Dr Bernadette Sanderson Dr Graeme Thomson FOCUS West Innovation in Transitions through Widening Access Routes to Higher Education

FOCUS West: Summary of programme Continuum of activity - learning styles & study skills/preparation for transition post school School Partnership Officers affiliated to each school – support Parent Evenings, UCAS Applications, etc. Careers Support section on FOCUS West website: Activities (in-school and on-campus): S3College & University Campus Days (SU) S4FOCUS on 4 (SU) S5/6Routes for All (GCU & UWS) S5/6Top-Up Programme (GU) S5/6Portfolio Development Programme (GSA) S5/6Entry to the Creative Industries (RCS) ALL YEARSFOCUS Point (

Approaches to widening access and transitions to higher education 3 themes to consider: 1.Partnership working in widening access – the good, the bad and the ugly 2.Using adjusted offers in conjunction with academic or vocational preparation programmes – incentivising success? 3.Using digital technology to widen access – can it be done? If so, how?

1. Partnership

Partnership Working to Widen Access to Higher Education (1)

Partnership Working to Widen Access to Higher Education (2)

Partnership in Widening Access: Some Game Theory?* w≥max [(A-B)/(B-D),(A-B)/(A-C)] where: w = chance for future interaction, A = high pay-off, B = medium pay-off, C = low pay-off, D = zero pay-off  Can ‘win-win’ be achieved for all partners, if the partnership is well set up? *McQuaid, R. 2000, The theory of partnership: why have partnerships? In (Ed.) Osborne, S. Public-Private Partnerships: Theory and Practice in International Perspective, London: Routledge, 9-35 (p. 34)

Some questions to discuss … a)Provide examples of partnership working from your own work (if possible, considering both effective and less effective partnerships). b)How can partnership working be improved a) for the benefit of delivering institutions, and b) for the benefit of the students themselves? c)Are there some universal or basic protocols that should be observed with all partnership working?

2. Adjusted Offers FOCUS West’s Top-Up Programme – operational since 1999 Consists of an academic preparation programme undertaken by applicants to university (involving three assessed elements) Research at the University of Glasgow indicates a positive impact on student progression and retention (Neil Croll, Alison Browitt and K. Hedge-Holmes, ‘Pre-Entry Widening Participation Programmes at the University of Glasgow’, 2012)

Engaging with WP students in schools Engage with schools by HE progression rate =<22% - Top-Up Programme; Summer School, APE; REACH Scotland =<27% - Summer School; APE; REACH Scotland =<32% - APE; REACH Scotland Admissions: use Student Profiles as contextual data UoG use of contextual data for WP admissions highlighted as model for sector (SFC)

Students in 0-40% SIMD postcodes Top-Up Programme students Summer School students Scottish-domiciled UoG students 2009 (SFC Learning for All*) Scottish-domiciled students in HE 2009 (SFC Learning for All*) 0-20% SIMD30.3% 26.8% 11.0%11.7% 0-40% SIMD52.5% 44.3% 25.3%27.8% >40% SIMD47.5% 55.7% 74.7%72.2% *Scottish Funding Council, Learning for All: Fifth update report on measure of success March 2011 Available at:

Top-Up students progressing to UoG

Impact of WP programmes - 1 Retention and progression of first year undergraduates who completed the Top-Up programme - compared to students from the same schools who didn’t do Top-Up, and students from non-GOALS comparator schools. GOALS Top-Up % not progressing GOALS no Top-Up % not progressing non-GOALS comparator % not progressing %25.8%26.3% %19.4%16.8% % 26.7% 18.7% %32.9%18.1% %18.9%19.3% %26.7%17.5% %21.7%13.8% %22.6%16.1% %17.3%15.3% %23.8%18.4% 1 Walker, L, Matthew, B and Black, F, 'Widening access and student non-completion: an inevitable link? Evaluating the effects of the Top-Up Programme on student completion', International Journal of Lifelong Education, 23: 1, 43 — 59 2 Croll, N. & Copsey, D., presented at Forum for Access & Continuing Education conference, 2005, University College Cork, Ireland

Impact of WP programmes - 2 Retention and Progression of first year undergraduates who attended Summer School – continuation of studies at the University after Year 1 compared to students from GOALS schools who didn’t do Top-Up, and students from non-GOALS comparator schools Summer School % not continuing GOALS no Top-Up % not continuing non- GOALS comparator % not continuing %24.4%15.0% %8.9%13.8% %16.7%13.2% %18.1%13.4% %17.9%10.4% %14.7%12.9% %16.7%13.2%

Impact of WP programmes - 3 Retention and Progression of first year UGs who completed Top-Up or Summer School by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation These preparation programmes appear even more effective when taking into account that the students in the comparator groups are generally less disadvantaged: 0-40% SIMD Top-Up = 52.5% 0-40% SIMD Summer School = 44.3% 0-40% SIMD GOALS no Top-Up = 42.0% 0-40% SIMD non-GOALS = 32.7%

Graduate Attributes Pupils independent learning & critical thinking skills essential study / revision / exam skills confidence to get involved in extra-curricular and social aspects of student life: clubs, societies - important for developing broad graduate attributes Tutors employability skills: teaching / lecturing experience progress to employment in education / WP fields benefits to other GTA work develop graduate attributes such as effective communication; experienced collaborators; adaptable; resourceful and responsible; reflective teachers

Some questions to discuss … a)Are ‘adjusted offers’ a sustainable model to widen access to HE? Do they incentivise success? b)Are universities doing enough to support retention of students from non-traditional backgrounds? What can be improved? c)Is there inherent fairness in a system of HE admissions associated with postcode metrics?

3. Using Technology

Teen internet use BBC Survey of yr olds (Oct ‘14) Use social media regularly99% ‘Addicted’ to social media25% Use Facebook89% Use Twitter62% Use Snapchat58% *Based on survey of 1015 teenagers: teenagers-meet-social-media-friends-in-real-life

Some questions to discuss … a)Can technology support widening access and aid transitions to HE? If so, how? b)Provide example(s) of the use of digital technology / e-learning in your own work. Successes and difficulties? c)How can higher education institutions and WP programmes make effective use of social media to engage with young people?

Contact: Bernadette Sanderson Graeme Thomson