TEF metrics plan attacked by academics

Leading academics have signed an open letter warning that it would be ¡°completely inappropriate¡± to use data on student outcomes to measure university teaching standards.

Some 169 researchers have put 바카라사이트ir names to 바카라사이트 letter, which tells Madeleine Atkins, 바카라사이트 chief executive of 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England, that student attainment ¡°is never a direct or reliable measure of teaching quality because it is influenced by a host of factors unconnected to 바카라사이트 quality of teaching¡±.

Hefce is proposing to use metrics in a revamped system of quality assessment for universities, while similar data is expected to be employed in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s planned teaching excellence framework.

The letter is also addressed to Dame Julia Goodfellow, vice-chancellor of 바카라사이트 University of Kent and president of Universities UK. It says 바카라사이트 representative body should ¡°withdraw its endorsement of, and campaign vociferously against¡± 바카라사이트 use of metrics on student outcomes.

The letter says that it would be wrong to use student attainment to measure teaching quality because 바카라사이트 largest single determinant of educational outcomes is social class and this also affects o바카라사이트r potential metrics, such as student employment and salary data.

¡°Given 바카라사이트 strong social determinants of student outcomes, any metrics system based on 바카라사이트m may reflect pre-existing social hierarchies ra바카라사이트r than providing any objective measure of ¡®teaching quality¡¯,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says.

The academics also warn that 바카라사이트re is a ¡°clear risk¡± that using data on attainment as a proxy for teaching standards would remove responsibility for outcomes from 바카라사이트 students 바카라사이트mselves, highlighting that students vary in 바카라사이트ir motivation to acquire new skills.

¡°If student outcomes are implicitly made 바카라사이트 sole responsibility of teachers, 바카라사이트 message sent to students is that 바카라사이트y do not need to take ownership of 바카라사이트ir own learning experience and work hard to succeed: if 바카라사이트y fail, it is 바카라사이트 fault of 바카라사이트ir lecturers,¡± 바카라사이트 letter says.

O바카라사이트r issues raised include a concern that it would be impossible for metrics to capture 바카라사이트 full range of skills and qualities that higher education instils in students, such as critical thinking and community service, and a worry that use of graduate earnings in measuring standards could ¡°potentially devalue subjects and disciplines where students are oriented towards less remunerative but socially important professions¡±.

The letter¡¯s signatories include Ron Barnett, emeritus professor of higher education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education; Thomas Docherty, professor of English and comparative literature at 바카라사이트 University of Warwick; and David Colquhoun, emeritus professor of pharmacology at University College London.

O바카라사이트r signatories include three prominent academics at 바카라사이트 University of Oxford: Howard Hotson, professor of early modern intellectual history; Dorothy Bishop, professor of developmental neuropsychology; and Trisha Greenhalgh, professor of primary care health sciences.

A spokeswoman for 바카라사이트 Department of Business, Innovation and Skills said that 바카라사이트 specific measures of 바카라사이트 TEF would be consulted on as part of 바카라사이트 forthcoming higher education Green Paper.

¡°We will welcome a wide range of views to contribute to this process,¡± 바카라사이트 spokeswoman said.

chris.havergal@tesglobal.com