Welcome

Creative educational development – an enhancement lead approach for institutional change

Åsa Kettis

Uppsala University: general characteristics• Long history, rich tradition• Comprehensive, decentralized, self-organized,

strongly institutionalized disciplines• Research-intensive (budget share, mind-set)• International reach and standing (”Top 100”)

Uppsala University shall:

• pursue research and education of the highest quality

• play an active role in global society, promoting development and innovation

• work to promote equality and diversity, as well as openness between different cultures

• be far-sighted and open to change in all facets of its work

• Contribute to making our world a better place

Quality work – current challengesBalancing quality assurance and quality enhancement while considering:• external demands vs. core academic values • university wide strategies vs. collegial

responsibility (“quality culture”)• spontaneous peer-pressure vs systematic

evaluations

Academic core values • Autonomy – independence of political

authority and economic power• Teaching and research inseparable• Freedom in research and training• Attainment of universal knowledge -

transcending geographical, cultural and political frontiers

Magna Charta Universitatum, Bologna, Italy, September 18, 1988

Employer demands

Demographics The knowledge economy

Internationalisation

The Bologna process

Consumerism

Marketisation

The Audit Society

Massification

New Public Management

External influences on HEIs

External quality assurance

Economy

The Quality and Renewal exercise in 2007 and 2011• Self-initiated overall evaluation of research quality with

the aim to identify:– strong areas of research, “golden nuggets”– promising emerging research groups, and– weaknesses

…as a basis for strategic decision making at all levels

• Method:– 25 different expert panels with 200 experts from some 20

countries– Bibliometric data

Quality and Renewal 2007 and 2011

Uppsala University finds its strength in its breadth. In 2011, international peers gave 90 research groups the grade “world leading” and 140 groups the grade “of high international standard”.

A corresponding high profile evaluation of study programmes?

Yes, but…

Creative Educational Development

CrED

KrUUt 2010‒2012

Purpose• Fuelling the implementation of the Guidelines for

Teaching and learning at Uppsala University• Enhancing the development of T&L by increasing the

sharing of ideas across different disciplines• Getting international peers’ feedback on UU’s

development activities with regard to T&L

TEACHING AND LEARNING at Uppsala University

Guidelines for Educational Activity and Development

The four overall objectives

Conditions for Student’s learning

Development of Study Programmes

Professional Development in Teaching and Learning

Recognition

Said, but not heard

Heard, but not understood

Understood, but not accepted

Accepted, but not put into practice

Put into practice, but for how long?

Konrad Lorenz

However, it might be…

• Anchoring among teaching staff

• Short and concrete

• Clear responsibility

• Strategy for implementation and follow-up

• Students’ role in effective learning made explicit

Of importance for its success…

Responsibility

Prioritized enhancement themes• University wide (top-down):

– Cross-disciplinary education – Research-teaching linkages

• Bottom-up generated:– Active student participation in L&T– Constructive alignment and student assessment– Generic skills and employability– Degree projects– Student services and support– Teaching qualifications and recognition– Evaluations of L&T

Activities 2010-2011:

– Locally managed development projects within faculties relating to enhancement themes

– Sharing of innovative projects, practices and ideas across disciplines:

• Workshops and Special Interest Group(s) focusing on the enhancement themes

• Web site– Formative visit of international panel

2012:– Summative evaluation of development projects using peer

review by an international panel

The panelProf Denise Chalmers, UWA, Australia (chair)Dr Bengt-Ove Boström, Gothenburg University, SwedenProf Brenda Ravenscroft, Queens University, CanadaProf Stefan Lindgren, Lund University, SwedenProf Vernon Squire, Otago University, NZ Prof Lee Harvey, UKProf Stefanie Gropper, Tübingen University, GermanyDr Victoria Gunn, Glasgow University, UKProf Thomas Luxon, Dartmouth University, USADr Claire Carney, QAA Scotland, UKDr Lars Geschwind, Sweden (secretary)

Task of the international panel To evaluate the strengths, weaknesses and potential for further development in terms of:

– The design and content of the policy programme Teaching and Learning at Uppsala University

– Developmental work accomplished within domains/faculties

– Central support for educational development– The design of the CrED project

The panel

“In a sense, the CrED project has been a starting point. It has elevated the conversation about teaching and learning; leaders have learned about initiatives within their own level and sharing has occurred between areas. Now comes a crucial phase when the work needs to move to a more integrated, more systematic approach but without losing opportunities for bottom-up initiatives to flourish. Working together to achieve this is a challenge for all levels of the University leadership.”

The Student participation SIG

Gärdebo, J and Wiggberg, M. (eds.) (2012) Students, the University’s Unspent Resource: Revolutionising Higher Education Through Active Student Participation. Uppsala, Uppsala University.

”Wake up calls”

Need for further development of:• research-teaching linkages,• blended learning,• peer-assisted learning,• curriculum reviews, and• commitment of management in educational

development.

”Reminders”

Need for further development of:• pan-faculty study programmes, • rewards and recognition of teaching,• coordination of the support for the

enhancement of L&T, and • the Guidelines for Teaching and

Learning.

What happens now in relation tothe wake-up calls and reminders?

• The vice chancellor takes university wide initiatives • The faculty boards decide up on context specific

actions to be taken within their respective area• The Quality Council advices the vice chancellor and

facilitates exchange between the facultiesStudents are represented on all boards an committees at all levels

• The support units provide support

Limitations of the project• The general knowledge about the project has

been poor (up until now)– Too little information– The development oriented, bottom-up character

of the project• The project primarily reached the enthusiasts

(and the management) - not the average academics

• The top-down initiated themes did not spark that much action

Good balance between bottom-up and top-down generated initiatives“Ensuring a balance between top-down and bottom-up initiatives is difficult to achieve but important to strive for. Bottom-up initiatives are often highly innovative and address concrete issues faced by teachers and students. Top-down initiatives are important to implement policy and to achieve the embedding of coherent and strategic initiatives. Both top-down and bottom-up initiatives and strategies have been features of this project.”

Quality work - university wide support

• Div. for Development of Teaching and Learning• Leadership and Organizational Development

Office • Uppsala Learning Lab • Unit of Quality and Evaluation