EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Current Developments in Engineering Education:

A View from LTSN Engineering

John Dickens and Sarah WilliamsonLTSN Engineering

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Overview

National Context Examples of LTSN activity What next ?

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

What is the LTSN?

The Learning and Teaching Support Network Established January 2000 24 subject centres + Generic Centre ~£8M/annum over an initial 5 year period

Networking

Promotion and sharing of good practices L&T

Knowledge brokerage

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Student Diversity

Changes in school curriculum Maths Skills Falling applications mean we recruit from a

more diverse pool Widening Participation Implications of SENDA

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Recruitment

1993 1999 % ch. 2001 2002 % ch H1 General Engineering 3462 1928 -44 1955 1996 -42H2 Civil 3157 1682 -47 1625 1690 -46H3 Mechanical 3829 3297 -14 2985 3028 -21H4 Aeronautical 896 1140 27 1327 1326 48H6 Electrical/Electronic 4507 2517 -44 2629 5110 13H7 Production/Man 1314 1155 -12 1372 1355 3H8 Chemical 1156 843 -27 660 681 -41

Source Engineering Council/UCAS

Home Acceptances

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Changing Structure in HEIs

LTSN Engineering contacts database – changes 2000 – 2002 ~ 275 departments 2000 ~ 250 departments 2002

Downsizing of departments Departments merging to become Schools, etc Pulling out of engineering in particular

disciplines and, in some cases, completely

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Funding for L&T Projects

Teaching and Learning Technology Programme (TLTP)

Fund for the Development of Teaching and Learning (FDTL)

HE Innovations Fund Teaching Quality Enhancement Fund (TQEF)

What impact has this had on thestudent learning experience?

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Current Activity

Widening Participation

Disability Flexible Delivery Curriculum

Development Assessment Problem-based

Learning

Project-based Learning Learning Technologies Student Retention and

Motivation Personal Development

Planning (PDP) Maths

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Widening Participation

50 % of 18-30 year olds into HE by 2010

Foundation Degrees Encouraging women into engineering:

Balance project – www.balance.ac.uk

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Disability

SENDA legislation now in effect

LTSN Engineering Disability Guide Disability projects

Assessment Engineering Sign Language Glossary Web Based Audit Tool

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Flexible Delivery

Increasing student diversity

Student-centred Learning:

SLICE project – www.plymouth.ac.uk/SLICE Open and Distance Learning

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Curriculum Development

Learning outcomes and abilities of graduates

LTSN Engineering Guide to using the benchmark statements

EPC Output Standards QAA Benchmark Statements due for revision

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Assessment

Key issue

Increased use of CAA e3an project – www.e3an.ac.uk

Emphasis on formative feedback Changes to SARTOR – input output standards

Assessment of Output Standards

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Project-based Learning

Core component of engineering programmes

PBLE and Project Squared

www.pble.ac.uk and www.projectsquared.org

LTSN Engineering Guide to ‘Assessment of Individuals in Teams’

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Learning Technologies

Meeting the changing expectations of students

Access to learning and teaching resources

SearchLT engineering – www.searchlt.engineering.ac.uk

Evaluation of computer based material:

EASEIT-Eng – www.easeit-eng.ac.uk

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Student Retention

Fines for not meeting retention rates

Government priority area Motivating students through interactive lectures, etc PROGRESS and SPAT projects

www.hull.ac.uk/engprogress and www.spat.ac.uk LTSN Eng Guide to ‘Retention’ in development

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Personal Development Planning

To be available to all students by 2005

Recording achievement and reflective learners

Rapid – http://rapid.lboro.ac.uk LTSN Engineering PDP resource in development

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Maths

Continues to be a major issue

LTSN MathsTEAM project Diagnostic Testing, Student Support, Teaching Maths in Context

www.ltsn.ac.uk/mathsteam mathcentre –

the UK Maths Learning Support Centre

www.mathcentre.ac.uk

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

The White Paper

Widening Participation (50%) reaffirmed with more funding, more emphasis on retention (fines?), but NOT new money?

Declared intention to reward excellent teaching. Centres of Teaching Excellence, 70 centres @ £500k p.a. for 5 yrs + £2M capital. NEW Money

National Teaching Academy

(LTSN + ILT(HE) + HESDA) Teaching qualification by 2006 for new staff

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Centres of Teaching Excellence

No criteria for award or expected outcomes have been defined

Subject-based? Themed-based? What do they deliver and when? What happens when the money stops?

EPC Congress, University of Surrey, 15 April 2003

Impact

Raising awareness of issues Resources Networks Influencing policy and practice Reactive Proactive