QAA Membership Podcast

In this episode, Dr Kerr Castle introduces a discussion of how the core concepts of competence-based education compare with those of more traditional educational models and how the purposes of assessment might be reimagined through competence-based education. He is joined by Mike Ewen, the Head of the Teaching Academy at the University of Hull, along with Dr Dom Henri, Senior Lecturer in Zoology, and Dr Andrew Holmes, Senior Lecturer in Education, both also at Hull. They are members of a team that has led a QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project focused on Generating a competence-based education framework. The same team have now moved on to develop a new Collaborative Enhancement Project on A Competence-Based Assessment Framework.

Our latest podcast explores the challenges we face in embedding employability in our curricula, and the kinds of strategies and support that can benefit both educators and their students. To address these issues, we take a look at a new toolkit focusing on pedagogy, assessment and curriculum content, designed to help students gain the knowledge, skills and experience they need to transition into their lives and careers after HE.That toolkit was developed through a QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project examining Inclusive Employability Development through the Curriculum – a project supported by our podcast's guest contributors, Aranee Manoharan, Senior Associate Director for Careers & Employability at King's College London, and Gemma Kenyon, Head of Careers at City, University of London. The podcast is chaired by QAA's Dr Kerr Castle.The project team will also be hosting an in-person launch event on 15 April. More information about this event will be added to the project webpage shortly.

In this latest episode, teaching staff and students from Loughborough University and Birmingham City University (BCU) come together to discuss the opportunities for enhancing the student learning experiences offered by a new collaborative observation project they’ve been engaged in.  The podcast is chaired by QAA's Dr Kerr Castle, who observes that this Collaborative Enhancement Project has been grounded in a sense of humanity and practicality which seems especially appealing in the current HE environment. The project lead is Professor Matt O’Leary, Director of the Education Research Centre at BCU. Participants in the project – and in the podcast – also include Holly Pickford and Alistair Bardwell (lecturers in Health Sciences at BCU), Simran Gohil and Nikki Godridge (students in Health Sciences at BCU), and Dr Laura Jenkins and Dr Yanning Yang (university teachers in Psychology and Computer Science at Loughborough). Professor O'Leary explains that "the essence of this project is that we have a collaboration between staff and students working as equals – as partners – through the vehicle of a cycle of collaborative observation."  The project has promoted opportunities for participants to reflect on their experiences of learning together and how these reflections have affected their overall understanding of their subject areas. You can find out more about this QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project by visiting our website. 

In this latest episode of the QAA Membership Podcast, Dr Kerr Castle (Quality Enhancement and Standards Specialist) explores multimodality in higher education with the team behind the QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project, Harnessing Multimodality in Higher Education.The episode features Professor Sam Elkington (Professor of Learning and Teaching at Teesside University); Professor Andrew Middleton (Professor of Active Learning and Deputy Head of Anglia Learning & Teaching at Anglia Ruskin University); Maggie Gibson (Head of Learner Development at Birmingham City University); Jimmy Lo (University Learning Technologist at University of Greenwich). The podcast discusses what multimodality is in the context of higher education and how best to harness it in teaching, learning and assessment to support the student experience and success. If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe, rate and review our podcast!

In this instalment, Dr Kerr Castle (Quality Enhancement & Standards Specialist, QAA) sits down with Liss Chard-Hall (Specialist Study Skills Tutor) and Dr Graeme Pedlingham (Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor – Student Experience, University of Sussex) to chat about neuro-inclusivity. Specifically, they chat about what the hidden curriculum can look like for neurotypical and neurodivergent students, the kinds of support available to neurodivergent students currently, and how artificial intelligence might be used to enhance learning journeys and bridge barriers.As mentioned in the episode, you might also like to explore our work around supporting successful student transitions, which offers positive approaches and practical solutions to help support transitions to and through higher education. 

In this latest podcast episode, QAA’s Dr Kerr Castle talks with Dr Kate Cuthbert and Sue Lee, who both work in Staffordshire University’s Staffordshire Centre of Learning and Pedagogic Practice. Together they explore what phenomenon-based learning is and how you could use it in partnership with your students to make a lasting impact.  

In this episode, Dr Kerr Castle (Quality Enhancement and Standards Specialist at QAA) sits down with Dr George Hulene, Associate Dean of Faculty of Business and Law at Coventry University; Professor Eleanor Davies, Associate Dean of Teaching and Learning at Huddersfield Business School; and Dr Peter Wolstencroft, Liverpool John Moores University. The discussion focuses on the outcomes of a QAA-funded Collaborative Enhancement Project led by Coventry University that explored how patterns of student attendance and student engagement are changing across post-pandemic UK higher education.The project involved working with ten business schools to explore students’ priorities and produced a Student Engagement Framework following their exploration of how students have responded to the changes in delivery and assessment, Their findings identified key themes, including: Timetabling and commuting students The need for virtual and physical communities The importance of recordings to support flexible learning Digital literacy and inequalities Mobilising student voice These themes are picked up through the discussion in the podcast. As mentioned in the episode, you might also like to explore our work around supporting successful student transitions, which offers positive approaches and practical solutions to help support transitions to and through higher education. 

In this latest instalment, Dr Kerr Castle (Quality Enhancement and Standards Specialist at QAA) sits down with Sean Cullen, lecturer at Brunel University and Student Voice Commissioner for the Disabled Students Commission (DSC), to talk about the experience of disabled students. Through the course of the episode, Sean shares his own insights and experiences as a disabled student in higher education, while also discussing how providers might enhance their communication with disabled students and why sharing your disability with your provider when starting higher education is so important.  Kerr is also joined by Professor Deborah Johnston, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic Framework) at London Southbank University and a commissioner for the DSC, who talks about the work of the DSC across higher education. As mentioned in the episode, you might also like to explore our work around supporting successful student transitions, which offers positive approaches and practical solutions to help support transitions to and through higher education. We also have resources on creating inclusive subject communities, which guide the exploration of ways to embed inclusion and accessibility in the curriculum to enhance the student experience. 

In this latest episode, Dr Kerr Castle (Quality Enhancement and Standards Specialist with QAA) sits down with Dr John Lean and Dr Catherine Elkin from Manchester Metropolitan University to discuss adventure and exploration in playful co-curricular learning.  The podcast focusses on how metaphors and design principles borrowed from open world video games are supporting students to forge their own pathways in Manchester Metropolitan University’s award winning programme, Rise. An interactive game developed by Dr Lean is also available to play which allows you to explore the world of Rise and its key metaphors and activities.

In this episode, Dr Kerr Castle (QAA’s Quality Enhancement & Standards Specialist) sits down with Dr Non Vaughan Williams and Emily Way from Swansea University, as well as Rachel Evans, to discuss the value of the higher education sector engaging with industry. The podcast takes a particular focus on the positive impact that industry panels are having for students at the School of Culture and Communications at Swansea University.  Issues explored include the importance of having a close relationship with industry at undergraduate and postgraduate level, what the collaboration means for staff, students and employers, and how higher education might be developed in collaboration with representatives from relevant industries. 

In this month’s instalment, Dr Kerr Castle (QAA’s Quality Enhancement & Standards Specialist) chats with Mercy Mwansa (University of Leeds) and Rachel Van Krimpen (University of Nottingham) about different barriers to success for postgraduate researchers. The discussion covers issues including mental health and wellbeing, imposter syndrome, the influence of research culture and perceptions of identity. During the episode, the guests discuss the work of their QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project, ‘Defining, Measuring and Supporting Success for Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) from Diverse Backgrounds’ and conclude with suggestions for senior leaders to better support PGRs. 

In this episode, Amrita Narang (Quality Enhancement & Standards Specialist) chats with Dr Paul Campbell (University of Leicester), Bethany Sumner (University of Wolverhampton) and Dr Gary Hazeldine (Birmingham City University) about improving the experience of undergraduate students from different ethnic backgrounds and their award outcomes in assessment.During the episode, the guests discuss the work of their QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project ‘Broadening understanding in differing outcomes for specific assessment types for undergraduate students from different ethnic backgrounds’ and how its interventions have supported students within partner institutions.If you’d like to find out more about this and other QAA Collaborative Enhancement Projects, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects.

In this episode, Si Bullock (Quality & Standards Specialist) sits down with Professor Michael Draper from Swansea University to discuss academic integrity. The pair consider contract cheating, student attitudes to misconduct and relevant regulatory frameworks and legislation that underpin how the sector maintains standards. As part of our work in this area, QAA has developed an Academic Integrity Charter alongside the Academic Integrity Advisory Group which sets a baseline level of commitment for institutions to ensure qualifications are verifiable and genuine. For more information visit Academic integrity (qaa.ac.uk)

In this episode, we talk about unpacking the ‘unspoken rules’ or ‘hidden curriculum’ in Higher Education with Pam Birtill and Richard Harris from University of Leeds.Along with their colleague Madeleine Pownall, Pam and Richard were first commissioned by QAA Membership to produce the Student Guide to the Hidden Curriculum – a practical, student facing resource explaining terminology that is a common feature of Higher Education across the sector.The Student Guide has been incredibly well received, and we are very pleased to be able to share and discuss their latest resource, a Guide for Educators, designed to support staff to unpack the hidden curriculum in their local context.We start things off by discussing what the hidden curriculum is and why this matters, before turning our attention to the Student Guide to the Hidden Curriculum and reflecting on how this resource supports students.Pam and Richard then introduce the new Guide for Educators resource, explaining how staff can get started with unpacking the hidden curriculum in their subject area or across the wider institution, and how the Guide interacts with the original student resource.We hope that you enjoy this podcast and if you’d like to learn more about our work around supporting successful student transitions, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/membership/membership-areas-of-work/teaching-learning-and-assessment/flexible-pathways-and-student-transitionsThis podcast was first published on 23 September 2022.

In this podcast, we talk to Ian Pepper - Curriculum Qualifications and Apprenticeship Senior Adviser and Head of Centre at Harperley Hall, College of Policing - about the new Subject Benchmark Statement for Policing. Subject Benchmark Statements describe the nature of study and the academic standards expected of graduates in specific subject areas; they show what graduates might reasonably be expected to know, do and understand at the end of their studies.Ian, who was part of the advisory group for the Policing Subject Benchmark Statement, discusses with Si Bullock - QAA Quality and Standards Specialist - about how it will be a fantastic addition to policing programmes; ensuring that there is standardisation across the board and that all requirements are met.To find out more about Subject Benchmark Statements, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/subject-benchmark-statementsThis podcast was first published on 1 September 2022.

In this podcast, we explore the institutional context for pass/fail assessment in undergraduate and postgraduate courses with colleagues from Leeds Arts University, and ways in which the experience of pass/fail assessment can support authentic learning. We hear from students about the role of tutor and peer feedback, and finally, consider its impact on skills development for future employability.Our guest speakers are:- Peter Hughes (Academic developmental manager) - Laura da Costa (Access and participation development manager)- Max Mooney-Walsh (Level 5 student pursuing BA Hons Comics and Concept Art)- Lennox Bruwer (Level 7 student, MA Animation, Interactive Technology, Video Graphics and Special Effects)This podcast focuses on student experience and is part of the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project, Belonging through assessment: Pipelines of compassion. For more information about the project, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/assessment/belonging-through-assessment-pipelines-of-compassionThis podcast was first published on 19 July 2022.

In this episode, we discuss enterprise, entrepreneurship and student ambition with Rob Ingram from Falmouth University and Ruth Donnelly from University of Edinburgh.Considering how enterprise and entrepreneurship are approached at each institution, Rob and Ruth reflect on student identity and what students want, before discussing ways to nurture and support student ambition.In the second part of the podcast, we focus on two great examples of experiential learning, as Ruth introduces the work and impact of the Students as Change Agents (or ‘Sacha’) programme at University of Edinburgh, and Rob tells us about LEAP Summer School at Falmouth University. We hope that you enjoy this podcast and if you’d like to learn more about our work around enterprise and entrepreneurship education, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/enterprise-and-entrepreneurship-educationThis podcast was first published on 12 July 2022.

In this episode, we consider the student experience of enterprise and embedded employability in higher education with Helen Hughes from University of Leeds, Edward Pollock from Robert Gordon University, and Iwan Williams from University of Liverpool.We start by discussing the student experience of enterprise and entrepreneurship education in teaching and learning, and how to embed employability and enterprise education principles in the curriculum.Then we take a look at supporting entrepreneurial mindset and skills development for all students, reflecting on benchmarking and tracking students’ progress, and “enterprise in disguise”.Finally, we consider the impact of the pandemic, creating new training needs and influencing pathways to employment.We hope that you enjoy this podcast and if you’d like to learn more about our work around enterprise and entrepreneurship education, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk/the-quality-code/enterprise-and-entrepreneurship-educationThis episode was first published on 12 July 2022.

In this two-part podcast, we talk about the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project 'Making the language of assessment inclusive'. The project is led by the University of West of the England, in partnership with University of Brighton, University of Greenwich, and University of Hertfordshire. In this second podcast, we speak to staff and students to cover key aspects pertaining to:1. Student as partners approach - student views 2. Cross institutional partnership - opportunities and challenges 3. Intended vision for the project If you would like to find out more about the project, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/assessment/making-the-language-of-assessment-inclusiveThis podcast was first published on 25 May 2022.

In this two-part podcast, we talk about the QAA Collaborative Enhancement Project 'Making the language of assessment inclusive'. The project is led by the University of West of the England, in partnership with University of Brighton, University of Greenwich, and University of Hertfordshire. In this first podcast, we speak to staff and students to cover key aspects pertaining to:1. Drivers for the project 2. The mystery behind mysterious quotients 3. Challenges within assessment for staff and students 4. The how of the project & emerging themes In podcast two, we then explore the students as partners approach and student views, opportunities and challenges around cross institutional partnership, and the intended vision for the project.If you would like to find out more about the project, visit https://www.qaa.ac.uk//en/membership/collaborative-enhancement-projects/assessment/making-the-language-of-assessment-inclusiveThis podcast was first published on 25 May 2022.