Institute of Learning and Teaching

What is the Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILT)?

The Institute of Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILT) is a central unit with membership across all schools and services, created to support, promote and research effective and innovative learning and teaching practices.

Our mission:

To enable transformational learning experiences through inspirational teaching.

Achieved by:

Developing capability in learning design, innovation and excellent teaching practice, underpinned by the latest pedagogic research.

Our vision:

• Our learners are competent, resourceful and ethical problem solvers, capable to imagine and deploy creative approaches to address tomorrow’s challenges.
• Our graduates are knowledgeable, socially responsible, digitally proficient and highly employable global citizens – the Changemakers of the future.
• Our colleagues are outstanding at research-informed teaching and supporting learning, ensuring flexibility and pedagogic innovation for maximum benefit to staff and students.
• Our researchers generate evidence on excellent teaching for optimal student learning and attract funding for research and enterprise activities.
• We support our academic partners to deliver equivalent student experiences to those of our students at Northampton.
• Employers and other key external stakeholders actively engage with every stage of our academic process: from programme design to implementation, evaluation, work-based learning opportunities and course redesign.
• Our quality assurance and enhancement systems provide robust, evidence-based benchmarks to ensure positive and rewarding experiences for staff and students.

Learning and teaching objectives 2018-19

1. To support staff in enhancing student success, to include BAME, inclusion and Personal Tutoring, in line with the Enhancing Student Success (ESS) plan.

2. To enable and support staff to deliver high quality teaching in line with Active Blended Learning and enhance the employability prospects of our students.

3. To increase the proportion of staff with HEA Fellowship, and the impact of professional recognition on Learning and Teaching.

4. To implement the outcomes of UMF assessment review.

5. To support staff in pedagogic innovation.

6. To increase ILT’s and the University’s profile and generate revenue via external bids and consultancy.

Areas of focus

Student Experience:

The University’s Learning and Teaching Plan provides a structured approach to address the following aspects:

• Programme design and redesign: The primary mechanism for course redesign at Northampton is through our CAIeRO workshops. Find out more about this transformational process that develops institutional capability in learning design
• Active Blended Learning (ABL): To help you redesign modules and programmes and reconceptualise learning and teaching practices in order to deliver an effective, student-centred experience through active blended learning (ABL). ABL is our new normal.
• Enhancing Student Success: Enhancing Student Success (ESS) is a four year, institution-wide plan seeking to enhance the undergraduate student experience
• Placements and work-based learning: Work-based Learning (WBL) gives students the opportunity to experience the world of work, completing assessments that reflect on this experience as part of their award.
• Graduate employability: We are committed to developing knowledgeable graduates, who are socially responsible, digitally proficient and highly employable global citizens – the Changemakers of the future.
• Academic integrity: Centrally, the Institute of Learning and Teaching supports capacity development among academic staff for addressing academic integrity within their teaching practice, helping our students to develop good academic practices.

Intellectual Capital:

Staff development (including UKPSF and HEA Fellowship): C@N-DO, our flexible professional development scheme, enables positive change across all aspects of teaching and learner support at the University of Northampton. C@N-DO has been designed for all members of staff who are involved in teaching or who play a role in supporting learning and teaching. These include:

• Learning Outcomes Toolkit (COGS)
• UMF Review on Assessment 2017
• Research, funding and consultancy

Find out more about ILT and what we do on the ILT website, or contact one of our members of staff.

Image by Paul Michael Hughes Photography 07790 819111 / pmh@paulmichaelhughes.com / www.paulmichaelhughes.com.