Advance HE is working with academic developers at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) in a strategic initiative to enhance teaching excellence, offering the University’s staff a route to apply for Fellowship.
To date, two cohorts of 50 participants have completed a Certificate in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. The programme was co-designed by Advance HE and NCTU’s Center of Higher Education Accreditation for Teaching (HEAT). The programme is underpinned by the internationally recognised Professional Standards Framework (PSF). The PSF provides the building blocks for a Fellowship application and the resultant reward and recognition of an individual’s teaching excellence.
The Centre of Higher Education Accreditation for Teaching is a pioneering initiative in Taiwan’s higher education system. An important part of the Certificate programme has been to identify early adopters and mentors who can support the Centre in building capacity and work towards its own Advance HE accredited staff development programmes.
In the most recent Certificate programme, which was delivered by an Advance HE Global Consultancy team from the Academy of Learning and Teaching at QUT, Queensland, more than 70% of participants have gone on to apply for Fellowship successfully. The University has so far successfully supported a total of 3 Senior Fellows, 29 Fellows, and 2 Associate Fellows. In addition, two vice presidents who have already attended additional workshops are applying for Principal Fellowship now.
Commenting on the initiative to enhance teaching, Professor Sin-Horng Chen, Acting President, National Chiao Tung University, said: “In the past, speaking of teaching quality, we often emphasised student’s learning qualities; however, we rarely focused on the educators’ professional development. If educators do not know what the most effective teaching methods are, it goes without saying that it would be impossible to offer students a quality teaching and learning environment.”
Lu-Chun Lin, Associate Professor, Director of Higher Education Accreditation for Teaching, said: “Our goal is to support higher education professionals to achieve effectiveness in teaching and learning and to obtain international recognition as high-quality teaching professionals – and this is what this programme ultimately achieves through Fellowship.
“We will build on this work, creating capacity from within the University so that we can apply for accreditation for our own development programmes and confer Fellowships ourselves. Our staff is key to this transformation, and I am so pleased in their response to our call to ‘Be the change we want to see’. Through their commitment, this development opportunity will empower them in their teaching, and I am absolutely confident we embed a culture of continuous enhancement in teaching excellence.”
Ian Hall, Advance HE Head of International Membership, said: “The team at NCTU has unbounded professionalism and energy in its commitment to teaching excellence. I am delighted that the commitment of the course participants has been rewarded through Fellowship. We are looking forward to continuing our work with the University in their strategic approach to enhancing teaching and delivering a first-class experience for their students. It’s a fantastic effort by all involved.”
National Chiao Tung University is a public research university located in Hsinchu, Taiwan. Established in 1896 as Nanyang Public School, it is one of Taiwan’s leading universities.
For more information on our International membership offer and how we can support your institution, visit our website.