Teaching Excellence at The University of West LondonSubmission to Teaching Excellence Framework Year Two January 2017

ContentsForeword

Executive Summary 4

1 Introduction to the Submission 7

2 Strategic Context 8

3 Student Outcomes and Learning Gain 9

3.1 Employment and Further Study (SO1) 9

3.1.1 Support and Advice 9

3.1.2 Graduate Internships 9

3.2 Employability and Transferable Skills (SO2) 10

3.3 Positive Outcomes for All (SO3) 10

3.3.1 Graduate Jobs 11

3.3.2 Student Support 11

4 Learning Environment 12

4.1 Resources (LE1) 12

4.1.1 Learning Resources 12

4.1.2 Technology-Enhanced Learning 12

4.2 Scholarship, Research & Professional Practice (LE2) 14

4.2.1 Course Design 14

4.2.2 Teaching Staff 14

4.2.3 Evaluation 14

4.2.4 Work Experience and Placements 15

4.3 Personalised Learning (LE3) 15

4.3.1 Personal Academic Support 15

4.3.2 Personalised Course Content and Delivery 16

4.3.3 Retention 16

4.3.4 Community and Belonging 17

5 Teaching Quality 18

5.1 Student Engagement (TQ1) 18

5.1.1 Contact Time 18

5.1.2 Engagement and Community 18

5.1.3 Stimulation and Challenge 19

5.2 Valuing Teaching (TQ2) 20

5.2.1 Continuous Improvement 20

5.2.2 Valuing Teaching Staff 20

5.2.3 Recognising Teaching 21

5.3 Rigour and Stretch (TQ3) 22

5.3.1 Course Design and Approval 22

5.3.2 External Examiners 22

5.3.3 Stretch and Potential 23

5.4 Feedback (TQ4) 23

6 Mitigation 24

7 Conclusion 26

3uwl.ac.uk 2 University of West London Submission to Teaching Excellence Framework Year Two January 2017

It can sound trite to say, as our TEF submission does, that we have ‘come a long way in a very short time’, however, as we approach the end of our Strategic Plan its use still sounds as fresh and as meaningful as ever. This is best evidenced by the following KPIs: our finances have been in the top quintile since 2012; our student satisfaction rates made us the fifth highest mover in 2016; our SSRs continue to be among the best in the sector (1:15); the 23% growth in student numbers since 2013 shows us to be a popular choice – an outcome that has been enhanced by our spend on the student experience (in the top 20 in the UK). However, it is our success in delivering the best employment outcomes to some of the most disadvantaged students that is the achievement of which I am most proud.

Many of our students do not have the cultural capital or the financial safety net of many of their peers in other institutions. They are also time-poor as they have to work to pay for their studies and care for their families. Nevertheless, despite coming from some of the most disadvantaged backgrounds we are hugely successful in helping all our students obtain professional level jobs: for example, 70% of female students, 71% of black students, and 85% of mature students (25+) are in professional jobs within 6 months of leaving full-time education. In fact, those from POLAR quintile 1 – the most disadvantaged by postcode – had the highest proportion of professional level jobs (76%) in the sector.

These successes have been driven by our strategic plan, Ambition 2018, that enacts what its title implies. At its heart is the University’s long standing mission to raise aspiration through the pursuit of excellence. This is built on our belief that all students, and in particular ‘opportunity-students’, should have access to three

transformative and fundamental rights: the right to enhancement, the right to inclusion, and the right of participation. In addition, we continue to be well served by a combination of a committed and highly skilled workforce (academic and service), an exemplary senior team, a fantastic Students’ Union and a pro-active and dedicated board of governors and chair. As a result we have created a transformative student experience unrivalled in the sector with outcomes that do justice to our historic mission.

Professor Peter John Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive

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Executive Summary

The University of West London submitted to the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) Year Two in January 2017, having already been successful in TEF Year One.

The University submission for TEF Year Two is aligned to the three key areas of Student Outcomes and Learning Gain, Learning Environment, and Teaching Quality.

Our strategic approach has transformed learning and teaching. The strategic plan Ambition 2018, the new learning, teaching and assessment strategy (CREATE Excellence), and the education strategy (Education Extra), establish the context for our work – the development of all our students as ‘Creative Professionals’.

Our success is evidenced by student satisfaction that is now the highest in London and by truly outstanding performance in employability, among the very best in the country. In fact we are successful in delivering the best employment outcomes to some of the most disadvantaged groups. We passionately believe in widening participation and believe it is testament to the quality of UWL’s learning and teaching that, despite the diversity of and hardships faced by our student body, we have 96% of leavers in employment or further study within 6 months, 69% in highly skilled employment, and top quartile graduate salaries.

In the TEF period we argue that the University’s performance was at least silver. Statistical indicators show the University is at silver for part-time, BME, disabled, and non-first degree students, and is at gold for mature students. In the final year of this TEF period, our performance was gold for all our students.

Student Outcomes and Learning Gain

UWL’s record of getting students into employment and highly skilled employment is outstanding.

• 96% of students are in employment or further study

within 6 months of graduation, 4% better than benchmark (HESA, 2014-15), a figure bettered by only one other HEI.

• TEF employment metrics are exceptional – 26 positive and 0 negative for full-time delivery.

• 69% of our students enter highly skilled employment, and we do even better for female (70%), black (71%), mature (85%) and disadvantaged students (76%).

• Our graduate internship, aimed at those not yet in employment, produces exceptional outcomes with 60% securing employment by the end of the scheme.

These outcomes are underpinned by courses and wider opportunities for enrichment that develop students and provide them with invaluable skills.

• Students strongly believe their course develops them personally, with student satisfaction 5% above sector average and the 11th highest figure among HEIs.

• Our courses show an appreciable learning gain in team working and communication skills within the first 8 weeks of their course.

• Engagement with the Students’ Union is associated with a 12-16% increase in successful course completion.

These achievements are all the more enviable given the diversity of our student body.

• We have the 10th highest proportion of working class students (49.9%) and one of the highest proportions of mature students (50.4%).

• While just 10% of our London-based students are in POLAR quintile 1, an extraordinary 60% are from London areas with above average deprivation.

Learning Environment

In 2014-2016, the University invested heavily to give our students access to the highest quality learning resources and support.

• Student satisfaction with learning resources has risen dramatically, soaring to 87%, and the 7th highest score among London HEIs.

• Technology-enhanced learning enriched the learning environment. Satisfaction with and use of the University’s Blackboard system has risen, and use of lecture capture is increasing 50% year-on-year. Poll Everywhere, an audience response system, has driven up engagement and interactivity in classes.

• 87% of sessions are taught by permanent academic staff; 56% by staff at a senior grade.

• 97% of our external examiners say that research, scholarship and professional practice is appropriately embedded in our courses.

• Satisfaction with the quality of clinical placements was 91%, 4% more than sector average.

• Personal tutoring has resulted in significant improvements in student satisfaction with academic support and feedback, the latter soaring to 11% higher than sector average.

• We have been successful in reducing non-continuation by an estimated 2%. Joint work with Civitas Learning has significantly increased the probability of continuing in target groups.

• Student satisfaction with the learning community at UWL is 85%, 8% above sector average.

Teaching Quality

UWL has created a comprehensive feedback culture, in which high quality teaching encourages interactivity and discussion, in turn promoted by the effective use of contact time and class size.

• Class contact is distributed towards smaller, more interactive sessions: lectures comprise only 16% of formal scheduled sessions.

• More than 75% of teaching takes place in classes of fewer than 30.

The University achieves some of the best student engagement in the sector.

• Satisfaction with student voice is very high, and 11% above sector average. Module surveys show engagement has risen 8% in 2014-16.

• The new course-representation scheme has enabled collated views from 41% of students, and the UWLSU’s ‘Big Conversation’ project engages 95% of students on their first day.

• Module survey response rates are significantly above the typical sector average.

• In 2016, the University’s NSS response rate was the highest of any non-specialist HEI in the UK, with 84% of eligible respondents participating, 12% above sector average.

• Optional NSS questions show high levels of engagement too, with UWL’s response rate dramatically exceeding the HEI average in every year they have been used.

The University is successful in developing the intellectual stimulation and motivation of its students.

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• On measures of intellectual motivation provided by optional NSS questions, results show our students enjoy a level of stimulation comfortably exceeding sector norms.

• 94% of students responding to our learning gain survey feel their course as a whole has challenged them to do their best work.

Year on year improvements in the quality of teaching are informed by feedback and driven by the professionalism of our staff and dedication to our students.

• 94% of staff say that involvement in the University’s annual institution-wide scheme of peer review led to improvements in classroom practice.

Academic staff are encouraged to extend their knowledge and practice and gain recognition.

• 2014-15 HESA data show 59% of the University’s staff held recognised teaching qualifications, the 4th highest figure in London and the 38th highest in the UK.

• Excluding hourly paid lecturers, 78% held recognised teaching qualifications, a figure that would rank 7th best in the UK.

• UWL has some of the highest proportions of Senior and Principal Fellows of the HEA in the sector: 6% are Senior Fellows, 4% above sector average, and 1% are Principal Fellows, 0.7% above average. In 2014-15 the University had the (joint) highest number of Principal Fellows of any London HEI, 7, a number that has since risen to 9.

The University supports and recognises the excellent work of its staff in many ways.

• In 2014-16, 62 out of 89 applications for promotion and merit awards were successful.

• In 2015-16, the University received 112 requests for staff development support of which just over a 100 were funded.

• The University is highly successful in delivering courses that challenge and encourage our students to develop to their full potential, producing courses that meet rigorous quality standards.

• Our external examiners consistently give us the highest endorsements for the quality and outcomes of our courses. For the period 2014-16, overall approval stands at 99%, with 100% endorsing

inter alia our academic standards and the standard of marking.

• The University delivers the highest standards of assessment and feedback, and has the 18th highest NSS score in the UK, by far the best performance of any London HEI, and a double positive TEF flag in 2016.

Mitigation

• A key objective of Ambition 2018 was the redevelopment during 2014 and 2015 of the University’s principal campus on St. Mary’s Road, a project which has been hugely successful in transforming the quality of learning resources available to students.

• Students’ free text comments in the 2013-16 NSS show clearly the impact of the redevelopment with the incidence of negative comments concerning construction increasing seven-fold to 3% during the key years of 2014 and 2015.

• There is a strong correlation between a) the incidence of negative comments and b) the difference between the University’s NSS scores and the sector average.

• We calculate that the University’s NSS TEF core metrics were reduced by 1.3% on average during each of 2014 and 2015.

• Without this suppressing factor, our NSS TEF core metrics would receive zero negative flags and the University’s profile would be silver, a conclusion supported by the many splits (e.g. year 3, Mature, and so on) for which performance is already at silver or gold.

1 Introduction to the Submission

The University of West London (UWL) has an exemplary record in extending the reach of higher education to people who have traditionally been excluded from it, those we term ‘opportunity-students’. We have outstanding rates of progression to employment and further study, some of the best in the UK, and are especially successful in supporting students from disadvantaged backgrounds into highly skilled employment. Our course design and assessment practices are rigorous and strongly informed by industry; they also receive glowing endorsements from our students and from our external examiners. Our courses stretch and challenge students, with above average contact time delivered in small classes, taught by experienced and qualified professionals. We enjoy some of the best student engagement in the sector, with students belonging to a learning community that values and acts upon their views. We have invested heavily to provide the best physical and digital resources which are used effectively to support outstanding student outcomes. Essentially, our academic staff embed research,

scholarship and professional practice into their courses and teaching, and we are an organisation that not only believes in parity of esteem between teaching and research but also delivers it.

We have two positive flags in the core metrics for our predominant mode of delivery, reflecting outstanding student outcomes in employment, highly skilled employment, and further study. They are reinforced by 26 positive and 0 negative flags for these two metrics.

Our negative core flags relate to student satisfaction in 2014 and 2015, years in which the University’s principal campus was subject to a major redevelopment. We show that this factor negatively impacted our NSS scores and calculate that without it neither core metric would be negatively flagged. We are therefore confident in asserting that our performance in this TEF period was at least silver. Indeed, the metrics and splits show the University is at silver for part-time students, BME students, disabled students, and non-first degree students, and is at gold for mature students. In the final year of this TEF period, our performance was gold for all our students.

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2 Strategic ContextUWL has come a long way in a very short time and in recent years on a range of measures institutional progress has been quite remarkable, including inter alia: finance (top quintile, 2012-16); student satisfaction (5th highest mover, 2016); SSRs (1:15, and top 20 in the UK); employability (96%, and top 12 in UK); starting salaries (34th highest in the UK); spend on student experience (top 20 in the UK); and a 23% growth in student numbers since 2013. All of which has resulted in a top 80s league table position – an unprecedented rise of 37 places in the 2017 Times/Sunday Times league table.

These successes have been driven by our strategic plan, Ambition 2018, that enacts what its title implies. At its heart is the University’s long standing mission to raise aspiration through the pursuit of excellence. This is built on our belief that all students, and in particular ‘opportunity-students’, should have access to three transformative and fundamental rights: the right to enhancement, the right to inclusion, and the right of participation.

Alongside the mission is a vision which aims to educate and develop all our students to be ‘Creative Professionals1’ fully able to engage in highly skilled employment. Taking this into account, Ambition 2018 has led to a calculated shift across the University’s activities with the adoption of a new learning, teaching and

assessment strategy entitled CREATE Excellence (hereafter, CREATE) which establishes the context for the work reported in this submission underpinned by an education strategy entitled Education Extra. Together, they form the foundation from which we have been able to create an excellent student experience with 75%+ of contact taking place in small classes with strongly weighted contact hours. This has resulted in highly engaged learners with a powerful student voice marked by excellent outcomes in degree classifications (70% first and upper second), outstanding levels of employability, and above average starting salaries. All our students are taught by a committed academic workforce with 78% holding a recognised teaching qualification. It is they who carry out 87% of the teaching and support, supplemented by industry and external experts who provide the in situ knowledge and practice in course design, assessment, and tutoring so valued by our students. Our students highly recommend us, with 86% saying they would do so, 4% more than the sector average.

As a result we have created a transformative student experience unrivalled in the sector with outcomes that do justice to our historic mission.

3 Student Outcomes and Learning GainThe University has an outstanding record of getting its students into employment and highly skilled employment. 96.1% of students are in employment or further study within 6 months of graduation, 3.9% better than benchmark (HESA, 2014-15). Only one other non-specialist HEI exceeds their benchmark by a greater margin and only two have a greater z-score. We are exceptionally proud of our record in employability and believe that the TEF flags – 26 positive and 0 negative for our predominant mode of delivery – rightly reflect our achievements and the hard work needed to secure them. As a consequence, in this section we highlight just a few of our major achievements and the evidence for our success, together with some illustrative case studies.

3.1 Employment and Further Study (SO1)

CREATE prioritises 6 themes in developing the highest standards of learning and teaching: (i) Creativity and Core Skills; (ii) Research-Informed Learning, Teaching and Assessment; (iii) Employability; (iv) Applying Useful Knowledge; (v) Technology-Enhanced Learning; and (vi) Engagement. Our strategic pursuit of (iii) the best employability for our students is manifest in the following ways.

3.1.1 Support and Advice

Students believe their courses add considerable value to their employment prospects and are highly satisfied with the careers support they receive. Support is principally provided by the Centre for Employability and Employer Engagement (CEEE) which brings together careers, employment service, placement and volunteering teams. The CEEE supports students as they engage in career management, providing them with the best information, advice, and guidance, and works closely with academic Schools and Colleges to ensure the embedding of employability within curricula.

The Centre is very well used. In the period 2014-16, the service received on average 2,300+ queries annually, with a further 1,730 students per annum attending for in-depth consultations. 1,400+ students annually register for alerts from the Centre’s jobs database which contains 8,230 employers. The Centre supports students in volunteering activity, with 1,500+ students registering annually for opportunities with 130+ organisations. Hits on the CEEE

website averaged 29,993 annually, increasing at an annual rate of 57% since 2013/14.

Student satisfaction with the service is very high. Students completed the NSS question bank B1 Careers in 2014, and their satisfaction with these questions was equal to the HEI average. Satisfaction with the question “As a result of my course, I believe that I have improved my career prospects” considerably exceeded the HEI average (89% vs 86%).

3.1.2 Graduate Internships

During 2015-16, the University launched a highly successful graduate internship scheme as part of Education Extra. Aimed at boosting the employment prospects of the few recent graduates who struggle to find employment, the scheme offers them an opportunity to acquire valuable skills through a short-term paid position at the University, either 3 months full-time or 6 months part-time. Participants at the end of the scheme rated it very positively: 100% said that the recruitment process was good or excellent; 90% said the same of induction arrangements. All felt the scheme had improved their employability skills, with 30% citing administrative, 30% confidence building, 30% transferable, and 10% technical skills. Critically, 60% indicated they had since found employment. Given that all had been unsuccessfully seeking work at the start of the scheme, we believe this is a great success and we are therefore continuing the scheme in 2016-17.

1The term derives from the work of Richard Florida: Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class. New York: Perseus Books.

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average deprivation – geographic lower layer super output areas, so-called LSOAs.

We believe that it is testament to the quality of UWL’s learning and teaching that, despite the diversity of and hardships faced by our student body, we have some of the best employability outcomes in the country: 96.1% of leavers in employment or further study within 6 months, 69% in highly skilled employment, and top quartile graduate salaries.

3.3.1 Graduate Jobs

We are hugely successful in helping all students obtain professional level jobs: for example, 70% of female students, 71% of Black students, and 85% of mature students (25+) are in professional jobs, all above the University average of 69% (DLHE, 2014-15). In fact, those from POLAR quintile 1 – the most disadvantaged by postcode – had the highest proportion of professional level jobs (76%) than any of the other quintiles.

3.3.2 Student Support

The University has an excellent track record in helping all students succeed. For example, we have developed a highly successful peer mentoring scheme that pairs students seeking a mentor with trained student volunteers. Both mentees and mentors reflect our diverse student body. Mentees are more likely to be aged over 30 (33% against 21% for the University as a whole), black (37% against 25%), female (76% against 62%) have a disability (23% against 9%); have a specific learning difficulty (11% against 5%); and a mental health condition (7% against 2%). Student mentors are similarly diverse. 45% are aged over 30, 53% are black, 85% are female and 36% have a disability, with 18% having a specific learning difficulty and 8% a mental health condition.

The success of the scheme has been striking. In 2015/16, provisional HESA data show that the withdrawal rate among users of the service was 7.3%, against the 9.3% University average. For first years (level 4), the reduction was even more impressive, down from 12.6% to just 7.1%.

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3.2 Employability and Transferable Skills (SO2)

Theme (i) of CREATE prioritises the development of our students’ skills and the strategy has been instrumental in developing education that dramatically transforms their skill levels. Evidence comes from students’ own responses. For example, NSS questions on Personal Development ask whether as a result of their course students’ communication skills have improved, and whether their confidence has improved in presenting themselves and in tackling unfamiliar problems.

Students strongly believe their course develops them personally. In the period 2014-16, we significantly exceeded the HEI average for these questions as shown in the following table.

In 2016, the evidence was even more striking. UWL student satisfaction for these questions was 87.3%, 4.8% above the HEI average, and the 11th highest figure among HEIs.

Supporting evidence also comes from optional NSS questions on B11 Learning Community. Used by UWL in 2016, these show very high levels of satisfaction (84.5% at UWL against an HEI average of 77.2%) and speak volumes about the importance of the student voice and its centrality in developing collaborative and communicative skills. Students feel that they have been able to explore ideas and interests with others

(84.9%, 9.3% higher than the HEI average), and that they have acquired skills in exploring ideas with confidence (89.6%, 5.1% higher than the HEI average).

In 2015-16, the University also developed a methodology to measure learning

gain, implementing this fully from September 2016. We utilise

a bespoke survey adapted from UKES that assesses

engagement and skill levels at course start and regularly thereafter. Results show an appreciable learning gain in team working and communication skills in the

first 8 weeks of their course.

Finally, we work closely with our Students’ Union (UWLSU)

in promoting opportunities for students to engage beyond their

academic course. We believe different avenues for engagement are particularly

important for ‘opportunity-students’, and see the benefit of this wider engagement in completion rates. For example, involvement in SU sporting activity brings with it a 12.6% increase in the likelihood of course completion, and a 15.7% increase in SU course-based societies.

These data give us confidence that students are developing vital employability skills as a result of their courses and point to the importance of CREATE in achieving this key strategic priority.

3.3 Positive Outcomes for All (SO3)

UWL is successful in delivering the best employment outcomes to some of the most disadvantaged groups. We passionately believe in widening participation and are proud that UWL has one of the highest proportions of state school educated admissions in the UK (98.1%) and the joint highest in London. We are equally proud that we have the 10th highest proportion of working class students (49.9%) and one of the highest proportions of mature students (50.4%).

Just 10% of our London-based students are in POLAR quintile 1. However, as measured by income, employment, education, skills and training, health and disability, crime, barriers to housing and services, and living environment, an extraordinary 60% are from London areas with above

Student Enterprise

We strongly encourage student enterprise, and are unique, for example, in

offering the Women in Business programme, a partnership between General Electric, Young

Enterprise and the Government Equalities Office. In 2015 10 groups of UWL students took part in the programme. All successfully completed their

start-up enterprise and entered local and national competitions; one of our students went on to win the Young Enterprise Women in Business

Award.

Student Success

Behind these impressive statistics are equally impressive life stories. Student A was the first in his family to attend University. He

came to UWL after applying through Clearing, with a low tariff score, and no GCSE in English.

He graduated with a 1st class degree in Computer Science and now works as a Software Engineer for IRIS. Student B came to the University as a mature

student having completed an access course but with no GCSEs in English or Maths. Having

obtained her degree in Information Systems, she now works as a Senior

Project Officer within the NHS.

NSS Personal Development

(2014-16)UWL HEI

average

Difference

Satisfaction for personal development 84.5% 82.6% +3.9%

For confidence in presenting themselves 84.5% 81.1% +2.6%

Communication skills 86.1% 84.4% +1.7%

Confidence in tackling unfamiliar problems 83.9% 82.3% +1.6%

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4 Learning EnvironmentDuring the period 2014-16 the University was engaged in a significant development of its principal campus, the result of which has been a dramatic transformation in the physical, digital, and specialist resources available to students. CREATE too has led a transformation of our students’ virtual learning environment through its theme (v), technology-enhanced learning.

4.1 Resources (LE1)

4.1.1 Learning Resources

In the period 2014-2016, the University invested heavily to create industry-standard specialised facilities giving our students access to the highest quality learning resources. Brand new recording studios were provided to support music teaching, nursing education supported by a new £1m+ simulation centre, new concrete technology and other laboratories to support engineering and the built environment, a mock courtroom to support law and criminology, a new radio station and studio to support broadcasting and journalism, and a new production studio to support film, media and design, to name but a small fraction of the very many developments. Alongside these, we created the University’s brand new Paul Hamlyn Library in its own bespoke building.

As a result of this investment we can demonstrate a dramatic transformation in student satisfaction with learning resources. In 2014 satisfaction stood at 77%, against an HEI average of 86%. In 2015, these scores had diverged with satisfaction at 76% against an HEI average of 87%. However, with the completion of the planned works and delivery to

students of these new, state-of-the-art facilities, satisfaction soared, to 87%, and the 7th

highest score among London HEIs. Satisfaction with the library and

specialised resources both climbed 11% in this period.

The University’s Module Evaluation Survey (MES) corroborates this striking transformation. It asks 7 questions of learning resources,

4 of which closely match the NSS. These showed a remarkable 9% rise

in satisfaction in the period 2014-16. The biggest improvements were linked to

specialised facilities (+14%) and library resources (+12%), key objectives of the University’s strategic plan.

Underpinning the rise in satisfaction with the library has also been significant investment

to support extending 24/7 opening hours throughout the academic terms. Our

early evidence is that the increase in opening hours is especially valuable in supporting students with disabilities and those aged under 25, consistent with our goal of using resources effectively to support all

students.

Our MES also shows a rise in satisfaction with other resources following strategic

improvement projects. For example, in the period 2014-16 satisfaction with module study

guides increased by 3.2% to 83.8% and satisfaction with the University’s timetable also rose by

3.1% to 80.4%.

4.1.2 Technology-Enhanced Learning

The University’s Blackboard system forms the centrepiece of its virtual learning environment and is highly valued and used effectively by all students. Strategic developments in

the TEF period significantly improved the usability, look and feel of this key

resource and has led to considerably increased usage of and satisfaction with

the system. Views per user increased 17.5% from 489 in 2013-14 to 575 in 2015-16 and satisfaction

with Blackboard rose 1.9% to 82.5%. Critically, use of Blackboard is strongly correlated with academic success, demonstrating its effectiveness in supporting student outcomes: students who make most use of the environment double their chances of a good honours grade at module level.

In 2013-14, the University took a strategic initiative, informed by the direction set by CREATE, to enrich the virtual learning environment for students through the development of a lecture capture facility. UWL Replay was successfully launched across the University’s sites in 2014-15 and has been extremely well used by both staff and students. Though not available in all teaching rooms, the launch and subsequent use of UWL Replay has been tremendously successful. The system recorded 7,186 views in its first year of operation with an average view duration of 23 minutes. In 2015-16 usage had increased by 54% to 11,085 views combined with a 20% increase in view duration to 28 minutes.

Our evidence shows that the system is especially valuable in supporting mature students

whose circumstances constrain their ability to participate fully.

In 2014, the University also invested in Poll Everywhere, an audience response system, to help staff encourage greater interactivity and engagement in teaching sessions. Since the

technology was introduced, our academic staff have run 2,627

polls with an average of 19 students responding to each. This has helped

drive up both interactivity in classes and wider student engagement. Our MES shows a substantial increase in agreement with “Teaching staff encourage students to ask questions”, from 80.7% in 2014 to 86.6% in 2016. Engagement has also increased significantly. The MES directly assesses engagement using 5 questions adapted for the purpose from the UK Engagement Survey (UKES). Scores have risen 8% during the period 2014-16.

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4.2 Scholarship, Research and Professional Practice (LE2)

The embedding of research, scholarship and professional practice into learning and teaching is the second theme of CREATE. Accordingly, all of the University’s courses contain either work experience or a placement opportunity and staff ensure that assessments, where possible, are relevant to the professional world their students aspire to enter.

4.2.1 Course Design

The design of our courses is heavily enriched by input from industry. The University draws on this expertise in the process of course validation, ensuring that courses develop the skills and knowledge needed to equip graduates for the world of work. More than 70 industry representatives were involved in course validation during the period 2014-16. As well as having an interest in education and a willingness to work with the higher education sector, representatives typically hold senior level appointments such as managers/directors and come from many different private and public sector organisations, including inter alia the NHS, BBC, Amazon, Sky Television, Ealing Film Studios, Hilton and Intercontinental Hotels, Kew Gardens, and English Chamber Orchestra.

CREATE also encourages staff to ensure assessments and learning tasks have practical relevance and support skills development. In 2015, the NSS question B5.5, “Practical activities on my course have helped me to learn” yielded a satisfaction rate of 84%, 4% higher than the HEI average, evidencing our success in exposing students to practical exercises that aid learning.

4.2.2 Teaching Staff

The University prides itself in providing a high quality learning environment for its students, with 87% of sessions taught by permanent academic staff, and 56% by staff at a senior grade. All the University’s permanent academic staff have contracts that include

the production of research or scholarship, and embed this into their teaching. Like many institutions, we encourage the involvement of postgraduate research students in teaching. Unlike many, we require them to be mentored by a member of permanent academic staff, and we deliberately limit the overall extent of teaching that is conducted by postgraduate students or newly postdoctoral staff. Our philosophy is that students should be taught predominantly by permanent academic staff to whom they need to have excellent access, including those recognised as being the most research active, such as professorial staff. We supplement permanent staff with academic staff paid on a sessional basis, so-called hourly paid lecturers or HPLs. The University employs HPLs to involve representatives from industry in teaching, to provide additional specialist teaching, and to support postgraduate research students. The success of our approach is evidenced by the fact that in 2015-16 the University drew on the services of HPLs to cover 13.5% or 1 in 8 scheduled timetabled hours. All other teaching was delivered by permanent University academic staff. Overall, during the TEF period, 56% of scheduled teaching was delivered by senior academic staff, at associate professor or senior lecturer grades, and 31% by permanent academic staff at lecturer grade.

4.2.3 Evaluation

Our success in exposing students to scholarship, research and professional practice is attested by NSS question banks and our external examiners. For example, in 2015, the question bank B5 Course Delivery showed satisfaction with the question “My learning has benefited from modules that are informed by current research” was 83%, 1% higher than the HEI average. External examiners are also asked to assess whether there is evidence of “appropriate linkages between teaching on the course and scholarship, research and professional practice”. 92.9% of examiners gave an unequivocal response of Yes and 4.3% gave an affirmative answer though with some caveats. The positive endorsement from 97.2% of

our examiners gives the University full assurance that we are succeeding in ensuring the embedding of research, scholarship and professional practice in our courses.

4.2.4 Work Experience and Placements

The University strongly encourages engagement in professional practice, and, in 2016-17, offers over 50 programme areas with an integrated placement. The CEEE assists students in finding placements, and monitors arrangements to ensure that placements adhere to the highest quality standards. From 2013-14 to 2015-16, the number of students registered with the service grew by 32%, to 1,384. The number of employers registered grew by a similar percentage to 719, including a core of 109 companies with whom the University has developed more intensive relationships as evidenced by significant levels of repeat engagement. The service holds fairs throughout the year to promote placement opportunities, and the numbers of fairs and events they have supported has grown in this period by 38% to 33 events per year. As a result, all students get access to work experience and/or a work placement, an offer which has been fundamental in still further improving our outstanding employability outcomes (e.g. 96.1% for the HESA EPI).

The University assesses the quality of clinical placements offered by the NHS using NSS N3 Practice Placement questions. During 2014-16, satisfaction with placements was at 87%, equal to the HEI average. However, a review of placements in 2015 led to procedural enhancements relating to preparatory information and the appropriateness of supervisory arrangements. This led to still further improvement in satisfaction to 91.3% in 2016 against an HEI average of 87.8%.

4.3 Personalised Learning (LE3)

CREATE prioritises ways for students to personalise their learning, either through the extension of choice or through personalised academic support, and the University succeeds in ensuring that all students are supported, engaged and valued within an academically focused learning community.

4.3.1 Personal Academic Support

From 2015-16, a new personal tutor scheme was launched, designed around the needs of our students, who like and benefit from a different kind of personal tutoring, one that is proactive and structured. Unlike more traditional models, personal tutors lead timetabled induction, teaching, feedback and academic development sessions with their tutees.

The scheme has resulted in significant improvements in student satisfaction. In 2015, satisfaction with academic support in the NSS stood at 77.0%, against an HEI average of 81.7%. Following the introduction of the new model in 2016, satisfaction rose to 82.2%, 0.4% higher than the HEI average. The University now outperforms the sector for “I have received sufficient advice and support with my studies” and “Good advice was available when I needed to make study choices”.

Student satisfaction with providing feedback to the University also increased dramatically following the new personal tutor scheme. Satisfaction with NSS question bank B6 Feedback from Students rose from 70% in 2014 (already 3% above the HEI average) to 79% in 2016 (a striking 11% above the HEI average). For the period 2014-16, satisfaction averaged 67% for the sector, but 75% at UWL; UWL satisfaction now exceeds the sector for every question in this bank.

We note a negative flag for disability in relation to academic support, and have carefully analysed this because we do not recognise a weak performance in this area. From 2014 to 2016, satisfaction with academic support among students with a specific learning disability rose from 73.5% to 74.3%. Between 2014 and 2015, satisfaction among students with other disabilities rose dramatically, from 70.6% to 81.8%, 1.8% above the sector average. Despite these successes, we are redoubling efforts to ensure that support is appropriate. However, we believe year-on-year fluctuations in these

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data suggest they can be disproportionately influenced by small numbers of students (8 responses) and are not necessarily an indicator of a systematic problem.

4.3.2 Personalised Course Content and Delivery

Students learn in different ways, and we are successful in extending choice and offering a range of teaching approaches so that their learning experience is more personalised. Students are highly satisfied with the range of options their courses provide. In 2016 students’ satisfaction with their course structure and content was 84.6% at UWL against an HEI average of 80.1% (NSS question bank B2 Course Content and Structure). The University’s performance exceeded the HEI average for every question in this bank: concerning the relevance of compulsory modules (89.6% vs 84.3%), the range of options to choose from (77.0% vs 72.8%), and the coherent and integrated nature of the courses modules (87.1% vs 82.8%).

Students are also highly satisfied with the range of teaching approaches used on their courses. In 2015 students’ satisfaction with “The range and balance of

approaches to teaching has helped me to learn” was 80%, equal to the HEI average and providing assurance that the University is appropriately meeting students’ needs (NSS question bank B5 Course Delivery, 2015).

4.3.3 Retention

The University has been greatly focused on understanding the reasons for withdrawal, and successful in addressing some of these. As mentioned earlier, we have developed a highly successful peer mentoring scheme that has been instrumental in reducing withdrawal rates, and which has been especially effective for new entrants. We have been equally successful in reducing withdrawal rates through the targeting of financial support. For example, analysis of the University’s National Scholarship programme in 2014-15 showed that the financial support we made available nearly halved withdrawal rates among recipients, to just 7.7%.

Developing the impact of these successes still further, in 2015-16 the University designed a methodology for identifying students at risk of non-completion, based on

historical data of potential risk factors. Factors included gender, age, ethnicity, postcode, and whether the student was on a course with an initial Foundation year. Analysis of these data led to centrally coordinated actions to improve the engagement of those most at risk. For example, personal tutors would contact students directly if they showed poor attendance, or failed to submit an assignment on time. Our own internal and verifiable data, suggest this work has had a measurable impact with 2015-16 continuation estimated to have improved by 2%.

In 2016 the apparent success of this initial work led to a partnership agreement with Civitas Learning, a US-based company specialising in predictive learning analytics, to develop a new UWL learning analytics model. This allows retention risk to be related to behavioural as well as academic and demographic factors. To turn insights from the model into actions to aid retention, the University has employed a new team of 4 engagement and retention officers and a Head of Engagement and Retention. These staff work closely with individual students, drawing up personal support plans, and providing a range of interventions, including academic and study skills support. Actions are determined in part by predictive analytics and the University’s focus has concentrated on students earlier in their academic careers (i.e., at levels 3 and 4, and to some extent at level 5).

Evidence of the early impact of this second phase of analytics work is provided by predicted ‘persistence’,

a measure internal to the UWL model and which reflects the probability that a student will continue into the following academic term. Persistence probabilities have risen, and in some cases dramatically. At level 3, persistence probabilities in October 2016 were 73%, and had risen to 95% in December 2016; at level 4, persistence rose from 79% in October to 90%; and at level 5, it rose from 81% to 93%.

4.3.4 Community and Belonging

The University is highly successful in creating an academically focused community, one to which students feel they belong and which promotes their personal engagement and learning. In 2016 we assessed this aspect of our provision using NSS question bank B11 Learning Community. On all questions the University substantially outperforms the sector. Overall, students are more satisfied with the learning community at UWL (84.5%) than they are at HEIs in general (77.2%). They feel more strongly part of a group of students committed to learning (87.8% against 80.8% for the HEI average); they are able to explore academic interests with other students (84.9% against 75.7%); they have learned to explore ideas with confidence (89.6% against 84.5%); they feel their ideas and suggestions on the course are valued (82.5% against 72.0%); and feel more strongly part of an academic community within the University (77.9% against 73.3%).

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Student engagement is further indexed through response rates. Since 2013-14, our MES response rates have increased substantially to a rate of 43% in 2016-17. This is significantly above the typical sector response rate which, according to the providers of our module evaluation software, Evasys, is around 10-20%. Within the NSS, our response rates have also risen substantially during the period 2014-16 to a point where they significantly exceed those of the sector. In 2016, the University achieved the highest response rate of any non-specialist HEI in the UK, with 84% of eligible respondents participating (12% above the sector average of 72%). We see too very high levels of engagement in optional NSS question banks. In every year they have been used, UWL’s response rates have dramatically exceeded the HEI average. In the period

2014-16, 2,724 UWL students responded to these question banks yielding response rates that vary between 37% and 49%. In contrast, sector response rates for the same questions in this period vary between 5% and 22%. It is this very high level of engagement that gives us confidence in citing results from these sources as evidence for our high levels of performance across the TEF criteria.

Finally, as noted earlier, the University substantially outperforms the sector in relation to students’ satisfaction at being part of a learning community, and we consider this a further sign of their very high levels of engagement.

5.1.3 Stimulation and Challenge

The University is successful in developing the intellectual stimulation and motivation of its students. We measured intellectual motivation in 2015 using NSS question bank B12. Results show that our students enjoy a level of stimulation comfortably exceeding sector norms.

We measure challenge at course and module level using two different sources of evidence; both suggest we are highly successful in stretching and challenging our students. The University’s learning gain survey asks directly whether students feel their course as a whole has challenged them to do their best work and 94% of students feel that it has. We ask an analogous question at module level and see high levels of agreement here also (81% in 2016, up 7% since 2014).

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5 Teaching QualityWork within theme (vi) of CREATE, has prioritised the creation of a feedback culture within which the University regularly seeks student feedback on the quality of its learning and teaching as part of a cycle of continuous improvement. Student engagement is key to this initiative and has ensured that during the TEF period the University’s teaching has been of the highest quality.

5.1 Student Engagement (TQ1)

UWL has created a comprehensive feedback culture, in which high quality teaching encourages interactivity and discussion, in turn promoted by the effective use of contact time and class size. We are especially proud of our size and scale as we believe it affords an intimate learning and teaching environment, one in which ‘opportunity-students’ thrive.

5.1.1 Contact Time

The University aims to support the transition of ‘opportunity-students’ into higher education by providing above average contact time, and maximising its effectiveness through emphasis on smaller, more interactive classes. UWL students spend 23.3% of study time in scheduled learning activities compared to the sector median of 22.8%. Our class contact is distributed towards smaller and more interactive sessions: lectures comprise only 16% of our formal scheduled sessions, seminars 33% and workshops 35%. Contact time and weighted class sizes are detailed in the following tables.

Analysis of weighted contact time shows that more than 75% of teaching takes place in classes of fewer than 30, a statistic indicative of our high quality teaching and of which we are very proud.

5.1.2 Engagement and Community

Engagement is theme (vi) of CREATE and the University’s strategy is to encourage very high levels of student engagement and we believe we have been tremendously successful, achieving engagement levels rarely seen within the sector. We believe these ensue directly from our strategic priorities, our use of contact time, class size, and the form of teaching we value; a pedagogic approach which stimulates, challenges and engages learners.

Evidence for engagement comes from different sources. As noted earlier, our MES directly assesses student engagement using questions adapted from UKES. Scores have risen substantially during the period 2014-16 from 72% to 80%; e.g. in relation to asking questions or contributing to course discussion, student engagement rose from 74% in 2014 to 81% in 2016.

We have worked closely with the UWLSU to develop engagement in other ways. First, we support a student course-representation scheme designed and delivered entirely by students. The UWLSU calculates the scheme has enabled individual views to be collated from 41% of our students, these feeding directly into course improvement. Second, the UWLSU has developed a unique ‘Big Conversation’ project that successfully engages 95% of all new students individually on their first day of enrolment. These activities help cement engagement and build commitment to learning.

We therefore see very high levels of engagement when we ask students to evaluate their learning and teaching. This is evidenced by the NSS question bank B6 Feedback from Students which we used in 2014 and in 2016. Student satisfaction with giving the University feedback rose from 70% in 2014 (3% above the HEI average) to 79% in 2016 (11% above). Over the whole period 2014-2016, satisfaction stood at 67% in the sector, but 75% at UWL. Moreover, the University significantly exceeds HEI average for all questions in this bank, as shown below.

Class Type Average Contact Times

Weighted Class Size(No. of Students)

Lecture 2 hours 16 minutes 28.2

Workshop 2 hours 45 minutes 13.4

Seminar 3 hours 5 minutes 18.6

Other Classes 4 hours 0 minutes 17.7

B6 Feedback from Students Difference from HEI average

I have had adequate opportunities to provide feedback on all elements

of my course+6%

My feedback on the course is listened to and valued +13%

It is clear to me how students’ comments on the course have been

acted upon+15%

Class Size (No. of

Students)<10 10-14 15-19 20-24 25-29 30-49 50+

Average Size 5 12 17 22 26 32 79

Percentage weighted

contact time7% 12% 17% 28% 13% 9% 15%

Cumalative Percentage 7% 19% 36% 64% 77% 86% 100%

University of West London Submission to Teaching Excellence Framework Year Two January 2017

B12.3 The course has stimulated my enthusiasm for learning

B12.2 The course has stimulated my interest in the field of study

Sector

72% 77% 82% 87%

UWL

B12 Intellectual Motivation

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The MES also shows high and rising satisfaction with the appropriateness of students’ workloads and with the time given them to prepare for assignments (+3.5%, to 80.6% on average). We are therefore confident in asserting that their course challenge is genuinely an intellectual one.

Finally, we indirectly measure course challenge using NSS question banks B10 Assessment and B5 Course Delivery. The first shows that students feel our assessment scheme tests “what I have understood rather than what I have memorised” (75%, 2% above HEI average). They also feel that their “learning has benefitted from modules that are informed by current research” (83%, 1% above average).

5.2 Valuing Teaching (TQ2)

We have described earlier our strategic aim of creating a culture which embeds a cycle of continuous improvement, and our success in doing so. Essential to this has been year on year improvements in the quality of teaching, informed by student feedback, and driven by the professionalism of our staff and their dedication to our students.

5.2.1 Continuous Improvement

To facilitate continuous improvement in teaching quality, the University runs an annual institution-wide scheme of peer review, designed to stimulate discussion and debate as well as encourage change and innovation leading to improved teaching practice. In 2015-16, 100% of all permanent academic staff participated and 94.4% of respondents asserted that their peer reviews led to improvements in classroom practice. This evidence suggests the scheme is instrumental in bringing about continuous improvement.

Direct evidence for continuous improvement comes from different sources, including core NSS questions related to Teaching on My Course. These show that the University’s overall performance in 2016 was equal to the sector average (a mean score of 4.2). The same pattern holds for each of the four teaching questions, with the University outperforming the sector on two. All percentage scores in this category lie within 2% of the sector average and the standard TEF criterion. Continuous improvement is also evidenced by our MES. In the period 2014-16, satisfaction with overall teaching quality rose by 3.2% on average, mirroring improvements seen in the NSS. Overall satisfaction with the University’s modules also rose by 2.8% during this period, to 82%.

5.2.2 Valuing Teaching Staff

As a University deeply committed to enhancement, inclusion, and participation, all academic staff are encouraged to extend their knowledge and practice and gain recognition for doing so. As CREATE and UWL’s Institute for Teaching, Innovation and Learning (INSTIL) make clear, the University sees research and teaching as indivisible; a belief rooted in all internal and external professional development courses, and embedded in academic contracts and promotion rounds. This grants prestige and reward to innovative teaching and the scholarship of practice through a variety of teaching excellence awards, secondments, sabbaticals, and salary based reward.

Our 2014-15 HESA data show unequivocally the importance UWL attaches to teaching qualifications. First, we vigorously monitor and record data concerning teaching qualifications returning just 2% of staff whose

teaching qualifications were uncertain, the lowest such figure of any London University, and the 23rd lowest rate in the UK. Second, 59% of the University’s staff held recognised teaching qualifications, the 4th highest figure in London and the 38th highest in the UK. Third, the University chooses to include hourly paid lecturers (HPLs) in its return to HESA, many of whom are employed because of their experience of working within industry. We believe therefore that our excellent performance on teaching qualifications is particularly noteworthy. When only permanent academic staff are considered, the evidence is even more impressive: 62% possess a grade of HEA fellowship, and 16% possess other recognised teaching qualifications; the combined proportion of 78% would rank 7th best in the UK against the 2014-15 HESA data.

The University has a KPI of 100% of staff having either fellowship of the HEA or an equivalent professional qualification by 2018. To that end, UWL offers an HEA accredited CPD scheme aimed at staff experienced in teaching. The success rate of the scheme is currently 76% overall, above the success rate for applying directly to the HEA (reported to be 72%). All staff are allocated a mentor to help them develop their case through to application either as Fellow, Senior Fellow or Principal Fellow. In the period 2014-16, the scheme supported 75 successful applications, with 40% for Fellowship, 51% for Senior Fellowship, and 9% for Principal Fellowship.

Those new to teaching, HPLs, and PhD students can take a Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PgCAP), a course accredited by the HEA and by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. The impact of the PgCAP is evaluated annually and in 2016 83% of respondents agreed that it had increased their confidence in the classroom; 94% felt it had improved their academic practice. As a result of the course 83% had introduced innovations in their teaching practice, and 94% reported the experience and satisfaction of their students had improved. 67% of respondents also reported either having published a version of their final course assignment or working towards publication.

The University encourages staff to continue to enhance their HEA status and we have some of the highest

proportions of Senior and Principal Fellows in the sector: 5.6% of our staff are Senior Fellows against a sector average of 2.3%, with 0.8% Principal Fellows against a sector average of 0.3%. Indeed, in 2014-15 the University had the (joint) highest number of Principal Fellows of any London HEI, 7, a number that has since risen to 9.

5.2.3 Recognising Teaching

All academic staff hold positions on one of three streams: research academic, teaching academic, or academic practitioner; and on one of four grades: lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor or professor. The University issues annual calls for progression from lecturer to senior lecturer, promotion to associate professor or professor, and merit awards. In the period 2014-16, the largest number of applications and successes have come from teaching academics (40 applications, 26 successes),

followed by academic practitioners (32:20), and then research academics (17:16). All have to

demonstrate excellence in teaching for these awards.

The University also funds academic staff development. In 2015-16, the University received 112 requests for support of which just over a 100 were funded. Overall, 66% of cases were for support to develop

innovative teaching techniques, to advance the scholarship of teaching,

or to develop learning and teaching networks. The corresponding figure for

2016-17 so far stands at 71%.

The University further recognises the work of excellent teachers in other ways. In collaboration with the UWLSU, the University runs an annual student-led teaching awards scheme in which students nominate staff for Special Thanks and Recognition (STaR). In 2016, 111 nominations were received, and 85 staff were made awards for reasons as diverse as their support during times of crisis, enthusiasm, inspirational teaching and ‘going the extra mile’.

Finally, we organise an annual learning and teaching conference to promote and recognise good practice, and encourage staff to innovate. Attendance is high with more than 60% of academic staff attending annually; 99% of participants rate the conference positively. 45% of participants report that the conference encouraged them to change their teaching methods, and 60% now say they are exploring flipped classroom as a result.

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the appointment of external examiners taking regard to demographic factors as well as Mission group (42% non-aligned, 17% University Alliance, 15% Million+, 10% Russell Group, others 5% or below).

Examiners are asked standard questions to augment their annual reports. Across all 17 such questions, for the period 2014-16, approval (responses of ‘Yes’ or ‘Yes, though needs some improvement’) stands at 99% (with 94% being unqualified ‘Yes’ responses). External examiners strongly endorse our standards (100%), the comparability of our student performance (100%), the organisation and design of assessments and their appropriateness to assess course learning outcomes (100%) and the standard of marking (100%). These responses give the University a ringing endorsement of the fact that we adopt very high standards while successfully guarding against grade inflation. We are likewise engaged in detailed work examining this latter question, including a University-wide trial of categorical or grade marking, and GPA.

5.3.3 Stretch and Potential

Our students achieve a dramatic transformation in their skill levels as a result of their course. As noted earlier, students’ responses to NSS questions on Personal Development give UWL the 11th highest rating in the UK, reflecting changes they perceive in their confidence, problem solving, communication and presentation skills; all aspects that we find are a challenge for ‘opportunity-students’ as they enter higher education.

At UWL we aim to develop students’ knowledge and skills in the earliest stages of their course. The University’s learning gain survey (noted earlier) has so far examined engagement and skill levels at course start and again 8 weeks later. At course start, 28% of students feel they struggle to ask questions when they need clarification; 44% feel they cannot structure written assignments logically; and 53% feel they cannot communicate using appropriate academic style. After 8 weeks, these proportions have reduced significantly: by 6%, 4%, and 3% respectively. Across all questions relating to team working and communication, we see an early learning gain of 3% in just 8 weeks.

5.4 Feedback (TQ4)

The University is similarly successful in delivering the highest standards of assessment and feedback, and has the 18th highest NSS scores in the UK for this aspect of our performance, reflected in a double positive TEF flag in 2016. The University’s strategy, led by CREATE, is to provide helpful, timely and effective feedback that enables students to improve their learning. UWL’s

INSTIL helps develop staff to improve their feedback and assessment practices. In 2014 the University adopted two key policies: a) submission, grading and feedback of assessed work should all be delivered electronically, unless the assessment prohibited it (e.g. submission of an artefact); and b) all feedback should be returned to students within 15 days.

With the introduction of these key policies, the University saw a 42% improvement (reduction) in turnaround time between 2013 and 2016. In parallel, student satisfaction with the assessment practices of the University and the feedback they receive has risen strongly. Our average NSS score for assessment and feedback exceeded that of the sector by 1.1% in 2014 (73.1% against an HEI average of 72.0%), and this had improved dramatically by 2016 with the University exceeding HEI average by 4.8% (78.1% vs. 73.4%). Our 2016 average was the (joint) 18th best performance in the UK, and we exceeded the HEI average for all questions in this section, producing by far the best performance of any London HEI.

Other data support the view that we deliver assessment and feedback to a very high standard. In 2015 the NSS question bank B10 Assessment showed that on average the University’s performance exceeded the HEI average. Moreover, our MES also shows high and improving satisfaction with assessment and feedback. Average satisfaction rose consistently from 72.8% in 2014, to 75.3% in 2015, and to 78.1% in 2016, figures that closely parallel the NSS. Our data also support the view that feedback at the University is highly effective – students who engage positively with feedback in our module survey have higher attainment levels, on average by 3-4%.

In addition, 20% claimed the conference improved their approach to technology-enhanced learning and a further 22% felt the conference helped them to develop greater interactivity and dialogue with students.

5.3 Rigour and Stretch (TQ3)

The University is highly successful in delivering courses that challenge and encourage our students to develop to their full potential, evidenced by our measures of rigour and stretch detailed below. We believe that ‘opportunity-students’ flourish and achieve their full potential through a combination of teaching that is inspiring, interactive, engaging, and delivered in smaller class sizes, and courses that conform to the highest standards of academic and professional rigour.

Education Extra provides excellent examples of our commitment to this approach. We encourage our students to engage in further learning enhancement, recognising that ‘opportunity-students’ do not always possess the cultural capital to help them succeed. For example, we provide all graduates adjunct post-graduate qualifications (certificates/diplomas) which cover employability skills and abilities, and build on professional qualifications provided by UWL’s London College of Music Examinations. Other opportunities will be offered as part of the undergraduate curriculum and included in module structures to widen access to this kind of enrichment of knowledge and skills.

We are in no doubt that CREATE, Education Extra and our guarantee of work experience/placements drives our excellent employability figures. Furthermore, our emphasis on small classes supported by peer mentoring, a range of visiting experts, specific master classes, and engagement with appropriate alumni all combine to develop the ‘Creative Professional’.

5.3.1 Course Design and Approval

The University builds significant industrial input into the design of its courses in order to ensure that they develop the skills and abilities required for industry as well as the requisite breadth and depth of discipline knowledge. As outlined earlier, we require validation panels to include representatives from industry where appropriate, as well as external academic representation. In the period 2014-16 the University held 107 validation events, involving 67 industry representatives and 108 external academics.

The quality of our awards is also kite-marked through meeting accreditation criteria of appropriate Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRBs). This gives additional assurance that we are successfully meeting the highest standards of course design. The majority of the University’s courses therefore offer accreditation and the University works with in excess of 30 different PSRBs to secure it. Currently 49% of all our undergraduate courses are accredited, reflecting 63% of our undergraduate students. However, of the University’s courses and students where there is an appropriate PSRB, 93% of the courses are accredited and 95% of the students are on an accredited programme.

All validation panels include student members, and students are routinely included in accreditations. As noted earlier, we also seek the views of students on the quality of course design (NSS question bank B2) and on all questions satisfaction at UWL outperformed the sector (UWL average 85%, HEI average 80%).

5.3.2 External Examiners

Our external examiners consistently give us the highest endorsements for the quality and outcomes of our courses. In 2015-16, we employed 129 external examiners to report on academic standards. We carefully monitor

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6 MitigationA key strategic objective of Ambition 2018 was the construction of state-of-the-art facilities to support students’ learning. During 2014 and 2015, the University’s principal campus on St. Mary’s Road, Ealing was subject to a major redevelopment (c.£60m). This very successful project has dramatically transformed the quality of learning resources available to students, as documented above. Though the extensive transformation was planned carefully to minimise disruption, some facilities had to be taken off-line at times. This impacted on key elements of the student experience and caused our upward trajectory of improving student satisfaction to stall. One year on (2015-16), satisfaction has recovered, rising 5% to 84%, the 5th largest rise in overall satisfaction in the UK.

We have analysed closely students’ free text comments in the 2013-16 NSS. These show clearly the impact of the redevelopment and provide a barometer for the wider student experience. In 2013 and 2016, years in which there was no extensive construction on University

sites, the incidence of negative comments concerning construction averaged just 0.40%. During the key years of 2014 and 2015, this rose more than seven-fold to average 3.11%. The figure below shows the relationship between a) the incidence of negative comments and b) the difference between the University’s average NSS scores (for TEF core metrics) and the corresponding sector average. The relationship is immediately striking, with the two factors correlating strongly (r = -0.60), and implying that the construction work was strongly associated with a reduction in student satisfaction. We have carefully used these data to estimate the impact of the construction work on the University’s NSS scores during 2014 and 2015. We have also adopted conservative assumptions likely to lead to an underestimate of this impact. Our calculations show that the University’s NSS TEF core metrics were reduced by 1.28% on average during each of 2014 and 2015; without this suppressing factor, they would be as shown in the following table.

All Years* Year 1* Year 2* Year 3

The teaching on my course -1.21 -1.58 -1.86 -0.18Assessment and feedback 1.05 1.22 -1.70 3.64

Academic support -1.64 -2.28 -3.45 0.79

*Difference scores adjusted for the impact of construction.

+2.00% 4.00%

+1.00%

-0.00% 3.00%

-1.00%

-2.00%

2.00%

-3.00%1.00%

-4.00% 0.00%

2013 2014 2015 2016

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University of West London Submission to Teaching Excellence Framework Year Two January 2017

The table shows that taking into account the impact of the University’s strategically led construction project, our NSS TEF core metrics would receive zero negative flags.

Together with the unchanged metrics for non-continuation (no flag), employment (double positive flag) and highly skilled employment (positive flag), the University’s profile would be silver, a conclusion supported by the many splits (e.g. year 3, Mature, and so on) for which our performance is already at either silver or gold.

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7 ConclusionSince its inception in 1860 as the Lady Byron School, the mission of the University of West London has centred on extending the reach of higher education to those who would traditionally have been excluded from it – ‘opportunity-students’ – by enriching their life chances and enabling them to make a full contribution to society and the professions.

To realise this mission, our courses combine the highest standards of academic quality with enriching input from industry including work experience and placements. They stretch and challenge students to develop personally, gaining skills valuable for life and employment. Research, scholarship and professional practice are embedded in our courses and in our teaching philosophy. Our students join a caring and supportive learning community with above average contact time, small class sizes, highly experienced and qualified teachers, and an interactive teaching style that draws effectively on state-of-the-art physical and digital resources and which promote engagement. Our success is evidenced by student satisfaction that is now the highest in London and by truly outstanding performance in employability, among the very best in the country. We have shown how these indicators imply a performance that is at the level of silver, and in many cases gold.

These successes have all been strategically led and this submission shows unequivocally that our core strategies CREATE Excellence and Education Extra really do match our mission and vision.

Student Engagement in the Submission

The University’s Board of Governors, and Executive and Senior Management groups work in close and productive partnership with the University of West London Students’ Union (UWLSU). The UWLSU wholly endorses the content of this TEF submission, and has been fully involved in its preparation, being members of the TEF Steering and TEF Management groups that have prepared the submission. The following additional statement has been provided by the UWLSU.

“We pride ourselves on the strength of our partnership with the University, which extends to all areas of the student experience. From quality assurance and student support to the strategic design of facilities and resources, we operate in an environment of genuine collaboration and partnership. We are delighted that our contributions to the university’s TEF submission have been fully considered and reflected in the narrative.

“During 2014-15 the University invested significantly in the development of our main campus in Ealing. This was a carefully considered decision despite the anticipated temporary disruption it would unavoidably cause. We are proud to say that we fully supported the University’s vision to renovate the Ealing site, and that students were central to the design of the new facilities. Students reported their frustrations with the short-term disruption in great numbers in 2014-15, but in 2015-16 even greater numbers celebrated having the facilities now available to them. We are delighted to see this feedback reflected in the NSS, because it reaffirms the beneficial impact that the student voice has on the University.”

26 University of West London Submission to Teaching Excellence Framework Year Two January 2017

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