A Handbook for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education Enhancing academic and Practice

504 ❘
Glossary
(2) transparency and openness of criteria and procedures; (3) procedures that do not
disadvantage any group of learners in the cohort.
FAQ Frequently asked question.
Feedback Oral or written developmental advice on ‘performance’ so that the recipient
has a better understanding of expected values, standards or criteria, and can improve
their performance (see also formative assessment).
Field trip/coursework Practical or experimental work away from the university
designed to develop practical skills (e.g. observation of natural environments), which
may be for a single session or coherent period of study lasting several days. Most
common in life and environmental sciences, geography, civil engineering, construction.
FL(A) Foreign language (assistant).
Flexible learning Often used interchangeably with the term ‘open learning’, but may
be distinguished from it by the inclusion of more traditional modes of delivery (such
as the lecture). Designed to ease student access and choice.
Focus group A technique for pooling thoughts, ideas and perceptions to ensure equal
participation by all members of a group. Requires a facilitator. Some versions of the
method aim to obtain a consensus view, others the weight and thrust of opinion. More
accurately called nominal group technique.
Formative assessment Assessment that is used to help teachers and learners gauge the
strengths and weaknesses of the learners’ performance while there is still time to
take action for improvement. Typically it is expressed in words rather than marks or
grades. Information about learners may be used diagnostically (see summative
assessment).
Foundation degrees Two-year vocational degrees.
Framework for Higher Education Qualifications See level.
Graduate attributes The qualities, skills and understandings each university considers
its students will have on exit.
Graduate demonstrators/Teaching assistants (GTAs) Typically doctoral students who
assist with teaching (e.g. as laboratory demonstrators).
Grammar-translation A structural teaching approach whereby a grammatical point is
explained and learners are drilled in its use by means of translation of numerous
examples into and out of the target language.
Grounded theory A term used originally by B. Glaser and A. Straus (The Discovery of
Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research, Chicago: Aldine, 1967) to describe
a research method in which theory or models are developed systematically from data
rather than the opposite way around.
HEA Higher Education Academy. Supports British higher education in its endeavour
to create a good ‘student experience’. See web for more information (see also UK
Professional Standards, National Teaching Fellow and Subject Centres).
HEFCE Higher Education Funding Council for England.
HEFW Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.
HESA Higher Education Statistical Agency.