I entered Higher Education primarily because of my love of teaching. It was only, with time, that I came to enjoy and excel in research and management. Engaging with students, especially those that come from non-traditional backgrounds, and enabling them to grow and to succeed has always been my first love.
In the Department of Theology and Religion I was asked to run a first year module for all students (Theology, Religious Studies, Islamic Studies, Philosophy and Religion etc.) on the Introduction to Religion. Each year, for over twenty years, I used this as the basis for introducing study skills to the students and challenged myself each year to keep up with both popular culture and the latest techniques in learning technology.
I was also asked, within a year of starting as a young lecturer, to take over responsibility for the programme and have remained as Head of Learning and Teaching, at Department, School, College and finally University level, for the next thirty years, being invited to take on the role of PVC Education at Swansea shortly after starting there in 2014.
I can offer expertise in the following areas:
Student Voice
Partnership with students has always been central to my own values and way of working. My first project at Swansea University focused on improving the student experience and each strand was co-led by a student and a member of academic or professional service staff.
Student voice is also essential, providing opportunities to listen to and respond to students. Whether this is regular formal or informal gatherings, student surveys or live feedback mechanisms. Just listening, however, is only half the task, responding and acting are also essential. I have considerable experience of NSS, and many other student feedback processes.
I am happy to provide advice and leadership, whether it is in developing a University wide student engagement strategy, developing work with student union full time officers, or exploring the way student can be better embedded within the institution.
Innovation in Learning, Teaching and Assessment
As I led Swansea University into COVID lockdown and the requirement to put all learning and teaching online, I knew that I could draw on considerable expertise and experience across the University. Innovation was something that I had encouraged and something that was embedded as a way of working. Whether this was led from empirical studies (both internal and collaborative with other institutions) the work of our academy of learning and teaching or through individuals bringing new ideas with them from visits abroad or from previous institutions.
Being able to evaluate, sift and, perhaps most importantly, scale up individual innovations is something that all HEIs have to do on a regular basis as student needs and learning technologies changed so rapidly. I would be very willing to draw on my own experience in this area, to work with others who are evaluating and implementing learning and teaching, or assessment strategies, and looking for new ways to respond to the ever changing environment.
Enabling Creativity
As I suggested above, keeping abreast of changes and innovations in learning and teaching is a never ending task and one that can never be undertaken by one individual, or even perhaps by a dedicated learning and teaching academy.
What has always been very important to me is to recognise the incredible talent and enthusiasm that exists across the teaching staff of any institution. Not all colleagues come in to Universities to teach, but a great many do, and many are passionate about their teaching, student learning and doing the best to mould students for life beyond the institution.
It is vital that any strategy, or structure, around learning, teaching and assessment, recognises that talent and provides a space for it to flourish. Too often I have heard that student feedback mechanisms, or promotion processes stifle creativity, especially of more junior colleagues, or the sheer pressures of workload, administration and form filling makes innovation impossible.
I would welcome the opportunity to work with a University to explore how creativity among staff can be released, enabled and recognised as part of a wider learning and teaching, employability or student engagement strategy.
Co-Creation
This is perhaps a ‘trendy’ term for partnership, but should go beyond that. In many instances partnership is nominal and only pays lip service to the relationship between the stakeholders in a particular process.
Whether it is development of programmes, modules or other elements of learning (including micro-credentials), or in the development of strategies and work plans around student engagement, employability, inclusivity or whatever else is seen to be important, making sure that all the stakeholders, and particularly students and employers are fully represented and are a central part of the process is essential.
When developing a sector leading employability strategy at the University of Birmingham the involvement of employers at all levels of decision making was essential. Likewise in developing new programmes, or undertaking reviews of existing programmes, employers, students and other stakeholders are essential to the process.
This kind of co-creation, however, does not just happen. Students, employers and others have different agendas, different ways of thinking about learning, different priorities and they often speak different languages from those we are used to using. Critical listening is essential to this process and providing space and opportunity for all voices to be heard. This is something I have considerable experience in and would be happy to advise and/or lead within an institution, whether around a specific project or more widely in terms of strategy and embedding working practices.
Martin Stringer Quartet 