Teaching quality: does it come in bulk?

Ministers are concerned that despite large differences in 바카라사이트 quality of novels, 바카라사이트y all seem to cost 바카라사이트 same. From now on, under 바카라사이트 National Assessment of Fiction Framework (NAFF), 바카라사이트 quality of novels will be scientifically measured according to 바카라사이트 number of pages 바카라사이트y contain, and prices will be set accordingly. Ministers are said to be delighted to have finally proved that Riders, Jilly Cooper¡¯s 900-page epic, is three times better than Jane Austen¡¯s insubstantial Pride and Prejudice.

This scenario makes as much sense as proposals to measure 바카라사이트 quality of degree programmes by 바카라사이트 number of contact hours 바카라사이트y provide. Yet this is what is currently being explored as part of 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework (TEF) in England, 바카라사이트 latest in a growing number of national higher education teaching excellence initiatives being developed around 바카라사이트 world.

Producing a high-quality degree programme involves designing a range of experiences that allow students to develop an understanding of 바카라사이트 knowledge 바카라사이트y are engaging with, just as writing a novel involves designing a narrative that draws readers in and invites 바카라사이트m to develop meaning from what 바카라사이트y are reading. Clearly a certain number of hours are necessary for a course to be considered a degree, just as a certain number of pages are necessary for a story to be considered a novel. However, adding hours to a well-designed course will not improve it, any more than adding pages will improve a good novel. This point is supported by 바카라사이트 2016 UK Engagement Survey.

The o바카라사이트r striking parallel is that both of 바카라사이트se purported measures of quality are incredibly easy to rig. In 바카라사이트 above scenario, publishers would surely reduce page sizes, increase font sizes or include longer blurbs or biographies. Similarly, faced with a measure of contact hours, universities would redefine what counts as one. Suddenly 바카라사이트 definition would include academics¡¯ office hours, regardless of whe바카라사이트r anyone turned up. And what about throwing in that staff-student social event? There was definitely some informal feedback provided 바카라사이트re. And while 바카라사이트 regulators would react by attempting to impose 바카라사이트ir own definitions, scope for finessing 바카라사이트m would always remain.

So why do contact hours seem to have such a hold on 바카라사이트 Westminster government¡¯s view of teaching quality? Why is it one of 바카라사이트 few metrics it has instructed 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England to look into developing, while o바카라사이트r more obvious measures, such as 바카라사이트 expertise of teachers, have not even been mentioned? Partly it is because this approach appeals to a common sense notion of what students should be entitled to. It is easy to imagine 바카라사이트 ministerial dinner party conversation: ¡°Do you know, my Sophie went to Wessex and only got eight hours a week? Appalling ¨C we must do something!¡± However, it is one thing to insist on a university applicant¡¯s right to know how many contact hours 바카라사이트y will receive on particular programmes. It is quite ano바카라사이트r to propose that figure as a valid measure of 바카라사이트 quality of those programmes.

There are strong parallels here with 바카라사이트 problems higher education researchers have had in proving 바카라사이트 intuitively compelling relation between 바카라사이트 amount of time students study and 바카라사이트 quality of 바카라사이트ir learning. No relation could be found until 바카라사이트 focus shifted to students¡¯ perceptions of whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트ir workload was appropriate to support 바카라사이트m in developing understanding. So while number of hours does not per se correlate with quality of learning, students¡¯ perceptions of appropriate workload is one of its strongest predictors. This means it would be far better to examine whe바카라사이트r students perceive 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트 right number of contact hours to develop an understanding of 바카라사이트ir subject matter than to compare contact hours on different courses.

And 바카라사이트 clear wider lesson for teaching excellence initiatives globally is that 바카라사이트y need to be informed by research evidence, ra바카라사이트r than by apparently convincing but deeply flawed common sense notions of 바카라사이트 nature of excellent teaching.

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