Teaching For Quality Learning At University

"This book is an exceptional introduction to some difficult ideas. It is full of downright good advice for every academic who wants to do something practical to improve his or hers students’ learning." Paul Ramsden, Brisbane, Australia "Biggs and Tang present a unified view of university teaching that is both grounded in research and theory and replete with guidance for novice and expert instructors. The book will inspire, challenge, unsettle, and in places annoy and even infuriate its readers, but it will succeed in helping them think about how high quality teaching can contribute to high quality learning." John Kirby, Queens University, Ontario, Canada This best-selling book explains the concept of constructive alignment used in implementing outcomes-based education. Constructive alignment identifies the desired learning outcomes and helps teachers design the teaching and learning activities that will help students to achieve those outcomes, and to assess how well those outcomes have been achieved. Each chapter includes tasks that offer a 'how-to' manual to implement constructive alignment in your own teaching practices. This new edition draws on the authors' experience of consulting on the implementation of constructive alignment in Australia, Hong Kong, Ireland and Malaysia including a wider range of disciplines and teaching contexts. There is also a new section on the evaluation of constructive alignment, which is now used worldwide as a framework for good teaching and assessment, as it has been shown to: Assist university teachers who wish to improve the quality of their own teaching, their students' learning and their assessment of learning outcomes Aid staff developers in providing support for departments in line with institutional policies Provide a framework for administrators interested in quality assurance and enhancement of teaching across the whole university. The authors have also included useful web links to further material. Teaching for Quality Learning at University will be of particular interest to teachers, staff developers and administrators.

"This book is a sophisticated and insightful conceptualization of outcomes-based learning developed from the concept of constructive alignment. The first author has already made a significant contribution to the scholarship and practice of teaching and learning in universities…Together with the second author, there is now added richness through the practical implementation and practices. The ideas in this book are all tried and shown to contribute to more successful learning experience and outcome for students." Denise Chalmers, Carrick Institute of Education, Australia Teaching for Quality Learning at University focuses on implementing a constructively aligned outcomes-based model at both classroom and institutional level. The theory, which is now used worldwide as a framework for good teaching and assessment, is shown to: Assist university teachers who wish to improve the quality of their own teaching, their students' learning and their assessment of learning outcomes Aid staff developers in providing support for teachers Provide a framework for administrators interested in quality assurance and enhancement of teaching across the whole university The book's "how to" approach addresses several important issues: designing high level outcomes, the learning activities most likely to achieve them in small and large classes, and appropriate assessment and grading procedures. It is an accessible, jargon-free guide to all university teachers interested in enhancing their teaching and their students' learning, and for administrators and teaching developers who are involved in teaching-related decisions on an institution-wide basis. The authors have also included useful web links to further material.

Since the first edition of Teaching for Quality Learning at University, the tertiary sector has changed dramatically. Individual teachers, as reflective practitioners, still need to make their own decisions about how they are going to get students actively involved in large classes, to teach international students, and to assess in ways that enhance the quality of learning. But now that quality assurance and quality enhancement are required at the institutional level, the concept of constructive alignment is applied to the reflective institution, where it becomes a powerful underpinning to quality enhancement procedures.

“Biggs and Tang, now with Kennedy, have ensured this new edition remains an international leader for university teaching for the next decade.” Denise Chalmers AM, Emeritus Professor, University of Western Australia, Australia “This book, a fifth edition, can truly be called a “classic” on the topic of teaching, learning and curriculum design in higher education.” Michael Prosser, Honorary Professorial Fellow, Centre for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne, Australia “You should be inspired to increase the quality of your teaching, your learning, and your learning about teaching.” John R. Kirby, Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology, Queen’s University, Canada The concept of constructive alignment has supported generations of students and teachers within higher education. It is a ‘backward design’ method of teaching where the student outcomes are identified first and the teacher then designs teaching activities to enable students to achieve those outcomes, assessing how well they have been achieved. Each chapter outlines how to design the learning outcomes, teaching and assessments for success in learning. This updated edition of Teaching for Quality Learning at University: • Provides a comprehensive, research-based theory of teaching for teacher reflection • Outlines how educational technology can be used in constructively aligned teaching • Helps staff developers to provide support for staff and departments in line with institutional policies • Offers a framework for quality assurance and quality enhancement across a whole institution Teaching for Quality Learning at University continues to be used as a framework for designing higher education teaching systems globally and is essential reading for those in the field. John Biggs has held Chairs in Education in Canada, Australia, and Hong Kong. He has published extensively on student learning and the implications of his research for teaching. He developed his concept of constructive alignment at the University of Hong Kong, first outlined in Teaching for Quality Learning at University in 1999. Catherine Tang has over 15 years of teaching experience in tertiary education and is the former Head of the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Supervision at the Education University of Hong Kong (the then Hong Kong Institute of Education) and the Educational Development Centre at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. Gregor Kennedy is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Melbourne, Australia and a Professor of Higher Education in the Melbourne Centre for the Study of Higher Education.

This best-selling book explains the concept of constructive alignment in education and aids implementation of this in teaching practice.

University Teaching in Focus provides a foundational springboard for early career academics preparing to teach in universities. Focusing on four critical areas - teaching, curriculum, students, and quality/leadership - this succinct resource offers university teachers a straightforward approach to facilitating effective student learning. The book empowers university teachers and contributes to their career success by developing teaching skills, strategies, and knowledge, as well as linking theory to practice. Written in a clear and accessible style by internationally acclaimed experts, topics include: learning theories, assessment, discipline-based teaching, curriculum design, problem-based and work-integrated learning, effective classroom teaching, and flexible modes of delivery. The needs of diverse student groups are explored and the scholarship of teaching and learning is addressed within a quality and leadership framework. The book also makes reference to seminal works and current resources. Real-world cases illuminate the theoretical content and 'Your Thoughts' sections encourage reflection and adaptation to local contexts. University Teaching in Focus explores ways that teachers can effectively engage students in life-long learning, extending their capacity to solve problems, to enter the workforce, to understand their discipline, and to interact positively with others in a global community throughout their professional lives.

Research into how teaching affects the quality of student learning at university is a rapidly changing field. University teachers are increasingly required to develop their own strategies for effective teaching, often with limited guidance from their institutions. Teaching for Understanding at University not only outlines a wide range of recent developments in the area, but shows how approaches can be brought together to help university teachers think more imaginatively about ways of encouraging students' learning. Written in a way designed to be interesting and accessible to university teachers across disciplines, the volume concentrates on how students reach a personal understanding of the subject they are studying. Covering academic understanding, approaches to teaching, assessment methods and evaluation of teaching, the book provides a comprehensive introduction to the latest ideas on teaching and learning. Avoiding unnecessary jargon and 'business speak', this is the ideal book for the newly qualified lecturer, as well as the more experienced academic who is keen to consider their teaching methods from a fresh perspective. Noel Entwistle is Professor Emeritus of Education at the University of Edinburgh. He was previously the editor of the British Journal of Educational Psychology and Higher Education, and has an international reputation for his work in the field of student learning in higher education.