Postscript

The essays in this collection have offered alternative ways of thinking about teaching and learning in higher education (HE) that put centre stage the challenges of a diverse sector. In the light of that diversity, the collection has sought to expand on current institutional responses to the TEF, which have primarily coalesced around initiatives and activities that directly, and largely uncritically, contribute to the collection of metrics-based data and additional contextual information required for TEF submissions (Cui, French, & O'Leary, 2019; Vivian et al., 2019). Whilst these reports confirm that the TEF has undoubtedly begun to change institutional practices, it is clear that the changes it has wrought work, in the main, to reflect TEF priorities. As stated in the Preface, for those with TEF Gold, and to a lesser extent TEF Silver, TEF rankings help to ‘polish’ each institution's image for marketing and recruitment purposes, whilst inevitably tarnishing those who are awarded TEF Bronze. This focus on the commercial effect of the TEF is, however, in stark contrast to Sir Michael Barber's early assertion that the TEF should: