Weaving a disentangled web: developing
partnerships and integrating input
Tom Reid
Diana Hopkins
University of Bath
Brief History
Evolution
Case study of new UG programme
Migration to PG programmes
Case study of new PG programme
Final thought
Academic & Professional
Communication Skills (APCS)
The history
 Series of lectures
 Key skills for academic & professional
communication
 Discipline specific
 Y1 undergraduates
Academic & Professional
Communication Skills (APCS)
The history
 Series of lectures
 Key skills for academic & professional
communication
 Discipline specific
 Y1 undergraduates
•
•
•
•
•
Lab reports
Technical reports
Traditional essays
Reflective essays
Individual and
group work
•
•
•
•
Architecture
• Brochure
Pharmacy
Lab report
Magazine article
Journal
PIL
The evolution of the programme
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Initial lectures were ‘add-ons’
Students chose not to come!
Motivation a real problem
Feedback from students who did attend was
mainly positive
Problem: how to get students to attend
Initial solutions
How can I get a
better mark?
 Assessment
 Focus on specific assessment tasks eg their
Language and skills input
essays
‘by stealth’ using students’
 Registers
instrumental motivation
 Academic endorsement through presence in
lectures
Adaptations and what we learnt
along the way
Case study of UG programme
Sports and Exercise Science
Been involved
since the outset
Motivation a
problem
Our role
has
been
pivotal
Brought in a
compulsory
Moodle quiz
Unit only ‘Pass or
Fail’ – so attendance
about 50%
Whole new
unit, with new
assessment and
full range of
marks
New Unit – Professional Development
Comprises:
10 weeks of lectures
- 4 lectures from ASC
- 4 from library and careers
- 1 from current student back from placement
- 1 from graduate in interesting job
Assessment by essay and by Moodle quiz
Marks contribute to degree, whole range from Fail,
3rd, 2.2, 2.1, First.
Our content:
 Writing your Reflective Essay (title analysis, what a reflective
essay is, what sections to include, what kind of language to
use)
 Scientific Writing: Incorporating sources (references, tables
and figures) and criticality
 Scientific Writing: Cohesion and Coherence and how to make
your message flow
 Sections of a lab report and language of a lab report (tense
choice, passives, hedges)
Assessment by essay and by
Moodle quiz
Essay title:
Theory suggests that working in a team leads to better outcomes, and that
communication is an essential element to successful performance in this context
(Weinberg & Gould, 2011). Based on this theoretical underpinning, discuss how you
have developed your team-working and communication skills during the first year of the
BSc Sport and Exercise Science programme, how these skills have impacted on your
academic studies to date, and how you believe they will be useful in your future career.
(1500 words).
This is a reflective piece of writing so should be written in the first person
The assignment should involve reflective / critical evaluation in addition to description
The assignment will be marked based on three element; (i) use of the literature, (ii)
reflection and (iii) clarity of expression
Assessment Criteria
Mark Use of sources
Range and breadth of
reading
1st
75 and
above
Evidence of
exceptionally
wide-ranging
and
independent
reading
Depth and
development of
reflection and
critical evaluation
An excellent level
of reflection and
creativity
Demonstrates a
very high level of
critical evaluation
and originality.
Clarity of expression,
presentation of material
and organisation
(including referencing)
Excellent structure and
organization.
Sophisticated academic
style, excellent standard
of written grammar,
punctuation and spelling.
Excellent referencing and
citation conventions
throughout.
Assessment Criteria
Mark Use of sources
Range and breadth of
reading
1st
75 and
above
Evidence of
exceptionally
wide-ranging
and
independent
reading
Depth and
development of
reflection and
critical evaluation
An excellent level
of reflection and
creativity
Demonstrates a
very high level of
critical evaluation
and originality.
Clarity of expression,
presentation of material
and organisation
(including referencing)
Excellent structure and
organization.
Sophisticated academic
style, excellent standard
of written grammar,
punctuation and spelling.
Excellent referencing and
citation conventions
throughout.
Moodle quiz
The Moodle quiz to be completed during week 29
will be on the key aspects of academic skills
covered in the lectures in weeks 22, 23, 25 & 28.
Moodle quiz
The Moodle quiz to be completed during week 29
will be on the key aspects of academic skills
covered in the lectures in weeks 22, 23, 25 &
28.
What happens next?
Course is being delivered as we speak …
We will:
 canvass students & academics for feedback
 study the assessments (Moodle quiz and essay)
to inform future input
 work with the department to make adaptations
UG role established
PG role now being implemented…
Professional Skills for
Engineering Practice
A fully embedded unit within the PG Engineering
Masters programme
Rationale
UK engineering firms unhappy about poor (or nonexistent) workplace skills of Post-PG students
Poor writers
Poor communicators
Poor problem-solvers
Poor decision-makers
Poor team players
Poor leaders
A New Professional Skills Unit
 Engineering - Academic Skills Centre Partnership
( co-delivered)
 APCS Plus
 Fully embedded & integrated Programme of
lectures and seminar workshops - content, skills,
language
 Collaboration on content/skills
input/assignments/assessments
 ASC led 2 of 5 unit components (with in-class
academic support)
Syllabus
1.Ethics in engineering essay ( 1500 words) – ASC (with Dept)
2.Presentation Skills assignment – Dept (with ASC)
3.Critical analysis report ( table + summary) – ASC (with Dept)
4.Group working task – Dept (with ASC)
5.Time management task – Dept (with ASC)
Syllabus
1.Ethics in engineering essay ( 1200 words) – ASC (with Dept)
2.Presentation Skills assignment – Dept (with ASC)
3. Critical analysis report ( table + summary) – ASC (with Dept)
4. Group working task – Dept (with ASC)
5. Time management task – Dept (with ASC)
Each component
2 x Lectures
2 x Seminar workshops
2 x tutorial drop-ins
Ethics Lectures: Structure, cohesion, developing your argument, effective
use of sources, style, language issues
Ethics seminars: Case Study- Group problem-solving & decision-making
Critical Analysis Lectures: Critical reading, evaluating evidence, using
sources to develop and support an argument, the language of criticality
Critical analysis seminars: journal article analysis: Group working
Each component
2 x Lectures
2 x Seminar workshops
2 x tutorial drop-ins
Department
 Advised on Engineering content
 Provided resources
 Provided samples of students’ work with feedback and grades
ASC
 Advised on assessment criteria and descriptors (skills and language)
 Designed seminar tasks
 Provided additional student feedback (skills and language)
Feedback & Evaluation
 Overall satisfaction 4.25/5 (average)
 Understanding of subject ( 4.16/5 (average)
 Skills Improvement 4.12/5 (average)
“This course was very useful”
“ Good preparation for my future”
“This course taught me how to think, study, work
with others, and improve my terrible writing!”
Challenges
 Timetabling
 Hearts and minds
 Assessment overload
 Native-non-native mix
 Content-skills mix
Disentangling the Web
Our route to success
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Perceived & Real Need
Academic Champions (with lots of meetings!)
Core Unit ( with clear rationale)
A fully embedded Programme - ASC as part of the team (not a
bolt on)
 Content + academic, workplace & language skills via creditbearing, assessed, authentic, task-based activities and
assignments
 TEAM design, TEAM delivery & TEAM support
 Long-term commitment ( organic and flexible)
A final thought
“Oh what a tangled web we weave, when first we
practise to deceive.” Sir Walter Scott
Disentangled content-skills through
embedded collaborative provision
BUT
Is there deception afoot…?
Weaving a disentangled web: developing
partnerships and integrating input
We have developed partnerships and
integrated input …
but …have we integrated output?
References
Baik, C. and Greig, J., 2009. Improving the academic outcomes of undergraduate ESL students: the
case for discipline‐based academic skills programs. Higher Education Research & Development, 28(4),
pp.401-416.
Biggs, J. and Tang, C., 2007. Teaching for quality learning at university (Society for research into higher
education).
Butcher, C Davies C, Melissa, H., 2006. Designing Learning: From module outline to effective teaching.
Routledge London.
Fallows, S. and Steven, C., 2000. Building employability skills into the higher education curriculum: a
university-wide initiative. Education+ training, 42(2), pp.75-83.
Fry, H., Ketteridge, S. and Marshall, S., 2008. A handbook for teaching and learning in higher education:
Enhancing academic practice. Routledge.
The Higher Education Academy, 2015. UK Professional Standards Framework. Available from:
<https://www.heacademy.ac.uk/recognition-accreditation/uk-professional-standards-framework-ukpsf>.
[28 November 2015].
Hill, P., Tinker, A. and Catterall, S., 2010. From deficiency to development: the evolution of academic
Thank you
Any Questions?