Universitas 21

		U21 Teaching & Learning Conference Does Teaching & Learning Translate? Conference papers
		*Quality culture in research intensive institutions - university teaching improved*

		Torgny Roxå & Katarina Mårtensson
		Lund University

		Academic teaching in research intensive institutions resides in the lair of academic freedom, and therefore it appears peculiarly resilient to all sorts of reform efforts made by managers and politicians¹²³. Even so, it is urgently needed to develop academic teaching in order to meet demands from society, students, and intra-academic perspectives. This contribution discusses a strategy to promote improved teaching in a research-intensive institution. It will display theoretical rational, degree of involvement by teachers, linkage to management, and outcome. The strategy, which has successfully migrated between Faculties/Schools within the institution, is grounded in the following: Sustainable change must be owned by the teachers. The driving force for change is peer review among teachers. Informed discussion and documentation is paramount for achieving a quality culture in relation to teaching and learning. Clarity in vision and good timing while taking structural measures is crucial on the part of leadership. The case discussed has emerged for a decade and reached, among other things, the following: A positive national and international reputation among colleagues. A leading position in national conferences on teaching and learning. An increasing number of students naming the quality of education as an important reason for choosing the institution. A positive response from the national agency for higher education saying that the work is exemplary. The rational for the initiative is based in social practice theory[4]. A crucial feature is alignment with basic academic values within a research-intensive institution. The program evolves in close relation with faculty leadership, departments, and individual teachers and it includes several interrelated parts: pedagogical courses; consulting; research on teaching and learning; and a system for rewarding scholarly teaching (including monetary incentives for both departments and individuals). The latter also includes a model for analysing scholarly approaches to teaching and student learning. ¹ Bauer, M., et al. (1999) Transforming Universities. Changing Patterns of Governance, Structure and Learning in Swedish Higher Education. Higher Education Policy Series 48. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. ² Newton, J. (2003) Implementing an Institution-wide Learning and Teaching Strategy: lessons in managing change. Studies in Higher Education 28(4) ³ Stensaker, B. (2006) Governmental policy, organisational ideals and institutional adaptation in Norwegian higher education. Studies in Higher Education 31(1): p. 43 - 56 4. Wenger, E. (1999) Communities of Practice. Learning, Meaning, and Identity. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.