Information and digital literacy in education via the digital path

The Tef is call to action for leaders, but it could unite or divide – and exacerbate existing tensions with staff

John Morgan examines the progress of a vision of parity between pedagogy and research

As the Conservative Party conference gets under way and Green Paper expectations rise, much attention is focused on the principles and parameters of a Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) for higher education.

This is an important opportunity, but not without risk. As the HE sector champion of teaching quality, the Higher Education Academy (HEA) is already supporting institutional, subject and individual trajectories towards excellence; indeed, this has been its core task for more than a decade. In addition to support, the HEA is in a position to mitigate potential risks associated with launching a TEF – for the government, funding bodies and institutions alike – if its advice is heeded in current political debates.