UNDERGRADUATE AMBASSADORS SCHEME

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UNDERGRADUATE AMBASSADORS SCHEME

• OBJECTIVES
•  Encouraging a new generation of scientists.
• Providing key skills to undergraduates.
• Supplying role models for pupils.
• Giving support to teachers.

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WHAT IT IS    A structured template for
credit-giving student tutoring.    A new scheme
to award academic credit to undergraduate
students in science, technology, engineering and
mathematics for working with school
teachers.     WHO IS INVOLVED         Science
writer and broadcaster Simon Singh       Nationa
l Director, Ravi Kapur       DfES, TTA, DTI
      Other school-placement schemes      
Science education and professional
bodies       Universities and Schools
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Benefits for all

• Undergraduates gain a range of valuable
  transferable skills of benefit to them in
  employment and in life, and gain experience in
  communicating their own subject.
•  
• Teachers get a genuinely useful assistant in the
  classroom who has up-to-date, expert knowledge of
  their subject and is able to help produce
  classroom resources.
•  
• Pupils get more individual attention from a role
  model not too much older than themselves, who has
  a real enthusiasm for their subject, can
  demonstrate its applications beyond school
  studies, and who can offer an insight into
  university life.
•  
• Universities have an opportunity to improve their
  admissions and recruitment figures in these
  subject areas, particularly from within their
  local community, by building links with and
  working directly with schools.
•  
• Undergraduates have an opportunity to consider
  teaching as a career. Working in the school
  environment gives them an early insight into
  teaching which they might otherwise not receive.
•  
•  
•  

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Initial Set-up

• University departments are brought on
  board, (ideally several in each centre).
•         UAS provides advice, documentation and a
  template for implementing the scheme.
•         UAS advises on training, CRB checks,
  liaison with schools, assessment methodology and
  other areas.
•         UAS encourages departments to work with
  existing schemes in their university.
•         Each department validates the course and
  adapts the material provided by UAS to meet their
  own needs
•         Each department takes complete
  responsibility for its own course. UAS is run
  under a devolved structure by each department.
•         Undergraduates apply for the course and
  are interviewed for places on a competitive
  basis.
•  

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2002/2003 Pilot Scheme   4 Departments in 3
Universities. 28 Undergraduates. 27
Teachers.      2003/4 Scheme   14 Departments
in 10 Universities. Roughly 100
Undergraduates. Roughly 100 Teachers.
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Independent Evaluation Findings From Pilot Year

• All participants enjoyed the scheme
• Successful in meeting its aims
• Potential to expand nationwide
• Potential in other subject areas

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Feedback from Pilot Year   Prof Ray D'Inverno,
Maths, Southampton University "We are very
excited about the large number of high calibre
undergraduatesthat applied for this course, and
the enthusiasm of local teachers. The competitive
element of the scheme really 'upped the ante'
and raised the number of undergraduates applying.
The difficulty we had was in having to turn some
undergraduates down.     King's College London,
Maths Undergraduates "I really want to learn
about how people teach Maths in schools. This is
the best way I can get to do that.""The
Training Day has given me a lot to think about
before I go into theschool. I feel I'm now
prepared for things I wouldn't have known about."
      
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Feedback from Pilot Year Steve Housely Deputy
Head Bushey Meades Grammar School  "This is
exactly the sort of scheme we want to be involved
with.    Heidi Cross, maths undergraduate,
Southampton University  I would recommend the
scheme to all undergraduates, whether they are
interested in teaching or not. Even though I have
not yet decided if I do want to become a teacher
it has given me some good experiences that I know
will be useful to me in the future. I am enjoying
the course immensely and gaining more and more
confidence every week.
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UAS Information and Guidance Documents   1) The
Module Structure   2) The Assessment Methodology
  2) Recruiting Undergraduates   4) Identifying
Teachers and Working with Schools   5)
Preparation and training for Undergraduates and
Teachers   6) Support and Monitoring for
Undergraduates   7) Example Training Manual   8)
Example Undergraduate Handbook
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Key Skills For Undergraduates            Underst
anding the needs of individuals.           
Interpersonal skills when dealing with
colleagues.            Staff responsibilities
and conduct.            The ability to
improvise.            Giving (and taking)
feedback.            Organisational,
prioritisation and negotiating skills.           
Handling difficult and potentially disruptive
situations.            Public speaking and
communication skills.           
Team-working.            Standard teaching
methods.            Preparation of lesson plans
and teaching materials.
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Range of Assessment Methods    There are four
main methods of assessment suggested for this
course    A log book of activity kept by the
undergraduate ( eg 1 page per placement day),
(including descriptions of planning and delivery
of special projects)   An end of course report
written by the undergraduate ( eg 2000-3000
words), (including descriptions of planning and
delivery of special projects) An oral
presentation given by the undergraduate at the
end of the course (eg 15-20 minutes)    An end
of course report by the teacher on the
undergraduates overall progress (eg 1 page)  
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Key Assessment Criteria     1)      
Communication Skills   2)       Working with
Others   3)       Organisation, Reliability and
Self-Management   4)       Initiative and
Creativity   5)       Identifying and
Understanding the Educational Needs of
Others   6)       Self-Analysis and Critical
Evaluation
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Outline of Training Day    
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Examples of Special Projects   1)
Radioactivity - A physics undergraduate at the
University of Surrey, working with a top-set in
a comprehensive school, took the initiative to
create some lasting resources in her school.
2) Starters A Mathematics student at
Southampton University, working with a top set of
Year 9 pupils at an all girls comprehensive
school, chose to create a series of ten-minute
lesson starters. 3) Communication in
Mathematics Another Mathematics student from
Southampton University chose Verbal
Communication in Mathematics as her special
project.   4) Laser Lab Another Physics
student at the University of Surrey working with
Year 12 pupils in a PFI school close to the
university campus, planned and arranged a visit
by his host teacher and a small number of pupils
to his university laboratory. 
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Example Partner Organisations

• Supporting Bodies
•  
• Institute of Physics
• Learning and Teaching Support Network
• Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
• London Mathematical Society
• Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Royal Society of Chemistry

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Example Partner Organisations

• The 2002/2003 UAS Pilot Scheme HEIs
•  
• University of Surrey (Mathematics and Physics)
• Southampton University (Mathematics)
• Kings College London (Mathematics)
•   
• 2003/2004 Scheme New HEIs
•  
• University of Leeds (Physics and Chemistry)
• Royal Holloway, University of London (Mathematics
  and Physics)
• University of Liverpool (Physics)
• University of Leicester (Physics)
•  
• All of the ten schools which participated in
  2002/3 will again take part in 2003/4, and HEIs
  are currently in the process of signing-up new
  schools for the coming session.

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Support Funds

• A new development in 2004
• For use in support of undergraduates on UAS only
• Not a bursary payment
• Reporting obligations
• For University Departments
• - 30 per student per day spent in school
• - eg 3000 for 10 students placed for 10 days
  each
• For Schools
• - 50 per placement offered
• - eg 250 for whole term if offering 5
  placements

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U A S Future development Cost-effectivenessQu
ality assurance A structured but flexible
scheme 

• Contact Details
•  
• Ravi Kapur
• National Director
• Undergraduate Ambassadors Scheme
•  
• T 01508-571245
• e ravi_at_uas.ac.uk