This is a story about a faculty faced with a disintegrating culture and lack of direction, which underwent adaptive change to become internationally competitive in veterinary education and research. It highlights the importance of establishing a sense of common purpose through an agreed culture, which can then be translated into action through shared leadership. Visionary leadership created a collective will to succeed, and so the way forward to improving teaching based on evidence became clear. The process of change was strengthened by engagement with the university, educational and leadership consultants, other veterinary schools, the veterinary profession, research stakeholders and the student body.

During the past decade student learning has increased in importance for research-led universities (Ramsden, 1998) with recognition that high quality outcomes are achieved through student-centred learning experiences. Students are more likely to develop advanced concepts and life-long learning commitment when teaching supports their active engagement in constructing personal meaning (Trigwell, Prosser & Waterhouse, 1999). A conducive climate for student-centred, conceptual-change focused learning can be created through application of the insights from student learning research. This scholarly teaching practice is most effective when inquiry stimulates reflection and continuous improvement. Effective leadership enables staff to create excellent learning environments for students and is particularly important in research intensive universities that traditionally prize research achievements (Knight & Trowler, 2000).

The concept of scholarship of teaching emerged from Boyer’s Scholarship Reconsidered and has been a focus for initiatives to improve university teaching. Its aspects include: understanding the literature on teaching research; using well informed, effective approaches which engage students in appropriate learning to develop creative, critical thinking; systematically gathering and using evidence and reflecting on the literature to improve students’ learning; and communicating findings. Scholarly teaching illuminates how teachers facilitate student learning, using the practices of research in planning, investigation, analysis, evaluation, reflection and communication to share the findings with colleagues (Trigwell, Martin, Benjamin & Prosser, 2000). Healey (2000) argues that teachers should focus on how students learn in their discipline and disseminate this knowledge. Ongoing inquiry, reflection and discussion on instructional design, pedagogy and curriculum knowledge (Kreber, 1999) can create an unstoppable momentum to sustain continuing innovation and enhancement of student learning. Professionalism in teaching is guided by evidence and sustained by reflexive self-awareness. These skills can be developed through formal training in higher education and supported by reward and recognition systems.

The history and process of cultural change in the faculty

The Faculty of Veterinary Science is a relatively small professional school which has undergone substantial change in its culture, structure, teaching and research activities in response to external forces and a decline in government funding over the last decade. The threat of amalgamation in 1997 generated grass-roots momentum for rejuvenation 234of the faculty’s identity, purpose, structure and ways of doing business. To effect change a process was needed whereby all staff, students and external stakeholders could obtain ownership and master adaptive change skills.

The process of reform commenced with appointment in 1998 of a visionary Dean who was the catalyst for change. He galvanised staff into action with a blunt, realistic appraisal of the serious difficulties facing a faculty of approximately 60 full time equivalent academic staff, 80 general staff and 500 students (it has since grown to 80 academic staff, 900 students with increased course offerings and research). He led workshops with stakeholders, including staff, students, the veterinary profession, industry, and key university personnel between 1998 and 2002. The faculty’s staff had to listen carefully, and sometimes painfully, to stakeholders’ needs, criticism and suggestions for improvement. As a consequence, staff accepted major changes made between 1999 and 2002. These were: building an agreed culture; adopting shared leadership with staff accepting personal responsibility for the faculty’s success; a revised flatter structure; planning for financial sustainability through admission of fee paying students; assessment of current and future staffing needs; rejuvenation of the fundraising and alumni foundation; strengthened partnerships with government, industry and welfare groups to expand funded research; intensive reflection and strategic planning; staff development and a commitment to major curriculum and teaching renewal (Canfield & Taylor, 2005). The leadership of faculty-level change utilised a model of distributed leadership combined with strategic coordination, elements which have since been identified as the key to rapid, widespread and sustained change in school education (Leithwood, Jantzi, Earl, Watson, Levin & Fullan, 2004).

Reform to establish scholarly teaching

At the time of appointment of the Dean, teaching quality was variable and lack of agreement on the factors that support quality learning hampered progress. Veterinary students are outstanding in their intellectual capability and career motivation so understanding the reasons for their dissatisfaction and correcting their concerns, were of crucial importance. Many graduates were disappointed with aspects of their education which were didactic and uninspiring. Some felt ill-prepared to cope with the stressful transition to professional practice. Students appreciated the small group, practical teaching modes of the latter years of curriculum but criticised the high workload and assessments. Student leaders helped staff understand the detrimental effects on learning of an overcrowded, content-laden curriculum which lacked alignment to veterinary practice needs. Staff struggled to understand and accept these views but recognised the need for change given the competitive international market for veterinary education.

Faculty sought to reinvent itself as an innovator and leader in training veterinary scientists and to attract support for teaching and facility development; a ‘self-help’ strategy. External funds were obtained for development of new postgraduate courses, establishment of a teaching innovation unit, clinic refurbishment and construction of a wildlife centre. International developments and online education were embraced with creation of a range of new resources such as the library without walls (Veterinary Education and Information Network), Library of Inherited Disease in Animals (McGreevy, Costa, Della Torre, Thomson & Nicholas, 2005) and the Online Library for Veterinary Images in Education and Research. 235

The university introduced initiatives in 2000 to promote student-centred learning (described in Chapter 1). These included use of evidence to improve practice, rewards for faculty achievement, support for innovation and quality enhancement systems. They were implemented through Learning and Teaching plans, Working Groups to support university teaching initiatives and Academic Board reviews of faculties (Barrie, Ginns & Prosser, 2005). University leaders explained the significance of the relationships between students’ perceptions of their learning context and quality of outcomes. After sustained debate in the Veterinary faculty, and a small study confirming the relationship between our students’ perceptions, approaches and their learning outcomes (Taylor & Hyde, 2000), staff agreed to adopt student-focused, conceptual change teaching practices (Trigwell & Prosser, 1996).

The faculty embarked on changes to all aspects of its structure and function directed at achieving financial and cultural sustainability through enhanced performance in teaching, research and service. The new structure provided clear lines of responsibility and leadership for education quality enhancement to an Associate Dean assisted by a Learning and Teaching Committee. Planning sessions and a cultural change retreat were conducted to engage staff (academic and general) with the vision of establishing 236the faculty as an international leader in veterinary and animal science education. The first goal was: ‘A shared culture of excellence and scholarship in teaching and learning’. The following principles were used to guide implementation of the new curriculum, staff development and evaluation (Figure 21.1):

• Ensure the teaching context supports a professional approach to education (shared leadership, restructured faculty, student-centred teaching, staff development, rewards and support).
• Jointly develop an innovative, constructively aligned curriculum based on teaching scholarship (to support and encourage staff to invest in enhancing student learning).
• Understand, acknowledge, and address problems to enhance quality creating a culture of continuous improvement based on scholarship and research (evidence-based teaching).

Ensuring the teaching context supports a professional approach to education

The faculty context has a profound impact on staff views on the quality of their teaching environment, and approaches and enthusiasm for teaching. There is a direct, significant relationship between deep approaches to teaching practice and students’ deep approaches to learning (Trigwell, Prosser & Waterhouse, 1999). In order to improve student learning experience, faculty constructively aligned the context for scholarly teaching and engaged staff in collaborative decision making.

Acknowledgement and ownership of problems was a first step in improving learning and teaching. Creating a receptive culture for change required clear goals, cohesive effort from academic and general staff and inclusion of students. As a consequence, staff showed increased willingness to listen, debate, act in different ways and make changes in teaching practice. Some senior academic staff that found it difficult to adapt, retired or left, and were replaced by incoming staff who embraced cultural change.

The Dean and Faculty Executive Committee ensured adoption of a distributed, inclusive model of leadership which emphasised all staff taking personal responsibility for educational change. This is known to be more sustainable than relying on a few enthusiastic teachers to create a climate of excellent teaching (Ramsden, 2003). Shared leadership helped to capture a diversity of good ideas and enthusiasm from general staff, as well as academics, with recognition of their skills and expertise. This required constant synthesis and application of wisdom, intelligence, creativity and a willingness to adapt and energise the change, which are all recognised as key elements of educational leadership (Sternberg, 2005).

The faculty’s in-house leadership training program, run by external facilitators, was influential in empowering the culture change by enabling staff to exercise situational leadership to stretch their capability. The program helped staff understand themselves and their impact on colleagues, to experiment with new ways in working with others and developed skills in communication, teamwork and negotiating conflict. Staff were supported to continue to grow professionally and personally, to take risks, to enjoy, and be reflective within a secure ‘safety net’ of collegial support. This has been influential in increasing participation in new teaching initiatives, such as e-learning, group activities, and experiential learning.

The faculty was restructured to enshrine good teaching practice and remove limitations to growth. An important step was removing the old Department boundaries. Teaching responsibilities were transferred from departmental Heads to the Associate 237Dean in the new Executive (Canfield & Taylor, 2005). This placed many existing decision making processes in the hands of staff, creating space for them to take initiative and form flexible task-focused teams. This focus on teaching that emphasises students’ experience of learning, led by individual and collaborative empowerment of staff to make change within an agreed framework, are features of higher quality forms of academic leadership (Martin, Trigwell, Prosser & Ramsden, 2003), which creates the most favourable context for scholarly teaching. The changes experienced by staff also affected student-staff interactions, e.g., ‘There is very little hierarchy - most staff treat one as an equal.’ (Year 4 student, 2005).

Faculty adopted Biggs’ (2003) model of constructive curriculum alignment and designed the curriculum to achieve graduate attributes (revised in partnership with the profession and other veterinary schools [Collins & Taylor, 2002]). The aim was to increase active, meaningful student learning experiences based on the 3P model of learning i.e. it was student-centred, considered students’ perceptions of their learning context and evaluated learning outcomes (Prosser & Trigwell, 1999). The discipline boundaries were intentionally eroded by creation of units that required integration and application (Figure 21.2).

The Learning and Teaching Committee was revitalised with new membership composed of year coordinators, student representatives from all years, staff with responsibility for student welfare, e-learning, and professional placements. Students also provided input through a revamped Liaison Committee. The new Learning and Teaching Committee included external stakeholders with expertise in higher education and continuing education, and an education consultant. It had responsibility for design and implementation of the new curriculum, advising on resources and staffing for teaching, establishing flexible teaching development teams, gathering and reflecting on the quality of outcomes including student evaluations and strategic planning. It was accountable for quality as well as curriculum, allocated funds to support teaching 238initiatives and scholarship, provided targeted staff development based on strategic need, and reported to external accrediting bodies.

University and external advice was sought to develop faculty expertise in teaching. This established a rich, continuing partnership with the Institute for Teaching and Learning and an external consultant. Timely, targeted development equipped staff to make curriculum change and helped to develop the skills required for reflexive critique of practice, which Brew (2006) suggests is the most important function of academic development. Faculty leaders avoided formulaic quick-fix approaches to improving teaching. Rather, staff were encouraged to work with peers to seek their own understanding of pedagogy and instructional design for their discipline using the teaching literature. They worked in teams, overcoming ‘pedagogical solitude’ to create approaches to teaching most suited to their context (Benjamin, 2000) and to build and strengthen the relationships between disciplines. This led to a profusion of initiatives and competing ideas with vigorous debate; an indicator of a vibrant scholarly culture.

A central aspect of the reorientation to become a scholarly teaching faculty was harmonising all activities to recognise, reward and support student-centred learning by changes in staff recruitment, development, evaluation, promotion, rewards and workload. Alignment of all the factors that impact on academics is necessary to convince staff that there is more than rhetoric in support of good teaching practice (Biggs, 2003). Important elements were: providing supported opportunities for staff to pursue their own creative ideas about improving student learning (small funds provided for teaching improvement projects); creation of flexible teams to implement new approaches; iterative development of new initiatives and a shared vision of alignment of the curriculum to graduate attributes.

Academic staff were recruited to the faculty partly on the basis of their interest in student-centred learning, willingness to undertake formal training and pursue teaching innovation. During induction, staff received formal training and informal mentorship to understand the expectations, roles and responsibilities of their new position. Effective coordination and leadership roles have a strong impact on student learning (Hazel, Prosser & Trigwell, 2002), so they are explicitly valued and rewarded in promotion and 239recognition. Our teachers’ achievements have been recognised with university, state, national, professional, e-learning and teaching innovation awards (Figure 21.3). More than 25 staff were recipients of individual or group awards with 11 receiving multiple university and external awards between 2000-2006, whereas in the preceding 7 years no staff received any teaching awards.

Since 2002, all new faculty teachers have been assisted to complete the Graduate Certificate in Educational Studies (Higher Education) so they commence with a shared understanding of good teaching practice and scholarship of teaching. In 2006 more than 30% of staff have completed this qualification. This has had a powerful impact by providing teachers with the experience of being a learner again, managing workload, overcoming anxiety about their performance and completion of assessment tasks, and learning to communicate in a new discipline. One person commented: ‘By revisiting the position of a learner, it allowed me to reflect on what was important in my teaching and to empathise with our students on the learning process.’

Formal training prepared staff to lead change among colleagues beyond the immediate context of their own teaching. The familiarity with teaching research, good practice and the clarity of purpose that the Graduate Certificate training provide empowered staff to challenge existing practices and implement change, using the scholarly literature and small action research projects (e.g., research reported by Taylor and Hyde, 2000), led to sustained improvements (reported in Ramsden, 2003, and shown in Table 21.1). One person commented: ‘The most powerful part has been the courage that comes from knowing the evidence, based on the scholarly literature in 240education, that you are on the right track. I would never have had the courage to contradict one of the senior staff (who taught me) over teaching matters in the past, but now I am happy to do so.’

Additional, intensive, in house, development has been conducted to meet the learning needs of staff on a just-in-time basis, such as designing aligned learning outcomes, creating student-centred, online and case-based learning activities, aligning assessment, grading criteria and feedback, learning in professional placements, and research led teaching. Development of teaching expertise has extended to clinical, technical and administrative staff. Professional partners participate in an annual conference to enhance supervision of learning in professional placements.

A key to scholarly teaching has been creating a cultural shift so staff are aware of the impact they have on student learning in a social context. The faculty culture statement, staff shared leadership training and performance management and development process were used to encourage staff to make effective change through review, recognition and allocation of staff workload. As a consequence the faculty has undergone steady growth in scholarly teaching, in numbers of staff participating (Figure 21.4) and the intensity of participation. Faculty participation rates increased to the highest in the university in 2002-6. The university’s Scholarship Index, described in Chapter 1, measures rates of teaching publications, awards and formal training. The faculty’s rapid improvement to lead this index coincides with the cultural change in learning and teaching.

Developing an innovative, constructively aligned curriculum based on teaching scholarship

A major cultural shift for the Faculty of Veterinary Science was the acceptance that student learning was core business that deserved continual attention. Student-centred learning through constructive curriculum alignment was adopted as the guiding principle for renewal. During curriculum implementation staff were stimulated to use the available teaching resources in different ways to achieve active engagement. Cross-disciplinary teams were empowered to be creative in encouraging active learners, achieving discipline outcomes and graduate attributes for the course. An emphasis on helping students to learn through clinical problems led to the creation of our own case-based learning pedagogy (Canfield, 2002; Canfield & Krockenberger, 2002).

In order to create time for active student learning faculty reduced timetabled teaching by 25%. This created ‘space’ for new topical, interdisciplinary units of study and the introduction of a stream called Professional Practice, which provided enhanced generic skill development, including leadership training. A lecture free final year of experiential learning in professional practice placements was introduced which further reduced classroom teaching time in the degree by 20%. This compression of traditional content teaching time challenged staff who were unable to continue with the existing teaching modes (lecture, tutorial and practical classes). Reform of curriculum and teaching methods was achieved by an integrated, collaborative approach to curriculum design, reduced repetition and replacement of transmission-modes with more active, self directed learning.

The graduate attributes provided a framework for ‘big picture’ redesign of the whole curriculum with outcomes sequentially aligned through vertical and horizontal integration. Teaching teams developed learning activities and aligned assessments designed to help students construct their own understandings, with large class teaching limited to 50% of teaching time. A greater range of learning activities, including online learning, professional placement learning and practical classes, was adopted to suit the variety of student learning styles. In essence, the aim was to develop critical, creative thinkers in the manner of a constructivist approach to learning.

The faculty has actively promoted greater sensitivity and responsiveness to students and their learning needs, seeing them as important partners in our education activities. Staff cultivated mutual trust and respect responding in a thoughtful way to feedback from students. This has created a shift in the power relationships towards more mature learning partnerships where students feel an important part of a learning community. As one student commented, ‘A great sense of community. You feel welcome and invited to contribute to all aspects of the faculty and they seem genuinely pleased about feedback’ (Year 4 student, 2005).

Enhancing quality and continually improving student learning through evidence and scholarship

Frequent, ongoing collection of data and constructive reflection on its significance has been essential for improvement. It has sustained purposeful staff discourse on teaching and commitment to enhancing learning quality in the face of recent challenges. A culture of scholarly teaching has been supported by allocation of staff resources to collect, analyze and communicate evidence. The impact of the findings of investigations into learning have been amplified by peer reflection, seeking advice from 242external expertise, application of ideas from the teaching literature, presentation of findings at faculty, university and national teaching conferences and in publications, all of which have increased from nearly zero prior to 2000 (Figure 21.4).

At the time of significant change, the units were not reviewed, evaluated or reported in a systematic way, so valuable information for improving learning was lost. Regular student evaluation and staff reflection on each unit was initiated to focus attention on students’ learning and the whole teaching team were accountable for quality. Data was gathered from a range of sources including students, graduates, staff, profession and the university with reporting on progress against milestones. Agreed minimum levels of performance focused the faculty’s support on struggling units, to ensure additional resources were used for greatest impact. Inquiry projects helped to illuminate issues, test solutions and disseminate findings. One student commented ‘One of the best aspects was the staff’s responsiveness to feedback and their ability to change’ (Year 5 student, 2005).

The course experience questionnaire data provided course level information on how graduates and future alumni view their education and was a major impetus for change. However, as a lagging indicator it did not provide the sensitivity necessary to evaluate the immediate impact of curriculum and teaching change. More current information was derived from the student course experience questionnaire data which provided information by year of enrolment. The Learning and Teaching Committee looked beyond the numerical data and commenced systematic analysis of the trends that emerge from student comments. These provided progressive, early indications of problems and staff were guided to understand their significance. Improving aspects of the student learning experience has since become a feature of every faculty learning plan and sustained improvements have been achieved (Table 21.2). For example, faculty implemented policies with a series of workshops on good assessment (Gibbs & Simpson, 2004) in 2001-3, improved marking and feedback practices and monitored the impact on learning, leading to marked improvements in students’ perceptions of assessment (Table 21.2).

243A more detailed understanding of the variation in student learning experience was derived from unit of study evaluation questionnaires, conducted on a rolling three year cycle, or more frequently for units with problems. These provided crucial information on emerging trends which were addressed by the unit coordinator and teaching team in a systematic, collegial way, with closure of the loop to students on action taken. The faculty recognised the direct relationship between unit evaluation results and students’ experience across the course. Student course evaluations are a leading indicator of performance in the university’s teaching performance index and contribute to Teaching Dividend allocations for faculties, discussed in Chapter 1.

Individual staff in team-taught units can also undertake their own confidential evaluations in order to plan for improvement in their teaching, but the emphasis remains on the students’ experience of learning in a unit, rather than an individual teacher. Other forms of feedback from students are used to investigate questions, including focus group discussions and targeted surveys. Staff provided critically useful perspectives and peer review of teaching in other units of study. This has been most effective in the many new units introduced since 2000 which depend on team teaching, situations that strengthen innovation, inquiry and communication about student learning (Benjamin, 2000).

The profession provides a critical perspective on veterinary and animal science education as employers of recent graduates and supervisors of work placements. Students spend their final undergraduate year as veterinary interns in professional placements. Supervisors’ reports on student progress and achievement, collated across the whole year of final year students, are analyzed to identify strengths and weaknesses in student learning outcomes. These findings have been used to strengthen elements of training and assessment in the curriculum. Examples are inclusion of a series of barrier animal handling tests prior to clinical placements and increased early assessment of oral communication skills.

The university and the veterinary profession help setting standards for education and in assessing outcomes. The university’s Academic Board Reviews focused on benchmarking and establishing a common quality education culture across the university. The faculty, through necessity, has engaged in professional accreditation since its inception in Australia and in partnership with the United Kingdom. This accreditation process has been a driver for ensuring quality teaching facilities, curriculum design and the development of agreed graduate attributes. It facilitates collaborative teaching and direct benchmarking amongst the Australasian veterinary schools. Because of the growing international student base, and a developing global view of food production, animal diseases and public health, faculty decided to engage in North American accreditation. In a lengthy process, and through a shared leadership approach, the faculty finally achieved its goal of becoming an internationally recognised provider of veterinary education. This became a catalyst for transforming the local curriculum into one that had global acceptance and relevance, thereby increasing opportunities for attracting international educational and research collaboration. The external perspectives were also crucial in helping the faculty visualise what would be required to reach the university’s goal of 1:5:40 ranking (first in Australia, fifth in the pacific region, 40^th in the world). 244

Conclusions

Learning to be a scholarly teaching faculty, although initiated by inspirational leadership, was a process of discovery that required inclusiveness and shared effort. Establishing a ‘buy in’ of all stakeholders to the faculty culture was essential to provide an environment that nurtured ‘deeper’ approaches and inquiry into teaching rather than a compliance culture which can arise from enforced structural change (Knight & Trowler, 2000). Recognition of the urgent need for adaptive change, and provision of a framework of staff development and empowerment for change based on sound educational principles were important elements in sustaining the change to scholarly teaching (Figure 21.5). Creation of a consistently supportive and rewarding environment and quality enhancement practices that reinforced student-centred learning provided a buffer against consistent external pressures which had the potential to undermine staff commitment to continually improving learning and teaching.

Staff training in shared leadership was crucial to provide self-awareness of teaching practices, confidence to engage in adaptive change and continual self-improvement, and a capacity to understand the needs of the learner. By providing self-confidence and an understanding of the building blocks of inter-personal skills, the leadership program helped to promote productivity by motivating staff to be active contributors in making and implementing decisions underpinned by teaching scholarship. Knight and Trowler (2000) have argued that transformational change can be superficial and imposed where it does not engage with the culture of academic departments. It was realised early in the faculty’s process that sustainable educational change required leadership that enabled staff to make their own collective and collaborative contribution.

Creation of our own sense of identity and purpose as ‘a world leader in veterinary education’ through a Culture Statement and collectively developed Strategic Plans was necessary to take ownership of our curriculum and embed more effective ways of helping students learn. We approached the task with a view to the long-term cultural and financial sustainability of the faculty’s future, which, in part, was established on the premise that staff will continue to be innovative and committed if there is appropriate reward and recognition of effort. Staff perform best in the long term when they are confident through belonging to a trustworthy, productive and dynamic team driven by a shared purpose (Margerison, 1990). They appreciate the opportunity to be part of teams that share their enjoyment and interest in improving learning. Teaching and learning development that is timely and well focused on staff needs enables professional growth which is stimulating and enjoyable. It allows staff to have a sense of being connected to colleagues as part of a larger effort of excellence beyond the usual boundaries of small research teams. It also gives staff a chance to contribute to the understanding that the next generation of professionals have of good teaching and to influence their behaviour when these graduates take on informal teaching roles in their careers. The consistent inquiry, reflection, analysis and communication of investigations into the impact of teaching on learning play a vital role in the continuous improvement in quality. Progress is measured against key performance indicators developed for our Teaching and Learning Strategic and Operational Plans (Table 21.3). These plans integrated elements of the university’s Plan, Working Group initiatives (described in Chapter 1) with aspects that were specific to our own context. 245

Finally, it was recognised early that for a truly long-living, sustainable culture of scholarly teaching in the Faculty of Veterinary Science, there was a necessity to influence others about the role of shared leadership for educational advancement. The first recipients have been our students and professional partners through leadership modules in Professional Practice and preparation for work placements. However, we do 247not intend to stop there, for it is absolutely imperative for sustainability that we obtain university-wide acceptance and support for the importance of shared leadership for scholarly teaching and educational advancement.

Acknowledgements

We thank the former Pro-Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning, Professor Paul Ramsden, former Dean of Faculty of Veterinary Science, Professor Reuben Rose, Faculty of Veterinary Science consultant, Professor Grahame Feletti, Shared Leadership facilitators, Maxime Fern and Michael Johnstone, and the former director Professor Michael Prosser and all the staff of the Institute for Teaching and Learning in guiding the change process. We gratefully acknowledge the collective efforts of all our colleagues, namely academic staff, the veterinary profession, general staff and our wonderful students, who have grown our scholarly teaching over the past 8 years. 248