Learning from the Open University Londonand Trinity College Dublin

Presentation Aims

Background

Open University

Trinity College

Discussion

To encourage VUW course developers and teachers to consider being completely transparent about the university skills they are teaching along with their content in first year courses.

To celebrate VUW’s embracing of education technology and think about what else we can do to harness technological advancements

To encourage VUW to increase the work they do with catchment low decile schools – primary and secondary - inspiring students and families to aim for university – preferably Victoria University.

Visit to Open University, Milton Keynes

Visit to Trinity College

What was learned about university access and

community outreach?

Picture: Open University

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaBBk-kpmL4

2 million plus students since 1969

More than 250 thousand students in 40 countries studying short courses, vocational qualifications, degrees & PhDs

OU has topped National Student Satisfaction Survey on quality of courses & support each year since 2005 when these surveys began

Independent authorities e.g. QAA, consistently rank the OU in the top five UK universities for teaching quality and virtually all of the University’s research areas have received ratings of national or international excellence

13 regional centres in UK

Offices and regional examination centres in most other European countries

In partnership with The Open Polytechnic,NZ

the OU actively engages in research e.g. the OU's Planetary and Space Sciences Research Institute is known through its involvement in space missions. The OU now employs over 500 people engaged in research in over 25 areas with over 1,200 research students. Approximately £20 million p.a is spent on research, around £6 million from the Higher Education Funding Council for England, the remainder from external funders.

Picture: Google maps

“Everything we do must be of the highest quality”

People first, then processes followed by harnessing new technology

Access is not true access if people don’t know about us (marketing of Victoria University)

Be deliberate about providing first year students with study skills

People

Learning materials

New technologies – web, you tube, video,

podcasts

The OU web presence allows prospective

students to taste learning – gifts are the best

marketing tools Access is not true access without support to

ensure success - study skills are taught and assessed transparently. Skills are integrated into each Openings course – and first year courses

Reflection is a key learning tool in all courses

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/history-the-arts/history/world-history/the-battle-turnham-green

http://www.open.ac.uk/skillsforstudy/

http://www3.open.ac.uk/study/atoz/openings-courses.htm

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/study/subjects/coursecatalogue.aspx

http://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/learning/programme-course-paper/paper.cfm?paper_code=146101&paper_offering_id=1177573&study_year=2012

Darkes, 2011 p 10

The skills associated with each chapter in this book Chapter 2 Reading and note taking Chapter 3 Reading photographs, graphs and

tables Chapter 4 Academic writing Chapter 5 Essay writing Chapter 6 Using evidence in your written work Chapter 7 Comparing the work of different

social scientists Chapter 8 Selecting material from across the

module to use in your written work(Darkes, 2011 p 18 )

learning to read in different ways for different purposes making notes where appropriate on your reading understanding different kinds of evidence writing clearly in different styles for different purposes writing essays: a particular form of writing you will need to

develop if you are aiming to continue with higher education

selecting and organising material relevant to a particular task

planning and managing your time so that you can complete a task in the agreed time

learning from feedback identifying your own strengths and weakness

(Darkes, 2011)

https://intranet.victoria.ac.nz/academic/reviews/undergraduate-review.aspx

Picture: Open University

15% of Trinity College university places are

reserved for students from disadvantaged

backgrounds

Now that this level has been achieved, (and TAP students are successful), 22% of places are now reserved for TAP students

http://www.tcd.ie/Trinity_Access/

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/science/Awhina/gallery.php

Te Rōpū Āwhina and the team in Student, Recruitment, Admission and Orientation both run outreach programmes and have strong links with secondary schools especially low decile schools.Va'aomanū Pasifika http://www.victoria.ac.nz/pasifika/about/community.aspx

http://www.victoria.ac.nz/science/Awhina/alumni.php

School of chemistry and physical scienceshttp://www.victoria.ac.nz/scps/about/events/school-prog.aspx

SRAOhttp://www.victoria.ac.nz/srca/about/staff.aspx#leah

Māori Support/Outreachhttp://www.victoria.ac.nz/home/viclife/studentservice/maoristudentsupport.aspx

Presentation Aims

Background

Open University

Trinity College

Discussion

What do we (VUW) do now to help students develop the necessary skills for success at university? How can we improve on these? For example, Student Learning Support, and WRIT101 is a very popular and necessary course. Do we also need a course specifically to support student to develop critical thinking and academic reading skills? Or do we need to integrate skills into every first year course?

What do we (VUW) do now to reach into the region’s secondary schools to foster dreams and strategies for coming to Victoria University? Can we do more? We have outreach programmes, send out ambassadors and hold open days. Are families involved and are student ambitions awakened sufficiently early enough for them to make good subject choices?

Other viewpoints?