ADSHE WEST REGIONAL GROUP MEETING

MINUTES

Date:Tuesday 18th June 2013

Time:1.30pm –4.30pm

Venue:University of Worcester (UW), St John’s Campus, Henwick Grove WR2 6AJ

Room:BY G199

Present:

Karen Bateson (UW)

Karen Browne (Freelance)

Julian Brown (UW)

Michele Chieffo (UW)

Chris Collier (Contact Associates)

Michele Lefevre (UW)

Sarah Nichols (UW)

Amy Rainbow (UW)

Louise Smith (UW)

Diana Stuttard (UW)

Frances Summerfield (UW)

  1. Apologies

Apologies were received from the following people:

Tim Burgin (UW)

James Burkes (UW)

Clare Bancroft (Freelance)

Natalie Canning (UW)

John Conway (RAG)

Jan Hunt (UW)

Phillipa Pearce (Freelance)

Nuala Robinson (UW)

Annie Willis (BU)

  1. ADSHE Quality Assurance: Led by Sarah Nichols (UW)

Qualifications

LS askedSN what qualifications are accepted by the ADSHE Quality Assurance Scheme as the guide on the website appears vague.

  • Open University/OCR/Dyslexia Action/British Dyslexia Association.
  • If you do not hold qualifications apply anyway as those with lots of experience are currently being accepted.
  • If you do not currently hold qualifications, now is a good time to train.

Attendees’ personal experiences of training were discussed.

  • Dyslexia Action courses were described as expensive, but very good.
  • The OU E801 level 7 course was seen as more theoretical with opportunities to draw on past experience of teaching.
  • OCR Level 5 course only has 18 hours supervised teaching.

Dyslexia Tutor Audit Form

SN highlighted that this form is a valuable way to identify any gaps in CPD. She suggested it would be beneficial for us to take detailed look at the form and that we would need to keep records of allactivities that can be recorded as CPD.

  1. Do I make effective use of the information provided in the students’ diagnostic assessment and needs assessment reports in my teaching/approach to the students in my sessions?

This question raises other questions:

  • How useful is the diagnostic assessment?
  • How do we include information from this in our teaching?
  • Do tutors have access to the diagnostic assessment report?

Attendee experience suggested that tutors did not always have access to a diagnostic report.

LS described the process she currently used when she had access to a report:

Read through it

Highlight important points eg. colour of overlay or extreme phonological processing scores

Create front sheet for records to refer to during support

  1. Do I help students take their cognitive profile/learning preferences into account? How successfully do I help the students work towards becoming independent learners and use enabling strategies? How do I help students’ use essay feedback to develop strategies?

KBr described the process she uses to establish students’cognitive/learning profile:

Look at diagnostic assessment with student to get an initial idea of learning profile from thiseg. visual strength

Administer learning style questionnaire – VAK as considers this easily accessible.

  • SN talked about an article by Ginny Stacey on the ADSHE website re:learning preferences. [See:
  • SN highlighted that there are lots of ways to access learning styles/preferences and that is does not matter which is used.
  • SN pointed out that any examination of learning preferences leads to metacognition.
  • KBr emphasised the importance of encouraging students to try different ways of learning as they may have become stuck in a particular way of doing things.
  • FS reminded everyone that it is not possible to learn in just one way so access to a range of strategies is very important. She cited learning to read as a key example of this.
  • CC commented that Contact Associates had incorporated technology training into CPD for their tutors because he had noticed a gap between the technology students are provided with and study skills tuition they received.

  1. Do I take sufficient account of the ADSHE 7 principles into my work with students?
  • The seven principles are: Metacognition, Multi-sensory, Relevance, Motivation, Over-learning, Little and Often and Modelling.
  • Metacognition
  • SN suggested that Metacognitionwas arguably the most important – leads to independent learning – once you have grasped idea of how you learn as an individual you can take it away and use it anywhere.
  • Modelling
  • Modelling helps students see what is expected of them in their assignment outputs.
  • Discussed if there were examples of first class work that could be used with students:
  • Learn higher site – example of essay [See: - called ‘Essay - What is the point of Referencing’].
  • ML cited Peter Barry as a useful source.
  • LS asks some of her students if she can use examples of their work with other students.
  • It was suggested that academic staff could be asked to provide exemplar models.
  • Motivation
  • The difference in motivation between individuals was noted.
  • Importance of learners taking ownership of their learning was highlighted.
  • KB mentioned attribution theory and its link to motivation – linking cause to internal problem – like cognition – hinders motivation, while linking it to something external – like lack of knowledge of study skills - can help increase motivation.
  1. How do I manage students’ expectations of support to ensure they do not expect course-related support?
  • UW have a list that defines parameters of support to use with students.
  • Contact Associates have a rights and responsibilities document.
  1. How do I distinguish between proof-reading work for students and teaching editing skills?

Discussed proofreading techniques:

Print on different coloured background

Adjust margins/alter layout

Put it away for 2 days – 1 week

Read from end

Use blank piece of paper to cover all text except sentence you need to check

Separate it into stages

  • Print two copies.
  • Highlight all references:
  • Get visual pattern.
  • This helps identify areas with too few references.
  • Check all in text referencing:
  • Check against guidance.
  • Check reference list.
  • Go to computer and use find and replace:
  • Check against conventions eg. APA first citation in full/all rest et al.
  • Check citations in reference list.
  • Check page numbers.

Use different colour for citations when typing the essay to help checking.

Students can get other people to proof-read if necessary.

  1. Do I integrate Assistive Technology into my work successfully?
  • SN suggested we should all be able to use technology that is recommended to students.
  • SN reported that some students do not use their technology.
  • MC suggested making the visual interface for technology as simple as possible by reducing symbols etc. on toolbars to encourage use as mentioned at ADSHE conference this year.
  • Technology can be modelled to students.
  • At contact associates tutors who attend training sessions are given copy of programme to use themselves.
  1. Am I sufficiently aware of boundaries in my work? How do I manage non-academic factors such as social and emotional issues? What guidance do I provide for students who require more support and is appropriate from a dyslexia support session?
  • Discussed availability of mental health service at UW.
  • As a freelancer KBr would refer the student back to student services.
  • CC stated that at Contact Associates additional support might be formally requested.

Recording CPD activity

  • SN highlighted the importance of recording CPD activity – any reading we do, thinking, exploration of issues etc. should be recorded.
  • Looked at an example CPD log for Patoss application.
  • ADSHE require minimum 10 hours CPD per year over 3 year period.

Peer Supervision

ADSHE view Peer supervision as ‘a way of using reflective practice and shared experiences as part of continuing professional development (CPD).’ [See: ]

  • UW use a buddy system where tutors meet for half an hourweekly to discuss/reflect on issues that have come up in practice.
  • KBrhighlighted that the ADSHE regional group meetings are a type of group supervision.
  • Contact Associates provide the opportunity for tutors to meet and discuss issues – attendance is not compulsory as they are not paid for their time.
  • LS confirmed this was the same at Clear Links.

3. QTS test: Led by Julian Brown and Michele Chieffo

Key changes to teaching application process now mean that students training to be teachers have to take QTS tests before they start their teaching training.

The process of applying for accommodations for students who still need to take their QTS test was discussed.

Students cannot get accommodations at all centres; they are sent to specific places eg. Gloucester.

This means students may have further to travel to take the tests.

FS described the information that she has had to compile to get accommodations in place including information from the assessment report.

There can be a delay in test availability at busy periods, so booking early is prudent.

The implications of the change to taking the tests before university application was discussed.

  • How would students access accommodations via Schools and FE as the assessment process can be less rigorous?
  • Would schools and FE providers currently have the knowledge to help students access the advice, information and support they need?
  • Do HE institutions need to provide support to Schools and FE institutions to raise awareness?
  • JB agreed to talk to Education Department at UW to discuss this further.

4. Student Learner Agreements: Led by Karen Browne

A range of examples of learner agreements used by different institutions was gathered for the session including an agreement template for ADSHE. The documents were discussed during the session.

  • All documents included an aspect of an ILP (Individual Learning Plan).
  • Some focus on detailed understanding of the contract (UW).
  • Some institutions do not currently have a student agreement document (RAG/University of Bristol).
  • Contact Associates have three documents:
  • Individual Learning Plan.
  • Rights and Responsibilities Agreement:
  • What tutors can/cannot do.
  • What students are expected to do.
  • Study Skills/Mentoring Timesheet:
  • Record of how many hours delivered.
  • UW have one, longer document:
  • Clear record of student details.
  • Lots of information.
  • UoG have two documents: an ILP and a timesheet:
  • ILP includes what tutors/cannot do.
  • ILP signed each semester.
  • SFE does not require the student to sign anything other than the record of sessions delivered.
  • SFE do not require the student to sign for each session eg. Nottingham Trent University/UW email signatures.

The group also discussed the following:

  • Current practices for recording session notes.
  • Session cancellation terms.
  • Flexible session delivery.

5. Agenda next meeting

The agenda for the next meeting was agreed as follows:

  1. Assistive Technology – Part 1 [Led by Chris Collier]
  2. ReadingStrategies [Led by Karen Bateson/Diane Stuttard]
  3. Assistive Technology – Park 2 [Led by Chris Collier]

Note:To prepare for this meeting you will need to:

bring a laptop to the session

identify a reading strategy that you use with your students for the group todiscuss

6. Date/Venue/Organiser for next meeting

The date of the next meeting will be:

Thursday 30th January 2014

The meeting will take place at Contact Associates in Bristol.

A network lunch will start at 12.30pm – please bring your own lunch.

The meeting will start at 1.30pm.