In June 2021, the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) published its final report of its Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability. One of the recommendations in the report was to develop a single tertiary approach to quality for colleges and universities.
This new approach seeks to put the experiences of students at the centre of the sector’s approach to quality. To facilitate this, SFC commissioned sparqs to develop a shared sector reference point - the Student Learning Experience model, launched in October 2023. The SLE model is a key sector benchmark in Scotland's Tertiary Quality Enhancement Framework (TQEF) - for further information see our Quality Arrangements webpage.
The Model
The model was developed by students in partnership with staff across the sector, in order to be focused on what matters most to our students. The model is designed to sit at the heart of conversations with students, enabling students and staff to work together to identify priorities to enhance the quality of learning. It plays a key role in Scotland’s quality arrangements and will continue to evolve alongside the tertiary approach to quality.
The new SLE model is comprised of 9 building blocks. These are the key elements that make up the learning experience. They support students to begin to consider the distinct aspects of their experience which come together to provide a high-quality student learning experience. The model is underpinned by 3 lenses. These are areas of focus that can be applied across all 9 of the building blocks. The resource will be updated during the 2023-24 academic year, to allow institutions and students to apply the lenses to the model in order to highlight aspects across the learning experience that relate to these 3 areas. Each building block has an accompanying set of 10 reflective questions. The questions support dialogue between students and staff on various aspects of the building blocks. They will help develop an understanding between students and staff of strengths within the student experience, as well as areas for development.
Suggested uses for the SLE model include:
- as a basis for student rep training.
- to collate evidence on the learning experience for use in in self-evaluation and enhancement planning.
- as a reference point for review teams in internal and external review.
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Read about the development of the SLE model for information on the processes and phases involved during 2022-23. Huge thanks to all the students and staff who contributed and shared their views and expertise, from the research workshops right through to the sector-wide consultation at several national committees and events to ensure that, whilst it is centred on what students had said, it is owned by everyone.
Resources based on the SLE model
sparqs has already published two resources based on the re-designed SLE model, both developed as part of the Tertiary Enhancement Topic project, which focused on the future of online and blended learning.
In May 2024 we published an online and blended learning reflective questions resource, which consists of a set of reflective questions focusing on aspects of online and blended learning and how the learning experience may differ depending on the mode of course delivery. The resource can be used to start conversations with students, enabling students and staff to work together to identify priorities to enhance the quality of learning.
In September 2024 we published a new online and blended learning resource on best practices for a successful student induction, aimed at supporting sabbatical officers to reflect on induction activities and resources available to students in the context of online and blended learning. This brief guide features one of the reflective questions of the SLE model as an initial self-evaluation activity, followed by a list of ten best practice examples for a successful online/blended learning experience. The resource can be used as a conversation starter for officers to work in partnership with their institution to enhance the student experience.
Future development
sparqs will continue to develop the model’s underpinning lenses, in order to allow students and staff to consider the full breadth of the learning experience through three areas of focus: equality, diversity and inclusion; mental health and wellbeing; and sustainable development.
The SLE model is embedded in the new tertiary quality arrangements and we will continue to create supporting guidance for students’ associations and institutions to use the model across a range of activities..
Further information
For further information, or if you have any queries, please contact Megan Brown, Development Consultant – megan.brown@sparqs.ac.uk.
