Dispositions to Learn and Student Success

1. Llandrindod Wells 2010 Improving retention and success:  retaining students to and through higher education Dispositions to Learn and Student Success Denise Oram d.oram@glyndwr.ac.uk Sandra King s.king@glyndwr.ac.uk Glyndŵr University, North Wales 12 May 2010

2. Leitch Review (2007) and the Burgess Report (2008) • Inevitable change to recording achievement in HE • Capture the range of experiences in HE • Describe a broader picture of achievements • Tell the story of a learning journey to an employer • Promote a culture of lifelong learning • Increase employability • To aid retention

3. ELLI Project • ELLI – Effective Life Long Learning Inventory • Research tool developed at Bristol University • Research Project with other universities: Northumbria, Manchester and Bedfordshire • Aims of the Project: • To identify students at risk of disengagement • Explore use of ELLI for planned retention interventions • To identify effective retention strategies

4. ELLI To generate valuable data about relationships between the learning power of different populations and a variety of interventions and learning contexts

5. Double Helix of Learning(McGettrick 2002) Learning Power Achievement Knowledge Skills and Understanding Personal Development Attitudes, Values, Feelings, Dispositions, Motivation

6. Learning Power • An energy that integrates personal and formal elements of learning • Seven dimensions of learning derived from a Factor Analysis of variables • Students complete an online questionnaire • Likert-type questions • Students receive a visual representation of their own personal profile

7. Seven Dimensions of Learning Power • Changing and learning • Meaning making • Critical curiosity • Creativity • Learning relationships • Strategic awareness • Resilience • Being stuck & static • Data accumulation • Passivity • Being rule bound • Isolation & dependence • Being robotic • Fragility and dependence

8. Example of an ELLI Profile Changing and learning Critical Curiosity Learning relationships Meaning Making Strategic Awareness Creativity Resilience

9. Empowering students to describe their disposition to learn • Communication tool between tutor and learner • Drops barriers • Provides a narrative of a student’s ‘Learning Power’ • Raises awareness of how to learn • Provides a learning language between different cultures • Identifies strengths and development areas

10. Personalisation of Learning • Understanding the value of learning • Provides ownership of their learning • Promotes independent learning • Key activity for personal development planning • Encourages reflective practice • Facilitates and supports learning • A vehicle to support employability

11. ELLI at Glyndŵr University • ELLI has been used with different cohorts of students over 3 years: • Business and Computing Year 1 • Business Year 3 multinational cohort • Postgraduate (MBA & MSc) • Current ELLI Project focuses on first year undergraduate students: • In parallel to a study undertaken by other UK universities • Comparing ELLI results with data for student progression and retention • Personalise the learning experience • Within a structured programme of support activities

12. ELLI Claims – for Tutors • Enables tutors to focus on learning and learners within the curriculum • Excellent communication tool: • Useful insight into student learning • An effective language/vehicle in the learning process • Facilitates engagement with PDP • The tool provides a generic approach that can be applied to all disciplines • Part of a retention strategy

13. ELLI Claims – for Students • Creates awareness of their own learning qualities, characteristics and dispositions • Gives a focus to reflect on learning • Provides a way of celebrating achievements in learning alongside curriculum success • Provides a language of learning to describe their ‘learning journey’ to an employer • Enhances motivation and takes into consideration their individual cognitive abilities

14. Student Comments on ELLI Students interviewed in focus groups • “ELLI created an awareness that I did not have before about how to learn…it enabled me to focus on an entirely new way of learning” • “It shows weaknesses in learning in a positive light and this is more motivating” • “I realised that learning goes beyond university and that outside activities also contribute to my learning”

15. Next Stages • ELLI can be used as part of a package of activities to support learning • Subject areas can develop appropriate learning activities within the curriculum to promote each of the learning dimensions • Bristol University have launched a commercial venture, Vital Partnerships’ to promote the use of ELLI • Available to educational institutions

16. Conclusion • One of the key challenges involves changing the culture within universities • Teachers and learners alike must understand the concept of what learning entails and embrace new ideas to promote effective learning • Raising awareness of the learning dimensions promotes dialogue, reduces barriers between different cultures and hence provides an aid to retention.