11.15h | Plenary talk - Towards Excellent Education: A Shared Endeavour Brent Carnell, University College London The purpose of education has evolved. Universities now have an important role to play in developing students with the skills and strengths needed to thrive in an unknown future, defined by new complex global challenges. The academic research conducted at universities, and the small group of people involved in the production of knowledge, has a long tradition of finding solutions to challenges facing the world, including those relating to health and wellbeing, environmental and cultural sustainability. It is an institution's research profile that has profound impact and in doing so bolsters a university's reputation, yet in many research-rich institutions this has had very little impact on education. It is argued by elevating education to the same level of importance as research, and by connecting two core university activities, its research and associated approaches to knowledge with its education offering, a whole range of benefits come about, including an enhanced student learning experience. In this new model focused on dialogue and active learning, students can gain enquiry-based development which will be key to success in future employment and studies. After outlining the changing context of education, this presentation will go on to outline enablers of change at University College London - a leading research-intensive university in the United Kingdom. In doing so the talk will focus on the areas of work in the Arena Centre for Research-Based Education - a comparable centre for innovating and developing teaching and learning - which aims to bring together diverse groups to work towards the common goal of improving education. It will argue that every part of a university, its researchers, teachers, professional staff, and students - and even those beyond the academy - have an important role to play as we move towards excellent education. |
