ESCALATE SMALL DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROJECT Developing professionally relevant research and study skills for mature students as preparation and induction for higher education.

ESCALATE SMALL DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROJECTDeveloping professionally relevant research and study skills for mature students as preparation and induction for higher education.. Predominantly

ESCALATE SMALL DEVELOPMENT GRANT PROJECT

Developing professionally relevant research and study skills for mature students as preparation and induction for higher education.

Final Report March 2006

Jean Bigger Swindon & Marlborough NHS Trust

STRUCTURE OF REPORT

Introduction/ Aim & Objectives 4

Approach to the research 5

SUMMARY OF RESEARCH

This project aims to compare, refine and disseminate practice of developingstudy skills within three institutions The students on these programmes aregenerally mature students, mostly studying part-time alongside theiremployment All are engaged with study skills although through differentmodes of delivery A number of stages for this project have been identifiedwhich have provided a basis for the discussion and research between theinstitutions Predominantly the stages range from identifying the specificissues relating to mature students, assessing the impact of skills studentshave developed and exploring modes of delivery, a framework has beenposited for developing study skills

The findings from this project suggest that study skills are important andcontribute to student success, that the skills need to be continually developedand that a balance of mechanical, personal and academic skills are united

This project aims to compare, refine and disseminate practice of developingstudy skills within three institutions This provision of study skills is associatedwith preparation for, and induction to, HE work-related courses The Swindonand Marlborough NHS Trust course takes place as preparation for HE in a

programme called Study Skills for Higher Education This is an eighteen week

course with free standing units that can be delivered separately This has runfor six years, initially under the aegis of Swindon FE College At the University

of Plymouth, study skills are not taught within a single module but areembedded across all of the modules within their Foundation Degree (TeachingAssistants) At the University of Worcester, study skills are facilitated through

a module on the Foundation Degree in Learning Support (Level 4 HE),entitled ‘FDLS 1001 – An Introduction to Study Skills’ A module at Level 6 (or

H, HE) on the B.A in Education (Honours) In-Service progression route,develops study skills further

The courses identified consist of students involved in a range of vocationalareas, covering learning support, early years, police training and health careprofessionals The students on these programmes are generally mature,mostly studying part-time alongside their employment, for whom HE study can

be a daunting prospect even though they are experienced and effectiveprofessionals These programmes aim to dispel such fears, empower andenthuse the mature student towards further study, in turn encouraging them tomake rapid and successful progress The skills involved include report andessay writing, communication and presentations, library and informationsearches, referencing, reflective practice, and action research

Aims and objectives

Aim

•To explore and develop study and research skills for mature students

Objectives

• Clarify the nature and needs of the students;

• Explore literature relating to the promotion of good practice;

• Assess the impact of study skills on students both professionally andacademically;

• Explore different models of facilitating study skills;

• Identify a study skills curriculum with progression

APPROACH TO THE RESEARCH

This final report has been the conclusion of over a year of continueddiscussion between members of the three institutions in analysing differentmodes of study skills delivery and content It must be noted thatfundamentally this report has been the culmination of the experience andviews of the individuals working within the project team and is not necessarilyrepresentative of how study skills are delivered across each individualinstitution Although the discussions are centred around developing skills withmature students on vocationally-based programmes, issues that are raised inthis report should hopefully benefit anyone involved with the facilitation ofstudy skills The following stages represent the development process that thediscussions and research have centred

Stage 1 – Reviewing relevant literature on study skills

A brief review of key texts and academic literature In order to identify commonstrands within study skills

Stage 2 – Identifying the nature and needs of the student

Student identity can contribute to the success or failure of their studies.Understanding the nature of matures students entering higher education onprofessional courses may help reduce such failure

Stage 3 – Overview of courses within the three institutions

Demonstration of the different ways that study skills are delivered at threedifferent institutions

Stage 4 – Assessing the impact of study skills with students

Are study skills worth developing? Do they contribute to student success?What do students think of study skills in terms of their value and theimportance of developing different skills?

Stage 5 – Exploration of the advantages/disadvantages of different modes of delivery

As a result of the discussions between the institutions and through studentfeedback, is there a common consensus on how study skills should bedelivered?

Stage 6 – Identification of a study skills framework for progression

Can a model of how skills are delivered be formulated as a result of thediscussion and research? Which skills ought to be introduced initially?

Stage 7 – Dissemination

How can the results from this project be disseminated for practical purposes?

STAGE 1 – REVIEWING RELEVANT LITERATURE ON STUDY SKILLS

Development of effective study would appear to be a crucial element of anyhigher education course, especially as the widening participation agenda isaimed at attracting students from perhaps standard non-academic entryroutes, yet from professional settings Gettinger and Seibert (2002, p 350)

note that the effective development of study skills, ‘contribute to success in both non-academic (e.g employment) and academic settings’

It cannot be assumed that students are automatically equipped with thenecessary skills to meet with success in higher education As Weidel (1996, p

247) highlights, ‘many students need help learning how to study’ which is further refined by Gettinger and Seibert (2002, p 356) who suggest that, ‘lack

of organisation is common among students with poor study skills’.

However what actually defines ‘study skills’? Which specific skills contribute toeffective study? Can these skills actually be taught or does the studentdevelop them over their own time? As such, a number of general study skillsbooks for students are available at this level: listed are some examplesalthough this is not an exhaustive list, indeed further specific books couldhave been listed which discuss aspects of research, critical reasoning, essaywriting, etc although the examples below are representative of a singlevolume to benefit new students:

Cottrell, S (2003) The Study Skills Handbook, London: Palgrave MacMillan

Northledge, A (2005) The Good Study Guide, Milton Keynes: Open University

(1995) suggest different skills, those of acquiring, recording, organising,synthesising, remembering and using information In summary, although thereappears to be little consensus between authors, main aspects within the

literature explored appear to indicate the following as skills for effective studywhich tend to support the areas preciously cited from the student-basedbooks:

•Intrapersonal skills - time management, planning, goal setting, organisation

•Acquiring information through reading, note-taking

•Making links through organisation, analysis, and synthesis

•Writing in an analytical and reflective style

•Revising/examination technique

•Research skills

One aspect which is not addressed in sufficient detail are the developmentand use of ICT skills ICT is increasingly important to students, especiallymature students who are studying with limited contact or from a distance.Each academic subject has their own collection of databases, etc thus ageneric book cannot allocate sufficient information on this particular aspect.Although a number of books exist on study skills for students, are studentsactually aware of the importance of developing these skills? Surely thedidactic role of teacher/student means a more experienced other will sharetheir worldly knowledge of effective study skills with the passive recipient?Thus, if students who may be returning to study after a period of absence arenot aware of the differences and nature of learning in higher education, canthey be expected to take responsibility for their own learning? (Even studentswho have endured the education system recently are perhaps not equippedfor the gentle step – or leap – into higher education.)

Pre-higher education study, students are expected to engage with Key Skills,similarly certain undergraduate courses (i.e Foundation Degrees) utilise KeySkills, perhaps as part of a wider professional development planning portfolio.Although several government-funded research projects have investigated thenecessary skills to equip learners through exploring the training anddevelopment of Key Skills (DfEE, 2000; Drew, Shaw & Mowthorpe, 2000;Gillespie & Wilmut, 2004), fewer have focussed on actual pedagogy or thenotion of intentional learning (Open University, 2002; Fretts, 2003; Cranmer &Kersh, 2004) Indeed, recent research findings indicate that students andtutors do not rate the development of these skills as a high priority compared(MacKay, 2005) Consequently, whose responsibility is it to ensure thatstudents are suitably equipped to engage with successful study?

Study skills are not an area most tutors enter academia to teach specifically,thus there is little in terms of preparation or content on which to draw apartfrom their existing habits and rifling through books aimed for students Anumber of institutions may have support services that offer training anddevelopment with study skills, such as career’s guidance, equal opportunities,

or a developed personal tutor scheme Indeed all institutions are now required

to ensure that courses have an element of personal development planningembedded Yet are students aware of the nature and level of support, orindeed the usefulness of seeking such guidance? Ultimately it would appearthat joint responsibility needs to account for the development of such skills,however these skills need to be contextualised by relating them to the

individual student’s area of study A useful publication by Stella Cottrelldemonstrates how such skills may be embedded within a course opposed tostudy skills being reduced to a sheet of hints and tips:

Cottrell, S (2001) Teaching Study Skills and Supporting Learning, London:

Palgrave MacMillan

This book not only provides a theoretical basis for structuring study skills butprovides detailed session plans for implementing skills with students Eachsection considers aspects which impact on learning and the student andultimately is written for HE tutors involved in teaching Having implementedsome of the sessions, they have worked extremely well, are logical andsequential in terms of delivery, and allow progression for students Thesessions are low on terms of preparation but high in student involvement

In conclusion, the importance of developing study skills are summarised byGettinger and Seiber (2002, p 361) in that,

‘Good study skills minimise failure and enable students to take advantage of learning opportunities To be effective learners, students must (a) have a wide array of study strategies at their disposal, and (b) know where, when, and how to use these strategies’

Consequently, study skills are deemed as an important factor contributing toacademic success however there appears to be a lack of consensus on whatskills ought to be developed or how they should be taught

STAGE 2 – IDENTIFYING THE NATURE AND NEEDS OF THE STUDENT Student Identity

The nature of higher education is one of continual change: across anycampus nowadays, the ‘traditional’ late-teen/early-twenty-something student isbeing matched by students who may be returning to study after a period ofabsence When considering the term ‘mature student’, pictures of seriousacademic discussions across a cappuccino with greying students may spring

to mind Perhaps the term ‘mature student’ is a slight misnomer Indeed, theterm ‘mature’ related to students could be applied to any student who hassurvived into the final year of their degree – across the Atlantic, such studentsare called ‘seniors’ Thus using the term ‘mature’ to a student who has beenaway from study for an extended period (how long is extended!?) would seem

to imply that they are equipped to meet the demands of higher education.However, this may be far from the truth

All three contributors within this report work with ‘mature’ students,predominantly female The diversity of students range in both age andacademic entry level This is an important aspect of widening participationwithin each institution These students come with specific needs, which thisproject sought to illuminate

Within both University of Plymouth and University of Worcester, theFoundation Degrees in education predominantly attract learning supportworkers in the role as teaching assistants (TAs) from the primary phasealthough secondary TAs as well as students from post-16 and social servicesare also on the programme Students range in age and practice however allstudents are required to be in practice with a minimum of two yearsexperience The majority of students are ‘mature’ (as defined by being post-25), women, and who may have missed formal opportunities to study afterleaving compulsory education Such students thus tend to be anxious abouttheir academic ability and lack confidence in their skills, especially in terms ofICT The combination of study, work based experience and managing theirfamily commitments is a key component of the typical mature student

The role of a TA /learning support worker is generally held by women Thishas been partly due to the care role formally associated with woman but alsodue to the career opportunities and pay structure that this sector attracts.Students attracted to the foundation degrees listed in this project have adesire to study which is driven by a need to improve their practice andprofessional status This drive could be from work-based requirements, such

as the impact of HLTA and work force reform or personal developmentdesires

The B.A.Ed (Hons.) however attracts a more equal gender balance Withinthis programme, students may come from a variety of professionalbackgrounds, for example, police and NHS trainers, further education tutors,teachers with a Certificate of Education Thus the male-to-female ratio is morebalanced, however they still tend to have the same academic background andcompeting demands

The Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust run a course aimed at practitionerswho may want to pursue a degree qualification Again the majority ofparticipants are representative of those on the aforementioned FoundationDegrees.

However the question remains as to why there is an increase of such ‘mature’students within our coffee shops? With workforce reform affecting botheducation and health, there are increasingly varied demands placed uponpractitioners alongside possible financial gain (for example the recentlyimplemented Higher Level Teaching Assistant status) This need to developmarketable skills to meet the demands of such reform culminates usually in

an approval indicator, for example, a certificate or paper qualification Suchqualifications thus act as a buffer to potential litigation Subsequently thenature of the ‘mature’ student on these courses may be summarised as:

•Generally post-25

•Have few ‘formal’ qualifications beyond GCSE/O Level/CSE

•Enrolled on vocationally-based programmes

•Generally female (at pre-HE and FD)

•Working in a professional capacity, most often, full-time

•Balancing work, family and study commitments

•A need to upskill/upgrade due to the changing workforce

•Lack of confidence

Having established the nature of the ‘mature’ student, further aspects of thecourses and how they relate to the students need to be considered Due tothe limited contact students have (they may be at their place of study for awhole afternoon or an evening, occasional Saturdays, or studying throughopen/distant or blended-learning), two categories have been identified whichinfluence their success (as identified by Lyall and McNamara, 2000) The firstcategory identifies factors centred around the independent nature of suchlearners (Figure 1), the second category identifies factors which affect thestudy environment (Figure 2)

In conclusion, ‘mature’ students embarking on higher education courses tendnot only to be highly motivated but their studies are compounded by theindependence as a result of studying part-time and perhaps at a distance,combined with establishing a conducive study environment Appreciating theconflicting nature and needs of these students, an orientation to facilitateeffective study would appear as a necessity to ensure such students are notdaunted by their first few weeks on such courses, where issues of identifyingeffective learning space can be addressed while limiting the isolation of suchindependent work

Figure 1 – Phenomena associated with the independence category (Lyall and McNamara, 2000, p 110)

Figure 2 – Phenomena associated with the study environment category (Lyall and McNamara, 2000, p 114)

Lack of support

Choice

STAGE 3 – OVERVIEW OF THE COURSES AT DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS

The nature of the student profile and the way in which modules were designed

to facilitate study skills in the three institutions are outlined in this section Themodels of practice differ between institutions in terms of length of module andwhether study skills are covered in a discrete way or embedded across acourse

Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust

Study Skills for Higher Education

The course is designed for NHS staff - post registration nurses, auxiliarynurses, theatre support workers, and other health care professionals whowish to prepare for HE study or refresh their study skills This course isawarded at level 2/3 or 4 FE level The course is validated by The OpenCollege Network

The course content consists of: organising and managing study; learningtheory and personal learning styles; understanding how the memory works;working in collaboration with others; developing academic skills and reflecting

on personal progress in written, oral and research skills; developing andrefining critical and analytical thinking Specific research skills are developedthrough using

• learning resource centres and software,

• reading,

• note - taking and summarising,

• referencing,

• essay and report writing,

• and oral communication skills

The assessment for the course consists of a short essay, a taking/summarising activity from a journal and a lecture, a reflective diary, awork-based report (based on research methods, analysis of findings,recommendations for change), and a presentation based on this report

note-The course has changed over six years responding to changes within HEcourses, ICT developments, the needs and abilities of a diverse range ofstudents, and the demands of Agenda for Change in the NHS where furtherstudy is now professionally mandatory There has been constant contact with

HE admission tutors There is a greater focus on research methods andbenchmarking good practice, the assessment focussing more on theproduction of a report opposed to a learning log to reflect the ‘Agenda forChange’ in that all senior post holders will need the skill of report writing.Report Writing is also delivered to senior managers as a self-standing unit

Currently the course runs for two-and-a-half hours over eighteen weeks withadditional tutorials

University of Plymouth: Foundation Degree (Teaching Assistants)

The course is designed for professionals working in a learning supportcapacity within the school environment The main student body consists ofsome 650 teaching assistants from the primary, secondary and special schoolsectors

The student profile is wide ranging, both in age and levels of qualifications atentry; there are no pre-requisite criteria for students joining the course, otherthan working in schools as teaching assistants

It is recognised by all tutors (across a wide geographical region whichincludes six local authorities) that students will bring to the course a verydiverse level of academic skills, and this was recognised by the establishment

of a compulsory Study Skills module at level 4 However, a recent structuring of the FdA course now means that, rather than being taught as adiscrete module, the teaching of study skills is embedded across all modules

re-All tutors are given formal guidance (including non- UoP staff) on the range ofopportunities available to support to students in all aspects of their studies,which include organising formal tutorial/ seminar sessions, e-mail tutorials andassignment ‘pre-reads’, and advice- generic and specific- on the development

of study skills As the assessment mode on almost all modules is currentlythrough the submission of assignments, emphasis is given to supportingstudents in this process Each tutor will explain in detail the assessmentcriteria for their particular modules and lead discussions on assignmentwriting However, a range of opportunities for enhancing other areasassociated with the nurturing and development of study skills, such as givingpresentations, leading seminar discussions and taking part in onlinediscussion groups are explored throughout the course

The university has been developing, in collaboration with BournemouthUniversity an extensive online support framework for students, and includessubject areas such as: starting out in higher education, getting organised,learning from lectures and seminars, and planning and writing essays Thisopen access resource can be viewed at:

www.plymouth.ac.uk/gateway_to_study

Students on the FdA are also encouraged to access the Student Supportsection of the course’s own online TA Community website This gives specificadvice which is deemed applicable to these students’ particular contexts Itincludes advice on areas such as writing assignments, methods of datacollection, drawing up an ethical protocol, and Harvard referencing A series ofguides to using the university’s essential library, including the very extensiverange of e-journals, and MLE tools is available in a format designed for ourstudents There are also a number of short online lectures and supporting(optional) activities for students to undertake which support some of the keyareas of study skills development This can be viewed at:

www.universityofplymouthtacommunity.org/studentsupport

In response to students’ requests to view previous assignments, an ‘onlinejournal’ has been established and consists of students assignments which areconsidered to be strong examples in their particular subject area (and which

are also reviewed by the education faculty’s research reader An abstract isprovided by the writer, and a summary of the marker’s feedback is alsoincluded to substantiate the selection of each particular essay This is can beviewed at:

http://www2.plymouth.ac.uk/taonlinejournal

All the online resources are ‘open access’ and easily available to all, reflecting

a fundamental principal held by the FdA team at Plymouth

In September, 2004, the FdA team’s book for TAs, A Toolkit for the Effective

TA was published, and whilst not directly supporting study skills, it is aimed at

encouraging teaching assistants to develop their skills of reflection, evaluation and critical thinking A series of practical activities are containedwithin the text, as are sources of reference which TAs and indeed students willfind useful in their roles

self-Future developments

It is now proposed to re-integrate some of the formal activities from theoriginal study skills module into the first two modules (role andResponsibilities and ICT) in order that very specific skills can be covered, inresponse to tutors’ and external examiners’ observations These include:being able to access and use the library’s extensive collection of e-journals,reviewing literature (including the use of Harvard referencing), evaluatingweb-based resources for the quality of information, and analysing student’sown learning styles within the context of how they approach assignment-writing

New technology, funded by the Teacher Training Agency, and based on the

‘GoodMood’ web information platform, will provide opportunities for givingadvice and support for students using a streamed video facility However,more exciting is the possibility that this facility offers for live video-linkedtutorials and seminars between students and staff- particularly valuable whengiven the geographical spread of these students

It is envisaged that the mode of assessment will move away from being onlyassignment-based, with examples of practice being able to be directlymarked The team are also considering the possibilities of developingstudents’ own roles in the assessment process, with, for example, the use of atriadic system, encouraging students to perhaps develop other key skills

University of Worcester

Foundation Degree in Learning Support

The course is designed for professionals working in a learning supportcapacity The main student body consists of primary teaching assistants,although there are secondary teaching assistants and social welfare staff alsoincluded The module is awarded at level 4 HE and is validated as amandatory module for the FDLS by the University

The module content consists of a series of unassessed and assessed skills.The unassessed skills consist of: learning styles, effective learning strategies,time management, working with others, inter-library requests, electronic

journals, online databases, effective use of literature, getting the most fromlectures and planning an assignment The assessed skills consist of: a skillsaudit, reading for meaning, critiquing articles, evaluating web pages,developing an argument, structuring writing, presentation skills, referencingand a personal action plan.

At UoW, the module incorporates a CD Rom for all students across thepartner colleges Although taught sessions may differ owing to the tutors andthe emphasis they place on specific skills (depending on the needs of theirstudents), the CD Rom is a definitive reference point The module and content

of the CD Rom are also available on a Managed Learning Environment(WebCT) The module has progressed over the last three years from beingtaught directly, to developing more autonomy within the student Similarlythere has been greater engagement with the use of learning technology Thishas been developed in response to the requests of students and the increase

of partner colleges, where consideration of distance learning and wideningparticipation has been of importance The module lasts for two hours over aten week period with additional tutorials

Key Skills are monitored throughout the duration of the FDLS Students trackthe development of their skills and submit a completed portfolio at the end oftheir degree Although the nature of Key Skills has changed over the duration

of the history of the FDLS (from being directly assessed separately to beingembedded more within modules) Key Skills are an important part of thelearning process which enable students to reflect on their learning

B.A Education (Honours) In-Service (BAEd)

This course is designed for professionals working in any area of education.The main student body consists predominantly of teaching assistantsprogressing from Foundation Degrees, although there are a number ofstudents who have completed Certificates in Education/Further Education, forexample, FE tutors, NHS trainers and police trainers The majority of thesestudents have entered the BAEd through Accreditation of Prior Learning(Certificated and to a lesser extent, experiential) As such, to ensure studentshave the required skills for final level study, the Research Skills module ismandatory The module is awarded at level 6 HE

The module content consists of: effective literature searching, librarycatalogues (local and national), online databases, electronic journals,advanced internet searching and critiquing These skills are accessed at ahigher level than in the Foundation Degree The assessment consists offinding a number of relevant sources to underpin a small research project forthe partner module (BAED 3003), and also writing a number of critiques.The module has progressed over the last three years from being taughtdirectly to developing more autonomy within the student Similarly there hasbeen greater engagement with the use of learning technology