Study Skills programmes: what difference do they make to student

retention, success and achievement?

Dr Tom Rogers and Annie Blair MAUniversity Centre Peterborough

Purpose of the Workshop

• Consider the methods and tools currently being used to support learning and academic development

• Help to identify how best to motivate and engage students with study skills programmes, particularly in relation to your own experiences with different types of learners.

• Question the value of different programmes, whether bespoke or generic

• Disseminate our LTA project award findings

Introduction and Overview• LTP award to assess effectiveness of study skills provision for

Anglia students at Peterborough (UCP / Guild House)• to identify most effective methods of helping students

develop academic skills for success at all levels• to take into account different student backgrounds and

learning needs• to support effective / collaborative working practices

between UCP / Guild House, deploy resources between Anglia partners and campuses productively and efficiently.

• to set-up on-going quality assurance processes• to engage students and colleagues in process of further

development

What do others offer?

“A random search of the web sites of 10 pre-1992 and 10 post -1992 universities in the UK revealed that all but two offer bolt-on study skills courses, either through student services, the student union, or through special skills centres. The skills most commonly addressed in these courses are time management, essay writing, presentation, note taking and revising for exams”. (Wingate, 2006: 458)

Profiling your students

GROUP EXERCISE•Divide your students up into 4 categories Type 1, Type 2, Type 3 and Type 4•Representative profile of students – range of backgrounds and prior study experience?•What kinds of challenges do you think these types of students might have? And what kind of extra support do you think they may need, which may not be able to be provided for by their subject tutors?

UCP Student ProfileTraditional•‘Classic fresher’ – former A-level student – 18+Non-traditional•‘International or English as 2nd Language Learners’•‘Mature students –returners, eg. women with care commitments•‘Additional support students’

UCP - Cohort Example

 AGE RANGE 18 - 21 21 - 30 30+  

Nos. 22 18 9  

  English, Media and Journalism Students – Year 1 - 2010/11Source: UCP Data – Student Profile

UCP student profile

• In 2011-12 academic year, 15% (62 out of 418) students learners declared a disability on their enrolment forms– 15 (3.5% of FTEs) have dyslexia – 10 (2% of FTEs) have dyspraxia or ADHD

• Mature students, incl. those with vocational qualifications, extensive industry experience, but few formal academic qualifications

• Specialist degree programmes such as Social Work and Archaeology attract particularly high numbers of these types of students

Profile of Level 4 Archaeology students(2011-12) – Cohort of 11

• 5 classed as mature students (25 and over) - differing lengths of time between leaving formal education and entering HE.

• 3 students hold a level 3 CAVA Access certificate. • 3 students hold Btec National Diplomas in a range of

subjects.• 4 students completed A-Levels, but only 2 of these

achieved predicted grade • One student with disability that impacts their learning.

Identified needs of Level 4 Archeology students (from Semester 1 tutor feedback)• Critical reading, • Note taking, • Assignment writing, • Harvard referencing, • Research skills• Time management Only the 3 students with CAVA Access certificate were sufficiently competent and confident in skills needed for successful degree level study

UCP – Study Skills Matrix 2012/13 – Your views?

Dissemination of Findings

UCP Study Skills questionnaire distributed with module evaluation survey Semester 1 and Semester 2 – 2012/13

UCP Courses and student numbers 2012-13

• Year 1 = 214• Year 2 = 151• Year 3 = 185

Semester 2Student Responses (n=104)

Student Responses

Respondents that made comment on timing of session:

80% Did not like times of sessions18% Did not like location

Example of student responsesTiming:

• “Due to times and work commitments unable to attend”• “Lunch is precious few minutes in midst of day of long

lectures and a well deserved break so extra study is not appealing”

• “Do them during time we are at Uni days“• “More flexible times that do not clash with lectures” • “Allocated in timetable like tutorial”• “Family and work friendly “

Example of student responses Location

• “At MJC where we are based as it is hard to get to UCP on extra days and time”

• “During daytime need to be at UCP” • “Hold at UCP not at Guild House”

Student responses: content/topics/resources• “The session was not specifically for the degree I am taking so the tutor

couldn't focus on one particular subject, leaving myself being there for no reason”

• “Essay tips, consultations and how to structure report “• “Help on academic learning for mature students”• “Information that relates to modules”• “Academic reading, writing and note taking”• “More on VLE” • “More electronic resources”• “Would be better to have a webpage dedicated to this whole subject of SS

in case people can't make them”

And finally

“General drop-in sessions with lecturers, therefore freedom to drop by “

Guild House, PeterboroughStudy Skills Support run by ARU Student ServicesDrop-in Sessions• Drop-in sessions are held covering typical problems such

as: time management, structuring assignments and grammar and punctuation difficulties.

• The room used has individual student computer access and staff white board facilities

DayRoom Time

Wednesday107b

12pm – 1pm

Friday107b

12pm – 1pm

In Summary

• The ARU adviser for Peterborough Guild House students occasionally presents Skills@Uni sessions

• Essay writing • Reading for academic purposes • Oral presentations • Exams and revision

Recommendations for 2013/14

Study Skills - UCP• Use of VLE• Timing of sessions• Different campus delivery• More open ‘drop-in’ sessions, e.g., essay writing• Liaise with tutors to provide tailored booked sessions• Embed in curriculum delivery• Work with student representatives and UCP embassadors

BibliographyARU Student Services (Online) Available at: <http://web.anglia.ac.uk/anet/student_services/study_support/study-support-sessions.phtml> [Accessed on 14 June 2013]ARU Study Skills (Online) Available at <http://Anglia.libguides.com/studyskills>[Accessed on 14 June 2013]Department for Business Innovation and Skills (BIS 2011) Higher education: Students at the heart of the system. Available from: http://www.bis.gov.uk/.../he-white-paper-students-at-the-heart-of-the-system [Accessed on 3 August 2012]Oxford Brookes University 2005 Enhancing Graduate Employability (Online) Available at http://www.enhancingemployability.org.uk/index.php [Accessed on 4th January 2013)Thomas, L. 2012, What works? Student Retention and success (Online)Available at http://www.heacademy.ac.uk/assets/documents/retention/what_works_final_report.pdf [Accessed on 10 June 2013]Wingate, U., 2006, Doing away with ‘study skills’ Teaching in Higher Education, 11 (4) pp 457-469