FW: Registration Open: Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship Conference

 

Enhancing Student Learning Through Innovative Scholarship: The Role of Teaching Focused Academics in driving the evolution of HE

16^th  and 17th July 2015, Durham University

With the increasing focus brought to bear on teaching in higher education in recent years, the scholarship of teaching and learning has risen in prominence, with an increasing number of Universities actively engaged. A key element in this is the role of academic staff on teaching focused contracts – often known as Teaching Fellows. A recent study by the HEA puts this issue into context:

 

“HESA data for 2012-13 show that just over 25% of academic staff were on teaching-only contracts. The report shows too that there is a predominance of teaching-only contracts among part-time academics, and that while an increasing proportion of teaching is undertaken in universities and colleges that do not have research degree awarding powers and do not receive significant amounts of research funding, a clear hierarchy exists, with research widely seen as ‘more important’ – for institutional reputation and career advancement than teaching. There remains, the report says, a significant a gap between policy and implementation regarding promotion policies in higher education institutions, and few identifiable promotions to senior positions solely on the basis of

teaching excellence.”

 

To raise the profile of teaching focused academics in the research-intensive climate, it is vital to raise the profile of teaching as a valued activity institutionally across the HE sector. The best way to achieve this is through the promotion of the innovative scholarly activity being undertaken by teaching focused academics. This first meeting of a national teaching fellow network is therefore a forum to share innovative scholarship across disciplinary boundaries and to develop a national voice for teaching focused academics.

 

Conference themes include:

·         Embedding and Enhancing Scholarship

·         Working with Students as Partners

·         Student Transitions

·         Career Pathways for Teaching Focused Academic Staff 

·         Scholarship to Support Student Learning

 

A draft conference agenda and book of abstracts are available here:

·         Draft Programme:  http://tinyurl.com/q7domoq

·         Book of Abstracts: http://tinyurl.com/oyz7y5m

 

Interest in this conference has been exceptionally high with over 20 UK HEIs and 4 international HEIs presenting at the meeting. Registration is open here http://tinyurl.com/o797fe2  until 20^th June 2016 at 1pm.  Places are limited so we’d encourage you to sign up as soon as possible. 

 

Further information is available from our website http://tinyurl.com/q8uhhx4