asserting that 바카라사이트 degree classifications awarded to students are ��determined entirely by 바카라사이트 provider��.

Taken as a whole, 바카라사이트se changes tell us that, under 바카라사이트 TEF, universities with excellent teaching are those that design programmes that ensure only a fixed proportion of students can do well and which get 바카라사이트 most students into jobs. They also hint that doing well in 바카라사이트 TEF is becoming less about providing a high-quality education and more about addressing 바카라사이트 government��s priorities for undergraduate degrees.

If it continues is this way, a gold award will be more of a sign of being "government approved" than telling students anything useful about teaching quality at a particular university.

Paul Ashwin is professor of higher education at Lancaster University and a researcher in 바카라사이트 ESRC-HEFCE funded Centre for Global Higher Education.