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This book explores the interplay between actors within educational institutions, organisational structure, commitment of senior leadership, involvement of faculty and students, and evaluation instruments in order to find ways of improving the quality of teaching.
"This book is a sophisticated and insightful conceptualization of outcomes-based learning developed from the concept of constructive alignment. The first author has already made a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of teaching and learning in universities…Together with the second author, there is now added richness through the practical implementation and practices. The ideas in this book are all tried and shown to contribute to more successful learning experience and outcome for students." Denise Chalmers, Carrick Institute of Education, Australia Teaching for Quality Learning at University focuses on implementing a constructively aligned outcomes-based model at both classroom and institutional level. The theory, which is now used worldwide as a framework for good teaching and assessment, is shown to: Assist university teachers who wish to improve the quality of their own teaching, their students' learning and their assessment of learning outcomes Aid staff developers in providing support for teachers Provide a framework for administrators interested in quality assurance and enhancement of teaching across the whole university The book's "how to" approach addresses several important issues: designing high level outcomes, the learning activities most likely to achieve them in small and large classes, and appropriate assessment and grading procedures. It is an accessible, jargon-free guide to all university teachers interested in enhancing their teaching and their students' learning, and for administrators and teaching developers who are involved in teaching-related decisions on an institution-wide basis. The authors have also included useful web links to further material.
Providing insight into the background, theory and practical applications of Universal Design for Learning (UDL), Transforming Higher Education through Universal Design for Learning: An International Perspective examines and shares best practice in UDL implementation worldwide to provide strategies for strengthening student accessibility, engagement and learning outcomes through the development of flexible learning environments. Drawing upon insightful, research-based contributions from educators and student service specialists in Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Ireland, Israel, Norway, South Africa, Spain, the UK and all across the USA, this book: considers diversity in the form of disability, minority ethnic groups, gender identities, first generation university students and varying socio-economic backgrounds; brings together key thinkers and actors in the field of UDL and expertly maps its practices to the higher educational domain; explores the multiple means of representation, expression and engagement that combine to create a successful UDL framework. Each chapter not only provides a different perspective of how UDL has helped meet the needs of all students to ensure that education is accessible, culturally responsive and socially just, but also considers how this can then be implemented into higher education environments the world over. This book is a crucial read for those who want to make a positive difference in higher education provision and outcomes.
Using a range of international examples to compare the reality, purpose and effect of student engagement in universities across the globe, Student Engagement and Quality Assurance in Higher Education argues that teachers and students need to collaborate to improve the quality of university education and student learning. The growing trend of assessing and assuring quality in higher education is incredibly complex, as there are so many variables affecting both experiences and measures. With case studies from ten countries, covering a variety of cultural and environmental settings, this book focusses on ways of working with students to produce applicable, implementable strategies for universities the world over. Internationally applicable, this book presents ideas from a range of cultures, which can be adapted to be implemented in a variety of cultures. The reader is provided with a range of approaches where both the advantages and disadvantages are clearly presented. The ten case studies consider the macro, meso and micro levels of each approach, allowing for an exploration of the growing area of research and practice that is student–staff partnerships, showcasing ways of working with students to enhance engagement and quality, which are vital for a long-term approach. Focussing on one of the main reform topics for universities, Student Engagement and Quality Assurance in Higher Education is essential reading for educational researchers, institutional leaders and all concerned with the implementation and progression of student engagement and quality assurance in higher education.
Ahlia University contributes to the advancement and propagation of knowledge by encouraging its academics and research students to publish their original research that can be applied to real-life situations. Co-operation with Brunel University London in the United Kingdom led to the establishing of a Ph.D. programme at Ahlia University in 2005.An i
Discomfort with the inappropriateness of university curricula has met with increasing calls for disruptive actions to revitalise higher education. This book, conceived to envision an alternative emancipatory curriculum, explores the historical, ideological, philosophical and theoretical domains of higher education curricula. The authors acknowledge that universities have been and continue to be complicit in perpetuating cognitive damage through symbolic violence associated with indifference to the pernicious effects of race categorisation, gender inequalities, poverty, rising unemployment and cultural hegemony, as they continue to frame curricula, cultures and practices. The book contemplates the project of undoing cognitive damage, offering glimpses to redesign curriculum in the 21st century. The contributors, international scholars, emergent and expert researchers, include different nationalities, orientations and positionalities, constituting an interdisciplinary ensemble which collectively provides a rich commentary on higher education curriculum as we know it and where we think it could be in the future. The edited volume is a catalytic tool for disrupting canonised rituals of practice in higher education. “It has been a while since a scholarly book, so authoritative in its claims and innovative in its concepts, threatens to shake up the curriculum field at its foundations. Rich in metaphor and meaning, the superbly written chapters challenge a field that once more became moribund as we settled (sic) far too comfortably into accepting handed-down frames and fictions about knowledge, authority, power and agency that imprint ‘cognitive damage’ on those forced to the margins of schools and universities. Disrupting Higher Education Curriculum demonstrates, however, that it is in fact from those margins of the education enterprise that academics, teachers and learners can see more clearly how patterns of thought and action hold us back from placing and experiencing our African humanity at the centre of the curriculum.” – Jonathan Jansen, Rector and Vice Chancellor of the University of the Free State, South Africa
Higher education policy is the key to lifelong learning and this is particularly important as the ageing population is increasing in many countries. It is a major driver of economic competitiveness in an increasingly knowledge-driven global economy and it also brings social cohesion and ...
This book challenges the orthodoxy of learning and teaching in higher education with an original change approach entitled the Self-Organizing University (SOU). It assists universities build a comprehensive model of learning and teaching at whole-of-organization scale. The chapters demonstrate how a Self-Organizing University can create: • measurable learning and teaching standards; • student centered program development; • enhanced faculty professional growth and career trajectory; • more efficient and effective organizational design; • better feedback; • powerful use of technologies; • a legitimate connection between quality and productivity. Each chapter includes case examples derived from practical experience that situate the key ideas and concepts in the real day-to-day work of universities. The role of leadership in creating and sustaining a self-organizing university is also a key focus. The chapters target leadership practices that improve learning and teaching quality and productivity and assist universities realize their goals and aspirations for maximizing student learning.
Interest in the quality of higher education provision has been steadily increasing over the last twenty years. This has been driven largely by the international creation of explicit policies and reporting requirements to review, audit and evaluate provision. The interest is associated in many countries with the granting by governments of greater autonomy to higher education institutions. This, crucially, comes bound with increased requirements for accountability in the exercise of such power. Enhancing provision, promoting innovation, cultivating exploration and adopting information-led approaches to practice are at the very heart of higher education. As such quality enhancement comes in many guises and is under constant scrutiny. Enhancing Quality in Higher Education looks critically at recent developments in higher education, taking snapshots of changing practices around the world and analysing the varied theoretical perspectives of quality enhancement that are emerging. The opening section draws upon this theoretical base, whilst the second section contextualises it through the analysis of a diverse range of international case studies. The concluding section considers future prospects for the enhancement agenda in the light of the international pressures facing all systems of higher education in the future. Policy will inevitably be shaped by the historical contexts within which national systems are located. The book draws on a wide range of international case studies, examined by a host of contributing experts. The movement towards quality enhancement can be seen as stimulating action at the grassroots of the academy to self-generate improvement. It is a counter to the prevalent view that change in higher education is essentially about the institutional response to increasing societal pressure and state control and, as such, is a welcome contribution to the literature. This comprehensive volume is essential reading for anyone involved in higher education and educational policy.
