The Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme at Southampton

1. The Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme at Southampton Professor Ray d’Inverno School of Mathematics University of Southampton

2. Plan of Presentation • Transferable Skills • Four stage approach • Assessment and feedback • Selection • Partner schools • Training and monitoring • Outcome • Dissemination • Second year 2003/4 • Third year 2004/5 • Issues • Conclusion

3. Transferable Skills • Communication skills • Understanding the needs of individuals • Interpersonal skills • Staff responsibilities and conduct • The ability to improvise • Giving and taking feedback • Organising skills • Handling difficult situations • Public speaking • Team work • Teaching methods • Lesson preparation • Employability skills • Personal confidence

4. Four stage approach • Classroom observation • Classroom assistance • Whole class teaching • Special project • Design of an innovative project • Implementation • Evaluation

5. Other activities • Revision classes • Lunch clubs • After school clubs • Talks on university life • University visit days

6. Assessment and feedback • 20% Weekly journal (open) • 30% Final report (2,500 words) • 20% Presentation on Special Project • 30% Teacher assessment • 15 CATs point unit = 150 hours of study • 20 CATs version available • Written feedback on all 4 assessments • Teacher assessment not moderated

7. Selection in First Year • 21 students applied for selection in semester 1 • 400 word essay requested on why they wanted to take the unit and what they could offer (1-4 rating) • 10 minute structured interview (Paul Cooper/RAd’I) • Selection: 5 -> 10 -> 13 • Interview used to place students • Unsuccessful candidates given feedback • What makes a good teacher • Proactivity in classroom • Dealing with pupil blocks • Type of placement preferred • Did they have a car • 12 mathematicians (9 female, 3 male) • 1 chemist (female)

8. Five partner schools [Placements] • High achieving girls selective grammar [2] • High achieving catholic girls comprehensive (WP) [4] • Low aspiration girls technology college (WP) [3] • Mixed ability mixed comprehensive including catchment area of social deprivation (WP) [2] • Boys catholic comprehensive with some behavioural problems (WP) [2]

9. Training and monitoring • 5 hour “mini-PGCE” training session (Paul Cooper) • “Meet the teachers” session • 4 tutorials • Regular email contact • Wrap-up meeting (videoed) • Initial impressions • Journals and planning the Special Project 1 • Planning the Special Project 2 • Tips on presentations

10. Training session Group exercise on constructing a bridge using paper and scotch tape One of the two half day workshops for 20 students 2004/5

11. Placement requirements • Initial meeting with school to negotiate a timetable • 3 / 4 hours a week throughout 12 weeks of semester 2 • Minimum of 10 placements required

12. Outcome • Performance on unit (10 I, 3 IIi) • Special projects • Teacher questionnaires (5/5) • Student questionnaires (11/13) • Publications (3) • PGCE (12/13 eventually) • Development of personal confidence

13. Special projects • Development of revision materials (x 4) • Starters (x 2) • Learning styles • Fibonacci numbers extension • Developing communication skills in “quiet” pupils • Problem solving skills • Use of interactive white board and laptops by staff • Use of “Autograph” software • Use of “Geometer’s sketchpad” software

14. Teacher questionnaires 5.0 Helpful intro to teaching 4.8 Student preparation for placement 4.7 Working relationships with students 4.0 Benefit to school 3.8 Demands made on school 5/0 Continuation with scheme

15. Student questionnaires 4.8 Skills development 4.7 Overall rating of unit 4.2 School placement experience 4.2 Training session relevance 4.1 Training session quality 4.0 Unit coordinator 3.8 University support on placement 3.6 Satisfaction with assessment

16. Dissemination • Website • 3 publications (Paul Cooper and RAd’I) • THES article (6/2/04) • TES article • Presentation to engineers • National/Regional UAS conferences • Regional meeting of ILT • 2 internal seminars • National UAS website www.maths.soton.ac.uk/staff/d’Inverno/UAS www.uas.ac.uk

17. Second year 2003/4 • Scheme extended to include Chemistry and Physics Schools • 27 applicants • 22 selected • 5 new partner schools (all WP) giving 10 in total • Morning meeting/lunch with link teachers • Assessment changes • Tutorials doubled • 15 mathematicians (11 females 4 males) • 5 chemists (4 females 1 male) • 2 physicists (1 female 1 male) • 3 sink comprehensive community schools • 1 lower middle class comprehensive community school • 1 boys language college • Final report 30 -> 30 • Weekly journal 20 -> 25 • Presentation 20 -> 25 • Teacher assessment 30 -> 20

18. Third year 2004/5 • Scheme extended to include Computer Science, Oceanography, Music and Modern Languages • 45 applicants • 38 selected • 7 new partner schools (2 WP) giving 15 in total (2 discontinued) • Assessment changes • Tutorials trebled • 13 mathematicians (9 females, 4 males) • 3 chemists (1 female, 2 males) • 2 physicists (1 female, 1 male) • 2 computer scientists (1 female, 1 male) • 10 oceanographers (8 females, 2 males) • 7 musicians (6 females, 1 male) • 1 linguist (1 female) • 2 sixth form colleges • 1 ethnically mixed girls comprehensive school • 3 mixed (1 high achieving) comprehensive schools • 1 boys comprehensive with some behavioural problems • Final report 30 -> 35 • Weekly journal 25 -> 25 • Presentation 25 -> 25 • Teacher assessment 20 -> 15

19. Fourth year 2005/6 • Scheme extended to include Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences (9 disciplines total) • Geography likely to adopt scheme at next School Education Board • Applications (77 total) • All shortage subjects except Music and Biological Sciences • No assessment changes planned • Unit run by team of 3 academics and 3 Learning and Teaching Coordinators Interviews/Training/Tutorials/Email support/Assessment • Blackboard site being constructed for support • Current effort Increase placements within partner schools Recruit new partner schools • 15 mathematicians (7 females, 8 males) • 1 chemist (1 female) • 6 physicists (6 males) • 8 computer scientists (8 males) • 15 oceanographers (10 females, 5 males) • 9 musicians (9 females) • 5 modern linguists (5 females) • 10 biological scientists (9 females, 1 male) • 8 environmental sciences (7 females, 1 male)

20. Performance on unit • Year 1: 10 3 0 0 • Year 2: 14 6 1 0 • Year 3: 20 16 1 1 I IIi IIii III

21. Student questionnaires Yr1 Yr2 Yr3 4.8 4.1 4.4 Skills development 4.7 4.2 4.4 Overall rating of unit 4.2 3.9 3.8 School placement experience 4.2 3.6 3.7 Training session relevance 4.1 4.1 4.0 Training session quality 4.0 4.2 4.0 Unit coordinator 3.8 3.7 3.4 University support on placement 3.6 3.8 3.9 Satisfaction with assessment

22. Issues • Academic approval by School boards • Teacher assessment not moderated • Standard format vs Project format • Resource • Course secretary • Confusion in schools over various mentoring-type schemes • Student workload • Underperforming students • Students with disabilities • Convenor not a “champion” of scheme • Spreading the scheme internally/externally • Initial University grant for WP • UAS initial grant • Credit bearing • Paid (UG and PG) • Volunteering • Work harder: Yes; • Interfere with other studies: No

23. University of Southampton acknowledgement of UAS • Honorary Degree awarded to scheme originator Simon Singh July 2005 • Vice Chancellor’s Award presented to • scheme coordinator • Ray d’Inverno • September 2005

24. Conclusions • Flexible scheme • Produces PGCE applicants • Develops employability skills • Develops personal confidence • Highly valued by students