Transition process Foundation Degrees to Topup Degrees

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Transition process - Foundation Degrees to Top-up
Degrees

• Dr Dawn Scott Dr Bryony Tolhurst
• Biology Division
• School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Sciences

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Background

• What is a direct entry student?
• From non traditional routes
• Direct into level 2 or 3
• Where do they come from?
• HND/C, foundation degree, partner colleges, other
• DE intake at UoB covers a broad range of
  disciplines e.g.,
• BA Hons. Criminology and Sociology
• BENG Automotive Engine Design
• BSc. Hons. Podiatry

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Trends in numbers of DE students into the
biosciences/environmental sciences
Number of DE students on PABS/School of
Environment courses by year
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Trends in recruitment to Biology/Ecology courses
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Is there a problem?

• Student profile - tend to be mature
• Pt/Ft
• Personal Tutor Course Leaders support
• course leaders personal tutors have meetings
  with DE students on average 3-4 times more than a
  standard student.
• Welfare issues tend to be greater frequency
• BUT generally good performance

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In summary

• Potential input in student numbers to schools
• Good widening access as from non-traditional
  routes
• Tend to perform well/above average
• Good destination statistics and employability
• However Needy students that require a lot of
  time and support
• So what can we do to meet their needs?

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Aims of overall project

• To facilitate the integration of students coming
  into higher education from partner institutions
  by evaluating their experience and identifying
  their needs during this processes
• To develop a supporting process that facilitates
  the transition of students from foundation degree
  routes to UoB courses
• To develop a support pack for direct entry
  students
• To provide a template for similar initiatives for
  other courses and other departments at the
  University of Brighton

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Todays focus

• 1) Report on findings from questionnaire from
  target group
• 2) Identify themes in terms of support
• 3) Produce a schematic process timeframe of
  supporting needs

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Timeframe

• Application to Foundation degree
• During Foundation degree/pre application
• Application process to HE
• Pre-arrival at University
• Induction week
• Semester 1 integration
• Semester 2 development

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Methods

• 2 questionnaires distributed by e-mail to all
  direct entry students in the cohort 2007-8 on
  Biology Ecology and Biogeography
• 95 students from BHCC or Plumpton College
• BHCC Biology
• Plumpton - Countryside Management, Animal
  Science or Forestry
• Responses collated, reviewed and action points
  determined
• BUT only 8 respondees (all Plumpton students)

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Questions

• Review what do we, and the partner colleges,
  currently have in place?
• What is working, what needs improvement and what
  is lacking?
• Action points?

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Questionnaire 1

• A) Pre-Application information
• How did you find out about the course at Brighton
  University?
• Were you able to find enough information to help
  you make the decision easily?
• Were there any problems finding information? If
  so what were they?
• If not what else would have been useful and where
  should it be for you to be able to get easy
  access to?
• What primarily influenced your decision to take
  the course?
• What could we do to make this part of the process
  easier for you?
• B) Application process
• How easy did you find the application process?
• Was there any problems? If so what where they?
• What could we do to make this part of the process
  easier for you?
• Did you have contact details of someone you could
  talk to if you need to find further information?
• Did you contact anyone? Were they helpful?
• C) Induction week
• How did you feel about your induction to the
  university as a whole?
• What did you find the most helpful?

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Questionnaire 2

• D) The course overall and the transition from
  foundation degree
• How do you find the top-up course overall?
• How did you find the transition from the
  foundation degree to the top-up degree?
• What elements do you like about the course?
• What elements dont you like about the course?
• What could we do to improve the course?
• What could we do to aid the transition between
  the courses?
• E) Modules
• How do you feel about the module choice?
• What other modules would you like to see on
  offer?
• What modules have you specifically enjoyed and
  why?
• What modules have you not enjoyed and why?
• Do you have any comments on the teaching and
  learning styles at Brighton?
• Do you have any comments about the module
  assessments?
• What do you feel about the teaching and learning
  facilities and resources available?
• F) Student experience
• How would you compare the learning experience
  between your foundation degree and the top up?

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Results- Questionnaire 1

• A) Pre-Application information
• How did you find out about
• the course at Brighton uni?
• Problems finding information?
• What could make the process easier?

2. Problems finding info?

• Action Points
• Make more information available to Plumpton staff
  (e.g. ensure they have current literature)
• Clearer Plumpton guidelines
• Direct Entry area on website
• gt1 visit by Brighton staff
• Invite for open day at Brighton

1. How did you find the course?
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• I had to email the university 13 times before I
  received a reply stating I could do the degree
• the tutors in the Forestry department (Plumpton)
  didnt seem to have a clear idea of what was on
  offer at Brighton university
• we were not informed that we could enrol on
  Ecology and Biogeography, only Biological
  Sciences

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Results- Questionnaire 1

• B) Application process
• Was it easy?
• Any problems? Point of contact?

3. Helpful point of contact once found?

• Action points
• Better communication between Brighton and
  Plumpton on application process
• Downloadable application form on student central
• Guideline notes on Brighton website

1. Was it easy?
2. Any contacts given?
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Results- Questionnaire 1

• C) Induction week
• Overall feedback
• Enough information?
• Most and least helpful?

• Feedback overall very variable!
• From Quick and efficiently run, well timetabled
  and given in advance
• To Poor
• And Chaos
• Most helpful
• Library tours
• Course talk
• Least helpful
• Timetable errors
• Irrelevant information
• Lack of access to StudentCentral

1. Overall induction experience?
40 students said they received enough
information 60 did not
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Information Required

• Map of university with room numbers of
  important people
• Guidance about services available (bars on
  campus!!)
• Map showing parking places!
• Computer pool rooms on campus aside from library
  (i.e. 5th floor Cockcroft)

• Action Points
• Separate inductions for Level 1 and DE
• Try to limit timetable errors (always try but
  sometimes impossible!!!)
• Student mentors to help with e.g. info on
  parking, locations/room numbers, bars!
• Make module descriptors freely available

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Results-Questionnaire 2

• Elements they liked
• Helpful and dedicated tutors, with a passion for
  their subjects, and willingness to spend a lot of
  time with students on projects and coursework
• Wide range of topics covered
• Opportunities to develop own areas of interest
• StudentCentral
• Field trips

• D) The course overall and the transition from
  foundation degree
• Overall feedback
• Elements you like? Dont like?
• How could we improve the course/transition?

• Overall feedback
• 100 positive response
• Ease of transition
• Less unanimous
• 30 difficult
• 40 easy
• 30 fairly easy

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Results-Questionnaire 2

• Elements they didnt like
• Limited UoB subscription to journals
• Limited time to do final project relative to
  other students
• Too many compulsory modules
• Not enough grounding for some modules taught e.g.
  biogeography
• StudentCentral not well organised!

• How could we improve the course?
• Better journal access
• Have all optional modules
• More field trips!
• Introduction sessions for both tutors and
  students
• How could we improve the transition?
• More communication between Brighton and Plumpton
  (lecturers AND students)
• Better info. about facilities
• Encourage Plumpton students to use journals!

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Results-Questionnaire 2

• E) Modules
• How do you feel about the module choices?
• Teaching and learning styles and resources?

2. Teaching styles and resources
1. Module choice
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Its not all bad!!!

• The course has been everything I have expected,
  with really fascinating lectures by excellent
  tutors
• I have absolutely loved all the subjects,
  particularly the field trips
• Very good and useful
• Transition couldnt have been better

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Workshop

• What support do we need to provide for direct
  entry students and when?
• Group exercise
• Production of timeline of the direct entry
  process and identification of support elements
  that can be used as a template across the
  University.

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What do we need to do at each stage in terms of
support?

• Application to Foundation degree
• During Foundation degree/pre application
• Application process
• Pre-arrival
• Induction week
• Semester 1 integration
• Semester 2 development

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And Finally.
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Acknowledgements

• Centre for Learning and Teaching (CLT) fellowship
  
• Sussex Learning Network
• Steve Waite and Becky Taylor