University Alliance’s Teaching Excellence Alliance (TEA) programme, designed to encourage and showcase excellence in teaching and learning, has been honoured by the Staff and Education Development Association (SEDA) in their Educational Development Initiative of the Year for its innovative ‘TEA Sandpit’ professional development activity. The TEA Sandpit designed and led by UA’s Penny Sweasey and Graham Holden beat brilliant initiatives from The Open University and University College London to the top spot.
SEDA’s annual award encourages and celebrates collaborative educational development initiatives that demonstrably improve practice and outcomes in higher education.
TEA Sandpits have been hosted by individual members of the TEA and have been attended by over 300 staff and students. The intensive one-day events focus on finding concrete solutions to some of the greatest challenges within HE teaching and learning. Participants tease out “quick wins” and strategic workable long-term solutions to ‘wicked’ problems, e.g. addressing the BAME attainment gap, embedding employability and designing inclusive curricula.
Penny Sweasey who manages the TEA and runs the sandpit events said “I am really proud of the work we have done through the TEA, bringing universities together to share expertise and find collaborative solutions to common challenges, and I am hugely grateful to SEDA for recognising this hard work.”
