Welcome to SCoLPP

Staffordshire Centre of Learning and Pedagogic Practice
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SCoLPP is a research centre with a difference, immersed uniquely in developing evidence-informed pedagogic practice which aims to connect learning and teaching to enhanced social mobility.

We are modelled on core principles of effectiveness and levels of evidence, evaluation, and reach and we uphold What Works principles in learning and teaching for all, as we know that everyone can have a part to play in positively enhancing student outcomes.

We believe this makes us an emerging thought-leader in the HE sector.

What we do

Find out about the core work of our team across the sector

Where we're going

Discover our vision for the next 5 years

Our offer

How you can get involved with research at SCoLPP

SCoLPP International Pedagogic Conference

20-21 November 2024 will see our first SCoLPP International Pedagogic Conference. Find out more and register now.
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Our impact

  • Awarded 9 funded projects 
    We have brought in c£200k, working with QAA (UK & Scotland), TASO, Advance HE, OfS, The British Council. This work has made tangible differences to curriculum development, everyday practice and in how colleagues across the Sector now consider evaluating outcomes and effectiveness. 
  • Widened internal and external engagement
    SCoLPP Innovators presentations and outputs including peer-reviewed invitations for 4 of our innovation projects to present at ISoTL23, alongside producing several articles in peer-reviewed sources. SCoLPP Team members have done 6 international keynotes, a plethora of presentations in the Sector, written several articles for peer-reviewed journals, WonkHE and Times HE Campus, been invited to contribute 7 book chapters.We have also been invited as paid experts to evaluate HE effectiveness by several international governments in the HE Sector. 
  • Developed a great team with strong professional standing
    We continually contribute to Sector developments in learning and teaching. We have representation and reach in several thought-leading areas, including: National Teaching Fellowship and Principal Fellows engagement; Vice Chairing of NEONs Supporting access, success and progression for vocational learners; active membership of TASO Sector Network and Evaluation Collective; Board Directorship of National Teaching Repository; Co-chairing of the Aspiring PFHEA Network (Advance HE); JISC Student Experience Expert group; UCISA Digital Education Group.

What we do

Our Team has expertise and skills to support your effective evaluation design from strategic to operational levels. We have a track-record of skills and expertise to support you to introduce a step-change in pedagogic capacity-building linked to effectiveness.  We're equipped with the expertise and skills to support enhancing your pedagogic effectiveness and innovation at all levels. 

Offer evaluation expertise across a range of real world HE domains

Thought-leading on researching and applying innovative pedagogies for effectiveness

  • Undertaking funded-work to examine the effectiveness of Phenomenon-Based Learning (PhBL) as the future-facing pedagogy for delivering Sustainable Development Goals and educational gain 

  • Evidencing possible Future Student Experiences, by producing commissioned evidence-informed scenarios for 2030 and beyond. 

  • Our funded Beyond the Classroom project considers the importance of Third-Space roles now, future trajectory, and resource-development needed for success.    

A torch-bearer for inclusive pedagogic development of staff

  • We fund internal SCoLPP Innovator Awards, available to all staff regardless of role-type, linked to evaluating effectiveness, scale and impact of learning.   

  • We support PhD inquiry framed within What Works principles. Presently we support fully-funded doctorates linked to evidencing intangible assets, effective use of learning analytics to support student outcomes, using play in digital spaces.  

  • We support writing retreats, produce free online So, What’s the Learning? webinars across the sector, offer bid-writing development linked to scholarship of learning and teaching. 

Where are we going in the next 5 years?

In the next 3-5 years, SCoLPP will be at the forefront of:

Developing an effective Sector-wide infrastructure

Encourage diverse inter and trans-disciplinary approaches in HE, building on our expertise, emerging track record and knowledge of phenomenon-Based Learning (PhBL)

Leading on pedagogic evaluation research

that values and examines the diversity of our student demographic and the effectiveness of transformative experiences

Using phenomena to provide critical research

for developing global-ready graduates to work collaboratively in international contexts in tackling real world global challenges

More from SCoLPP

Meet the team

The core SCoLPP research team regularly collaborates with colleagues across the sector to provide innovative research in our field.

Our projects

The centre undertakes research in a wide range of areas, including the ethnicity awarding gap, phenomenon based learning, and more.

News and Resources

Find out more about the talks and resources we deliver across the sector, including our own webinar series: So, What's the Learning?

Latest news and events

See more SCoLPP news

Dr Sally Andrews has completed a TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes) commissioned project where she and her team worked with six higher education providers to develop Theory of Change models and evaluation plans for interventions to address the Ethnicity Degree Awarding Gap. This project advances the use of evidence-informed and theoretically derived approaches to develop and evaluate interventions to reduce inequalities in student outcomes in UK higher education. Sally has since contributed to a QAA podcast exploring ethnicity awarding gaps, a panel discussion at the 2023 Universities UK Access, Participation and Student Success conference and at the Independent Higher Education conference concerning how to support the sector to meaningfully, successfully, and sustainably reduce inequity for non-traditional entrants to higher education.

Sue Lee and Dr Kate Cuthbert continue to build on their research into phenomenon-based learning and the QAA published educator’s toolkit to embed this future-facing pedagogy. Invited by QAA, Sue and Kate led a collaborative workshop at the Quality Insights Conference. Borrowing principles of Phenomenon-based Learning, they explored how academic communities might evolve to meet the demands of future higher education.   

Sue and Kate faciliated a workshop to interrogate the digital possibilities that respond to pedagogical needs of Phenomenon-based Learning at Digifest24.

These dissemination activities are building momentum as SCoLPP prepares to host the International Pedagogic Conference in November 2024, “It’s Scholarly but it’s Real: Using Phenomenon Based Learning to future-proof effective learning in Higher Education”. This online event brings together evidence and impact from national and international colleagues. Learn more about the conference and book your place here

Professor Stella Jones-Devitt (SCoLPP Director) and visiting Professor Liz Austen launched the Universal Evaluation Framework (UEF) at an Evaluation Collective event in January 2024. 

During the online sector launch, Liz and Stella discussed how the UEF (https://evaluationforall.org) tool has been designed as an open access resource for planning evaluations or for gathering evaluative evidence.

They showed how the UEF enables development of evaluation capabilities and increases confidence in evaluating change. It also provides a platform to build an evidence base for effective decision-making concerning enhanced student outcomes.

Why not try it for yourself by signing up at https://evaluationforall.org like lots of colleagues from a range of providers in the sector have already done?

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SCoLPP International Pedagogic Conference

20-21 November 2024 will see our first SCoLPP International Pedagogic Conference.

It’s Scholarly but it’s Real: Using Phenomenon Based Learning to future-proof effective learning in Higher Education 

Find out more
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Contact the team

For more information on research and consultancy to support your organisation please get in touch

for Career Prospects

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

Top 5 for Social Inclusion

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

for First Generation Students

The Mail University Guide 2025

of Research Impact is ‘Outstanding’ or ‘Very Considerable’

Research Excellence Framework 2021

for Facilities

Whatuni Student Choice Awards 2023

of Research is “Internationally Excellent” or “World Leading”

Research Excellence Framework 2021

Four Star Rating

QS Star Ratings 2021