HE AchievementJo Maher and Iqbal Ullah

“Inspiring success and enriching lives”

Aim To examine the student journey through Higher Education

and to explore how effective and differentiated support leads to the achievement of excellent outcomes. 

Objectives To examine to the relationship between academic support

and delivery To use a case study to analyse good practice and areas to

develop related to academic support To describe the psychological characteristics that inform

outstanding delivery and support

Presentation Outline

“Vocational teaching, learning and assessment is a sophisticated professional occupation and demands, therefore, robust initial and continuous development of expertise.”

“The best vocational teachers and learners have dual identities, as occupational specialists and pedagogical experts”

DUAL PROFESSIONALISM

(Source: It’s about work…Excellent adult vocational teaching and learning: the summary report of the Commission on Adult Vocational Teaching and Learning 2013)

“Marketisation of higher education, contrary to expectation, has not led to a highly differentiated sector. Students see that they are paying more for their education and consequently have greater expectations of their university experience. The reality for institutions is that they are having to spend more on attracting and retaining students, whilst financial drivers tend toward cost savings, efficiency and greater cost effectiveness. Institutions are convinced of the need to provide a high quality student experience but in the most cost effective way. However, many of the things that students expect and value in relation to their time at university involve more contact time with academic staff and greater personal support.” (Eales-Reynolds, 2014 In Parkes, Young, Cleaver and Archibald, 2014)

Leading the Student Experience - Foreword

“With the overall cost of a higher education remaining similar whichever institution students choose, HEIs now have to differentiate themselves in other ways. Bulpitt (2012) identifies that one way to achieve this is by developing and investing in the academic, support and social dimensions of the student experience.” (Parkes, et al., 2014)

Importance of holistic support

What is your understanding of the role?

How would you define Academic Support?

The role of an Academic Tutor

Academic Support (AS)• What is it?

• According to Penn-Edwards and Donnison (2011) AS consists of:

- encouraging students to realise their full learning potential- assisting engagement (i.e. active involvement) with academic resources and services - developing academic skills through online formative programmes- consulting with tutors.

Academic Support “Although few institutions fail to offer academic support (McInnes, 2003), significant numbers of students do not avail themselves of these opportunities in their first year (Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), 2010; Harvey, Drew, & Smith, 2006). Failing to take advantage of such support is a factor in first-year student attrition (Tinto, 2006–2007).” (Penn-Edwards & Donnison, 2011, p. 566)

“Recent evidence shows that when professional support - interactions with services and student development activities - are introduced and delivered through the academic sphere, students are more likely to engage and access them in the future (Thomas 2012).” (Parkes, et al., 2014)

Academic tutors are at the frontline of student support in a cohort of students succeeding in HE.

Walsh, Larsen and Parry (2009) investigated the student support services used by 1st year students in comparison to 2nd year students at a single university, the frequency of access and the reasons for use.

Findings: Students contacted academic tutors more often that any other

university-provided support 90% sought academic advice, primarily from academic tutors and

peers on their course (and first year students were particularly dependent on tutors’ advice)

88% of students sought support

Research findings

(Walsh, Larsen & Parry, 2009)

What can we do to help students be successful and prevent them from dropping out of their studies?

Findings of the ‘What Works?’ (2012) project concluded there was three key points of intervention:◦ Induction◦ Learning and teaching◦Academic development and support

What is the secret of success?

Cycle of academic support engagement in HE

•Information•Welcome

Acceptance at University/College

•Early engagement

•IAG•Crisis-response

Induction Week(s)

Probation Period•Late reaction/ engagement

•Crisis engagement

•Timely submission

Return of first assessment

•False engagement

•Non-achievement•Reaction to grades

•Non-engagement

End of semester

•Crisis engagement

•Reaction to grades

•Non-achievement

End of year

Critical Points for academic support engagement

(Adapted from Penn-Edwards & Donnison, 2011)

One of the issues currently facing UK education is the difficulty students have in making the transition from writing at A level/BTEC to degree level. This is much more than a simple study skills concern, involving as it does, adjustment to university, and the expectation of self-regulated learning (SRL) (Norton et al, 2009).

Case study – 1st year student

Post-16 education alone does not sufficiently prepare students for university study.

Smith (2004) found the majority of first year university undergraduates felt that A levels/BTECs had not prepared them for university.

Ballinger (2003) found that level 3 students were not expected to study autonomously.

HE students were expected to be more autonomous

Self-Regulated Learning (SRL)

The quality of feedback provided to students about their academic performance is a fundamental element high quality learning and teaching.

Feedback is the vehicle of development

•Information•Welcome

Acceptance at University/College

•Early engagement• IAG•Crisis-response

Induction Week(s)

Probation Period •Late reaction/ engagement

•Crisis engagement•Timely submission

Return of first assessment

•False engagement•Non-achievement•Reaction to grades•Non-engagement

End of semester•Crisis engagement•Reaction to grades•Non-achievement

End of year

Feedback from PL/CT

Feedback from PL/CT

Feedback from PL/CT

UCAS Clearing

Case study - final year student

Collaborative approach

Academic achievement

Lecturer

StudentAT

Cross-college support services

Effective management

Student experience

Collaborative approach B,M&P

Aim: To develop students who can independently self-manage, proactively interact and apply their knowledge and skills in a work-related context.

◦ Tailored academic skills focus/collaborative◦Open forum/student involvement◦Preparation for life after college with support◦Help with CV writing and finding out what opportunities are

available◦ Information about money issues including student loans,

council tax and overdrafts

Critical points of academic support engagement – Final Year

•Information•Welcome

Induction/Bridging

•Agreeing targets•Self-assessment•Reviewing previous feedback

Expectations•Late reaction/engagement

•Crisis engagement

•Timely submission

Return of first assessment

•False engagement

•Non-achievement•Reaction to grades

•Non-engagement

End of semester•Crisis engagement

•Reaction to grades

•Non-achievement

End of year

• 5 stage structure of support remains • Greater emphasis on SRL

Respond and adapt

The first is the ability to respond and adapt planned lessons to meet the needs of the students. All lessons carefully planned, but the lecturer is skilled enough to “improvise” where necessary, adjusting the lesson plan according to student reactions whilst also maintaining focus on the planned learning outcomes.

Subject and pedagogy

Excellent subject knowledge is another common characteristic among the best lecturers. However, this is not just excellent knowledge of the subject in itself, it is a pedagogical subject knowledge that recognises how to engage students with the subject.

Relating to students

Ability to relate to students. They recognise them as individual students and are therefore able to make the subject feel relevant to what is going on in their lives.

Characteristics of outstanding teaching

Striking the right balanceBalance of lecturer input and independent learning, and pacing the lesson for both engagement and reflection. The profession has moved beyond the idea that great teaching should be “student-centred” and not “teacher-centred”. This is a false dichotomy. The best lecturers are able to strike an appropriate balance between opportunities to work independently, to use focused collaboration in groups or pairs and for direct input from the lecturer. There is no “ideal” lesson formula, what is important is that the balance of activities works to achieve the learning outcomes. Similarly there also needs to be a balance in the pace of the lesson, one that maintains energy but also allows time for reflection. Energetic and high-octane teaching can be impressive but there is a danger that opportunities for reflection – and hence learning – are missed in the pursuit of pace.

Characteristics of outstanding teaching

Self-confidence Emotional control Arousal regulation

Self-presentation: body language, verbal projection

Psychological Characteristics of outstanding

Walsh, C., Larsen, C., & Parry, D. (2009). Academic tutors at the frontline of student support in a cohort of students succeeding in higher education. Educational Studies, 35, 405-424.

Penn-Edwards, S., & Donnison, S. (2011). Engaging with Higher Education Academic Support: a first year student teacher transition model. European Journal of Education, 46, 566-580.

Thomas, L. (2012). What Works? Student Retention & Success: Building student engagement and belonging in Higher Education at a time of change. HEA [online]. Available at: https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/sites/default/files/What_works_summary_report_0.pdf (Accessed 13/08/14).

References