Mature Students at Northumbria University

1
Mature Students at Northumbria University

• A Success Story

2
Introduction

• Northumbria University operates the Higher
  Education Foundation Course (HEFC) which is the
  oldest and largest access to HE course in the
  North East region and parts of Cumbria in the
  UK.
• It has a long established track record of
• widening access / participation to learning
• contributing to successful performance of
  mature students at HE
• For over 3 years now HEFC has been successfully
  transformed into distance /e learning format.

3
Profile of HEFC Key Facts

• Developed in 1981 as an access course route
  between Newcastle College and the then Newcastle
  Polytechnic (Northumbria University)
• Now 10 FE colleges and schools in the HEFC
  Consortium delivering HEFC across NE region and
  Carlisle
• Moderated and validated by Northumbria
  University
• Dual award
• University Foundation Certificate
• QAA recognised - National Access to HE Award

4
Profile of HEFC Key Facts

• Around 1500 students enrolled on average each
  year
• Reasons for study apart from access to HE,
  include as a first step back into study, personal
  or career enhancement,
• HEFC is highly regarded by local employers, e.g.
  Local NHS utilise the HEFC as part of a day
  release training programme for its own
  employees.
• Very flexible curriculum structure and flexible
  delivery modes to enable mature students to
  successfully combine study with work and / or
  family commitments

5
HEFC Flexible Curriculum Structure and Delivery

• subject based, fully unitised curriculum
  developed collaboratively by Northumbria with
  FE/school partners
• 25 academic and vocational subjects on offer
• preparatory level 2 study skills and key skills
  units available
• students can take bite sized units of learning
• credit for partial completion
• can be step on / off - 5 years to complete
  course - (most complete in 2 years)
• multiple entry points, summer school delivery,
• full part time and fast track modes of study,
• distance/online learning, blended models of
  delivery and
• now opportunities for mixed mode of study

6
Progression to HE of HEFC students

• HEFC is highly regarded by HE Admissions Tutors
• Numbers progressing to HE have grown steadily
  over last 8 years around 300 students now
  progressing to Northumbria University
• In total around 450 students now progress to HE
  each year typical progression destinations -
  nursing, teaching, social work
• Evidence this year of students also progressing
  on to Foundation degrees in local colleges.

7
Performance of HEFC Students Graduating from
Northumbria
Brackets indicate Northumbria average Failure
rate averaged as 3 comparable with Northumbria
average Non continuation rate of around 13
better than the HEFCE Benchmark for Northumbria
mature students of 16
8
HEFC Distance / e Learning Project 2000-2003

• What?
• HEFCE/ LSC funded Widening Participation
  Development Project aimed at mature students.
• Why?
• To WP in rural areas of Northumberland to those
  unable to undertake study via traditional
  classroom based delivery through work, family
  commitments or geographical location.
• How?
• By transforming a very successful access to HE
  course
• ( Higher Education Foundation Course ) into
  distance and online
• delivery format

9
HEFC D / e Learning Key Activities 2000-2003

• Phased rolling programme of development of HEFC
  subject modules transformed into distance and e
  learning formats
• Initially by tutors in FE college now in
  collaboration with Technical Development Team at
  Northumbria.
• Latterly -Technical Team develop materials to
  standardised design with content supplied by
  tutors.
• 6 subjects have now been successfully
  piloted, evaluated tweaked and validated with
  nearly 100 students. And 5 further subjects
  in production.
• DL materials developed in variety of formats -
  mix of,
• Web, cd rom and paper based and latterly use of
  VLE

10
HEFC D / e Learning Additional Benefits

• Materials have been successfully utilized by
  colleges to support irregular attenders - shift
  workers - on traditional classroom based
  delivery.
• Evidence from the third and final pilot year
  students are combining traditional based study
  with DL mode of study.

11
Profile of HEFC D / e Learning Student

• HEFC DL student is likely to be typically
• Female aged between 25 and 40
• with part time or full time work commitments
• with childcare responsibilities
• new to HEFC
• has access to a computer at home
• studying for range of reasons return to learn,
  career enhancement, progression to HE ( to
  teaching/nursing ) or HE study via OU

12
Student Views of HEFC D / e Learning

• Advantages
• flexibility
• self paced manage own time
• fits in with work commitments care
  responsibilities
• avoids travel
• Disadvantages
• isolation from peers/tutor
• time management self motivation
• technical problems

13
Support for HEFC D / e Learning Students

• Student support mechanisms in place
• Student induction induction pack for online
  study
• Face to face tutorials group / 1 to 1 Saturday
  mornings
• Email
• Telephone
• Letter
• HEFC website /message board /internet
• Written feedback on assignments
• Student study group / peer group

14
Support for HEFC D / e Learning Tutors

• Staff support mechanisms in place
• Staff handbook for DL/OL learning
• Distance Learning Tutors Forum real and virtual
• Mentoring system
• Staff development and training events
• Support by Technical Team

15
HEFC D / e Learning Results 2000-2003
16
Future Activity

• Fully integrate the learning materials within the
  University VLE platform Blackboard
• Realise the potential of HEFC via elearning for
  providing support to undergraduates with diverse
  pedagogic needs and academic or study skills
  gaps.
• Further develop distributed delivery model to WP
  to those without pc at home make HEFC available
  online in outreach community centres,
  libraries etc
• Undertake Research - gather student progression
  and destination data map student demand for
  online HE
• Develop a range of progression pathways,
  underpinned by HEFC online / e learning
  materials
• online foundation certificate /international
  foundation
• work based learning access to HE route
• access to foundation degrees / HNDs