“The knowledge economy requires significant changes in our approach to the delivery of higher education; the development of higher level skills; and the creation and deployment of knowledge. Consequently the quality of the learner experience will be dependent on the lecturer acting as a mentor and fellow scholar in the process of knowledge acquisition and generation”.

(Beard et al 2010)

Development of the SARAD Tool

The Scholarship and Research Audit Development Tool (SARAD) has been developed at Blackpool and The Fylde College in collaboration with project consultants ABC Consulting, with support from Higher Education Funding Council England (HEFCE).

Purpose of the SARAD Tool

The tool has been has been designed to provide an introduction to scholarship and research as relevant to vocational higher education, providing a scholarly framework that enables lecturers to identify scholarly activities and areas for development.

The tool has been specifically developed to support reflective academic practice, helping lecturers to map their capabilities and current practice against the UK Professional Standards Framework for Teaching in Higher Education. Engagement with the tool will facilitate individual fellowship applications to the Higher Education Academy.

The tool and supporting materials have been designed to:

• Audit and quantify scholarship.
• Prepare evidence based individual, school and College scholarship profiles.
• Facilitate academic staff to engage in reflective activity that enables them to identify their scholarship development needs and thus inform institutional strategy and operations, in terms of providing scholarship and research development support.
• Enable academic staff to identify and rationalise their current professional profile in terms of the UK Professional Standards Framework.
• Support individual application to the Higher Education Academy for professional recognition and individual membership (associate and fellow).

The SARAD Tool also provides developmental prompts and links to Continuing Lecturer Education (CLE) materials which are available through the Scholarship and Research Centre.

SARAD Part 1 Scholarship Development

Part 1 has been designed to provide an introduction to scholarship and research as relevant to vocational higher education. The tool provides a scholarly framework that enables lecturers to identify their activities and identify areas for development.

SARAD Tool Part 1 Scholarship Development

SARAD Part 2

Part 2 of the tool has been designed to encourage and support lecturers in the process of reflection and evaluation of practice, supporting practice alignment with the UK Professional Standards.

SARAD Tool Part 2 UK PSF

SARAD Part 3

Part 3 of the tool consists of a data collection tool

SARAD Tool Part 3

The definitions of scholarship provided in this tool have been derived by means of a comprehensive literature review and field research conducted at Blackpool and The Fylde College over a three year period (Beard et al 2010).

For a copy of this paper or further information regarding scholarship and research development contact TQEF@blackpool.ac.uk.