This is the third post in the ‘Spotlight on ELIR’ series, which will chart the Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR) that will be taking place in autumn 2020. In this post, Professor Tina Harrison introduces the second draft chapter of the Reflective Analysis, ‘Enhancing the student learning experience’, and outlines how staff and students can provide comments…
WHAT IS CHAPTER 2 ABOUT?
This chapter covers how we enhance the student learning experience. So it details how we support everyone within our diverse student body throughout their learner journey, from before admission through to after graduation. As part of this chapter, we also reflect on student representation, including how we gather and respond to student feedback. Finally, we cover the learning environment, which includes how we make use of technology. It is important to provide evidence supporting what we have written in the Reflective Analysis so there will be lots of links to documents, reports, webpages, and committee papers.
Chapter 2 is still in draft form and is a working document so you will see ‘markers’ where, for example, we need to gather more information or update the text nearer the time we finalise the Reflective Analysis. If you can help us to fill in any of these gaps, please do get in touch.
WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MAIN CHANGES SINCE THE LAST ELIR IN 2015?
In short, lots! In this chapter, amongst many other things, we cover: changes made to the student representation structure; the Student Partnership Agreement; widening participation developments; the Student Experience Action Plan activities including the review of the Personal Tutor system and student support; and lecture capture.
HOW CAN I COMMENT?
We welcome comments from staff, and in particular students, on the draft chapter. These can be emailed to ELIRsupport@ed.ac.uk. We would ask you to reflect on the following prompt questions to help you respond:
- Does the chapter reflect current practice and experiences across the University. Does it adequately reflect your School, College, Department?
- Looking at the draft chapter, what do you think we might be commended on? What evidence would support this?
- Do you have any examples of good practice that could be included in the chapter?
- Is there anything missing from the chapter?
The draft Chapter 2 can be found on the Academic Services’ website.
The deadline for comments on chapter 2 is Monday 2 December 2019.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?
We will consider all the comments received and use them to develop the chapter. We will release one more chapter in November on strategy and practice for enhancing learning and teaching. The final chapter on collaborative provision will be released in December. We will use the comments received on these chapters to develop a draft Reflective Analysis by February 2020, which we will invite all students and staff to comment on. A final version of the Reflective Analysis will then pass through University committees for approval in June 2020.
FURTHER INFORMATION
CONTACT
If you have any comments, queries or ideas about the review, we would love to hear from you: ELIRsupport@ed.ac.uk.
Tina is Assistant Principal Academic Standards and Quality Assurance and Professor of Financial Services Marketing and Consumption. Tina joined the University in 1993 and continues to maintain an active academic role in the Business School. She has had overall responsibility for the University’s quality assurance framework as Assistant Principal since 2009. She plays a key role in the Scottish HE quality landscape as a member of QAA Scotland’s Advisory Board, chair of the sparqs University Advisory Group, and member of the Quality Arrangements for Scottish Higher Education (QASHE) group.
