Dr Adam Longcroft School of Education & Lifelong Learning University of East Anglia, Norwich

‘Adults and Archaeology/History:Investigating the Participation and Progression of Adult Learners in a Lifelong Learning Context’.HEA Teaching & Learning Development Project Dr Adam Longcroft School of Education & Lifelong Learning University of East Anglia, Norwich 9 July 2008 a.longcroft@uea.ac.uk

Aims of this Presentation • To provide an introduction to the HEA-funded project: ‘Adults and Archaeology: Investigating the Participation and Progression of Adult Learners in a Lifelong Learning Context’. • To provide colleagues with some insights into the results of the project – in particular the background, motivations, priorities, progression needs and attitudes to assessment, of a diverse group of adult learners. • To consider the implications of the project findings for practice and practitioners in other Lifelong Learning or Continuing Education settings.

Aims of the Project Aims and objectives • To encourage past and current adult learners on archaeology and related courses and units to reflect critically on the barriers to participation, as well as their own personal and professional development as adult learners. • Investigate the motivation, learning needs, preferred learning formats (e.g. field-based; class-based; online; blended), progression and achievement of adult learners studying archaeology and history-related subjects part-time within the School of Education & Lifelong Learning at the University of East Anglia. • Provide insights into a large sample of adult learners in a large rural area of the UK (East Anglia). • Identify ways in which provision of archaeology and related subjects may need to change in future regionally (and possibly across the sector) to address the personal and professional development needs of this important (and growing) constituency in higher education.

Continuing Education at UEA:Who are we and what do we do? • Continuing Education is committed to assisting UEA in fulfilling its stated aim of being ‘a good regional citizen’ dedicated to ‘enhancing the economic, social and cultural life of the region’. • Our mission is to provide part-time programmes which meet the personal and professional development needs of a diverse range of learners and employers. • Though our role is primarily a regional one, the growth of on-line programmes enables us to increasingly engage with learners on an international basis.

Continuing Education:Our Region • The Continuing Education programme at UEA provides higher education learning opportunities across Norfolk and Suffolk. • Key centres for Continuing Education courses include Norwich, King’s Lynn, Ipswich, Lowestoft, Diss, Cromer, Fakenham and Thetford. • Overcoming obstacles to participation in HE in a predominantly rural region means running courses in smaller rural communities such as Weeting, Reepham, Blakeney, Sedgeford and Aldeburgh.

Continuing Education:Our Programme Includes a wide variety of courses and awards including: • Day Schools • Short 5 & 10 credit ‘taster’ units (one term or less) • 20 credit units (normally two terms) • Certificate in Continuing Education (either one or two years) • Certificate of Higher Education (two years) • Diploma of Higher Education (four years total) • Diplomas (one year) • Foundation Degree ‘Top-Ups’ (one year) Most level 1 modules are ‘open access’.

Continuing Education:Curriculum • History • Archaeology • Art History • Science • Literature • Classical Studies • Sports Development • Creative Writing • Philosophy • Politics • Professional Studies • Film Studies • Counselling Skills • Psychology • Emergency Medical Care

Continuing Education:BA Professional Studies Fd ‘Top-Up’

Continuing Education:Student Body • Student body spans a wide age range. Our youngest student is 18, our oldest (in 2005) was 87. • Educational backgrounds vary – graduates to those with no formal qualifications of any sort. • Wide variety of backgrounds - mid-career professionals to those with no HE experience at all. • Varied motivations - career change, professional development, progression to HE, and/or pure pleasure (personal development). • An increasing number of students receive assistance with fees from their employers. • Many are anxious about assessment; a small minority are resistant/hostile to it.

Continuing Education:Resistance to Assessment A small proportion of students are resistant to being ‘assessed’: The terrified learner:“I want to learn more about the subject but find the idea of being assessed frightening” The passive learner:“I have paid my fee and don’t see why I should have to do assessed work when I am just here to learn about the subject from the tutor” The ‘been there, got the T-Shirt’ learner:“I resent being forced to do essays – I gave up all that a long time ago” The highly qualified learner:“I’m a qualified doctor for God’s sake – I don’t need credits since I already have a degree!” The ‘I’m too old for this’ learner:“I’m 76 and really can’t see the point of working towards credits at my age”

Continuing Education: THE HEA SURVEY SAMPLE

Continuing Education:The Survey Sample • 238 Continuing Education students were surveyed, being those who had taken archaeology, art history and history modules in 2007/08 and had personal email accounts. • Of these 238: • 81 (33%) responded to the survey of whom: • 57 completed the survey (24% of total/72% of responders); • 22 did not complete the survey (9% of total/28% of responders); • 2 opted out of the survey (0.01% of responders). • Of the 157 emailed who did not respond (66%): • 133 simply ignored it (56%); • 24 emails were undeliverable (10%). • The total number of individuals who had taken courses/modules in these subjects during 2007/08 was 392, so our surveyed sample of those with personal email accounts was 61%.

Continuing Education: THE STUDENT BODY

Continuing Education:The Student Body

Continuing Education:The Student Body (58 answered question / 21 skipped question)

Continuing Education: Course Review Information, April 2008 Sample=130 students Highest qualification on entry

Continuing Education: MOTIVATIONS

Continuing Education:Student Motivation (62 answered question / 17 skipped question)

Continuing Education: Course Review Information, April 2008 Reasons for doing your course Sample=130 students

Continuing Education:Student Motivation • It was VERY IMPORTANT to me, after gaining a BA, to have UEA facilities (library + Athens) granted to me for another year with the Continuing Ed programme. I shall do another course in 2008/9 in order to enjoy the same facilities and aid my own private research. (Can't afford a Masters). • I have always wanted to learn more about art ,and this has been a wonderful opportunity to do so. Thank you. • It was an opportunity to start a subject I never thought of doing when younger and thinking about careers/degrees - and trying subjects for fun rather than to achieve a life goal. • As a pensioner, to keep my brain going - absolutely seriously! • I remember the UEA opening and have always liked the setting, it was great to feel a part of the campus, to enjoy lunch at Sainsbury centre, to walk by the lakes, to use the fine Library and enjoy something of student life again. • I felt I had been let down by my secondary modern school where only 5 of us had taken GCE's. A-levels were never mentioned and nor was university. I have always felt I could have done a lot better given the chance and have found the courses invaluable because of this. • Rehabilitation following unemployment through illness. • To study a specific subject for enhanced enjoyment of it. (62 answered question / 17 skipped question)

Continuing Education: COURSES COMPLETED BY RESPONDENTS

Continuing Education:Courses Completed by Respondents In Last 6 Years (77 answered question / 2 skipped question)

Continuing Education:Courses Completed by Respondents (77 answered question / 2 skipped question)

Continuing Education: STUDENT VIEWS ON LEARNING AND TEACHING

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment (76 answered question / 3 skipped question)

Continuing Education: STUDENT VIEWS ON ASSESSMENT

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment (63 answered question / 16 skipped question)

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment In Continuing Education we believe that the assessment process has, potentially, many different functions. Please indicate those that have been met on YOUR course(s). (63 answered question / 16 skipped question)

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment What types of assessment(s) did you learn most from? • “I enjoy my own research after an informative lecture and group discussion and regard writing an essay as an extension of my own learning. Input from the tutor after the essay is very helpful”. • “Essay writing – a skill I have not had the necessity to use for many years. This was the most useful and structured for me”. • “The practical sessions – identifying pottery etc.” • “Oral presentations – the tutor handled these very well by getting students to choose their own topics, rather than by getting the whole class to respond to the same question. Got immediate feedback”. • “The dissertation – because I had to research the information”. • “The field reports – I had to put reading and lectures into context”. • “Group exercises because they make you think hard about what is being discussed as you may have to make a contribution – an you can learn from the ideas (and mistakes) of fellow students!”. • “Using different methods of assessment made the course more interesting. I find I enjoy learning more when work is approached in ‘small chunks’”.

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment How did you feel about the idea of being assessed before the Course started? • “I felt quite ambivalent towards assessment – at first I had no intention to complete the course for credits – just for fun and interest. However, I was persuaded otherwise during the first few weeks. Then it became more serious, especially as I had an essay to complete at the end. But it was all very enjoyable and helped me to extend my knowledge and also to push myself into achieving credits at the end”. • “Not a problem – I had become used to being assessed on previous courses”. • “Concerned – it had been more than 20 years since I had last studied at higher education level”. • “I felt nervous and unsure whether I could perform at the right level”. • “Terrified”. • “Pleased that there would be a means of monitoring progress”. • “I was reluctant to be assessed, primarily wanting to remain a disengaged observer”. • “I wanted to study for the joy of learning – I resented being assessed”.

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment Did your feelings about assessment change during/after the course? • “Yes. The tutor was so encouraging I didn’t want to let her down”. • “Yes – I developed an almost childish wish to show someone what I could do in the hope of getting a big ‘tick’ ”. • “Yes. The course encouraged me to work in groups and become a very active learner. This was extremely helpful to me in may areas of my life, particularly allowing me to make positive changes in areas such as my job and significant relationships”. • “Yes – as one learns more about the subject the assessments became more fun rather than worrying”. • “Yes – the feedback and comments received from my tutor were encouraging and any criticisms were constructive, allowing me to constantly improve my work”. • “No. I didn’t like feeling pressured (bullied?) into completing coursework. Some students dropped out of the course because of this. However, I was pleased a few months later to be given an opportunity to resubmit”.

Continuing Education:Student Views on Assessment A number of students who had become accustomed to being assessed on a Percentage (%) marking basis, felt that the Pass/Fail system of marking introduced in 2006/7 was a retrograde step. We continue to monitor this. However, criticisms of the Pass/Fail system need to be balanced against the needs of the majority of learners, especially those new to higher education: “I now feel very positive about assessment. It is diverse and offers all styles of learner the chance to succeed in education, and to engage with course materials. I feel the Pass/Fail marking distinction is helpful in not focusing too much pressure on learners. Whilst students are encouraged to fulfil their potential, the emphasis is on enabling them to complete courses rather than feeling under pressure to achieve the highest grades. The 40% pass mark allows people with work/life commitments to still gain an academic qualification”.

Continuing Education:Successful Assessment Strategies are those which: • Respond to/accommodate students’ interests – negotiation • Are innovative & imaginatively designed - enable students to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes • Achieve a balance between ‘back-loaded’ and ‘front-loaded’ assignments – more care in DESIGN = Less PLAGIARISM • Build confidence in stages – the ‘in at the deep end’ approach is rarely a wise or effective one. Balance between ‘formative and ‘summative’. • Respect the diversity of the student group - students will have varied levels of prior knowledge, ability and confidence • Engage students by giving them opportunities to be creative - e.g. the Paxman interview scenario • Ensure students know where the ‘goals posts’ are - clear objectives and parameters and appropriate written guidance. • Provide students with opportunities to get to know each other - e.g. collaborative fieldwork and assignments • Include an element of class- or field-based assessment – almost impossible for students to ‘de-select’ themselves!

Continuing Education: PROGRESSION

Dr Adam Longcroft School of Education & Lifelong Learning University of East Anglia, Norwich