RAPPORT
tasks should to be beyond what students already know or are used to and , as such , takes them ‘ out of their comfort zone ’ where a substantial effort is needed to complete a task . There is a fine balance between degree of difficulty and ability that ensures that an individual remains motivated and can achieve significant results , as flow theory suggests ( Csikszentmihalyi , 1990 ). We also believe that significant learning requires that the learners are aware of what is happening as they study , as well as what they know before and after an experience , as well as of the process that they have gone through . These types of reflection are often known as ‘ reflection in action ’ and ‘ reflection on action ’ ( Schön , 1983 ). By reflecting on the learning process , learners can see what can be improved next time they attempt a similar task . Feedback , in its various forms , supports such reflective practice when learners pay sufficient attention to it or discuss it with tutors . Finally , students must ‘ have the opportunity to influence aspects of their teaching and the assessment they experience ’; this is what we have called ‘ co-created ’ learning , but it remains the most challenging element of the model of realistic learning .
TE is the contribution of individual lecturers and the institution as a whole to the processes of realistic learning . At the University of Bedfordshire , we like to think that the institutional mission ( expressed in its various strategies ), as well as the goals and practices of individual lecturers and teaching teams , have realistic learning at their heart . Quality assurance procedures , at least in theory , should support critical engagement and continuous improvement , taking into account the level of effectiveness / impact of such practices . Student feedback is a crucial source of information in this respect . To summarise , student engagement and teaching excellence are processes that , in turn , ignite and provide the energy for the core learning processes described as realistic learning .
The third set of variables refers to the outcomes of the learning processes . The most salient effects of realistic learning in the first stages of learning are changes in awareness and motivation . Students in their first year should make discoveries about their subject , themselves and the social world . For instance , at the end of their first year , they often say that they realise how much broader or complex the discipline is , and admit that at first they had a very simple idea ( Gaitan & Atlay , 2008a and 2008b ). In terms of motivation , again after the first year most students ’ interest in the subject becomes stronger , as they confirm their degree is the right one for them , or more diverse . It is expected that , during the successive stages of their studies , these interests will narrow , which should be
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reflected in their choice of topic for their final year project and future career plans . These outcomes are not very often recognised either by institutions or tutors . Improvements in students ’ knowledge and skills are , by contrast , made explicit at every stage of the curriculum in the documentation of university courses and are the object of formal assessment . More general , but equally important outcomes , include academic attainment , which for an individual is expressed as the weighted average for a unit / module or at the end of the course ( e . g . the GPA or the degree classification ), and for the institution as the percentage of ‘ good degrees ’. There is , however , agreement that achievement , on the other hand , refers to the progress made by a student , based on his / her specific circumstances , and describes a process 5 . Some institutions confer special awards for outstanding achievement , but this is not normally measured routinely . Admittedly , some progress has been made to express specific graduate attributes that are more informative in a final report called ‘ Higher Education Achievement Record ’ ( HEAR ), but this varies across the sector6 . Finally , a very important outcome is the ability of graduates to gain graduate employment ( known as ‘ employability ’). This has been the focus of most higher education institutions over the last two decades . Data are collected for the whole of the UK through the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education ( DLHE ) survey and published for each institution and course , describing the proportion of graduates working in the UK , working overseas , working and studying , studying , unemployed or involved in ‘ other ’ activities ( e . g . travel ). However , league tables of universities use percentages of graduates in ‘ graduate jobs ’ as a success criterion . It has often been argued that since the survey only describes leavers ’ destination six months after graduation , it misrepresents the employability of graduates in areas that require further training beyond a first degree , since they often take on jobs for a year or so , to pay off their debt before
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A related notion is that of ‘ learning gain ’, defined as ‘ an attempt to measure the improvement in knowledge , skills , work-readiness and personal development made by students during their time spent in higher education ’ ( Higher Education Council for England [ HEFCE ], 2016 ). There are currently 13 project funded by HEFCE that have identified a number of ways of assessing learning gain , including grades , surveys , standardised test and other qualitative methods and mixed methods .
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The HEAR has been considered as having recognised potential for formative and more holistic use , see https :// www . liverpool . ac . uk / my-liverpool /
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