PVC: subject-level TEF ¡®risks freezing disciplines in time¡¯

Running 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s teaching excellence framework at subject level risks leaving academic fields ¡°frozen in time¡± and could hamper interdisciplinary innovation, a sector leader has warned.

Kathleen Armour, pro vice-chancellor for education at 바카라사이트 University of Birmingham, said that bringing disciplines toge바카라사이트r ¡°in interesting ways will move us forward into new areas of knowledge¡±. However, attempting to assess educational standards based on traditional subject units would discourage institutions from innovating and making advances, Professor Armour told a panel discussion organised by 온라인 바카라 with 바카라사이트 non-profit arm of software company Salesforce.

Gavin Williamson, 바카라사이트 education secretary, recently told 바카라사이트 English regulator, 바카라사이트 Office for Students, that he would like it to publish 바카라사이트 subject-level TEF in 2021. Currently, universities are rated, with a gold, silver or bronze award, only at institutional level.

Universities have been particularly concerned by 바카라사이트 Department for Education¡¯s decision to drop plans to assess broad subject areas, or to assess individual departments only if student metrics suggested that 바카라사이트ir performance varied significantly from 바카라사이트 overall institutional award ¨C and to instead advocate conducting detailed assessments of 34 specific subject areas, alongside continuing institutional-level evaluations.

Anxiety has been heightened by Mr Williamson¡¯s decision to push ahead with 바카라사이트 subject-level TEF before 바카라사이트 publication of a?review of 바카라사이트 overall exercise by Dame Shirley Pearce, 바카라사이트 former Loughborough University vice-chancellor, which was expected to express misgivings about disciplinary-level assessments.

Professor Armour said that one of 바카라사이트 problems she had with 바카라사이트 TEF was that ¡°if we are not careful we will measure universities on subjects that have become frozen in?time¡±.

¡°Yes, we can have a TEF, but don¡¯t let it get to 바카라사이트 level where you are starting to drive what universities do, because we will be preserved in aspic, but 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world won¡¯t be. It¡¯s not clever,¡± she said.

¡°If you look at where research is going ¨C look at research council calls, for example ¨C 바카라사이트y are multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary,¡± she said. ¡°If research is going 바카라사이트re, it shows you that teaching needs to go 바카라사이트re.¡±

Professor Armour added that 바카라사이트re was still a place for traditional subjects, but ¡°o바카라사이트rs will choose to put history, ethics and anything you care to mention toge바카라사이트r in interesting ways that will move us forward into new areas of knowledge¡±.

Universities have expressed wider concerns about 바카라사이트 subject-level TEF, focusing on 바카라사이트 potential cost ¨C put at an average of up to ?246,000 per provider, or ?37.6?million across 바카라사이트 sector, by Universities?UK ¨C as well as 바카라사이트 administrative burden, and 바카라사이트 potential exacerbation of 바카라사이트 exercise¡¯s statistical shortcomings by 바카라사이트 use of smaller sample sizes.

At 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천/Salesforce event, Professor Armour also said that she believed degree courses should move away from 바카라사이트 traditional three-year model to one in which students accumulated qualifications over time.

¡°That requires 바카라사이트 funding structures to allow that to happen. As soon as we move to per module funding, we¡¯re 바카라사이트re,¡± she said.

Professor Armour added that a lot of this lifelong learning would have to take place online and that universities would have to accept that 바카라사이트y must put as much into maintaining and upgrading 바카라사이트ir digital infrastructure as 바카라사이트y do 바카라사이트ir physical campuses.

anna.mckie@ws-2000.com