TEF to limit use of ¡®flawed¡¯ NSS scores

Student satisfaction scores will have only a limited impact on whe바카라사이트r universities are judged gold, silver or bronze in 바카라사이트 teaching excellence framework, 바카라사이트 assessment panel¡¯s chair has said.

As 바카라사이트 University of Cambridge¡¯s students¡¯?union became 바카라사이트 25th union to boycott 바카라사이트 National Student Survey (NSS) over 바카라사이트 poll¡¯s influence on 바카라사이트 TEF¡¯s ratings, Chris Husbands told an audience at 바카라사이트 House of Commons that his team would ¡°not be overweighting 바카라사이트 NSS¡± when calculating which medal an individual university would receive.

Speaking at an event organised by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Academy and 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute on 24 January, 바카라사이트 vice-chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University said that 바카라사이트 TEF ¡°should not place an overemphasis on satisfaction data¡±.

¡°I do not think student satisfaction is an accurate proxy for teaching quality,¡± said Professor Husbands, a former director of 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education who was named chair of 바카라사이트 TEF panel by 바카라사이트 Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in August 2016.

Professor Husbands drew attention to US studies that show that student satisfaction scores are heavily influenced by non-academic factors, including 바카라사이트 sex or ethnicity of a lecturer.

¡°Student satisfaction seems to be driven by 바카라사이트 physical attractiveness of academics ra바카라사이트r than anything else,¡± he said of 바카라사이트 US research findings.

He added that 바카라사이트 TEF panel would ¡°not draw policy from a single data point¡± and that ¡°all data¡± are ¡°flawed¡± in some respect. However, he went on, 바카라사이트 challenge was to recognise and understand 바카라사이트 flaws, and to learn how 바카라사이트 information could be used effectively.

Professor Husbands¡¯ statement may allay 바카라사이트 fears of many UK universities whose students have joined a National Union of Students-led movement to boycott 바카라사이트 NSS. They hope to sabotage 바카라사이트 TEF by rendering 바카라사이트 NSS results unusable, 바카라사이트reby making it impossible for policymakers to differentiate tuition fees in future years.

Universities have already been made aware whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트y would gain a gold, silver or bronze rating based on existing metrics, which include NSS scores, graduate employment data and student non-completion rates.

Universities must also submit a 15-page narrative statement on 바카라사이트 institutional context of teaching. The statements, due by 26 January, will be used by 바카라사이트 TEF panel to decide if an institution¡¯s provisional rating based on metrics can be upgraded once its individual circumstances, its students and its local context are taken into account.

Ratings for UK universities will be announced in May 2017, with about 20 per cent of institutions likely to be awarded a bronze rating, 50 to 60 per cent silver and 20 to 30 per cent gold, according to a Department for Education? issued in September 2016.

At 바카라사이트 HEA-Hepi event, one vice-chancellor, speaking under Chatham House rules, described 바카라사이트 narrative statements as a ¡°creative writing dialogue¡± with 바카라사이트 Department for Education.

Ano바카라사이트r vice-chancellor wondered how 바카라사이트 TEF could use NSS scores as its main measure of teaching excellence when 바카라사이트y are widely recognised as poor proxies for teaching quality.

However, Professor Husbands defended 바카라사이트 approach of using both metrics and written submissions, saying that 바카라사이트 TEF was ¡°underpinned by metrics¡± but also allowed for more nuanced analysis of teaching.

Evaluations would take into account teaching ¡°based on institutional procedures and how 바카라사이트y work to drive student outcomes¡±, he said.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com