1. How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications
Charlotte Thackeray
HeadStart Officer
What is HS
What was the aim of this research
What we got (an initial brief outline of results)
Background- what the issue was and why it was important (lack of clearing student research, the ‘what they don’t know, they don’t know’ argument)/ the do we target certain students question
Method 3 parts to it- quant, qual, case studies
Results- quant, qual, case studies
Results - comparing with other criteria
Conclusions
what we can do next
References
‘if you remember nothing else remember this’
Stick in lots of examples- what happens in the sessions
Pause briefly for questions every now and again
Clarify certain terms (clearing, foundation, WP)

2. What is HeadStart?
17 November 2018
HeadStart is a weeklong induction scheme on campus designed to support Widening Participation (for example low income and disabled students) and students who have a non traditional route to University such as students who have been in care or through the clearing process HeadStart week was created in 2008 to ease the transition for students with a lack of experience in Higher Education In 2017, 2671 students were offered a place on HeadStart with 108 students attending and 82 students attending 3 or more days
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

3. What Happens? What happens?
17 November 2018
What happens? 
Students are based in their colleges throughout the week 
The week includes a number of study skills including: 
How to reference 
Notetaking and Note making 
Presentations to Impress 
In addition services across the University run sessions to promote their services such as money doctors, counselling and the Disability and Dyslexia Service 
The week also contains a motivational speaker, scavenger hunt and a team presentation that takes place during a presentation showcase on the Friday 
Students who attend 3 or more days gain a certificate of attendance 
Students are surveyed throughout the week in order to gauge their learning and evaluating the week 
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

4. Background to the Research
17 November 2018
This work is part of wider study as to the impact of HeadStart
Lack of clearing student research
‘What they don’t know, they don’t know’
Should we target certain Widening Participation student groups
Why Low previous entry Qualifications?
Background- what the issue was and why it was important (lack of clearing student research, the ‘what they don’t know, they don’t know’ argument)/ the do we target certain students question
Define foundation, clearing
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

5. Methodology Mixed method
17 November 2018
Mixed method
The other part of the evaluation form was for students to rate a number of statements to see if there was any improvement upon how they felt across the week, The criteria were:
Understanding the study skills needed for the next year
Awareness of what is expected of me as a student
I feel part of Brunel
Prepared for learning at Brunel
Knowledge of independent learning
Students were surveyed daily to establish what were the most valuable parts of that day through qualitative answers
What was the most valuable thing that you have learnt from these sessions?
How could we improve any of the sessions?
Any other comments?
Students were offered the opportunity to write case studies about their experiences of first or foundation year in week 6 and 23
Wanted to make the quan and qual answers very quick and easy and clear for students to respond to
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

6. Methodology Pt 2
17 November 2018
Our aim was whether students numerically rated their awareness of study skills more positively as they went through the week and what they found to be particularly valuable about each day
108 students attended across the week (not all attended the full week)
Thirty two students with low previous entry qualifications were analysed (not all had attended for the full week)
Of the four case studies that were written, two were students with low previous entry qualifications
Compared the LPEQ results with the results of disabled, care leavers and mature students
Presentation Title

7. Results - Quantitative
17 November 2018
Over the week these students rated on average that their understanding of study skills needed for the next year increased throughout the week (from 8.32 on Monday to 9.4 out of 10 on Friday.) The results for the Tuesday did dip to 7.5 however this may have been that students expectations of what was required of them may have changed (this was common across other criteria.)
Presentation Title

8. Results- Quantitative (compared to other criteria)
17 November 2018
Comparisons
Disabled scored lower but did improve
LPEQ and Mature were similar
Care was the only drop (only based on 2 students though but a concern)
The Tuesday dip
Presentation Title

9. Results- Qualitative Study Skills
17 November 2018
Describe the pie chart – they came from the qualitative responses
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

10. Results - Comparing to other Widening Participation Criteria
17 November 2018
Compared to qual responses from other WP criteria
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

11. Results - Case Studies
17 November 2018
“ My experiences at HeadStart have helped me tremendously …. especially in terms of independent learning as we were told how crucial it was to be and how to become a productive independent learner ” First year clearing student “ HeadStart has taught me different techniques of taking down notes and has enabled me to question my previous strategies of learning and then explore new and more effective techniques to learn ” First year foundation student “ I feel my independent learning has improved significantly. I was advised to do work right after the lecture and not fall behind on my studies. I now realise how crucial that actually is “First year clearing student “ During the week we were given a planner book, I found that very useful as I could note down my assignments in ‘to do list’ sections, keep reminders and follow my timetable “First year clearing student
For the case studies they show HeadStart has a longer term impact particularly with regards to the students
These are just highlights:
For HeadStart this year, students were given the opportunity to write up to 350 words to see if 6 weeks and 23 weeks that HeadStart had made an impact on them longer term.
From the first round of case studies we received 4 case studies (1 from CBASS, 1 from CEDPS and 2 from CHLS) and were asked to write a maximum of 350 words and could write on anything between 2-4 of the below points. For full responses see Appendix E & F.
Thinking back over your educational history and how it relates to your first six weeks at Brunel?
What study skills have you had to use so far (i.e. presentation skills, essay writing, referencing etc)? How did HeadStart help with your knowledge of these skills?
Have you sought out or used any of the support services at Brunel? Have they been used? Did you find out about them through HeadStart?
How much do you feel part of Brunel now? Did HeadStart have an effect on that?
How has your knowledge (if at all) of independent learning developed since starting and after HeadStart?
Based on what you know now, how did HeadStart prepare you for learning?
Students reflected upon a number of these issues and did give a very positive outlook on the impact that HeadStart had had on these students first 6 weeks. Themes that have emerged over the 4 case studies include:
Feeling part of Brunel
Signposting services
Recognising and promoting the ASK Service
Making friends
Getting to know campus
Study skills: (especially statistics, referencing and independent learning)
Providing a foundation for University
In week 23 the students continued to pick up on a number of the themes listed above as well as others that have appeared between the last case study:
Study skills and techniques, especially revision and time management (the use of the Stella Cottrell planner)
Continuing good practices and methods
Hints and tips that have been used throughout the year such as lectures on BBL
Seeking out other new opportunities and services
These themes relate to HeadStart’s aims and the outcomes it would like students to leave HeadStart with and take forward which is very encouraging. A number of students talked about how they didn’t realise how important certain things like independent learning would be so with HeadStart being so close to the start of term students can enact the skills they have learnt quickly but also remember what was emphasised so they can adapt accordingly.
It is tremendously encouraging that so late on into their first or foundation year the students are able to reflect back and remember HeadStart, the study skills and techniques demonstrating its longer term impact. It justifies the use of the resources that we provide the students with and with HeadStart online there is a case for adding further resources and information about more support services for students to seek out.
From the first case study it is clear that sometimes HeadStart is just a foundation and was a good start for their student journey. This could be because the case study is written by a mature learner who may have had the age and independence to go into the University and encounter new opportunities. This is also important for HeadStart in its role as for some students the foundation and head start is just what they require to find their feet, become assimilated with campus, make friends and then have the confidence to go from there.
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

12. Conclusions
17 November 2018
HeadStart has many benefits to those who attend including students with low previous entry qualifications
There is no doubt that they do not have a common route into HE and it can be difficult to anticipate what they might need in terms of their pre-entry transition to bridge the study skills gap
There is no need to separate foundation or clearing students and give them a specialist programme however trends could show that they find some study skills more beneficial at the time than others
Students’ responses show a trend of scores on average dropping on the Tuesday, this could be due to ‘reality setting in’, the Tuesday needs improvement or an example that they had differing expectations and their outlook was changing
Presentation Title

13. Recommendations
17 November 2018
These findings could be used to tailor certain workshops or schemes to Widening Participation students if study skills sessions are to be run
If a study skills pre-entry or transition scheme was starting from scratch these skills sessions could be used as they are proven to be valuable to new students
Certain online resources could be developed to target certain students at certain times of the year as part of a ‘long thin induction’
Where do we go next?
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

14. References
17 November 2018
Brightside (2018) Foundation Years Explained. Available at: (Accessed: 20th February 2018).
Brunel University London (2006) ‘Brunel University West London Access Agreement – applies to new entrants commencing courses in 2007/8’ Published Internal Document (Accessed: 9th November 2017).
Brunel University London (2017) HeadStart. Available at: (Accessed: 8th November 2017). 
Crooks, B. & Danvers, E. Compendium of effective practice in higher education. Available at: volume_2.pdf Pp (Accessed: 8th November 2017).
Morgan, J. (2013) ‘Foundation degree to honours degree: the transition experiences of students on an early years programme’, Journal of Further and Higher Education, Vol 39, Issue 1, pp [Online]DOI: (Accessed: 7th November 2017).
National Union of Students (2018) Unclear about Clearing. Available at: (Accessed: 20th February 2018).
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications

15. Thank you! Charlotte.thackeray@brunel.ac.uk @CThackeray
17 November 2018
@CThackeray
How Pre-entry Transition Interventions fill the Study Skills gap for Students with Low Previous entry Qualifications