Ready for University Evaluation of an Intervention to Prepare Students for First Year University Assessment Prof. James Elander & Anna Jessen Wolverhampton 9th May 2008

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Background EU: –need skilled workers over next 20 years UK goal: –50% of youth complete university –Widening participation More support needed: –Often given at university –This project: support at pre-university Further Education (FE): A-level and access EU: Gymnasium

1 st year university students felt A-level did not prepare them for university(Smith, 2004) 1 st year university students; –47% expressed difficulties with essay writing –78% did not know what markers were looking for in their essays (Pain & Mowl, 1996). 9th of May 2008Thames Valley University

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Core assessment criteria for essay writing: Addressing the question Demonstrating understanding Critical evaluating Developing argument Structuring Using evidence Using language (Elander et al, 2004) –Require complex skills and deep approach to learning (Elander, 2004) –Assessment Plus: workshops to help 1 st year psychology students understand criteria evaluated positively (Harrington et al., 2006)

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Project aims Prepare students for 1 st year university assessment Improve progression to, and retention in university By Extending the Assessment Plus approach to FE Evaluating workshops on university assessment criteria for FE psychology students

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Study design Direct evaluation (n=33) Post- intervention questionnaire (n=50) Standard tuition (n=35) University students: Pre-intervention questionnaire (n=189) Qualitative interviews FE students: Pre-intervention questionnaire (n=74) Qualitative interviews Workshops (n=43)

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Pre-intervention: Qualitative comparison FE –Selection & inclusion of material –Surface approach to learning –“if you write correct information, and we have it all in we are demonstrating understanding” University –Analysis and transformation –Deep approach to learning –“You basically need to interpret what you read instead of simply just rewriting what you read”

Pre-intervention questionnaire -essay writing belief “In order to ‘answer the essay question’ structuring some relevant material to the essay title is more important than including ALL the right information” –University students with A level psychology 44% agree –University students without A level psychology 62% agree (Chi-squared = 4.1, p=.04) 9th of May 2008Thames Valley University

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Pre-intervention questionnaire -self-rated understanding & ability Proportion of students agreeing FEUni I know what is meant by ‘structuring’ my essay 88%79% I understand how to critically evaluate53%47% I understand what it means to build an argument in an essay 78%70% I know how to detect bias in written sources72%34%

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University The intervention Workshop content: – Session 1: discussion of assessment criteria homework of 2 essays – Session 2: work in group with 2 essays discuss in class how they met the assessment criteria

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Participants Total number of students taking part: 43 –31 A level students –12 Access students Mean age: 19 Years (16-52) 29 females, 14 males

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Feedback questionnaire Proportion of students agreeing or strongly agreeing to: “The workshops helped me...” 39 % …structure 36 % …develop an argument 23 % … demonstrate understanding 40 %… to… critically evaluate 20 %… feel more confident about writing 65 %… understand what makes a good essay 55 %… understand assessment criteria

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Qualitative feedback “helped more than many books that I’ve read about essay writing” “…a waste of time, go revise and pass your A- levels instead” “come to one it may help you because it helped me”

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Change in self-rated understanding & ability Time: F = 8.3, p=.015 Group: F = 0.1, p=.75 Interaction: F = 3.6, p=.08 2 x2 ANOVA (pre-intervention vs post-intervention X workshop vs standard tuition)

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Change in essay writing belief Proportion agreeing that 'in order to “address the essay question”, structuring some relevant material to the essay title is more important than including ALL the right information'. G 2 (log linear chi-square) = 11.75, p<.025

9th of May 2008Thames Valley University Conclusion FE students more confident about assessment criteria than university students But demonstrated more surface approach to learning & limited understanding of criteria Workshops –Broadly appreciated by students –Reduced self-rated understanding –Changed belief about essay writing

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