Dr John Canning SFHEA
Senior Lecturer
Centre for Learning and Teaching
University of Brighton
M104 Mayfield House
Falmer
Brighton BN1 9PH
Tel: 01273 642774
Twitter: @johngcanning
From: Online forum for SEDA, the Staff & Educational Development Association
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Lea, John ([log in to unmask])
Sent: 20 July 2015 09:44
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: TEF thoughts
In the discussion of teaching vs learning which followed my original post on TEF thoughts, I’m now wondering if that had the effect of taking our collective eye off the TEF vs REF point which I think is equally important.
On the latter I have permission from Jenkins and Healey to quote from the draft of a chapter which is due out shortly, which I think is crucial. It relates to the forum set up by Roger Brown back in 2006 to look at the teaching-research
nexus in the run up to the revised RAE (i.e. the REF).
“In the UK, as elsewhere, internationally research funding to universities is now highly selective and focused on international level research, in part because in a market environment high level research is increasingly
seen as important to economic growth. But even in this context one can ask how this research benefits undergraduate students’ learning (Gibbs, 2014). Otherwise why focus research funding to universities? Members of the Forum saw the decisions in 2006-2007
to reshape the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) to, in part, focus on research dissemination as an opportunity to intervene. Again Roger Brown’s knowledge and contacts resulted in a meeting, this time with David Sweeney, then Director of Research for HEFCE,
and centrally responsible for designing the revised research funding framework. The submitted paper argued that the Research and Teaching Forum:
recognises that dissemination is a longstanding weakness of UK research. Given that a high proportion of UK research will continue to take place in universities, the group believes that the
impact on student learning should be a major criterion in future assessments (Research and Teaching Forum, 2006).
Although the atmosphere at the meeting was very supportive, the final decision, was to exclude the impact of research on teaching.” (Jenkins and Healey, forthcoming)
10 years on, are we in danger of letting this slip off the radar again, once with REF now with TEF???
If you wish to comment on Alan and Mick’s piece, please go ahead, but if you wish to quote from it could you wait until it is published – when it will have been final copyedited and have a page number.
It will be appearing shortly as `Reshaping understandings, practices and policies to enhance teaching and research linkages’ in: ‘Dimensions of Marketization in Higher Education’ (Routledge) edited by P. John and J. Fanghanel,
Best
John
John Lea
Sent from my iPhone
On 17 Jul 2015, at 18:47, Jason Davies <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
On 17 Jul 2015, at 16:45, Giles I.G. wrote:
As Plutach is believed to have said (in translation): "The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled”
<scribbles in margin in red pen>
Reference? [De recta ratione audiendi 18, ie 'How to listen properly' http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Perseus%3Atext%3A2008.01.0145%3Asection%3D18]
Be careful of citing out of context; the text is a eulogy (about lectures) and a barely concealed extended rant at students that tells them to sit up straight, pay attention, shut up, live a quiet life and - most of all - never interrupt the speaker with questions.
I'm not sure that's the intended drift of your argument...
See also the introduction to the translation (19th C):
'The essay has an astonishingly modern tone. The different types of students — the diffident student, the lazy student, the contemptuous student, the over-enthusiastic student who makes a nuisance of himself, the over-confident student who likes to ask questions to show off his own scrappy knowledge, the student who has no appreciation of his privilege in hearing a great scholar—all these are portrayed in a thoroughly realistic manner.'<end of feedback>
Those were the days. eh?;)
While we're doing classics, probably worth throwing in that St Augustine complained about the student fee situation even in the Roman Empire; in those days you paid at the end of the course so they would just not bother turning up for the last lecture. He'd probably support the current system...
cheers
Jason
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