| Description | Minutes of the committee established by Senate to take over the functions of the Committee on Educational Technology (see UB/COM/77), the Working Party on the Course for Newly Appointed Staff, and the Educational Survey Steering Committee. The Educational Development Committee was to be responsible to Senate for the study of methods of learning, teaching and assessing in University education; giving encouragement to and co-ordinating efforts to develop such methods and evaluating them; organising activities to help members of staff, especially those new to university teaching, to be aware of methods of teaching and to use effectively methods appropriate to their work. It reported to the Academic Executive
Membership consisted of the Vice-Principal (chair); five members appointed by the Academic Executive; two members nominated by each of the Faculties and the School of Education and appointed by the Academic Executive; two student members nominated by the Guild of Students and appointed by the Academic Executive
A Sub-Committee was appointed to relieve the main Committee of routine and time consuming duties, and leave it free to concern itself with wider questions of Educational Innovation. The Sub-Committee's terms of reference were to deal with all staffing matters; to deal with Equipment submissions and other financial matters including obtaining additional funds for execution of policy approved by the parent committee; to receive proposals from the Director concerning their Units and scrutinise such proposals before forwarding them to the main Committee for decision if they lie outside the scope of previously agreed policy; to perform such other tasks as assigned by parent Committee; to report to parent Committee and to refer matters of policy to that Committee. It was also empowered to approve Quinquennial Submissions relating to the Educational Survey and Counselling Service and the Advisory Teaching Service
Members of the Educational Development Committee were expected to liaise with individual Units, and familiarise themselves and take a general interest in the work of the unit. It was expected that they would be available to give advice or support to the head of the unit, and to assist the Director in bringing matters concerning the Unit to the attention of the Committee. The Committee received reports of the Units it was responsible for, and one of the aims in establishing this body was to draw together information on all activity in the University in the area of Educational Development and Innovation.
Minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 1976 contain a copy of a report entitled 'Educational Development and Innovation', bringing together responses of a number of academic departments setting out their thinking and activity in this area, with a focus on the development of the curriculum, consultation with students, the use of demonstrators, small group teaching, methods of assessment, the use of new technology in teaching especially tv and radio, and the evaluation of courses. Minutes of the meeting held on 27 May 1976 contain a copy of the second circulation of this report which contains responses from additional academic departments
The first meeting of the Committee was held on 14 March 1975. Minutes of this meeting are missing, but a copy is included with minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 1976 which reviewed the Committee's terms of reference. The Committee met around three times a year. It dealt with the finance and staffing of Educational Survey and Counselling Unit; Advisory Service on Teaching Methods; Language Laboratories; TV and Film Unit; and Courses for Newly Appointed Staff, and the minutes include financial summaries and information about staff posts in these Units. It also evaluated courses offered by academic departments, especially where educational technology played a role. Minutes include copies of applications for funds to investigate student response to courses, and for the investigation of training methods
Minutes of the meeting held on 6 February 1976 includes a copy of a report of the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods, 1974-1975. Minutes of the meeting held on 29 October 1976 includes several papers on the work of the TV and Film Unit, including a copy of first formal annual report for the year 1975-1976 which gives a summary of new tv programmes and films, and the Unit's work in making copies of programmes, and managing the audio-visual system in the Great Hall. This report also includes an appendix which sets out a brief history of the Unit.
Minutes are stored out of sequence between the end of October 1976 and the end of October 1978.
Minutes of the meeting held on 14 December 1977 include a report entitled 'Development of Educational Counselling in Birmingham University: Helping Students to Learn and Assisting Lecturers to Teach' and contain discussion about the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods working more closely together
Minutes of the meeting held on 27 October 1978 continue discussion of matters discussed in October 1976 and include a summary of the work of Advisory Service on Teaching Methods November 1976 to January 1977; a summary of Educational Development and Innovation in the University of Birmingham 1975-1976 and a copy of a report to Senate on Educational Development
Minutes of the meeting held on 2 February 1979 include a report on the Guild of Students' work on Education, the work of the Guild Education Committee, and references to the production of the Guild's 'Alternative Prospectus'. Minutes of the meeting held on 16 July 1979 include a copy of the report of hte Working Party on the Use of Television and Film as a Teaching Medium in the University
The last meeting of the Committee on Educational Development was held on 29 May 1980. The Committee and its Sub-Committees were disbanded, and two new Committees of Senate were established. The Educational Development Advisory Committee (see UB/COM/76) would have general oversight, on behalf of Senate, of the study of methods of learning, teaching and assessment and to encourage and would co-ordinate efforts to develop and evaluate these. The University Educational Services Committee (see UB/COM/75) would be responsible to Senate for the management of the Television and Film Unit and its members; staffing matters concerned with those persons appointed to perform University-wide services in the Television and Film Unit, the Educational Counselling Unit and the Advisory Service on Teaching Methods and such other service as may be created. A Television and Film Unit Users' Sub-Committee would also be set up. The Language Laboratories would now become the responsibility of the Faculty of Arts |