The academic tightrope: matching skills, expectations and study. Toby Carter Faculty of Science & Technology Anglia Ruskin University Julian Priddle Anglia Learning & Teaching Anglia Ruskin University Averil Robertson University Library Anglia Ruskin University

Discussion Questions Do we understand fully the skills that students arrive with? Do we know what the stakeholders want? What are the solutions?

Discussion Questions Do we understand fully the skills that students arrive with? Value of having a skills audit Handling the fears around specific skills Learn to learn – becoming independent learners Cultural background – impact on learning process

Discussion Questions Do we understand fully the skills that students arrive with? Don’t know pre-arrival skills Self-assessment cf FE key skills audit Need for alternative forms of assessment Distinctions between school- and college- taught students Reliability of UCAS tarrif, including not studying at A2 level

Discussion Questions Do we understand fully the skills that students arrive with? Student expectation – students avoid subjects to miss a weak subject – should be (moderately) explicit in curriculum

Discussion Questions Do we know what the stakeholders want? Students University Employers Society Government Parents

Discussion Questions Do we know what the Students want? A qualification A guaranteed job Specific skills relevant to job market What is the general awareness of needs for skills?

Discussion Questions Do we know what the University wants? League table performance – NSS, QAA Way through to resources

Discussion Questions Do we know what the Employers want? Need to make explicit transferable skills Currency of knowledge – challenge for staff Professional accrediation Balance between HE qualifiation and ‘on the job’ training International dimension

Discussion Questions Do we know what the Society wants? Sustainability skills – some overlap with other areas

Discussion Questions Do we know what the Government want? Tie in to industry Turn around decline in quality

Discussion Questions What are the solutions? Embedding skills Student engagement with skills agenda Partnership between students and academics Core skills built on in academic curriculum Implications for curriculum development Skills map – central provision

How do we draw this together?

Roundup slides Needs to be coordination of skills provision Coherent strategy Provided by? Delivered how? Delivered when? Assessed how? Audited?