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This study investigates the perceived benefits to academics who assess HEA Fellowship applications in one institution. Results show that the assessors experience similar benefits from engaging with the continuing professional development (CPD) scheme as those reported by applicants. The data also indicate that the scheme nurtures a teaching-focused community of practice. By examining and discussing authentic practice from diverse subject areas, assessors contribute to the development of a cross-disciplinary consensus on teaching standards. Academic developers broker these community-based interactions, which go on to inform individual and departmental practice. Recommendations are presented to help academic developers nurture such communities in their institutions.

Placement or work-based learning is an integral component of many HE programmes and mentors can play a pivotal role in a student's learning experience. Studies have explored the characteristics of 'good' mentors or mentees, but there is limited research that fully considers the interpersonal dynamics within such relationships. The notion of 'gift exchange' and 'gift giving' was applied to the analysis of students' views concerning placement learning in a healthcare setting, exploring particularly issues of power, identity, duty and reciprocity. Findings suggest that both mentor and mentee play an important role in the gift exchange but these roles may be more fluid than previously considered. Students may need to tread a fine line in maintaining a good relationship with their mentor and invest considerable 'emotional work'. HEIs and placement providers should devote time to allow students to explore the interpersonal dynamics of mentoring relationships to prepare them for such work.

I have just completed my second year as a casual lecturer and have enjoyed engaging in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL). However, my casual status has brought a number of challenges to ensuring my SoTL work has both long term and institutional impact. As the trend for casualisation in higher education continues across the world, I believe that the potential detriment it can cause to SoTL needs to be addressed by the SoTL community. This paper describes firstly a SoTL project I have carried out using a wiki-based assessment method. Secondly, it presents my reflections on the difficulties I face in continuing my SoTL work and feeding it into my department. Finally, it argues that employment on a casual basis can restrict SoTL potential and, consequently, it is time to ask how SoTL can still flourish in this type of environment.

Despite a detailed literature exploring the advancement of a learning outcomes approach in higher education, limited evidence exists concerning academics' use of them. This study employed a questionnaire survey and interviews with academic staff in three schools in one institution to explore their views and uses of learning outcomes. Whilst differences between the Schools were apparent, participants appeared primarily to use learning outcomes to focus their thinking around module design or delivery. Opinions about the purposes of learning outcomes varied between student-centred learning and tick-box accountability, but were not always polarised between the two. The data suggested that these two purposes cannot be disassociated from each other, particularly in a consumerist framework of higher education. Academic staff should be empowered to understand and engage with learning outcomes from student-centred learning "and" accountability perspectives. Further research is also required to investigate the multiple factors that influence academics' enactments of learning outcomes.

Despite an extensive literature on how to frame learning outcomes, to date, limited attention has been given to understanding whether and how students actually use them. This study employed a questionnaire survey and focus groups with students in three disciplines at the University of Leicester to explore students' perceptions and use of learning outcomes. The findings suggest that the majority of students find learning outcomes useful and use them to support their studies in various ways. However, the data also indicate that some students struggle to understand from their learning outcomes the level of learning required to cover their topic area or to pass assessments. Additionally, certain respondents reported that learning outcomes can restrict or overfragment their knowledge. Whilst many students wanted learning outcomes to remain a central part of their learning experience, the findings suggest further work is required to establish more effective use of learning outcomes as a learning resource.

A series of workshops with educators at Birmingham City University about enhancing student involvement in course evaluation prompted us to consider the principles of assessment for learning as an approach to enhancing the quality and value of this evaluative activity. We focus on student enhanced learning through effective feedback which is a model designed to support the integration of "feedback" and "feed-forward" as a social practice in higher education. In the same way that dialogue between student and educator is now viewed as an essential part of student development we suggest that this approach should apply equally to the development of courses. In this paper we outline the principles of the model-- reflection, transparency and developmental dialogue, and set out the case for using the approach to facilitate greater collaboration between students and educators to create a framework to facilitate shared ownership of course enhancement.

Since the 1980s higher education (HE) in the UK has been continually developing to meet the needs of a changing economy. An economy now based largely on knowledge and its transfer, rather than manual skills and labour, has led to an emphasis by the government on increasing the number of adults with high level skills to contribute to economic success. The widening participation agenda is an example of the government drive to increase the numbers and range of people attending university. It is within this context that the term "innovation" has grown in currency. A growing student population requires learning and teaching methods to be developed, adapted and changed to address the diversity of needs within it. Innovation in learning and teaching therefore may become vital to the success of an institution. But what encourages staff to innovate? The majority of this paper will discuss the context for the focus on innovation in HE in terms of its contributing factors, such as changing economic needs and the government agenda to widen participation. Brief discussion at the end will be given to one faculty's initiative to encourage staff to innovate within their own practice. This initiative presents the potential benefits of creating opportunities for staff to present, exchange and discuss new ideas as a stimulus to taking the first step in innovating.

This article reports on a case study that examined the views of primary teachers in one school about their ability to be creative practitioners within the current education system. This research was conducted following the recent emphasis that teacher creativity has been given in government debate. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with 10 members of teaching staff. The main findings presented suggest that the pressures of the curriculum, and the targets and objectives laid down within it, severely restrict and constrain the creative practices that the teachers in this school feel able and willing to engage in. Perceptions of the relevance and value of teacher creativity are also discussed.