Going for gold: an exciting new competition!

Everyone has a strong opinion about the results of the recent teaching excellence framework.

But how objective are these varied opinions?

Some cynics have suggested that comments about the TEF¡¯s validity and reliability may have been influenced by the actual award received by the commentator¡¯s own university.

Is integrity in higher education really so relative? Here¡¯s your chance to find out.

Can you guess the precise nature of the TEF award given to a university from merely reading their response to the exercise?

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1. One vice-chancellor thought that the TEF was ¡°a massive game changer¡± that would ¡°create new hierarchies of universities¡±. In his opinion, the TEF measured exactly the kinds of things that provoked questions from students and parents on open days.

Did this university receive a gold, silver or bronze award?

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2. One leading history lecturer thought that it was ¡°hugely frustrating¡± when academics and students who had decried the metrics behind the TEF now ¡°widely celebrated¡± their new ¡°shiny medals¡±. The lecturer thought that such hypocrisy was ¡°galling¡± and declared that the TEF needed to be dramatically overhauled ¡°if it is to do as it claims and measure ¡®teaching excellence¡¯ ¡±.

Gold? Silver? Bronze?

3. One vice-chancellor thought that the TEF¡¯s benchmarking process was ¡°fundamentally flawed¡± and found it hard to have confidence in a TEF that appeared ¡°devoid of any meaningful assessment of teaching¡±.

Gold? Silver? Bronze?

4. One vice-chancellor thought that instead of focusing ¡°on detailed arguments about methodology, we should welcome this first attempt to assess and recognise excellent teaching¡±.

Gold? Silver? Bronze?

5. One vice-chancellor thought that the TEF was ¡°a very welcome endorsement of what students, schools and colleges¡± already knew about his university.

Gold? Silver? Bronze?

6. One vice-provost for education said that she had once been ¡°very critical¡± of attempts to measure teaching, but now regarded the TEF as ¡°a godsend¡± for university teaching and thought that universities must participate in the exercise rather than ¡°just be critical¡±.

Gold? Silver? Bronze?

7. One vice-chancellor said that the TEF was a measure that truly separated ¡°the wheat from the chaff¡±.

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Gold? Silver? Bronze?

Seven correct: Verdict: your deep cynicism would appear to have some merit.

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Below seven correct: Verdict: it rather looks as though your naive belief in the power of objective truth to overcome the pull of special interests may once again have let you down.

lolsoc@dircon.co.uk