HEAR: our journey so far

Professor Stephen Hill, University of

Gloucestershire

UoG situation• Member of 1st Pilot Group in 2008• Work on the European Diploma Supplement meant that much information

required for the HEAR was available• Existing transcripts granulated information even to assessment

methodologies at assignment level• Previously available data:

– University prizes– Period of study abroad– Additional awards (e.g. coaching, ECDL)– Student Ambassadors– Student Mentors

• Worked with Students’ Union and Careers to establish process to allow for verification of additional achievement through small non-accredited (ghost) modules

• Students present claims for verification of achievement

• Great concern to ensure equity of access

Employers’ reactions: UoG Employability Forum

• Keep it simple• Fairly happy with traditional classification• Interested in real-world, co-curricular, non-formal

learning as well as academic learning• Not greatly interested in drilling down into details of

marks (THEN)• In favour of evaluation and articulation of achievement

rather than bare lists of activities• Want graduates who show that they can think and adapt,

with transferable skills• Want graduates who can articulate how they did it and

why their achievement matters

Identify the benefits for students and staff• Enhances student experience – more holistic and

transparent acknowledgment of achievement• Explicit record of employability skills with evidence• Encourages students to articulate why they are

employable• Can be used formatively as scaffold for student

development• Employers can search for particular types of graduate• Can drive enhancement of TLA• Encourages students to be reflective and reflexive• Supports more strategic approaches to public and

community engagement• Strengthens links between HEI and SU• AND…….

Electronic HEAR• UoG supported the development of the Gradintel

application• Gradintel:

– provides an e-transcript service– can be searched by employers on the basis of certain

criteria to identify appropriate students– is ‘free’ for students – will be the repository for HEARs for the future

Records and systems• How does the HEAR fit into your systems?• How much detail about assessment methods can you

produce?• Key issues for Section 4:

– Generation of user-friendly programme specifications (CFR and CogenT http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/cogent/)

– Access to programme specifications• Key issues for Section 6:

– The HEAR is about achievement, not just about activity– What does ‘verification’ look like?

• Scaling up to work for all your students.• What about part-timers, PG students, collaborative

provision?

The tricky bit: section 6

Section 6: Key issues

– Are we considering experience or achievement?

– How do we secure equity of opportunity for all students?

– What does ‘verification’ actually look like and how does it differ from assessment or evaluation?

– Who will ‘verify’?

Student Learning Experience

• Curriculum: accredited and formal (Section 4)• Co-curriculum: not accredited, but verified,

can involve application of knowledge and understanding from formal curriculum, or development of graduate attributes which are part of broad programme outcomes (Section 6)

• Extra-curriculum: not accredited, not verified, but achievement may still contribute to development of graduate attributes (not university-initiated, so probably not in HEAR)

Section 6.1 – Gloucestershire

‘The University of Gloucestershire has adopted the presumption that students should be involved in decisions about whether they wish to have achievement verified for the HEAR, and to what extent.’

• What did you do?• Details of your achievement

• How much effort was involved?• What impact did it have?• How would you do it differently next time?

• Was the activity University-initiated?• Do you want the achievement reported in your

HEAR?• Confirmation by mentor/supervisor• Verified by approved member of staff or S

Personal statement of achievement for verification

Attributes / skills developed...Application of Numeracy &

ICT

Business / Social

Awareness

Communication & Literacy

Problem-solving & Creativity

Teamwork & Leadership

Community Engagement

Culture

Employment

Enterprise

Internship

Research

Sport

Sustainability

Expe

rienc

e ga

ined

thro

ugh.

..

PSA

PSA

PSA

PSA

Communication & Literacy Award

=

Attributes / skills developed...Application of Numeracy &

ICT

Business / Social

Awareness

Communication & Literacy

Problem-solving & Creativity

Teamwork & Leadership

Community Engagement

Culture

Employment

Enterprise

Internship

Research

Sport

Sustainability

Expe

rienc

e ga

ined

thro

ugh.

..

Employment Award

=

PSAPSA PSA PSA

Extending the Student Year

• Teaching blocks extended by one week to 13 weeks. This allows 2 weeks per year in which activities relating to development of generic graduate skills (employability, information and digital literacy) can be delivered by staff from Careers, LIS, TLI).

• 4 intercalated weeks in which co-curricular and extra-curricular activities can take place, including volunteering, sports events, work placements and internships, training courses, etc. These weeks will be common for all students, and, whenever possible, scheduled to coincide with occasions such as Gold Cup Week.

• Space at end of academic year for preparation for following academic year, and celebration of student achievement through end-of-year shows and a UoG Festival week.

Student as anActive Learner

Curriculum

Student as anActive PartnerCo-curriculum

Student as anActive Citizen

Extra-curriculum

The Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR)

Recognition of a richer picture of student achievement including verification of co-curricular learning will enhance

• Student engagement

• Student success

• Graduate employability

The student experience

Combining a student-driven e-portfolio with an electronic HEAR will enable students to present themselves and their achievements from volunteering, work experience, or life more fully and effectively to potential employers