Schools and Employability: The Swedish Experience Seminar
Tuesday 8th December 2009
Continuum held a Learning and Teaching Lunchtime Discussion Forum entitled “Schools and Employability: The Swedish Experience” on the 8th December 2009. Katarina Mollberg from Baggium Vocational Schools was our guest speaker, and she brought along 2 students currently on work placements in London. The event was well attended by colleagues from across the university, who had the chance to hear both the staff and student view on this innovative approach to schooling. Continuum aim to use their extensive international contacts to facilitate similar events in the future.
Intersect HE - Staff development with a difference
Continuum, together with Arethusa Projects and HTI have been commissioned by University Human Resources (UHR) and the Association of University Administrators to undertake a HEFCE funded scoping study on the feasibility of establishing a national staff development brokerage service - Intersect HE.
Intersect HE will focus on job secondment and job shadowing type activities, offering academic, professional and support staff the opportunity to gain short-term work experience in another HEI or in the public, private and voluntary sectors.
Initially, six pilot institutions (Kingston University, Thames Valley University, University of Bristol, University of East London, Leeds University and Newcastle University) have been identified to take part in the scoping study, although the project will engage more widely across the sector.
Continuum Centre Associate and Director of Arethusa Projects, Professor Robin Smith and Continuum Research Manager, Tony Hudson will be undertaking the fieldwork at the six pilot HEIs and preparing the business case based on the scoping study. Colleagues from HTI will be liaising directly with employers, employers associations and sector skills councils.
Further details of the project are also available on the Intersect HE web site: http://www.intersecthe.org.uk
WPSA Conference Slides Available
The WP Strategic Assessments Conference took place on 6th November 2009 at the Hotel Russell, Russell Square, Central London. The event was chaired by Professor Dianne Willcocks, Vice Chancellor at York St John University, and included presentations by Dr John Selby, Director of Education & Participation, HEFCE and Professor John Storan, Director of Continuum; and Co-Director of Action on Access.
All presentations from the conference can be found on the Action on Access website:
http://www.actiononaccess.org/?p=19_3_14
UEL awards Visiting Chair to Durban VC
UEL has awarded Professor Roy Du Pre, Vice Chancellor at Durban University of Technology (DUT), South Africa, and honorary Visiting Professorship. Professor Du Pre is a leading figure in African Higher Education with over twenty five years of service in the educational sector; first as a high school teacher then as a college of education lecturer. The past seventeen years have been in higher education as an academic, academic manager and policy maker. Over the past five years, he has built a close relationship with UEL through his collaboration with Professor John Storan and the team at Continuum. The partnership and collaborative links that have been established have resulted in a growing list of mutual benefits and outcomes for both UEL and the University of Durban such as the programme of staff study visits and exchanges which has included the senior management group from Durban meeting with their counterparts here at UEL, and recently a group of senior administrators paying a visit to meet with a range of UEL staff. Other forms of collaboration have included joint conference presentations and publications, specific policy and practice exchanges in a range of subject areas, joint research activity and national/international HE policy links. The partnership has also resulted in significant funding success with two major British Council research awards being achieved in recent years.
The quality and significance of the first project was recognised by the British Council through its invitation to Professor Du Pre and Professor Storan to give a keynote on the project at an international conference hosted by Imperial College in London to celebrate and encourage England/Africa HE partnerships.
Professor Du Pre has made an outstanding contribution to HE, not just through his leadership at Durban but also in his national and international HE work. Commenting on the award, Professor John Storan said," We have built an excellent relationship with Professor Du Pre and his team in Durban. I am delighted that this, and also the inspiring work for HE developments in Africa that Professor Du Pre has been such an important figure in, have been recognised in this way. Whilst personally and professionally i have learned so much through the collaboration, it has also had a profound effect on the work we do here at Continuum. Knowledge and practice exchange continues to develop and has to date included HE access, student success, partnership working, employability, entrepreneurship and building a research capacity in these and related areas has been an important aspect of our collaboration. I very much look forward to building further the links and joint working with Professor Du Pre and his colleagues at Durban".
(Pictured: Professor John Storan, Director of Continuum; and Professor Roy Du Pre, Vice Chancellor of Durban University of Technology)
New Action on Access Website Launched
Action on Access is pleased to launch its new website. The site aims to provide practitioners with an online 'one stop shop' for widening participation information. It features a new search facility that allows practitioners to search for any widening participation related topic across the website and in the extensive Action on Access resource directory.
The new site has dedicated sections for Aimhigher, Higher Education Institutions, Further Education Colleges, Schools, Disability, Summer Schools and others. Allowing practitioners to find the information they are looking for, both easily and quickly. A section of Action on Access contains our extensive back catalogue of publications and bulletins, an event archive with the presentations and papers from our conferences and seminars, plus information on many widening participation related jiscmail circulation groups we moderate.
The popular news, events and job vacancies pages remain; keeping practitioners up-to-date with the latest developments and networking opportunities. We will continue to advertise stakeholder events and jobs at no charge. All we ask is that the event/vacancy you wish to promote is widening participation related and the details are emailed to info@actiononaccess.org
The new website features a frequently asked questions section derived from the Helpdesk. The Action on Access practitioner Helpdesk answers higher education related, widening participation or disability queries, including Aimhigher related questions. Additionally, practitioners can make bespoke data analysis requests relating to UCAS applicats or HESA entrants into higher education via the Helpdesk. To ask a question or make a data analysis request, call 01695 650 870, text telephone 01695 650 874 or email help@actiononaccess.org
Aimhigher - Realising the Potential
Karina Berzins, Continuum Research Fellow and Tony Hudson, Continuum Research Manager, led a workshop at the recent Aimhigher Annual Conference 2009 at the Cumberland Hotel in London.
The Workshop drew on the findings from recently completed research in Barking & Dagenham, commissioned by HEFCE, on low participation rates and the extent to which higher education engages with its local communities. The workshop also provided an opportunity for practitioners to review and comment on the short film which accompanies the research.
During the workshop, session practitioners discussed the findings from the research in relation to their own context and setting as well as considering the benefits of more innovative research methods when undertaking research with young people and hard to reach groups.
Participants reflected on how their institution or partnership engaged with its local communities, which groups they needed to have a deeper and more meaningful engagement with and what might be used as effective measures of engagement.
Contributions from this session are currently being collated and will be posted on the website as a checklist for community engagement.
A full research report and executive summary will be available shortly in PDF format on the Continuum website. For further information on the research project, please contact Karina Berzins. If you would like to discuss how Continuum could help you with research and evaluation please contact Tony Hudson.
New OFFA website goes live
The new OFFA website (www.offa.org.uk) is now live – and packed with information and advice for our different audiences. As you will see, the site has dedicated areas for universities and colleges, students, and press to make it easier for different users to find what they’re looking for. There are also dedicated ‘Frequently asked questions’ for each of these groups.
EPA Project: Creative Industries - Creative Solutions
Returning from a recent visit to South Africa, Continuum Research Manager, Anthony Hudson was pleased to report that the team at Durban University of Technology (DUT) continue to make good progress. This joint project is being managed by Continuum at UEL in collaboration with colleagues in the Department of Visual Communication and Design (DVCD) at DUT. The aim of the project is to enhance the employability and entreprenerial skills of graphic design students at DUT by establishing a work integrated learning (WIL) graphic design studio.
Tony visited DUT with Liz Pearson, Director of the Creative Way Lifelong Learning Network who is undertaking an evaluation of the project. During the visit, the project team organised three workshops for invited staff and students. This was an opportunity for Liz and Tony to meet some of the students and staff who will benefit from the studio, which is funded through the project.
Work on the studio space is progressing with cabling and decorating completed. Furniture and equipment is in the process of being installed. In terms of layout, the studio provides space for four to six designers, a Studio Manager and Creative Director, with space to meet with clients. In terms of interior design, the lines are clean with references to a young and funky South Africa design culture.
At DUT, the project is being managed by Piers Carey, Head of DVCD and lecturer Rowan Gatfield, the studio's Creative Director. Rowan will be supported by Kailash Maharaj, recently appointed as Assistant Studio Manager. The team at DUT will shortly be interviewing prospective BTech students to work as designers in the studio. Competition for spaces in the studio is likely to be fierce since graduates will be able to gain valuable work experience whilst completing their course.
The studio offering is primarily focussed on Brand Itentity and corporate stationery, point of sale display, packaging, advertising, online publishing, new media, ambient media, environmental (spatial) design, information design, illustration and in house photography. Digital video and editing, stop frame and flash animation, and interactivity are also possible service offerings. The studio will also offer an online logo, illustration and photography bank to its clients.
Workspace Graphic Design and Advertising Studio will be operational from late January 2010 and would be pleased to offer Continuum readers a proudly South African design service. For further details, please contac: Rowan Gatfield: rowang@dut.ac.za, or Kailash Maharaj: kailashmaharaj@mail.com
Monday 27th July 2009
(Pictured: Professor John Storan, Director, Continuum, UEL; Lord Mandelson, First Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills)
Professor John Storan, Continuum Director, met the new First Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, Lord President of the Council following his first major speech to the HE sector in London on the 27th July. Commenting on the speech, John said:
"I warmly welcome the speech and in particular the
comments which recognised the centrality of widening HE access and the value and significance of the social role of universities. Lord Mandelson also said that he was impatient in the wake of Alan Milburn's report on social mobility for more progress recognising that access to HE will inevitably define the degree of social mobility in Britain."
The Government has created a new department for Business, Innovation & Skills whose key role will be to build Britian's capabilities to compete in the global economy.
The new department which Lord Mandelson heads up, which includes higher education, has been created by merging BERR and DIUS.
The merger will create a single department committed to building Britian's future economic strengths. To compete in a global economy and create jobs of the future, Britian requires a regulatory environment that encourages enterprise, skilled people, innovation and world-class science and research. The merger of BERR and DIUS brings together the parts of the government with key expertise in these areas.
Monday 6th July 2009
We do need more education! - Barking & Dagenham students speak out
(L-R: John Morris, Director of HE Development, Havering College; Karina Berzins, Research Fellow, Continuum; Cathy Walsh, Principal, Barking College; Professor John Storan, Director, Continuum)
60% of young learners in Barking & Dagenham aspire to go on to University, but nearly half of these students think it will cost too much money.
These are among the headline findings of a new report 'Communities and Widening Participation in Education - Barking & Dagenham', launched this week by Continuum, The Centre for Widening Participation and Policy Studies at the University of East London (UEL).
The draft report and accompanying film of young people's views was presented at an event in partnership with Barking College and Havering College at the Barking Learning Centre on Monday 6th July.
Principal researcher Karina Berzins and her team conducted in-depth interviews and consulted with 230 young people from schools, colleges and youth clubs in the borough. She found that many talented students are put of Higher Education by difficult school experiences, lack of advice and guidance and financial costs.
Speaking at the launch, Cathy Walsh, Principal of Barking College, said, "It is vital that young people make informed choices about their education. This research gives some clues to the barriers facing young people and points to some potential solutions. We are proud to be working with the borough and the University of East London to develop pathways for progression based on real evidence from young people."
John Morris, Director of HE Development at Havering College, said, "When i grew up in this borough, most men worked at Fords. Today we have some of the lowest rates of educational achievement in the country. We need to do the right thing by our young people, and to do it right."
Professor John Storan, Director of Continuum, and a leading authority on Further and Higher Education, said, "Last year over 600 Barking & Dagenham school and college leavers went on to Higher Education. This is an increase from just 261 in 2001, but still a long way behind other areas."
Continuum was comissioned by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to undertake research on why so few Barking & Dagenham youngsters go to University. The study forms part of a national project to understand the social, economic and cultural factors which lie behind low participation rates in cities across England.
UEL currently has 450 Barking & Dagenham residents enrolled as students, and is a partner in the Barking Learning Centre.
Continuum host Erasmus study visit
Colleagues from MalmÖ University recently visited UEL to gain an overview of widening participation policy in England as well as a deeper and broader understanding of policy and practice at a modern university committed to widening participation. The recent visit builds on previous visits from MalmÖ and the staff development programme that Professor John Storan has been leading at this institution in Sweden.
The study visit programme included a blend of interactive and discursive sessions with UEL academic and support staff, visits to local research sites, an international seminar at UEL and a one day conference at the University of Leicester.
Whilst at UEL, Swedish colleagues explored and discussed issues ranging from employability to the inclusive curriculum and student services to professional identity. Jules Cassidy (Senior Lecturer and Learning & Teaching Fellow, SSMACS) gave an overview of how UEL is striving to offer an inclusive curriculum in terms of design, delivery and assessment. This was complemented by a session with Alison Egan (Associate Director of Student Services and Head of Student Experience) on the innovative services offered to students at UEL. Femi Bola (Head of Employability) and Margot Richardson (Development Manager) provided a comprehensive account of how UEL is working to enhance the employability of its graduates, whilst Thorsten Klein (Business Incubation Manager, Knowledge Dock) provided details of the services and facilities available through UEL’s Knowledge Dock for budding entrepreneurs and graduates who wish to be self-employed.
A visit to the Barking town centre and the Barking Lifelong Learning Centre provided an opportunity to explore the local community. Accompanied by Karina Berzins (Research Fellow at Continuum) colleagues were also able to learn about the research Continuum has been commissioned to undertake by HEFCE in Barking & Dagenham as part of the HE & Communities Research Project.
The study visit also included participation in an international seminar at UEL: Knowledge Transfer and Community Engagement, jointly organised by Continuum and Learning, Teaching & Assessment at which Janine Campbell gave a presentation on work at the McCaughey Centre in Melbourne, Australia. The following day colleagues travelled to the University of Leicester to participate in an extended seminar: The Place of Aspirations, organised by Dr Gavin Brown. This seminar provided an opportunity to critically engage with current UK Government policy on raising the aspirations of young people; to examine how aspiration and ambition are expressed as spatial practices; and to discuss how young people’s spaces are constructed through these policy interventions at different scales.
The final day of the visit provided an opportunity to reflect on the visit as well as discuss a current Continuum research project – New Learning Professionals – which surveyed HE staff who manage student ambassadors and mentoring projects. These staff, often defined as support staff in terms of their contract of employment work both academic and professional domains and are creating what Whitchurch (2008) describes as a "third space". Drawing on this and previous research on widening participation practitioners (Hudson & Pooley, 2006) in conjunction with Whitchurch’s typology, Swedish colleagues also recognised themselves as "blended professionals" working in "third space".
22 April 2009
Listening to Learners conference a resounding success
Over 120 education practitioners, academics and policy makers gathered at UEL's Docklands campus to share research findings, participate in workshops, and hear speakers including Wes Streeting, President of the National Union of Students, Professor Michael Fielding from the Institute of Education, Mick Waters of the Quality and Curriculum Authority, Gill Mullis of the Specialist Schools and Academies Trust, Pippa Lord of the National Foundation for Educational Research and Kathy Wright from The University of East London.
The 'Student Voice' agenda provides students and young people with the opportunity to have a say, to contribute to their communities, and to have a more active role in their education, including the evaluation of their own learning. Young people themselves also took part in this innovative conference, contributing to plenary presentations as well as facilitating one of the workshops. The day was punctuated by electrifying performances and images from Thrift Music Theatre Company whose work on Student Voice has been acclaimed by both QCA and SSAT.
Opening the conference, UEL's acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Susan Price said: "As a diverse university, we are always looking at new and exciting ways to provide the best possible education for our students. This conference is a great way of seeing what teaching methods and styles are in use and how we can improve them to meet students' needs. I am delighted to see such a high level of participation and interest in today's discussions as we look at what inspires and motivates students."
Wes Streeting, President of the National Students Union said: "It's good to see Learner Voice high up on the agenda as it's a critical topic. Through every aspect of the education system it's important to listen to the voice of students and there are a lot of government initiatives in place that are looking at student voices to help shape their experiences. This is how teaching and learning takes place and it also empowers students to think about their education and gain a passion for it."
The conference was organised by Continuum, the Cass School of Education and UEL's Education and Community Partnerships team. The event was supported by ESCalate - the Education Subject Centre of the Higher Education Academy.
A conference wiki, listeningtolearners, is being set up as a resource for colleagues with an interest in learner voice and as a space to continue conversations started at the conference as well as begin new ones.
April 2009
Turning up the volume on learner voice
Continuum, together with colleagues in the Cass School of Education and Education & Community Partnerships are hosting a one day conference: Listening to Learners: Partnerships in Action at UEL’s Docklands Campus on the 22nd April 2009. The programme includes presentations from pupils, practitioners, policy makers and academics plus four parallel workshop sessions and musical interludes. During the course of the day there will be opportunities for discussion and networking.
To register for the event visit the conference web site at: www.uel.ac.uk/listeningtolearners
March 2009
Wiki Wiki or Where there’s a way there’s a Wiki
Continuum Research Manager, Tony Hudson, is currently working with Professor Jean Murray and Kathy Wright, Cass School of Education, on an ESCalate funded evaluation of the Virtual Schools Wiki. As Director of Secondary ITE, Kathy has been pioneering the use of wikis for collaborative group activities which simulate issues that arise in a real life secondary school environment. Under Kathy’s management, Secondary ITE was awarded a Grade 1 in the last Oftsed inspection which cited e-learning as a key strength.
March 2009
Swedish Study Visit - Student Union Officers, JÖnkÖping University
Continuum hosted a study visit by four elected officers from Jonkoping Student Union as part of a five day visit to London. In addition to meeting with Wes Streeting and other officers at the National Union of Students the group visited a number of institutions including LSE and UEL.
As part of a packed programme at UEL, the group enjoyed lively sessions with: Joseph Bitrus, President UELSU; Mercy Oghenekaro, Schools Partnership Co-ordinator; Brian Hipkin, Director of Student Services, Tony Hudson, Research Manager, Continuum and John Storan, Director, Continuum.
February 2009
ESCalate Seminar - New Learning Professionals
At a recent workshop, New Learning Professionals, hosted at HEFCE, London, Tony Hudson reported on findings from an ESCalate funded survey of HE staff working with student ambassadors and mentors. The aim of the survey and follow up focus groups was to identify the development needs of these niche professionals who work in both academic and professional domains, and builds on previous research Tony has undertaken on widening participation practitioners. The findings from this focussed research project will be published in May.
Dr Celia Whitchurch, who has also a longstanding interest in blended professionals - staff who work in both professional and academic domains -reported on findings from research funded by the LFHE on the changing roles and identities of professional staff in HE. In setting out her conceptual framework, Celia discussed the implications for an emerging “third space” in which such staff operate. Celia and Tony’s presentations are available on the Continuum web site.
Presentation 1 (to be uploaded)
Presentation2 (to be uploaded)
For more information please contact a.hudson@uel.ac.uk
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