The Impact of ITLR
The Impact of ITLR: Two Years On
The ITLR has had a lasting impact on departmental activities. Departments have broadly embraced opportunities to be innovative, inclusive, and student-centred, as evidenced by the reshaping of curricula, assessment, feedback, and institutional processes. The success of this work lies in the collaborative efforts of academic and professional services staff, both within departments and across central teams, united by a shared commitment to enhancing education and the student experience.
Key themes include:
- Assessment and Feedback Innovation
- Student Engagement and Curriculum Development
- Teaching Excellence
- Equity and Inclusion
- Institutional and Process Reforms
Examples of Impact
Assessment and feedback innovation
- Adoption of diverse and scalable assessment types
- Programme-level approaches to assessment design
- Use of feedback data to enhance modules
- Enhanced GTA training on assessment and feedback
- Emphasis on transparent marking schemes
- Use of teaching away days and education committee feedback loops
- Real-world application in assessment design
- Alignment of assessment design with AI policies
- Collaboration between EPQ and the Education Strategy Team to develop structured guidance on alternative assessments, despite ongoing challenges with regulatory flexibility and institutional responsiveness
Student engagement and curriculum development
- Expanded student consultation via SSLCs and widening participation groups
- Improved module evaluation and feedback dissemination
- Programme restructuring aimed at reducing over-assessment and enhancing flexibility
- Credit realignment initiatives (e.g., from 20 to 30 credits)
Teaching excellence
- Implementation of blind marking, peer dialogue, and cross-departmental pedagogical exchange
- Support for developing students’ oral communication skills
Equity and inclusion
- Progress in curriculum decolonisation
- Initiatives to improve student wellbeing and sense of belonging
Institutional and process reforms
- Improvements in pre-registration harmonisation, capacity planning, and module catalogue transparency
- Enhanced inter-departmental communication and shared learning through forums
Two years on, the ITLR’s influence remains evident across the University of Warwick. While not all actions have been fully implemented, most have been embedded into ongoing enhancement efforts, particularly through the IQR Enhancement Action Plans. These plans have sustained momentum and aligned departmental efforts with university priorities.
Some university-level actions have been incorporated into broader initiatives such as the Education and Student Experience Strategy, Warwick Transformation, STEM Connect, and Social Science Connect. Others have been paused due to shifting priorities, sectoral changes, and resource constraints, highlighting the adaptive nature of enhancement work.
In this context, it is timely to formally close the ITLR action programme. The ITLR has fulfilled its purpose: catalysing reflection, driving improvement, and laying the groundwork for future strategic developments. The University now shifts focus to sustaining and building on these gains through forward-looking strategies.