Herts Learning

Herts Learning principles offer a curriculum framework within which to consider the complex task of programme design. The principles were created with our whole community and offer a basis for evolving learning, teaching and assessment approaches in a way which reinforces our commitment to community, engagement, and inclusion.

Herts Learning Principles

Prioritises student learning
- Teaching, learning, and assessment is inclusive and accessible, motivating all students to engage fully in their learning.
- Scaffolded support is provided at all stages to enable students to shape their individual learning experience.
- Programmes will centre authenticity and provide a research-rich and professionally focused education.
- Programmes will ensure development of our graduate attributes to enable student success in determining and reaching their personal and professional aspirations.
Ensures coherent design
- Deliberative curriculum design provides structure which enables student engagement through a considered blend of modes (e.g., campus-based; work-based; online learning modes), creating a rich learning experience.
- The Guided Learner Journey and Assessment Landscape communicate clear expectations for students about directed, independent and collaborative teaching, learning and assessment activities.
- The vision, and continuous enhancement, of the programme is shared by students and staff.
Offers opportunities for personalisation
- Programmes create and communicate opportunities for student choice. These may include when and where students learn; or what and how they learn (e.g., online or on campus, through the provision of some optional and/or additional modules, choice of technology, collaboration with peers).
- Personalisation in assessment is made available where appropriate. This may include choice of topic; assessment format; feedback mode.
- Students are supported to make timely, informed, and purposeful choices about their learning to ensure they can meet module and programme learning outcomes.
Harnesses technology
- Pedagogy, inclusivity, and accessibility determine the use of technology to support engagement in learning, teaching and assessment.
- Students are supported to develop their digital capabilities (including discipline-specific digital capabilities) for learning, personal and professional development.
- Staff are supported in their digital capabilities and are confident in their choice and use of technology for teaching and assessment.
Builds communities
- Collaborative endeavours support the development of learning communities, within and beyond the curriculum.
- Learning, teaching, and assessment are designed to build confidence in collaborative working.
- Learning and enhancement activities develop partnership working within, and between, student and staff communities.
- Programmes foster connectivity with communities inside and outside of the University; professionally, locally, and globally.

Over a period of six months, we embarked on an engagement-led approach to the development of the principles that reflected our renewed approach to education, and which could transform the student experience. Our Herts Learning principles will be implemented in all academic programmes by September 2025 through an accelerated, re-designed approach to programme review and validation that brings the principles to the front and centre of the development process, engaging academic and professional teams as well as students throughout.

This engagement-led approach resulted in a reflective toolkit (requires UH login) based around the principles and facilitates a pragmatic and collaborative approach to curriculum review and design. The toolkit and principles are now threaded through the routine processes of validation, periodic review, and continuous enhancement.

If you have any questions or need support, talk to the Herts Learning team, or explore the Herts Hub resources for more useful information (requires UH login).