Teaching and Learning- Addressing the Gaps

Centre for Academic Practice 1991 - 2010

CfAP

Sandy Gilkes, FUN, FSEDA, NTF

Topics

• CfAP Vision and Modus Operandii

• Drivers for creating a skills centre

• Helpful and hindering factors

• Initial strategies

• Evolution

The CfAP Vision

The key operating principle is that any student should be able to receive expert tuition and advice on any graduate/key skill at any level and at a time of their own choosing.

To support academic teams in coping with the great diversity of students, by providing opportunities for individuals and groups to accelerate their development of an heuristic* range of skills that facilitates access to the HE curriculum

* Key, core, cognitive, graduate and employability skills

Continuing Myths about CContinuing Myths about CffAPAP

The Centre for Academic Practice:-• is a remedial centre• helps weaker students• is for mature students• ‘checks’ work/proof reads• provides dyslexia support

CCffAPAP

Workshops

E - learning

Modules

Peer Mentoring

Tutorials

Open Learning

• Paper-based learning packs• Over 250 titles• All skill levels• Rough guides

Open Learning

CCffAPAP

• Workshop ‘specials’• Initiated by tutor• Initiated by students

• Drop-in workshops• Maths support for the maths

elements in all courses Workshops

CCffAPAP

Examples Dissertation preparationPresentationsEssay writing/reports

Calculus StatisticsConversions

Transitions to Level 6Accelerated degreesMasters/PhD

SPSS for dissertationsand Masters/PhD

````````````

• Training of 2nd & 3rd years & PG students• Meet with academic staff• Group & individual• Confidentiality• Feedback loop

Student Mentoring

PeerMentoring

CCffAPAP

Modules

CCffAPAP

• Study skills• Maths for Professional Development• Learning Progs

E - learning

• NTF Project• Web site• Web workshops• Student peer• e-support

CCffAPAP

Tutorials• Essays/Reports• Literature reviews• Critical analytical writing• Dissertations

CCffAPAP

• Personalised

• Non-judgemental

• Tutors not involved in assessment process

• Confidential

Requested topics – 2008/9

Essays & AssignmentsDissertations ReferencingLiterature ReviewsExam TechniquesReportsEssay StructureCritical analysisBetter gradesGrammar Presentations CVTime Management Misc

Essays & AssignmentsDissertations ReferencingLiterature ReviewsExam TechniquesReportsEssay StructureCritical analysisBetter gradesGrammar Presentations CVTime Management Misc

CfAP was used by :37% BME students27% International students36% Mature students27% students with disclosed disabilityIn total 6,000+ students accessed CfAP via tutorials and workshops.

Avenue Campus Park Campus

Typical Outcomes• Comparison of Grades after group tuition

D+ C+

F+ B+

D+ C

D- C+

D+ A-

F+ B

• Comparison of Grades after individual tuition

D+ B+

F C-

F A-

20 hours

max 4.5 hours

Student comments from CfAP logs

CCffAP RocksAP Rocks

Drivers

• Widening Access to HE Initiative

– No ‘new’ money

– Insufficient ‘lead-in’ time

– Rapid increase in student numbers

– Increase in diversity if ‘skills profiles’

– Decrease in personal tutorial time

• ‘Authentic’ access questionable

• Social injustice

Lecturers’ Viewpoints

We can see what’s wrong but we don’t know what to do about itWe can see what’s wrong but we don’t know what to do about it

I know they haven’t got the skills they need but I I know they haven’t got the skills they need but I haven’t got time to deal with it – I have to haven’t got time to deal with it – I have to

deliver the contentdeliver the content

If they attend my lectures they will acquire the If they attend my lectures they will acquire the skills they need – students have always muddled skills they need – students have always muddled

throughthrough

I wasn’t recruited to teach skills - I am a specialistI wasn’t recruited to teach skills - I am a specialist

It’s not my problem – it’s the students’ It’s not my problem – it’s the students’ problems. It’s the fault of the problems. It’s the fault of the

admissions processadmissions process

Strategies

• To develop institutional skills audits (with Director of Taught Programmes)

• To identify essential skills for student development

• To submit proposal for a Learning Development Centre to the Faculty Executive (including Pro-Vice Chancellor)

• ........ Good ideas cost money!

– Successful external bid for one year’s funding for pilot project

– Recruited Project Officer to research developments elsewhere

Strategies – next phase

• To work ‘converted’ academic teams

• To target year one students

• To research and provide open learning resources

• To develop and deliver generic workshops

• To build up a small team of academics to provide generic support in mathematics and writing

• To develop a conducive learning environment

• To devise monitoring and evaluation processes

Underpinning Values for Design

…….. “ all students should leave higher education having confidence in their proven ability to manage their own learning and development in life and work, and to

take appropriate and effective action in association with others in a world of change”

HEC submission to the Dearing Review (1997)

Structured Learning

Intellectual skillsIntellectual skills

Deep knowledgeDeep knowledge

PerspectivesPerspectives

ApplicationApplication

ProfessionalismProfessionalism

Key SkillsKey Skills

ConfidenceConfidence

LecturesSeminarsTutorials

Group workResearch

PresentationsWork

placement

HowHowDevelopDevelop SkillsSkills

AnalysisSynthesisEvaluationProblem

solving

Learning to learnTeamworkSelf managementCommunicationInformation TechnologyNumeracy

Assessments

Underpinning principles and values

• A belief that good teaching matters

• An active interest in how students learn

• A recognition that students’ learning needs, learning styles and prior knowledge vary

• The wish to develop the students’ capability to take responsibility for their own learning

• A recognition that student experience is best shaped by fruitful collaboration

• A commitment to fair treatment

• A readiness to reflect on intentions,actions and the consequences of actions and words.

Key Factors for Student Development

AutonomyAutonomy

PotentialPotential

ExperienceExperience

NeedsNeeds

EducationEducation

DevelopmentDevelopment

Honey & MumfordHoney & Mumford

StephensonStephenson

StephensonStephenson

KolbKolb

MaslowMaslow

PestalozziPestalozzi

BloomBloom

DiversityDiversity

Key Working Theories

Approaches to Supporting Students

Remedial

• Focus on limitations

• Problem oriented

• Authority giving advice

• Advisor prime responsibility

• Student seen as lazy/at fault

• Student requires close supervision

• Advisor takes initiative status based relationship

Crookston(1972)

Developmental

• Focus on potential

• Growth oriented

• Shared problem solving

• Shared responsibility

• Student seen as learning oriented

• Capable of self direction

• Shared initiative

• Mutual trust and respect

The Affective Domain in Teaching• CfAP tutorials focus on the cognitive

domain in that they support the student’s cognitive development in order to meet his/her stated needs. Approaches may be through the affective domain

• CfAP facilitators’ approach through the affective domain allows tutors to focus on the cognitive domain – a pragmatic approach for dealing with high demand

• The integration of both domains is developmental and it is a joint responsibility between academic, support staff and students

Teachers are Designers

• Teachers design experiences that take account of – both domains, – the impact of students’ prior experiences, – their expectations, – the levels of cognitive abilities, – intended outcomes, – the timing of the intervention – the integration with the big picture

TELLING LEARNINGUnderstanding Reinforcing Consolidating

Designing experiences

Mutual Responsibility

Learning

Tell me and I will forget

Show me and I may remember

Involve me and I will understand

Confucius 450 B.C.

Overcoming Barriers to Learning

– and how probabilities will turn into certainties if students take charge of their own learning

• designing opportunities for success in the designing opportunities for success in the short term short term

Boosting levels of confidence by:-Boosting levels of confidence by:-

• developing learning strategies for the developing learning strategies for the longer term longer term

• providing personalised learning supportproviding personalised learning support

• empowerment through developing key and empowerment through developing key and cognitive skills cognitive skills

• demonstrating how possibilities can be turned demonstrating how possibilities can be turned into probabilities into probabilities

Hindering Factors

• Temporary funding (1991 – 2000)

– Seeking funding each year

– Fixed term contracts for staff

– Borrowing staff

– High turnover year on year

• Staff perceptions – e.g Early Learning Centre!

• Student perceptions – e.g Remedial Centre

Students’ viewpoints

• Stigma attached to accessing help (including student services, counselling etc)

• Narrow perception of their needs

– e.g. I’ve got my A levels – I don’t need “it”

– I’ve come to do engineering/art/etc not an English course

– Only my lecturers know how to teach me to write reports/essays

Helpful Factors

• History of working with academic teams (including teaching)

• Academic staff developer

• Personal autonomy/external funding

• Co-operation from the Dean and Heads of Schools

• Lack of constraints regarding target numbers

• Core group of enthusiastic students who collaborated in evaluations and improvements

• Commendations from early QAAs

• Becoming part of the establishment (2000)

• All support strategies should be developmental (non- deficit) in their design

• Feedback and feed forward should obey these principles

• Remedial approaches (deficit) serve only to reinforce low self esteem (stigma attached)

• ‘Remediation’ perpetuates dependence on authority figures

• [Universities] ..often find it difficult to get students to take up services that would help them to “ stay the course” and succeed………. because students and academic staff may regard the services being there to fill a “deficit” in a student’s ability….

National Audit Office Report (July 2007)