Our teaching is inevitably linked to the institution that we work for. This relates to the wider body of the university but also the teams within which we work (unit, courses, department). It is therefore impossible to operate completely independently; all teaching happens within a wider framework, and if it is to be relevant to the students and courses at large there needs to be some element of collective understanding or ‘norms’ that we must work with (or against). There was an interesting point by John around the use of the word ‘professional’ in the framework, questioning what it means to be a professional, what a professional does and how this frames and contextualises the way these frameworks and ‘norms’ are developed. I do think it can be tricky to navigate this. The cultural context in which we teach is forever changing, student bodies are forever changing and therefore the standards to which we teach need to adapt in order to stay relevant and fair. Similarly to discussions around learning outcomes and assessment criteria in previous sessions, it is important to consider that these ‘norms’ might need to accommodate for change depending on who is on the receiving end. Accommodating for flexibility within frameworks and procedures is essential in developing practices that student-focused, ethical and equitable.

This is a shortened version of this blog post