Academic Advising: Yes, but who is learning from whom?

1. Academic Advising: Yes, but who is learning from whom? Ivan Moore Director, Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Promoting Learner Autonomy Cal Weatherald Head of Student Guidance Sheffield Hallam University

2. An outline Don't let your cell phone spoil this meeting! • Background • Who are we? Where are we from? What do we do? Why are we here? • activity • Context • of our separate roles • conceptualising students who come to student support services • activity • What was our research about? • How have we re-conceptualised students in the light of this? • What does this mean for the link between professional and academic staff activities? • activity

3. An outline • Background • Who are we? Where are we from? What do we do? Why are we here? • activity • Context • of our separate roles • conceptualising students who come to student support services • activity • What was our research about? • How have we re-conceptualised students in the light of this? • What does this mean for the link between professional and academic staff activities? • activity

4. Where are we from? . Sheffield We are from here We are not from here!

5. Sheffield? • Its an old place • populated since the last ice age • 'a field on the river Sheaf' • Its a nice place • "Sheffield, I suppose, could justly claim to be called the ugliest town in the Old World". George Orwell • "architecturally a miserable disappointment" Nikolaus Pevsner; noted architecture historian

6. Sheffield? • Its a nice place • five rivers • Sheaf, Don, Loxley, Rivelin, Porter • Seven hills • Two million trees (4 per resident) • more than any other City in Europe! • The largest amount of green space in any city in Europe

7. Sheffield? • Its a cosmopolitan place • Yes, a population of just over half a million • the fourth largest in England • Significant minority ethnic communities, including Indian, Pakistani, African-Caribbean, Yemeni, Somali, Polish

8. Sheffield? • What's it famous for? • Sheffield steel (and crucible steel) • First football club in the world • Sheffield Steelers (Ice hockey team) • Climbing and walking (Peak District National Park) • Gritty movies (The Full Monty) • Gritty movie stars (Sean Bean) • Oh yes, and its famous for its twin city

9. Sheffield? • Sheffield Hallam University • 28,000 students • 4,000 staff • 6th largest in the UK • 'Best modern university' in the UK • Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning • Promoting Learner Autonomy • Employability • Inter-professional e-learning

10. Government white paper: 'The future of Higher Education' 2003 Two main aims: reward excellent teaching practice ensure substantial benefits to students, teachers and institutions January 2005: funding awarded for 74 centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs) £2,000,000 capital £500,000 per year to 2010 At SHU CPLA Employability inter professional education

11. What is an autonomous learner? • Discuss this briefly with your neighbour • Someone qualifies as an autonomous learner when (s)he independently chooses aims and purposes and sets goals; chooses materials, methods and tasks; exercises choice and purpose in organising and carrying out the chosen tasks; and chooses criteria for evaluation. • Holec 1982

12. A definition of learner autonomy • An autonomous learner takes responsibility for his/her own learning • They can identify: • their learning goals (what they need to learn) • their learning processes (how they will learn it) • how they will evaluate and use their learning

13. Characteristics of ‘effective’ autonomous learners • they have well-founded conceptions of learning • they have a range of learning approaches and skills • they can organize their learning • they have good information processing skills • they are well motivated to learn

14. STANCE TOWARDS LEARNING Orientation to learning Appropriate conceptions of learning Deep approach to learning A range of appropriate learning strategies WILLINGNESS TO LEARN Balance of vocational, academic, personal and social motivations to learn Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Goals Short - Medium - Long Confidence INFORMATION SKILLS Recognise information need Addressed information ‘gap’ Construct strategies for locating information Locate and access information Compare and evaluate information Organise, apply and communicate information Synthesise and build upon existing information MANAGEMENT Study Skills Planning and problem solving Evaluation & Metacognition Self-assessment Focus & ‘stickability’ Time and project management Balancing social, work and learning needs Assessment

15. STANCE TOWARDS LEARNING Orientation to learning Appropriate conceptions of learning Deep approach to learning A range of appropriate learning strategies WILLINGNESS TO LEARN Balance of vocational, academic, personal and social motivations to learn Intrinsic motivation Extrinsic motivation Goals Short - Medium - Long Confidence INFORMATION SKILLS Recognise information need Addressed information ‘gap’ Construct strategies for locating information Locate and access information Compare and evaluate information Organise, apply and communicate information Synthesise and build upon existing information MANAGEMENT Study Skills Planning and problem solving Evaluation & Metacognition Self-assessment Focus & ‘stickability’ Time and project management Balancing social, work and learning needs Assessment

16. The SHU social model • learning is a social activity • people are not only a resource • sense of belonging • sharing, supporting, discussing, debating • working in partnership • teamwork, leadership, inter-personal skills

17. Learning as a journey • We becomemoreautonomous as learners as we make more of our own choices about what we learn and how we learn it. dependence interdependence Independence or autonomy

18. Intellectual capacity Learning as growth Level three Independence Level two Knowledge (breadth and complexity) Level one

19. Evaluation Synthesis Analysis Application Manipulation Knowledge Ability to make a judgment of the worth of something Ability to combine separate elements into a whole Ability to break a problem into its constituent parts and establish the relationships between each one Intellectual skills Ability to apply rephrased knowledge in a novel situation Ability to rephrase knowledge That which can be recalled

20. Education Guidance at Sheffield Hallam University

21. Education Guidance at SHU Who are we?

22. Who are our users?

23. Education Guidance at SHU Who are our users?

24. Activity • How do you conceptualise the students who come to you for advice? • what words do you use to describe them? • what words do you use to describe the issues they bring with them? • what words do you use to describe the service you provide?

25. How do we listen? Guidance is not about telling people what to do: rather, it is a process of finding and interpreting evidence, self-exploration, planning and review. Above all, it is a process of helping individuals to learn to be autonomous, to take control of their own decisions and to make decisions widely...This is a very different notion from the common perception of it as a kind of welfare service, picking up the pieces when student systems fail” McNair, S (1996) ‘Putting Learners at the Centre’, Sheffield: DFEE.

26. Listening to learners 1500+ interviews per year • describing • reflecting • exploring • identifying challenges • resolving difficulties

27. Messages to Faculties

28. CPLA Research project: Students managing their learning: an investigation into perspectives and patterns of behaviour of students using the Education Guidance Service

29. Outline aims • To investigate ways in which students seek to develop an autonomous approach to learning through the use of guidance • To examine student behaviour in managing learning and highlight areas where real autonomy comes into conflict with institutional constraints

30. The development of a sense of self • An intrinsic motivation to study • A perception of personal control over decision-making • An acceptance of responsibility for the outcomes of actions • A perception of competence in dealing with the demands of higher education Faizey (1996), Guidance and Learner Autonomy Project

31. Transition into higher education • “In the first year I found the course was quite unorganised. But then I realised it was actually me who was unorganised, not the course. Because you have to – from ‘A’ level* you have been spoon-fed. You get the notes - what you are going to be reading, you get the homework, and what date it is supposed to be in. Whereas at university you have to go on Blackboard**, print off your notes, find out what you have to do for the next seminar. And I think – now I am quite organised, I realise it is not an unorganised course, but in the beginning I was really confused about everything.” * High school leaving examination (usually taken at aged 18) ** SHU's Virtual Learning Environment

32. Student : tutor relationship Experience of learning Student: “I felt there were some lecturers, the way they present the lecture is not interactive. They are not aware whether the student understands or not, but they keep delivering. So I feel that interactivity is very important if you want the student to join the discussion. When the lecturer goes into the lecture room then the lecturer will start to read, sometimes just reading the lecture slides.” Researcher: “So what do you do about this? Have you approached the tutor?” Student: “Actually I didn’t approach this tutor, because during the seminar I felt this lecturer was very friendly. If you approach the lecturer personally she will explain a lot of the things, which is very helpful. But when she delivers the lecture this is not the case because ... may be she needs more training in terms of the delivery.”

33. What have we learned? • 3 key emerging themes: • transition into higher education • relationship with the tutor • assessment and feedback

34. Activity - Linking professional and academic activities • How closely aligned are your professional advisory roles with those of academic staff (faculty)? • What processes does your university have in place to bring together the professional and academic activities? • How closely (often) do faculty work with you in developing their learning and teaching (instructional) practices? • How often do they ask for your advice?

35. Strategic themes • Developing a conceptual Stance • Motivation and engagement (Willingness) • Supporting Intellectual development and Information skills • Organisation for learning (Managing learning) • Peer support for learning • Transitions and year themes • Enquiry-Based Learning (EBL) • Assessment • Evaluating the student learning experience • Research and scholarship

36. Scholarship Teams Conceptual stance Motivation and engagement Information skills Organisation for learning Enquiry Based Learning Student partnerships

37. Student partnerships • Staff Student Consultative Committees • Student representatives on Faculty and University Committees • Student feedback questionnaires and input into Quality Reports • National Student Survey • Student Partnerships • Teamwork and group work • Peer mentoring • Peer assisted study support • Student volunteering scheme • Student involvement in evaluation • Co-curriculum developers • Co-producers of knowledge