Access to HE conference Thursday 25 May 2006

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Access to HE conferenceThursday 25 May 2006
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Introduction and welcomeDr Stephen
JacksonDirector ReviewsQAA
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The Access to HE Diploma the new qualification
and credit specificationsHarvey WoolfHead of
Academic Standards, University of Wolverhampton
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Differentiation of learner achievement on the
Access to HE Diploma

• QAA Access to Higher Education Conference
• 25 May 2006
• Marie Stowell, Chair ARIA

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Achievement and Recognition of Individual
Achievement (ARIA)

• QAA recommendation a national system of grading
  for the access award should be developed for use
  on all QAArecognised Access certificates,
  through which different levels of individual
  final achievement can be readily and reliably
  identified
• DfES request explore a range of options for
  differentiating learner achievement

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Arguments for grading

• Recognition of student effort and achievement
• Progression to selecting HE institutions/courses
• Transparency and equity in HE admissions policies
  and procedures
• Credibility of Access qualification
• Need for reliable method for describing
  differential achievement

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Key working principles

• System of grading must be based on principles of
  fairness and equity, reliability and validity,
  simplicity and practicability, and must be fit
  for purpose
• Grading should not compromise credit-based nature
  of the Access qualification
• Grading must take account of the flexibility and
  diversity of Access to HE programmes

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Models for grading

• Grade profile
• Module/subject grades
• Unit aggregation to whole qualification grade
• Portfolio assessment for whole qualification
  grade
• Selective claim for higher level grading
• External assessment for Diploma grading

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1 Grade Profile - Unit grading

• Single grade calculated for each (eligible) unit
  using common assessment criteria
• Unit grades achieved detailed on transcript
• No overall grade provided
• Full unit information stated on UCAS form
• HE offers made in terms of eg specified
  proportion of units to be achieved at/above
  certain level and/or specific grades for
  individual units

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2 Module/subject grades

• Grades calculated for clusters of units in each
  of main curriculum/subject areas taken by student
• Common requirements regarding clustering of
  (eligible) units
• Subject grades provided as supplement to Access
  Diploma
• HE offers made in terms of specific grades for
  each subject/module

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3 Whole Diploma grade - Unit aggregation

• Single grade based on aggregation of (eligible)
  unit grades calculated at end of programme
• Method of aggregation could be determined at
  local level and approved by AVA
• Single grade representing overall performance
  detailed on Diploma
• HE offers in terms of overall achievement in
  Diploma

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Whole Diploma grade - Portfolio assessment

• Single grade awarded on basis of holistic
  overview of (eligible/selected) students
  assessed work (portfolio)
• Grade determined against broad generic national
  grading criteria for pass and grades above this
• Grade stated on Diploma
• HE offers made in terms of overall achievement in
  Diploma

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5 Whole Diploma grade - selective claim

• Students wishing to claim achievement above
  threshold pass, submit portfolio and/or complete
  synoptic assessment to support claim
• Single grade awarded on basis of evidence against
  generic common criteria
• Student has choice over whether to be assessed
  for higher grade
• Grade stated on Diploma and HE offers in terms of
  requirement for pass or higher grade

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6 Whole Diploma grade - external assessment

• Single grade awarded on basis of common end of
  course, externally set, test
• Grade on Diploma indicates performance in final
  external assessment, which could be subject-based
  or psychometric/aptitude based
• HE offers as for other whole qualification
  grading methods

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Key considerations

• What should be graded all/some units or
  modules/subjects or the whole qualification?
• What student work should inform grading
  decisions all summative assessments or latest
  and best, or additional (externally set) synoptic
  assessment?
• How should assessment criteria be formulated and
  by whom generic criteria set nationally, or
  specific criteria set locally?
• What information on differential achievement
  should be provided for purposes of HE admissions
  unit grade profile, or aggregated subject grades,
  or overall Diploma grade, or combination?

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Differentiation of learner achievement issues
for providers

• Providers may be managing two major changes
  move to credit framework and grading
• Local differences in Access programmes are a key
  strength but could be an obstacle to
  standardising or aggregating grades
• Developmental nature of Access programmes
  presents issues for what will count in grading
• Nature of Access learners many want further
  recognition of achievement but what about late
  bloomers or the less confident disincentive?
• For Access tutors predicting grades will be no
  easier because of timing and some models may mean
  a very different approach to teaching

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An HEI Perspective

• Background
• Over 60,000 applicants for 5,000 places
• Devolved admissions processes
• Actively pursuing fair and holistic admissions
• Challenge of achieving parity for all applicants
• to demonstrate their potential and
  preparedness
• to be considered with equal rigour and
  expertise
• to have learning and teaching matched to their
  abilities, aspirations and expectations
• Solution should
• Fit with administrative procedures
• Provide timely, sufficient but not spurious
  information
• Foster realistic learning and assessment
  skills and expectations

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Grading in post-16 qualifications

• Some lessons for Access to HE programmes

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Grading

• can be educationally useful
• using well-written grade descriptors
• internalising the standards of quality
• assessing own and others work
• does not have to be norm-referenced
• does not have to be exam-based
• can become instrumental and compliant

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Standards

• need time for teachers, moderators, examiners and
  students to internalise
• a process of socialisation
• national standards are something of a holy
  grail but systems for moderation are crucial
• need to avoid bureaucratic compliance and promote
  learning

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Access to HE conferenceThursday 25 May 2006
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Pathways to Higher Education Access courses

• HEFCE Issues paper 2006/16
• Enquiries or comments to
• m.gittoes_at_hefce.ac.uk

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Key Statistics - 2006

• Kath Dentith
• Assistant Director (Access)
• Quality Assurance Agency for HE

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Key Statistics main areas for consideration

• trends in Access to HE provision
• trends in student numbers
• student profile
• student achievement
• student progression

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Trends 200005 Access to HE providers

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Trends 200005 Access to HE providers
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Trends 200005 Access to HE programmes
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Trends 200005 Access to HE programmes
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Access to HE programmes running
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Access to HE student numbers 2000-05
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Trends 2000-05 students mode of study
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Access to HE student profile age

• In 2004-05, 53 all Access to HE students (over
  23,000)
• were under 30. (60 of male students 51 of
  female students)

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Access to HE student profile - sex

• men women
• 00-01 27 73
• 01-02 26 74
• 02-03 27 73
• 03-04 26 74
• 04-05 25 75

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Access to HE student profile ethnicity (2004-05)

• LSC/ELWa ( excl not known)
• White 72
• Black/Black British 16
• Asian/Asian British 5
• Chinese 1
• Mixed/ any other 6
• Not known 1,210
• In AVA data, 9 not known. Most AVAs record under
  10 unknown
• BUT 10 AVAs lt 5
• 8 AVAs 6-15
• 4 AVAs 16-20
• 2 AVAs 33

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Access to HE student profile disability and
learning difficulty (2004-05)

• Disability/ies 3
• Learning difficulty/ies 3
• Disability and learning difficulty/ies 1
• No disability or learning difficulty 66
• No information provided 28

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Access to HE student outcomes (all students)
2004-05
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6
18
1
62
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Access to HE completion and achievement 2004-05
Achievement of completers
Completion of those intending to complete
6
18
24
76
76
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Access to HE certificates awarded and withdrawals
2000-05
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Access to HE the progression story (2000-05)
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AVA certification rates ( Access to HE
certificates awarded to those registered and
expected to complete within the same year)
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