The project is led by Professor Matt O’Leary at Birmingham City University, with collaborating partners from the University of Wolverhampton as well as Dr Victoria Wright from Loughborough University, who works as an Academic Projects and Development Adviser within the Enhanced Academic Practice team.
The 18-month project, titled ‘Enhancing Learning and Teaching Quality through Collaborative Observation’ (ELTQCO), aims to implement and evaluate an innovative and collaborative model of observation by involving groups of students and teaching staff from a variety of disciplines.
Using a formative, process-driven approach to understanding and improving quality, the research team will facilitate situated, meaningful insights into the quality of learning and teaching from student-staff perspectives. Using an established cycle of collaborative observation as a conceptual and operational tool, the participating universities will focus on specific themes relevant to their local contexts, with Loughborough’s focus on dialogical assessment and feedback practices.
The outcome of the project offers a range of benefits for learning and teaching at Loughborough. Students will have the opportunity to shape their learning experience, in addition to feeling empowered to inform and improve the quality of learning and teaching on their degree. For staff participating, they will have a rare opportunity to work closely with students to explore aspects of the teaching and learning on their modules, with a long-term view to improve the quality of teaching they offer to students.
The project formally launched earlier this year and the Loughborough team is now in the process of working with case studies in its first cycle where observation and evaluation are being undertaken. The ELTQCO project is due to complete by June 2024.
ELTQCO is a Collaborative Enhancement Project supported and funded by QAA Membership. The project is led by Birmingham City University in partnership with Loughborough University and University of Wolverhampton. Find out more about Collaborative Enhancement Projects on the QAA website.