hi guys,

i very much need your help here. how do you show that you have an appreciation of:

1) the policy and strategic issues currently affecting teaching in higher education.


(what are they????????????????????? )

2) how do you demonstrate, ' a willingness to share our instititutional commitment to excellence in all aspects of work and output.'

erm, I think (not sure)

1) tuition fees - them rising will mean that lecurers will be more accountable to students about number of hours of contact, quality of contact and quick turnaround of essays etc.
- also think about those Higher Education teaching courses, like a PGCE thing, but for teaching at university - maybe talk about how you are aware of different learning styles?

2) Talk about aiming for high rated journals, going to international/top level conferences, disseminating findings/knowledge transfer to 'end users'

?? I hate questions like these!

thanks Sneaks! you so saved my neck in Question 2!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! am ashamed at what'd i'd written.

i like your thinking in No. 1. Anyone else?

http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/

You could also look at HE funding (via Gov) for no.1. For instance, in Wales the Assembly Government is limited with what they can do to support education in Wales owing to the fact that their budget is controlled by Westminster. In the news today the HEFCW have stated that university places in Wales will be capped for the first time next year owing to the rising cost of student support. Less students, less income, less employment opportunities for you and me.
There is also the continuing cycle of nationwide research assessment - what impact/pressure does that have on the individual lecturer, the department, faculty, university etc. Is it friend or foe? Ooh, don't get me started on league tables ... ! A trawl through the THE online archive might be useful.

Is no.2 on about the idea of your ability to create 'impact' (bloody REF again!)? Are they asking you to tell them what you have done, like having work published, presenting in confs, membership of research groups, organising confs? This is like a round-the-houses way of asking "So Jojo, what will you be bringing to this job?"!

On a general note, these might (or might not) be of use with regards to any questions about HE teaching - you know, the reason you're actually applying for the job! I found them useful when I did my Post-16 PGCE:

Armitage, Bryant, Dunnill, Renwick, Hayes, Hudson, Kent & Lawes, 'Training and Teaching in Post-Compulsory Education' (OUP, 2005)
Huddleston & Unwin, 'Teaching and Learning in Further Education (RoutledgeFalmer, 2005)
and if you can find a copy:
Perrott, 'Effective Teaching' (Longman, 1982) - the early 80s photos are something else!

Sorry they're not cited properly, I'm a bit bibliographied out at the moment.

Hopefully something of the above waffle might be of some use ...

thanks guys. I really appreciate. i went with Sneaks answers as I had to submit the application the next day.

fingers crossed. :$