Teaching and Learning Strategies

Teaching and Learning Strategies as a Tool for Policy Implementation

Professor Derek Law

Strathclyde University

Much innovation in teaching and learning is driven through project work. At Strathclyde, as part of implementing the information strategy, we have developed a different approach based on a holistic view of the teaching and learning process. The process is seen as having a number of identifiable elements and at least some part of each of these is being developed at once so that at least a skeletal outline of a new model is available to interested departments. This structure is permissive rather than mandatory, since the needs of different disciplines vary, but significant human and financial resource is being deployed in its development. This allows the creation of work packages for which external and non-recurrent internal funding can be sought. A significant barrier to the large scale introduction of new approaches is cost, but by following this approach we have been able to find a number of partners and funding agencies willing to share costs provided that they have access to all of the data and information we create/acquire on the impact of these new approaches. An environment based on wireless technology and ubiquitous computing has then been created through substantial collaboration between staff, courseware developers, educational researchers, digital librarians, estates managers responsible for teaching rooms and information technologists. The intention has been to create a total environment in which the student can be immersed to allow a new style of teaching and learning to emerge. This is then applied to whole cohorts of students - currently almost 20% of the undergraduate intake. Already this is having a significant impact on recruitment, progression and on the quality of the student experience. A very large impact and evaluation study has been set up to ensure that outcomes are optimised.