Teaching Matters: Developing indicators of teaching quality, a comparative study

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Teaching Matters Developing indicators of
teaching quality, a comparative study

• The Teaching Quality Indicators Project
• www.catl.uwa.edu.au/tqi

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Objective

• To reward and recognise quality teaching in
  higher education through systematic
  implementation of indicators and metrics on
  teaching and teacher effectiveness

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Dimensions of Teaching Quality Framework
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TQI Pilot Institutions
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Themes

• Assessment
• Griffith University
• RMIT University
• University of Queensland
• Diversity
• University of Tasmania
• Engagement and Learning Community
• Deakin University
• University of South Australia
• Institutional Climate and Systems
• Macquarie University
• University of Western Australia

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Example from the Framework Tables Rewarding
Recognising Teaching extract
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THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA

• The Promotion, Recognition and Reward of Teaching

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UWA Review of Current Practice

• Objective
• Comprehensive Snapshot of policy, practice and
  new initiatives in teaching and learning
• Method
• Collection of data in thirteen categories of
  process indicators identified by the Teaching
  Quality Indicators project at Institution,
  Faculty and School levels
• Outcomes
• Focus on the PROMOTION, RECOGNITION AND REWARD of
  teaching

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UWA Reward Recognition Indicators
Evaluating the quality of our reward and
recognition structures
Clear promotion and annual review policy and
criteria, a developmental approach, and common
criteria across the institution, along with
training and clear guidelines for supervisors
demonstrates a commitment of the institution to
quality teaching and assists raising the status
of teaching within the institution
Participation and engagement in professional
development activities is related to the quality
of student learning
Performance review criteria of teaching staff
that clearly conveys expectations of evidence of
quality student learning will encourage staff to
focus on students
If teaching is valued and appropriately
rewarded, higher levels of staff satisfaction
with subsequent motivation for teachers to
enhance the quality of their teaching would be
expected
Student Evaluations of teaching are well
evidenced as important proxy measures of teaching
quality
Quality teachers are those who integrate
established theories of learning in their
practice of education in order to understand how
students develop and learn
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UWA The Criteria Project

• PRINICIPLES
• Teaching quality is the responsibility of the
  whole organisation not just individual staff
• The organisation must
• Provide excellent support for teaching
• Reward quality teaching
• Improve the status of teaching in the
  institution
• Provide space (time and support) for staff to
  engage in quality teaching and
• Robustly evaluate its efforts.
• Quality should be measured via a number of
  evaluation tools, which should be systematic and
  enable comparison.
• Overall process should be developmental and
  designed to assist the staff member to enhance
  their practice.
• Criteria for quality teaching must be
• Consistent across all mechanisms (recruitment,
  promotion, review) and aligned with Carrick award
  criteria and the TQI framework
• Evidence based and supported by the research.
• Detailed but not prescriptive
• Differentiated by level

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UWA The Professional Development Project

• Professional Development of Teaching should be
• part of valued, everyday efforts to enhance
  student learning outcomes
• efficient and effective
• consistent with, and support the attainment of,
  teaching criteria (promotion, review etc.) and
  relevant definitions of teaching quality
• rewarded and recognised
• visible, flexible, consistent
• inclusive

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MACQUARIEUNIVERSITY
Recognising and rewarding quality Learning and
Teaching
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MQ Cultural Change

• new VC
• new Deputy VC (Provost)
• new Executive
• Macquarie_at_50 Strategic Plan
• new Academic Structure
• Learning and Teaching Plan
• Curriculum Review

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MQ Focus

• Student Learning / Student Experience
• Performance-based
• Quality Assurance Culture
• Quality Teaching
• Cultural Change
• AUQA 2009

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MQ Audit existing learning teaching policies

• Findings
• Lack of an integrated University-wide approach to
  policy development and management
• Perceived lack of recognition and reward for
  quality teaching

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MQ Action Outcomes

• ActionDevelop and implement a University-wide
  Policy Framework
• OutcomesIntegrated Policy Management Framework,
  Policy Central
• www.mq.edu.au/policy
• Dialogue about Learning and Teaching

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MQ Action Outcomes

• Action
• Review the Academic Promotion policy
• Outcomes
• Alignment of the recruitment, appointment,
  probation, performance and promotion policies
• Development of Selection Criteria

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With thanks to Gerd Waloszek (whose created this
version of Sidney Harris' cartoon)
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Comparison

• UWA
• Consolidation
• Research-based
• Gradual enhancement of evaluative practices

• MQ
• Development
• Change agenda
• Direct impact on University culture and practice

COMMON Developing a common language for talking
about, enhancing, and evaluating teaching.
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Learning to Date

• Change from within
• The importance of a dialogue
• The need for a common language
• Need for substance behind the rhetoric
• Building an understanding about quality
• Quality not quantity
• Learning Teaching integral to HE
• Recognition and reward essential

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The framework is
A lens through which to view quality learning and
teaching
The framework can
Help each institution to develop quality
indicators to evaluate their practice
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Next Steps

• Continuation of Framework implementation
• Development of indicators
• Extending scope of project
• Assessing implications
• Benchmarking

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AnyQuestions?