RAPPORT
Issue 5 (August 2020)
9. ‘develop students (attracting better
students, developing learning skills,
enhancing student engagement,
developing clearer career or
educational orientations).’
One might question Gibbs’ invitation to
‘attract better students’ since a lot of the
evidence from the CRA/SEDA
Programme portfolios demonstrates how
effective personal tutoring is crucial to the
success of a wide variety of students.
What this element also refers to, however,
is ensuring that students are prepared for
working with personal tutors and,
importantly, that personal tutors are there
to have a positive effect on the student
experience and not just there for when
there are issues or crises.
10. ‘develop quality assurance (course
approval, course review, appraisal of
teachers, review of support services)
so as to have positive influences on
teaching development, with a focus on
accountability).’
Over the past few years there has been
considerable development in the ways in
which students can participate in the
quality management of institutions. Within
the context of personal tutoring there has
been more discussion of other
professional services and their role in
supporting personal tutoring such as
careers services or counselling services
as well as the increasing adoption of
schemes to support peer tutoring. One of
the ways in which a culture that enhances
personal tutoring can be supported might
be through ensuring that it is an important
element in any institutional quality
management system. The introduction of
the Teaching Excellent Framework in the
UK has ensured that more institutions are
now reviewing their personal tutoring
provision as a part of their institutional
quality management.
11. ‘undertake evaluation and obtain and
interpret evidence, including
benchmarking, scholarship of teaching
and educational and institutional
research, in order to recognise
institutional progress and steer future
development.’
One of the consequences of the
CRA/SEDA Programme has been not
only the evaluation of extant personal
tutoring and academic guidance practices
but also the introduction of actions to
enhance personal tutoring and academic
guidance. Unlike other development
programmes that invite participants to
reflect on what has previously happened,
the CRA/SEDA Programme comprised an
explicit cycle of reviewing, planning,
monitoring, recording and evaluating
enhancements in professional practice in
the participants working setting. All of the
successful participants are able to
contribute to the scholarship of teaching
and learning as a result.
12. ‘develop leadership of teaching (for
course directors, directors of
undergraduate study, PVCs teaching).’
There is now a comprehensive suite of
leadership development programmes to
support the leadership of learning and
teaching, both within and external to one’s
own institution. They have a varied scope
and often focus on specific leadership
concerns. With an increase in student
expectations and recognition that
personal tutoring and academic advising
are increasingly important within the
contexts of student success and student
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