FEHE Dialogue How do we bridge the gap

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FE-HE DialogueHow do we bridge the gap?
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Who we areKate HillNALN Progression
ManagerLondon College of FashionCaroline
KingHE Art and Design Adviser/BTEC Fine Art
CoordinatorRichmond-Upon-Thames College
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Setting the Scene

• Compact Agreement for Progression Scheme (CAPS)
• 16 Partner Colleges across Greater London
• 13 BA (Hons) and 9 FdA Fashion related portfolio
  based courses
• 3 BA (Hons) Design for Performance courses

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• Historical dialogue with FE partners
• Twice yearly meetings at LCF
• Yearly visits to FE partner colleges by
  Progression Manager
• Annual Advice Day at LCF

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Section title

• FE/HE Dialogue Morning
• 16 FE partners and 12 HE LCF academics took part
• Both FE and HE bought exemplars of assignments,
  research sketchbooks etc
• HE staff were grouped into LCF Schools and
  rotated around FE partner groups

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FE question for HE What are you looking for at
interview when the student brings their
portfolio? HE question for FE How do you
prepare students for progression on your
course? Question for both FE and HE Explore
strategies for optimising the student experience
to ensure successful progression.
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• At the end of the session you will have
• identified the key issues around progression for
  both FE HE staff
• shared sample assignments/ students work
• found out more about LCF subject areas and their
  selection requirements
• gained a better understanding of FE/HE experience

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Transcript from the plenary (some of what FE had
to say) There are so many different (LCF)
pathways requiring different outcome/product in
the portfolio. For FE planning this dialogue must
happen earlier so that we can plan for these
different outcomesHow do we best prepare
them? The language (in prospectus etc.) needs
to be their (FE student) language. You (LCF)
have a curriculum delivery that doesnt allow for
you to spend more time with students, while we
have one that is opposite. Maybe you have to do
more with them when they start. Summer School
to help them understand the amount of work they
have to do, to set them a task that would enable
them to create some work. They dont realise the
amount of work that will be expected of them. We
can talk to them til were blue in the face.
They would take it more seriously knowing that
they were applying to you. We would like you
(LCF) to take our students at end of first year,
give them an independent project to do that would
be looked at in the process of application. (Mak
ing Summer School a mandatory part of the CAPS)
would create a bridge and relationship and help
you (LCF) deal with some of the things you have
been talking about. Very implicitly, you can get
them to be independent learners in a few daysin
a very small way.
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Some of what HE had to say How we communicate
our needs to students needs addressing our
literature is big on style but not much info on
specific courses. We need to re-look at info in
prospectuses. The word research is really
difficult its about natural curiosity. (We
need to) demonstrate that we are expecting
academic underpinning. Need to make a point
about drawing obviously there are students who
struggle. But it is really important it
underpins everything. It must be in the
portfolio. Students need to get ideas down in
3D, ideally. In reality, we are dealing with
students who dont have such strong skills, so we
need strategies to help them get 3D ideas down,
so we can fast track them. Can they communicate
in other ways? A personal sketchbook in terms
of specialism would be key at the point of
interview, so that they are showing intention in
a particular area. Students told us that their
contextual studies come in (BTEC) year 1, so by
the time they are faced with cultural studies in
year 1 at LCF, they have forgotten about essay
writing. Preparing students for notion of
studentship is really important, and trying to
get them to be independent learners, as students
really struggle with this. So to help them
understand this in some way would be really good.
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• How do we bridge the gap? - strategies resulting
  from our dialogue
• Re-look at LCF course information to make it more
  student focused with clear descriptions of what
  happens on course.
• Revise the structure of the Portfolio Advice Day.
• More drawing emphasis in FE teaching, or
  strategies to encourage designing in 3D
• Review when personal project is planned on BTEC
  courses so that students can talk about this at
  interview.
• Students encouraged to produce personal
  notebooks/thinking books with their ideas and
  bring them to interview.
• Mandatory CAPS summer school between BTEC first
  and second year, to include independent working.
• Continue this dialogue into planning and
  reviewing FE/HE curriculum content and delivery.

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Contact us Kate HillNALN Progression
ManagerLondon College of FashionT 0207 514
7908E k.hill_at_fashion.arts.ac.uk Caroline
KingHE Art and Design Adviser/BTEC Fine Art
CoordinatorRichmond-Upon-Thames College T 0208
607 8216 E cking_at_richmond-utcoll.ac.uk