Carl Lygo Principal & Group Chief Executive. David Willetts, LFHE Conference 10/05/11 The current system has led to a lack of quality and focus on teaching.

Carl Lygo

Principal & Group Chief Executive

David Willetts, LFHE Conference 10/05/11

• “The current system has led to a lack of quality and focus on teaching within Universities, we are going to change that”

• “These Higher Education changes will reward great teaching and there will be greater competition between Universities about the quality of teaching on offer”

• “When the dust settles Universities will emerge even stronger and focussed on teaching”

• “An even more diverse sector for Higher Education will emerge with the entrance of new alternative providers”

The “Big Issue” for HE

Global demand is growing

*Centre for HE Development, Guttersloh, Germany

Only 25% of US students study in a traditional campus environment

Race to the top for the UK?

Conclusion: design programmes which are also attractive to a global audience

Career Focus• 34% of students are learning “employability skills” as part of

their degree (Source: CBI Survey 2009: Stronger Together)

• 91% of students applying to university have some idea of the career they wish to pursue (Source: CBI Survey 2009: Stronger Together)

• 25% of students believe their business awareness could be improved (Source: CBI/You Gov Survey 2009)

• 51% of students would like more opportunities to develop business awareness (CBI/You Gov Survey 2009)

• 31% of students would like more opportunities to develop their numeracy skills (CBI/You Gov Survey 2009)

• 35% of employers were not satisfied with the business/customer awareness of graduates ( Source: CBI/Nord Anglia Research 2009)

“33% of graduating students wish they had chosen a different course such as a more scientific/technical course or a business based course or a professional vocation” source: CIPD “Value of a Degree” 2006

An undergraduate degree remains an aspiration• 98% of all mothers of children born in the year 2000 wanted their children

to go to University (Source: Millennium Survey: 2001)

• 33% of the UK’s total workforce have a graduate qualification (source: OECD Educations Facts at a Glance, 2010)

• 35% of the UK’s school leavers go on to graduate with a degree, placing the UK below the OECD average for graduation rates (source: OECD Educations Facts at a Glance, 2010)

• The OECD estimates that the graduate premium in the UK is 24% (average earning power of a graduate is 24% higher than for a person with only a secondary education), an advanced degree premium is estimated by the OECD as giving a premium of 67% (source: OECD Educations Facts at a Glance, 2010)

• Lord Browne’s review of funding HE in the UK (2010) referred to a graduate premium of a minimum of £100K on average after tax and NPV of 33% higher than the OECD average (source: Securing a sustainable future for HE, 2010)

Flexibility• Limited time, make it convenient• Finish quicker than via a more traditional route

– 2 years rather than 3 for FT study– 3 years rather than 2 for PT study

• Give credits to minimise length of further study– Credit prior learning– Credit relevant CPD programmes so that it is more attractive to do further

study• Vary speed – ability to slow down the pace to fit around other

commitments• Choice regarding “attendance” mode – research suggests students

do not want just an on-line option• Lower total cost option for students than the traditional campus

based route

“Students prefer a choice in how they learn, Computer Technology is one possibility along-side

part-time and traditional full-time learning and face to face teaching. Students respond to a range of

possible learning methods rather than one or two prescribed options.”

“Survey: Student Perspectives on Technology HEFCE Study, Oct 2010”

Highly Supportive

• Research at all levels shows that students would like more interaction opportunities with their tutors (e.g. more contact time)

• “high tutor management” – regular progress reports, written feedback (but not to be over assessed), supportive environment (not abandoned)

Traditional UK model dominates the world• Research intensive universities• Judged by the quality of their research output• Judged by the number of PhD’s produced• Academic Freedom – control over what is researched,

relevance to the needs of business etc• Engaging undergraduates through “teaching” has been low on

the priorities • Government of India describes this as education for 5%

“The main thing students said would improve quality is more contact time, though group or individual teaching sessions,

or time with a personal tutor.”NUS/HSBC Survey 2010

“16.1 hours per week is the average contact time students in the UK would like to receive”

Actual average contact time for

a Business School student is 12.2 hours

NUS Survey 2010

“Contact hours and size of groups are the biggest “post

bag” issues”

Jack Grimston, Assistant News Editor, The Sunday Times

78% of students undertake paid work whilst at University NUS Survey 2008

“9 out of 10 students want to be involved in shaping the content of their degree”

“42% of students say that the use of computer technology and VLE’s has enhanced their learning experience”

“88% of students want more feedback on their performance”