Enhancement Themes

The Enhancement Themes, run by the QAA, aim to improve the student learning experience. They involve institutions, staff and students working together, sharing practice and generating new ideas for learning and teaching. 

Resilient Learning Communities is our new sector-wide Enhancement Theme which will run from 2020 to 2023. This theme will focus on identifying and meeting the emerging values and needs of an increasingly diverse student community, and a rapidly changing external environment.

Would you like to conduct some research, create a resource, or hold an event, for example, that delves into this theme? You can apply for up to £1,000 of Enhancement Theme funding, and applications from all students and staff are welcome.

Key questions informing the theme are:

  • What will our learning communities look like by 2023? And how can we prepare for the learning communities of the future?
  • How can we capitalise as a sector on the attributes students bring into their learning?
  • How do we ensure we are able to support our diverse learning communities? What might this mean for our staff and our infrastructure?

Under previous themes, a range of student and staff-led initiatives have been funded. These include:

  • Research Projects (e.g. a study into the wellbeing of first year students)
  • Resources (e.g. interactive movies and online guides)
  • Events (e.g. mini conferences, networking sessions, and exhibitions)
  • Other (e.g. developing a mentoring scheme and a programme to help students reintegrate after a leave of absence)