Abstract
Purpose: This paper focuses on the importance of impact in higher education from a strategic perspective, exploring its value to institutions, learners and prospective students in today’s higher education context, using the UK as a case study. The increasing prominence of impact assessment in higher education is discussed, with consideration given to the operational structures, tools and approaches which can be adopted to monitor and evaluate the impact of any strategic project or initiative introduced by a higher education provider. Design/methodology/approach: This paper presents a strategic view of impact assessment in today’s higher education landscape. Findings: The significance of impact assessment in higher education is discussed from a strategic perspective, drawing upon relevant studies, UK Government policy and initiatives. Consideration is given to the tools and approaches that can be adopted by higher education providers in assessing the impact of any strategic initiatives and projects that have been implemented. Originality/value: The paper is of value to 'any higher education provider that is currently undertaking, or planning to deliver large-scale strategic projects and initiatives which have been designed to enhance the student learning experience.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 94-100 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Information and Learning Science |
| Volume | 119 |
| Issue number | 1-2 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Jan 2018 |
Funding
The creation of a number of national and international bodies with responsibility for taking forward learning, teaching and student experience has helped to raise the profile of this agenda across the higher education sector. These include the UK’s Higher Education Academy (HEA) established in 2003, whose mission is to “improve learning outcomes by raising the status and quality of teaching in higher education”; the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) which was established in the early 1970s as the primary scholarly society for learning and teaching in Australia and New Zealand, with responsibility for promoting the development of higher education policy, practice, the study of teaching and learning and the building of strong academic communities; the International Society for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (ISSOTL) which was established in 2004 to facilitate international collaboration and scholarship of teaching and learning within and between disciplines and across educational levels; and the International Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association (HETL) which was founded in 2010 to bring together higher education professionals and thought leaders from around the world to dialogue, network and collaborate on issues relevant to teaching and learning in higher education.
Keywords
- Evaluation
- Higher education providers
- Impact
- Student experience
- Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF)
- Teaching quality
- UK Professional Standards Framework (UK PSF)
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