LeaD-In: a cultural change model for peer review of teaching in higher education

Peer review of teaching is recognized increasingly as one strategy for academic development even though historically peer review of teaching is often unsupported by policy, action and culture in many Australian universities. Higher education leaders report that academics generally do not engage with peer review of teaching in a systematic or constructive manner, and this paper advances and analyses a conceptual model to highlight conditions and strategies necessary for the implementation of sustainable peer review in higher education institutions. The model highlights leadership, development and implementation, which are critical to the success and formation of a culture of peer review of teaching. The work arises from collaborative research funded by the Office for Learning and Teaching to foster and advance a culture of peer review of teaching across several universities in Australia.     

美国著名大学教学评价的内容特征

教学评价是提升高等学校教育质量的重要手段，而评价内容的确定又是实施教学评价的关键性环节，直接关系到教学评价的指向和功能的发挥。美国著名大学在教学评价内容的选择上提供了很好的范例，体现出系统性、向生性、针对性和可测性等特征，对我国建设世界一流大学。推进教学评价的改革，有一定的参考价值。     

美国大学教学学术运动

大学教学学术运动是近二十年来美国高等教育领域进行的最重要的改革。作者从大学教学学术在美国产生的背景、大学教学学术运动的发展、大学和教师回应新理念而进行的创新实践及大学教学学术的国际影响等几方面,对美国大学教学学术运动进行了初步阐述。     

从高等教育基金委员会看英国高校治理模式的创新

20世纪90年代,英国高等教育的治理模式发生了变革,1919年建立起的大学拨款委员会模式已经终结,取而代之的是新的基金委员会模式。基金委员会模式体现了英国高等教育治理的新思路,以英格兰地区的高等教育基金委员会最有代表性。该地区的高等教育基金委员会不但要求大学在财政方面积极承担绩效责任,而且在科研以及教学方面也对大学施加外在影响。基金委员会主要通过财政备忘录对大学进行财政风险评估。作为政府的代理机构,基金委员会有鲜明的商业特征,主要通过一系列审查和绩效问责措施促进高校治理变革。然而,基金委员会自身存在一些不足,需要进一步完善。     

Widening Participation in Higher Education: The HEFCE Perspective on Policy and Progress

The first half of the 1990s saw a substantial increase in the number of people participating in higher education, though without a substantial alteration in the social profile of the English student population. However, today, with the Government target of 50 per cent of 18–30 year olds having some experience of higher education by 2010, the sector faces a new challenge in broadening as well as expanding its social base. This article traces different phases in the evolution of the HEFCE widening participation policy and strategy, including its response to the recommendations of the Dearing Report and, more recently, to the joint proposal with the Learning and Skills Council for a strengthening of partnerships between higher education, further education and schools.     

英国高等教育问责制度的新进展及启示

为了减少大学面临的风险,与此同时提高问责效益、降低问责成本,英格兰高等教育基金委员会近期出台了财政备忘录、审计制度与单一会话问责制度。财政备忘录和审计制度通过绩效问责帮助和促使大学建立自身的风险管理体系;单一会话问责制度通过实施与风险评估相联系的简化的问责程序,既降低了问责成本,提高了问责效益,又使大学的风险状态置于HEFCE的监管之中。     

经济合作与发展组织的三大国际教育测试研究

除了PISA(国际学生评估项目)以外,经济合作与发展组织还研发了关注教师专业发展和学校教学的TAMS项目(国际教学调查项目)、调查高等教育学生学习情况的AHELO项目(高等教育学习成果测评)和对16～65岁成人进行能力评估的PIAAC(国际成人能力测评项目)。这些国际教育测试分别针对不同的教育人群进行能力评估,以更好地使各国政府了解自身的教育状况,在世界范围内进行跨文化比较,为教育的发展制定更加科学合理的教育政策。     

Does educational expertise matter for PVCs education? A UK study of PVCs’ educational background and skills

Pro-Vice-Chancellors (PVCs) form the second-tier leadership of UK higher education institutions. However, their role and position remain under-theorised and under-researched. The present article explores the extent to which a PVC Education role requires core expertise in education or generic managerial skills. Using a mixed-methods approach, we first establish the disciplinary backgrounds of PVCs Education in Russell Group (RG) and post-1992 institutions. Fewer than one in five PVCs Education have a disciplinary background or additional formal training in education. Second, we conducted 24 semi-structured interviews with PVCs Education, Heads of Education Departments and Heads of Learning and Teaching units. These interviews suggest the PVC Education role requires managerial skills, usually acquired in previous headships, as well as academic credibility and knowledge of institutional processes rather than particular expertise in education. In sum, generic managerial skills rather than educational expertise are paramount for understanding the profile of PVCs Education in UK universities.     

英联邦混合学习质量评估标准探析

为提升高校混合学习质量,“英联邦学习共同体”制定了混合学习质量评估标准,简称QA评估标准,经过多次修订现已正式投入使用。QA评估标准主要包括网站导航、课程内容、教学设计、课程结构、学生支持、技术媒介、学业评价以及质量保障和评估8个一级指标和50个二级指标。基于对其构成与实践的探析,结合全面质量管理理论,我国高校混合学习质量评估工作的开展应确立高校混合学习全过程评估的评价理念与目标,构建基于全面质量管理的混合学习质量评估标准,并在实践中不断完善。     

Institutional learning and teaching strategies in English higher education

In 1998 the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)commissioned a survey of the extent to which institutional learning andteaching strategies were being used in English higher education. Thesurvey was seen by HEFCE as a necessary precursor to the enactment ofits policy decision to allocate a component of institutional funding onthe basis of the possession of (and subsequent activation of) aninstitutional learning and teaching strategy. Responses from 116institutions showed considerable variation in the extent to which theyhad developed a strategic approach to learning and teaching.Over the coming years there is likely to be a marked increase in thelevel and sophistication of strategic planning to develop learning andteaching across whole institutions. The article concludes by drawingupon the organisational development literature to suggest some ways inwhich this shift might be facilitated.     

美国"学习质量改进项目"认证分析及其启示

通过分析美国高等教育中北区域认证委员会“学习质量改进项目”认证方式中的评估指标,同时,比较中国普通院校评估所使用的评估指标,提出问题。高校评估的重要目的是通过评估促使高校内部质量保证体系的建立。     

Canadian Teaching and Learning Centres on Facebook and Twitter: An Exploration Through Social Media

Teaching and Learning Centres (TLCs) play a role in the professional development of faculty, staff and teaching assistants in higher education institutions. One of the functions of many TLCs is that of outreach, not only to the individuals within their institutions who are their primary clientele but also to the greater higher education community. This paper presents an introductory review of Canadian TLCs’ use of social media, seeking to address questions regarding the extent to which Canadian TLCs use social media and the ways in which these are used. Based on frequency of accounts, and on the content of posts in these accounts, the authors found that social media are used by nearly half of all Canadian TLCs to a wide range of purposes. Areas for further inquiry are suggested.     

CONFINTEA VI follow-up and the role of university lifelong learning: Some issues for European higher education

The Belém Framework for Action underlines, among many other issues, that quality in adult learning and education must be holistic and multidimensional both as a concept and in practice, using various tools such as partnerships with higher education institutions. Bridging adult and higher education is difficult, but the lifelong learning paradigm may help European universities to meet the challenge. This paper argues that European higher education institutions should, on the one hand, educate adults to qualify them for their complex roles in society and economy either through academic programmes or in other, non-formal ways. On the other hand, higher education institutions should promote quality research on adult learning and education and develop active citizenship too. Emphasis was clearly given to the former task in the Budapest Statement in December 2008 as part of the European preparatory process for CONFINTEA VI, and the latter has been articulated by UNESCO for more than a decade. This paper suggests that a balanced position may help universities in setting themselves up as better and more effective learning organisations.     

关于高校班级规模的调查分析

对某省七所高校班级规模的统计分析发现:该省高校班级规模很大,平均为65.91人;不同类型高校之间的班级规模由大到小依次排列是:新建高校、一般高校、重点高校、专科学校;不同高校之间的班级规模和不同课程之间的班级规模大多存在非常显著的差异。为此,针对当前因高校班级规模过大而影响课堂教学效果和教学质量的状况,教育行政管理部门要加强对高校班级规模的干预,高校也要努力适当缩小班级规模,更为重要的是,教育行政管理部门、高校特别是高校教师要在班级规模短期内难以控制的情况下,研究和探讨保障和提高课堂教学质量的对策。     

美国大学与中小学基于合作伙伴的教师教育改革

美国大学与中小学合作具有悠久的历史.美国大学与中小学基于合作伙伴的教师教育强调职前教师培养和在职教师的专业发展.合作伙伴的教师教育实践模式包括:西维吉尼亚大学的专业发展学校、南缅因州大学的学区合作伙伴、加利福尼亚大学的农村区域伙伴、马里兰州大学的教学合作伙伴.为了达成高水平的教师质量,美国不断探讨大学与中小学合作伙伴的影响因素,确保合作的有效性.     

Exploring ways that ePortfolios can support the progressive development of graduate qualities and professional competencies

Since the late-1990s, the University of South Australia has embedded seven Graduate Qualities across all programs. Subsequently, the higher education landscape has changed dramatically in terms of national policies and standards, as well as technologies available to support learning and teaching. Most higher education institutions now have their own list of qualities or attributes developed by graduates. Further changes in Australia include quality assurance accredited through a national body, such as the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency, and the development of disciplinary Threshold Learning Outcomes under the Learning and Teaching Academic Standards project. Similar changes are underway internationally. A multi-disciplinary research project at University of South Australia explored how ePortfolios might enhance this learning environment with a focus on aligning standards, Graduate Qualities and professional requirements. This paper outlines approaches taken in Engineering and Law undergraduate programs using two different ePortfolio tools (PebblePad and Mahara), where we sought to discover if this would empower learners to articulate their achievements and to understand professional frameworks. Lessons learnt and evaluation data are presented, along with recommendations to support a progressive developmental approach across programs. Whilst the experiences relate to two disciplinary areas, the approach taken can be adapted for other programs. Many of the insights gained also apply to strategies that exclude ePortfolio tools.     

Encouraging Cream-Skimming and Dreg-Siphoning? Increasing Competition between English HEIs

We examine the impact of recent policy on the nature of competition within English higher education (HE) for students. Revisions made to the method of allocating Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) teaching funds and the introduction of performance monitoring and targeted recruitment premiums have changed the incentives facing higher education institutions (HEI)s when designing recruitment strategies. We consider the extent to which the experience of similar market-based reforms on the English secondary schooling system is being replicated in HE. Promoting increased competition by comparison was advocated as a means of stimulating greater allocative, technical and dynamic efficiency in both schools and universities. Similarly, relaxing institutions' capacity constraints and introducing targeted financial incentives have been touted as effective mech-anisms to assist the attainment of policy objectives. However, the experience of market-based reforms of state secondary schooling indicates that dysfunctional responses occur and that the overall impact on market behaviour is more complex than anticipated. We consider whether similar processes are evolving in HE.     

台港澳私立高等院校专业设置现状分析

专业设置是高等教育发展的核心问题,它不仅影响到高等教育的规模、质量、结构和效益,也影响到高等教育培养专门人才的类型、规格、质量和水平。本文通过对台港澳私立高等院校专业设置现状的实地调研,在分析比较台港澳私立高等院校专业设置的一般特点和不同趋向的基础上,探索了影响台港澳私立高等院校专业设置的相关要素,提出了一些大陆民办高等院校专业设置值得借鉴的经验与建议。     

Chinese TEFL teachers’ perceptions about research and influences on their research endeavours

English has always occupied a key position in China’s education. The quality of English education depends largely on the quality of the English teaching force. Improving the overall quality of Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) teachers entails advancing both their teaching and research competence. This study, with its focus on Chinese TEFL teachers working in a higher education institution, was set up in a context where Chinese higher education colleges are being transformed into universities and research is becoming a crucial aspect of all teachers’ work. This small-scale case study investigated a group of Chinese TEFL teachers’ perceptions about research and their individual and workplace characteristics that influenced their research endeavours. The findings revealed that Chinese TEFL teachers recognised the significance of research for teaching, professional growth and career advancement. However, lack of individual characteristics such as research and disciplinary knowledge, confidence in research and intrinsic motivation impeded their research efforts. Their institution and departments seemed to encourage research; yet, more specific financial and academic support to start and sustain their research endeavours is required. This study’s findings provide implications for both individual teachers and their institutions to engage TEFL teachers more actively in research.     

澳大利亚大学教师教学发展机构探析

澳大利亚是一个新兴的高等教育强国,其大学内部的教师教学发展机构通过促进和提高大学教师的教学质量和水平有效地缓解了高等教育规模与质量之间的矛盾,并积累了丰富的经验.这对于我国当下建立和发展高校教师教学发展中心具有重要的借鉴意义和参考价值.