Through grant arrangements with HEFCW - now Medr, the Commission for Tertiary Education and Research - QAA has supported Collaborative Enhancement Projects in the topic areas of equality, diversity and inclusivity; digital learning; and micro-credentials.

This project explored the equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) challenges facing Welsh Business Schools and the practices they've developed in order to address them. It was led by Swansea University in partnership with teams from Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff University, Wrexham University, the University of South Wales and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David.

The project involved students and staff members in a series of workshops which identified a set of key themes and developed a framework for the embedding of EDI priorities in higher education environments.

One of the outputs of the project is a handbook which charts the development of a range of EDI initiatives through a series of brief case studies. These include discussions of the LGBTQ+ network at Swansea, wellbeing work and race equality efforts at Cardiff, disability confidence and international student support at Bangor, and actions to support Muslim students and staff at the University of South Wales.

You can read the interactive handbook on the Swansea University website.

The immersive learning project, The Welsh Collective: Digital Learning and Teaching Enhancement, has been developed by the Universities Wales Learning and Teaching Network, to further work from the HEFCW Higher Education Investment and Recovery (HEIR) Fund. The project is being led by the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and involves all universities in Wales. The aim of the project is to sustain and further enhance digital learning, with a particular focus on immersive learning. The project developed a collaborative networking event for immersive learning, to support pan-Wales learning and share practice.

Providers who were involved in the event are currently developing case studies, which will be published on the QAA Website in 2023-24. Read Steph Tindall's blog for some of the highlights and key talking points from the event.

The micro-credentials project, Implementation of a Micro-credential Planning Framework, has been led by Cardiff Metropolitan University in partnership with Wrexham University and Gower College Swansea. The main aim of the project was to progress the understanding of the systemic issues that will impact the development of micro-credential provision in higher education, through the refinement of a model for the practical design, approval and implementation of micro-credentials.