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Pre-entry Widening Participation programmes at the University of Glasgow: a study of success and impact on progression a

Pre-entry Widening Participation programmes at the University of Glasgow: a study of success and impact on progression and retention. Neil Croll, Alison Browitt & Kelly Hedge-Holmes WP team, Recruitment and International Office. Outline. What is a Widening Participation student?

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Pre-entry Widening Participation programmes at the University of Glasgow: a study of success and impact on progression a

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  1. Pre-entry Widening Participation programmes at the University of Glasgow: a study of success and impact on progression and retention. Neil Croll, Alison Browitt & Kelly Hedge-Holmes WP team, Recruitment and International Office

  2. Outline • What is a Widening Participation student? • Engaging with WP students • - Pre-entry programmes • - Admissions • Effectiveness of programmes in widening participation • Effectiveness of programmes in aiding student retention • Contribution to graduate attributes

  3. What is Widening Participation? • Who do we regard as WP students? • ‘non-traditional’ students • Examples of WP criteria • SIMD postcodes • First in family • Time spent in care • Schools with low progression to HE • In receipt of EMA • Adult learners

  4. UoG WP Programmes • Schools • REACH Scotland • Access to Primary Education • Top-Up Programme • Summer School • Adult learners • DACE Access Courses* • Scottish Wider Access Programme • *See LTDF project by Dr Joanna Ferrie: Attrition, Retention and Access: An Examination of the University of Glasgow's Access Programme for non-traditional students and factors that enhance retention • Available at: http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/learningteaching/awardsandfunds/ltdf%20presentations%202005/2009-10/

  5. Top-Up Programme • since 1999, initially as part of GOALS • 1,200 S5 and S6 school pupils per annum • 40 schools • 65 postgraduate tutors • 11 school sessions • 2 campus sessions • online contact: moodle; • Student Network • essential skills for HE • independent learner • Student Profile used towards admissions

  6. Summer School • First in Scotland, running for 25 years • 9 week programme of first year UG work • 200-250 students per annum • Study up to 3 academic subjects • Study skills element • Taught by academic staff/ GTAs • Authentic university experience • Induction to student life • Student Profile used towards • admission • Now embedded within Admissions system

  7. Engaging with WP students in schools • Engage with schools by HE progression rate • =<22% - Top-Up Programme; Summer School, APE; REACH Scotland • =<27% - Summer School; APE; REACH Scotland • =<32% - APE; REACH Scotland • Admissions: use Student Profiles as contextual data • UoG use of contextual data for WP admissions highlighted as model for sector (SFC)

  8. Students in 0-40% SIMD postcodes *Scottish Funding Council, Learning for All: Fifth update report on measure of success March 2011 Available at: http://www.sfc.ac.uk/web/FILES/Our_Priorities_Access/Learning_for_All_2011.pdf

  9. Top-Up students progressing to UoG

  10. Summer School Students Progressing to UoG

  11. Impact of WP programmes - 1 • Retention and progression of first year undergraduates who completed the Top-Up programme - compared to students from the same schools who didn’t do Top-Up, and students from non-GOALS comparator schools 1 Walker, L, Matthew, B and Black, F, 2004. 'Widening access and student non-completion: an inevitable link? Evaluating the effects of the Top-Up Programme on student completion', International Journal of Lifelong Education, 23: 1, 43 — 59 2 Croll, N. & Copsey, D., presented at Forum for Access & Continuing Education conference, 2005, University College Cork, Ireland

  12. Impact of WP programmes - 2 • Retention and Progression of first year undergraduates who attended Summer School – continuation of studies at the University after Year 1 compared to students from GOALS schools who didn’t do Top-Up, and students from non-GOALS comparator schools

  13. Impact of WP programmes - 3 • Retention and Progression of first year UGs who completed Top-Up or Summer School by Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation These preparation programmes appear even more effective when taking into account that the students in the comparator groups are generally less disadvantaged: 0-40% SIMD Top-Up = 52.5% 0-40% SIMD Summer School = 44.3% 0-40% SIMD GOALS no Top-Up = 42.0% 0-40% SIMD non-GOALS = 32.7%

  14. Graduate Attributes • Pupils • independent learning & critical thinking skills • essential study / revision / exam skills • confidence to get involved in extra-curricular and social aspects of student life: clubs, societies - important for developing broad graduate attributes • Tutors • employability skills: teaching / lecturing experience • progress to employment in education / WP fields • benefits to other GTA work • develop graduate attributes such as effective communication; experienced collaborators; adaptable; resourceful and responsible; reflective teachers

  15. What our students say • Feedback from pupils who participated in Top-Up: • ‘The seminar was the most useful aspect of the campus day s it allowed you to talk to others in a small and close group.  It provided a good and realistic experience of university seminars.’ • ‘I think it helped me most in making the transition from school to university much easier.’ • ‘It provided a confidence boost before going to university as we were able to talk about our worries and fears.’ • ‘Very enjoyable and vivid insight into higher education. Tutors are extremely helpful and friendly.’

  16. What our students say • Feedback from students who participated in Summer School: • One of the big things about Summer School was that we got to know where everything was and how to use the library, the computers, even the Stevie building • Hardly anyone from my school was coming to Glasgow so I got to know people from other places who would be starting with me in September. Making friends was worrying me but Summer School helped. • The tutors were so helpful. It surprised me. • University is so different from school. Just being here got me used to it and going to lectures, labs, helped me relax about coming.

  17. What our tutors say • Feedback from postgraduate Top-Up tutors: • ‘Top-Up is such a useful, enlightening and insightful programme for both pupils and tutors, the transfer of knowledge and experience is vast on both sides of the fence!’ • ‘Top Up is a good programme and very worthwhile especially for those who are first generation HE students.’ • ‘From my own personal experience, attendance at the my first ever tutorial was terrifying as I was completely unprepared. Getting an introduction to these aspects of HE are crucial, particularly for students that may not have experienced these activities in their school.’ • ‘The pupils feel equipped, knowledgeable and more confident as a result of knowing what to expect and already having experience of some aspects of university life. Meeting other students and being treated as an equal is a first taste of the freedom of university. Others may discover that perhaps they need a little more time before they are ready for the rigors of studying on their own/in the field they were hoping to go in to, and this can be helpful too.’

  18. What the teachers say • Feedback on the Top-Up Programme from school teachers: • ‘Tutors were excellent in motivating pupils - encouraging discussion - explaining what is expected of pupils.’ • ‘The campus sessions demystify university for our pupils and they realise that university is somewhere for them.’ • ‘Was excellent preparation for higher education. Bridge between spoon-fed approach and the approach of HEIs. The skills learned will be invaluable.’ • ‘Has certainly encouraged pupils to work and aim high. Real value will not be appreciated until pupils reach university.’ • ‘The programme helps pupils to focus on the requirements of H.E. and in some instances I am sure it has made the difference in pupils gaining entry to H.E.’

  19. Conclusions • Top-Up and Summer School: effective access routes for widening participation within the UoG • Aid continuation and retention of WP students (those usually deemed the most at risk) • Pre-entry preparation sets the scene for independent, critical learners, who can acquire higher level graduate attributes within HE • Tutors gain personally in terms of graduate attributes and employability skills – leads to future educational or WP employment for many

  20. Contacts • Questions? • The WP team would be happy to answer any further questions after the event. Please contact: • Neil Croll – Acting Head of Widening Participation Neil.Croll@glasgow.ac.uk • Alison Browitt – WP and Retention Researcher Alison.Browitt@glasgow.ac.uk • Kelly Hedge-Holmes – Acting Director of Top-Up Programme Kelly.Hedge-Holmes@glasgow.ac.uk • Scott Iguchi-Sherry – Reach Programme Co-ordinator Scott.Iguchi-Sherry@glasgow.ac.uk • David Hamilton – Director of Summer School David.Hamilton@glasgow.ac.uk

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