closing the student attainment gap at the University of Derby Jean Mutton Student Experience Project Manager jmuttonderbyacuk HERAG Think Tank 23 rd June 2014 Overview This presentation will cover ID: 348626
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Practical Recipes for Student Success – closing the student attainment gap at the University of Derby
Jean Mutton, Student Experience Project Manager,
j.mutton@derby.ac.uk
HERAG Think Tank,
23
rd
June
2014Slide2
OverviewThis presentation will cover:BME attainment gap - backgroundResearch/horizon scanningDerby approach
PReSSResults What next for Derby?Q/A
Black, minority ethnic students
= BME studentsSlide3
Derby UniversityDerby is a modern (post 1992) university with a diverse student body of 23,000 + 1 in 5 define themselves as ‘Black Minority Ethnic’ (inc
International, EU and Home students)Widening Participation agenda across HENationally, the ‘good honours’ (1st or 2i) attainment gap of UK-domiciled BME students in 2010/11 was 18.4% we asked - what is the picture at Derby?
(Ref: ECU ‘Equality in HE: statistical report 2012’)Slide4
Diverse Body of StudentsSlide5
BME Attainment GapThe educational attainment gap in schools has a significant impact on who actually goes to university.There
is already a significant gap by the age of 5.Children from poor backgrounds are only half as likely to go to university as their more affluent counterpartsIn higher education the ‘social’ and ‘gender’ gaps persist and can be subject
specific
The biggest attainment gap within higher education exists between
white indigenous
students
and BME students
Source
: Abrahams, D. (2012)Slide6
Post Racial and Super Diversity…
”it is crucial that we don’t restrict our notion of diversity to issues of ethnicity, faith and immigration status – as though it were in a separate silo from other kinds of diversity – disability, gender, age and sexual orientation – which is what people in the equality field also mean when they talk about equality of opportunity and inclusion”
Dr. Sarah Spencer (Senior Fellow) Centre on Migration, Policy and Society (COMPAS)
http://citiesofmigration.ca/ezine_stories/sarah-spencer-super-diversity-and-the-city/
Remove labels and move away from the “deficit model” to a model that makes positive use of ‘social’ and ‘cultural capital’
Move from ‘integration’ to ‘inclusion’. Much current practice is the former……Slide7
Horizon Scanning for SolutionsWe looked across the sector, internationally, nationally and here at Derby for best practice and research into what works. We joined the Higher Education Race Action group HERAG which is an HE group looking into race in HE, staff and
studentsWe made contact with staff in other universities who were researching into BME attainment through networks such as RAISE‘Disparity in Student Attainment Project (DISA)A joint venture between Coventry and WolverhamptonAll
Parliamentary Party
Group
I
nquiry response.Slide8
One Way
Vs
Two Way
Student Pedagogies
Quality of Relationships
Fit to Submit
Assignment Types
Assignment Brief
Interlocutors
Empathic Pedagogies
Relationship with the University
Blind Marking
Support Signposting
Dissertation Marking
Autonomy in Learning
Feedback
Submission Type Flexibility
Spiky Degree Profiles
Individualisation
Internal vs
external
Folk pedagogies
Locus of Control
Being and becoming
Trust
Understanding Classification
Aspiration Raising
Encouraging Responsibility and Accountability
Support
Role Models
University Culture at Home
Students: Vox Pops
Pygmalion Effect
Information for Parents
Relationships
Academic Processes
Psychological Processes
Cultural and Social CapitalSlide9
BME Attainment Gap at Derby
Targets ‘Good Hons’
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
BME
31%
33
%
35%
40%
45%
50%
OTHER
61%
61
%
62%
63%
64%
65%
Attainment Gap
30%
28
%
27%
23%
19%
15%Slide10
BME Attainment Gap at DerbyBME attainment gap for 2011/12 by individual module grade Slide11
What Works?
Confidence and aspiration raisingDevelopment of inclusive teaching practices and promotion of a partnership approach - (anticipatory and proactive)Continual enhancement of assessment methods and approaches including the promotion of assessment choice
Development of inclusive feedback approaches
Promotion of discipline specific academic writing skills
Be reflective – review strategies regularly and ensure the needs of
ALL
learners are being
met
No Magic Bullet
Post-racial, inclusive approach required
A suite of different strategies requiredSlide12
PReSS
Easy for staff to access and use
Packs are downloadable as word documents for easy customisation
Blog format allows users to post feedback and suggestionsSlide13
The Derby ApproachPReSS!But also…
…Preparing to Start University (VO) …Students as partners …Students as mentors …Transition Pedagogies …And more!Slide14
Results
Targets ‘Good Hons’
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
BME
31%
33
%
35%
40%
45%
50%
OTHER
61%
61
%
62%
63%
64%
65%
Attainment Gap
30%
28
%
27%
23%
19%
15%
Targets
‘
Good Hons’
2011/12
2012/13
2013/14
2014/15
2015/16
2016/17
BME
31%
33
%
41%
35%
40%
45%
50%
OTHER
61%
61
%
64%
62%
63%
64%
65%
Attainment Gap
30%
28
%
23%
27%
23%
19%
15%Slide15
Challenges:
More than action research
How else can we assess impact?
PReSS Going forwards
Is the project ‘out of control’?
Need more suggestions
for packs
Feedback on usefulness of existing packsSlide16
Questions and AnswersSlide17
ReferencesAbrahams, D. (2012) Educational attainment in BME communities http://www.debbieabrahams.org.uk/2012/educational-attainment-in-bme-communities [accessed 6th May 2013]
QAA (2007) Subject benchmark statement Education Studies (2nd edition) http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/Education07.pdf [accessed 6th May 2013]QAA (2013) UK quality code for higher education chapter B4: enabling student development and achievement.
http://www.qaa.ac.uk/Publications/InformationAndGuidance/Documents/Quality-Code-Chapter-B4.pdf
[accessed 6th May 2013]
Singh, G. (2013)
Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) attainment: interventions and next steps
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0BwS56FFHhG7ebmRvZWI0LWVGN00/edit
[accessed 6th May 2013]
Spencer, S. (2012)
Super diversity and the city
http://citiesofmigration.ca/ezine_stories/sarah-spencer-super-diversity-and-the-city/
[accessed 6
th
May 2013]