Lewisham Southwark College Higher Education Action Plan 2015 Good practice Action to be taken Date for completion Action by Success indicators The support provided for the innovative use of new technological applications which enhance learning and teaching (Expectation B3) ▪ One staff representative from each programme to participate in the Blending-In e-learning project. ▪ Share project evaluation and good practice at the HE Quality Enhancement Group. ▪ Participate in the University of Greenwich conference on Flipped Learning. Sept 2015 Nov 2015 July 2015 E-Learning Projects and Innovation Manager HE lecturers HE lecturers HE lecturers, e-Learning team, Head of Teacher Development One module on each programme to be remodelled as online delivery to enhance learning and teaching. Innovation continues to become more widespread and embedded. Flipped classroom methodology is implemented Recommendations by April 2015 Recommendation Action to be taken Date for completion Action by Success indicators Ensure that definitive programme specifications for Pearson programmes are easily accessible to students and staff (Expectations A2.2 and C) ▪ Ensure that the externally validated published course handbook provides consistent information about the programme specifications (including individual learning outcomes; credits; teaching and learning; the assessment strategy; support and resources). April 2015 Curriculum Manager, Dance, Drama & Music Comprehensive and appropriate programme specifications are validated, easily available, understood and widely used by staff and students.
Recommendation Action to be taken Date for completion Action by Success indicators Strengthen and clarify reporting structures to ensure effective oversight of the development, planning and quality of provision (Expectation A3.3) ▪ Establish a HE Quality Enhancement Group, formed of HE staff, students representatives; employers/external advisors as appropriate. This group to report into the Higher Education Steering Group. ▪ Quality enhancement and student engagement to be standard agenda items for discussion at the Higher Education Steering Group ▪ Fully implement and embed the Performance Monitoring Framework within the Higher Education Steering Group. Include the validation of programme monitoring reports for validating bodies. May 2015 May 2015 May 2015 Assistant Principal, Quality. Vice Principal Vice Principal Clear oversight of HE planning, operational matters, quality of provision, student engagement and development is gained through a clear structure of termly and annual reporting from practitioners to senior managers and governors. Quality enhancement of students’ learning and experience is driven. Introduce and embed a policy and procedures for assessment boards for Pearson programmes (Expectation B6) ▪ Agree terms of reference for HNC/HND programme meetings, including external membership. ▪ Establish assessment boards for the Pearson HNC/HND programmes using awarding body guidelines and an external chair. ▪ Provide training for the team on assessment board policy and procedures. April 2015 April 2015 May 2015 Curriculum Manager for Dance, Drama & Music. Policy and procedure for assessment boards for Pearson programmes are understood and implemented by the team, ensuring rigorous quality assurance.
understand and engage with the Expectations of the Quality Code, the subject and qualification benchmarks, and the FHEQ (Expectation A1) Expectations of the Quality Code, the subject and qualification benchmarks and the FHEQ through a series of workshops delivered by partner universities. ▪Update the Higher Education Strategy with roles and responsibilities as set out within the College’s partnership agreements. May 2015 Development Vice Principal good understanding of the FHEQ, the Quality Code and the Foundation Degree Qualification Benchmark and are able to relate the assessment of academic standards and progression routes of their programmes to the external references. HE lecturers are able to fully articulate the defining characteristics of foundation degrees; relevant subject and qualification benchmarks. Recommendation Action to be taken Target date Action by Success indicators Develop and embed mechanisms to review and monitor processes for recruitment, selection and admission of students (Expectation B2) ▪ Conduct an annual review of the admissions policy and information including an audit of website information and Faculty entry requirements. ▪ Conduct an admissions survey to inform an analysis of the admissions, enrolment and process by the HE Quality Enhancement Group. May 2015 Sept 2015 Assistant Principal, Quality. Assistant Principal Published information is reliable and accurate at all times. Analysis and actions lead to continued enhancement of recruitment, selection and admissions processes. Ensure the annual monitoring process provides more effective oversight of all ▪ Draw together the outcomes of the review of individual programmes into an overall report and discuss the analysis at the HE Quality Sept 2015 Assistant Principal Quality Oversight of all programmes are analysed and used to improve and enhance the
programmes and the enhancement of provision (Expectations B8, A3.3 and Enhancement) Enhance Group. ▪ Agree an overall Self Assessment Report and Quality Enhancement Plan with the HE Quality Enhancement Group, Higher Education Steering Group and governors. Oct 2015 Assistant Principal Quality higher education provision as a whole. Recommendation Action to be taken Target date Action by Success indicators Develop and implement strategies to enhance the quality of students' learning opportunities (Enhancement). ▪ Embed the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Policy and the deliberative structures; review their effectiveness through the process. ▪ Establish the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Group and provide opportunities for debating higher education issues and disseminating good practice identified from internal inspection, internal moderation and external examiner reports. ▪ Engage staff in the Higher Education Academy; maximise use of available resources and CPD; support applications for fellowships. ▪ Implement a peer sharing strategy and attend partner annual conferences Sept 2015 May 2015 June 2015 Sept 2015 Vice Principal Assistant Principal, Quality Head of Teacher Development Head of Teacher Development Policies and structures are embedded and are effective in enabling enhancement to take place. Staff demonstrate good understanding of the Higher Education Strategy and enhancement processes. Enhancement is driven systematically. The profile of the HE teaching community is raised across the college; practice is enhanced through staff development and peer sharing; all full-time HE teachers gain fellowships. Recommendation Action to be taken Target date Action by Success indicators Develop and embed processes for systematic ▪ Course approval policy to include the involvement of employers and Sept 2015 Curriculum Managers External expertise is systematically used in
engagement with employers in programme development and review (Expectations B1 and A3.4) other stakeholders in the design and development of new programmes. ▪ All programmes to formalise plans for making more effective use of subject industry links and expertise. ▪ Employers to be formally engaged in the design and approval of programmes. ▪ Note carefully the focus on QAA in other partner HE Reviews on the documentation, procedures and definitions of work based learning and seek out exemplars. ▪ Ensure tripartite contracts between student, college and employers are in place as well as work based learning handbook. June 2015 June 2015 June 2015 May 2015 Curriculum Managers Curriculum Managers Assistant Principal, Quality Work-based Learning Manager programme development and review; assessment design and updating staff and students on sector developments to align the curriculum offer with local skills needs and requirements. Introduce a strategic approach to developing staff as higher education practitioners (Expectation B3) ▪ Introduce a HE Practitioners Professional Development Strategy that is aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework. ▪ Work with HE partners to make applications for HE fellowships. ▪ Ensure a system of cover for teaching to release staff to attend Sept 2015 June 2015 April 2015 Head of Teacher Development Head of Teacher Development Curriculum Managers All HE practitioners work towards gaining HEA professional recognition. The quality of HE provision is enhanced through professional learning and pedagogical development.
CPD at partner colleges. Recommendation Action to be taken Target date Action by Success indicators Develop and embed consistent monitoring and review of the College's approach to student engagement (Expectation B5). ▪ Provide training to student representatives on their role as ‘partners’. ▪Module evaluation questionnaires are consistently completed ▪ Survey analysis explicitly informs annual programme reviews and quality improvement plans. ▪ Increase the completion of external surveys and ensure feedback is acted upon by Curriculum Managers. ▪ Allocate resources to enable an appropriate response to student feedback. ▪ Review the timeliness of responses to student feedback at the HE Steering Group. ▪ Review the effectiveness of the student representative system. ▪Monitor the attendance of student representatives and contribution to programme team meetings; report findings at the HE Quality Enhancement Group and HE Steering Group meetings. May 2015 July 2015 July 2015 Sept 2015 July 2015 July 2015 July 2015 May 2015 & ongoing Assistant Principal, Quality Programme Tutors Curriculum Managers Programme Tutors Vice Principal Assistant Principal, Quality Assistant Principal, Quality Assistant Principal, Quality 100% completion of module evaluation questionnaires Student feedback is acted on to enhance HE provision. Students have good understanding of how issues they have raised have been resolved. Continuous review of the engagement of students as partners leads to improvement.
▪ Feedback to students on issues raised is published. ▪ Introduce a HE student blog. ▪Ensure that students are aware of resources and activities at partner universities, Student Union opportunities. May 2015 & ongoing Sept 2015 April 2015 Programme Tutors HE Student Advice Officer Programme Tutors Increase the involvement of students in the formal quality assurance and enhancement processes at all levels, and use feedback to inform improvements (Expectations B5 and Enhancement) ▪ Formalise the membership of students on the HE Quality Enhancement Group and HE Steering Group. ▪ Ensure student representatives attend programme team meetings and are involved in the annual programme review. May 2015 July 2015 Assistant Principal, Quality Programme Tutors Student representation within the College’s HE deliberate bodies and formal quality assurance processes contributes to the enhancement of HE provision. Affirmation Action to be taken Date for completion Action by Success indicators The steps taken to implement and embed the assessment principles and guidelines outlined in the Higher Education Assessment handbook to enhance the variety and validity of assessment practice (Expectation B6) ▪ Continue to embed the principles and guidelines outlined in the Higher Education Assessment handbook. ▪ Improve the oversight of assessment practice by analysing internal moderation process and the outcomes of external examination. ▪ Research varied and innovative Sept 2015 Sept 2015 Sept 2015 Assistant Principal, Quality & Improvement Curriculum Managers and all HE lecturers Assistant Principal, Quality Head of Teacher Consistently applied principles and guidance for assessment practice drive quality enhancement.
methods of assessment which reflect modern learning styles ▪ Discuss and disseminate good practice at the Higher Education Quality Enhancement Group. ▪ Ensure students take up opportunities to join networks related to their fields of study. Sept 2015 May 2015 Development & Improvement Practitioner Head of Teacher Development & Improvement Practitioner Programme Tutors