York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

Professor Alyson TobinDeputy Vice Chancellor

Curriculum for Excellence and Transitions from Secondary to

Higher Education

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

Background

• Deans of Science and Engineering- Science and Engineering Excellence Advisory Group http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/0038/00388616.pdf

• SQA QDT Biology• Universities Scotland ‘Beyond the Senior Phase’• QAA Scotland Enhancement Theme HE lead on

Curriculum for Excellence and its impact on Higher Education http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/

• Higher Education Academy CfE Fellowship Scheme • http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/scotland

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

Topics

• The changing student population in the UK- numbers, qualifications and mobility– The changing A level curriculum

• University responses to the changing curriculum– Admissions– Curriculum– Collaboration

• Future

Growth in student numbers

From: Anderson, R. (2014) Careers 2020: Making Education Work.

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We are delighted to announce that from 1 October 2006 we changed our title and identity to become York St John University.

Student mobility

Numbers of Full Time undergraduate students- distances travelled (Km) from home to place of study 2008-9

% students travelling <40Km from home to study, by region

Distances travelled from home to Scottish Universities

Cross-border flow of students 2008-9

Changes south of the border

• Student numbers• A Level curriculum review• Opposing views

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Student numbers in England

• 2014-15 extra 30,000 places in universities in England

• Cap on student numbers will be lifted from 2015

Autumn statement December 2013

A Level reform

• New A Levels from 2015-16• A Level content Advisory Group (HE led)• Final exams after 2 years

Achievement of A Level grades in the UK 2002-2011

From Higton et al (2012) Fit for Purpose? The view of the HE sector, teachers and employers on the suitability of A levels’ Ofqal http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2012-04-03-fit-for-purpose-a-levels.pdf)

A Level reforms

• CBI report November 2012 ‘As well as academic rigour, we need schools to produce rounded and grounded young people who have the skills and behaviours that businesses want’.

• http://www.cbi.org.uk/media/1845483/cbi_education_report_191112.pdf

Changes in skills needed for employment

From OECD (2012)

A Level Reforms

• Skills gap• “Project work (e.g.

extended project) should become a key requirement for university entrance”

http://uk.pearson.com/making-education-work.html

A Level Reforms

• “Non-cognitive skills and attributes such as team working, emotional maturity, empathy, and other interpersonal skills are important as much as proficiency in English and Maths in terms of employability”

A Level Reforms

• “Assessment should reflect this and investment is needed to support assessment experts in finding ways of reliably evidencing these skills”

• CfE in England?!

Curriculum for Excellence and Scottish Universities

• Universities Scotland Beyond the Senior Phase May 2012

• QAA Enhancement Themes Phase 1 & 2• Higher Education Academy Curriculum for

Excellence Scholarship Scheme (reports not yet available)

• HEA ‘Tackling Transitions’ project (STEM subjects)

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Beyond the Senior Phase-Recommendation:

• "University leaders affirm that they continue to be committed to fair admissions policies and that these will allow for the equal consideration of candidates who possess the necessary knowledge and skills base irrespective of what routes they may have taken through the Senior Phase (S4 to S6) of Curriculum for Excellence

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

http://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/uploads/CFE%20statement%20November%202013.pdf

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Beyond the Senior Phase- University responses

• Recommendation:• institutions set out their approach to

admissions that prospective students could consider alongside the relevant prospectus

• http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/admissions/ug/undergraduateadmissionspolicy/curriculumforexcellence/

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Beyond the Senior Phase- St Andrews

• The University will accept 5/4 Highers studied for over 2 years (S4 and S5) and taken in a single diet of exams as meeting entry requirements.

• The University will require evidence of academic rigour, preferably in the form of a suitable diet of exams at the end of S5. The combination of the diet is entirely dependent on the context of the school curriculum: this could be 5/4 Highers or a mixture of Highers and Advanced Highers.

Curriculum for Excellence & Scottish universities admissions policies

Kirsty ConlonHead of Learning & Teaching & Widening Access PolicyUniversities Scotland

John LewisManager – HE LiaisonSQA

1 November 2013

Universities and CfE

• Universities are positive about CfE• Similarities between many CfE aims and

universities’ aims• Universities want to admit Scottish school

leavers, so they will adapt• Publishing policies to be clear & transparent

Beyond the Senior Phase

“The approaches to learning and teaching and the skills emphasised in CfE are, in many respects, bringing schools in line with those already in place or being developed within universities, and this may signal opportunities to extend collaborative activity.” (p.13)

Beyond the Senior Phase- key recommendation:

“Make arrangements collectively for continuing discussions with Education Scotland, SQA, local authorities and schools to raise understanding of CfE and the new qualifications, and to assess what is possible for partnerships between the sectors of education…. Suggestions have been made for increases in university staff going into schools, schools being enabled to use university facilities… “

Curriculum for Excellence: its impact on higher education - QAA Enhancement Themes Project starting point

Universities Scotland 2012

Beyond the Senior Phase Report:

University Engagement with Curriculum for Excellence

Purpose of the Study

• An examination of how the new 3-18 curriculum in Scotland might impact on universities, with particular reference to students' learning experiences

• To what extent are universities preparing for the anticipated impact; and is there a need for better engagement across the education sector in order to aid the transition into HE?

Current Enhancement ThemeDeveloping and Supporting the Curriculum (DSC)

From 2011 to 2014; in three phasesPhase 1 (March 2011-June 2012) :• Institutional and sectoral scoping of topic (complete)Phase 2 (July 2012-December 2013): • On-going institutional work (development, projects, case studies)Phase 3 (December 2013-July 2014): • Institutional focus on the outcomes and how the Theme has facilitated

change to enhance the student learning experience; likely continuation of project work, building on outcomes of this year’s topic strands

Focus of the study

• qualitative exploratory study• focusing on impact of CfE pedagogical changes for HE sector,

from the perspectives of senior staff in schools, colleges and HEIs

• also involving wide range of cross-sector agencies and organisations

• aiming to contribute towards a sustainable and productive dialogue between the sectors, to ease transition to CfE

Emergent Key Themes

• Collaboration

• Provision of Learning and Skills

• Access and Admissions

• Student Experience

Suggestions from participants in this small-scale study that warrant further research:

1. The impact of CfE on:• Learners• Access and Fairness• Admissions Policies and Procedures

2. The extent and nature of current, successful HEI involvement with other learning sectors, on CfE developments

Continued…..

3. Within and cross-sector dialogue on:• Developing future Admissions Policies • CPD, especially into and out of Senior Phase

• Senior Phase developments; and transitions to HE• Provision of learning, skills and assessment• Skills profiling in schools and colleges, and

Graduate Attributes• The ‘knowledge vs skills’ debate

Suggestions from participants reflect the following concerns:

• Lack of knowledge about how each sector works at the moment, leading to

• Misinformation about how CfE will impact on HEIs, leading to• Misconceptions by each sector about how CfE developments

could be optimised in and across sectors, creating • Missed opportunities and barriers to effective collaboration

and progress

- Need for improved communication and collaboration across all the sectors and in particular between the HE sector and schools and colleges sectors, to aid the transition of students into HE

- The CfE pedagogy rather than the qualifications should lead developments and emerging practice

- Tension between knowledge and skills- Value and complexity of S6 to HEIs- Role of new National 5 Qualification- Need to develop collaborative cross-sector CPD

opportunities

Wider issues identified so far…

- How to encourage effective collaboration, dialogue and discussion between the sectors and by what mechanism?

- http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/

The challenge..

HEA Project- Challenges ahead

• Continuing development of CfE throughout Senior Phase- are Highers and Advanced Highers just the same as before?

• Timetable constraints- e.g. how can literacy be developed in science classes?

• How to develop interdisciplinary skills?• How can we ease the transitions?• How can universities recognise the ‘soft

skills’?

How are the ‘soft skills’ recognised?

• Pupil self-reflection through introduction of S3 profile

• S3 profile- could this be further developed into senior phase and meshed with HE developing graduate attributes?

Academic excellence Critical thinking and effective communication

• In-depth and extensive knowledge, understanding and skills at internationally-recognised levels in their chosen discipline(s);

• A breadth of knowledge, understanding and skills beyond their chosen discipline(s);

• An ability to participate in the creation of new knowledge and understanding through research and inquiry;

• A contextual understanding of past and present knowledge and ideas;

• An intellectual curiosity and a willingness to question accepted wisdom and to be open to new ideas

• A capacity for independent, conceptual and creative thinking; • A capacity for problem identification, the collection of

evidence, synthesis and dispassionate analysis; • A capacity for attentive exchange, informed argument and

reasoning; • An ability to communicate effectively for different purposes

and in different contexts; • An ability to work independently and as part of a team; • A diverse set of transferable and generic skills

Learning and personal development Active citizenship

• An openness to, and an interest in, life-long learning through directed and self-directed study;

• An awareness of personal strengths and weaknesses, • A capacity for self reflection, self discovery and personal

development

• An awareness and appreciation of ethical and moral issues; • An awareness and appreciation of social and cultural

diversity; • An understanding of social and civic responsibilities, and of

the rights of individuals and groups; • An appreciation of the concepts of enterprise and leadership

in all aspects of life; • A readiness for citizenship in an inclusive society

Graduate attributes- Aberdeen

Source – University of Aberdeen (http://www.abdn.ac.uk/graduateattributes)

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

SEEAG and Deans of ScienceInterdisciplinary learning

“Universities and employers increasingly seek students with interdisciplinary awareness as well as the substantive STEM subject knowledge on which it is founded. Both are essential.”

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/Science/SEEAG/CatalogueofEvidence/DeansofScienceInterdisciplinaryLearning

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

SEEAG and Deans of ScienceInterdisciplinary learning

“Interdisciplinary science teaching and its cross-curricular links to other curricular areas will require particular support to ensure changes in classroom culture and practice and to provide the additional subject knowledge and skills necessary to build the bridges between the traditional

STEM subjects and other subject areas..”

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Education/Schools/curriculum/ACE/Science/SEEAG/CatalogueofEvidence/DeansofScienceInterdisciplinaryLearning

S6@Uni

Dr Sally MiddletonFlexible Learning Coordinator (Science)

HEA Project- Challenges ahead

• Continuing development of CfE throughout Senior Phase- are Highers and Advanced Highers just the same as before?

• Timetable constraints- e.g. how can literacy be developed in science classes?

• How to develop interdisciplinary skills?• How can we ease the transitions?• How can universities recognise the ‘soft

skills’?

York St John University | www.yorksj.ac.uk

Acknowledgements

• Thelma Baron (QAA Scotland)• Kirsty Conlon (Universities Scotland)