Sam Broadhead, John Gamble, Zuzanna Marekova and Sarah Binless

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Working together to improve FE to HE progression
for Access students

• Sam Broadhead, John Gamble, Zuzanna Marekova and
  Sarah Binless
• Research, scholarship and pedagogy Working with
  students to develop undergraduate research in Art
  Design

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• Sam Broadhead Access to HE (part-time) course
  Leader
• John Gamble Second year Access student
• Zuzana Marekova First year Surface Pattern and
  printed Textiles undergraduate student
• Sarah Binless First year Interdisciplinary Art
  and Design undergraduate student

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Who are Access students ?

• Mature students with Access backgrounds tend to
  be in a different stage in their life and it
  could be argued that they are untypical to
  students who have studied A levels and the pre BA
  Foundation course, (Penketh and Goddard, 2008,
  p316).
• Although most Access students are as mature, the
  statistics based on 2011 National cohorts of
  Access provision across all subject areas show
  that 47 students are under 25 (QAA, 2012, p7).
• It is not useful to make assumptions about the
  class, gender, race or age of these students, as
  non-traditional, mature students are not a
  homogenous group (Osborne et al, 2004, p295).

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The research funded by LSIS over 3 years

• Phase one
• How well are Access students prepared for HE?
• 18 ex-Access students were participants and HE
  course leader
• Students reported they were not always confident
• Students from specialist areas like photography
  felt they had not been prepared well
• HE course leader reported some students needed to
  think more critically

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• Phase 2
• Access staff and HE staff worked collaboratively
  to improve progression from Access to HE
• Various shadowing activities between Access and
  HE staff and students were documented and
  evaluated
• Focus on the studio critique was basis of
  observations and discussions between Access and
  HE staff
• Practices were modified and carried out in the
  studio

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• Phase 3 (currently being undertaken)
• Develop a wider community of researchers
  interested in improving transition experience of
  FE students into HE
• Focus on identifying new design skills needed by
  undergraduate students
• Working with Pre BA Foundation staff, HE staff
  and Progression manager

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Theoretical framework Joint Practice Development
(JPD), (Fielding et al, 2005).

• Rather than passing or cascading practices to
  colleagues a more sustainable process would be to
  develop relationships and trust between groups of
  professionals where ideas can be explored
  together over time, (Fielding et al, 2005).
• Other aspects that need consideration are
  teacher and institutional identity in practice
  transfer learner engagement and an
  understanding of the time needed to successfully
  engage with JPD, (Fielding et al, 2005).

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• JPD could be seen as a move towards the ideal of
  democratic-professionalism which proposes
  co-operation between teachers and other partners
  in education as an alternative way forward to the
  market model of education, (Coffield and
  Williamson, 2011, p72).

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Changing practises in the Access studio based JDP

• Introduce cross-year studio critiques
• Four or five first and second year learners who
  would manage the process rather than the
  teachers.
• Everyone would present one piece of art, craft or
  design work to be discussed.
• One group member would be responsible for asking
  questions,
• Another would make notes about the conversations
  that took place.
• In their groups they would critique each others
  work using modified Socratic questions as a
  prompt.
• After the process the two year groups met up
  again to feed back to the teachers.

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Socratic questioning for the studio critique

• Seek clarification
• Can you explain why you have made this work?
• Probe reasons
• Why do you think it works?
• How can it be improved?
• Explore alternative views
• Is there another way you could have responded to
  the brief?
• Test implications and consequences
• Do you agree with what people have said about
  your work?

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Students engaged in critical evaluation of work
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Impact from point of view from Tutors

• The findings have provided additional ideas for
  improving critiques as formative assessment.
• Access students felt validated in choice of
  course and in their own readiness to progress
• More contact between FE and HE courses
• Increased motivation and engagement with
  professional development

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Impact from the students point of view,
over to John, Zuzana and Sarah
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Johns Drawing work
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Zuzana s Access work
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First project on degree
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Zuzanas degree work
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Sarah Binless
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Sarahs degree work
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Bibliography

• Broadhead, S (2012) Using action-research
  evidence to change art studio critiques Inside
  Evidence bulletin issue 13 Summer 2012 pp29-30
  found at http//repository.excellencegateway.org.u
  k/fedora/objects/eg2216/datastreams/DOC/content
• Broadhead, S and Garland S (2012)The Art of
  Surviving and Thriving How Well are Access
  Students Prepared for their Degrees in Art and
  Design? Networks, Issue 17 April 2012,
  University of Brighton found at
  http//arts.brighton.ac.uk/projects/networks/issue
  -17-april-2012
• Coffield, F and Williamson, B (2011) From Exam
  Factories to Communities of Discovery The
  democratic route
• Coffield, F (2006) Just suppose teaching and
  learning became the first priority London,
  Learning and Skills Network
• Fielding, M. et al (2005) Factors Influencing the
  Transfer of Good Practice, Nottingham, DfES
  Publications.
• Leeds College of Art, (2010) Further Education
  Student Achievements and Career Routes 2009-2010
• Osborne, et al. (2004) Becoming a Mature
  Student How Adult Applicants Weigh the
  Advantages and Disadvantages of Higher Education
  in Higher Education , Vol. 48, No. 3 (Oct.,
  2004), pp. 291-315
• Penketh, C., and Goddard, G.,(2008) Students in
  transition mature women students moving from
  Foundation Degree to Honours level 6 in Research
  in Post-Compulsory Education Vol. 13, Iss. 3,
  2008
• QAA, (2012) Access to Higher Education Joint
  agency statistical report, June 2012 Gloucester,
  The Quality Assurance Agency for Higher
  Education