Ian Lindsay Academic Advisor HE in FE

1. The Higher Education Academy and its Subject CentresSupport for Scholarly Activity and its Impact on the Learner Experience Ian LindsayAcademic Advisor HE in FE

2. Introduction • Challenges • Yours not mine! • What is Scholarly Activity? • What is the Higher Education Academy? • What are Subject Centres? • How can we help? • What impact can we (& therefore you) have? ian@engsc.ac.uk

3. Some of your challenges… • Availability of suitable learning resources? • For staff & student use • Knowing why students choose to access your HE courses • e.g. socialisation, personalisation, small class, transition, part-time/flexible provision • And understanding how those differences and similarities can affect your Teaching & learning, Assessment and Curriculum Design. • What factors contribute to student success? • Support? • Actually teaching…….? • What are the advantages of studying at your institution? ian@engsc.ac.uk

4. Some of your challenges.. • Does your environment challenge the “more able” students sufficiently? • How do you know? • What are the learning needs of your students and in what ways can these be met to aid progression from level 3 programmes? • Involvement/relationship with partners/consortia? • How do these differ between HEIs & FE Colleges? • Are you aware? • How do you allow for it? • Staff needs/requirements? • Teaching and/or research • Is there a conflict? • HEFCE Strategies 2009/13 ian@engsc.ac.uk

5. keeping up to date with the subject curriculum development, particularly foundation degrees, often with HEIs curriculum development that involves research updating ICT skills taking higher qualifications – masters, doctorates and teaching qualifications consultancy to industry and other agencies industrial secondments or work shadowing involvement with SSCs research and publications practitioner/applied research personal development – action research and reading attending staff development events within the college attending conferences and workshops externally. All from HEFCE Good Practice Guide for HE in FE March 2009, Page 166 So what is Scholarly Activity? ian@engsc.ac.uk

6. HEFCE Good Practice Guide for HE in FE “While there are no generally agreed definitions, there appears to be a consensus about the distinction between scholarly activity as a broad collection of activities and the more narrow focus of research as described in higher education institutions.” Now available from http://www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/hefce/2009/09_05/#exec ian@engsc.ac.uk

7. So what difference does it make? • “Engaging” with your subject is an act that has implications for how your students see you. • It impacts on how your partners (HEI and employers) see you. • It impacts on how well you can deliver your curriculum • It impacts on how you feel about yourself… ian@engsc.ac.uk

8. What is the Higher Education Academy?www.heacademy.ac.uk • Our mission is to help institutions, discipline groups and all staff to provide the best possible learning experience for their students. • Head Office in York • CPD • Professional Recognition • Etc… • 24 Subject Centres around the country • Resources not just for their communities… ian@engsc.ac.uk

9. In order to improve students' learning experiences, The Higher Education Academy is currently developing EvidenceNet, a service to promote and explore the use of practice- and research-based evidence in teaching and learning in Higher Education. • Note: prior to March 2009, EvidenceNet was known as The Research Observatory. ian@engsc.ac.uk

10. Professional Standards and Professional Recognition • Standard Descriptor 1 …….. Associate Fellow • Standard Descriptor 2 .……. Fellow • Standard Descriptor 3 …….. (No direct link) • (No direct link) ……… Senior Fellow ian@engsc.ac.uk

11. 24 Subject Centres http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/SubjectNetwork.htm ian@engsc.ac.uk

12. Subject Centres • Work on subject specific issues to: • Promote and share good practices in learning, teaching and assessment. • Broker the transfer and take-up of knowledge and practice between users, experts, developers and innovators. • Set up, support and develop learning & teaching networks. ian@engsc.ac.uk

13. Practitioner Connecting expertise with needs Close links with subject academics and professional bodies Harvesting good practices E.g Escalate Creating partnerships and collaborations Visits to departments, meetings with Learning and Teaching groups, facilitating discussion groups, organising events & workshops etc... Subject Centre Focus ian@engsc.ac.uk

14. On-line databases and resources Publications, briefings and guides Case studies News feeds and online updates Enquiry service Journals Engineering & ADM Regional Groups & Networks Some Subject Centre Services… ian@engsc.ac.uk

15. Reviews, Awards • Reviews • Books • Software • Subject Centre Awards • Student Awards • Teaching Awards ian@engsc.ac.uk

16. Support for Activities • Funding Opportunities • Mini-Projects • Special Interest Groups ian@engsc.ac.uk

17. How can we work together? • Remember - we’re there for you !! • Please let colleagues know about the Higher Education Academy and the Subject Centres. • Please let us know how you’d like the Higher Education Academy and the Subject Centres to help you in your role. But, in addition, • Please let us know: • if you have developed, implemented or practiced any new approaches, or altered any existing ones… ian@engsc.ac.uk

18. Thank you Comments, questions, suggestions? ian@engsc.ac.uk HEinFE@HEAcademy.ac.uk