The Student Learning Experience

1. The Student Learning Experience Malcolm Gillies Vice-Chancellor, London Metropolitan University HEPI/HEA Spring Conference, London 22 May 2012

2. My topics 1 Broader questions of student academic experience: beyond hours per week 2 London Met’s commitment: the Student Charter and the Staff Charter 3 Championing affordability, while ensuring quality of student (academic) experience: the formula 4 Different cultures, different student experiences 5 Student experience and student academic experience: three questions

3. HEPI Report • Contact hours with staff • Study hours of student • Total student workload • Subject differentiation • Size of learning groups • Total value for money and satisfaction

4. What about? Weeks of teaching per year Framework of the learning year Modes of pedagogy Formats of assessment Total “value add” for student: academic achievement cf. prior learning

5. London Met’s commitment 30 weeks of undergraduate teaching per year, minimum 12 hours contact per week Mostly, year-long modules to allow for more formative assessment, particularly in earlier years Blended learning in all modules E-enabled assessment, delivery and return Admission from “the whole community” on basis of prior learning/experience

6. Reforming the institution 2010/11 reviews greater process efficiencies, new process models → shared services initiative; more focused curriculum, with simplified course choices and structure; greater productivity per staff member; technological reboot, then efficiency gains; research costs match with income → “affordable” research; much more effective use of estate. → Affordable Quality Education

8. Affordable education of quality: a case study London Met, in its various guises, has been providing Affordable Quality Education since 1848. Our Strategic Plan’s No. 1 and No. 2 priorities are “providing a quality learning experience for our students” and “enhancing student participation and ensuring fair access”. Our Plan adds, “on equitable principles”. London Metropolitan University’s Strategic Plan 2010-13, “Transforming Lives, Meeting Needs, Building Careers”.

9. Affordable education of quality We are committed to affordable and equitable practice: We have set UK/EU undergraduate fees at an average of £6,850 (approved) and are seeking to bring postgraduate student fees to an average of £8,000 (recommended) We are seeking to harmonise UK/EU and international fees where there is no government subsidy to students (recommended) We are ensuring affordability both to our students and to the taxpayers of the future – this is an important aspect of our Strategic Plan’s commitment to social justice.

10. Affordable education of quality We are committed to providing value for money: We have redrawn undergraduate and postgraduate portfolios (around 160 courses each) and are increasing teaching time and term lengths for most of our students We are concentrating our research and research training work so that it also is affordable, and has demonstrable financial support We are process-redesigning our administration, as a prelude to sharing services with other universities; through application of a new resource allocation model, efficiencies will benefit the student experience.

11. Affordable education of quality 3. We are committed to an access approach: We recognise the debt aversion of many, particularly our poorest students, so have set low, clear price tags We are keeping the message simple for prospective students (e.g. limited fee waivers, rather than bursaries), so our fees are transparent, and mean what they say We have bid for new “affordable” student numbers, and have successfully been awarded 564 extra student undergraduate places by HEFCE for 2012/13.

13. Different learning cultures, different student experiences BPP: Professional – “everything’s designed to create a professional environment that prepares you for your chosen career” Lincoln: Research – “a high-quality student experience underpinned by a research culture that seeks to contribute to the development of society” Nyenrode Business Universiteit: Business – “by and for the business community” London Met: Educational – “that experience involves both formal and informal learning”

14. Questions about the Student Learning Experience Q. How much does the student distinguish “student experience” from specifically “academic experience”?

15. Questions about the Student Learning Experience Q. How much does the student distinguish “student experience” from specifically “academic experience”? A. Only partially. “Good community atmosphere” seems to mediate the two (THE Student Experience Survey 2012)

16. Questions about the Student Learning Experience Q. How much is location a key factor in student experience?

17. Questions about the Student Learning Experience Q. Is location a significant factor in student experience? A. Yes, the metropolitan factor. 11/22 bottom universities in London in THE 2012 survey, with nearly all academic and social student experience criteria below average.

18. Questions about the Student Learning Experience Q. How much relatively is location a factor in academic, against broader, student experience?

19. Questions about Student Learning Experience Q. How much relatively is location a factor in academic, as against broader, student experience? A. Not as much, on the basis of NSS and league-table evidence.

20. The Student Learning Experience m.gillies@londonmet.ac.uk 07825 781 309