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The GENIE CETL, headed by Professor Annette Cashmore, were involved in the new report into recognising and rewarding excellent teaching performance.

Teaching in higher education

HE Academy Chief Executive highlights upcoming report co-authored by GENIE CETL

Issued on 10 November 2009

Universities and colleges can do more to incentivise and reward excellent teaching . That is the message of a lecture today at City University by the Chief Executive of the Higher Education Academy, Professor Paul Ramsden.

The Higher Education Academy and the GENIE CETL at the University of Leicester will publish research later this month into the reward and recognition of teaching in higher education. In his lecture, Professor Ramsden outlines different approaches to improving teaching and the student experience. He draws on evidence from Australia and from the new report to show that teaching lags behind research in promotions criteria.

Professor Ramsden argues that a number of national initiatives have raised the status and importance of teaching, including the National Teaching Fellowships Scheme and CETLS in England and the work of the Higher Education Academy in developing the Professional Standards Framework , accrediting professional teaching courses for academic staff and providing a fellowship scheme. However there has been less progress at institutional level, with a majority of academics believing that teaching is undervalued.

‘Teaching in UK universities and colleges is highly regarded by students, as measured by the National Student Survey, and contributes to the excellent international reputation of UK higher education’ says Professor Ramsden. ‘Yet, as work carried out by the GENIE CETL at Leicester underlines, many institutions still struggle to incentivise and reward staff based on the quality of teaching’.

Professor Annette Cashmore of the GENIE CETL at Leicester adds: ‘The dominance of the recognition of research over teaching in higher education institutions is anecdotally well-established. The aim of the project we have undertaken with the Academy is to look at the evidence and to make some practical suggestions about what can be done about it. Our work is timely as interest in the quality of the student experience grows’

The central recommendation of the report will be the development of criteria for recognising teaching performance. In his lecture Professor Ramsden examines criteria that have been used to assess research excellence and considers whether these might be applied to teaching. He also gives examples of approaches that have been used successfully in Australia.

‘No one is advocating an RAE or REF for teaching’ says Professor Ramsden, ‘but some of the techniques used may be appropriate to review teaching. In taking this forward it will be important to be clear what teaching is for and how students can be engaged ‘.

Ends

Notes to editors

For further information contact:

Higher Education Academy

Jane Clarkson, 01904 7175000; jane.clarkson@heacademy.ac.uk

University of Leicester

Ather Mirza, 0116 252 3335, pressoffice@le.ac.uk

Professor Ramsden is speaking at City University at 6 pm on Tuesday 10 November, http://www.city.ac.uk/whatson/2009/11_no/101109_Ramsden.html

To request the slides from the talk please contact Jane Clarkson, jane.clarkson@heacademy.ac.uk, or pressoffice@heacademy.ac.uk.

The Higher Education Academy supports the higher education sector in providing the best possible learning experience for all students.

The Academy is an independent organisation funded by grants from the four UK higher education funding bodies, subscriptions from higher education institutions, and grant and contract income for specific initiatives.

The Academy’s work on teaching includes:

• Development of the Professional Standards Framework

• Accreditation of HEI programmes for initial teaching training and continuing professional development

• Operation of an Associate, Fellowship and Senior Fellowship scheme to recognise individual achievement

• Running the National Teaching Fellowship Scheme

• Support at the discipline level from the Academy’s network of 24 Subject Centres.

GENIE (Genetics Education Networking for Innovation and Excellence) is a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL). In March 2005 the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) agreed to fund 74 CETLs across all English regions as part of a £315 million programme to promote excellence in teaching and learning covering a wide range of subjects and aspects of higher education. The University of Leicester is the lead institution for two CETLs, including GENIE, and a partner in a third.