Teaching ‘Excellence’ and pedagogic stratification in higher education

This paper discusses how dominant discourses of neoliberalism intersect with teaching and learning practices, and considers the implications of this for both widening participation goals and for social equity agendas in higher education. Drawing on the concept of ‘pedagogic stratification’ we examine the discourses of ‘teaching excellence’, as these are enacted in interviews with senior academics across 11 universities in England. We describe how the pervasive discourses of neoliberalism prioritise market-oriented objectives, inciting university leaders to evidence ‘world-class’ teaching through rigid assessment frameworks. Engaging a Foucauldian analysis, we discuss how a discourse of ’teaching excellence’ can function as a ‘regime of truth’ that operates to discipline (institutional and individual) practices and subjectivities, restricting conceptions of teaching, and limiting opportunities for critical pedagogies. We argue that the neoliberal discourses of teaching excellence identified in our analysis resonate across an increasingly globalised and marketised international higher education landscape and are enacted in tension with widening participation and equity goals not only in England but also more widely

Translating close-up research into action : a critical reflection

This paper argues that simple dissemination models do not work. One of the strengths of close-up research, with its emphasis on depth and understanding, is that it can identify why things are as they are and by extension when we identify wrongs seek to challenge them. The paper suggests, however, that making a difference is fraught with contradictions and that the translation from research to action is far from straight forward. We illustrate these tensions by reflecting on our experiences of conducting four projects for the UK Higher Education Academy. At the same time as exploring the slippages of translation and loss of criticality, however, we want to defend notion of praxis as theoretically informed change for critical social purposes. This involves a view of making a difference and research that moves beyond thinking of research as a discrete act and invokes the significance of corporate agency and the possibilities of acting collectively

Emerging Practices in Community Development Agreements

A Community Development Agreement or CDA can be a vital mechanism for ensuring that local communities benefit from large-scale investment projects, such as mines or forestry concessions. In formalizing agreements between an investor and a project-affected community, CDAs set out how the benefits of an investment project will be shared with local communities. In some countries CDAs are required by domestic legislation; in others, they are entered into voluntarily. The most effective CDAs are also adapted to the local context, meaning that no single model agreement or process will be appropriate in every situation. Nonetheless, leading practices are emerging which can be required by governments or voluntarily adopted by companies and communities. This briefing note reviews existing research, as well as available agreements from the extractive sector in Australia, Canada, Laos, Papua New Guinea, Ghana and Greenland, to highlight these leading practices

An inter/national strategy for developing more equitable policies and practices in higher education

Editoria

The dawn of chelonian research : Turtles between comparative anatomy and embryology in the 19th century

Many evo-devo studies of the turtle's shell draw hypotheses and support from historical sources. The groundbreaking works of Cuvier, Geoffroy St. Hilaire, Carus, Rathke, Owen, and others are being revived in modern research, and their centuries-old understanding of the turtle's shell reconsidered. In the works of these eminent biologists of the 19th century, comparative anatomy and embryology of turtle morphology set the stage for future studies in developmental biology, histology, and paleontology. Given the impact that these works still make on modern research, it is important to develop a thorough appreciation of previous authors, regarding how they arrived at their conclusions (i.e., what counted as evidence?), whether there was debate amongst these authors about shell development (i.e., what counted as an adequate explanation?), and even why these men, some of the most powerful and influential thinkers and anatomists of their day, were concerned with turtles. By tracing and exposing the context and content of turtle shell studies in history, our aim is to inform modern debates about the evolution and development of the turtle's shell.Peer reviewe

It’s About Time: working towards more equitable understandings of the impact of time for students in higher education

Higher education experiences are increasingly intensified by competing imperatives of study, work, and personal commitments. However, despite significant change, the assumption persists that time is a neutral and linear framework in which all students are equally positioned. This report documents our research into how experiences of ‘time’, as well as dominant discourses about ‘time management’, impact on the attraction, retention, and performance of students in higher education. The study engaged 46 students from undergraduate programs at three regional universities, one in Australia and two a small regional town in the United Kingdom, where the student population includes significant cohorts of equity groups including students from regional and rural backgrounds

Pedagogic stratification and the shifting landscape of higher education

This report presents research funded by the Higher Education Academy as part of its open call that looks at ‘The impact of the shifting UK HE landscape on learning and teaching’

Primer for Directors of Not-for-Profit Corporations: Rights, Duties and Practices

Directors of not-for-profit corporations are, like the organizations they serve, a diverse lot. Perhaps the two characteristics they are all most likely to share are that they are well-intentioned and time-pressed. This book was created with both these factors in mind. We have attempted to prepare a text that will help directors do a good job, as well as protect themselves from potential claims arising from their actions or decisions. We have also attempted to do so in a friendly fashion that does not require prolonged study, but highlights the essentials of what you need to know