Keith Kinsella MA PGCE Widening Participation Coordinator

What can our students ‘do’? In pairs/small groups label the ‘stick student’ with the sorts of skills and attributes you think an applicant has got/ may need to develop….

Question Do UCAS points or a personal statement give enough insight into the real academic ability of students?

Whose job is it? ‘The project to widen participation in higher education demands that teachers and students engage critically with pedagogical practices and experiences moving beyond rationalist and instrumentalist discourses’ (Burke,2012, p.188) Bright students 'cannot write essays', say Cambridge dons…… Bright students are starting university unable to structure an essay because of the “damage” caused by test- driven schooling, Cambridge academics warned on Monday (Daily Telegraph, 5 th March 2012)

What is to be done? Any ideas?! S4IL is one initiative that involves the university and local schools/colleges working together to improve students meta-cognition and traditional ‘nuts and bolts’ study skills.

Key Points This is not just about individual ‘non traditional’ students ‘dumbing down’ we are looking at a wider malaise. Universities can do more From a marketing perspective working with teachers and students to better prepare them for HE study and achieve their full potential is very powerful. Cambridge has the Pre-U…. UEA has a small skills course for teachers…. University of Greenwich is leading the way on this!! (An inclusive and scalable model).

11 lessons (SoW, lesson plans, student resources). CPD for teachers An ‘App’ In – 4 schools, 200+ teachers engaged, 500+ students. Qualitative evaluation = positive. In – 6 schools with much more involvement in wider T&L in school (embedding S4IL).

Task Discuss what sort of sessions you would include in a course that tries to prepare learners for university study…….

Lessons Cover What is learning? Inquiry based learning (questioning) Analysis Evaluation Research Skills Note Taking Time Management Writing Essays Creating and sticking to an argument in writing Referencing and Plagiarism Reflection Ideas for any more? S4IL is unique as ‘nuts and bolts’ sessions include metacognition……

S4IL (version 2) Includes a skills ‘tracker’ students can take into subject specific lessons and use to informs ILPs Provides teachers with a ‘benchmark’ (useful in colleges especially).

CPD Covers How to teach S4IL (an introduction) How to teach lessons that draw on skills in S4IL so learners become more independent in their learning.

Impact? In continue surveys with pupils and teachers. More semi-structured interviews/ focus groups. Impact on value added score taken into account. Impact on AO2 and 3 marks (analysis and evaluation). Impact on applications to university overall and to Greenwich in particular. Longitudinally (if possible) impact on likelihood of a completing and gaining a ‘good’ degree (so aligned to strategic vision)

Questions?