Transforming curriculum to enable remote Aboriginal people’s participation in Higher Education

HERDSA 2017 Sydney

Associate Professor Sharron King: Academic Director Tanya Weiler – Program Director: APP and RegionsMs Myfanwy Tilley: Research Coordinator

“I want my future to be different”

OverviewThe APP program• What is it?• Where is it offered?• How does it prepare students?• The diversity of the student cohort• Students perspectives• How was the model developed?• How has the model shifted?• Future challenges• How do we move towards a model of best

practice?

What is it?• UniSA Foundation Studies enabling program

delivered over 18 months• Students work as a community in their

community• Students taught within their regions• Allows entry into any UniSA degree upon

completion (with GPA)• Fee-free / No age restriction• First cohort January 2016 • Second cohort January 2017• First cohort due to complete by July 2017. Ceduna students

Where is it offered?

• Ceduna – (APY lands students)• Port Lincoln• Mount Gambier – Naracoorte• Whyalla

• 74 students across 4 regions

• Extensive external stakeholder engagement with each region prior to establishing the program

How does this program prepare students for HE?

• Prepares students for any discipline area

• Dedicated Aboriginal content allows students to reconnect to culture and share this from a regional perspective

• Emphasis on fostering a strong connection to the community – students study as a community within their community

• Many students in regional areas want to access HE but do not want to leave home

• Exclusively for Aboriginal Students – “a supportive and encouraging way to learn” (student comment)

• COMMUNITY – FAMILY – BELONGING

Mt Gambier 2016 cohort

What are students studying?• Individual and Group Skills (OC)• Will facilitate student understanding of their own and others’

communication skills, individually and in groups, and in diverse social and cultural contexts.

•

Introductory Computing (OC)• Will provide a general understanding of Information and

Communications Technology (ICT), and to develop skills in the use of software, focusing on obtaining relevant skills for students to use ICT effectively during their studies at the university and in the world beyond.

• Building Academic Success (OC)• Provide targeted academic support to assist students in a

successful transition to tertiary studies. Develop appropriate study skills and wellbeing practices.

• Maths Fundamentals (OC)• Aimed at students who have not previously undertaken

specialised studies in mathematics, it will provide an introduction to basic mathematical concepts and tools required for further studies.

Communication for Academic Purposes (OC)Will build on the key skills required for written work at an Academic level, covering fundamental aspects of question comprehension such as paragraph and essay construction, and will enable students to apply reading strategies for complex texts. It also examines the difference in writing styles for varying disciplines and encompass reading, skimming and scanning, note-taking, summarising, building an academic argument, referencing and academic integrity skills.

Aboriginal Knowledges, Learning & Cultures (OC)Will engage students to develop their understanding of culture and country. It will encourage students to consider issues such as knowledge construction and production, media representation, stereotypes and racism.

University Studies (OC)Will introduce students to the context of tertiary learning and develop a range of academic reading, writing and basic research skills as a basis for future university study.

Land Management (OC)Will teach students how to assess sites, conduct surveys and develop management strategies for bush land areas.

Critical Literacy (OC)Will enable students to manage the demands of literacy in a critical manner in a university environment.

• Literacy skills• Academic

literacies• Digital literacy

skills• Numeracy skills• Communication

skills• Indigenous focus

The diversity of the APP cohort• The courses ‘Aboriginal Knowledges,

Learning and Cultures’ and ‘Land Management’ have been created specifically for this program.

• Scope for regional content has been included to further connect future leaders to their communities

• Strong emphasis on online skills to ensure success for future external study‘I only became aware of my Indigenous

background in middle-high school. The course has reconnected me to my ancestry and increased my sense of belonging.’

‘As I near completion of this course, my knowledge of my identity and my cultural awareness has expanded beyond my expectations, and has given me new insights into the perspectives of being an Aboriginal woman’.

Port Lincoln cohort

From the student perspective

‘I want my future to be different and successful for personal gain and direction for my children. Uni is what will make this change happen.’

Ceduna students

‘My mission with UNISA is to learn more about my culture and my people and I will use my research to inform, inspire and uplift community.’

‘The reason I’ve come to University is for my future; my dream job that will soon become a reality. I am going to get my degree, travel to Japan and become an English teacher.’

APY Lands students

Ceduna students

Future dreams….

‘And here I am. Here to challenge my fear of failure. I WILL be working as a midwife. Challenge accepted!’

‘After my car accident I decided I wanted to study. I would like to be a social worker for Indigenous children between the ages of 0 -12 years.

Leading from the front

Learning across generations

‘This course has been such an amazing adventure. I have loved learning all the content.

The topics discussed opened up my mind to the opportunity for me to ask the questions to the appropriate people beyond Uni to get a better, stronger connection to my culture.’

[I] spoke with my uncle about Tjukurrpa. He looked at me puzzled and surprised and asked me how I knew what Tjukurrpa meant.

I told him that I have been learning it through the course I am doing at Uni and he said yes when I was younger they referred to the senior elders as Tjukurrpa (LAW MEN).

This gave me a sense of empowerment as I will be able to pass this info onto my own children.

Sharing across cultures…I am a Wirangu, Kokata and Mirning woman from the Far-West Coast of South Australia. Born in Port Lincoln in 1969, I am a happy and positive person who works as an Aboriginal Artist. My mission with UNISA is to learn more about my culture and my people and I will use my research to inform, inspire and uplift community.

…Gaining such knowledge will compliment my family’s Aboriginal Corporation, “Warna-Manda” (Sea-Earth) and also assist my own business, “Wiyana (Woman) Spirit” Creative. I look forward to honouring the new knowledge gained through helping my community.

Susan Betts and Veda Betts

The initial model• Began in early January 2016 • 6 week courses developed in ‘blocks’• Designed to address retention and build

confidence• Intensive delivery in 3 of the 6 weeks• 3 hour tutorials in in-between weeks

6 week course model1 3 day intensive – 9 – 5pm2 3 hour tutorial3 3 hour tutorial4 3 day intensive – 9 – 5pm5 3 hour tutorial6 3 hour tutorial

University Studies

Individual and group skills

Communication for Academic

Purposes

Introductory computing

Aboriginal knowledges,learning and

culture

Introduction to Human

behaviour

Jan-June

July -Nov

Feedback on the initial model• POSITIVES• Students able to focus on 1 course• Sense of completion after each block• Helped retention due to mixed mode (intensives &

weekly tutorials)

• LESS POSITIVE• Students drained by third day• Insufficient time for students to learn key concepts• Does not mimic reality of undergraduate study• Intense concentration on one discipline area can

be difficult• Does not consider school holidays

The new model• Shift from 6 week to 8 week course delivery• Overlap of courses to mimic undergraduate

workload (part time) • Different structure for different courses – 8 week

and 12 week structure• Allows for child-care responsibilities with

allowance for school holidays• Fits around key university dates

8 week course model1 2 day intensive – 9 – 4pm2 3 hour tutorial3 3 hour tutorial4 2 day intensive – 9 – 4pm5 3 hour tutorial6 3 hour tutorial7 2 day intensive – 9 – 4pm8 3 hour tutorial

New model from 2017• Face to face time commitment

is 2.5 days maximum per week, allowing for employment, private study, family and other commitments.

• Collaboration between commencing and continuing students will allow for mentoring

Program design

• Consistency across regions through • Tutor manuals - colour coding of key activities, • Providing timing of tutorial activities• Regular training 2 days every 6 weeks• Weekly zoom meetings

• Tutorial PowerPoints keep sessions to time and on task• Lecture recordings and key content provided by Course coordinators

Program design

• Aboriginal specific content has been included in all courses • Specific repositories and resources for Aboriginal students developed• Moderation of assessment as a collective process• Assessments submitted online (including presentation slides)• Students who have failed one assessment task given chance to

resubmit• Example assessments from each region are blind marked

Curriculum design• Shift to lecturettes• Lecture slides included in printed

materials for note taking/revision without a computer

• All materials printed to allow for maximum accessibility,

• Textbooks provided• All recorded material also provided

on USB to allow for lack of IT connectivity in regions

Curriculum design• Allowance for longer group

discussions• Collaboration and sharing of

knowledge after new content is introduced

• Activities to practice skills embedded in all courses

• Focus on cross regional use of discussion boards to build whole APP cohort community.

Program sustainabilityCOMMUNITY RESOURCES• Regular discussions with external stakeholders including Aboriginal community leaders, organisations –

particularly those with strategic intentions for Aboriginal employment in these regions• Building relationships with job seeker networks for student recruitment• Word of mouth from current students the most effective marketing tool for ongoing sustainability• Accessing community spaces for both teaching and after hours study support

INSTITUTIONAL RESOURCES• Program Director : APP and Regions• Dedicated Professional staff support for APP program• Metropolitan Course Coordinators leading their courses within the APP program and mentoring

Regional Tutors

Student wellbeing• CURRICULUM WELLBEING STRATEGIES

• 2016 – Introduction to Human behaviour (6 week course)• Foundation Psychology course with guided meditation in each tutorial for 10 minutes• Course content focusses on motivational theory, decision making, emotional intelligence, mindfulness,

sleep • 2017 – Building Academic Success (12 week course)

• Focus on time management through the use of a time journal, building academic skills – ‘learning how to learn’, self-directed learning skills, accessing resources.

• PROGRAM WELLBEING STRATEGIES• Aboriginal pastoral care support officers distinct for each region• Support for fuel/meals/accommodation for students travelling through Away from Base funding• Aboriginal Tutoring Program • Sharing of meals and open invitation to families to join in course celebrations• Access to scholarships to purchase laptops or alleviate financial burden

Student commitment

24 hours of travel to reach Ceduna• Ernabella to Yulara – 3 hour drive• Fly Yulara to Alice Springs• Fly Alice Springs to Adelaide • Overnight Adelaide• Adelaide to Ceduna

Future challenges• Expanding student cohort, both in

numbers and geographically• Staffing in regional areas• Ongoing costs• Transitioning students successfully

into online delivery of undergraduate programs

• Or Shifting students from communities for face-to-face undergraduate study

Your thoughts…

• How do we move towards a model of best practice?• Does your institution have programs that specifically cater to

regional and remote Aboriginal students?• What curriculum structures are most supportive and sustainable?• Any experiences you may have in this area?

• Any other questions?