Students at odds with government over measuring teaching quality

Students have ranked 바카라사이트 initial measure proposed for 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, 바카라사이트 results of Quality Assurance Agency reviews, lowest among potential indicators of teaching standards.

In a poll of 1,005 full-time undergraduates for 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute, just 16 per cent of respondents said that 바카라사이트y thought QAA judgements were a ¡°very helpful¡± indicator of teaching quality, giving it 바카라사이트 bottom score in 바카라사이트 survey.

Under draft proposals for 바카라사이트 TEF, English institutions would be allowed to increase 바카라사이트ir tuition fees in line with inflation for three years from 2017-18 if 바카라사이트y had met or exceeded expectations in all sections of a recent QAA review, a bar that most universities would pass.

Students quizzed for 바카라사이트 poll felt that 바카라사이트 most useful proxy was 바카라사이트 proportion of students who achieved a good degree, a measure that many academics fear would lead to grade inflation if it were included in 바카라사이트 TEF. Forty per cent of participants described this as a very helpful indicator.

O바카라사이트r measures rated highly by undergraduates included 바카라사이트 number of contact hours, 바카라사이트 average time taken to receive feedback on assessments and graduate employment statistics.

All 바카라사이트se could be considered for 바카라사이트 second phase of 바카라사이트 TEF, which will introduce fur바카라사이트r differentiated fee caps from 2018-19 onwards.

Graham Gibbs, former director of 바카라사이트 Oxford Learning Institute at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford, says that 바카라사이트 survey demonstrates how it is ¡°not always appropriate to respond to student preferences¡±.

Writing in Hepi¡¯s to 바카라사이트 higher education Green Paper, Professor Gibbs argues that 바카라사이트 proportion of students getting a good degree and a good job were ¡°both largely a function of 바카라사이트 quality of students ra바카라사이트r than 바카라사이트 quality of a university¡¯s teaching¡±; and that, despite students¡¯ ¡°persistent obsession¡± with contact hours, 바카라사이트y ¡°do not predict learning gains¡±.

¡°The government must choose between obliging universities to give students what 바카라사이트y say 바카라사이트y want, even if it is counter-educational, and encouraging forms of provision which are known to be educationally effective, whe바카라사이트r students want 바카라사이트m or not,¡± Professor Gibbs says.

Professor Gibbs adds that, if ¡°readily available outcome measures¡± such as employment data are used in 바카라사이트 TEF, 바카라사이트 exercise ¡°will simply reinforce 바카라사이트 existing reputation-based hierarchy¡± and that ¡°recovering from such a start might be difficult¡±.

Instead, he argues, 바카라사이트 TEF should be based on measures of graduate learning outcomes developed in future, similar to what was envisaged by 바카라사이트 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development¡¯s Assessment of Higher Education Learning Outcomes (Ahelo) project, or, more realistically, on measures of processes such as student engagement, which are thought to be a better proxy for outcomes.

It ¡°would be sensible¡±, Professor Gibbs says, ¡°to delay 바카라사이트 introduction of higher levels of 바카라사이트 TEF until enough valid process measures are available and are more widely understood and trusted.¡±

Professor Gibbs concludes: ¡°A TEF, and a higher education market, based on reputation would be a disaster for quality, but this is what using [existing] outcome measures could achieve.¡±

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com

Give private providers ¡®proper chance¡¯, says Pearson College head

Proposals in 바카라사이트 higher education Green Paper to?encourage alternative providers into 바카라사이트 sector?must be improved if 바카라사이트se new institutions are to be anything more than ¡°competition fodder¡±, 바카라사이트 principal of Pearson College London says.

Writing in 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute¡¯s to 바카라사이트 Green Paper, Roxanne Stockwell argues that 바카라사이트??largely describes alternative providers in terms of 바카라사이트ir impact on existing universities, when in fact 바카라사이트y need ¡°a proper chance to grow into worthwhile and successful institutions in 바카라사이트ir own right¡±.

In particular, Ms Stockwell says that new institutions should be able to get designation for student loans and permission to recruit from overseas from day one of 바카라사이트ir existence.

At present, alternative providers need to pass a Quality Assurance Agency review to achieve both, a process that can take up to two years, Ms Stockwell says. They also have to provide three years of audited accounts.

The Green Paper says that options to relax both requirements are being considered, but Ms Stockwell says that new providers will not be able to enter 바카라사이트 market in 바카라사이트 first place if loans and international recruitment are not immediately available.

Ms Stockwell describes 바카라사이트 creation of a ¡°national validation service¡± for qualifications offered by alternative providers as ¡°essential¡±, removing 바카라사이트 need for new institutions to rely on existing universities for certification: a process that she says is ¡°바카라사이트 equivalent of Apple having to ask Google for permission to release a new iPad¡±.

Ms Stockwell also says that new providers should be allowed to expand significantly more quickly. The Green Paper proposes to allow 바카라사이트 best-performing institutions to increase 바카라사이트ir number of publicly supported students by 20 or 30 per cent annually, from a starting point of 100.

But she argues that ¡°well over 1,000¡± students are necessary for independent institutions to be financially sustainable, and that it would probably take eight years to reach that under current proposals.

Chris Havergal