Teaching Excellence Framework - Loughborough University€¦ · University life and gives us the...

LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY | UKPRN 10004113

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1. Introduction and Provider Context

Contents

1. Introduction and Provider Context 2. Commentary on Performance against Core and Split Metrics3. Teaching Quality - Student Engagement (TQ1) - Valuing Teaching (TQ2) - Rigour and Stretch (TQ3)

- Feedback (TQ4)

4. Learning Environment - Resources (LE1) - Scholarship, Research and Professional Practice (LE2)

- Personalised Learning (LE3)

5. Student Outcomes and Learning Gain - Employment and Further Study (SO1) - Employability and Transferable Skills (SO2)

- Positive Outcomes for All (SO3)

6. Students’ Union Statement 7. Summary

(TEF) quantitative metrics demonstrate excellent performance against the TEF criteria. However, the University is never complacent about the student learning experience. It recognises that success comes through a strategic approach to our provision that is informed by external infl uences, which is responsive to disciplinary differences, and uncompromising in institutional quality and standards.We deliver full-time undergraduate provision at our campus in the Midlands. In the academic year 2015-16, the University had a total of 17,672 students, of whom 70% were full-time undergraduates, of which 8% were international students. For context, the rest of the student body comprises 17% postgraduate taught and 6% postgraduate research students with 7% in other categories. 53% of full-time undergraduates were registered on degrees with a placement year, and 62% of our students are on science or engineering degree programmes. Loughborough attracts home students from all over England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a smaller number from Scotland. The

Loughborough University’s strategy, Building Excellence, sets out a vision for the University around four strategic drivers: Investing in our staff; Educating for success; Growing capacity and infl uence and Raising standards and aspirations. Research, teaching, enterprise and sport are embedded in each of the strategic drivers. The Educating for success driver states that “We will develop our students as individuals, enhancing their capabilities as creative, confi dent and adaptable 21st Century citizens who will make a signifi cant contribution to global society”.

Loughborough University provides a learning environment which promotes and delivers an outstanding student experience and realises positive outcomes for our graduates. We are proud that the Teaching Excellence Framework

Teaching Excellence Framework - Year 2 Provider Submission January 2017

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Being invited to contribute to this document is a clear demonstration of the close relationships that we have at Loughborough. These underpin a true partnership between Loughborough University and Loughborough Students’ Union (LSU), and also reflect a wider partnership between the staff and students. This is reflected in the fact that the Union Executive each has a buddy within the University Senior Leadership team – for example, the LSU President with the Vice-Chancellor. Our partnership centres around constant progression and development and this has formed a central focus of our approach to the TEF. We saw the implementation of the TEF as an opportunity to work with the University in order to further enhance the learning and teaching experience of the students, whilst also identifying areas of weakness and ensuring that they are addressed. This collaborative working by students and staff can be evidenced by the approach to producing this document. This submission was prepared by a small TEF Working Group, chaired by the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Teaching, and including myself as the LSU Sabbatical Executive Officer (Education)

highest concentration of students is from the surrounding counties, particularly Leicestershire, although significant numbers come from the counties around London. The employment locations of our graduates are broadly representative of their home locations, with recognisable hot spots throughout the Midlands and the central spine of the country, in London and the South East. There is a good correlation between our graduate employment locations and the regions with the highest proportion of graduates in highly skilled jobs sector-wide, consistent with the excellent employment prospects for our students. Loughborough’s Research Strategy is for all academic staff to be directly engaged in world class research. From a teaching perspective, this means that our students can learn directly from those at the forefront of current research. The Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 gave clear evidence of this in the research intensity metric, which combines the overall grade point average score with the proportion of eligible staff submitted. Loughborough ranked in the top 10 in England by research intensity.

One of the most powerful illustrations of the extent to which Loughborough is achieving its commitment to excellence in both research and teaching came from the National Union of Students. In an article1 which considered REF intensity and National Student Survey (NSS) 2014 scores, it was concluded that Loughborough is in the top 5 of institutions that are “strong on REF and NSS”.The constructive partnership at every level between students and staff at Loughborough in shaping and delivering an outstanding student experience is at the heart of everything we do. The success of our students is testament to the dedication of the academic staff within our academic Schools, and the support staff in both Schools and Professional Services, who demonstrate unwavering commitment to excellence in teaching and the student experience. This provider submission outlines our work in delivering teaching excellence and provides additional evidence to supplement the positive outcomes of the quantitative TEF metrics.

1. www.wonkhe.com/blogs/teaching-research David Morris, Jan 2015

and my colleague, the Head of Student Voice. Students were involved throughout the course of the development of this document – one example of which was a workshop on Excellence in Learning and Teaching in Loughborough held on the 26th October. This was attended by academics, Professional Services staff and student representatives from across the University, and was used to help identify areas of excellence alongside areas that had room for improvement. The Programme Presidents and Students’ Union Executive made significant contributions through the workshop, showcasing one way we have worked together. The TEF has given us reason to gather evidence around our areas of strength, however, at Loughborough, we wish to deliver an excellent educational experience for all involved. Therefore, we have also seen it as another opportunity for students and staff to work together to make sure that learning and teaching at Loughborough is the best it can possibly be. I think it is invaluable to recognise that the attitude of Loughborough University is such that events like these are not rare. It is not unusual to see a group of students and staff sitting down to discuss ways in which they can improve the overall experience here, and both parties must be commended for creating a culture of genuine partnership which leads to such positive student outcomes.Lewis Wood, Executive Officer (Education), LSU


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2. Commentary on Performance against Core and Split Metrics

We are particularly proud of our ‘Highly skilled employment or further study metric’ which shows us as 8% above our benchmark, with a Z-score of 15.1, demonstrating that the vast majority of our students are securing graduate level jobs or undertaking further study. The ‘participation of local areas’ classification (POLAR3) groups regions across the UK are based on the proportion of the young population in higher education, with quintile 1 having the lowest participation rates (most disadvantaged) and 5 the highest (most advantaged). We are pleased to note that there is very little difference in the professional employment rates between the data for students categorised as disadvantaged (quintiles 1 and 2, 82.1%) and those categorised as not disadvantaged (quintiles 3-5, 82.6%). This supports our internal analysis which shows only a small difference (between students from POLAR3 quintiles 1 and 5) of 1.8% in the reporting period. This is significantly better than a recent HEFCE2 analysis for the sector which showed a difference of 7.7% between students from POLAR3 quintiles 1 and 5 across their early careers, and is indicative of positive outcomes for all our students. At Loughborough, we are similarly proud of our student experience, which was ranked first in the Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey 2016. The double positive flags in the core metrics categories for ‘Teaching on my Course’, ‘Assessment and Feedback’ and ‘Academic Support’ originating from the NSS are testament to the quality of our academic provision. In addition to academic excellence, our renowned student experience brings together our award winning Students’ Union, sports clubs, societies and community spirit, all of which play a big part in why our students are so passionate and proud to be at the University.

There are no flags in our core metrics for Non-continuation. However, we would like to draw attention to the positive flag for year three and also the positive flags for Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) and mature students in the split metrics. Our internal analysis reveals that only 0.5% of students did not continue as a result of academic failure, with no significant variation across student groups. Likewise, there are no flags on our metric for Employment or further study, although we note the significant performance above the benchmark for the other measure of student outcomes. We are pleased to note the steady improvement in performance in this area over the period. Loughborough University does not currently offer part-time undergraduate degrees. Those who are recorded as studying part-time with us (2%) are completing their studies over a longer period due to disability or health-related conditions, elite sporting commitments or are undertaking reassessment. For part-time students, the core metrics are all neutral, and within the split metrics we note one negative flag for females in relation to ‘assessment and feedback’. Detailed analysis of the NSS responses indicates that this flag arises from a total of only 13 respondents over the 3 years, making performance against the benchmark extremely sensitive to individual circumstances in a very small sample. We note one positive flag for male students in respect of ‘non-continuation’ which arises from a population of just 10 students. The data for part-time students are far less representative of our offer. Nevertheless, we continue to monitor all our data in order to inform and enhance interventions for any student who may need additional support.

Our core TEF metrics for full-time students, comprising 98% of our undergraduate student body, demonstrate that we have four double positive flags, including at least one in each of the three aspects of quality, and no negative flags for our full-time provision. In these four areas, the positive flags are evident across all three years of data. In the remaining two core areas, the indicators are above the benchmark.We also perform significantly above our benchmark in the same four aspects across 13 of the 14 applicable split metrics, which are sub-divided for different student groups. Double positive or positive flags are present for: all years, level of study, age (young), disadvantaged, ethnicity, disability status and sex.

2. www.hefce.ac.uk/pubs/Year/2015/201523

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“Peer Mentoring and PAL have helped shape my University experience at Loughborough…

it builds confidence and expertise in University life and gives us the academic and social tools to utilise in other aspects of life”

2nd Year, Sport and Exercise Science student

3. Teaching Quality

Student Engagement (TQ1)Student engagement is a fundamental element of academic life at Loughborough. We have a framework for student opportunities within and beyond the curriculum that recognises students as partners in learning; skilled assessors of their academic experience; valued and informed advisors of educational developments; and critical appraisers of innovative approaches to learning and teaching.

The evidence and impact of our commitment to high quality teaching and learning which encourages student engagement and commitment is demonstrated in the following ways:Our partnership with students and with the Students’ Union (LSU) is key to enhanced student engagement in all areas of learning and teaching in ways that lead the sector3. Student membership is a feature of all relevant University Committees, and students are included on senior staff appointment panels. We work closely with the LSU each year on their ‘10 Education Priorities’, informed by student feedback, with specific actions and interventions supported by the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee. We provide students with a range of opportunities to contribute to the quality assurance and enhancement of provision, through feedback from individual students and via student representatives. Student Representation and Student Voice: The University has supported LSU to maximise the involvement of students in representation and teaching evaluation. The Programme Presidents initiative which started in 2011/12 created these senior School positions to coordinate the activities of all Programme Reps, and thereby lead, motivate and create stronger links with the University. The role of Programme Presidents has enhanced the partnership with students in shaping the academic experience and facilitating student engagement and commitment. There are nearly 500 Programme Reps and 21 Programme Presidents, all of whom received training from LSU, with the University providing training for Staff Student Liaison Committee (SSLC) Chairs and Secretaries. The LSU Student Voice (which provides impartial advice and support to students) produces a detailed report presented to the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee each year on the effectiveness of SSLCs. In the 2015/16 Programme Rep survey, 95% were confident that their feedback would be considered and acted on.

3. White Paper “Higher Education: Students at the Heart of the System”, BIS, June 2011

Peer Support at Loughborough, a joint University and LSU initiative, was successfully rolled out across the University in 2014/15. It consists of three main strands: Peer Mentoring, Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) and Peer Led Study Groups. A recent review has demonstrated the impact of the initiative on student engagement with their studies and their university experience. Over 1400 students experienced additional support due to either interaction with a Mentor or attending a PAL session. The second year saw a 200% increase in the number of students volunteering to provide Peer Support. Many of the 244 Peer Mentors and 35 PAL Facilitators who were recruited and trained reported increased transferable skills, such as verbal communication and time management, invaluable for seeking future employment.

Case Study: Peer Support Project

Researching, Advancing and Inspiring Student Engagement network (RAISE): We hosted a special interest event for staff and students from 20 universities in 2015 to explore engaging assessment methods. In 2016 we hosted the RAISE conference, which drew together over 260 students and staff from 15 different countries to share ideas and practice. Several Loughborough staff and students are active members, engaging with events and the network’s peer-reviewed journal.


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Valuing Teaching (TQ2)Loughborough has long been committed to ensuring that staff are recognised and rewarded appropriately for their contribution to and performance in learning and teaching. Investing in our staff, one of our key strategic drivers, is focused on supporting staff to achieve their full potential through development opportunities and maintaining a staffing profile which enriches the academic student experience we offer. It is a strategic priority to sustain and build on a shared institutional culture that attracts and supports staff who are committed to: enhancing student learning at all levels; delivering teaching that is scholarly and research informed; engaging in their own professional development; and an ethos of collegiality in learning and teaching.

Evidence of our commitment to facilitate, recognise and reward excellent teaching is demonstrated through:The Framework for Good Practice in Learning and Teaching was developed in 2015/16 to draw together the practice that was already widely recognised, valued and implemented at the University. The Framework sets out institutional expectations, drawing on two complementary and interrelated principles of consistency and creativity. The principles are applied to the three key areas of learning and teaching activity: curriculum design, delivery, development and evaluation; student engagement, support and development; and professional learning and career development. The Framework maps onto the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF). The Personal Development and Review (PDR) process was revised and the updated scheme piloted in two academic Schools in 2015/16. It is being adopted across the University in 2016/17. Teaching activity and associated development are key features of the PDR discussion and there is a requirement for staff to detail and demonstrate engagement with the Framework and reflect on their practice. A review of reward schemes and academic promotion processes has taken place in the last two years to ensure that they reflect the importance placed on learning and teaching.Promotion criteria to Senior Lecturer, Reader and Chair all explicitly reference teaching, with promotion available through demonstrating excellence in teaching and associated educational development. All candidates are required to have a demonstrable record of maintaining good practice in learning and teaching as reflected in the Framework, and to have obtained formal recognition of their professional standing in teaching. The University has made a commitment to enable all academic staff to obtain a teaching qualification by 2020. Loughborough has delivered a successful Higher Education Academy accredited CPD scheme for staff who teach since 1998, within the context of the UKPSF. In recent years the work has

been extended to include more colleagues who support teaching and to encourage staff at all stages of their career to develop their professional practice. There has been a significant increase in the number of academic staff (excluding casual staff) with teaching qualifications in the last 3 years, from less than 40% to 63% (Dec 2016). An additional 17% of staff are currently actively working towards a formal teaching qualification, supported by the Centre for Academic Practice (CAP). A University Fellowship scheme was launched in 2016 which allows staff dedicated time to focus on a strategic aspect of their work, including pedagogy. An annual allowance is provided in workload models for academic staff to engage in teaching developments.Annual Teaching Innovation Awards (TIA, 2005-) are another way the University recognises, celebrates, shares and promotes excellence in learning and teaching. The awards are open to all of our learning and teaching community. Applications are welcomed from students, academic and support staff. The Awards fund new initiatives and pedagogic research projects contributing directly to the quality of our teaching and learning. 24 awards have been made over the last 3 years, with the outcomes disseminated within Schools and more widely at the University’s annual Learning and Teaching Conference and the regular CAP Forums throughout the year.Academic Schools also award School Teaching Awards voted for by students, and the University actively supports LSU in their annual student-led Academic Awards for staff.There is a culture of mentoring and support networks across the University for staff engaged in learning and teaching, which encourages evidence-based enhancements and facilitates the sharing of best practice and innovation. All Schools have a peer observation of teaching scheme which adheres to a consistent set of principles. The aim is to promote critical, reflective and professional dialogue and the opportunity for sharing best practice in teaching and learning.

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The design and development of our degree programmes, standards and assessment methods provide intellectual rigour and stretch to allow students to develop independence, knowledge, understanding and skills that reflect their full potential:Academic rigour is integral to our activity. Thorough scrutiny of all taught programmes takes place through our internal Annual Programme Review (APR) panel visits, and as part of a wider extensive quadrennial review (QR) of School activity, both of which include LSU representation. External examiners are appointed to all provision which leads to a Loughborough award via a rigorous selection process to assure and enhance academic quality. Many of our staff act as external examiners at other universities.Loughborough takes pride in its students’ academic achievements and any sense of grade inflation would be counter intuitive. We are transparent with our data, and degree classifications, including the % of students achieving 1st and 2(i)s, and employment outcomes are included in our Key Performance Indicators, which are monitored quarterly with School Deans, and reported at University level to Council.Course design: A robust governance structure ensures that there is rigour in the scrutiny of new (or major change) programme proposals. This includes examination of the balance between contact time and independent learning, the balance of activities and the appropriateness of the assessment methods. Professional accreditation is taken very seriously, and is a significant factor in curriculum design. Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Body (PSRB) reports are scrutinised during APR and QR. Many of our staff are also actively involved with their respective professional bodies.Placements and international exchanges (see also SO1): All of our undergraduate programmes provide opportunities to undertake industrial, professional and international placements, typically between the second and third year. The University remains the UK’s number one provider of engineering year-long placements, sending 45% more students on placement than any other University (2014/15 HESA UG Student Record). It is hard to

overstate the importance of the placement experience to students’ learning. Of all students choosing to do a placement of a semester or more as part of their programme of study, 14% choose to do so overseas. We have ~150 partners in Europe for study exchange, facilitated by the Erasmus+ and Unitech (a network of 8 leading European universities with strengths in engineering) programmes. In 2014/15 on the Erasmus+ alone, 119 Loughborough students travelled overseas, 65% on a study exchange and 35% on a traineeship and we welcomed 180 incoming Erasmus+ exchange students. Every year ~40 students take advantage of reciprocal exchange agreements with international partners in Australia, Japan, Singapore and the USA.We are similarly proud of the extensive opportunities for students to undertake independent in-depth research which provide intellectual challenge – see LE2.

Rigour and Stretch (TQ3)We deliver an outstanding and distinctive campus-based learning experience that is valued by students; includes face-to-face teaching, small group classes, peer support and technology enhanced learning; and provides an intellectually stimulating environment within which students can study and develop their core skills.

• Nearly 50% of our undergraduate programmes are accredited by a PSRB.

• Of the 281 Loughborough programmes listed on Unistats, 137 are identified as accredited, including the majority of our Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) degrees.

• The School of Business and Economics is one of less than 1% of business schools worldwide to have achieved accreditation from all three major international accrediting bodies – the prestigious ‘triple crown’.

• We have recently supported the Royal Geographical Society in the introduction of a new accreditation scheme and recognition as a PSRB.

Case Study: Accreditation of our taught provision

“After my 12 month placement I’ve come back with a stronger work ethic and drive to produce quality work to a higher standard. It has also enabled me to secure a graduate

opportunity in a design consultancy” 2016 Graduate, Ergonomics


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The University is committed to ensuring that assessment and feedback are used effectively in supporting students’ development, progression and attainment, through:Learning and Teaching policy: Our procedures ensure that curriculum design demonstrates clear alignment between learning outcomes, teaching and assessment at module and programme level, and that assessment and feedback stimulate enquiry and high achievement. The Framework for Good Practice in Learning and Teaching places an expectation on staff to provide transparent marking descriptors and timely and appropriate feedback to students. We have also invested in the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) to support electronic submission and marking of coursework.The TESTA project (Transforming the Experience of Students Through Assessment): The University uses the nationally developed TESTA methodology to identify any assessment and feedback issues at programme level. The methodology provides evidence to programme teams about assessment and feedback patterns which support improved assessment design. TESTA was piloted in two Schools in 2014/15, and following its success is being rolled out

Encouraging and rewarding students: In 2015/16 the annual University Scholarships for Academic Excellence were introduced for top performing undergraduate students across Schools in each Programme prior to their final year. The awards recognise all of the hard work our Scholars put in to achieve top marks in their year, with many combining study with a wide range of extra-curricular activities. Placement Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of students who have applied their knowledge and skills to deliver real impact

in the workplace. Last year more than 8,000 votes were cast to decide the winners in three categories of small and large private, and public sector organisations.Further evidence of the quality of our programmes is our equal 2nd rank in the ‘well-structured courses’ measure in the THE Student Experience Survey 2016. In the iGraduate International Student Barometer and Student Barometer (ISBSB) Survey Autumn 2014 the University was ranked 1st globally for course organisation and 3rd globally for course content.

Feedback (TQ4)We recognise that effective assessment and feedback plays an essential part in student learning and progression. We undertake rigorous scrutiny of assessment design during programme development and approval, and in subsequent monitoring and review processes. Feedback to students on their performance in formative and summative assessment is tailored to the individual, designed to promote learning and to improve performance.

University-wide, leading to positive changes in assessment and feedback practices and better outcomes for students. Academic Scholarship: In order to support students in their transition into higher education, in 2015 the University introduced developments to enhance student understanding of the standards of academic scholarship expected. These included training for new students on scholarly good practice and how to avoid misconduct, including assessment of understanding through an on-line test and preparing and submitting a piece of written work through a Text-Matching tool. Pedagogical Projects on Feedback: Effective feedback has been a priority for Loughborough for many years and the University continues to invest in projects and initiatives to enhance feedback in a way that reflects disciplinary differences. The work includes close collaboration with the Students’ Union, seeking students’ views on what is effective feedback, and highlighting to students the numerous ways feedback is provided. 20% of the TIAs (see LE2) to date have focused on feedback, including projects on effective feedback in laboratory classes and oral feedback using video technologies.

A four-year longitudinal study undertaken in Civil Engineering investigated satisfaction with feedback from both staff and student perspectives4. This led to the publication of the Feedback Digest Providing Feedback to Students - effective practice from the Loughborough student perspective. The findings have influenced feedback strategy and practice across the University, with clear guidance given to staff, training provided to students on making best use of feedback, and the introduction of enhanced feedback quality monitoring processes.

Case Study: Enhancing the quality of assessment and feedback for Engineering undergraduates

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4. Learning Environment

Resources (LE1)We maintain a programme of strategic investment in resources to support the delivery of learning and teaching that is innovative and pedagogically informed. This includes an integrated approach to the enhancement of physical and virtual learning spaces. The University consistently invests in buildings, equipment and technologies to support excellence in teaching, aligned to our strategy of delivering an outstanding and distinctive campus-based learning experience for all.

We continuously develop and enhance our physical and digital resources, and ensure that they are used effectively to aid learning, through: Stakeholder involvement: The development of learning environments is underpinned by a formal governance structure which ensures informed decisions result in value for money investments which deliver. A wide range of stakeholders, including students, are involved at all stages. For example, the 2015 Learning Environments Survey, ‘Rate our Space’ asked students to rate the importance of learning and teaching spaces including formal teaching rooms, informal learning areas and IT labs. 897 students across the University responded and evaluation has had a signifi cant positive impact on future design briefs.Learning by conversation: A key principle within our Learning and Teaching Space Strategy is ‘encouragement of students to learn by conversation not isolation’, achieved in both formal and informal learning spaces. Designs to increase collaboration have been incorporated in teaching hubs, which have been recognised nationally and internationally as an exemplar of best practice and replicated.Informal learning spaces: We are involved in sector-wide activity to develop innovative informal learning spaces. For example, we host and make visits to share best practice, including organising a national conference in April 2015. At Loughborough, investments have been made in diverse spaces, providing students with options for individual study and group collaboration. All feature on our interactive Learning Space Map, which allows students to see availability in real time to inform their study decisions.

Major investments in undergraduate teaching and learning infrastructure: We have invested £41.9M over the last 3 academic years, of which £35.5M was for University-wide and discipline specifi c major capital projects, including:Library (£4.6M): Over 9,000 m2 of space was refurbished in 2013, with two levels transformed into bright vibrant learning spaces for individuals and groups, informed by snapshot and longitudinal survey data. Over 300 additional study spaces were created, including 70 silent study spaces and a 40% increase in computers, resulting in 1,300 study spaces and over 250 PCs. The PC clinic was relocated into the Library and new service desks installed to maximise support for students. We have seen an increase in library footfall from 2013-2016 of 6%. West Park Teaching Hub (£3M), opened in 2016, is a key enabler of strategy to optimise the quality and location of teaching space through the creation of two main teaching ‘hubs’ on Central and West Park. It includes fi ve tiered lecture theatres designed to support collaborative learning, two seminar rooms, a central learning and exhibition zone, and an informal learning area. The success, evidenced in post-occupation surveys has informed designs for the future development of the Central Park Teaching Hub.STEMLab (£20M) including £5M from HEFCE STEM Teaching Capital and £3M equipment - Contains 3,500 m2 of modern, energy effi cient, co-located and shared facilities providing a truly student focused laboratory learning environment informed by extensive research5. Opening in 2017, it will provide new ways to learn and collaborate, science and engineering teaching laboratories, workshops, computer-aided design and rapid prototyping facilities, a design studio and informal learning spaces. The facilities will enable enrichment and expansion of the STEM curriculum, broadening the vital role we play in supplying skilled graduates to industry in the future.

4. Bamforth, SE, Perkin, G, and Sander G, 10th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, Spain, pp. 5501-5510, DOI: 10.21125/inted.20165. Laboratories for the 21st century in STEM higher education, Gibbins, L and Perkin, G, https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/2134/13389, 2013


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S Building, Level 0 (£4.4M): Completed in 2016 and the first part of a major refurbishment of core engineering buildings, this has created a new multi-zonal IT lab to enhance provision and flexibility of utilisation, and significantly enhanced large scale facilities for discipline specific engineering teaching, and an outdoor learning zone with virtual reality technology.Alongside these investments we continue to invest in learning support technologies which integrate our physical and digital resources, including £0.9M for AV equipment (independently benchmarked as best-practice) and lecture capture technologies over the past 3 years. The use of lecture capture continues to increase, and has seen 200% growth from 2013/14 to 2015/16. On-line room timetable displays, including IT lab availability, are able to instantly inform student decisions on where to learn. Loughborough has a long tradition of research underpinning the development of its own innovative learning technologies. We have developed on-line digital resources including: our Virtual Learning Environment (Learn), groupwork peer assessment tool (WebPA), project selection and allocation (ProjectList), coursework scheduling and submission tool (CASPA – shortlisted for the 2016 THE Leadership & Management Awards for Outstanding Digital Innovation), attendance monitoring (Attendant), equipment sharing (Kit-Catalogue – winner of an S-lab award), LORLS (Loughborough Reading List System) and our personal tutoring system (Co-Tutor – see LE3). We were rated the top University in the ‘high quality facilities’ measure in the THE Student Experience Survey 2016, and in the iGraduate ISBSB Survey, autumn wave 2014, we ranked globally 1st for Physical Library, 1st for Laboratories, 1st for virtual Learning, and 1st for Learning Spaces.

“I feel very fortunate that I am part of a university where students’ opinions are taken so seriously and where students

are empowered to make a positive change where they think appropriate and

influence important decisions at high levels in the university”

4th Year, Civil and Building Engineering student

Integrating our digital and physical study spaces

Student engagement with real world research

Supporting students - placement and career opportunities

STEMLab - £20M investment in new teaching facilities


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Scholarship, Research and Professional Practice (LE2)We engage with business, industry and the professions and other key public and private sector partners to ensure that our programmes are informed by relevant professional practice. We have an institutional culture that attracts and supports staff who are committed to delivering teaching that is scholarly and research-informed, and are engaging in their own professional development.

We ensure that the learning environment is enriched by student exposure to, and involvement in, provision at the forefront of scholarship, research and/or professional practice, demonstrated by:Engagement with employers and professional bodies with curriculum content, direct delivery of teaching, and with the provision of student placements is all pervasive. The vast majority of degree programmes demonstrate a strong tradition of working with industry and business, from SMEs to global brands, enhancing the relevance of our teaching. For example, we currently have 4 active Visiting Professors supported by the Royal Academy of Engineering who enrich the curriculum through their wide ranging interactions with the University. Many degree programmes are supported by School Industrial Advisory Boards, and include the opportunity to hear directly from external speakers who offer insights into professional practice.Tackling Real Problems: We collaborate with key partners, locally, nationally and internationally, to provide opportunities for students to learn from active participation in research and design projects. For example, the Teaching Contract Scheme provides mutually beneficial partnerships with companies. In our engineering Schools, small teams of students are challenged by real problems set by companies and engage with company staff via factory visits and progress meetings. Practice-led projects provide an excellent vehicle to apply discipline-specific skills in context and develop key transferable skills. Engagement in group design projects is also a key feature at Loughborough, many of which are set in an industrial context or facilitate participation in national competitions such as Formula Student, the James Dyson award and New Designers.Research-Informed Teaching: Loughborough’s research strengths span the arts, humanities, social sciences, sport, science, design, engineering and mathematics. Collaboration with a range of external partners is integral to our research activity, and staff are encouraged to use their primary research and collaborations to enhance their teaching. There are numerous examples of staff developing modules drawing on their expertise, delivering distinctiveness,

breadth and depth throughout the curriculum.The Research-Informed Teaching Awards recognise and celebrate Loughborough academic staff who have made sustained and outstanding contributions to the delivery of research-informed teaching that has had a direct impact on the student learning experience. 14 of these prestigious awards have been made since their inception 4 years ago spanning 6 different disciplines. Students Undertaking Research Projects: The majority of our programmes offer students in-depth individual research projects related to staff research interests, allowing them to engage with the University’s research community. Students also return from placements with research project ideas relevant to the workplace. Students are able to access the vast range of cutting-edge research equipment, and benefit from outstanding technical support. There are also examples of students participating in live research projects – for example, the Mathematics Education Centre analyses, develops and evaluates pedagogical practice to enhance mathematical learning.Summer research bursaries are offered to students, particularly in engineering and the sciences, enabling them to further develop their research interests. Indeed, one third of our currently registered research students have a previous degree from Loughborough. There are numerous examples of co-authored publications with taught students, particularly on our integrated masters programmes, taken by ~45% of students where offered.

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Personalised Learning (LE3)We have an integrated approach to the student experience, combining academic and extra-curricular activities, with appropriate student support networks. We aim to combine best practice face-to-face teaching with technology-enhanced learning to support individual learning styles. We are committed to providing all students with the encouragement and resources, both in class and online, needed to actively engage with their studies and achieve success.

The University makes every effort to tailor students’ academic experiences to the individual, maximising rates of retention, attainment and progression through:Opportunities for individual/small group support are provided through engagement with practical classes and demonstrators, problem-solving workshops, seminars, tutorials, discussion groups and group design projects, plus 1-to-1 personal academic tutor support, including for individual research projects. On-Line resources: The CAP supports staff and students to make effective use of the Virtual Learning Environment (Learn) to deliver learning activities and resources to students, including captured lectures. A recent focus has been on the accessibility of information held on the VLE, leading to the Student Hub, inspired by a Teaching Innovation Award, to support students’ personalised learning.The in-house development of learning technologies enables the exploration of an emerging analytics capability in which we integrate technologies and data architectures in order to aid the collection, analysis and reporting of data about students to enhance their learning. For example:

• We use data and analytics on Learn use by staff and students to identify and share best practice;

• In 2015/16 278 group assessments used WebPA enabling 5,256 students (~40%) to use ‘peer moderated marking’ to rate each other’s contribution to group assignments;

• During 2015/16, 13,304 students had a personal tutor allocated on the tutoring system Co-Tutor;

• 891 staff recorded commentaries on progress for 9,100 students during the 2015/16 academic year. A ‘dashboard’ enables staff to identify student engagement and initiate targeted interventions to maximise retention, progression and attainment.

Co-Tutor is a student and staff relationship management system developed by Loughborough and used by staff to communicate with personal tutees, project students, industrial placement activities, postgraduate research students and programme cohorts. It is a large PHP/MySQL web application with interfaces to the University’s Student Information System, attendance monitoring software, and the VLE.Grants from the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) and Jisc have led to a cloud hosted version of Co-Tutor available to any UK Higher Education Institution. This has been piloted with other Universities, and is being explored as an ‘early alert and intervention’ component of the Jisc Learning Analytics Platform. In 2014, Loughborough University won the ‘Departmental ICT Initiative of the Year’ Award at the Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards. This was in recognition of the work undertaken to transform one Engineering School’s placement processes. The project involved signifi cant developments to the in-house Co-Tutor system to support the administration of placements and the tutor/student interactions during the placement year, including analytics collected and analysed pre-placement. The developments have now been rolled out across the University to support all aspects of student engagement with placement opportunities.

Case Study: Student support systems to enhance academic experience


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5. Student Outcomes and Learning Gain

Employment and Further Study (SO1)We aim to develop graduates who are equipped to seize new opportunities, for example; as employees of choice across all sectors; to advance their chosen careers; to gain from, or build on, the experience of further study; with the capacity to establish or grow their own enterprise. We are very pleased that 94% of students progressed into employment and/or further study, with 82% of all graduates in highly skilled employment and/or further study. The numbers have progressively increased over the last 3 years and attest to the support and opportunities provided.

We support students to achieve their educational and professional goals, and in particular progression into highly skilled employment or further study through:The Careers Network: With specialist teams focussed on careers guidance, employability and skills development, placements and work-based learning and employer engagement Careers Network provides students with extended access to 1-to-1 professional careers guidance, job-search skills sessions, mock interviews and assessment centres, employer presentations and careers fairs. During the last 3 years, we have invested £452k in new staff posts for the Careers Network, providing increased support to students.Employers on campus: We host the largest university-wide careers event in the UK: 206 different recruiting organisations attended the Autumn Graduate Recruitment Fair in October 2015. In addition, there are discipline specific fairs in Engineering, and hundreds of other employer events and on-campus engagements.

The QS Graduate Employability rankings include an indicator for the number of employers who are actively present on a university’s campus, providing motivated students with an opportunity to network and acquire information. In 2016, we were ranked 1st (UK) and 18th (World) for ‘Partnerships with employers’, and 1st (UK) and 19th (World) for ‘Employers’ presence on campus’. We were also ranked 5th overall in the UK and 39th in the world in 2016.Promoting opportunities to students: Over 6,000 genuine opportunities a year are shared on the Careers Network ‘Careers Online’ database targeting students. Hundreds more are promoted directly to students by academic Schools. Specialist support is available for recent graduates.Alumni engagement has been extended with the 2016 launch of Lboro Connect – an online community offering flexible ways for alumni and students to interact and provide and browse mentoring, career insight and internship or placement opportunities.

Placement opportunities have long been integral to our engineering programmes. However, from 2015/16 all undergraduate programmes include a placement year option. Funding was committed to enhance placement provision and establish a dedicated Placement Hub as a focus of student support. This has led to a 25% increase in students taking a placement year (from 2014/15 to 2015/16). • The University is in the top 5 for placement participation (HESA data 2014/15).• In 2015/16 over 650 employers hosted 1,564 undergraduate placement students, providing

a wide variety of opportunities for professional and personal development and the application of knowledge and skills gained in taught courses.

Placement impact on success of our students: • The proportion of students getting a 1st or 2:1 degree increases by 13% after a placement.• Successfully completing a placement typically adds ~4% to a student’s final degree marks.• The proportion of students in highly skilled employment or further education increases

by over 15% for those completing a placement.

Case Study: Placements

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Employability and Transferable Skills (SO2)We are committed to providing an educational environment in which students are inspired by their University experience, are clear about the skills and attributes they have developed within and beyond the curriculum, and can articulate them with confidence. The University has a wide-ranging and increasingly integrated approach to student skills enhancement, attributes and employability.

We provide a wealth of both discipline-specific and extra-curricular opportunities for all students to acquire relevant knowledge, skills and attributes that are valued by employers and that enhance their personal and/or professional lives, for example:Graduate attributes: Employers, alumni, staff and students helped to define the attributes of our graduates; this framework was launched in 2015/16. They are representative of our students and alumni, and express the distinctiveness of the Loughborough experience. The key attributes are:• Active, collegial and inclusive;• Professional, creative and enterprising;• Resilient, reflective and inquisitive.Pride, principle and passion underpin everything our students and staff do. These attributes are an integral part of the ‘Loughborough DNA’ which employers relate to and seek from their graduate employees. The Career Confidence survey was launched in 2014 to record students’ career confidence and engagement in work experience, and to assess development from first to final year. The data demonstrate ongoing enhancements in career confidence, and identifies students and student groups who indicate a relative lack of confidence to enable targeted interventions.‘My Loughborough Journey’: Our all-student in-curricula careers and employability lectures and workshops, launched in 2014. The initiative was designed to reach all students, including the less pro-active and less confident, by incorporating lectures each year within the curriculum which aim to give everyone an insight into careers awareness, making applications and networking, skills review, leadership opportunities and supporting positive transitions.Transferable skills delivery: Specialist professional careers, employability and library staff collaborate across the University with staff and students, in partnership with LSU and the Sports Development Centre, as well as an extensive range of employer and alumni contacts to contextualise the employability messages, in order to provide opportunities for students to develop, recognise and articulate their strengths and skills. In addition the:

Language Centre: develops communication skills, adaptability, a capacity to adopt multiple perspectives and work in multicultural teams, and the confidence to network globally. Modules are provided within the curriculum at various levels and self-study resources are available in 29 languages as well as a range of extra-curricular courses.Sports Development Centre: provides and supports opportunities for enhancing employability through participation in sports, sports leadership and sports volunteering.Loughborough Employability Award: established almost 10 years ago and recorded on student transcripts, provides a framework for students to record co-curricular activities and reflect on the employability skills developed. It is designed to help students recognise and articulate their skills to prospective employers, identify any skills gaps and provide additional support to address them. Enterprising culture: Loughborough has a long tradition of valuing enterprise in our students, as evidenced by the appointment of a Student Enterprise Manager in 2002, the head of The Studio in 2010 and an intern within the LSU Enterprise Hub in 2015. Over 1,500 students are involved in extra-curricular enterprise activities, including LSU Apprentice, with support from industrial mentors. 40 graduate businesses have been supported, which have created 61 jobs, 42 volunteer positions and 9 intern roles. The Studio provides a tailored route to commercialisation for graduates with access to the resources, expertise and knowledge they need to develop sustainable business ventures. Our Science and Enterprise Park is home to over 60 organisations (including 4 graduate companies) who have employed 54 of our graduates in the last 3 years.

“We made 16 hires from Loughborough this year, 10 Graduates and 6 Interns. This represents a conversion rate of 10.5% of

Loughborough candidates from application to offer, versus an average of 2.6% across

our wider campaign.” Employer, Careers Fair 2016


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Positive Outcomes for All (SO3)Supporting and retaining students from all backgrounds is integral in our approach to learning and teaching. Loughborough takes a strategic and data-driven approach to improving the progression and attainment of students from a variety of backgrounds. The Equality and Diversity Working group designs targeted interventions in order to address specific inequalities identified as a result of quantitative data analysis and qualitative evidence gathering.

The University has committed to ensuring successful outcomes for students from all backgrounds, in particular those from disadvantaged backgrounds or those who are at greater risk of not achieving positive outcomes through:The Equality and Diversity Working Group considers attainment by different groups and prioritises relevant projects and interventions. For example, data show that completion of a placement increases students’ likelihood of good degree classification and a positive DLHE outcome, and that the % of BME students obtaining a 1st class or 2:1 degree increases by 16% for those completing a placement. As a result a project has been instigated to support and encourage greater numbers of BME students into placements. Wellbeing advisers: A pilot was launched in 2015/16 for 4 academic schools. The Wellbeing Advisers work with both students and school colleagues (academic and support staff) to support students’ wellbeing across a range of issues. This includes a focus on students with protected characteristics (e.g. disability, mental health, sexuality) to ensure they are well supported and, importantly, that their academic experience is inclusive. Academic, School support and Professional Services staff are frontline in terms of providing support for students through the personal academic tutoring system and growing emphasis on engagement monitoring practices. Student Advice & Support and Hall Wardens also make an important broader contribution, as does the Students’ Union. Other examples include the:Mathematics Learning Support Centre which provides multiple award-winning additional

support with mathematics and statistics, including drop-in surgeries, workshops and study materials in two resource centres. In 2015/16 students from over 80% of our disciplines made 5400 visits to the Centre.English Language Support helps all students to develop the language and study skills required to succeed on an academic programme through a range of workshops and individual support.Counselling and Disability Service and Mental Health Support Team provide specialist support, advice and guidance to ensure equality of opportunity for all students, including inclusivity in assessment.Mature students make up 3% of the undergraduate student body. The University works closely with the LSU to support mature students through the Mature Students Association, which helps ensure their needs are understood and met. In addition to the central services available to all students, mature students with children are able to use the campus nursery and may be provided with additional, tailored support based on assessment of their needs. Further evidence is provided of our positive graduate outcomes by our top 10 league table position for Graduate Prospects in the Guardian, The Times, and Complete University Guides (based on 2014 and 2015 DLHE data). In the iGraduate ISBSB Survey, autumn wave 2014, which surveyed all our home and international students we were globally ranked 1st for work experience, 2nd for careers advice, 6th for learning support and 4th for employability. We were 1st overall in this survey for student satisfaction.

6. Students’ Union Statement

The Students’ Union and University work collaboratively to enhance the educational experience of our students. A large part of this takes the form of our representation system – namely Programme Presidents and Reps. In 2015, we moved to an online election for these

roles. This has been a resounding success, with over 2,000 students voting in each of the last two years, and in 2016 an astounding 670 candidates for 430 positions. This demonstrates how seriously academic representation is taken, and this is reflected within the views of students,

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student population and the local community.

There is a reason why we are currently the best Student Experience in the country (Times Higher Education Survey 2016), and this comes down to the partnership between Union and University in ensuring that our students take charge of their experience, with academic and co-curricular opportunities that can enhance their learning whilst preparing them as best we can for the world beyond Loughborough.

We aim to continuously enhance an established practice of teaching excellence. We are meeting this challenge, in partnership with our students and LSU, through a process of critical review, exploring innovative methodologies in programme delivery and the strategic investment of resource to maintain a fi rst class learning environment. We have highlighted many initiatives which have contributed to the successful graduate outcomes evidenced by the TEF metrics and these can be summarised under the following broad themes: • Partnership with students, demonstrated

through their engagement with the representation system, with their studies and learning community, the successful Peer Support Project, and the close working relationship with the Students’ Union;

• Employer engagement, demonstrated through our strengths in placements, accreditation and employability skills leading to successful graduate employment;

• Curriculum enrichment through exposure to industrial and professional practice, research-informed teaching and opportunities for students to engage in research;

• Physical and digital resources, demonstrated through our strategic approach to the provision of attractive and appropriate learning spaces and innovative approaches to the development and use of technology.

We are committed to delivering an educational environment which promotes and supports achievement and that seeks to produce graduates: • who are inspired by their University

experience, clear about the skills and attributes they have developed within and beyond the curriculum, and who can articulate them with confi dence;

• with a critical appreciation of contemporary global issues and ethical principles;

• who are equipped to seize new opportunities for their future career: as employees of choice; to benefi t from the experience of further study; and able to establish or grow their own enterprise;

• who will benefi t from extensive and enduring alumni professional networks and carry the University’s values into the wider world.

with 90% of Programme Representatives stating that they felt their voice was listened to by their department in the 2016 Programme Rep Survey. After winning the NUS Education Award in 2015, Loughborough has gone from strength to strength in encouraging students to direct their experience. This is not limited to academic matters. At Loughborough Students’ Union, we operate a policy of being student-run and student-led, and offer around 1,500 leadership opportunities every year. These range from leading a fundraising section that has raised over a million pounds for the last seven years, to being the President of a sports club in the only Athletic Union to win BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) for the last 36 years in a row. However, it’s not just about big opportunities and numbers. Last year, Loughborough students cumulatively did over 25,000 hours of volunteering, and our Peer Assisted Learning system took off very successfully. It is clear that the work of our students has a tangible impact within both the

Dr Robert Pearson Senior Assistant Registrar

Academic Registry

In collaboration with the TEF Working Group, the University’s Learning and Teaching Committee, Academic Leadership Team, Professional Services Management Team, Loughborough Students’

Union Executive and Student Voice.

Prof Rachel Thomson Pro Vice-Chancellor

(Teaching)

Lewis Wood Executive Offi cer, Education

Loughborough Students’ Union

7. Summary

“Loughborough’s entry demonstrates improvements that are both comprehensive and specifi c, ranging from broad structural improvements to schemes targeting clearly

identifi ed problems. The peer mentoring supported by a full-time member of

staff was particularly impressive, with quantifi ed results.”

John Gill, Times Higher Education, NUS Education Award, 2015

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