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Beyond the Price Tag: The Enduring Value of Higher Education
There is currently a growing public debate about the cost of higher education. At a time when the cost of living is widely recognised as a crisis, questions about whether university offers “value for money” have gained considerable momentum. Opinion polls, newspaper commentaries, and online discussions increasingly ask whether attending university is still worthwhile.
As a new cohort of students prepares to walk through the doors of universities across the country, it is perhaps the perfect time to reflect on the true value of higher education.
If there is an opportunity to understand that value, we must first consider the challenges universities have faced in recent years. The era of austerity was followed by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, Brexit, global instability, and increasingly restrictive immigration policies across Europe, including the UK. Together, these developments have created significant pressures for universities and wider society alike.
These pressures have also affected the labour market. Graduate employment pathways that were once seen as relatively secure have become increasingly uncertain. For many years, the link between higher education and access to better employment opportunities was a central justification for the introduction of tuition fees. As economic conditions changed, however, questions emerged about whether universities could continue to maintain their relevance to the job market. Yet focusing solely on graduate outcomes risks overlooking much of what universities actually offer.
Throughout these challenging years, universities have experienced reductions in funding, financial pressures, and declining international student recruitment. Despite this, they have continued to provide high-quality education, support local economies, and, in many regions, remain among the largest employers. University communities enrich society through research, innovation, public engagement, and outreach programmes that support local people and communities. In many respects, universities serve as centres of learning that extend far beyond their campuses.
Yet this is not their greatest strength.
As a new generation of students enters higher education, regardless of their subject or institution, they become part of a community dedicated to learning, discovery, and personal development. While higher education is often viewed simply as the next stage of the education system, it is fundamentally a different experience.
University education is adult education. Its purpose is not merely to transfer knowledge but to develop independent learners. Students are encouraged to engage critically with ideas, to take ownership of their studies, and to develop their own educational identities. As they progress through their degrees, they begin to shape their own areas of expertise and specialism.
Learning at university is inherently investigative. Unlike many previous educational experiences, students have greater freedom to determine what they study and how they study it. They choose topics for assignments, identify areas of interest, and explore perspectives that matter to them. This process develops not only subject knowledge but also critical thinking, problem-solving, research capability, and intellectual confidence. These are skills that remain valuable long after graduation.
It would, however, be impossible to discuss the value of university without recognising its broader impact on those who attend. For many students, whether they are the first in their family to enter higher education or not, university becomes one of the most memorable periods of their lives. It is a transformative experience that they will reflect upon for years to come.
University offers a unique opportunity to encounter new ideas, engage with unfamiliar perspectives, and challenge previously held assumptions. It is a time when students test not only theories and concepts but also themselves. They discover strengths they did not know they possessed and develop resilience through overcoming challenges. Importantly, they do so in an environment designed to support learning, growth, and development. It is a place where mistakes become opportunities to learn rather than reasons to fail.
University is often described as a rite of passage, but it is far more than that. The relationships formed between students and academic staff, among fellow students, and between students, employers, and the wider community can have a lasting impact. Many students build friendships that endure for a lifetime. Others choose to volunteer, contribute to community projects, or gain valuable employment experience while studying.
These experiences cannot easily be measured.
How do we quantify the achievement of a student who spent years being told that a career in retail represented the limit of their potential, only to graduate confidently discussing complex ideas in their chosen field?
How do we measure the transformation of a student who arrived from school having been bullied, lacking confidence and unable to speak in public, yet delivers an eloquent dissertation presentation before graduation?
What value can be attached to the student who was repeatedly told they would amount to nothing, only to stand proudly in a graduation gown surrounded by family and friends?
Universities provide opportunities and belonging for people from all walks of life. Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, ethnic minority communities, Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, immigrant and refugee backgrounds, and countless others find spaces where they are welcomed and encouraged to succeed. At its best, higher education is founded upon the principle that knowledge should be accessible and that potential should not be limited by circumstance.
For these reasons, and many more, the true value of higher education cannot be fully captured through metrics, rankings, salary data, or opinion polls. These measures may tell part of the story, but they cannot capture personal transformation, intellectual growth, confidence, belonging, or aspiration.
Most importantly, they cannot place a price tag on human potential.
So, to all of you crossing the threshold and joining a university this month, let me offer a warm welcome. You are about to begin a journey of self-discovery, growth, and learning. My colleagues and I look forward to guiding you through the wonderful world of knowledge.
“Welcome to higher education. Your journey starts here”.
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Teaching, Learning, and Some Grey Areas: A Personal Reflection
Sallek Yaks Musa
Trigger warning: sections of this blog may contain text edited/generated by machine learning AI.
Growing up in a farming community, I gained extensive knowledge of agricultural practices and actively participated in farming processes. However, this expertise did not translate into my performance in Agricultural Science during senior high school. Despite excelling in other subjects and consistently ranking among the top 3 students in my class, I struggled with Agricultural Science exams, much to the surprise of my parents.
I remembered my difficulties with Agricultural Science while reflecting on the UK Professional Standards Framework (UKPSF) for teaching and supporting learning in higher education. This reflection occurred shortly after a student asked me about the minimum qualifications needed to become a lecturer in higher education (HE). Unlike in lower educational levels, a specific teaching certification is not typically required in HE. However, most lecturing positions require a postgraduate certification or higher as a standard. Additionally, professional memberships are crucial and widely recognized as necessary to ensure lecturers are endorsed, guided, and certified by reputable professional bodies.
Reputable professional organizations typically establish entry criteria, often through summative tests or exams, to assess the suitability and competency of potential members. In the UK, Advanced HE stands as one of the widely acknowledged professional bodies.
Advanced HE offers four levels of professional recognition: associate, fellow, senior, and principal fellows. Applicants must evidence proficiency and comprehension across three pivotal competency areas: areas of activity, core knowledge, and professional values, as outlined in the UKPSF Dimensions of the Framework. Among others, these competency areas emphasize the importance of prioritising the enhancement of the quality of education, evaluating assessment strategies, and recognizing and supporting diverse learners throughout their educational journey.
It was not until the third term of my first year in senior high school that I began to understand why I struggled with Agricultural Science. Conversations with classmates who consistently excelled in the subject shed light on our collective challenge, which I realized extended beyond just myself to include our teacher. With this teacher, there was little room for innovation, self-expression, or independent thinking. Instead, success seemed contingent upon memorization of the teacher’s exact notes/words and regurgitating them verbatim. Unfortunately, cramming and memorization were skills I lacked, no matter how hard I tried. Hence, I could not meet the teachers’ marking standard.
The truth of this became glaringly apparent when our teacher went on honeymoon leave after marrying the love of his life just weeks before our exams. The junior class Agricultural Science teacher took over, and for the first time, I found success in the subject, achieving a strong merit. Unsurprising, even the school principal acknowledged this achievement this time around when I was called for my handshake in recognition of my top 3 performance.
In our school, the last day of each term was always eventful. An assembly brought together students and teachers to bid farewell to the term, recognize the top performers in each class with a handshake with the principal, and perhaps offer encouragement to those who struggled academically. This tradition took on a more solemn tone on the final day of the school year when the names of students unable to progress to the next class were announced to the entire assembly. This is a memory I hope I can revisit another day, with deeper reflection.
My pursuit of Advanced HE professional membership stirred memories of my struggles with Agricultural Science as a student, highlighting how our approach to teaching and assessment can profoundly impact learners. In my own experience, failure in Agricultural Science was not due to a lack of understanding but rather an inability to reproduce the teacher’s preferred wording, which was considered the sole measure of knowledge. Since then, I have been committed to self-evaluating my teaching and assessment practices, a journey that began when I started teaching in primary and secondary levels back in September 2005, and eventually progressed to HE.
A recent blog by Dr. Paul Famosaya, questioning whose standards we adhere to, served as a timely reminder of the importance of continuous reflection beyond just teaching and assessment. It further reinforced my commitment to adopting evidence-based standards, constantly refining them to be more inclusive, and customizing them to cater to the unique needs of my learners and their learning conditions.
The Advanced HE UKPSF offers educators a valuable resource for self-assessing their own teaching and assessment methods. Personally, I have found the fellowship assessment tasks at the University of Northampton particularly beneficial, as they provide a structured framework for reflection and self-assessment. I appreciate how they spur us as educators to acknowledge the impact of our actions on others when evaluating our teaching and assessment practices. Certainly, identifying areas for improvement while considering the diverse needs of learners is crucial. In my own self-evaluation process, I often find the following strategies helpful:
- Aligning teaching and assessment with learning objectives: Here, I evaluate whether my teaching methods and assessment tasks align with the module’s intended learning outcomes. For example, when teaching Accounting in senior secondary school, I assess if the difficulty level of the assessment tasks matches or exceeds the examples I have covered in class. This approach has informed my teaching and assessment strategies across various modules, including research, statistics, data analysis, and currently research at my primary institution, as well as during my tenure as a visiting lecturer at another institution.
- Relatability and approachability: An educator’s approachability and relatability play a significant role in students’ willingness to seek clarification on assessment tasks, request feedback on their work, and discuss their performance. This also extends to their engagement in class. When students feel comfortable approaching their educator with questions or concerns, they are more likely to perceive assessments as fair and supportive. Reflecting on how well you connect with students is essential, as it can enhance learning experiences, making them more engaging and meaningful. Students are more inclined to actively participate in class discussions, seek feedback, and engage with course materials when they view the educator as accessible and empathetic. If students leave a class, a one-on-one meeting, or a feedback session feeling worse off due to inappropriate word choices or communication style, word may spread, leading to fewer attendees in future sessions. Therefore, fostering an environment of approachability and understanding is crucial for promoting a positive and supportive learning atmosphere.
- Enhancing student engagement: Prior to joining the UK HE system, I had not focused much on student engagement. In my previous teaching experiences elsewhere, learners were consistently active, and sessions were lively. However, upon encountering a different reality in the UK HE environment, I have become proactive in seeking out strategies, platforms, and illustrations that resonate with students. This proactive approach aims to enhance engagement and facilitate the learning process.
- Technological integration: Incorporating technology into teaching and assessment greatly enhances the learning process. While various technologies present their unique challenges, the potential benefits and skills acquired from utilizing these tools are invaluable for employability. However, there is a concern regarding learners’ overreliance on technological aids such as AI, referencing managers, discussion boards, and other online tools, which may lead to the erosion of certain cognitive skills. It is essential to question whether technological skills are imperative for the modern workplace. Therefore, one must evaluate whether technology improves the learning experience, streamlines assessment processes, and fosters opportunities for innovation. If it does in the same way that the changing nature of work favours these new skills, then educators and universities must not shy away from preparing and equipping learners with this new reality lest learners are graduated unprepared due to an attempt to be the vanguard of the past.
- Clarity of instruction and organisation: Evaluate whether students comprehend expectations and the clarity of instructions. Drawing from my experience in the not-for-profit sector, I have learned the effectiveness of setting objectives that are SMART (specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound). Emphasizing SMART learning outcomes is crucial in teaching and learning. However, where learning outcomes are broad, ambiguous, or subject to individual interpretation, educators must ensure that assessment marking criteria are clearly articulated and made clear to learners. This clarification should be provided in assessment briefs, support sessions, and during class contacts. Reflecting on this ensures that students understand what is expected of them and prevents educators from inadvertently setting them up for failure. It becomes apparent that assessment criteria lacking validity and reliability hinder the accurate measurement of student understanding and skills, even if same has been consistently used over time. Therefore, continuous reflection and refinement are essential to improve the effectiveness of assessment practices. Afterall, reflection should be a mindset, and not just a technique, or curriculum element.
- Feedback mechanisms: The effectiveness of feedback provided to students is always important. Reflecting on whether feedback is constructive and actionable could help to foster learning and improvement, irrespective of how short or lengthy the feedback comments are. Anyone who has passed through the rigour of research doctoral supervision would appreciate the role of feedback in all forms on learner progression or decision to drop out.
- Inclusivity and diversity: In a diverse educational setting, it is imperative to engage in continuous reflection to ensure that teaching and assessment practices are inclusive and responsive to the varied backgrounds, learning peculiarities, and abilities of learners. Educators hold a significant position that can either facilitate or hinder the progress of certain learners. In cases where barriers are inadvertently created, unconscious bias and discrimination may arise. Therefore, ongoing reflection and proactive measures are essential to mitigate these risks and create an environment where all students can thrive.
- Ethical considerations: Teaching and assessment practices carry ethical responsibilities. Fundamentally, educators must prioritize fairness, transparency, and integrity in all assessment procedures, setting aside personal biases and sentiments towards any individual, cohort, or group of students. It is equally important to consider how one’s position and instructional choices influence students’ well-being and academic growth. Striving for ethical conduct in teaching and assessment ensures a supportive and equitable learning environment for all students.
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Thoughts from the criminology team 