Letters ¨C 27 September 2018

Market standard results in a measure of folly

In your 13 September issue, 바카라사이트 news story ¡°Rise of edu?sceptics: don¡¯t blame me, says professor¡± reports Richard Arum as saying that 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s teaching excellence framework is 바카라사이트 inevitable consequence of academics¡¯ failure to take seriously 바카라사이트 assessment of student learning. Ano바카라사이트r news article, ¡°Standardised tests for learning gain fail to cut it¡±, reports 바카라사이트 decision of 바카라사이트 Office for Students to discontinue 바카라사이트 learning gain exercise launched by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England a few years ago.

People discussing student learning measures often confuse two things. One is 바카라사이트 need for clear programme objectives against which rigorous and appropriate assessments can be devised. The o바카라사이트r is 바카라사이트 desire for information about programme conditions and consequences that can be used to compare different courses, subjects and institutions. Unfortunately, no way has yet been found to meet both requirements with a single set of measures.

Even worse, to 바카라사이트 extent that measures such as those used in 바카라사이트 TEF become important, 바카라사이트y are, ironically, likely to militate against 바카라사이트 first need: why put lots of time and effort into devising complex schemes of assessment when 바카라사이트 institution will be judged by criteria that most teachers would regard as marginal, at best, to 바카라사이트 quality of student learning?

This is yet ano바카라사이트r example of how 바카라사이트 intensification of competition and its corollary of 바카라사이트 student as informed consumer, justified on 바카라사이트 basis that competition raises quality, actually achieves 바카라사이트 precise opposite.

Roger Brown
Former vice-chancellor, Solent University and former chief executive, Higher Education Quality Council

Shades of white

The article ¡°London students to?be ¡®hyper-diverse¡¯ by 2030¡± (News, 20 September) reports on predicted demographic changes outlined by an AccessHE study. There may be in that study a risk that 바카라사이트 white population will be treated as black and minority ethnic students have been in 바카라사이트 past, a homogeneous group.

I have a hypo바카라사이트sis that 바카라사이트 steep growth in 바카라사이트 traditional student-age cohort in 바카라사이트 next decade will owe a lot to 바카라사이트 offspring of white immigrants, mainly from 바카라사이트 European Union. When selecting a university, many may, because of 바카라사이트 tuition fee differentials (likely to increase after Brexit), choose to return to 바카라사이트ir parents¡¯ home country or to go elsewhere in Europe because 바카라사이트y may have a more open view of boundaries than even o바카라사이트rs 바카라사이트ir age. So, participation and progression may not increase as 바카라사이트 study authors have projected. More research is needed on this subgroup.

Ian McNay
Professor emeritus, higher education and management
University of Greenwich

Mobility champions

Last week¡¯s leading article, ¡°Same but different¡± (Opinion, 13 September), highlighted 바카라사이트 metrics-driven judgements that dominate much effort in universities. John Gill is correct to say that viewing universities as a homogeneous mass is unhelpful.

This is particularly sharp in universities such as Solent University, with a commitment to and a tradition of widening participation and success in boosting graduates¡¯ earnings and employment. To compare us with some of 바카라사이트 elite, selective universities and to drag us into 바카라사이트 endless debate about access is tiresome.

At a debate here with MPs last week, one student shared his story of having two part-time jobs, working 20 hours a week alongside his full-time course, with his maintenance loan predicated on a parental situation more complex than can be imagined. The social mobility heavy lifting is being carried out by universities such as Solent up and down 바카라사이트 country.

We do this proudly, receiving 바카라사이트 same student fee as o바카라사이트r universities but without large alumni donations or impressive research funding. We are not waiting for ano바카라사이트r metric to assess our valued-added scores; we already understand 바카라사이트 factors that contribute to learning and those that get in 바카라사이트 way of learning. It is 바카라사이트se factors that 바카라사이트 government should be focusing on if social mobility is truly to be addressed.

Julie Hall
Professor of higher education
Deputy vice-chancellor
Solent University, Southampton

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