UK Quality Code for Higher Education

1. UK Quality Code for Higher Education • Chapter B3: Learning and teaching Tim Burton and Harriet Barnes Research Development and Partnerships The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education. Registered charity numbers 1062746 and SC037786

2. UK Quality Code for Higher Education Expectations: What higher education providers expect of each other and which the general public can expect of all higher education providers Indicatorsof sound practice

3. All students are treated fairly, equitably and as individuals. • Staff are supported, enabling them in turn to support students' learning experiences. • Students have the opportunity to contribute to the shaping of their learning experience. • Sufficient and appropriate external involvement exists for the maintenance of academic standards and the quality of learning opportunities. • Students are properly and actively informed at appropriate times of matters relevant to their programmes of study. Overarchingvalues • All policies and processes are regularly and effectively monitored, reviewed and improved. • All policies and processes relating to study and programmes are clear and transparent. • Strategic oversight of academic standards and academic quality is at the highest level of academic governance of the provider.

4. Chapters of the Quality Code Part A: Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards Part C: Information about higher education provision Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality B1: Programme design and approval B2: Admissions B3: Learning and teaching B4: Student support B5: Student engagement B6: Assessment of students and accreditation of prior learning B7: External examining B8: Programme monitoring and review B9: Complaints and appeals B10: Management of collaborative arrangements B11: Research degrees A1: The national level A2: The subject and qualification level A3: The programme level A4: Approval and review A5: Externality A6: Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes General introduction

5. New chapters B3: Learning & Teaching Revised chapters B10: Collaborative arrangements Under construction Progress? Published when? March 2012 Part C – information B5: Student engagement June 2012 September 2012 B7: External Examining October 2011 December 2012 June 2012 B11: Research degrees

6. The Quality Code Jigsaw Part B: Assuring and enhancing academic quality Oct 2011 Chapter B7: External examining Mar 2012 Part C: Information about higher education provision Jun 2012 Chapter B11: Research degrees Chapter B5: Student engagement Sep 2012 Chapter B3: Learning and teaching Dec 2012 Chapter B10: Management of collaborative arrangements Mar 2013 Chapter B4: Student support, learning resources and careers education, information, advice and guidance Apr 2013 Chapter B9: Complaints and appeals Part A: Setting and maintaining threshold academic standards Jul 2013 Chapter A1: The national level Chapter A2: The subject and qualification level Chapter A3: The programme level Chapter A4: Approval and review Chapter A5: Externality Chapter A6: Assessment of achievement of learning outcomes Jul 2013 Chapter B6: Assessment of students and accreditation of prior learning Sep 2013 Chapter B1: Programme design and approval Chapter B8: Programme monitoring and review Oct 2013 Chapter B2: Admissions

7. How can I access the Quality Code?

8. B3 - Timeline First advisory group meeting – 2 March Second advisory group meeting – 27 April Consultation launched – 30 May Consultation event, Belfast – 8 June Consultation event, Edinburgh – 15 June Consultation event, Cardiff – 21 June Consultation event, Birmingham – 11 July Consultation closes – 25 July Third advisory group meeting – 3 September Publication – 28 September 2012

9. B3 – Feedback from Higher Education Development Community QA/QE in e-learning special interest group SEDA annual conference QAA Scotland Enhancement Themes annual conference Higher Education Academy Flexible Learning Summit NUS Student engagement festival

10. B3 – Structure Introduction Expectation Indicators of sound practice (x10) the basis for effective learning and teaching enabling effective and independent learners facilitating and supporting effective learning and teaching Further information and additional references

11. B3 – Themes Engagement with learning and teaching activities in all their forms – transformation to active and independent learners Opportunities provided to all students irrespective of level, mode, location or means of delivery and taking account of individual needs Partnership with students Role of those who deliver learning opportunities: those who teach, those who support learning, those who contribute e.g. through placements

12. B3 – Links with other Chapters B1: Programme design and approval B4: Student support, learning resources, CEIAG B5: Student engagement B6: Assessment and APL Part C: Information about HE provision

13. Feedback so far Is it ‘active and independent learning’ which is distinctive of higher education? Is ‘teaching’ too narrow to address the range of practices involved in supporting learning? How broadly do we need to interpret ‘partnership’, and is that clear?

14. The Expectation • Higher education providers, working in partnership with their students, create and systematically review and enhance learning environments and teaching practices to provide opportunities for every student to become an active and independent learner.

15. Indicators of Sound Practice • The basis for effective learning and teaching • Enabling effective and independent learners • Facilitating and supporting effective learning and teaching

16. The basis for effective learning and teaching • Indicator 1 • Higher education providers articulate, implement and monitor a strategic approach to learning and teaching, and promote a shared understanding of that approach among all their staff and students. • Indicator 2 • The design of learning and teaching activities provides every student with an equal opportunity to monitor their progress towards and achieve the intended learning outcomes. • Indicator 3 • An understanding of the learning process informs learning and teaching practices, which use evidence-informed approaches derived from the outcomes of research, scholarship and the evaluation of professional practices. • Indicator 4 • Information is collected, analysed and used to assure and enhance learning and teaching activities and the learning and teaching environment.

17. Enabling effective and independent learners • Indicator 5 • Students are supported to understand their responsibility to engage with the learning opportunities provided. • Indicator 6 • Every student has opportunities to engage with feedback to further their development as an active and independent learner • Indicator 7 • Students receive clear information that specifies the opportunities for learning available to them; this information is monitored, reviewed and evaluated by students and staff working in partnership.

18. Facilitating and supporting effective learning and teaching • Indicator 8 • Staff involved in teaching and supporting student learning are qualified, supported, and adequately resourced. • Indicator 9 • Higher education providers assure themselves that for every student both the physical and virtual environments they provide are safe, accessible, reliable and usable and that their use is characterised by dignity, courtesy and respect. • Indicator 10 • Accessible, adequate and appropriate resources are provided to support the learning of every student.

19. How can I find out more? Website: www.qaa.ac.uk/AssuringStandardsAndQuality Email: qualitycode@qaa.ac.uk Sign up to QAA News: www.qaa.ac.uk/Newsroom/News/Pages/QAA-news-alert.aspx