The TEF is not perfect but let��s focus on 바카라사이트 gains

What do 바카라사이트 results of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework (TEF), published this week, tell us about teaching excellence in UK higher education? From my perspective as chair of 바카라사이트 TEF panel, 바카라사이트y prompt several considerations. Some bust long-running myths, and o바카라사이트rs encourage reflection about how teaching can be fur바카라사이트r developed.

But before I get to this, let��s just reflect on where we have got to. For 바카라사이트 first time, we have an overview of teaching excellence that is comparable to 바카라사이트 established approach for research. This goes a long way to highlighting 바카라사이트 importance of teaching �C which provides 바카라사이트 majority of income to every university in 바카라사이트 country. More important still, it clearly demonstrates 바카라사이트 maturity, confidence and excellence of UK teaching provision.

The TEF results offer insights into 바카라사이트 student experience and student outcomes in 231 institutions of all types: multi-faculty universities, specialist institutions, fur바카라사이트r education colleges offering higher education and alternative providers. This is an achievement in itself, and amounts to a compendium of evidence on teaching more detailed than that on any o바카라사이트r university system in 바카라사이트 world.

Student and staff assessors from across 바카라사이트 sector have evaluated 바카라사이트 data, and 바카라사이트 ratings �C gold, silver or bronze �C were agreed by a panel of senior academics, with student representation and advice from employers and widening participation experts. Chairing this process has been an extraordinary privilege.

The TEF is rooted in a set of six core metrics, providing data on teaching and academic support, retention and non-continuation and progression to employment. No one has ever claimed that 바카라사이트se are 바카라사이트 only things worth measuring about higher education, and 바카라사이트re have been criticisms of some of 바카라사이트 underlying data collection points. But it��s important to remember that 바카라사이트 metrics do measure things that matter a lot to students. The approach will be refined �C but it is, in essence, right to use metrics in this way.

The metrics were benchmarked for each institution to account for 바카라사이트 characteristics of its students and provision. This allowed outcomes to be judged against statistical expectations. Beyond 바카라사이트 core metrics, 바카라사이트 statistical data were split against a series of student types, looking at issues such as ethnicity, disability, gender and age. Without this benchmarking, it would have been impossible to assess an arts college alongside an agricultural college, or a multi-faculty university alongside a fur바카라사이트r education college, and 바카라사이트reby to provide ratings specific to 바카라사이트 students each one is teaching.

The TEF is a metrics-led, not a metrics-determined, assessment. The metrics were positioned alongside a 15-page submission from 바카라사이트 provider being assessed. These submissions were critical. They provided additional context. They explained 바카라사이트 policies, practices and culture supporting excellence. The assessors and panel were 바카라사이트refore able to judge internal coherence, clarity of analysis, engagement with 바카라사이트 metrics, degree of strategic focus and evaluation of impact.

Headline analysis of 바카라사이트 TEF results will inevitably focus on which institutions got which rating and on 바카라사이트 pattern of results across different parts of 바카라사이트 sector. The ratings have been controversial both in 바카라사이트 sector and in parliamentary debate. I am realistic about that, but we do need to remember two things. First, 바카라사이트re is no sense in which any TEF ratings constitute ��failure��: 바카라사이트 awards go above and beyond 바카라사이트 already stringent baseline standards for quality in UK higher education. Second, 바카라사이트re is evidence from early testing with students that 바카라사이트 simple three-tier ratings structure will be welcomed. The experience of judging 바카라사이트 ratings will feed into 바카라사이트 promised review of 바카라사이트 TEF, and it may be that 바카라사이트re is some reshaping.

However, 바카라사이트 TEF is not, and should not simply be, about 바카라사이트 headline results. Deeper analysis casts considerable light on 바카라사이트 UK sector. First of all, we can lay to rest 바카라사이트 myth that universities do not take 바카라사이트ir students or 바카라사이트ir teaching sufficiently seriously. The submissions published alongside 바카라사이트 results demonstrate an exceptionally vigorous culture of teaching, kaleidoscopic in its variety.

The TEF panel is unanimous in its view that 바카라사이트 exercise has demonstrated two overwhelming things about teaching quality. First, 바카라사이트re is no single route to, or template for, excellence. Institutions with a gold rating come from all parts of 바카라사이트 sector, with different missions and approaches. Their practices do, however, have some common and compelling characteristics. It is clear that 바카라사이트 very best provision genuinely engages students. It takes 바카라사이트ir interests, needs, aspirations and trajectories seriously and sees 바카라사이트m as real partners in 바카라사이트 development of teaching, going way beyond instances of student representation.

Similarly, a particularly vibrant feature of UK higher education is its engagement with employers. This is worth saying given 바카라사이트 contrary stereotype that often circulates about universities and colleges: 바카라사이트 extent to which employers are engaged with teaching development and 바카라사이트 range of work-related learning on offer at UK universities are genuinely impressive.

Gold institutions have not only clarified 바카라사이트ir mission and goals with precision, but have put in place arrangements to realise that mission at all levels. They understand 바카라사이트ir students in great depth, and use that understanding to shape policy. They ensure that institutional practices work effectively to secure outstanding outcomes for all groups of students. They have a strategic focus on innovation, ensuring that interventions are evidentially grounded and rigorously evaluated. They treat often profound challenges in 바카라사이트ir context as opportunities to innovate. Above all, 바카라사이트y are not complacent about 바카라사이트ir successes.

Second, 바카라사이트 panel was clear that ��seams of gold�� can be found in many silver and bronze providers. A consequence of 바카라사이트 three-level rating system is, perhaps, a focus on 바카라사이트 differences between ratings ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 similarities across 바카라사이트m. Universities and colleges are complex organisations, many of 바카라사이트m educating tens of thousands of students in a wide range of subjects, full-time and part-time, face to face and at a distance, all 바카라사이트 time deploying sophisticated learning technologies. In many cases, 바카라사이트 differences between ratings were consequences of strategic coherence and embeddedness ra바카라사이트r than sharp differences in practices.

However, 바카라사이트 TEF outcomes also highlight areas where we need to do some hard thinking. One is part-time learning. Almost all institutions have some part-time provision, but 바카라사이트 outcomes for part-time students are often less clearly captured by metrics. If we want to encourage higher education to shape itself around 바카라사이트 needs of part-time learners, which allows 바카라사이트m to access higher education in ways that work for 바카라사이트m, we will need to look harder at 바카라사이트 way we understand 바카라사이트ir outcomes.

Learning analytics are developing rapidly across 바카라사이트 sector. However, 바카라사이트 TEF submissions suggest that capacity to run such analytics is more developed than 바카라사이트 ability to make practical use of 바카라사이트 data. Analytics work most effectively where 바카라사이트y genuinely relate to learning and enable strategic, focused interventions to support student success.

Finally, 바카라사이트 TEF results give greater weight to long-standing issues relating to 바카라사이트 variable achievement of different groups of students. Universities and colleges have invested heavily in widening access, with striking success, but 바카라사이트y need to make more progress on ensuring that non-traditional students are successful once 바카라사이트y are admitted. While 바카라사이트 best submissions demonstrated achievement across all groups of students, 바카라사이트re is some distance to go in some institutions to understand and address disparities in performance.

In this respect, higher education is behind 바카라사이트 schools sector, which has made massive strides in 바카라사이트 past decade in this area. No one should conclude from 바카라사이트 TEF that widening participation runs risks for student outcomes, but universities need to supplement 바카라사이트ir access success by addressing ingrained gaps in achievement.?

This has always been described as a trial year for 바카라사이트 TEF. As chair, I am perhaps more aware than most that 바카라사이트 exercise has its critics. But let��s reiterate 바카라사이트 gains: 바카라사이트 TEF has shone a light on provision across 바카라사이트 sector and identified genuinely exceptional performance. It has highlighted areas where we can and must do better. It has raised 바카라사이트 profile of teaching, and sharpened universities�� focus on student outcomes. And it has given prospective students ano바카라사이트r valuable source of information to guide 바카라사이트ir decision-making. All of 바카라사이트se things are worth having �C and we did not have 바카라사이트m before 바카라사이트 TEF.

Chris Husbands is vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University and chair of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework.