The purpose of education is to increase empathy and equality – 500 words on #purpos/ed

I never did sign up for this, but, hey, the purpos/ed project is making a splash in our world and it is worth pitching in, even if my contributions are not timely, original or synthetic of what has gone before (see David Jennings, who took the synthesising route: http://alchemi.co.uk/archives/mis/purposed_whats_the_purpos.html). Cristina Costa neatly exposes a key … Continue reading The purpose of education is to increase empathy and equality – 500 words on #purpos/ed

Teaching and research are correlated but the link is loose and highly nuanced by para-academic factors #pcthe

There has been an excellent discussion on the SEDA maillist on the links (or not) between teaching and research. Hunt it down in the February archive here: re: PhDs and Learning and Teaching https://www.jiscmail.ac.uk/cgi-bin/webadmin?A0=sedaMy contribution makes less sense out of context, but I want to post it for my own purposes: As a relatively recent … Continue reading Teaching and research are correlated but the link is loose and highly nuanced by para-academic factors #pcthe

First thoughts on the final (?) draft Strategy for Enhancing the Student Experience

Oxford Brookes Academic Enhancement and Standards Committee has made its final (?) modifications to the draft Strategy for Enhancing the Student Experience (SESE). The two objectives of this strategy are to: [implement] approaches centred on critical reflection, impact evaluation and continuous enhancement of the student experience. [maximise] student involvement in the development of policies and practices for … Continue reading First thoughts on the final (?) draft Strategy for Enhancing the Student Experience

Counting and dividing: half the #pcthe cohort enter with AP(E)L

The new PCTHE cohort is significantly different to those of years previous. There are 43 on the register. Of these 22 - just more than half - are eligible to enter with AP(E)L for 20 (out of 60) credits at level seven. They arrived with QTS and/or Associate membership of the HE Academy and/or a … Continue reading Counting and dividing: half the #pcthe cohort enter with AP(E)L

Reflections on the eve of a new academic year

There is still a hard day's work ahead before the introduction to the PCTHE for 2010-11. For some reason the VLE and wiki are not developing themselves. Packs for the day do not seem to be reproducing like the little bunnies I wish they were. The to-do list of best intentions is shrinking to only … Continue reading Reflections on the eve of a new academic year

For-profit higher education – follow the monopoly money

BPP University College (http://www.bppuc.com/) has enrolled 5000 people in the UK this year. Western International University (http://www.west.edu/) is a leading for-profit in the US expanding into Europe, Asia, and South America. Both are owned by the same parent company, Apollo Global (http://bit.ly/cp0mbI). Apollo Global is also the parent of the University of Phoenix (http://www.phoenix.edu/). Apollo … Continue reading For-profit higher education – follow the monopoly money

Writing a Course Review

I recently met with a student who had been unsuccessful in achieving the criteria for one of the assignments on the PCTHE. Most of my comments are of a general nature regarding the writing of a course review, so I thought I would post them. Back up your assertions with evidence. As teachers and students … Continue reading Writing a Course Review

Course Leader’s Blog

As we get ready for the academic year 2010-11, I am preparing our Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching in Higher Education. This involves: updating the Handbook for this instance of the course for the last time. We will be revalidating a new PCTHE for 2011-12; updating the VLE (Brookes Virtual/Blackboard) and Wiki (Confluence). There are … Continue reading Course Leader’s Blog