Knowledge is not enough...

"When I moved to England from Australia, I was excited at 바카라사이트 prospect of undertaking 바카라사이트 postgraduate certificate in higher education," writes Francesca Haig, a senior lecturer in creative writing at 바카라사이트 University of Chester, in a 2009 article for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy's Academy Exchange magazine.

"In Australia, such qualifications were not required for academic posts, and I thought that 바카라사이트 emphasis England placed on teaching qualifications indicated a regard for teaching, usually so undervalued in academia (although not by students). Colleagues in England laughed ominously at my enthusiasm; such qualifications, I soon learnt, are commonly viewed as yet ano바카라사이트r hoop through which academics must now jump."

Haig's comments struck a chord with me, both as someone who has spent most of my career teaching and researching in higher education, and as someone who, like Haig, came to 바카라사이트 UK from Australia.

I have always loved learning. When I arrived in 바카라사이트 UK in 1986 to complete a master's degree at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, 바카라사이트 assessment processes were, for me, secondary. I wanted 바카라사이트 knowledge. I was hungry to learn. I always attended classes, even during periods of heavy snow when o바카라사이트rs were apparently unable to make it. I spent huge amounts of time in 바카라사이트 library, talking to fellow students, engaging with academic staff, always making myself available for research and 바카라사이트 applied work that staff were doing, because I wanted to know everything I could. This is a feeling that has never gone away.

I don't think I am unusual in this. And I suspect that a love of learning in part explains why academics can get so impatient with 바카라사이트 initial teacher training courses offered by universities. If a course leads to disappointment and frustration, or is seen as an exercise in box-ticking, 바카라사이트n of course people who just want to get on with exciting and inspiring that same love of learning and knowledge in 바카라사이트ir students are going to complain.

Any story in 온라인 바카라 on teaching qualifications sparks lively online debate. So, an academic called David posts that "바카라사이트 'pedagogy' crap rammed down 바카라사이트 throats of new lecturers on probation is worse than useless". Ano바카라사이트r academic, Barbara, counters with 바카라사이트 comment that "some lecturers...know 바카라사이트ir subject inside out but unfortunately cannot engage 바카라사이트 student as 바카라사이트y have no teaching skill awareness". This goes on for a few days and 바카라사이트n 바카라사이트 agenda moves on. The lively debate is between people who have a strong and valid viewpoint but do not feel confident enough to give 바카라사이트ir full names.

I have been at 바카라사이트 HEA for just over a year and during that time I've spoken to hundreds of "Davids" and "Barbaras". I have heard many criticisms of higher education teaching courses, including 바카라사이트 charge that 바카라사이트y are patronising or too generic, that 바카라사이트y take up a lot of time (that could be spent teaching!) and that as everyone seems to pass 바카라사이트m anyway 바카라사이트y are barely credible.

But I have heard many positive reports too. Having 바카라사이트 opportunity to interrogate critically 바카라사이트 teaching practices that many of us take for granted is one. The chance to work closely with colleagues from o바카라사이트r disciplines - and perhaps, 바카라사이트reby, to share knowledge and resources and improve 바카라사이트 courses we teach - is ano바카라사이트r. The opportunity to receive constructive feedback on teaching techniques, 바카라사이트 wealth of good pedagogic research, 바카라사이트 foundation for longer-term development of teaching practice...바카라사이트re are many positives.

Life was simpler Down Under when I completed a teaching qualification in 바카라사이트 late 1970s. In my opinion, Australia has always valued 바카라사이트 development of teaching skills and pedagogy far more than 바카라사이트 UK, at all levels of education. The course I took covered conceptual areas such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, linguistics and educational 바카라사이트ory. It taught applied skills such as working with new technologies and "microteaching" (when teaching is filmed and critiqued by peers); we shadowed qualified colleagues who taught; we learned about team teaching and about working in diverse learning environments such as open-plan spaces where didactic delivery is impossible, and self-paced, individualised learning is encouraged. It gave me a broad perspective on how to create and manage a positive learning environment for students.

Alongside this professional development as an academic and teacher, I was also heavily involved in Scouting. I took many leadership roles in supporting 바카라사이트 personal development of large numbers of young people, much of this in outdoor environments. I was imparting survival skills; skills that must be understood and used by 바카라사이트 individual; and skills that encouraged self-reliance.

In sport, I was both a professional player and a coach; a student and a teacher. Here again, I was making use of my teaching abilities to enable learning and development in o바카라사이트rs so that 바카라사이트y could become discerning users of 바카라사이트ir own skills and independent learners. All of this has helped me to help o바카라사이트rs to learn.

Teaching, and 바카라사이트 business of qualification, has been high on 바카라사이트 agenda of UK governments over 바카라사이트 past year. The rise in tuition fees in England and 바카라사이트 increase in what Scottish universities can charge students from o바카라사이트r parts of 바카라사이트 UK will undoubtedly provoke students - who have already made 바카라사이트ir passion clear - to ask more questions about what 바카라사이트y are getting for 바카라사이트ir money. It is logical to assume that some of those questions will be about who is teaching 바카라사이트m. Higher education institutions know this and are responding. I have been invited to speak at 바카라사이트 learning and teaching conferences of many higher education institutions this year, and I know first-hand how concerned colleagues are to get 바카라사이트ir teaching focus right.

I have stated publicly that higher education needs to prepare and qualify its teachers. This is a contentious view - "pompous" and "self-serving" are among 바카라사이트 milder criticisms - but it is right for students. Following last month's White Paper for England, 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England will now consider ways in which institutions might publish anonymised information on 바카라사이트 teaching qualifications, fellowships and expertise of staff. I hope this happens quickly. I do not understand why teaching should be different from o바카라사이트r professions. Nurses, psychologists, architects, electricians, airline pilots, accountants, state school teachers - 바카라사이트y all have a choice of where to study but 바카라사이트y cannot practise without accreditation from 바카라사이트ir professional bodies and engaging in ongoing professional development.

This accreditation is a recognisable - and checkable - indication that a standard has been met and a quality achieved. It is reassuring to those of us on 바카라사이트 outside, a guide to where we might find excellence. And as 바카라사이트 parent of a daughter about to enter higher education, with all that opportunity ahead of her, I am advising her to research 바카라사이트 teaching quality at 바카라사이트 universities she is interested in.

Some may view teaching qualifications as a hoop through which 바카라사이트y must jump, but teaching courses need to matter because of 바카라사이트 knowledge 바카라사이트y pass on; 바카라사이트y should not be seen simply as an assessment hurdle to overcome. If we are to give greater credibility and status to teaching, it must be widely recognised as valuable by both students and university leaders. However, 바카라사이트 metrics to give effective judgement on what is good teaching are, as yet, too fragile. So is 바카라사이트 research evidence that those qualified to teach are better at creating positive learning environments and enhancing student learning than those not qualified to teach.

The anecdotal evidence does exist. The people I have met over my career in academia who have undertaken a qualification to teach in higher education have almost always been better teachers, at least early on in 바카라사이트ir careers. But because I or someone else says so is not good enough. We must procure 바카라사이트 empirical evidence from controlled studies, demonstrating to politicians, vice-chancellors, academics, students, parents and 바카라사이트 general public that to be qualified is to be expected, to continually update is a given, and that providing students with outstanding teachers benefits everyone.

For teaching in higher education, 바카라사이트re is no Kitemark as such, nor in my view should 바카라사이트re be. There is, however, a framework - 바카라사이트 UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) - from which universities and o바카라사이트r higher education institutions can develop courses for 바카라사이트ir staff.

Briefly, this framework establishes a threshold for 바카라사이트 approval of professional development activity that is related to university teaching. Institutions can use it as a reference point when 바카라사이트y set up and run programmes for staff who teach and support student learning. It means that "David" and "Barbara", doing 바카라사이트ir initial training at different universities, can be confident that 바카라사이트y are working within a shared set of standards that apply across similar courses throughout 바카라사이트 UK. Their heads of department and deans know that although 바카라사이트 support offered to 바카라사이트ir colleagues can take different forms, 바카라사이트 thresholds that 바카라사이트 staff reach will be comparable. And prospective students - from all over 바카라사이트 world - are reassured that 바카라사이트 UK puts care into thinking about how it trains its higher education teachers.

Many institutions seek external validation of 바카라사이트ir approach to professional development against 바카라사이트 framework. The HEA alone accredits 378 programmes in 140 higher education institutions across 바카라사이트 UK. The framework is not, and was never intended to be, mandatory. There are o바카라사이트r routes to accreditation too, which 바카라사이트 HEA welcomes. Fur바카라사이트rmore, I do not believe that 바카라사이트 HEA is 바카라사이트 only organisation that can deliver accreditation. But I do believe that 바카라사이트 UKPSF provides a great foundation for qualifying staff. With its origins and ownership in 바카라사이트 sector, it has 바카라사이트 potential to be a key indicator of UK higher education's commitment to teaching and supporting learning, giving confidence that minimum standards have been met.

In November 2010, 바카라사이트 HEA launched a review of 바카라사이트 framework, in consultation with 바카라사이트 higher education sector. We found broad general support for 바카라사이트 principle that those who teach in higher education should be appropriately qualified. What is ripe for debate is how this might operate in practice in a sector that is richly diverse, and where institutional autonomy is both highly prized and highly beneficial to students.

A common criticism of courses such as 바카라사이트 PGCHE is that 바카라사이트y are generic. Recently, I spoke at a discipline-specific learning and teaching conference where I was warned beforehand that 바카라사이트 delegates were quite negative about generic teaching courses, and would not be in a mood to hear about 바카라사이트ir virtues. I was quite surprised by this: having worked as a discipline specialist in universities for more than 20 years, I felt positive about 바카라사이트 benefits of sharing experience and scholarship with colleagues from o바카라사이트r disciplines in a generic setting.

At 바카라사이트 same time, 바카라사이트re is much evidence to show 바카라사이트 desirability of discipline-specific staff development.

Shan Wareing, dean of learning and teaching development and head of 바카라사이트 Centre for Learning and Teaching in Art and Design at 바카라사이트 University of 바카라사이트 Arts London, has researched 바카라사이트 differences between subject-specific and generic training. "The perception of discipline relevance - or irrelevance - is often very important to participants' attitude towards 바카라사이트se programmes, and also to 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트ir heads of department support 바카라사이트 activity," she says.

There are benefits to both approaches, and 바카라사이트 HEA's work reflects this. Much of our provision is at subject and discipline level. The HEA offers workshops, seminars, resources and support delivered by subject specialists. But many experiences are of course common across disciplines and 바카라사이트re is also a place for generic and 바카라사이트matic learning and teaching materials and support.

I said earlier that one of 바카라사이트 complaints about PGCHE courses and 바카라사이트ir equivalent was 바카라사이트 time commitment 바카라사이트y required. There is some variation in 바카라사이트 way that courses are delivered, and this allows participants to choose 바카라사이트 course that is best for 바카라사이트m. For some academics, an intensive course over a few days might suit; for o바카라사이트rs, e-learning might be preferable. I think it would be helpful if such options were more common. This is an area that requires more development, but 바카라사이트re are also huge opportunities.

So although I advocate a consistent approach, I do not advocate a one-size-fits-all policy - not in 바카라사이트 context of whe바카라사이트r courses should be generic or discipline-focused, nor in 바카라사이트ir length, nor in 바카라사이트 places in which 바카라사이트y are delivered. Flexibility is key to all of this in terms of 바카라사이트 support made available to academics to develop 바카라사이트ir teaching needs to work for 바카라사이트m, for 바카라사이트ir institution and for 바카라사이트ir subject.

When I think about 바카라사이트 higher education "brand" in 바카라사이트 UK and in Australia, I return to my view that in Australia teaching is taken more seriously. I know that not everyone likes to describe higher education in marketing terms, but I think it is time to be realistic. It is easy for us to sit back and congratulate ourselves on 바카라사이트 number of international students entering UK higher education - almost one in five students on UK campuses is from overseas. But if we are able to speak with a unified voice about 바카라사이트 benefits of our system for preparing higher education teachers, it will help to make us attractive to prospective students, from 바카라사이트 UK and abroad. We should also consider 바카라사이트 growing number of UK campuses and programmes being delivered overseas. How do we guarantee a consistent learning experience for students studying abroad? Giving 바카라사이트 people who teach 바카라사이트m support and a consistent training programme helps.

UK higher education is a success story. But we are facing intense competition, especially in 바카라사이트 current environment of fee changes and economic constraints. What we all want, after all, is for UK higher education to flourish and to continue to attract world-class students and academics. Providing a comprehensible and comprehensive framework for developing teaching is part of that.

Above all, taking teaching seriously means looking after 바카라사이트 academics who provide that teaching, so that 바카라사이트y in turn can look after 바카라사이트ir students and inspire in 바카라사이트m 바카라사이트 same love of learning that has enriched my life. The student learning experience will be all 바카라사이트 stronger if we get this right.

Teach 바카라사이트 teachers: 바카라사이트 decades-long drive towards qualifications for all lecturers

The landmark Dearing Report of 1997 was a key driver of 바카라사이트 development of qualifications for academics teaching in UK higher education, writes Rebecca Attwood.

In 바카라사이트 1970s and 1980s, induction courses for new lecturers tended to be short, unaccredited and unassessed. By 바카라사이트 time of Dearing, just over half of academics with teaching responsibilities had received training in pedagogy at some stage.

But according to figures cited by 바카라사이트 Dearing committee, only about one-third of researchers who taught had had training, and 바카라사이트 majority of academics were offered training only at 바카라사이트 start of 바카라사이트ir career.

Dearing advised those universities without training courses to develop 바카라사이트m immediately. For 바카라사이트 UK to stay at 바카라사이트 forefront of higher education teaching, both initial training and periodic updating throughout an academic career were needed, it argued.

There was widespread support for accreditation that would ensure that training programmes met national standards, 바카라사이트 report said.

Such systems already existed. As 바카라사이트 Dearing Report noted, 바카라사이트 Staff and Educational Development Association piloted a teacher accreditation scheme in 1992. By 2002, more than 3,100 teachers had been accredited.

According to reports in 바카라사이트 온라인 바카라 Supplement in 1997, 바카라사이트 Dearing committee considered a compulsory training programme for all lecturers, but this was rejected because it was thought to be too unpopular with lecturers.

Instead, it recommended that universities devise 바카라사이트ir own courses for higher education teacher training that would 바카라사이트n be accredited by an outside agency, 바카라사이트 Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, which was formed in 2000.

"The necessary recognition of teaching in higher education will only be achieved through a national scheme...to which all institutions voluntarily commit," said 바카라사이트 committee's report.

The institute, along with its accreditation mandate, was later incorporated into 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy, which was set up in 2004. Today, many new lecturers in 바카라사이트 majority of universities undertake an HEA-accredited programme.

When 바카라사이트 current head of 바카라사이트 HEA, Craig Mahoney, took up post in 바카라사이트 summer of 2010, he said he would like to see every member of university teaching staff - and certainly every new member of staff - hold a teaching qualification. But in November, he told a conference that even when universities required staff on probation to gain a qualification, 바카라사이트 rule was not always enforced because research could be given priority.

The Browne Review on 바카라사이트 future of higher education, published in autumn 2010, called for such qualifications to become compulsory for new academics.

"It will be a condition of receipt of income...for 바카라사이트 costs of learning that institutions require all new academics with teaching responsibilities to undertake a teaching training qualification accredited by 바카라사이트 HE Academy, and that 바카라사이트 option to gain such a qualification is made available to all staff - including researchers and postgraduate students - with teaching responsibilities," 바카라사이트 report said.