“The Journey Not the Destination: Support Based on the ‘Student Lifecycle’ Approach”

Jo GoodshipResearch Fellow () and

Judith Martin Senior Developer & Learning Support Tutor ()

Foundation Direct

Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

University of Portsmouth

Cambridge Road

Portsmouth

PO1 2ST

Conference Theme: The Student Lifecycle

Background

Foundation degrees(Fds) were set up in 2001/02, as two-year,intermediate work-related qualifications, designed in conjunction with employers to meet skills shortages in the workforce. Offered by higher education institutions (HEIs) in partnership with further education colleges (FECs), Fdsofferflexible study methods making them accessible to those in employment, those without jobs, and/or those seeking a change in their career. There are no set entry requirements, and appropriate commercial and industrial experience can sometimes be of more relevance than formal educational qualifications. On successful completion, Fd graduates have the opportunity to progress to a full honours degree or to further professional qualifications.A recent report by HEFCE(2008/16:02) revealed that nearly 72,000 students were registeredon Fdsin 2007/08 at both HEIs and FECs. Over 40,000 entrants were reported for 2007/08 compared to 34,000 in 2006/07 and, even with zero entrant growth, it is expected that student numbers will rise to about 97,000 before 2010 as current cohorts move through their programmes.

Despite these statistics, the government became concerned that its targetof 100,000Fd students by 2010 (HEFCE,Circular 05/2008) would not be met without significant progress in terms of increasing employer engagement (Moseley & Hill, 2005).A growing emphasis on prioritizing ‘economic drivers’ within HEwas no more evident than in the influential‘Leitch Review’ (2006). This reporthighlighted the many challenges facing the HE sector as it sought to develop provision, in partnership with employers, for increasing numbers of young people as well as older people already in the workplace. . Also in 2006,Foundation Degree Forward (funded by HEFCE) adopted as a priority“a strategy for growth through employer-led provision (that) will ensure that the HE sector is fulfilling that vital part of its mission that delivers the skills that the labour market needs.” (HEFCE, 2006).While there had been some growth in recent years in part-time provision linked to workforce development, HEFCE considers more is required and has been progressing its ‘employer engagement strategy’ of which the development of Fds is seen as an essential component.

Given this concerted policy ‘push’, it is not surprising that academic effort and literature has placed the focus onmeeting employers’ needs and increasing employer engagement in Fd provision. Lyons and Young (2008) argue, however, that learning in HE is not just about employer needs and that work-based learners, such as the majority of Fd students,“ …have their own demands, that learner engagement is the sine qua non in addressing the post-Leitch agenda, and that these learners are the immediate drivers of the curriculum, with their own motives and learning support needs.”(HEA 2008: 86).

Until recentlythere has been little systematic research on Fds (across a range of provision and employment sectors),but national statistics show that in comparison with more ‘traditional’ undergraduates - namely school leavers with GCE ‘A’ levels - Fd entrants tend to come from a broader range of backgroundsand enter higher educationvia alternative routes (HEFCE, 2008:6). Furthermore, two recent national studies commissioned by Foundation Degree Forwardon the impact of Fds, one of which was undertaken by Foundation Direct, revealed that in terms of the Fd student population in England:

  • nearly two thirds are aged 21 years or over when they enrol;
  • over half are female (and this group have an even more ‘mature’ age profile than their male counterparts);
  • slightly more students study full-time than part-time (although slightly more females than males study part-time)
  • higher proportions of female than male students dominate in certain subject areas (eg community andsocial studies, education) reflecting the predominance of women in the occupations these courses are designed to serve;
  • over three quarters of the Fdstudents surveyed were in some form of paid employment;
  • over half of students found their studies as demanding as they had expected, BUT 42% had found them more demanding (particularly female students and students studying subjects that had ‘technical’ and/or ‘scientific’ elements to the course)

(CHERI/LSN, 2008; Foundation Direct, 2008:4).

Thestudyundertaken by Foundation Direct also explored students’ motivations for taking a Fdand their on-course experiences, providing further evidence to show that most non-traditional entrants to HE have to make considerable sacrifices and juggle the demands of their paid work and domestic commitments in order to study at this level - this requires significant motivation and support (Ozga and Sukhnandan, 1998, and Tett 2000). For example, Dodgson and Whitham (2004) found that 36% of the female Fd students in their sample had contemplated withdrawingdue to the pressure of working, studying and being responsible for a family, as well as returning to education after a long absence. Consequently, listening to and supporting these ‘adult learners’ – in the ways that they find most effective - is essential if they are to complete their courses. However, while the specific support needs of non-traditional and mature students have been addressed by some HEIs, many institutions have not yet recognised the importance of doing so. Failure to support students on their learning journeys will simply mean that Fds will fall short in terms of delivering to employers’ needs and contributing to the achievement of the Government’s prevailing policy objectives for higher education.

Thisis the philosophy and reality that underpins the research, development work and support services provided to Fd students at The University of Portsmouth through Foundation Direct .

Foundation Direct

Foundation Direct is a HEFCE funded Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) within the University of Portsmouth. Since 2005, it has built on the University’s recognised good practices in supporting work-based learners and has broughtthese practices together in a holistic way with the aim of providing:

  • a blend of campus-based and e-learning support to meetFd students’ needs;
  • study skills guidance for on-campus and distance learners;
  • career management skills tailored to Fd students’ needs;
  • PDP units that structure support through the student lifecycle with pre-entry activity, on-entry assessment, progress reporting, professional skills development, and career and progression planning;
  • a single point of reference for employers, FE colleges and professional bodies engaged with Fds;
  • a centre for research into Fds and dissemination of good practice.

Many of the ways in which research has underpinned the development of the support services and materials provided by Foundation Direct – including a PDU for Fd students on various courses, and a Mentor Direct website and resources for workplace mentors - is described in the Centre’s InterimSelf-Evaluation Report: 1 March 2005 to 28 February 2007to HEFCE (2007) (available at In this paper, however, we outline an example of specific support services thathave recently been introduced as a direct result of research and student feedback on what helps them ‘keep going on with their learning’.

Case Study - Pre-Entry Provision ‘Pathways’

There has been relatively little research into the impact of pre-entry interventions for young people entering HE, but even less so in respect of more mature adults (Gorard, Smith, May, Thomas, Adnett and Slack, 2006: 35). There is more evidence, however, that the transition to HE is frequently perceived as a fraught process, especially by non-traditional students. Entrants from vocational routes who performed less well in HE compared to those with A-level qualifications, were found to take more time to learn ‘the rules of the game’ (Hatt and Baxter, 2003:18). Their previous educational experience had lacked a focus on developing skills that prepared them for the methods of assessment involved in HE programmes. In contrast, those who had studied on access courses and franchise students had found their courses had better prepared them for entry to specific degree programmes. Furthermore, Loots et al (1998) found that work-based learning courses were often successful in recruiting a number of ‘new learners’, but the high rate of withdrawal indicated that such courses did not (or could not) mitigate successfully against all the barriers to learning.Laing & Robinson (2001:178) reported that the policy of widening participation in the UK had created a situation in which “a higher proportion of entering students do not have recent experience of continuous and intensive study”. This has led to a situation in which many non-traditional entrants, including those on Fds, are enrolling on HE courses without the academic and technical skills expected of traditional entrants. As a result, Parnham (2001:58) argues that institutions need to be “recognising students’ personal circumstances, responding to individual needs, providing both individual and group support for learners”.

Foundation Direct has responded to this ‘need’ through its Pathways project. Pathways was conceived as a pre-entry course, but subsequently developed into a complete pre-entry support provision running from acceptance onto aFd course, to the end of the induction period. The project was not only initiated in response to a growing body of evidence in relation to the support needs of non-traditional students, but also in response tocomments from first year Fdstudents who felt that they would have benefited from an opportunity to develop their skills before starting their course at the University;comments from teaching staff who felt that many of their Fd entrants had rather weak academic, IT and study skills; and, observations from the Foundation Direct learning support team who noted that many Fd students were having to develop their skills at the same time as getting to grips with university life, subject related study and balancing their new commitments with their existing ones - all of which increased levels of stress and anxiety.

Pathways provides a blended approach to preparing for university with taster workshops to give participants a feel for university life, to make them aware of the support that will be available to them, and to help build their confidence. These workshops are accompanied by an online presence giving support in all aspects of preparation for university, including: study, academic and IT skills; familiarisation with university life; a taste of the online learning experience; and, technical support for those who need to buy and learn to use a computer in order to participate in university study. Participants can use as much or as little as they like/need of the materials and attendance at university based events is not compulsory, thus Pathways is flexible and designed to meet the needs of the individual user.Pathways differs from the main University pre-entry provision in that it is designed for mature students who have been away from study for some time and to facilitate skill development in preparation for HE study. A Pathways tutor team is available to students to discuss their skills development, to be supported in navigating the website, or to help with any other concerns that they may have in their pre-entry period.

The pilot of the Pathways project began in May 2008 with a taster day of workshops and activities, followed up with taster evenings. Participants were given a tour of the website and others were sent instructions on its use by post and e-mail from May to July 2008.Feedback was sought on perceptions of the usefulness of the taster events, materials and the website as part of the initial evaluation of this new provision. Analysis of this data showed that the most popular period for prospective students to first visit the pre-entry site was from August to October – that is just before and just after enrolment, when students had commenced their courses. Analysis of the age profile of users showed that the most prolific users had a mature profile - that is participants aged 36 to 55 years visited the site more frequently than their younger counterparts. The main concerns expressed by those surveyed and providing feedback were related to time management, closely followed by issues around academic writing. The website materials that were most widely used were those relating to academic and study skills. Participants in the evaluation reported that they liked the website because they could work at their own pace and address the issues that concerned them. They also felt that the taster events had been valuable because they had enjoyed meeting other students and, for the older participants,their fears about being the only ‘oldie’ on their course had been allayed. The majority of participants indicated they would recommend Pathways to new students.This initial evaluationwill be followed up with a number of interviews and student focus groups, to assess the extent to which students feel they benefited from participation in the Pathways programme and to inform the further development and improvement of the support materials. The Foundation Direct team will also track the progress of a number of students who have used the pre-entry support materials in order to determine whether Pathways has an impact on retention and achievement on Fd courses. The findings will be made available on the main Foundation Direct website in due course.

Rather than wait until this follow-up research was completed, however, the positive feedback on the pilot has prompted the University to offer Pathways to all of itsFd students and other work-based learning courses with immediate effect. A special version of the website has been constructed for distance learning students where the information on studying at university has been replaced with information that will help them to prepare for and get the best out of online learning. From September 2009 the Pathways team will be working alongside the University’s Access course team in providing study skills teaching and support for this group of pre-entry students.

Concluding Comments

The support services and materials provided by Foundation Direct – such as Pathways -are tailored specifically to the needs of Fd students, work-based learners and other ‘non-traditional’ students andhave been developed using research evidence on ‘what works’ and what students themselves want andfeel ‘keeps them going’. The CETL’s work represents a considerable investment by both HEFCE and the University of Portsmouth – but one that is worthwhile if the support provided helps Fd students to cope with internal and external pressures, overcome barriers, and complete their learning journeys successfully. It is only with such support that the policy objectives of Government - in particular that HE plays a key role in addressing skills shortages in the workforce, specifically at the higher technician and associate professional levels – will be achieved.

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