A preview of the Trends 2018 report on the changes in European Universities and the work of EUA in learning and teaching.

1. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at
European Higher Education
institutions
Michael Gaebel
April 2018
1Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2017

2. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
2Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Trends 2018 • Growing emphasis on learning & teaching
• How do the European universities approach the L&T
development? How can they be best supported?
• TRENDS 2018 – tentatively mid 2018
• Follow-up on TRENDS 2015 – longitudinal data
• institutional developments in learning and teaching
• 303 responses - 43 European higher education systems
• Institutional leadership (for the entire institution)

3. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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Trends 2018. Q17 – modified.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Question:
What would you
see as the most
important obstacle
for improving
learning and
teaching at your
institution?
1. Lack of financial resources
2. Lack of infrastructure
3. Not enough teaching staff
4. Insufficiently qualified teaching staff
5. Lack of recognition for teaching in staff career progression
6. Internal governance structure
7. Resistance among teaching staff
8. National (system-level) regulations and constraints
9. Other

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Higher Education institutions
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Trends 2018. Q9, Q12, Q18.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
High levels of
convergence:
Increased attention
to L&T throughout
the institution
(92%T)
Institutional
development
L&T strategy (86%)
Central unit for L&T (65%)
High interest in external
cooperation in L&T
Internal + external
Pressures
Recent/ ongoing national reform
(74%)
Increased expectations from
employers/ professional sector
(83%)
Increased students’ expectations
towards teachers (91%)
Increasing diversity of the study
body (85%)
Yes/yes to some extent

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Higher Education institutions
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Trends 2018. Q28.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Social inclusion &
engagement
54%
58%
79%
81%
88%
Credits for participation in civic/social engagement
initiatives
Special courses in social engagement
Social engagement integrated into study programmes
(internships with NGOs, community engagement, etc.)
Social inclusion is considered in the learning and teaching
practice (diverse classroom)
Encourage student initiatives on civic/social engagement
Impact of inclusiveness and social engagement on
learning and teaching
Yes / To some extent, or in parts of the institution

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Trends 2018. Q29.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Increased demand
for flexible
provision
79%
57%
62%
Growing demand for degree programmes
provided under flexible arrangements.
Enrolment to flexible courses or
programmes has increased in the past 3
years.
Growing demand for short-term (non-
degree) learning opportunities, with a
certificate upon course completion.
Yes/ To some extent

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Higher Education institutions
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Trends 2018. Q25, Q29.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Digital learning Increased acceptance/more strategic
approaches to e-learning
87%
Boasted education provision through
e-learning
74%
Blended learning used in regular
teaching
36% fully
51% to some extent

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Higher Education institutions
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Trends 2018. Q9, Q24, Q25,
Q42.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Changing
approaches in L&T
• 15% very useful
• 39% to some extent
• 13% does not work
Flipped classrooms
• 43% works well
• 44% to some extent
• 4% no use
Problem-based
learning
• 67%
• 27% - Central structure
• 13% - Learning analytics
Research on L&T

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Trends 2018. Q38, Q39
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Staff enhancement • 66% in place
• 13% planned
Recognition of good teaching
(e.g. awards, career
development, incentives)
• 77% in place
• 13% planned
Voluntary courses
• 37% in place
• 17% planned
Compulsory courses
• 39% - on request only
• 25% - for all teaching staff
• 12% - for new teaching staff only
Training on learning
outcomes

10. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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Strong emphasis on
external
collaboration
On teaching enhancement
• None (10%)
• National initiatives (55%)
• International initiatives (53%)
• University networks (43%)
• Individual partner institutions
(43%)
• Commercial providers (13%)
On L&T in general
• Employers (90%)
• Local community (88%)
• Primary and secondary
schools (87%)
• Vocational institutions
(73%)
• International staff and
student exchanges (96%)
Trends 2018. Q27, Q41.

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Higher Education institutions
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Trends 2018. Q40.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Collaboration on
L&T within the
institution
20.5%
35.6%
38.0%
58.1%
Platform - committee - group - for teachers to exchange
Facilitated by learning centre
Responsibility of programme directors or deans
Teachers do this on their own initiative
Encouraging and supporting exchange and collaboration among
teachers on pedagogical practices

12. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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Concluding points Data & research on L&T – institutional developments
• Convergence trends & gaps: social inclusion/engagement, flexible learning offer,
digital learning, teaching enhancement
• Research on L&T – 67% of institutions do it – 27% have a central structure
Institutional level: capacity for change
• Collaboration within the institution: role of leadership, organisation
• New and changing roles of staff
• Overall implications for the institution and its mission
Exchange & collaboration crucial for L&T development
• Exchanges/projects among institutions and national initiatives
• Erasmus+, Bologna Process, university associations
Key challenge
• Institutional & policy attention to the education mission
• Funding
• Career development

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Trends 2018. Q17.
Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
Top obstacles for
L&T
5%
5%
6%
19%
5%
47%
Resistance among teaching staff
Not enough teaching staff
National (system-level) regulations
Lack of recognition for teaching in staff career
progression
Lack of infrastructure
Lack of financial resources
Number one obstacle (out of top 3)

14. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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EUA Agenda for
Learning & Teaching
•Good practice exists at practically every institution, but
often they lack institutional support and mainstreaming.
Leadership and strategies for L&T
at universities
•Career development is still based predominantly on
research achievement.
Recognition of higher education
teaching as a profession, and
support for career development
•Digital learning and teaching is often dealt with separately
from the overall discussion on HE learning and teaching.
Mainstreaming of digital learning
and teaching, both, in institutional
practice and policies, and in
system frameworks
•This has been confirmed by leadership and practitioners
from member institutions as an appropriate means to raise
awareness and support institutional development.
Good practice exchange and
collaboration among institutions,
nationally and across borders

15. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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European
Principles for
Enhancement of
L&T
• Developed in European Cooperation
• What are they good for?
• Non-prescriptive
• “Underpin the need to re-emphasize the education
mission”
• Consensus
• Starting point for joint work – institutional, national,
European levels.
• Approaches on how to use them
• Guiding questions
• Strategy development
http://bit.ly/EFFECTprinciples

16. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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Project consortium:
partner and friends

17. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
17Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2018
EFFECT Project European Forum for Enhanced Collaboration in Teaching
• Erasmus KA3 project
• Dec. 2015 – Nov. 2018
• 12 partners
• Teaching enhancement
• Institutional strategies
• Feasibility study for a European approach
• European Principles for Enhancement of L&T
http://bit.ly/EFFECTprinciples

18. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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EUA Learning &
Teaching Forum
2nd European Learning & Teaching Forum
• 14-15 February 2019
• Warsaw, Poland
Annual Thematic Working Groups – 2018 themes:
• Active learning
• Continuous development of teaching competences
• Career paths in teaching
• Evaluation of learning & teaching

19. Enhancing Learning and Teaching at European
Higher Education institutions
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European Learning
& Teaching Forum
Regular event
Exchange &
networking
Build the
community
Starting point
for other
initiatives

20. Thank you for your
attention
www.EUA.eu
20Friday, April 6, 2018 © EUA 2017
Michael Gaebel ǀ Director higher Education Policy Unit
E-mail: Michael.Gaebel@eua.eu