An introduction to the Higher Education Academy

February 2013

Who we areHow we can helpEncouraging teaching excellenceSupporting those who teachFacilitating and instigating changeAddressing sector challengesWorking with youAcademic AssociatesContacts

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Contents

Who we are

The Higher Education Academy is the national body for learning and teaching in higher education in the UK. We work with institutions across the higher education system to bring about positive change that improves the outcomes for students. We do this by recognising and rewarding excellent teaching, bringing together people and resources to research and share best practice and by helping influence, shape and implement policy.Our work is UK-wide; at individual, institutional, national and international level, supporting practitioners across all disciplines and at every stage in their careers.

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Who we are

Focus on improving students’ learning experienceRecognise and reward excellent teachingFund research to create knowledge and share current learningShare best practice and innovative and current learning developments

Support HE staff throughout their careers from new to teaching to experiencedProvide a national voice in learning and teaching to influence and shape policyHelp bring about change in institutions, faculties and departmentsApply research and evidence to improve student outcomes

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What we do

We understand needs vary and so the HEA:Has a presence and dedicated teams in the nationsWorks across all disciplines in 4 clusters (Arts & Humanities, Health and Social Care, Social Sciences, STEM)Works across thematic areas such as retention and success, employability, assessment and feedback and others

How we do it

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Employs a team of discipline and academic experts Works with a network of associates from across the sector to supplement our ‘in house’ expertiseBrings together people and resources to address national priority issues

How we can help: services

We have four core areas:• Encouraging teacher excellence;• Supporting those who teach;• Facilitating and instigating change;• Providing support through consultancy

We address UK and national priorities. We understand there is no one size fits all and so we assign a dedicated partnership

manager to each institution.8

How we can help

We do this by: •Accrediting institutions’ professional development programmes against the national framework (UK Professional Standards Framework);

•Providing formal recognition for staff who complete them;

•Running national awards schemes to recognise and reward outstanding teachers, including the National Teaching Fellowship and Student-led Awards Schemes.

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Encouraging excellent teaching

We do this by:•Supporting all disciplines and individuals from the day they start right through their career

•Funding new research into innovations in learning and teaching and disseminating the findings based on evidence of what works in the classroom

•Providing workshops, seminars and events, an Annual and Cluster Conferences, the UK’s most comprehensive selection of online resources, publications and e-journals

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Supporting those who teach

We do this by: •Monitoring policy, hosting the Network of Vice Chancellors and Pro-Vice-Chancellors, helping shape, influence and interpret policy.

•Bringing together teams and resources in change programmes to address priority issues such as internationalisation, assessment and feedback and employability.

•Working with institutions to interpret and enhance feedback from the National Student Satisfaction and Post-graduate Research and Taught Experience Surveys.

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Bringing about change

We do this by: •Offering consultancy to subscribers and non-subscribers to support all areas of teaching and learning

•Working with you to understand the specific needs of your department, faculty or institution

•Delivering a bespoke solution using our own staff and experts from our associates networks

•Consultancy can support any areas of learning and teaching activity to develop your staff, the quality of teaching, the student experience or a combination of all these areas

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Support through consultancy

• 435 programmes in 134 HEIs are UKPSF accredited• 30,000 HE staff are recognised as HEA Fellows• Over 450 teaching staff have been nominated NTFs• We provide over £1.5 million in research and travel grants each

year• HEA hosts the UK’s largest collection of online resources in the field• We run over 550 generic and discipline-specific events and

workshops• The HEA inputs into national policy• Has run over 200 change programmes in over 100 UK HEIs• Runs the only national postgraduate student experience survey

Highlights

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Addressing today’s sector How How we can help: themes

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Sector challengesIn market research conducted in 2011, participants universally identified four priorities:

• professionalisation of teaching in higher education, • graduate employability, • student satisfaction and • internationalisation of the curriculum and student base.

Market Needs Assessment, Kindred Agency, September 2011

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Sector challenges we are experts in

Assessment and feedback

Employability

Internationalisation

Student retention and success

Reward and recognition

Sustainability

Flexible learning

Students As Partners

Assessment and feedbackTimely feedback is essential for student progression and improvementNSS 2011 – 68% were satisfied with assessment compared with 83% for overall student experience and PTES 78% versus 88% overallHEA works with the higher education system to gather, interpret and respond to student feedback – sharing insights through workshops, seminars and online resources, funded researchWe work with institutions to introduce new strategies (see: University of Ulster and Rose Bruford College).

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Addressing sector challengesGraduate employabilityWith rise in student fees and a hugely competitive job market students are looking to HE to equip them with qualifications that set them apart45% of students opt to study in HE to gain qualificationsWe focus on helping institutions embed effective employability practice as part of the curriculum (change programmes)Key theme of our teaching development grantsWe host employability events and have an Employability Network to share best practice and the latest resources.

InternationalisationSince 2001 the number of international students has risen threefold from 126,720 to 405,805 The UK is now the second biggest destination for overseas students, accounting for 15% of the global marketWe are working with partners to help ensure UK HEIs are the top of the international student shortlist. With UKCISA we have developed the Teaching International Students resource bankThrough teaching development grants and international scholarships, we help staff engage in innovative new research into teaching international students.

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Addressing sector challengesStudent retentionOver 1 in 3 students think about leaving HE and around 1 in 15 students do leave their course each Our research includes ‘What works? Student retention and success programme’ with the Paul Hamlyn Foundation and Action on AccessInterventions have been shown to improve retention rates by around 10% eg. early engagement, creating links with staff, providing key information and nurturing belonging.And through workshops, literature and change programmes, the HEA has been working with institutions and other bodies to develop and share evidence-informed approaches.  

Flexible learningThere has been a significant increase in the number and diversity of studentsSince 1994/5 the number of students enrolling at UK universities has risen from 1.6 to 2.5mFlexible learning looks at the opportunities technology presents in HE for students to choose pace, place and mode in terms of their learningSince 2005, the HEA has piloted a series of Flexible Learning Pathfinder projects with HEFCE involving 8 HEIs in a trial of flexible provisionWe support institutions through demonstrators and our Employer Learning Network.

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Addressing sector challengesSustainable developmentIn HEA research, 63% of students said they would give up £1,000 salary to work in a company with a strong social / environmental recordESD gives students the skills to live and work in a more environmentally and socially responsible wayOur work focuses on research, development and sharing ESD best practice and capacity building of individuals and institutions to make ESD a part of curriculaHEA’s Green Academy and Change Academy programmes support sustainability and embedding it within institutions.

Reward and recognitionUnderpinning all our work is our commitment to ongoing enhancements in learning and teaching that result in the best possible outcomes for studentsFundamental to this is raising the status of the profession of teaching in UK higher education and our belief that excellent teaching should be properly rewarded and recognisedOur research with GENIE CETL found over 90% of academic staff think teaching should be important in promotions, and most academics feel that the status of teaching is low in comparison with research

Reward and Recognition Enhancement Change Programme (RARE) is a new programme working with institutions to bring about cultural change The HEA will be reviewing the NTFS consulting with stakeholders from across the system. The HEA will work with 40 NTFS projects to disseminate outcomes with potential sector-wide impactWe are working with the NUS to roll-out Student-led Teaching Awards across the UK and engage students in recognise effective teaching. Future work will examine students’ perceptions of teaching excellence..

Addressing sector challenges

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Working with you

•Dedicated partnership manager; two visits per year to agree priorities, bring together services to meet them; annual institutional report

•Access to thematic / discipline experts within the HEA and network of associates – technical experts / managers, leaders in their field and in learning and teaching working with HEA and HEIs on a consultancy basis

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Working with you

Academic Associates

• A network of experts to support the work of the HEA across disciplines and themes

• Built up of academics from HEIs and educational experts from other organisations

• Contracted to undertake activities to help the HEA achieve its aims and objectives

• Provides individuals with professional development opportunities and sector wide recognition in their field of expertise

Academic Associates

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How we can support you in your role as an Associate:

•Induction events•Code of Conduct•Toolkit of resources•Monitoring of performance•Feedback mechanisms

Academic Associates

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Questions?To find out more about the HEA and Academic Associates please visit http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/academic-associates

or email associates@heacademy.ac.uk or tel 01904 717500

or contact - Dr Celia Brigg, Academic Lead (Associates)celia.brigg@heacademy.ac.uk

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Contact