MARTHA’S VINEYARDSUMMER INSTITUTE

Plan for Advancing Experiential Learning

Rhiannon TinsleyRob Macpherson

What does Scotland mean to you?

TARTAN?

THISTLES?SCOTTIES?

MOUNTAINS?

Or even whiskyand shortbread?

?

All aspects of: Highland Tourism and Hospitality...

Rob’s brief (The “faculty viewpoint”):

To investigate how best to incorporate and embed co-op education within a newly designed Tourism & Hospitality degree – to the benefit of UHI students, Highland employers and, potentially, a wider professional and academic community

Rhiannon’s brief (The “administration viewpoint”):

To explore the potential applications and models of experientiallearning to progress institutional strategic aims in terms of:

• teaching, learning and assessment strategy• curriculum strategy

Institutional Profile

• 1 institution; 14 colleges• 100+ learning centres• covers 50,000 sq km

• 7,000 students (5,000 fte)• strategic aim: double numbers by 2015•150+ programmes (ugr & pgt)• Arts & Humanities; Business; Health; Science & Technology

• 58% aged 21 or over• 52% part time• 54:46 female:male• 86% students local from Highlands• £30m turnover p.a.• awarded university-level degree granting powers 2008

Revelations

• we are two countries separated by a common language – terminology very different

• experiential learning comes in many flavours – not all available in Mad Martha’s

• we are not absolute beginners – our institution is already engaged in differing aspects of experiential learning across a range of its subject disciplines

• while we came with a willingness to learn, we also had much to contribute

• at home, we will not be starting a revolution, more seeking an evolution in existing practice

Our Learning Journey• Our new Tourism and Hospitality degree embedding experiential learning, and starting from a fresh sheet of paper, can be a pioneer programme, indicative of wider possibilities within the institution

• In planning the implementation of this new degree – what Rob came here to plan – there were levels of institutional complexity that we need not detain you with here (see next slides)

• The value of the Institute was that we both realised that we needed to spend more time considering the larger questions (Rhiannon’s brief) rather than the specific questions (Rob’s brief) as, in some ways, the latter would be easier to accomplish than initially perceived

• There is a P.R. job to be done at home – but there are new colleagues, friends and institutions (WACE) to help us on our journey

Tourism & Hospitality degree with co-op

Stakeholders

StudentsFaculty

EmployersProfessional Bodies

External Funders (government/Europe)

Institution (UHI corporate)The “Academy”

Issues

Quality of academic leadershipUHI Academic processesNew UHI statusLack of awareness of co-op conceptAcademic credibility of tourism“Slave labour” perceptionVested interests

Context

Perceived local economic needs (15%)International dimension - $4bn p.a.

Industry trends in the context of economic uncertainty

Government policySkills agenda

Niches

Highland tourismHeritage/ancestral/family tourismEco-/environmental tourismShort breaksEvents tourismOutdoor adventure tourismGolf tourismFood/whisky tourism

Format

Co-op “embedded”3 year programme (extending to 4 eventually?)Model – 3; 1+2; 2+1?Exit routes – generic vs specialised?Local vs global focus?Tourism vs hospitality balanceCredit value for co-op

Content

Programme balanceProgramme aimsLearning outcomesCore skills“Graduateness”

• To develop a degree-level programme in Tourism and Hospitality that integrates work-based learning through to delivery

GOAL (or, more properly, Rob’s goal)

NEEDS

• Attractive to students• Meets employers needs• Is financially viable and sustainable• Meets institutional requirements for programmes• Meets a variety of nationally agreed standards (occasionally non-complementary)

OBJECTIVES

• Develop a prototype action plan (out of this Institute) for programme development with alternative models• Facilitate faculty discussion around the potential outcomes of this action plan – to encourage buy-in• Consolidate agreements into a revised action plan• Advocate the revised action plan to and through appropriate institutional bodies• Implement agreed action plan, once institutional approval has been achieved

QUALIFICATIONS, ASSUMPTIONS AND CAVEATS

• Senior management buy-in and support already in place, and assumed to continue• Resources for programme development already agreed, delivered and assumed to continue• An appropriate and qualified academic leader can be secured for the project• Institutional strategic aspirations override individual academic partner agendas

S WO T

Starting with a blank pageFunding in placeIdentified institutional strategic priorityEvidence of market demandAlignment with national skills agendaAlignment with employability agenda“Anecdotal” evidence of employer demand

Starting with a blank pageLack of facultyLevel of staff qualification/experienceLow morale/confidenceAcademic credibility of co-op model within UKAcademic credibility of disciplineMinimal pre-existing collaboration between tourism and hospitality faculty

Develop an innovative Learning, Teaching and Assessment modelPotential to recruit strong student numbersStrengthen links to employersDevelop international collaborationPioneer model to others (internal & external)Build on existing “Ex Ed” programmes (that we didn’t know we had)To market our programmes more effectively

Competition from other institutionsInternal agenda/priority conflictsStaff resource and time availabilityUnable to appoint appropriate academic leaderKey personnel changesHistoric lack of student numbers in pre-existing programmesTimescale pressure to meet funding requirementsUnable to secure sufficient high-quality co-op opportunities

TRANSFORMATIONAt some point over the weekend – possibly while eating baked cod in The Black Dog Tavern – and like all good Ex Ed students, we had a transformational experience

We realised that we did not have to “sweat the small stuff” – and that Rob’s brief could be easily accomplished within the existing parameters of UHI, its validation processes and its QA and QE systems

So........Instead, we felt we should “sweat the big stuff” and share with you part of the Gnome of Rhiannon’s brief...

GOAL (or, more properly, Rhiannon’s goal)

• To explore the potential applications and models of experiential learning to progress institutional strategic aims in terms of:

• teaching, learning and assessment strategy• curriculum strategy

NEEDS

• To continue to develop programmes that are attractive to students• To align potential Experiential Education programme with TLA and curricular strategies and with institutional strategic, faculty & network development plans• As part of institutional strategy, to continue to best meet employers’ needs• To ensure programmes are financially viable and sustainable• To ensure institutional QA and QE expectations are met• To ensure institutional requirements for validation of programmes are satisfied• To ensure programmes meet nationally agreed standards

The Plan

• Return to UK • Evaluate what we have learned from the Institute - by 31 July 2008 (but, really, continuously)

• Convene potential early adopter groups - by 30 September 2008 (using Rob’s HoTLS network as an example)

• Advocate potential Ex Ed applications to (internal) friends, foes and fence sitters - by 30 November 2008

The Plan (2)

• Consider how best to engage external friends and supporters and seek mutual alignment of needs/goals - by 31 December 2008

• Consider MVSI abroad initiative - by ????????

• Consolidate & further our Ex Ed experience

• Actively champion Ex Ed solutions to future curriculum challenges

• And – who knows – possibly return to another Institute!

Questions/Comments?