The University of Exeter is participating in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) subject level pilot scheme, it has been announced.
The TEF looks to assess teaching at an individual subject level and give students clear, understandable information about where the most excellent teaching and student outcomes can be found.
The Department of Education commissioned the new assessment system in July 2017 and encouraged a wide range of higher education providers to take part in the pilots. It will run from Autumn 2017 to Spring 2018.
The University is among 50 education providers taking part in the pilot and Professor Tim Quine, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) of the University of Exeter said: “The University is delighted to have been chosen to participate in the pilot of Subject-Level TEF […] By taking part in this pilot we are able to continue to improve the quality of teaching and education within the University and to recognise and reward our already excellent teaching.”
The UK has a world-class higher education sector, with rigorous systems in place to ensure high quality teaching. The TEF is a new scheme for recognising excellence, it provides information to help prospective students choose where to study. The subject-level pilots will inform the further development of the TEF by testing how ratings could be assigned at subject as well as institutional level.
This is the second part of the Teaching Excellence Framework, in the first national assessment. The University of Exeter’s was among the 43 High Education Institutions to be awarded a ‘Gold’ rating, recognising its commitment to providing world-class teaching. The first TEF results, published in June this year, assessed teaching excellence at the level of the overall university or college, rather than specific subjects.
“I am yet to meet a Vice-Chancellor who is unaware of significant variations in quality between subjects and disciplines in his or her own institution,” said Jo Johnson, the Universities Minister, as he explained the concept behind the TEF to university leaders in July. It has fallen under some criticism by higher educational staff nationwide as they have argued that it has just encouraged the level of bureaucracy in the education field.
However, the aim of the Teaching Excellence Framework is to ensure that excellent teaching quality, learning environments and student employability outcomes are at the heart of the UK higher education system. The framework will put clear information into the hands of students, so they know where there is high quality teaching and what benefits they can expect to gain from their courses.