The Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme at Southampton

The Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme at Southampton Professor Ray d’Inverno School of Mathematics University of Southampton... Plan of Presentation Transferable Skills  Four stage appro

The Undergraduate Ambassador

Scheme at Southampton

Professor Ray d’Inverno School of Mathematics University of Southampton

Plan of Presentation

 Transferable Skills

 Four stage approach

 Assessment and feedback

Transferable Skills

• Communication skills

• Understanding the needs of individuals

• Interpersonal skills

• Staff responsibilities and conduct

• The ability to improvise

• Giving and taking feedback

Four stage approach

Other activities

• Revision classes

• Lunch clubs

• After school clubs

• Talks on university life

• University visit days

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

Selection in First Year

 21 students applied for selection in semester 1

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

• 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)

Five partner schools

[Placements]

(WP) [4]

[3]

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

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

Teacher questionnaires

5.0 Helpful intro to teaching

4.8 Student preparation for placement4.7 Working relationships with students4.0 Benefit to school

3.8 Demands made on school

5/0 Continuation with scheme

Student questionnaires

4.8 Skills development4.7 Overall rating of unit4.2 School placement experience4.2 Training session relevance

4.1 Training session quality4.0 Unit coordinator

3.8 University support on placement3.6 Satisfaction with assessment

• National/Regional UAS conferences

• Regional meeting of ILT

• 2 internal seminars

• National UAS website

www.maths.soton.ac.uk/staff/d’Inverno/UAS

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

Third year 2004/5

 Scheme extended to include

Computer Science, Oceanography, Music and Modern Languages

• 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

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)

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

 Academic approval by School boards

 Teacher assessment not moderated

 Standard format vs Project format

 Students with disabilities

 Convenor not a “champion” of scheme

 Spreading the scheme internally/externally

• Credit bearing

• Paid (UG and PG)

• Volunteering

• Initial University grant for WP

• UAS initial grant

• Work harder: Yes;

• Interfere with other studies: No

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

 Highly valued by

students