Title: What Next? Supporting Student Progression from Further to Higher
Education
Abstract: This case study describes the development of a resource for
supporting student progression to Higher Education from level 3 and 4 courses
at London College of Fashion.
The experience of completing the applications process is fraught with anxiety
for students, considering their own strengths and abilities, selecting an
appropriate course, preparing both their work and themselves for interview, the
financial implications of acceptance and the need to deal with possible
rejection.
For tutors supporting these students at this very sensitive time there is a need
to have good, relevant and current information, advice and guidance.
Information has to be consistent and easily accessible and suitable for
dissemination to a very large and very diverse student body.
This project was developed in consultation with staff and students who
recognized a need for a better more user friendly way of accessing this
information and building on the already existing good practice. The project was
funded through a joint Creative Learning in Practice Centre for Excellence in
Teaching and Learning (CLIP CETL) Fellowship between Sarah Atkinson and
Vija Vilcins at The University of the Arts London.
Keywords: Progression, Peer, Tutorial, Resource, Visual, Support.
Author information: Sarah Atkinson is Director of Programmes, Foundation
Art and Design, School of Media & Communication at London College of
Fashion, University of the Arts London
Date: July 2010
Context and Rationale
The ‘What Next?’ Project arose out of a Further Education (FE) staff
development session held on 8 November 2007 that identified the lack of a
coherent body of information and material to support student progression from
FE to Higher Education (HE) at London College of Fashion (LCF).
Discussions with staff indicated that the current materials to support student
progression produced by the University of the Arts London (UAL) Creative
Careers, UCAS and by individual courses themselves, were unwieldy for both
staff and students. Many students with a range of diverse backgrounds find
this information from a variety of sources difficult to access and often confusing
and intimidating, with the websites themselves difficult to navigate. Up to a
third of students on FE programmes at LCF are international and for many
English is not their first language. Added to this, the UCAS online application
process is complex and students have not been familiarized with the University
applications system through sixth form colleges or careers services. Once this
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is overlaid with internal Compact schemes, whereby students can, if they wish,
have an early portfolio review and interview date, the complexity of the
situation is multiplied.
Whilst it was readily accepted that there is much good practice across the
further education sector within the college, there was a need to develop a
shared information base, one that would support students and staff at a critical
point in the student life cycle. It was envisaged that all FE courses at London
College of Fashion would benefit from the resource, providing tutors with a
portable ‘one stop shop’ for all progression, information.
A key factor in developing this material was that the proposal was in line with
the UAL Medium Term Strategy aim for the development of e-learning and
establishing ‘high quality, well resourced, consistent support to guide and
support an increasingly diverse range of students’ and with the Quality
Enhancement Theme for Student Support and Engagement.
Description of Activity/Initiative
In the first instance it was intended that these materials would be developed for
all FE courses at LCF. The aim was to develop the resource to be available for
both staff and students at the start of the 2008/2009 Higher Education
application process; i.e. October 2008. After exploratory discussion with staff
teams, the initial idea that the resource would be available online and in
memory stick format was altered to focus on developing the latter (as the more
immediate and user friendly tool) with further opportunity to disseminate the
package across other UAL colleges, partner colleges and the National Arts
Learning Network (NALN).
Due to the limited timeframe for development, material was collected
throughout July and August 2008. Two days filming of simulated interviews
took place in the studios at the John Princes Street campus in September
2008. The latter involved students from LCF courses, who had been
successful in their transition from FE to HE at UAL in the 2007/2008 academic
session and who represented a cross-section of Higher Education courses
progressed to through the UCAS system. Two different films were produced:
one showing a simulated interview of poor interview practice, the other
showing students’ responses to pre-arranged questions regarding what they
had found most useful in preparation for their interviews. The two days of
filming were eventually condensed into five minutes of film footage.
As expected, course teams had their own stores of information, Creative
Careers at UAL produced a range of booklets and the UCAS website included
much that was useful. Other materials were newly created in response to
student and staff feedback; for example interview feedback sheets from
previously successful applicants, the main body of work was completed during
September, with the aim of having everything ready to put onto the memory
sticks prior to student briefings and tutorials on the applications process in
October.
The materials received their initial trial in the first term of the 2008/2009
academic session, focusing on only a selection of the materials originally
proposed. Feedback from course teams and student representatives following
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the trial was then used in evaluating and monitoring the effectiveness of the
package and informing its further development.
. The trial material included:
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guidance on portfolio preparation and review
power point presentations on the applications process
guidance on completion of the UCAS application form
information on interview techniques – film clip of what not to do and also
interviews with students who had been successful
 guidance on writing the Personal Statement
 visual tools and exemplars of portfolio work
 exercises for students to complete – personal development planning
One of the aims in producing the material and making it more accessible was
also to make it more ‘visual’ – It was decided that where possible written
information should be kept to a minimum and greater emphasis put on
photographic or filmed content. In addition the materials were separated into
folders with photographic images for each, however this was dependant on the
default setting of the computer used so was not entirely successful.UAL/LCF is
an Art and Design institution, there is a high incidence of dyslexia among both
staff and students and there are many students for whom English is not their
first language. Using a more visual package presents the material / information
in a more easily navigable way.
Evaluation
An initial briefing and presentation of the resource was given to key staff during
a staff development session on supporting student progression. Following the
pilot, feedback on the material contained in the memory stick was collected
and evaluated through several stages using questionnaires and focus groups
with both tutors and students.
All staff found the memory stick format useful. The opportunity for free text
comment in the questionnaire generated very positive responses for example:
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Simple to select what to use and what to print directly to students
Instant access to information
Handy usage – usable in various rooms across the site
Can be carried around, portable
Will definitely use more of the material next academic year. It is very
useful. The students gave positive feedback to the items attached to
Blackboard.
More visuals and students talking about key problems filling in UCAS
forms also from an international perspective.
Many students asked to borrow the ‘memory machine’ following
presentation
Keep it coming!
Student responses were similarly positive and gave a clear message that they
wanted more information earlier. This became an even more important issue
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with the changes to UCAS deadlines in 2009/2010.
Students responded very well to the advice from their peers – the interview
response forms were very valuable as was the short film made for the
resource. The process of creating the film allowed students who had
successfully been through the interview process to talk directly to other
students from first hand experience. The resulting humour in the film made it
very student friendly.
The use of students to express their experiences through film meant that they
were instrumental in the creation of the resource. Current students have
responded very positively to this advice and information from their peers.
Tutors reported that this also opened up useful discussion opportunities with
groups.
Students appreciate the more visual aspects of the resource, as do staff, the
majority of whom are from visual/creative backgrounds.
The simplicity of the memory stick format was valued especially by staff with
dyslexia as they often find it hard to negotiate complex systems to access
information from websites. It was also clear from the feedback that they liked
the information being all in one place as this saved valuable time.
The project began because staff had requested a central place for all the
information they needed to support student progression. It is important to note
that the memory stick format was popular because it did not require expert
knowledge to use. Staff could access what they wanted far more quickly then
finding the same information on the intranet. The aim to produce a ‘one stop
shop’ was justified by the popularity of the resource with the staff using it and
feedback from students about how they had been supported during the
applications process. Tutors found the resource accessible and easy to use,
both in studio and small group situations and as a tool for presentations to
large groups. The format is easy to customize for individual needs and can
continually be developed by tutors to work with their own students. Unlike
websites that require a great deal of technical know how to design and set up,
the memory stick can be updated and adapted very easily.
Initial evidence from the pilot year showed a greater number of students from
LCF FE programmes successfully negotiating the complex applications system
and gaining places at HE level.
Feedback from the questionnaire to staff included a section asking them to
make suggestions for improvement or additional material they wanted to see
included. Their responses as follows were used to update and prepare sticks
for the new academic year:
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Graphic examples of previous years students’ work
Extend interview feedback for more courses
Pitfalls of UCAS form filling
Perhaps more on interview preparation and possible questions
Course Criteria / interview questions for LCF courses
Prior to the start of the academic year 09/10 all FE teaching staff with
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responsibility for progression were provided with the memory stick and an
accompanying explanatory leaflet and supported by a number of staff
development opportunities to introduce the stick and its use ensuring that all
staff receiving the resource are aware of its adaptability in use with their
students. To date staff have already used it in a number of diverse ways:
accessing information to print out for students, uploading sections to
Blackboard, giving presentations, etc. The resource has been further
disseminated to other colleges within UAL, to study support tutors and to
partner colleges. A total of 75 memory sticks were produced for the launch.
Positive feedback has been received from all participants.
The value that students put on hearing from each other about their
experiences, and how a resource like this can be used effectively to meet the
needs of different cohorts, is very clear from this project. Colleagues at
undergraduate and postgraduate level have expressed an interest in
developing a similar tool for their students to aid transition, both to employment
and further study. The successful pilot year, has also presented many ideas for
how to continue to improve and expand the provision, including a method for
annually updating the information held on the stick, this is currently under
discussion.
Developing a resource that grew out of an expressed need by staff was a very
valuable experience. The aim was to provide something that colleagues would
really find useful in working with their students. Finding space and time to
develop the resource and complete tasks to the necessary deadlines was
challenging and the CLIPCETL Fellowship provided the opportunity needed to
carry this out, making it possible to produce a valuable contribution to the
resources available to support our students.
Further information: http:www.arts.ac.uk/clipcetl-fundedprojects.htm
http://cltad.arts.ac.uk/groups/learningandteachingday/
Access the resources:
http://open.jorum.ac.uk:80/xmlui/handle/123456789/7040
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