The future of physics teaching is under threat in many universities. Devising, demonstrating and publicising ways of overcoming this threat is an important aim for the Physics Innovations CETL.
The Centre is a collaborative venture between the Open University, The University of Leicester and the University of Reading. The physics departments at these three institutions are working together to further extend their established reputations as innovators in areas such as problem based leaning, skills based lab teaching, multimedia teaching and e-learning. By harnessing the full power of new technology, and by sharing expensive science teaching resources, the Centre is offering students, whether studying on-campus or at a distance, a wealth of new learning experiences that will make very clear the power and fascination of cutting edge physics and astronomy.
The CETL Initiative
The Physics Innovations CETL is one of 74 Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning funded for 5 years by the Higher Education Funding Council for England's (HEFCE).
The CETL programme is one of HEFCE's teaching initiatives. In 2004 higher education institutions were able to submit bids for funding to set up centres which recognised existing excellent teaching practice and invested further in developing this excellent practice in order to deliver substantial benefits to students, teachers and institutions.
Each centre has been funded for five years (2005-2010) including capital funds to be spent in the first two years. As part of the bidding process each centre had to produce a business plan with clearly defined objectives and activities.
HEFCE funded 55 single institution centres, and 19 collaborative centres where institutions are working in partnership. Each of the collaborative centres has a named lead institution. The Open University is the lead institution for piCETL.
More information about the CETL initiative can be found on the HEFCE website at www.hefce.ac.uk/learning/TInits/cetl/
