College based higher education

Introduction

Higher Education (HE) that takes place outside of designated universities, in the UK, has traditionally, been known as `higher education in further education’, or `HE in FE’. However, more recently it has been referred to as College-Based Higher Education (CBHE) or as simply College Higher Education (CHE), in both cases to reflect the growing number of institutions who are now able to apply to offer higher education courses to students (Lea 2014). CBHE is growing in volume and importance, and has its own characteristics, benefits and problems. This award is designed to accredit and advance staff and educational development in HE within, primarily, Further Education (FE) college settings. It is of particular relevance to those in a role that involves them in teaching, supporting or managing HE, primarily within or with reference to a college-based setting: HE lecturers, HE managers, and HE staff developers.

Successful graduates of programmes accredited against this award are entitled to refer to themselves as a SEDA Recognised College Based HE Teacher.

Aims

• To support the professional development of those involved in CBHE through reflection on/within their practice, with support from tutors and peers
• To support reflection on the nature of college-based higher education including scholarly activity and research practice
• To support reflection on and development of appropriate pedagogies and curriculum designs
• To recognise the particular expertise of those professionals teaching, supporting and managing in college-based settings.

Audience

The audience for courses or schemes accredited by this award is those working in (FE) colleges or similar institutions whose main responsibility may be teaching or they may have a wider remit with respect to teaching in HE or supporting others to develop their HE practice. The award embraces the diversity of roles of the college-based HE professionals, and gives them a context in which to examine and reflect on this aspect of their work, with others working in related environments.

Those teaching, supporting or developing CBHE do so in a context and culture different from that in more research-driven HE institutions. There are continuities and differences with the non-HE work in the same institutions, providing opportunities and challenges for those involved. This award supports a critical and creative reflection on this work to support its further development by these practitioners.

Values, core development outcomes and specialist outcomes

The Professional Development Framework (PDF) identifies outcomes and values which any locally designed College Based Higher Education programme must show that it assesses. We believe that there is a real value in the process of developing institution or profession specific leadership competencies. Indeed this is often essential in order to achieve buy-in by senior managers and participants.

Values

Award recipients will have shown how their work is informed by the SEDA Values:

1. Developing understanding of how people learn
2. Practicing in ways that are scholarly, professional and ethical
3. Working with and developing learning communities
4. Valuing diversity and promoting inclusivity
5. Continually reflecting on practice to develop ourselves, others and processes.

Core development outcomes

Award recipients will be able to:

1. Identify their own professional development goals, directions or priorities
2. Plan for their initial and / or continuing professional development
3. Undertake appropriate development activities
4. Review their development and their practice, and the relations between them.

Specialist outcomes

Additionally a ward recipients will be able to:

1. Reflect on the distinctiveness of the student experience in college-based higher education
2. Review the engagement with scholarly activity and research informed practice within college-based higher education
3. Analyse appropriate pedagogies in teaching, learning and assessment and curriculum design within a college-based higher education setting
4. Evaluate quality processes and/or strategies for the continual enhancement of student learning in college-based higher education.