SEDA - summer news

Today, on behalf of SEDA Exec I have submitted a response to the BIS White Paper, based on the comments we received. In it we welcomed the focus on teaching excellence, warned about competition and suggested that the data on those meeting UKPSF at all levels could be helpful for students in choosing universities. We also welcomed the focus on rewarding teaching and promotion routes which reflect this.Thank you to everyone who contributed.

Over the summer, SEDA exec members held a meeting with William Locke, Head of Learning and Teaching at HEFCE. A point for discussion was the plan to open up degree awarding powers to bodies who wouldn't necessarily deliver the higher education programmes themselves. We discussed the kind of evidence that might be required by such bodies to indicate quality assurance and enhancement.

If you use Twitter, you may be interested in tweets from SEDA http://twitter.com/#!/Seda_UK_

SEDA is now taking registrations for its new Supporting and Leading Educational Change (Professional Qualification Course).

This is a 12 week online course designed to accredit your work in supporting and leading educational change. Successful completion confers elibility for Fellowship of SEDA.

For further details and a registration form, see www.seda.ac.uk

Any ideas for SEDA response to English White Paper?

http://c561635.r35.cf2.rackcdn.com/11-944-WP-students-at-heart.pdf

The consultation on the White Paper closes on the 2^nd September. SEDA exec would like to formulate a SEDA response and would welcome your views, particularly on the following which stem from Chapter 2:

·         The perceived link between information for prospective students and enhancing teaching excellence

·         Concerns about variations of student workload across subjects and institutions

·         Promotion routes which recognise teaching

·         Incentives for universities to focus on teaching

·         The publication of information for prospective and existing students about the teaching qualifications, fellowships and expertise of their teaching staff at all levels.

And from chapter 3 your views on this paragraph:

We want to ensure that English universities are at the forefront of

improvements in formal and informal feedback from students on their learning

experience. We believe that allowing students and lecturers within a university

to see this feedback at individual module level will help students to choose the

best course for them and drive an improvement in the quality of teaching.

So we expect all universities to publish summary reports of their student

evaluation surveys on their websites by 2013/14. Before this, we will work

with the Higher Education Council for England (HEFCE), the National Union of

Students (NUS) and others, to agree the information and format that will be

most helpful to students.

Any responses received by 1^st September will feed into the SEDA response.

Kind regards

Julie Hall

SEDA co-chair

New Programme Leader for Supporting and Leading Educational Change

I am pleased to announce that Dr Celia Popovic SFSEDA has been appointed programme leader of SEDA's on line course. The next course begins in the autumn and information can be found on the seda website.

Message from Dr Shan Wareing new SEDA Fellowships Co-ordinator

Fellowships co ordinator.

I’m introducing myself as the new SEDA Fellowships Co-ordinator, a role I’m delighted to take on, as a chance to promote and support this really important area. I only appreciated how important SEDA has been to me when I put my National Teaching Fellowship application together this year. Using the application to review my work over the last 16 years made me realise how profound SEDA's role in my own professional development has been.

I will be the first point of contact for anyone thinking about applying for Associate Fellowship, Fellowship or Senior Fellowship, so give me a ring (020 7514 8051) or drop me an email (s.wareing@arts.ac.uk). 

Information about the new scheme is now available on the SEDA website under Fellowships.  The recent changes hopefully make the scheme easier to join and have streamlined the processes for gaining professional recognition at the level that’s right for you at the moment.  We’re seeking feedback so drop me a line if there’s anything you want to ask or tell me about the scheme.

I had my first phone call this week with someone interested in applying for the Senior Fellowship – a very enjoyable half an hour talking about educational development work and how the Fellowship scheme might fit into future plans.  I’m really looking forward to working with the community of SEDA Fellows at all three levels in the future.

SEDA UPDATE

• The Universities White Paper says, ' We encourage higher education institutions to publish anonymised information for prospective and existing students about the teaching qualifications, fellowships and expertise of their teaching staff at all levels.' HEFCE will lead on this and respond by April 2012. SEDA is keen to be involved in the consultation and would welcome your views.

• SEDA exec has been asked to contribute to another Times Higher article on qualifications to teach in HE so look out for the usual arguments for and against once again :)

• We have had lots of high quality applications for the posts of tutor and course leader of the new Supporting and Leading Educational Change Programme. The panel will be able to announce results  very soon. Thank you to all applicants. The programme will begin in October.

• SEDA Summer School starts next week.This programme is always positively evaluated by participants and we wish all involved best wishes for another successful 'school'.

• SEDA website front page is being revamped over the summer. We hope you'll like it. We have added a news section and will add twitter and blog links. Thanks to all those who responded to this blog with such suggestions.

• SEDA PDF - Are you looking for a flexible CPD programme for particular groups of staff in your university that you can adapt while providing national recognition? Find out how more and more universities are using the SEDA Professional Development Framework http://www.seda.ac.uk/professional-development.html?p=3_1_5

• After a fantastic response to the call for papers, rregistration is open for:

  16th Annual SEDA Conference November 2011

  Using Technology to Enhance Learning

Announcements - Sir Michael Barber to join Pearson as Chief Education Advisor

Announcements - Sir Michael Barber to join Pearson as Chief Education Advisor