Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds : Resources for Australian higher

1. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Effective teaching and support of students from low socio-economic status backgroundsOutcomes from the national projectProfessor Sally Kift – JCUProfessor Karen Nelson – QUTLiz Smith - CSU

3. Overview • Project background • Rationale • Conceptual framework • Project Approach and method • Themes from the data • Advice for institutional leaders • Advice for teachers • Project resources

4. Background • ALTC Strategic Priority funded project • Deakin, QUT and CSU • Conducted over 18 months starting early 2011 and launched nationally in September 2012

5. Rationale for project • National policy goals in Australian Higher Ed • Meeting the particular needs of LSES students • Need to use existing and new knowledge appropriately • Moral responsibility of universities

6. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Conceptions of low socio-economic students in Higher Education

7. Conceptual framework Project aim a distinctive conceptual framework suitable for the Australian context that acknowledges the diversity of students from LSES backgrounds Looked to • Literature • Student and staff interviews • Practice across the sector

8. The first deficit conception:Students are the problem • Cultural capital - proficiency in and familiarity with dominant cultural codes and practices (Aschaffenburg & Mass 1997) • Understanding/mastering the student role Implicit expectations and tacit understandings that permeate the university study experience (Collier & Morgan 2008) • Socio – cultural capability Appropriately seeking help and information, seeking and offering feedback and expressing disagreement. Help seeking in not always culturally valued or seen as appropriate (Lawrence 2005) • Resilience, self efficacy and motivation

9. The second deficit conception:Institutions are the problem • Rather than requiring the students to ‘fit’, institutional culture should be adapted (Zepke & Leach, 2005) • Non traditional students – frustrated participants in an unresponsive institutional context (Bowles 2001) • Institutions creating and perpetuating inequalities (Tett 2004) • Unfair to expect the burden of change to fall solely on the students and institutions should make changes (Bamber &Tett, 2001) • Universities should make changes in terms of heralding the expectations of students (James, Krause and Jenkins, 2010)

10. The sociocultural conception:Incongruence must be bridged • Rejecting deficit conceptions that either: • Students are ‘the problem’ and/or • Institutions are ‘the problem’ • Neither is in deficit, they are simply incongruent, at least initially. • Socio-cultural incongruence adopted as away to conceptualise the differences in cultural and social capital between students from LSES backgrounds and the high SES institutions in which they study • Proposes facilitation of student success as a ‘joint venture’ toward bridging socio-cultural incongruity.

11. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Project Approach & Method

12. Approach and Method • Success-focused approach • Data gathering • Literature review (2000-2011) • Structured interviews with 89 successful students from Low SES backgrounds (3 universities) • Structured interviews with 26 staff (6 universities) • An environmental scan of effective practice in teaching and supporting LSES students • Total of 17 Universities representative of the sector (Vic, QLD, WA, Tas, NSW & SA); ATN, Go8, RUN; dual and single sector.

13. Analysis and Deliverables Conceptual Framework: Socio-cultural incongruity Literature Analysis 5 Principles Data analysis framework Student Interview Data Characteristics of an empathetic institutional context Guidelines for teachers Key advice for institutional leaders Repository of effective practice Staff Interview Data Examples of good practice Environmental Scan

14. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Themes from the data ...Do these resonate in your context?

15. An empathic institutional context • Values and respects all students • Encompasses and institution wide approach that is comprehensive, integrated and coordinated through the curriculum • Incorporates inclusive learning environments and strategies • Empowers students by making the implicit explicit, and • Focuses on student learning outcomes and success

16. Values and respects all students Student and staff data themes The philosophical approach is that we shouldn’t isolate LSES students It’s just good practice ... All students are at different levels of learning & understanding Always teach students with the assumption that they can excel

17. An institutional approach that is comprehensive integrated and coordinated through the curriculum Student and staff data themes I have three jobs and I still cannot manage Our student cohorts are changing... and that means we need to adjust our assessment, our communications, and how we design curriculum, so that the students can see a clear, common sense, path for their studies

18. Incorporates inclusive learning environments & strategies Student and staff data themes Make sure [the curriculum] ... actually comes from where the students are from, so it is flexible enough that they can bring in their world but then it challenges them to go beyond that Staff ... relate their experiences which is really good because you have something to go from ... And it really helps me [relate the content] to a real world context

19. Empowers students by making the implicit explicit Student and staff data themes Every student has [to have] the capacity to look at the task and if they understand it... they can advance to the next task just clear instructions of what is expected in an assessment item. It can be daunting to sit down and write your first five thousand word assignment... Questions are answered and everyone can see all responses, that’s critical in demystifying what's being asked of us

20. Focuses on student learning outcomes & success Student and staff data themes We know the reason that there is a positive learning impact on people who get scholarships is not just because we give them money ... But that being selected to get a scholarship has a positive psychological impact in that it makes them feel special wanted, connected and motivated...

21. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Advice for Institutional Leaders ...

22. 5 Pieces of Key Advice for Institutional Leaders • Enable inclusive curriculum and assessment design • Promote engagement with and support from others • Encourage ‘help-seeking’ by students • Actively minimise financial challenges for students • Resource and support teachers of LSES students

23. 1. Inclusive curriculum & assessment design Curriculum and assessment design should: • acknowledge and cater for cohort diversity • Integrate opportunities for students to learn tertiary literacies alongside discipline content • maintain & protect high academic standards I love any [subjects] to do with science. I love them... they're very challenging, don't get me wrong, it's not that they're easy, but that's part of their attraction - they're not easy [STU]

24. 1.Inclusive curriculum & assessment designSuggested Strategies • Provide cohort data to curricula designers. • Support and facilitate inclusive curriculum design in course development and review policies and processes. • Curricula co-produced through academic and professional staff partnerships (e.g. careers, library and language and learning advisers). • Staff development / capacity building opportunities. • Informal peer review to assist staff with inclusive curriculum practices.

25. 2. Promote engagement with, and support from, others ... Foster a sense of belonging for LSES students: • opportunities for collaborative learning • purposeful peer-to-peer interactions inside and outside the curriculum • opportunities for families and communities to engage with the institution I probably did better on the subjects where I had lots more social interaction with people doing the same subject [STU].

26. 2. Promote engagement with, and support from, others ...Suggested Strategies • Promote and enable collaborative learning for all students both within curr & as extra-curr options. • Student-to-student mentoring and peer-led programs. • Spaces & places for LSES students to meet & work together. • Initiatives to enable students’ families & communities to connect with the institution. • Design & facilitate online forums where students can share experiences and seek advice and support.

27. 3. Encourage ‘help-seeking’ behaviours Encourage staff to use early feedback & referral: • extend and enhance provision of and promote student services • normalise ‘help-seeking’ • infrastructure and resources to allow the monitoring and management of student engagement ...they don’t want to be seen to be needy [COLO] …[using] the support service indicates to them that they’re not succeeding at university [COL]

28. 3. Encourage ‘help-seeking’ behavioursSuggested Strategies • Systematise proactive management of at-risk students including follow-up resources. • Provide information & professional development opportunities to assist staff to assist students. • Assessment policy and practice re formative assessment, particularly in students’ first year. • Consider (extending) opening hours of student services. • Offer online services for students who cannot, or choose not, to come on campus. • Normalise use of support services for all students.

29. 4. Actively minimise financial challenges Promote financial services and support such as scholarships: • facilitate access to government payment options • minimise student costs through providing loans, hire services, free car parking, resource loans ... • recognise the impost of placements our observation is that a significant number of students are cut out of the learning experience because they can't afford an internet connection, let alone a broadband connection and they can't afford or do not have access a computer at home [COL]

30. 4. Actively minimise financial challengesSuggested Strategies • Provide & promote a suite of financial services & support for students that include short & long term loans, scholarships & advice on accessing government funding. • Implement an institution-wide loan scheme for commonly required equipment (eg, textbooks, computers, laboratory & other specialised clothing). • Where feasible provide free or subsidised goods & services. …there is an attrition impact [on]…people who get scholarships.. not just because we give them money and they buy things with the money …[and] are less stressed …, but … that being chosen to get the money has a psychological impact in that it makes them feel special, wanted, connected and motivated [COL]

31. 5. Resource & support teachers of students from LSES backgrounds Provide high support and resourcing for teachers of LSES students: • take into account the challenges of inclusive teaching and of providing detailed help, feedback, referral and support; • reward and recognise teaching appropriately In career terms, is there a bit bigger pay off from reviewing the paper that you just wrote and having it accepted, rather than looking after a couple of students who are having difficulties? [COL]

32. 5. Resource & support teachers of students from LSES backgrounds: Suggested Strategies • Workload recognition for high quality teaching & support of high numbers and/or proportions of LSES students. • Align reward and recognition systems to acknowledge valuable contributions of staff. • Support staff teaching LSES students: eg, by employing academic or professional staff to address student queries; to manage & coordinate sessional staff.

33. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Advice for Teaching Staff ...

34. 6 Pieces of Practical Advice for Teaching Staff • Know and respect your students • Offer your students flexibility, variety and choice • Make expectations clear, using accessible language • Scaffold your students’ learning • Be available and approachable to guide student learning • Practice reflectively

35. 1. Know and respect your students LSES students are time poor, get to know your students, communicate with them, embrace and integrate their experiences. You’ve got to try and understand the learner ... In the context of the knowledge you are trying to teach (COL-016) You could answer a question completely wrong but she will not belittle you... That’s empowering ... She will listen (STU-084) Our LSES student tend to do better they are ... motivated and capable students (COL-014)

36. 1. Know and respect your studentsSuggested Strategies • Learn and use students names! • Ask for and use student cohort demographics to understand and raise awareness in teaching teams of the characteristics of the cohort. • Review your oral and written communication – is it inclusive? • Include student contributions and presence (voice |ideas |opinions |views) in curricula and classes

37. 2. Offer your students flexibility, variety and choice While upholding academic standards, offer students flexibility, choice in assessment and variety in teaching and learning strategies. ... 25% of our students (mostly FIF and LSES) graduated with distinction last year [COL-023] …the interactive lectures where they ask questions…[and] they might have quizzes throughout the lecture, that’s helpful [STU_010]. …assessment …relies too much on the formal written word ... in this changing world, we need to bring in more variety in modes of assessment [COL_012]. ...

38. 2. Flexibility, variety and choice... Suggested Strategies • Harnessing technology and a learning and teaching tool – blended learning |on-line ‘lectures‘| recordings| resources | immediate response tools • Range of teaching strategies to engage e.g. • Resources: video, photos, images, people • Pedagogies: experiential learning, peer learning • ‘Flipped’ curriculum: from known to unknown • Variety in modes |types of assessment • Clarity about expectations in terms of due dates & clear processes for reasonable requests for extensions

39. 3. Make expectations clear, using accessible language Speak and write in plain language to ensure students understand the concepts being taught, the expectations of them and what is required to be a successful student. ... It’s good to know what [staff] want in assessments [STU-057] ... Everyone can see all of the responses, is critical in demystifying what is being asked of us [STU-057] ... You lay the guidelines out [COL-001] ... Students need to understand the rubic [COL-012]

40. 3. Clear expectations, accessible language - Suggested Strategies • Self review - record a lecture / class and review your use of language for the use of jargon, acronyms, complex vocabulary, specific terminology, overly long sentences, the absence of clear explanations... • Peer or 360 review - a colleague or small group of volunteer students to listen to you teach and give you feedback about your use of language and your clarity • Use labelled illustrations, stories, anecdotes & examples to help explain concepts ...

41. 4. Scaffold your students’ learning A planned and structured approach to ensure students build on what they bring to higher education and are taught the particular discourses necessary to succeed. ...I try and structure [the information] so that every student has the capacity to look at the task and if they understand it ... To move onto the next [COL-013] ...what we need to do is to teach students chunking [COL-001] ... When I started I had a good lecturer who taught you how ... It was information that you don’t know you need to know [STU-095] ...[that] was invaluable [STU-046]

42. 4. Scaffold learning - Suggested Strategies • Provide early and constructive feedback through formative assessment. • Use immediate response technology to understand what students know and adjust teaching strategies and content ‘on the fly’ • Chunk information into set of 5 +/- 2 (cognitive load) • Work with professional educators: e.g. Academic Skills, Educational designers, librarians • Facilitate peer learning in and out of the classroom

43. 5. Be available and approachable to guide student learning ... so that students may make use of your expertise and guidance to improve their learning and performance. ...it doesn’t matter how many fancy electronic devices you’ve got, it you haven’t got time for [students] you’ve got problems [COL-011] ... Support from the lecturers or the tutors helped me succeed [STU-074]

44. 5. Available and approachable Suggested Strategies • Make physical and virtual ‘office hours’ clear & be present • Review style and content of oral and written communication for clues • Adopt time-efficient methods of feedback/forward • Generalized written summaries, prepared feedback tools • Via LMS / voice / video, Small group (tutorials) etc

45. 6. Practice reflectively Reflect and seek and act on your own reflections, those from peers and informal feedback from students, to continuously improve your teaching practice and your student’s learning. ... I stepped back [COL-003]; I asked how can I do this better [COL-015]; I’ve really had to soul- search [COL-009]; we check for understanding [COL-025]

46. 6. Be a reflective practitioner suggested strategies • Take 10 mins to reflect on each class – what went well – what could be improved • Write yourself post-it notes as you go ... • Know your strengths and weaknesses • When designing ask – how will my students know / understand what I am asking them to learn or do?

47. Effective teaching and support for students from low socioeconomic status backgrounds: Resources for Australian higher education. www.lowses.edu.au Summary ...

48. 6 Pieces of Practical Advice for Teachers • Know and respect your students • Offer your students flexibility, variety and choice • Make expectations clear, using accessible language • Scaffold your students’ learning • Be available and approachable to guide student learning • Practice reflectively

49. 5 Pieces of Key Advice for Leaders • Enable inclusive curriculum and assessment design • Promote engagement with and support from others • Encourage ‘help-seeking’ by students • Actively minimise financial challenges for students • Resource and support teachers of LSES students

50. …so students will experience … …my lecturers, my tutors, everybody is geared to help you. They’re not here to see you fail. In saying that, when you do falter, they’ll be there to lift you up. I think that one of the main factors…is the institution…is great. It’s been so positive...the staff, the lecturers are really supportive…if you have a problem you can ring up and someone answers you, it’s all very professional and it’s a really good service, so you really feel you’re valued and part of it.