Pre-entry qualifications

1
Pre-entry qualifications staff perceptions
versus reality

• Sarah Maguire
• Derry Corey

2
Context

• Increasing university attention to first year
  progression
• Concern amongst teaching staff regarding students
  skills and knowledge
• Current staff development work was having limited
  impact
• Growing awareness that we lacked current
  knowledge about students prior educational
  experiences

3
Understanding their prior experiences

• How well do we know?
• Nature of qualifications
• How they are taught and assessed
• What they cover
• What they think a degree in XXX means?
• How do we dovetail their prior and current
  experience?

4
Pre-entry qualifications

• A levels
• Qualification sub-divided into 6 modules, 3 at AS
  level and 3 at A2. These have equal weighting in
  the final award classification, although they are
  at different levels.
• Subject criteria are very clearly defined aims
  specification content key skills assessment
  objectives scheme of assessment grade
  descriptors. Students would be well aware of
  these and assessment is very clearly linked to
  the specification.
• Internal (coursework) assessment can be no more
  than 30 of marks.

5
Cont.

• 15-20 of the marks are for synoptic questions at
  the end of the course. These questions are
  clearly sign-posted for students.
• Modules can be repeated to improve marks.
• AS exams can last no more than 3 hours in total
  for each subject.
• Students can access marked exam scripts for
  formative feedback.

6
Summary Teaching at secondary level

• Highly specified courses
• Students will have specification
• Teacher will explain exact meaning of
  specification
• Reading outside text book not encouraged

7
Assessment

• Mark schemes available and highly specified
• Grade descriptors available
• Coursework is drafted and feedback given by
  teacher before final submission (probably several
  times)
• Modular assessment exams limited in time and
  modules may be retaken
• AVCE and BTEC limited number of exams

8
What does this mean for student learning?

• Students are very teacher-dependent
• Their learning is structured and focused by the
  teacher
• Only the best students will read around the
  subject
• Feedback on assignments is frequent with
  opportunity for student to improve original
  submission

9
Group work - Tasks

• Task 1
• Compare content of both qualifications and
  reflect on current 1st year curriculum for that
  subject
• Task 2
• Reflect on students previous experience and
  compare to lecturer expectations in 1st year

The above is a sample of group work activity that
we have used in workshops with staff
10
Group work - Tasks

• Task 1
• Compare content of both qualifications and
  reflect on current 1st year curriculum for that
  subject
• Task 2
• Focus on the assessment of both qualifications
  particularly the style of questions. Compare
  against current assessment of 1st year modules
• Focus on marks and levels of each qualification
  and student effort required. See Chief
  Examiners Reports

This is another example of group work activity
that we have used in workshops with staff
11
Evaluation

• this should be compulsory for all staff
• now I understand that its not all the students
  fault

12
Changes in SD Practice

• Pre-entry workshops
• First year experience workshops
• Academic Induction
• PGCHEP modules
• Advisory work
• PDP