Sue Swansborough Building confidence and communication in an era of widening participation Exploring the unexpected connections between primary and higher education

Similarities and differences Similar Pressure to engage a wide range of students Pressure to engage a wide range of students Larger class sizes Larger class sizes Movement away from ‘chalk and talk’ Movement away from ‘chalk and talk’ Need to maintain interest/motivation Need to maintain interest/motivationDifferent Primary teachers have more time with students Primary teachers have more time with students Primary classes stay together most of the time Primary classes stay together most of the time Primary teachers have more time for soft skills Primary teachers have more time for soft skills

What’s Red Nose Day in a primary school got to do with it?

Building Learning Power (Claxton, 2002) – the 4 Rs Resilience Absorption Managing distractions Noticing Perseverance Resourcefulness Questioning Capitalising Making links Imagining Reasoning Reflectiveness Planning Revising Distilling Meta-learning Reciprocity Interdependence Collaboration Empathy and listening Imitation

Process to primary product Building confidence Building confidence Building a learning community Building a learning community Respecting individual differences Respecting individual differences Setting the ‘big picture’ Setting the ‘big picture’ Defining a clear pathway to success Defining a clear pathway to success

Primary product Team players Team players Independent learners Independent learners Active learners Active learners Confident individuals Confident individuals Creative individuals Creative individuals

What is active learning? Engaging students in their learning Engaging students in their learning Enabling students to take responsibility for their own learning Enabling students to take responsibility for their own learning Learning through ‘doing’ and reflecting on the process to promote deeper understanding Learning through ‘doing’ and reflecting on the process to promote deeper understanding

Secondary hiatus? Largely driven by exam success: Spoon feeding and regurgitation Spoon feeding and regurgitation Less creativity Less creativity Less independence Less independence Less active Less active

Minding the gap – University of Gloucestershire induction model

Variety is the spice of life

Whatever floats your boat!

Getting to grips with technology

Following through PDP and Skills module (Swansborough, Turner and Lynch 2007) Begins during induction Begins during induction Continues for first semester Continues for first semester Enquiry-based learning approach Enquiry-based learning approach Reflective E-portfolio - PebblePad Reflective E-portfolio - PebblePad

References Claxton, G. (2002). Building Learning Power: helping young people become better learners. TLO Limited, Bristol. D’Andrea, V. and Gosling, D. (2005). Improving Teaching and Learning: a whole institution approach. Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press, Maidenhead. Lynch, K., Frame, P., Harwood, T., Hoult, L., Jenkins, M. and Volpe, G. (2006). Transitions into Higher Education: processes, outcomes and collaborations. In Grigg, G. & Bond, C. (Eds), Proceedings of the Association of Tertiary Learning Advisors Aotearoa/ New Zealand (ATLAANZ), Supporting Learning in the 21st Century. Dunedin, NZ: Higher Education Development Centre (HEDC), University of Otago/ ATLAANZ. Pp Swansborough, S., Turner, D. and Lynch, K. (2007). Active learning approaches to develop skills for sustainability. In Roberts, C. and Roberts, J. (Eds), Greener by Degrees: exploring sustainability through higher education curricula. Geography Discipline Network, University of Gloucestershire, Cheltenham. Yorke, M. and Longden, B. (Eds) (2004). Retention and Student Success in Higher Education. Society for Research into Higher Education and Open University Press, Maidenhead.