The aim of objective one of the project was to explore the possibilities of pedagogical harmonisation in PDP between the HE and the 16–19 sectors.
Four local schools and colleges, covering the spectrum of provision in and around Nottingham were linked with four similar institutions in the DfES Progress File Demonstration Projects.
Focus groups of students, University staff, schools and colleges staff met to compare practice and look for possible points of connection.
A questionnaire was completed by 16 – 19 institutions to determine current practice in recording achievement and reflecting upon students’ learning.
The idea of a Transition Document came “bottom up” from a Twilight Session of SPARCs and schools and colleges staff, during which it was realised that the UCAS personal statement was limited, often out of date by the time a student reached university, and in any case had to be completely generic in order to fulfil the conditions of the UCAS form.
There was very wide consultation on the document: first year undergraduates, year 12 students, university staff, schools and colleges staff and the Students'; Union; it reached eight drafts and was then re-drafted in the light of the new Disability legislation.
Piloting took place in August and September 2002. A paper version was piloted in Geography, and an electronic version in Engineering. There was a huge response to the paper version, with 187 students completing and returning the form out of a total of 191 students. The electronic version ran into a few problems, and was not fully operational until 10 September, but from then until 23 September 48 students accessed the site, with 39 students completing the questionnaire.
First reactions to the non-completion of the electronic questionnaire suggested a possible reluctance to commit information of a personal nature to an email. However, later replies from three of the nine students show that this is probably not the case: “fed up with filling out forms”, “forgot”, “my computer crashed and I never got round to filling it in”.
It would seem that there is a clear need for a document of this type; indeed several students indicated that they would have been very pleased to have been able to complete something like this before their first personal tutorial.
On completion of the New Entrant Profile, the student enters early into the PARs or ePARs system.
This system would be particularly helpful to Widening Participation students, who by definition do not have a family background of entry into HE.
Transition is the area singled out by UCAS as the 'key issue for all groups': 'Progression into and through HE and into employment needs to be seen not in isolation, but as a whole experience, throughout which students need information, support and guidance' (Paving the Way, UCAS, May 2002). Transition features very strongly in the report's recommendations.
Work with the Widening Participation unit has begun, and work with the new Nottingham Passport (a Progress File being developed for transition between key stages in Nottingham City schools) will also begin this year, as well as a continuing liaison with the DfES Progress File team, creating a potential '16 – 19 into HE' demonstration site of national importance, thus keeping Nottingham at the forefront of educational development in this area.
Maureen Fox
24 October, 2002
Now you've got your place at Nottingham, you're bound to be wondering what it's going to be like, how you'll get on with your Tutor, etc. You may know that your School will be running personal tutorials on the ePARs system (electronic Personal and Academic Records – Nottingham's HE Progress File), and, to get you started on this system, we'd like you to complete a questionnaire, which you'll find on the University website.
Completing this questionnaire will allow your Personal Tutor to find out a little about you before you go to your first personal tutorial, and this can be used as a basis for that tutorial. Please bear in mind that it's not compulsory, it's not an application form, or a test, or anything that's going to be marked – it's just a way of helping to ease you into university life, and to help your Tutor, too!
What you need to do is:
Get on to the University home page (www.nottingham.ac.uk)
Click on 'For students'
Look in the 'Academic' list
Click on 'ePARs'
Look at the bottom of the Log in page
Click on the link ‘New Entrant Profile’ for UCAS applicants for the
2003/04 academic session at The University of Nottingham
This link will redirect you to the New Entrant Profile login page
You will need your 10-digit UCAS number and a password of your own choice (max length 10 characters) to access the Profile