Institutional Research IR and Systematic Enhancement SE: Tensions, Schizogamies and Positive Directi

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Institutional Research (IR) and Systematic
Enhancement (SE) Tensions, Schizogamies and
Positive Directions

• Mark Schofield
• Professor Ian Robinson

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• Presentation Structure
• Search for model of SE (Systematic Enhancement)
• Tensions between QE and traditional research
  behaviours (schizogamies )
• An approach to eliciting ideas about SE
• Outcomes
• Risky presentation as it really is work in
  progress!

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• Introduction Wrestling with the concept of SE
• Origins and QAA definition
• Idea of SE as an ill-defined concept
• Concerns to have a richer concept to apply in
  the university
• Compelled by Eltons phrase doing things better
  doing better things, and our addition avoiding
  doing bad things i.e. our sense of enhancement

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• Nub of our enquiry was essentially
• What type of systems would support SE?
• What would they look and feel like? Where would
  a notion of IR fit?
• i.e. Against a backdrop of concerns that there is
  often a mismatch between QE and research
  behaviours

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• First lets explore our concerns
• Argument that QA is often thin data with little
  triangulation, small sample sizes, skewed
  populations eg. NSS
• So QA and QE often suffer from the lack of depth
  and rigor that characterises research behaviours
• We have a data rich environment but much
  redundancy exists
• Shallow engagement and understanding of the
  messages in the data can occur
• Lack of trend analysis, statistical
  significance, and routine bastardisation of data
  to give single figure statistics and sound bites
  can occur
• (Hence our argument about schizophrenic
  behaviours)

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Theorizing Proposition is that any enhancement
system should contain intelligence-informed
behaviours and reflection on data that has been
carefully and rigorously analysed (like in
research!)
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• Theorizing
• Consistent with Feedback Loops e.g. Kolb Do,
  Review, Learn, Re-do etc
• SE is arguably a subset of IR related to
  intelligence-informed behaviours
• SE should rely on feedback related to data on an
  ongoing basis with in-depth analysis
• We tend not to use qualitative data enough, like
  as rich, thick data such as narratives and tend
  to over rely on data that is easily enumerated
• Not much of the interpretation traditions seem
  to permeate QA systems
• We wanted to see if there were any interesting
  outcomes related to thicker research-like
  behaviours in any emerging SE models
• This is in contrast this to many QA systems where
  data is often solicited, requested and perhaps
  undervalued and indicted as a bureaucracy

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• What we tried to do and why
• We wanted to get a richer model of SE by using
  the creativity and experience of a group of
  smart people to do this
• Model Elicitation (ME) was undertaken as a
  research and development activity
• Aim of ME was to create new or integrated
  knowledge to develop the concept by elicitation
  of, integration of and generation of new models
  (ways of conceiving SE)

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• Questions from ME sessions
• Given Eltons words
• If we had fully matured systematic enhancement,
  what would/could it look like in action? What
  would it be achieving?
• What should we keep that we do already?
• What could/should/can we do more of, change or
  develop?
• Outcomes to be shared soon below!

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Have a go for 10 minutes (possibility if time
allows)
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So what did participants come up with? Outcomes
of sessions and contributions to emerging model
of SE
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• Interesting phenomena emerged in sessions
• Outcomes of conceptualising SE maybe undermining
  or in conflict with existing processes
• Tension between comfort zones, safety-for-audit
  positions, and destabilising everything that is
  in situ (baby with bathwater)

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• Outcomes (See handout)
• Characteristics of an SE model would have
  features including
• Adaptive teaching related to needs of learners
  based on research in the institution
• Measurement of enhancement of structures and
  processes as well as traditional outcomes
  (numeric). So different indicators needed which
  may be qualitative
• Better definition of how we measure experiences
  of staff and students
• Feedback to the source of the data (respect and
  recognition of the voices) Hearing and
  responding to staff and student voices more
  consistently
• Reduction of or elimination of alienation of
  students by place (e.g. committees) and language
  of academics and systems
• Sustainable activities, with lack of burdens
• Non- bureaucratic and monolithic processes, with
  people engaged in consistent communications
  feeding into and within the system

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• Outcomes 2 (See handout)
• Characteristics of an SE model would have
  features including
• Crossing Boundaries food chains of linear
  conversations becoming more like food webs
• Movement beyond the closing down phenomenon by
  just allocating actors and checking actions of
  actors, shifting to development and sharing
• Sharing and cascading learning from problem
  solving around issues from QME processes as part
  of staff development infrastructure
• Celebrations of success and opening secret
  gardens and showcasing good practices otherwise
  unknown
• Creative fora as opposed to humdrum committees
• Filtering of data which currently overburdens
  everyone
• A University knowledge base which can be
  searched, sorted and cross-referenced and managed

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• Tweaking Existing Approaches
• Broadcasts of news and action lists immediately
  after committees
• New ideas, unconsidered previously by us
• Convene less enthusiastic groups and see what
  they think about systematic enhancement and why ?
  Talk more to the un-converted!
• Develop a University knowledge base which can be
  searched, sorted and cross-referenced and managed
• RSS Feeds to individuals based on need to know
  filtering from quality processes and a knowledge
  database
• Facebook concept (but not Facebook!) to hear
  students voice and reduce alienation. Electronic
  suggestion box idea
• 12 month on return to induction where once new
  staff reflect and hence inform their ongoing
  induction as the HE context shifts

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• Our challenge outside of paper in relation to
• List what we do now, and how we would like it to
  look. (Doing things better and doing better
  things!)
• To what extent do our current practices
  articulate with the stuff in the characteristics
  list we have elicited? Apply the reflection tool
• Build knowledge base, feed it, get RSS feeds
  coming out of it. (Amazon metaphor)

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Innovation (I), Development (D) and Research and
Advanced Scholarship (R) Commitment to
Systematic Enhancement of Learning
I ? R ? D