scholarly journals Raised aspirations and attainment? A review of the impact of Aimhigher (2004–2011) on widening participation in higher education in England

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Doyle ◽  
Martyn Griffin
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Participation In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Of Research

Aimhigher was discontinued on 31 July 2011. This paper reviews the literature analysing its contribution to widening participation to higher education in the UK. Successes of Aimhigher are considered alongside its challenges; particularly the necessity to situate policy within the diverse demands of 42 areas covering England. These issues are considered in the context of wider contemporary debates concerning the quality of research into widening participation and instruments used to evaluate policy. Four strands of literature are identified and analysed: Aimhigher's impact and evaluation, its effectiveness in targeting beneficiaries, the progression and tracking of students and policy.

scholarly journals Assessing the quality of research: preparing for REF2021

2017 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 48-49
Author(s):  
Gabriele Butkute
Keyword(s):  
Assessment Method ◽  
Research Excellence Framework ◽  
Research Excellence ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Quality Of Research

In an age where huge amounts of data is collected on everything we do – from our Google searches to our GPS coordinates – we like to be able to count, measure and assess things. This includes measuring the impact and quality of research in the UK, through an assessment method known as the Research Excellence Framework (REF).

scholarly journals The culture of scientific research

F1000Research ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. 66 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Joynson ◽  
Ottoline Leyser
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Nuffield Council ◽  
The World ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Of Research

In 2014, the UK-based Nuffield Council on Bioethics carried out a series of engagement activities, including an online survey to which 970 people responded, and 15 discussion events at universities around the UK to explore the culture of research in the UK and its effect on ethical conduct in science and the quality of research. The findings of the project were published in December 2014 and the main points are summarised here. We found that scientists are motivated in their work to find out more about the world and to benefit society, and that they believe collaboration, multidisciplinarity, openness and creativity are important for the production of high quality science. However, in some cases, our findings suggest, the culture of research in higher education institutions does not support or encourage these goals or activities. For example, high levels of competition and perceptions about how scientists are assessed for jobs and funding are reportedly contributing to a loss of creativity in science, less collaboration and poor research practices. The project led to suggestions for action for funding bodies, research institutions, publishers and editors, professional bodies and individual researchers.

scholarly journals Institutional Accreditation and the Professionalisation of Teaching in the HE Sector

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucy Spowart ◽  
Rebecca Turner
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Professional Development ◽  
Survey Data ◽  
Teaching And Learning ◽  
Professional Standards ◽  
Institutional Accreditation ◽  
League Tables ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Institutional accreditation is an integral part of moves to professionalise teaching and learning in higher education (HE). Despite this growing trend, there is a paucity of literature which examines the benefits and challenges of institutional accreditation. In this chapter we draw on survey data collected in 2020 from 55 HE institutions globally which are accredited by Advance HE to award Fellowships. These teaching Fellowships are aligned to the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching and Supporting Learning (UKPSF). Findings show that institutional accreditation supports the career development of teaching-focused academics and impacts on teaching and learning in a number of ways. These impacts include providing an external benchmark, raising the profile and quality of teaching and encouraging teaching-related professional development, including engagement with scholarship in teaching and learning. Accreditation was also found to align with neoliberal agendas of quality, league tables and marketization. The perennial issue of how to evaluate the impact on student learning is something respondents continue to grapple with. Finally, these data demonstrate there is a clear need to develop a more systematic and embedded approach to evaluation that captures the outcomes of teaching-related professional development.

scholarly journals Does the Fear of Debt Deter Students from Higher Education?

2005 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 509-540 ◽  
Author(s):  
CLAIRE CALLENDER ◽  
JONATHAN JACKSON
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Classes ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Funding Policies ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Students Attitudes ◽  
Using Data ◽  
Participation In Higher Education ◽  
The Impact

Concerns over the impact of debt on participation in higher education (HE) have dominated much of the debate surrounding the most recent reforms of financial support for full-time students in England, including the introduction of variable tuition fees. Yet few studies have attempted to explore this issue in a statistically robust manner. This article attempts to fill that gap. It examines the relationship between prospective HE students' attitudes to debt, and their decisions about whether or not to enter HE. Using data derived from a survey of just under 2,000 prospective students, it shows how those from low social classes are more debt averse than those from other social classes, and are far more likely to be deterred from going to university because of their fear of debt, even after controlling for a wide range of other factors. The article concludes that these findings pose a serious policy dilemma for the Westminster government. Their student funding policies are predicated on the accumulation of debt and thus are in danger of deterring the very students at the heart of their widening participation policies.

scholarly journals Inside African Private Higher Education: Contradictions and Challenges

2014 ◽  
pp. 14-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Louise Morley
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Research Study ◽  
Private Universities ◽  
Private Higher Education ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Education In Ghana ◽  
Participation In Higher Education

This article discusses the findings that relate to quality and standards in two private universities from a recent research study on widening participation in higher education in Ghana and Tanzania. It interrogates how students experience assessment, facilities, pedagogy and resources and whether the private universities attach value to the quality of student experiences. 

scholarly journals Accelerated two-year degrees in the UK: potential impact on student mental health

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-34
Author(s):  
Dieu Hack-Polay ◽  
Magdalena Read
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
International Students ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Student Mental Health ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Theoretical Perspectives ◽  
Potential Impact ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the ramifications of accelerated two-year degrees for student mental health. Since it was legislated in early 2019 in the UK, there has been limited debate in academia and among policymakers about the potential viability and risks of the compressed degree programmes. Design/methodology/approach The paper is based on an analysis of various academic and practitioner viewpoints as well as theoretical perspectives. Findings The paper found a mixed reception of the compressed degree programme among the academic and practitioner communities. In addition to apprehensions about the quality of education, there are concerns raised about the impact of the pressure deriving from the workload of the accelerated degree. The authors’ assessment considers a potential increase in stress and other more acute state of mental health degradation among students, especially international students, as well as students with families. Originality/value This policy analysis paper makes a significant contribution to the debate on the issue of two-year degrees that has not attracted academic scrutiny commensurate with its importance. The authors conclude that two-year degrees will have far-reaching ramifications, locally and internationally as the UK continues to push for its widening participation agenda as well as maintain its position as one of the top three destinations for international students. The authors suggest that wider discussions with stakeholder and some impact studies are needed before the accelerated degrees are further popularised in universities.

scholarly journals The role of higher education in transforming the quality of dementia care: dementia studies at the University of Bradford

2009 ◽  
Vol 21 (S1) ◽  
pp. S3-S15 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Downs ◽  
A. Capstick ◽  
P. C. Baldwin ◽  
C. Surr ◽  
E. Bruce
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Of Care ◽  
Dementia Care ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Higher Education Funding ◽  
People With Dementia ◽  
Care And Support ◽  
Teaching Learning ◽  
Participation In Higher Education

ABSTRACTThere is now widespread concern about the inadequate care and support provided to people with dementia from diagnosis to death. It is acknowledged that while there is a range of effective ways to care for and support people with dementia and their families from diagnosis to death, these have yet to become integral to practice. In England, for example, the National Dementia Strategy seeks to transform the quality of dementia care. One of the key components to transforming the quality of care is to ensure we have an informed and effective workforce. We argue here that in order to transform the quality of care we need to distinguish between the aims of training and education. Whilst there is a place for skills-based workplace training, Higher Education in dementia studies has a key role to play in the provision of specialist knowledge and skills in dementia care emphasizing as it does the development of critical thinking, reflection and action. In this paper we describe dementia studies at Bradford University available at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We outline their aims and learning outcomes, curricula, approach to teaching, learning and assessment. We describe the nature of students who study with us, noting their fit with the Higher Education Funding Council in England's agenda for widening participation in higher education. Higher Education in dementia studies has a unique role to play in equipping practitioners and professionals with the information, skills and attitudes to realize the potential for quality of life for people with dementia and their families.

Measuring Engagement between Industry and Higher Education in the Built Environment Sector

2005 ◽  
Vol 19 (6) ◽  
pp. 457-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen Allen ◽  
Aled Williams
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Built Environment ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Research Effort ◽  
White Paper ◽  
Working Relationships ◽  
The Uk ◽  
The Impact

Recent education policy in the UK has encouraged universities and industry to work in partnership as a means of improving the quality of student learning and preparing graduates to enter the workplace. Indeed, both the Lambert Review of Business–University Collaboration (Lambert, 2003) and the White Paper on The Future of Higher Education (DfES, 2003) highlight the need for collaboration and closer working relationships. This paper reports on the results of a research effort to assess the extent of university–industry collaboration in the UK's built environment sector and to measure the impact of such activity. The ‘Accelerating Change in Built Environment Education’ (ACBEE) initiative sought to identify the nature of engagement activities in the built environment and to formulate, evaluate and develop guidelines for best practice. Forty case studies of engagement were collected from the built environment sector using a standard template, and many sustained engagement activities and established collaborations were identified. The paper explains how these case studies were categorized and evaluated to develop an understanding of the nature of the different types of engagement. A framework was subsequently developed for the classification of the case studies. Finally, the paper considers how the quality of such engagement can be measured and proposes appropriate key performance indicators.

scholarly journals Using prediction markets to forecast research evaluations

2015 ◽  
Vol 2 (10) ◽  
pp. 150287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcus R. Munafo ◽  
Thomas Pfeiffer ◽  
Adam Altmejd ◽  
Emma Heikensten ◽  
Johan Almenberg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
Prediction Markets ◽  
Wisdom Of Crowds ◽  
Similar Information ◽  
Specific Outcome ◽  
Process Prediction ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Quality Of Research

The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF2014) was conducted to assess the quality of research carried out at higher education institutions in the UK over a 6 year period. However, the process was criticized for being expensive and bureaucratic, and it was argued that similar information could be obtained more simply from various existing metrics. We were interested in whether a prediction market on the outcome of REF2014 for 33 chemistry departments in the UK would provide information similar to that obtained during the REF2014 process. Prediction markets have become increasingly popular as a means of capturing what is colloquially known as the ‘wisdom of crowds’, and enable individuals to trade ‘bets’ on whether a specific outcome will occur or not. These have been shown to be successful at predicting various outcomes in a number of domains (e.g. sport, entertainment and politics), but have rarely been tested against outcomes based on expert judgements such as those that formed the basis of REF2014.

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