The Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme at Southampton

1
The Undergraduate Ambassador Scheme at
Southampton

• Professor Ray dInverno
• School of Mathematics
• University of Southampton

2
Stakeholders

• Students (Transferable Skills/Credit)
• Teachers (Help in classroom)
• Pupils (Role models/Aspiration raising)
• University of Southampton (Improve Outreach
  profile)
• Government (More teachers in shortage subjects)

3
Student Transferable Skills

• Communication skills
• Understanding the needs of individuals
• Interpersonal skills
• Staff responsibilities and conduct
• The ability to improvise
• Giving and taking feedback
• Organising skills
• Handling difficult situations
• Public speaking
• Team work
• Teaching methods
• Lesson preparation
• Employability skills
• Personal confidence

4
Four stage approach

• Classroom observation
• Classroom assistance
• Whole class teaching
• Special project

• Design of an project innovative/enriching
• Implementation
• Evaluation

5
Other activities

• Revision classes
• Lunch clubs
• After school clubs
• Talks on university life
• University visit days

6
Assessment and feedback

• 25 Weekly journal (open)
• 35 Final report (2,500 words)
• 25 Presentation on Special Project
• 15 Teacher assessment

• 15 CATs point unit 150 hours of study
• 20 CATs point version available
• Written feedback on all 4 assessments
• Teacher assessment not moderated

7
Selection

• 400 word essay requested on why they wanted to
• take the unit and what they could offer (1-4
  rating)
• 10 minute structured interview
• Interview used to place students
• Unsuccessful candidates given feedback

• What makes a good teacher
• Proactivity in classroom
• Dealing with pupil blocks
• Type of placement preferred
• Did they have a car

8
Training and monitoring

• 5 hour mini-PGCE training session
• Meet the teachers session
• 4 tutorials
• Blackboard site for support
• Regular email contact
• Wrap-up meeting

• Initial impressions
• Journals and planning the Special Project 1
• Planning the Special Project 2
• Tips on presentations

9
Training session
Group exercise on constructing a bridge using
paper and scotch tape
One of the two half day workshops for 20 students
2004/5
10
Placement requirements

• Initial meeting with school to negotiate a
  timetable
• 3 / 4 hours a week throughout 12 weeks of
  semester 2
• Minimum of 10 placements required

11
Outcome in Outline

• Performance on unit
• Special projects
• Teacher questionnaires
• Student questionnaires
• Three Publications (see unit website)
• PGCE takeup (12/13, 15/22, 20/38)
• Development of personal confidence

12
Performance on unit (final grades)
I IIi IIii III

• Year 1 10 3 0 0
• Year 2 14 6 1 0
• Year 3 20 16 1 1

13
Special Projects (Year 1)

• Development of revision materials (4 students)
• Starters (2 students)
• Learning styles
• Fibonacci numbers and explorative use of internet
• Developing communication skills in quiet pupils
• Problem solving skills
• Use of interactive white board and laptops by
  staff
• Use of Autograph software
• Use of Geometers sketchpad software

14
Teacher questionnaires (Year 1)

• Rating from 1 (very poor) to 5 (excellent)
• 5.0 Helpful intro to teaching
• 4.8 Student preparation for placement
• 4.7 Working relationships with students
• 4.0 Benefit to school
• 3.8 Demands made on school
• 5/0 Continuation with scheme

15
Student questionnaires

• Yr1 Yr2 Yr3
• 4.8 4.1 4.4 Skills development
• 4.7 4.2 4.4 Overall rating of unit
• 4.2 3.9 3.8 School placement experience
• 4.2 3.6 3.7 Training session relevance
• 4.1 4.1 4.0 Training session quality
• 4.0 4.2 4.0 Unit coordinator
• 3.8 3.7 3.4 University support on placement
• 3.6 3.8 3.9 Satisfaction with assessment

16
Fourth year 2005/6

• Scheme extended to include 9 disciplines total
• Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Computer
  Science,
• Oceanography, Environmental Sciences,
  Biological Sciences,
• Music and Modern Languages
• All shortage subjects except Music and Biological
  Sciences
• Applications (82 total)
• 71 selected
• 31 partner schools (half designated Widening
  Participation)
• Scheme extended to Primary schools for Science
• Unit run by UAS Team of
• 3 Academics and 3 Learning and Teaching
  Coordinators for Interviews/Training/Tutorials/Ema
  il Support/Assessment

• 15 mathematicians (7 females, 8 males)
• 1 chemist (1 female)
• 6 physicists (6 males)
• 8 computer scientists (8 males)
• 20 oceanographers (10 females, 10 males)
• 9 musicians (9 females)
• 5 modern linguists (5 females)
• 10 biological scientists (9 females, 1 male)
• 8 environmental sciences (7 females, 1 male)

17
UAS Team

• Dr David Chillingworth (Mathematics)
• Unit Coordinator/Unit Tutor
• Dr Paul Cooper (Humanities)
• Unit Co-coordinator/Unit Tutor
• Prof Ray dInverno (Mathematics)
• Unit Organiser/Unit Tutor
• Dr Simon Boxall (Oceanography)
• Unit Tutor
• Dr Rachel Ferris (Mathematics)
• Unit Tutor
• Ms Joy Moloney (Oceanography)
• Unit Tutor

18
Partner Schools 2005/6

• Alderman Quilley School, Eastleigh
• Bitterne C of E Primary
• Bitterne Park School
• Calmore Junior School
• Cantell School
• Carisbrooke High School, Isle of Wight
• Chamberlayne Park School
• Grove Park Business and Enterprise School
• Henry Beaufort School, Winchester
• Hounsdown School, Totton
• Isle of Wight College
• Jessie Younghusband School, Chichester
• King Edward VI School, Winchester
• Kings School, Winchester
• Millbrook Community School
• Oklands Community School
• Peter Symmonds College, Winchester
• Romsey School
• Shirley Junior School

19
National UAS

• UAS Ltd
• Funded by DTA
• Sharon Herkes
• National Director
• Alex Brabbs
• Project Manager
• Prof Ray dInverno
• UAS Board Member/UAS Advisory Panel
• Dr Hugh Evans (Sholing Technology College)
• UAS Advisory Panel
• Ms Joanna Argyle (South Wilts Grammar School)
• UAS Advisory Panel

20
University of Southampton
acknowledgement of UAS

• Honorary Degree
• awarded to
• scheme originator
• Simon Singh
• July 2005

• Vice Chancellors Award presented to
• scheme coordinator
• Ray dInverno
• September 2005

21
Special Project (Laura)

• Laura chose the subject of Verbal Communication
  of Mathematics as her Special Project. Working
  with high ability year 9 GCSE pupils and year 7
  pupils in a rural grammar school she decided, in
  conjunction with her host teacher, to try to help
  engage those pupils who did not participate
  regularly in class. Using a range of teaching
  techniques and materials, such as questionnaires,
  handouts, pair work and small group work, she
  analysed the circumstances in which pupils felt
  less or more comfortable, and adapted the
  teaching environment and her methods accordingly.
  She also analysed the ways in which pupils
  preferred to learn, either through visual,
  auditory or kinaesthetic means. On the basis of
  her observations, she presented a series of
  documents and materials including charts,
  diagrams and a report to her host teacher in
  order to share her finings on how to improve
  participation and verbal communication amongst
  the mathematics pupils, including comparison of
  problems in year 7 and year 9.

Laura talking about her placement
22
Conclusions

• Produces good PGCE applicants, particularly in
  shortage subjects
• Develops employability skills
• Develops personal confidence
• Highly valued by students/teachers/pupils
• Website for further information
• www.maths.soton.ac.uk/staff/dInverno/UAS