Enhancement Themes

The Enhancement Themes, run by the QAA, were a Scottish initiative that aimed to improve the student learning experience. They involved institutions, students and staff working together, sharing practice and generating new ideas for learning and teaching.

The Enhancement Themes closed in summer 2023, but we are continuing the Themes ethos with the St Andrews Enhancement Topic. Examples of previously funded initiatives through the Enhancement Themes include:

Research Projects (e.g. a study investigating 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)

The funding call is now closed for the current Enhancement Topic.

- Dr Paula Miles, School of Psychology & Neuroscience
- Dr Julie Oswald, School of Biology
- Mrs Laura Palmer, Education and Student Experience
- Dr Heather McKiggan-Fee, CEED
- Ms Sharon Nangle, Library
- Dr Lara Meischke, Student Services
- Dr Penny Turnbull, Student Services
- Dr Kenneth Mavor, School of Psychology & Neuroscience
- Hitanshi Badani, Arts & Divinity Faculty President
- Nicole Cizauskas,
- Year 1 end of year report (PDF)
- Year 2 end of year report (PDF)
- Year 3 end of year report (PDF)
- St Andrews Institutional Plan 2023-24 (PDF)
Previously funded projects include:
- DiverSTEM: Celebrating POC in Science
- Investigation of PGT Student Well-Being across the Academic Year
- studentsof.org
- How does lecture capture style, closed captions and presenter background affect information recall in lecture capture?
- Toolkits for supporting disabled students to transition to and thrive at University
- Online Wellbeing
- Auditory Feedback
- Cost of Living and the Postgraduate Experience
- Defining Resilience
- Extension Policies
- Imposter Phenomenon and Wellbeing
- Online Learning Communities
- Prolific Study: What is Higher Education anyway?
If you would like any further information on the projects listed above please contact us via email enhancementtheme@st-andrews.ac.uk
Over the previous three years we have hosted a number of Enhancement Theme events. Below are some example presentations from previously funded projects.

Defining Resilience, Neha Gopinath & Anna Brown

Teaching Awards, Evgeniya Pakhomova

Creative Digital Storytelling - Nicole Cizauskas & Hitanshi Badani (PDF)

Physics & Astronomy Garden, Paula Teixeira (PowerPoint)

These are our stories, Teresa Griffin (PowerPoint)
Here are a selection of resources that were developed in the previous theme of Resilient Learning Communities
- Hybrid Learning Survey 2022 (PDF)
- Online Learning Survey 2022 (PDF)
- Two sides of one coin (PDF)

Enhancement Themes

Enhancement Theme Team

Enhancement Theme Plans and Reports

Previously funded projects

Enhancement Theme Presentations 2020-23

Enhancement Theme Resources