PebblePad and the HEAR? ‘Some (low-cost) institutional approaches to recognising wider student achievement in the 21 st Century’ Rob Ward The Centre for Recording Achievement

‘The growth in award schemes offered by higher education providers reflects calls from government, professional bodies and employers to provide greater preparation for students in the skills they need when entering graduate employment. Moreover, in light of increased focus on the quality of the student experience, awards also add value by making higher education more relevant to the lives of learners and helping them to recognise that there is more to learning in higher education than just studying a subject.’ Recognising achievement beyond the curriculum A tool kit for enhancing strategy and practice Stimulus papers at: curricular-awards-CRA.pdf curricular-awards-AGCAS.pdf

Key HEAR Component… Additional information esp. section a ‘richer picture’ of verified additional achievements recorded under one of three headings: –measured or assessed performance in non-academic contexts accredited by, or with external accreditation recognised by the University, e.g. awards concerned with employability; –additional recognised activities undertaken by students which demonstrate achievement but for which no recognition is provided in terms of academic credit, e.g. Course Representatives or Students’ Union Officers; –University, Professional and Departmental Prizes.

Some challenges…

What counts as University Business?

Section 6: some options… (welcome to the Senior Management Team!) Top down Institutional Protocols: identifying criteria for the verification/accreditation of achievements gained through co-curricular activities. Bottom up - a student-led approach to the verification of achievement …. An agreed process by which the University can verify achievement which does not form part of the formal curriculum. Extended Use of an Institutionally validated Award Scheme (the ‘envelope’ approach). A cross-institutional scheme. A better way (over to you)…

What students need…. an incomplete list? Planful awareness A helicopter view of their achievements (integrative)… A microscopic view of their achievements (evidential)…

What institutions offer – so before you buy anything new… What have you already got?  For ‘framing’ the process, e.g. identifying what might count in terms of institutional protocols…  For collecting evidence.  For organising evidence.  For reviewing (and developing) evidence.  For enabling evidence to be presented for verification.  For presenting evidence to external audiences(s). What do you want (any system/s) to enable?  To reflect information back to the data subject, for reviewing and planning use (with a tutor, so issues of access), or for addition into an application/cv by the student/graduate.  For presentation/access to an external audience, either on graduation or say at the end of every year, or both.  For searching by an employer (talent spotting/data mining).  For the reconfiguration of data so it can be incorporated into employers application systems (data exchange).

Over to you… and to the (your) practice!