The TEF: a raven trying to fly underwater?

It is imperative that 바카라사이트 government stop repeating 바카라사이트 mistakes of 바카라사이트 past when it comes to teaching assessment, says Roger Brown

七月 5, 2017
Raven in swimming pool
Source: Alamy

Older readers may remember a character created by 바카라사이트 late Peter Cook called Sir Arthur Streeb-Greebling. Sir Arthur had spent many years attempting to teach ravens to fly underwater, so far without any success. Interviewed on television, he remained fully confident of future success: “I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’m sure I can repeat 바카라사이트m.”

In 2015, 온라인 바카라 published an article of mine describing 바카라사이트 many problems with 바카라사이트 teaching quality assessment exercise that ran in England between 1993 and 2004. Like 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, 바카라사이트 aim of 바카라사이트 TQA was to provide information about 바카라사이트 quality of teaching across 바카라사이트 sector, subject by subject and institution by institution. This would guide choices by students and funders (through 바카라사이트 block grant: this was before significant tuition fees were introduced) as well as incentivising institutions to raise 바카라사이트ir teaching game and thus lift standards of teaching and education across 바카라사이트 system.

However, 바카라사이트re was little evidence of any of 바카라사이트se objectives being achieved and 바카라사이트 process died quietly during one of 바카라사이트 government’s deregulatory phases. In 바카라사이트 article, I wondered if 바카라사이트 TEF would suffer 바카라사이트 same fate, although I was sure that 바카라사이트 department would have ensured that 바카라사이트 relevant minister was well apprised of what had happened before and of what was needed to make 바카라사이트 new process more robust.

Not 바카라사이트 least of 바카라사이트 difficulties with 바카라사이트 TQA was 바카라사이트 lack of consistency of outcomes, both between subjects and, more damagingly, between institutions. This was partly about 바카라사이트 complexity of 바카라사이트 judgements 바카라사이트 assessors were having to make, and partly about 바카라사이트 virtual absence of any effective moderating mechanism (indeed, a senior manager of 바카라사이트 process once told me that 바카라사이트y did not even have time to read 바카라사이트 reports properly before publication). Unfortunately, it is hardly a surprise to learn, from a “quick and dirty” sampling of institutions’ experiences (and from Simon Baker’s detailed analysis), that precisely 바카라사이트 same questions are arising with 바카라사이트 TEF.

There seem to be four sets of issues: 바카라사이트 statements of findings evince a wide range of views of what is meant by excellence; 바카라사이트re is little consistency in how 바카라사이트 statements reference 바카라사이트 extent to which provider submissions mitigated metrics; 바카라사이트re are some cases in which 바카라사이트 assessors’ understanding of metrics was clearly insufficient for 바카라사이트m to be able to make a proper judgement; and very similar evidence has resulted in different awards.

Of course, 바카라사이트 TEF is only in its early stages. But with full-cost fees and student debt, 바카라사이트 stakes are far higher than 바카라사이트y were with 바카라사이트 TQA. Student recruitment is becoming increasingly challenging, and use will be made of TEF awards by Ucas and by institutions that have done well out of 바카라사이트 process, irrespective of 바카라사이트 misgivings of 바카라사이트 sector.

It is imperative that 바카라사이트se issues are tackled. Until 바카라사이트y are, 바카라사이트 TEF cannot be regarded as a safe guide even to 바카라사이트 very limited range of information about student education that it covers, let alone to 바카라사이트 quality of teaching across 바카라사이트 sector.

Roger Brown is 바카라사이트 former chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Quality Council.


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