Findings

This page provides a brief summary of the key features of each pilot project showing what worked about them and why, the success factors and next steps. For more information on evidence-base and evaluative process refer to the pilot projects page here. You will also find links to presentations that provide detail on the projects. Results will continue to be added – please keep checking back.

THEME: STUDENT BELONGING

Photography Zine Project

by Yuxin Jiang

What Worked

The zine fair itself was the most successful part of the project for community building where students connected through shared purpose – they commented on the benefits of peer to peer learning as well as connecting with others outside of class settings.   It led to acts of kindness, while they sharing the experience; it led to them feeling confident to connect to others at the event.   Success factors: The number of participants (small numbers helped foster community), communicating around personal projects (developing professional confidence), support from staff, the pace, the buzzy atmosphere and its extra-curricular nature were central to its success.

Next Steps

The next steps will focus on developing the lead-up workshops to make them more relevant to the students and also to develop more relaxing community spaces in the run up to the fair   More regular curated opportunities will be explored that can be staged through the year to increase opportunities for students to benefit.   Facilitating further the cross-years connection.

THEME: Redesigning and Scaffolding Cross-Programme Units

Redesigning the Research Project

by Thomas Giagkoglou

What worked

A condensed unit led to many challenges, particularly as the unit was run cross-programme: scaffolding the unit was key to helping students through a complex project within one block, balancing the teaching of new skills, placing content at point of use (eg analysis) and supporting independent time for students to explore their own directions.   The evaluation showed that the pacing, the structured approach, the variety of teaching methods and retreat days were central to building confidence and keeping up motivation:  the student experience was good, levels of confidence remained relatively strong and students recognised they had learnt new and relevant skills throughout the unit.  The results were extremely positive for the first year of this unit. Success factors: Retreat days – for community building, structured and dedicated support, shared endeavour, carefully orchestrated events Tutor access – in different ways built into the structure , seminars, group tutorials, 1-2-1s, retreat days Checking in with students – ensuring they felt on top of the pace and confident with next steps Clear, staged approach – students felt this gave them confidence they could achieve this – while students still felt they had time to explore own direction

Next steps

Student journey – scaffolding from year 2 will be consistent across programme allowing for more knowledge building, extending learning and overcoming points of anxiety; consider also year 1 as start of journey Preparedness and readiness – Proposal from year 2 unit, which will have been assessed, means students will have made decisions/revisions earlier and start with more confidence Pinch-points – paying attention to support over winter break and start of spring term where assessment timing that cannot change but causes anxiety Timely support for specific content – certain areas emerged that need more support at the point they are used within the project and scaffolding and retreat days will take that into account – (analysis support) – the yr 2 unit will make this easier too.   Retreats – developing pedagogy – these worked very well – plan to refine full days based on learning and add in further shorter formats to increase regularity and support – with, for example, ‘snack writing’ to support reengagement after the break Consider options to support inclusivity further – eg where students miss sessions how do they get back into the unit – as supervisors will be allocated earlier so will have better way to identify at risk students here Explore ways to improve consistency in attainment across the 4 courses

Theme: EMPLOYABILITY

Embedding Employability for MA Journalism

by Lucia Vodanovic

What worked

Employability was already a key consideration for the course – this project focused on embedding it further and increasing awareness of the various offers within the course.   Success factors: comprehensive approach – from dedicated workshops, awareness raising sessions and resources sites; reinforcing journey led to much greater recognition of the skills being developed in class; using evaluation to raise awareness was also a success factor.

Next  Steps

Developing the padlet further as a live resource   Refining the offer around the student journey through the course   Exploring how to build student confidence further

Theme: P2P LEARNING AND PROFESSIONAL PRACTICE DEVELOPMENT

Tutorials, P2P Learning & Professional Practice

by Alexia Singh

What works

Embedded and scaffolded tutorials were highly effective for developing professional practice – supporting:   Student Experience – confidence building in showing, in critiquing each other, building strong P2P connection, inclusivity and building a sense of community   Student Learning – for ideas development and learning from peers, professional development from the gallery presentation   Success factors: Tutors good and consistent in approach, peer to peer learning nurtured over the unit, confidence growing through the term, effective for inclusivity and community-building, developed professional practice within the unit, working towards a show building community, postits for critique to build confidence displaying work effective.

Next steps

Gallery-quality output is now part of the assessments – (deals assessment clashes and confusions – as well as supports further engagement)   New assessment is aligned to industry and starts journey to yr 3 FMP (student journey)   Set points within unit to shoot elements (so will have work to discuss and show)   More process aspects worked into the tutorials earlier (eg paper choices etc.)   With this further scaffolding – students will feel less of a gap between tutorials and show, because they will have made more decision by end of unit

THEME: EMBEDDING ACADEMIC SKILLS

Embedding Academic Skills

by Alejandro Abraham Hamanoiel

What worked

Embedding the sessions meant more students received specific academic skills teaching at the point they might use them; confidence in identifying, finding and doing each skill was built up step by step in bite-sized ways and were closely contextualized within the unit modelling the work in main session, so it was very integrated.   Contextualising meant students understood relevance of the learning and started to use the terminology more confidently from this approach.   Success factors    Contextualising – linking to the unit itself and illustrating the skills in action within the session, using terminology regularly    Structure –carefully scaffolded, building step by step, breaking them down into smaller specific topics to concentrate on them and aid retention    Timing – not a slew of topics in one go at the start but spread throughout the unit at the point they would start to be used.

What next?

Student learning – developing this unit further so that it moves from an from academic essay to an academic portfolio – further reinforcing skills set and student confidence, ready to undertake essay in next theory unit   Practical teaching – Workshops should continue next year, with an emphasis on practical exercises   Further embedding Academic Skills Workshops  – consider this for further theory units and taught in context    To develop – Additional support should be given on the writing and structuring of academic texts as well as ways to work with academic support to help this alignment with the units; considering ways to extend learning for those who are already more knowledgeable