The new project started in November 2013, funded under the EC's LLP, Erasmus Multilateral Partnerships aims to study the TLL strategies of higher education institutes to improve the quality of work of learners and the quality of their work performance. 

It is led by University Rovira i Virgilia (Spain) and involves CRADALL and PASCAL at the University of Glasgow together with other partners: Fundación Conocimiento y Desarrollo (Spain), Navreme Boheme, s. r. o. (Czech Republic), Universität Bremen (Germany), Anadolu Üniversitesi (Turkey) and University of Tampere (Finland).

The project provides a comparative study of potential of universities’ TLL in both of these dimensions and of the possibilities, but also the obstacles to improvement. The project will analysis efficiency of TLL programs in these terms looking at the possibilities for the integration of non-traditional learners in the higher education systems.

Based on a classification of institutional strategies, the project will analyse  good practices in universities of six European countries addressing: the regulation of the TLL within the national qualification systems, but overall the integration of labour market actors in the programmes’ design. The project gives attention to the internal regulation in terms of access, learning pathways, certifications, recognition of prior learning, funding; and the relationship to the Bologna three-cycle system and the ECTS.

These results will allow the development of differentiated tools for the analysis of the impact of the TLL programs on the quality of work and the quality of work performance; for the measurement of the return of investment in terms of financial, human, cultural and social capital.

The project will facilitate mutual learning so that the internal and external stakeholders of University TLL can interchange experience, contrast the findings of the good practice analyses; and design strategies to improve the labour market linkages. Through a conference, the project results will be presented. A project website will be present in the course of the project its results online targeting policy makers, rectors and directors of higher education institutes, practitioners and students. And a dissemination and exploitation strategy will be developed and applied based on the principle of networking with other initiatives and projects as well as with expert in the field.

Enhancing and consolidating approaches to the reward and recognition of excellence in teaching at University of Glasgow.

PI: Vicky Gunn

Initiative Team: Alice Jenkins, Moira Fischbacher-Smith, Anne Tierney, Niamh Stack

As institutions increasingly tackle apparent tensions between research-orientation and teaching excellence, they are also addressing how to ensure promotions criteria for the teacher-scholarship track are fair, rigorous AND evidence international impact.  The tendency towards mapping criteria from research oriented promotions systems into the university teacher career is problematic and, on occasion, leaves promotions panels with unclear criteria or criteria that cannot realistically be achieved by individuals on teacher-scholarship contracts. This change process will provide resources that can act as a benchmark for other universities facing similar challenges.

This project, therefore, aims to negotiate a more systematic and integrated approach to teaching excellence by:

1. Generating explicit criteria for teaching excellence promotions pathways (which establish criteria that allow for the differentiation of quality teaching, as expected by all academics, and teaching excellence and leadership).
2. Drawing together the best of existing on-campus initiatives into a coherent structure for career development in teaching and scholarship of learning and teaching.
3. Aligning the criteria for excellence with the UKPSF descriptors (especially 3 & 4) as they will become articulated in the University of Glasgow’s CPD (teaching) framework.
4. Using the appetite for change generated within the latest quality enhancement theme (supporting & developing academics to support and develop the curriculum).

Key outputs:

• An articulated career framework with specific and achievable criteria for professorial promotion for teaching which complements research pathways;
• Guidance for promotions panels;
• A briefing sheet listing how universities elsewhere are engaging with university teacher career tracks;
• An interactive case study, clarifying the process undertaken and identifying possible areas institutions need to address around developing teaching excellence pathways.

This was an exploratory study led Lesley Doyle with Vivienne Brown (Vivienne Brown Associates) under the Enhancement Theme 'Developing and Supporting the Curriculum' (DSC) Steering Committee. The study ran from January-June 2013. The purposes of the study were: to investigate existing levels of knowledge and understanding within and across the higher education, college and school sectors on the potential impact of Curriculum for Excellence on universities, and on the extent, focus and form of preparation for CfE; to identify priority areas for discussion and further development, particularly for the HE sector; and to explore the value of using a sectoral approach, with the involvement of schools, colleges, universities and sectoral organisations. In this context, we asked the following questions in the study:

• What is the anticipated impact of Curriculum for Excellence on universities, with particular reference to learning, from the perspectives of staff in, and working with, schools, further education colleges and universities?
• Are staff in HEIs preparing for the anticipated impact? If so, how?
• What examples of good practice can staff in HEIs identify to help prepare for the anticipated impact?

The report is featured below and is also available here.