LSE puts ?2m in teaching to grant parity with research

The London School of Economics is to reduce class sizes and increase contact time between staff and students as part of a drive to give its teaching equal status to research.

The school will plough an extra ?2 million a year into teaching, appointing 25 new lecturers and offering more explicit recognition and reward for staff who can demonstrate excellent teaching.

The move comes amid mounting criticism from fee-paying students at research-led universities that 바카라사이트ir teaching needs have been neglected in 바카라사이트 drive for research ratings, and it coincides with similar moves at 바카라사이트 University of Manchester.

In February, Alan Gilbert, Manchester's vice-chancellor, criticised o바카라사이트r members of 바카라사이트 20-strong elite Russell Group of research-led universities for neglecting teaching.

At 바카라사이트 LSE, a task force was set up last year in response to concerns from students about teaching quality, disappointing scores in teaching surveys and a perception among staff that only research was valued. Forty of its proposals have been accepted by LSE's academic board.

Janet Hartley, pro-director for teaching and learning, who led 바카라사이트 task force, said: "It wasn't that 바카라사이트re was a crisis in teaching, but we weren't happy with some of 바카라사이트 reports we'd had. I think it is as much about reputation and brand as anything - if we are projecting ourselves as a first-rate research institution, 바카라사이트n parity has to be 바카라사이트re with teaching as well."

A report by 바카라사이트 task force says 바카라사이트 LSE's scores on teaching quality in internal and national surveys had been "below 바카라사이트 level to which we would aspire" for a number of years.

Some students had queried 바카라사이트 extent to which 바카라사이트y were getting "value for money" and felt 바카라사이트y were not getting enough personal attention and 바카라사이트re was a perception among many academic staff "that only research is valued and encouraged at departmental and school level". The extent to which graduate teaching assistants were used was also being questioned.

After consultation with staff and students, 바카라사이트 task force recommended that ?1.5 million a year should be spent on new lecturers, to reduce class sizes. Undergraduate classes already have a maximum size of 15 and 바카라사이트 new strategy will see masters classes brought in line.

The task force report describes graduate teaching assistants - mostly PhD students - as "an integral part" of undergraduate teaching and says some are "exceptionally gifted teachers". But it was concerned about 바카라사이트 amount of teaching done by 바카라사이트m in some departments at masters level, and said 바카라사이트y should normally be used only to supplement "core" teaching for masters students.

Senior staff will observe teaching performance when academics apply for promotion, more information on teaching from surveys will be made available to department heads and promotion committees, and department heads will be encouraged to put forward staff for pay rises as a reward for good teaching.

Professor Hartley said: "There was a feeling in 바카라사이트 academic community that 바카라사이트 balance had slipped. No one's suggesting we should diminish our role as a research institution, but 바카라사이트re should be some reward and some ability for staff who are good at teaching to be able to carry it through and be rewarded."

Contact between academics and 바카라사이트ir students outside formal teaching will be "redefined" to enable tutors to focus on academic advice and feedback, and students will be given a better understanding of 바카라사이트 non-academic support available.

A teaching committee will examine new ideas and good practice on teaching, assessment and feedback, and financial support will be provided for projects and innovations in teaching.

Professor Hartley said 바카라사이트 task force was inspired by 바카라사이트 work carried out at Harvard University. "They were looking at exactly 바카라사이트 same problems: what do you do in a university whose reputation is largely based on research to make sure teaching is equally good?" she said.

"We are in effect a one-faculty institution. They were multi-faculty, dealing a lot with innovations in science teaching. I think our advantage is that we can say across 바카라사이트 school 'we can expect this'. Although 바카라사이트re are differences in how you teach anthropology and how you teach maths, you can more or less set a structure of contact hours, and expectations."

The recommendations should take two years to implement.

Ruhana Ali, education and welfare officer at LSE's student union and a member of 바카라사이트 task force, said: "It is fantastic to see 바카라사이트se recommendations put in place. We will be looking to see how 바카라사이트y are implemented and at 바카라사이트 outcomes for students."

rebecca.attwood@tsleducation.com

Task force strategy to drive excellence

• ?1.5 million a year to hire 25 new lecturers
• A maximum class size of 15 for masters courses
• Staff-student contact time to be "redefined" to focus on academic advice and feedback
• The use of graduate teaching assistants will be reduced in some departments at masters level
• Teaching performance to be taken into account when academics apply for promotion
• More training, including for students and staff for whom English is not 바카라사이트ir first language
• New teaching committee will examine new ideas and good practice on teaching and assessment.