Evidence for Enhancement: Improving the Student Experience ran from 2017 to 2020. The Theme reflected on the data and evidence that was available within the Scottish sector to help us understand what we do well and what we could improve. We aimed to identify issues that required intervention, with priority given to any issue that would improve the student experience.
Our key work areas included:
- evaluation, progress and planning
- defining and capturing evidence
- student engagement and demographics
- optimising existing evidence.
The growing abundance of data and evidence in higher education, which was one of the key drivers for this Theme, continues today. This means that staff and students still need a set of purposeful and effective tools and techniques to make sense of trends and to identify what works and what doesn’t in implementing, evaluating and understanding the impact of change.
The distinctive, but related, Student and Staff Guides to Using Evidence in Higher Education continue to support colleagues in exploring the use of data and evidence in different scenarios. These highly practical guides remain a ‘go-to’ resource, from responding to student feedback on their learning and teaching experience to re-developing learning and teaching strategy. With the student voice continuing to be at the heart of the Scottish enhancement approach, the Responding to Student Voice Principles of Practice and Cards and associated resources have a continued legacy within Scotland and beyond.
Theme evaluation
Watch our highlights film about the work of Evidence for Enhancement
This film summarises the work of Evidence for Enhancement: Improving the Student Experience and captures the broad range of activity and innovation from the higher education sector in Scotland.
Projects by activity
Collaborative clusters
Collaborative clusters provide institutions with the opportunity to work together on areas of shared interests which have the potential of adding value for the whole sector once complete.
Sector-wide activity
All Scottish institutions engage with the sector-wide activity and choose topics that align with their own priorities and interests. The projects currently include:
HE Planners activity
We are working with a range of stakeholders including representatives from the Scottish higher education planners group on two projects.
Institutional activity
Institutions will take forward their interests and priorities working in partnership with students. We will share outcomes and learning from this work, which will be beneficial to the whole sector.