Network of Deputy Vice-Chancellors,Pro Vice-Chancellors and Vice-Principals18-19 November 2015

Barbican Centre, London

HEA DVC / PVC Network : November 19 2015

Flexible study: how can we do better?

Professor Sue JacksonPro-Vice Master Learning and Teaching

Director, Centre for Transformative Practice in Learning and Teaching

Flexible study

• The case for ‘flexibility’– The sector– Institutions (Birkbeck)

• Flexible study for flexible lives?• Flexible study for new pedagogic proposals• Flexible study – winners and losers• How can we do better?

The sector: UK HE – a flexible system?• ‘Conditions of Flexibility: Securing a more responsive higher

education system’ (Ronald Barnet, HEA, June 2014)

• ‘Responsive’ to what, or whom? • 15 ‘conditions of flexibility’• ‘Well-equipped graduates’

Institutions: Birkbeck – a flexible friend?

• Birkbeck is distinctive in supporting students who study in the evenings whilst combining that study with work and/or other daytime commitments.

• Flexibility enables busy students with complex lives and competing demands to successfully complete their study with us.

Flexible study for flexible lives?

• We offer flexibility for learners and teachers alike to choose - to choose pedagogic approaches and transformative assessment; programme structures; blended learning; times and places of learning; personal and professional development.

• At Birkbeck we are exploring a range of options for more flexible learning, together with the systems to support an infrastructure that reflects the flexible study patterns required by our students

Options for flexible study

• New spaces of learning• Flexibility of pace and entry• Blended learning• Options and electives• Three term learning• Birkbeck Summer Programme• Transitions to critical thinking• Learning development and academic English• Transformative assessment• Transcending boundaries

Flexible study for transformative learning

• Flexibility to become independent and self-directed learners and teachers, adapting to changing times, whilst at the same time embracing collaborative working and communities of practice

• Flexibility to create new ways of learning, developing critical thinking skills, willing to challenge received wisdoms and develop new understandings.

• Flexibility to move beyond an emphasis solely on knowledge and understanding, towards an agency developed through pedagogies guided by engaged, ‘whole-person’ and transformative approaches to learning.

Flexibility to imagine new possibilities?• Flexibility to create new knowledges and understandings through enquiry embedded

learning developed through a choice of ways in which to learn and teach within that community.

• Flexibility to refocus learning towards engagement and change processes that enable our students (and ourselves) to rethink and work towards alternative scenarios.

• Flexibility to move away from traditional understandings of learning and teaching to create new ones, developing ways to enable our students to contribute to changing and uncertain worlds, able and willing to respond to times of uncertainty and personal challenge.

Flexible study – who benefits?

and who doesn’t ....?

http://workplacediva.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/study-finds-flexible-work-arrangements.html

Doing better ...?

• What aren’t we doing well enough?• What do we want to change and why?• So – flexible study: how can we do better (and do we want to keep

trying)?

Marina González Eme nude painting body shape abstract (http://illusion.scene360.com/art/70782/marina-gonzalez-nude-studies)

Network of Deputy Vice-Chancellors,Pro Vice-Chancellors and Vice-Principals18-19 November 2015

Barbican Centre, London

Flexible Study:Creating the right structures

Professor Martin Stringer PVC Swansea University

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

Top 30: REF

Top 20: Employability

Top 10: NSS

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

University Centre

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

University Centre

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

University Centre

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

University Centre

CollegesColleges

Colleges

Flexible Study

First view of Swansea

University Centre

CollegesColleges

Colleges

Flexible Study

First view of Wales

Flexible Study

First view of Wales

Students

Flexible Study

First view of Wales

Students

Employers/Industry

Flexible Study

First view of Wales

Students+

Employers/Industry=

Flexibility

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: PVCs

Admissions

Life Sciences andMedicine

Teaching and Quality

Arts andSocial Sciences

Student Engagement

Science and Engineering

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: PVCs

Admissions

Life Sciences andMedicine

Teaching and Quality

Arts andSocial Sciences

Student Engagement

Science and Engineering

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: PVCs

Admissions

Life Sciences andMedicine

Teaching and Quality

Arts andSocial Sciences

Student Engagement

Science and Engineering

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: Professional Service

We are ProfessionalWe take pride in applying our knowledge, skills, creativity, integrity and judgement to deliver innovative, effective, efficient services and solutions of excellent quality

We Work TogetherWe take pride in working in a positive collaborative environment of equality, trust, respect, co-operation and challenge to deliver services that strive to exceed the needs and expectations of customers

We Care

We take responsibility for listening, understanding and responding flexibly to our students, colleagues, external partners and the public so that every contact they have with us is a personalised and positive experience

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: Academies

SwanseaAcademy ofLearning andTeaching

SwanseaAcademy ofInclusivity andLearnerSupport

SwanseaEmployabilityAcademy

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: Academies

SwanseaAcademy ofLearning andTeaching

SwanseaAcademy ofInclusivity andLearnerSupport

SwanseaEmployabilityAcademy

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure: Academies

SwanseaAcademy ofLearning andTeaching

SwanseaAcademy ofInclusivity andLearnerSupport

SwanseaEmployabilityAcademy

Swansea Academy for Professional Learners

Flexible Study

Creating a Structure

Professional Services

PVCs

Academies

Colleges

Next HEA PVC network 11th & 12th May 2016, London Southbank Centre