Towards a New Learning and Teaching Strategy

Learning and Teaching Strategy: Outcomes of Consultation

In November and December 2017, the University Committee for Learning and Teaching (UCLT) held an institution-wide consultation on developing Heriot-Watt University’s new Learning and Teaching Strategy. 

All information related to the consultation, including the Consultation Paper, is available on the SharePoint site Towards a New Learning and Teaching Strategy.

The extent of participation in the consultation exceeded expectations, providing an invaluable spectrum of views on the future direction of learning and teaching: 

• 377 individuals participated in 26 open campus-wide workshops and in local consultation meetings; 
• 83 respondents to the online survey;
• Approx. 120 additional participants through: institutional committee discussions; individual responses from University Executive, academic and professional services staff; consultation with a selection of employers.

Following a detailed analysis of responses, there is now a much clearer way forward in terms of producing the first draft of the next Learning and Teaching Strategy.

Consultation Report and Summaries

A full Report on the Learning and Teaching Strategy Consultation has been produced, together with a Consultation Summary presentation. 

The UCLT discussed the key themes emerging from the consultation at its Away Day on 17 January 2018, focusing on the HWU Graduate; the HWU Curriculum; Approaches to Teaching: Vision. The UCLT Away Day Report, accompanying presentations and visual summaries provide an overview of the key emerging themes.
 

Final Stages

The development of the new Learning and Teaching Strategy was fully aligned with that of the University’s Strategy 2025, in terms of both objectives and timelines. As a consequence, the publication of the new Learning and Teaching Strategy, which was originally due for September 2018, was re-scheduled for later in the year. A Revised Timeline for the New Learning and Teaching Strategy was produced.

For the Learning and Teaching Strategy, the final stages included opportunities for further discussion across the institution on the principal components of the Learning and Teaching Strategy, including the Curriculum and Approaches to Teaching. 

Through School Learning and Teaching Committees and the campus-specific Learning and Teaching Enhancement Fora, there were opportunities for discussing the proposed key elements of the new Learning and Teaching Strategy: Curriculum; Approaches to Teaching; Assessment.

A Local Discussion Paper on Developing the Learning and Teaching Strategy and presentation were produced to facilitate this further round of discussion.  This local consultation concluded in June 2018 and the outcomes were considered by the University Committee for Learning and Teaching at its meetings in September and November 2018.

The Learning and Teaching Strategy 2018-2025 was approved by the University Executive on 11 December 2018 and the Senate on 13 December 2018.  Further information on the Learning and Teaching Strategy 2018-2025 is available via the link to the left of this page.