If the TEF is worth doing, it’s worth doing well

Fri 19 February, 2016

University of Bedfordshire Vice Chancellor Bill Rammell has called on Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science to proceed with caution before introducing the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF).

In an opinion piece published in Times Higher Education last week the Vice Chancellor greeted the Minister’s plans to raise the status of teaching quality with enthusiasm but said that the metrics currently proposed will not accurately assess teaching quality.

Mr Rammell who was Minister for Higher Education in the Labour Government from 2005 to 2008 said: “Students from diverse backgrounds require creative and inspirational pedagogy if they are to achieve their aspirations, and Jo Johnson is to be commended for grasping this nettle so briskly.”

However commented Mr Rammell: “The current proposals for three or four discrete levels of TEF are not nearly nuanced enough to reflect the diversity of provision on offer to students.”

He gave the example where a small, specialist institution, a large research intensive university and a medium-sized regional university with close links to business will all boast TEF level 3.

The Vice Chancellor argued ‘Level 3’, “does not offer much of the additional information students say they want – specifically, how and what they will be taught and whether their curriculum will prepare them for the next phase of their lives and careers.”

He urged Mr Johnson to ‘road-test the TEF’ and to spend the time to develop the right metrics. After all said the Vice Chancellor, who while he was Higher Education Minister introduced the National Student Survey to drive improvements in teaching, “higher education ministers come and go, but a well-delivered reform can leave a real and lasting legacy.”

Teaching excellence is a priority at Bedfordshire and is one of the reasons students choose to study at the University. “We are proud of the high quality learning experience we provide to our student body,” said Mr Rammell. “We are a teaching led University and outstanding teaching goes on day in and day out across the University.”

The University of Bedfordshire has one of the highest percentages for a UK university, of academics that have or are working towards, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) fellowships. Last year the University’s Director of Teaching and Learning Dr Mark Atlay was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship. He was one of just 55 higher education staff to receive the award.

In addition a recent Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) review commended the University for its enhancement of student learning opportunities.