Award Holder Showcase 2007-08.pdf - Plymouth

Award Holder Scheme 

A Showcase of HE in FE practitioners 

research & scholarly activity: 

The work of the 2007-08 Award Holders 

Compiled & Edited by Rebecca Turner 

Higher Education Learning Partnerships (HELP) 

Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) 

HELPcetl 

higher education learning partnerships 

Showcase V5.indd 1 06/10/2009 09:22:29

The HELP CETL Award Holder Scheme 

The Higher Education Learning Partnerships (HELP) Centre for Excellence in Teaching 

and Learning (CETL) is part of a national network of 74 CETLs funded by the Higher 

Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) to reward excellent teaching practice 

and further invest in this practice to benefit students, staff and institutions (HEFCE, 2005). 

The HELP CETL, in conjunction with the University of Plymouth’s Partner College Faculty 

(UPC), has implemented a programme of research, developments and interventions 

to enhance the experience of students studying HE in FE (see www.help-cetl.ac.uk for 

further details). In taking forward HEFCE recommendations (HEFCE, 2003) concerning 

the provision of HE in FE, the HELP CETL is working to promote a culture of HE in FE in 

which opportunities for scholarly activity and research are viewed as playing an integral 

role. 

The Award Holder Scheme is one mechanism the HELP CETL has introduced to provide 

such opportunities and promote the development of an HE in FE culture. The Scheme 

also serves to recognise the expertise of lecturing and support staff in UPC and reward 

their contributions to teaching and learning. From 2005 until 2010 the Award Holder 

Scheme provides these individuals opportunities to further their Continuing Professional 

Development (CPD) and engagement with scholarly activity and research. With this in 

mind, the Award Holder Scheme aims to: 

1. Build a supportive environment for scholarly activity and research to be 

undertaken; 

2. Integrate Award Holders into Communities of Practice to enable them to 

share their ideas, expertise and practice throughout UPC to enhance the 

HE in FE culture across a dispersed network of professionals. 

The Award Holder Scheme is comprised of four types of Awards: 

1. Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Award - Awards of between £500 and 

£3,000 aimed at personal/professional development e.g. to support attendance at 

conferences or provide time to write up practice. Existing CPD Award Holders can apply 

for a Continuity Award to develop their work into a Teaching Fellowship; 

2. Teaching Fellowship (TF) - This is an Award of up to £10,000 to support a substantial 

research or development project that will be of relevance not only to the UPC network 

but also in the national HE in FE context; 

3. Mini Teaching Fellowships (MTF) - The MTF is an Award of up to £3,000 aimed at 

those who do not feel that their idea is sufficiently developed for a TF and/or would like 

to carry out a smaller research project; 

4. Continuity Awards (CA) - Existing CPD/MTF Award Holders can apply for a CA of 

between £5,000 and £7,000 to develop their work into a TF. 

1 


All lecturing and support staff working to support HE provision offered by UPC are 

eligible to apply for an Award through the Award Holder Scheme. Awards are 

allocated based on the outcome of a rigorous review procedure. Award Holders have 

12 months in which to undertake their CPD activity or research project. Throughout 

this time Award Holders receive support from the HELP CETL team, past and present 

Award Holders and UPC. At the end of their Award, the minority of college staff return 

to an unchanged role within their college. However, most Award Holders continue 

to actively engage with the Award Holder Scheme long after their Award has ended. 

Upon completion of the research project or CPD activity that was the focus of their 

initial application to the HELP CETL, many Award Holders begin to take advantage of 

dissemination and/or funding opportunities that they would not have envisaged taking 

at the onset of their Award. Indeed as the HELP CETL nears its end, Award Holders 

are being further encouraged to share their experiences of carrying out research and/ 

or undertaking CPD activities with other HE in FE practitioners more widely due to the 

transferability of their experiences to others working within similar settings. 

In the 2007-08 Award Holder Scheme, 16 lecturing and four support staff were given 

the opportunity to further their CPD and/or undertake research through the HELP CETL. 

Three Award Holders from the first two years of the Scheme were given Continuity 

Awards to further develop work they had begun as part of earlier CPD Awards. 

The Mini Teaching Fellowship Award was also introduced to give college staff the 

opportunity to conduct a smaller research project/pilot study. 

As with previous Award Holders, the CPD activities/research projects these Award 

Holders have undertaken have relevance to local, as well as national issues associated 

with the provision of HE in FE e.g. Foundation Degrees, students’ use of e-resources, 

work based learning and promoting an HE ethos. This Showcase presents an overview 

of the CPD activities and/or research projects undertaken by these Award Holders. 

Award Holders present the CPD activities they undertook and the impact that they had 

upon them personally and professionally. Award Holders who carried out research 

projects present an overview of their research and their key findings. If you are 

interested in finding out more about any of the CPD activities/projects presented in this 

Showcase, and the impact they had on those who carried out the work contact Rebecca 

Turner (rebecca.turner@plymouth.ac.uk). 

2 


Continuing Professional Development Award Holders 

Award Holder CPD Activity College 

Robert Barnes 

Linda Copestake 

Sarah Cunliffe 

Liz McKenzie 

Tanya Ovenden-Hope 

Jane Sansbury 

Demelza Thackeray 

Trish Woods 

Professional updating to promote 

progression from FE to HE & 

developed resources to support 

teaching 

Professional updating & developed 

resources to support teaching 

Professional updating & further 

development of employer links 

Professional updating & conference 

attendance 

Explored the role of a HE leader 

working in an FE college & 

undertook institutional visits 

Professional updating & developed 

resources to support teaching 


attendance 

Industrial placement with the 

International Tin Research 

Institute in St Albans & conference 

attendance 

North Devon College 

City of Bristol College 


Truro College 

Truro College 


City College Plymouth 

South Devon College 

Mini Teaching Fellows 

Award Holder Project Title College 

John Fitzsimons 

Amanda Isaac & Karen Foster 

Elaine Logan 

Rachel Wilkinson 

Distance Education at Central 

Washington University, Washington 

State USA 

Exploring barriers to Foundation 

Degree student use of online 

information retrieval in three 

University partner colleges 

Early Years qualifications: lucky dip 

or informed guess? 

Developing an HE community 

within HE in FE 

Exeter College 

North Devon College/Yeovil 

College (formally South Devon 

College) 



Continuity Award Holders 


Janet Bardsley 

Judith Mann 

Penelope Pugh 

How do students learn about the 

service user perspective in Health 

and Social care: exploring the value 

of the impact of emancipatory 

research groups 

Using blended learning to support 

Work Based Learning 

An exploration into the stressors 

and coping strategies employed by 

Foundation Degree students 

Cornwall College, Camborne 


Somerset College 

3 


Teaching Fellows 


Axel Bamberger 

Daryl Codrington 

Julie Osborn 

Denise Summers 

Putting international fieldtrips on 

the Foundation Degree agenda: a 

preliminary investigation 

An investigation into teaching 

methodologies for IT in Art and 

Design 

Routes into HE and strategies 

for the successful retention and 

achievement of HE for disabled 

learners 

Integrating sustainability into 

teacher education in the lifelong 

learning sector 

Cornwall College, Newquay 




Abbreviations used in this publication: 

FE 

FEC 

FD 

HE 

LRC 

LSC 

NVQ 

UPC 

WBL 

Further Education 

Further Education College 

Foundation Degree 

Higher Education 

Learning Resource Centre 

Learning and Skills Council 

National Vocational Qualification 

University of Plymouth Colleges 

Work Based Learning 

4 


“ 

The funding available through the HELP CETL Award Holder 

Scheme has been enormously valuable in giving HE in FE staff 

the opportunity to engage in some primary research. Individuals 

have benefited from being a part of the Award Holder community 

and from the support given to them by the HELP CETL team 

throughout the research process, from writing the proposal to the 

dissemination of the research findings. Teaching staff in particular 

have found that engaging in research is really important to 

teaching at any level. It gives something extra to the students and 

can make the teaching more alive and interesting. 

City of Bristol College has also benefited from the added insights 

that Award Holders have brought through the dissemination 

process. The Award Holders have been an inspiration to staff, 

encouraging others to apply for research funding. 

Jane Wills 

Head of HE, Access and Progression 


“ 

5 

5 


Professional updating to promote progression 

from FE to HE & developed resources to 

support teaching 

Robert Barnes 

(rbarnes@ndevon.ac.uk) 


Robert used his CPD Award to consider the routes into HE, and issues facing those 

working within the hospitality industry. 

Discussions were initially held with 

past NVQ students employed in the 

sector and relevant employers. During 

these discussions, issues relating 

to balancing HE study with work/ 

family commitments were raised. 

Concerns regarding the flexibility of 

courses, academic preparation and 

the relevance of previous vocational 

qualifications were also voiced. Past 

students and employers felt that the 

format of NVQs enabled employees to 

study whilst remaining in employment 

and they questioned whether the 

flexibility of these courses could be 

integrated into future FD developments. 

Through these discussions, meetings 

with relevant industry professionals 

and University of Plymouth staff, 

Robert developed a greater 

awareness of the HE systems and 

ways of working. This has increased 

Robert’s confidence in supporting and 

developing HE qualifications. It has 

also enabled Robert to balance the 

needs of hospitality employers with the 

requirements of HE qualifications. 

Using his own experience from working 

within the hospitality sector and drawing 

on the information he gathered through 

his CPD Award, Robert has designed 

Level 4 NVQ units in Management 

which can act as a bridge onto 

HE courses. These are based on 

the flexibility of an NVQ but with a 

classroom based element for each 

unit. These are supported through 

work placement visits by course 

tutors to support students in the 

workplace with the coursework. 

This will enable students to develop 

the academic skills necessary 

to undertake HE qualifications 

whilst gaining the professional 

experiences to progress within the 

sector. This methodology is being 

very well received by employers as 

a programme which can make a 

positive and immediate improvement 

in any hospitality establishment. 

Continuing Professional Development Award 

6 


Professional updating & developed resources 

to support teaching 

Linda Copestake 

(linda.copestake@cityofbristol.ac.uk) 


Linda teaches on the FD in 3D Surface Modelling and uses Autodesk’s AutoCAD 

2D/3D precision drawing packages. 

Owing to recent software updates, 

the teaching resources used on this 

course were in need of revision. The 

support materials produced by the 

manufacturers are generally text based, 

and although they contain detailed 

information concerning the functionality 

of the software, many students find 

these resources inaccessible. Linda 

used the CPD Award to familiarise 

herself with the revised software 

and update her own knowledge of 

Autodesk. Following this, Linda 

developed a 3D Surface Modelling 

handbook which incorporated visual 

aids and triggers. This was completed, 

and following reviews by several 

students with varying experience of 

the software, the manual is now in use 

by all 3D Surface Modelling students. 

Students’ response to the manual 

has been very positive, particularly in 

terms of the level of visual triggers and 

diagrams that were included. 

process enjoyable and completed 

the book with ease. Linda has now 

started writing a follow on book for 

3D Solid Modelling and Visualisation. 

Producing this handbook enabled 

Linda to undertake a task she thought 

she could not achieve - to become 

a Technical Author. Initial concerns 

Linda expressed when beginning this 

handbook were quickly dispelled once 

she got started. Linda found the writing 


7 


Professional updating & further development 

of employer links 

Sarah Cunliffe 

(sarah.cunliffe@cityofbristol.ac.uk) 


Following the validation of the FD in Dance Theatre Performance, Sarah wanted 

to develop existing employer links in a creative way that would be better suited to 

the content of the course. 

Sarah began by reviewing the work on 

employer engagement organisations 

such as Foundation Degree Forward 

and the Higher Education Academy 

Subject Centre PALANTINE had 

produced. This increased Sarah’s 

awareness of mechanisms to engage 

employers in different aspects of 

course design and delivery. Sarah 

also met with other practitioners who 

deliver similar courses across the UPC 

network to discuss strategies they use 

to build links with employers and work 

with them effectively. She also made 

contact with a range of employers to 

explore mechanisms they could use to 

work with FD students. 

Following these discussions, Sarah 

tailored employers’ involvement to 

specific areas of the course where 

she felt their expertise was best 

placed to enhance student learning. 

A mentoring scheme was developed 

to enable employers to feed directly 

into the course and support second 

year students in developing their final 

piece. This served as a platform to 

bring programme deliverers, dance 

professionals and the wider cultural 

community together to discuss the 

development of the programme and 

issues central to dance theatre 

practice in general. 

Through the contacts made 

during her CPD Award, Sarah has 

become part of a wider network of 

professionals and practitioners. The 

collaborative working and sharing 

of practice that subsequently took 

place through this network made a 

positive impact on the involvement 

of local dance practitioners (current 

and future employers) with the 

FD, the students involved, and the 

programme team. 

“ 

The collaborative working 

across the network has 

had a positive impact on 

the involvement of local 

dance practitioners with the 

foundation degree. 

“ 


8 



attendance 

Liz McKenzie 

(lizm@trurocollege.ac.uk) 

Truro College 

Through her first CPD Award (2005-06) Liz had collected data on trainee 

teachers’ experiences of reflection as part of her EdD research. 

Through her second CPD Award Liz 

completed the analysis of her data and 

considered her findings in terms of the 

wider conceptual framework in which 

she was working. Liz also submitted 

and subsequently presented her 

research findings at various regional 

(UPC events), national (March 2008 

ESCalate HE in FE linking teaching and 

research conference) and international 

conferences (2008 BERA annual 

conference). Through these various 

dissemination opportunities Liz has 

made a range of contacts which have 

informed both her research and her 

practice. 

meetings with a colleague who was 

carrying out her research as part of 

her Masters in Education. Together 

they monitored each others’ 

progress and Liz felt the support of 

this colleague kept her going with 

her EdD. 

Liz’s EdD research is closely related 

to her practice through the teaching 

she carries out on the Certificate in 

Education and Postgraduate Certificate 

in Education programmes. Her 

research findings have implications 

for encouraging trainee teachers to 

engage with reflective practice. As a 

result of her research, Liz is planning 

to introduce alternatives to the 

traditional reflective journal, such as 

online reflective discussions and peer 

discussions. 

During her CPD Award Liz held regular 


9 


Explored the role of an HE leader working in 

an FE college & undertook institutional visits 

Tanya Ovenden-Hope 

(tanyah@trurocollege.ac.uk) 

Truro College 

Tanya was appointed as HE Team Leader at Truro College in June 2006. The 

role was a new position created to lead the colleges growing and multifarious HE 

provision. 

On taking on this role, Tanya realised 

how little was known about managing 

HE within an FEC. Therefore she 

used the CPD Award to reflect on her 

own experience, and those of others 

in a similar position. Tanya attended 

meetings and developed informal 

networks with other leaders of HE in 

FECs. She attended conferences 

to extend her knowledge of the 

framework within which HE in FECs 

operates. Tanya even found time 

to write (repeatedly) a letter on the 

representation of HE in FECs for the 

Times Higher Education; published in 

spring 2008. 

numerous areas of learning and 

teaching, such as quality assurance, 

premises, staff development, student 

support, administration, as well as 

teaching and learning itself, ensure 

that the HE in FEC’s leader has a 

huge knowledge base. A better 

understanding of the role of an HE 

Team Leader can in time help to 

support an effective HE learning and 

teaching community in FECs. 

Tanya felt that the examination of the 

functional aspects of leading HE in an 

FEC was fundamental to the success 

of learning and teaching HE in FE. The 

unprecedented growth of HE in FECs 

has to be managed and led effectively 

in order to achieve sustainability 

over a longer period of time. Tanya’s 

reflections demonstrated the breadth 

and depth of understanding an HE 

leader in an FEC must develop of the 

various funding bodies, governmental 

organisations and stakeholders that 

influence HE, FE and HE in FE. The 

skills necessitated by involvement in 


10 


Professional updating & developing resources to 

support teaching 

Jane Sansbury 

(jsansbury@ndevon.ac.uk) 


Jane teaches maths on the FD in Computing. Her students can often view 

mathematics as a difficult and even irrelevant aspect of the course. 

Jane also felt that following the 

introduction of FDs she was working 

with students with a greater range 

of abilities. In order to enhance the 

support she offered her students, 

Jane thought she needed to develop 

a greater awareness of the learning 

needs of FD students and the practices 

of others delivering mathematics in a 

similar context. 

Through a review of literature relating 

to the expansion of HE in FE and the 

introduction of FDs, Jane developed a 

greater understanding of the context 

in which she was working. Jane also 

held discussions with course leaders 

with responsibility for mathematics 

within UPC and at other HEIs regarding 

students’ attitudes and attainment. 

These discussions demonstrated 

to Jane that her experiences were 

not unique, and reflected part of a 

national position concerning HE and 

mathematics education. Following 

these discussions, Jane is now 

undertaking an investigation into FD 

students’ attitudes to mathematics and 

strategies programme leaders use to 

engage students in the subject. This 

work is been supported through a 

HELP CETL Continuity Award. 

Jane also attended conferences 

relating to maths education, and 

through the contacts she made at 

these events and the discussions 

she held with mathematics lecturers, 

Jane has become part of a wider 

network of professionals. Jane 

has subsequently made steps to 

develop a community of mathematics 

professionals across UPC and the 

University of Plymouth. 

“ 

The experiences were not 

unique, and reflected part 

of a national position 

concerning HE and 

mathmatics education. 


“ 

11 



attendance 

Demelza Thackeray 

(dthackeray@cityplym.ac.uk) 

City College Plymouth 

Demelza teaches research methods across a range of FDs at City College 

Plymouth. 

Demelza has a keen interest in 

research methods which she was 

able to develop further through her 

CPD Award. Through her Award, 

Demelza attended the Social Research 

Association’s annual conference. 

Attending this conference served to 

reconnect Demelza with the diverse 

topics and themes that are addressed 

through social research. It also 

reminded Demelza of the importance 

of research outside of teaching and 

academia, as well as raising her 

awareness of the extensive career 

possibilities open to researchers from 

all areas. 

The CPD Award also gave Demelza 

the time to begin a Masters in social 

research at the University of Plymouth. 

Undertaking the Masters has given her 

new knowledge and skills that have in 

turn informed the delivery of research 

methods modules at the College. The 

Masters has also given Demelza the 

confidence to plan a research project 

which she intends to conduct in the 

forthcoming academic year. 

Demelza also made contact with 

other colleagues in the UPC network 

who had responsibility for teaching 

research methods. The discussions 

Demelza held with these colleagues 

informed their teaching practice and 

connections have been made with 

local employers. 

More broadly Demelza’s CPD Award 

gave her the opportunity to reengage 

with her discipline for its own 

sake, rather than as a topic area that 

needs turning into a lecture. This has 

reinforced her enjoyment of research 

and this in turn has encouraged 

her students to aim higher when 

conducting their own research, 

and to consider the possibilities of 

research while at university and 

beyond. 


12 


Industrial placement with the International Tin 

Research Institute & conference attendance 

Trish Woods 

(trish.woods@southdevon.ac.uk) 

South Devon College 

As part of her professional practice, Trish is researching the colouration of Tin 

and Pewter. Trish used this Award to undertake an industrial placement at the 

International Tin Research Institute at St Albans. 

This placement provided Trish with 

a valuable opportunity to integrate 

methodologies based in science and art 

to support creative practices. Through 

the placement Trish was able to work 

alongside leading chemists to develop 

processes to colour Pewter and Tin. In 

conjunction with the Tin Institute and 

the University of Plymouth, Trish is 

currently applying for a patent for this 

colouration process. 

As part of the CPD Award Trish also 

presented a paper at the New Craft 

– Future Voices Conference at the 

University of Dundee. The conference 

paper discussed the potential for using 

integrated research methodologies, 

such as those developed during the 

industrial placement, to encourage 

creative and reflective practice. 

This conference was attended by 

international practitioners from the 

crafts and education fields, providing a 

forum in which to engage with current 

debate. Following the placement and 

the conference presentation, Trish 

was invited to give a paper at the 

International Tin Conference held in 

Hong Kong in April 2008. 

These activities provided Trish with 

the opportunity to work with other 

HE institutions and practitioners, 

and make valuable links to the 

Tin industry, manufacturers and 

organisations. Through the invitation 

to present at the International Tin 

Conference, Trish was able to 

engage with a new, international 

community; a community outside 

of the arts, crafts and education 

communities within which she 

traditionally worked. Becoming part 

of these wider communities has 

raised Trish’s awareness of the 

issues facing industry and aiding 

the development of a framework for 

creative practice that fosters cross 

boundary practice. 

The CPD Award has also provided 

Trish with the opportunity to reevaluate 

the currency of her delivery 

and approach to pedagogy. Through 

the contacts Trish has made and the 

knowledge she has gained, Trish 

feels confident that she can broaden 

her students’ understanding of the 

opportunities for creative practice 

within diverse communities and in 

doing so, hopefully, extend their 

ambitions and individual practice in a 

fast paced industry. 


13 


“ 

As part of the development work for this publication I had the 

pleasure of reviewing the individual summaries of the HELP CETL 

Award Holders for 2007-08. The pleasure mainly comes from 

seeing staff so dedicated to improving their own and colleagues’ 

practice for the benefit of students. The inclusion in this year’s 

Showcase of the dissemination activities Award Holders have 

undertaken both as part of, and subsequent to the conclusion of, 

their Award has brought an additional pleasure as this underlines 

both the nature and value of the Scheme. The longer term personal 

development gains, the wider dissemination, and in some cases 

follow up funding of research and development work come in many 

cases in the period after the funding obligations have been met. 

The HELP CETL team are proud of the achievements of our Award 

Holders and are committed to working with these colleagues on an 

ongoing basis. It is great to see that Award Holders are also being 

recognised beyond the UPC partnership and are being sought out to 

contribute to sector wide debate and development work. 

Mark Stone 

Director, HELP CETL 

University of Plymouth 

“ 

14 


Distance Education at Central Washington 

University, USA 

John Fitzsimons 

(johnfitzsimons@exe-coll.ac.uk) 


Distance education was developed to meet the needs of learners who were unable 

to access traditional teaching environments, usually due to time or distance 

restrictions. 

There are various approaches taken 

to distance learning, which in many 

instances have evolved in response 

to technological advances (Jefferies, 

2008). Video conferencing (VC) has 

long been used within business, yet 

within education its potential is still to 

be fully explored. The investment in a 

VC network across UPC by the HELP 

CETL presented a model of distance 

learning that could connect colleges 

regionally, nationally and internationally. 

Central Washington University (CWU) 

has been using live multi-camera TV for 

a number of years to support distance 

learning. A series of semi-structured 

interviews were undertaken with 

lecturers and technicians to explore 

their use of TV to identify how their 

experiences could be transferred to the 

UPC network. 

Considerable state investment was 

needed to finance the set up, and 

support the ongoing running costs of 

the CWU model of distance education. 

Yet due to the contributions CWU 

make to community TV and also the 

input made by industry to the courses, 

the state view this as a valuable 

opportunity. Whilst most lecturers 

engaged in distance learning are 

supportive of the technology, a 

minority of lecturers were initially 

concerned that they may become 

obsolete due to the possibility of 

re-using the sessions. However, as 

lecturers need to employ an active 

learning style in these classes, 

the concerns were alleviated. 

Although the lecturers felt that 

students would prefer a “traditional” 

classroom environment, they were 

generally receptive to the use of 

TV. Lecturers acknowledged the 

greater preparation time for distance 

classes and cited the importance 

of uploading materials to a VLE. 

Lecturers were concerned that the 

students did not develop as a peer 

group across multiple sites, however 

they felt that this could be addressed 

through use of the VLE and social 

networking tools. 

Following on from this initial 

research, a collaborative project is 

underway to bring together Media 

FD students at Exeter College and 

Applied Video Production students 

at CWU. Drawing on the expertise 

of CWU may inform the use of VC in 

teaching and learning across UPC. 

Mini Teaching Fellow 

15 


Exploring barriers to FD students use of online 

information retrieval 

Amanda Isaac and Karen Foster 

(aisaac@ndevon.ac.uk and karen.foster@yeovil.ac.uk) 

North Devon College and South Devon/Yeovil College 

HE institutions provide access to a range of peer-reviewed full-text articles, 

abstracts and bibliographic information electronically through their library 

service. 

Researchers (e.g. Gannon-Leary et 

al., 2001) have noted that despite the 

ubiquitous nature of these resources, 

students may lack the skills to 

effectively use them. Indeed, given 

the non-traditional profile of HE in FE 

students, their ability to use these 

resources is a concern to providers. 

Therefore an investigation was 

undertaken in three FECs to explore 

patterns of IT confidence in order for 

LRC staff to develop effective training 

for HE students. 

Confidence logs were completed by 

37 first year FD students on Early 

Childhood and Nurse Practitioner 

courses. The logs explored usage 

patterns of electronic resources to 

undertake independent research and 

familiarity in using computer packages/ 

internet tools and were completed in 

September 2007 and April 2008. A 

focus group then took place to follow up 

issues raised in the confidence logs. 

Overall, students’ confidence in 

using electronic resources increased, 

although a small proportion still 

demonstrated limited confidence at 

the end of the year, raising concerns 

about their ability to cope with the 

second year. Given the vocational 

backgrounds of many of the mature 

learners they underestimated the 

amount of time they were expected 

to use IT/electronic resources. The 

younger age groups demonstrated 

high confidence in using electronic 

resources, in particular the internet, 

however, there was a reduction in 

their confidence over the year. This 

was related to assignment grades, 

which indicated the approaches they 

had taken to search for information 

were not sufficient for HE level 

courses. As the year progressed 

students from all age groups 

acknowledged the need to develop 

information retrieval skills and 

assess its quality. Throughout this 

research the students became aware 

of the support available to develop 

these skills. The LRCs involved in 

this study instigated research skills 

workshops to encourage students to 

effectively use the University Portal 

and other online resources. This 

research is ongoing to explore how 

their research skills enhance as they 

mature as learners, and to identify 

additional support needs as they 

consider progression onto the top up 

year of an honours degree. 


16 


Early years qualifications: lucky dip 

or informed guess? 

Elaine Logan 

(elaine.logan@cityofbristol.ac.uk) 


For those considering a career in the Early Years sector there is a confusing range 

of qualifications from which to choose (Cameron & Boddy, 2006). 

In light of the recent development of the 

Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) 

introduced by the Children’s Workforce 

Development Council (CWDC), an 

investigation was undertaken into the 

range of qualifications available in the 

sector and their merit to professionals. 

Students on HE Early Years courses 

from three FECs completed a 

questionnaire which explored their 

educational/professional experiences, 

motivations for undertaking the course 

and aspirations upon completion. 

Semi-structured interviews were 

also undertaken with the tutors and 

employers regarding their perceptions 

of the EYPS and the skills students 

developed during their training. 

Overall, the students had diverse 

educational and professional profiles. 

Entry requirements determined 

course choice, however, proximity 

to home and the flexibility of the 

course were also cited as important 

factors. In terms of their aspirations 

upon completion, the majority of the 

students (62%) viewed the FD as 

providing opportunities for future career 

development and/or progression route 

to an honours degree. The tutors 

concurred with this view, but due to 

the relative infancy of FDs they 

were concerned that employers 

had a limited understanding of 

them. Employers were supportive of 

students undertaking an FD stating 

that it enhanced students’ knowledge 

of working in the sector. Yet owing 

to the limited career progression 

opportunities within their settings, 

they were concerned that once 

students had graduated they would 

quickly move on, providing limited 

long term benefit to the employer. 

In discussions with tutors and 

employers around the relative merits 

of the EYPS they were sceptical 

of it, questioning its academic and 

practical value at raising skills 

within the sector. In this respect 

they thought the FD would bring 

about the improvements identified 

by the CWDC which led to the 

introduction of the EYPS. However, 

for this to occur FD providers and 

employers need to work together to 

provide opportunities for graduates. 

Likewise, the skills and knowledge 

gained through an FD need to be 

recognised within the Integrated 

Qualifications Framework to ensure 

practitioners are rewarded for the 

qualifications they have achieved. 


17 


Developing an HE community within 

HE in FE 

Rachel Wilkinson 

(rachelwilkinson@exe-coll.ac.uk) 


Exeter College is in the process of expanding the delivery of HE particularly 

within the Creative Industries (e.g. media, dance, performance etc.). 

In light of this, members of the Creative 

Industries HE team felt that there was 

need to develop an HE ethos that went 

beyond curriculum meetings and course 

management. By raising awareness of 

the nature of an HE ethos it was hoped 

that staff and students would take 

greater ownership of, and contribute to, 

the future development of HE. Initially 

the theory behind Communities of 

Practice (Wenger, 1999) was explored, 

as it was felt that this approach 

of bringing people together would 

provide a sufficiently flexible structure 

to accommodate the diverse staff 

interests and the emergent nature of 

the College’s HE ethos. Each term, 

staff meetings encourage practitioners 

to share ideas and experiences 

relating to their subject disciplines and 

practice. As the meetings progressed, 

an HE Forum emerged and support 

structures were developed to embed 

the Forum within the College. Whilst 

imposed structures are not inline with 

the idealised view of a Community 

of Practice, in this context they were 

developed collectively by the HE Forum 

members and provided a direction for 

the future. 

The HE Forum served to facilitate the 

emerging HE ethos as it encouraged 

staff to forge strong links between 

FDs. This was largely the result 

of discussions around the sharing 

of practice and expertise which 

led to staff exchanging information 

and making connections between 

programmes in a way in which 

they had not previously had the 

opportunity to. The HE Forum 

benefited from the input of UPC 

staff which promoted a sense of 

inclusion and enhanced links with 

the University. Through the 2009- 

10 Award Holder Scheme the HE 

Forum is going to be taken outside 

of Exeter College and disseminated 

“ 

as a model of supporting HE in FE 

provision. 

The HE forum benefited 

from the input of UPC staff 

which promoted a sense of 

inclusion and enhanced links 

with the University. 

“ 


18 


“ 

Research and scholarly activity are increasingly important to FECs, 

both as a means of providing evidence of staffing capabilities 

for external quality assessments, and to ensure that college HE 

strategies, at least in England, are in line with the requirements of 

their funding body. 

The Award Holder Scheme is an outstanding example of how 

a supportive environment allows lecturing and support staff 

to develop an HE culture within their colleges by providing 

recognition for their expertise and teaching excellence. 

This Showcase is an inspirational collection of examples of the 

hard work and dedication for which those delivering HE in FE are 

renowned, and will be valued by all those who have an interest in 

promoting the high standards of HE in FE as an alternative to 

more traditional universities. 

The Higher Education Academy’s HE in FE Enhancement 

Programme is pleased to be associated with this exemplar of 

sharing of ideas, and expertise and practice across a dispersed 

network of professionals. If adopted nationally, as part of a 

collaborative partnership model this approach could help to 

enhance sector standards and encourage more learners to 

benefit from HE by demonstrating how institutional scholarship 

programmes can enrich the student experience. 

Ian Lindsay 

Former Senior Academic Advisor HE in FE 

The Higher Education Academy 

“ 

19 


How do students learn about the service user 

perspective in Health and Social Care? 

Janet Bardsley 

(janet.bardsley@cbs.ac.uk) 


In recent years there has been increased recognition within both Health and Social 

Care of the importance of practitioners having an appreciation of the perspectives 

of those using these services (Branfield & Beresford, 2006). 

In 2002 the involvement of service 

users in course delivery became a 

requirement of Social Work courses 

(Department of Health, 2002). At 

Cornwall College, service users are 

involved in a variety of aspects of the 

course including practice learning 

and student interviews. Through 

a CPD Award an alternative model 

of incorporating service users into 

the course was trialled in the 2006- 

07 academic year. A participatory 

research discussion group was 

established that brought together 

students, service users and relevant 

stakeholders. This presented 

students with an opportunity to work 

collaboratively to undertake research 

in conjunction with, and on behalf of, 

service users. This CA was used to 

evaluate the value of the research 

discussion group in developing the 

students understanding of the service 

user perspective. 

All students on the BSc in Health and 

Social Work were asked to complete 

a questionnaire that explored their 

perceptions of the teaching methods 

used. Three students from each year 

group were then randomly selected to 

undertake a semi-structured interview 

to explore the issues raised in further 

detail. The students participating in 

two further discussion groups formed 

in 2007-08 were also interviewed. 

All the students interviewed were 

enthusiastic about the contribution 

made to their learning through 

service users. Students felt that 

they developed an appreciation 

of them and empathised with the 

challenges they faced. Students’ 

attitudes appeared to change as they 

progressed through the course and 

their professional identity as Health 

and Social Work students began 

to emerge. Those students who 

participated felt that their views of 

service users had been transformed 

in a way not experienced by other 

approaches. By working directly with 

service users through the discussion 

group they addressed issues of 

power and identity that are often not 

easily fostered through traditional 

methods of engagement. Based on 

the experiences of these students 

the discussion group appears to 

present students with an opportunity 

to develop a range of essential 

practice skills. As a consequence 

these groups are being embedded 

within the course. 

Continuity Award 

20 


Using blended learning to support work based 

learning 

Judith Mann 

(judith.mann@cornwall.ac.uk) 


When the Health & Community Studies FD was initially designed the team felt 

that they were not exploring the full potential of the WBL aspect of the course. 

It felt more like a learning outcome 

students had to achieve rather than a 

mechanism to link theory to practice. 

Through a HELP CETL CPD Award a 

review of practice and literature relating 

to WBL was undertaken. Based on this 

work the WBL aspect of the course was 

redefined to incorporate more traditional 

pedagogical methods to better meet the 

needs of students and employers alike. 

A CA was then used to explore online 

methods to support students during 

their work placement and to promote 

reflection on their practice experiences. 

Using the College’s VLE (moodle) an 

area was developed which included an 

interactive forum that gave students, 

mentors and course tutors a medium 

by which they could communicate. 

Students were also required to 

complete an online reflective journal 

during their work placement. During 

the 2007-8 acadmic year, continual 

evaluation of the interactive forum, 

including its use by students, was 

undertaken by the course tutor. Whilst 

the students used the forum throughout 

their placements, it did not develop 

as was initially envisaged. Primarily, 

use was associated with the course 

tutor contacting students rather than 

as an area for open discussions and 

sharing of experiences. Student 

engagement with the reflective 

journal was more successful. 

However, rather than regularly 

completing the journal, which would 

give the course tutors opportunity 

to feedback to students on their 

experiences, students tended to 

leave completion of journal entries 

until the assessment deadline. This 

highlighted the need for students to 

have regular deadlines to encourage 

more immediate reflection. The 

online environment has undergone 

further development in 2008-09 

to address the issues identified 

through the CA. Strategies are 

being considered to promote the 

active engagement of students and 

employers with the interactive forum. 

In addition, revisions have been 

made to the FD to ensure the WBL 

placements are central to the course, 

to embed the key skills essential in 

enhancing their future employability. 

Review of the curriculum and needs 

of the employers will continue 

to ensure the WBL placement 

continues to prepare students for 

their future employment. 


21 


An exploration into the stressors and coping 

strategies employed by FD students 

Penelope Pugh 

(penelope.pugh@somerset.ac.uk) 


The transition to HE has been acknowledged as exerting considerable impact on 

students’ academic achievement (Harrison, 2006). 

Those beginning FDs may face 

additional pressures as considerable 

time may have passed since they 

have previously studied and they 

may also need to balance work/family 

commitments (Greenbank, 2007). 

In 2006-07 an investigation was 

undertaken into the stressors facing first 

year students on the Health and Social 

Care FD and the coping strategies they 

employed to mitigate these stressors. 

Through a series of tutor-led focus 

groups, students highlighted aspects of 

the course such as the WBL placement 

and limited access to resources as key 

stressors. In terms of coping strategies 

they demonstrated the importance of 

peer/family and tutorial support. 

Based on this research, 

recommendations were made to the 

LRC, programme managers and tutors. 

A new module was also introduced 

that integrated study skills and coping 

strategies which was evaluated through 

this CA. Tutor-led focus groups were 

again conducted to highlight the 

key stressors and coping strategies 

identified in the initial study. A follow 

up questionnaire was then completed 

by the students mid-way through the 

academic year to determine how the 

module had supported them during 

the first term. 

The FD represented a mixture of 

full and part time students, all of 

which were female, with 60% being 

mature entrants. Overall the module 

was well received; in particular the 

mature entrants felt that it provided 

a stable underpinning for the 

forthcoming academic year. For 

many students the module was able 

to address potential skill gaps before 

they became a source of stress. 

Likewise, placing an emphasis on 

coping strategies enabled students 

to develop solutions that they may 

not have previously considered. In 

particular, students were encouraged 

to use reflection and learn from 

their experiences. The evaluation 

demonstrated that many of the 

sources of stress identified in the 

initial study had been mediated by 

the introduction of the module. 

The CA also sought to extend the 

scale of the first year of the study to 

three UPC colleges to identify how 

the lessons learned at Somerset 

College could be shared and 

adapted through the UPC network. 


22 


“ 

The Award Scheme has been able to support staff to innovate and 

explore new opportunities within Technology Enhanced Learning. 

Given the pace of change in this field staff are able to innovate 

and push boundaries within their practice. The benefits of these 

developments are evident through sharing good practice across the 

UPC partnership and showcasing at both regional and national 

conferences where feedback has been extremely positive. 

Julie Swain 

Blended Learning Co-ordinator 

University of Plymouth Colleges Faculty 

“ 

23 


Putting international fieldtrips on the FD agenda: 

a preliminary investigation 

Axel Bamberger 

(axel.bamberger@cornwall.ac.uk) 

Cornwall College, Newquay 

Residential fieldtrips can provide students with an enhanced understanding of their 

subject whilst introducing them to processes or techniques which cannot be studied 

effectively in the lecture theatre (Fuller, 2006). 

To explore the potential of developing 

future residential fieldtrips for FDs, 

an investigation was undertaken 

with staff and students affiliated with 

conservation, aquaculture and surf 

science courses at Cornwall College. 

Using a series of questionnaires 

completed by practitioners and 

students, this investigation considered 

the perceived value of fieldtrips and 

potential obstacles students may 

face as non-traditional learners in 

undertaking fieldtrips. Students were 

also asked to consider the format for a 

foreign residential field trip. 

The practitioners felt that whilst foreign 

residential fieldtrips could make a 

positive contribution to a course, at 

the time of this study none of the 

respondents carried out such trips. 

This was attributed to factors such 

as the cost to students, health and 

safety concerns and the lack of time to 

organise a fieldtrip. The practitioners 

did indicate that they would be more 

likely to incorporate a fieldtrip into their 

courses if they had an established link 

with a foreign field station who could 

provide support in arranging the trip. 

Approximately half the respondents to 

the student questionnaire had no 

experience of residential fieldtrips 

abroad, and therefore felt that it 

could make a valuable addition to 

their FD. Their concerns regarding 

obstacles that may impact upon their 

participation in a residential field 

trip echo those of the practitioners, 

however, they did not cite family/ 

work commitments as a barrier. In 

terms of the format for a fieldtrip the 

students demonstrated a preference 

for a fieldtrip with their peers rather 

than other student groups. They 

stated that the minimum time should 

be five days but not greater than 

two weeks. In terms of the financial 

commitment they generally felt that 

trips should not exceed £500. 

As part of this research a survey 

of field centres throughout Europe 

(including Portugal, Spain and 

Ireland) was undertaken. This 

survey enabled the research team to 

identify locations providing a unique 

learning experience that would 

embed the knowledge they had 

gained through their classroom study 

whilst developing the necessary field 

skills that may be required by future 

employers. 

Teaching Fellow 

24 


An investigation into teaching methodologies 

for IT in Art and Design 

Daryl Codrington 

(daryl.codrington@cityofbristol.ac.uk) 


In Art, Design and Media, students are increasingly using sophisticated software 

packages to produce work. 

To make the most of these packages 

students need to develop effective 

programming skills. Employers within 

interactive media and web design would 

expect graduates to posses these 

skills. Whilst the majority of students 

recognise the value of developing 

these skills, this can be challenging, 

particularly in terms of understanding 

and applying programming concepts. 

Therefore this action research project 

sought to implement and evaluate 

different strategies of teaching Object 

Orientated Programming (OOP) skills 

on the FdA in Interactive Multimedia 

with Graphic Design. 

Drawing on Petty’s (2006) ideas of 

teaching by asking rather then telling, 

and teaching without talking, a series 

of three activities were designed to 

develop key programming concepts and 

knowledge. In each session students 

were presented with a brief history of 

the concepts and then given a problem 

to address in small groups. They were 

encouraged to discuss and challenge 

the concepts in their groups as they 

developed their programming script. 

Solutions were then presented to the 

group and they explained the rationale 

behind their decisions. At the end of 

each session students completed a 

questionnaire to evaluate how they 

felt their OOP skills were developing. 

The students were very receptive to 

this style of learning and teaching 

and were willing to engage with the 

concepts and skills presented. They 

indicated that the group work and 

discussions enabled them to develop 

realistic solutions to the problems 

presented. Overall they felt that they 

improved their understanding of 

OOP and developed the necessary 

skills to write code. 

Digital design studios are laid 

out to maximise the availability 

of computers and often lead to 

students working in isolation. 

Encouraging students to work in 

small groups, around computers 

and smart boards was challenging 

given the fixed layout of the room. 

Therefore based on this research as 

well as strategies being developed 

to support the development of 

effective programming skills, 

recommendations were made on the 

nature of the learning environment 

to ensure that it does not limit the 

use of active learning styles. 


25 


Routes into HE and strategies for the 

successful retention and achievement of 

HE for disabled learners 

Julie Osborn 

(julie.osborn@cityofbristol.ac.uk) 


Although considerable effort has been made to widen participation in HE for 

disabled people (e.g. AimHigher, 2008) barriers are still present. 

Drawing upon the social model of 

disability (Oliver, 1996), an investigation 

was undertaken to explore the impact 

of disability support needs on student 

choices and to identify barriers to 

accessing support to ensure services 

are inclusive. Ten students with a range 

of disability support needs agreed to 

participate in the study. A grounded 

methodology was used, whereby 

learners were asked to express 

their views through semi-structured 

interviews, images and focus groups. 

Semi-structured interviews were also 

conducted with support staff. 

Students additional support needs 

did not clearly affect the process by 

which they selected an HE institution, 

often it was only after they selected a 

course did they consider their support 

needs. Their experiences of initially 

accessing support varied depending 

on their requirements. Students with 

visible impairments found it relatively 

easy, but those who did not consider 

themselves “disabled” did not associate 

the support they needed as matching 

the College’s disability support service. 

These individuals often relied on tutors 

and student advisors to signpost them. 

The assessment process was generally 

viewed as positive, particularly for 

those students who had progressed 

internally to HE or were supported 

by tutors. However, the application 

for Disabled Students’ Allowance 

could be time consuming and 

challenging. Several students were 

wary of asking for the support they 

were entitled to as they felt this may 

prevent them from fitting in with their 

peers. The students sometimes 

found the generic nature of the 

support services meant they could 

not access the level of support 

needed, indicating a mismatch in the 

expectations of available support 

between students and support 

workers. 

Changes have been made to support 

services to benefit students, support 

workers and tutors. Expectations 

of support have been clarified for 

tutors and students. The participants 

in this research contributed to a 

video publicising the support that is 

available. They hoped that this would 

ensure that misunderstandings 

associated with disability support 

would be addressed and those 

learners not currently accessing 

services would be reached. 


26 


Integrating sustainability into teacher 

education in the lifelong learning sector 

Denise Summers 

(chris@summers64.fsnet.co.uk) 


Policy makers are looking for educators to take the lead in ensuring students gain 

the knowledge and skills that enable them to live as sustainable citizens. 

By 2010 the LSC states that educators 

should embed the core principles of 

sustainable development into education 

and training programmes (LSC, 2005). 

Members of the Teacher Education 

team at Somerset College felt 

Education for Sustainable Development 

(ESD) should become an integral part 

of the courses they deliver. Although 

they were keen to be involved in this 

development, they lacked confidence 

in their own knowledge of sustainable 

development to make the necessary 

innovations in their practice. Therefore 

a Co-operative Inquiry (CI) group was 

established to explore their perceptions 

and understanding of ESD, develop 

their knowledge and identify necessary 

actions to incorporate it within the 

team’s practice. CI is a form of action 

research whereby individuals with 

similar interests research a topic 

through their own experiences using 

a series of reflection and evaluation 

cycles (Heron & Reason, 2001). 

Over a 10 month period the team met 

to share their knowledge, ideas and 

experiences. These meetings were 

also informed by reflections upon 

professional development activities 

undertaken, personal considerations of 

themselves as sustainable citizens 

and analysis of data collected on 

students’ attitudes to the introduction 

to ESD. Discussions also took place 

around their plans and experiences 

of integrating and developing 

resources to support ESD. 

At the end of the academic year 

ESD had been embedded within four 

of the six modules on the courses, 

with plans to incorporate it into the 

remaining modules in 2008-09. With 

additional funding from the Centre 

for Sustainable Futures, the CI was 

extended. During this year steps 

were taken to extend the impact of 

this project across the University of 

Plymouth Initial Teacher Education 

Partnership. Staff development 

sessions demonstrating the 

resources and innovations made 

by the team to embed ESD were 

facilitated across the network. 

The team also received national 

recognition for their work in 2009 

when they were shortlisted for 

an Environmental Association for 

Universities and Colleges Green 

Gown Award in the research 

category. 


27 


References 

AimHigher. (2008). Thinking about Higher Education? Tips from students with dyslexia, 

mental health difficulties and Asperger’s syndrome. http://www.impactassociates. 

co.uk/docs/thinking_about_higher_education.pdf. (date accessed May 08). 

Branfield, F. & Beresford, P. (2006). Making User Involvement Work. Supporting 

Service user networking and knowledge. Joseph Rowntree Foundation, York. 

Cameron, C. & Boddy, J. (2006). Knowledge and education for care workers: what do 

they need to know? In: J. Boddy, C. Cameron & P. Moss (eds.), Care Work: Present 

and future: 50-70. Routledge, Abingdon. 

Department of Health. (2002). Requirements for Delivery of Social Work Degree. 

Department of Health, London. 

Fuller I.C. (2006). What is the value of fieldwork? Answers from New Zealand using two 

contrasting undergraduate physical geography field trips. New Zealand Geographer, 

62, 215-220. 

Gannon-Leary, P., Banwell, L. & Childs, S. (2001). Enhancing ICT skills: the how, who 

and when – illustrations from the JUBILEE project’, Vine, 31, 5-9. 

Greenbank, P. (2007). From foundation to honours degree: the student experience. 

Education & Training, 49, 91-102. 

Harrison, N. (2006). The impact of negative experiences, dissatisfaction and attachment 

on first year undergraduate withdrawal. Journal of Further and Higher Education, 30, 

377-391. 

HEFCE. (2003). Supporting higher education in further education colleges: policy, 

practice and prospects. HEFCE, Bristol. 

HEFCE. (2005). Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning: outcomes and 

funding allocations. HEFCE, Bristol. 

Heron, J. & Reason, P. (2001). The Practice of Co-operative Inquiry: Research ‘with’ 

rather than ‘on’ People. In: P. Reason & H. Bradbury (eds.), Handbook of Action 

Research: 179-188. Sage Publications Ltd, London. 

Jefferies, M. IPSE Research in Distance Education http://www.digitalschool.net/edu/ 

DL_history_mJeffries.html (date accessed 28th April 2008). 

LSC. (2005). From here to sustainability: the LSC’s strategy for sustainable development 

supporting document. http://readingroom.lsc.gov.uk/lsc/2005/ourbusiness/strategy/ 

(date accessed 6th August 2007). 

Oliver, M (1996). Understanding Disability: From Theory to Practice. Macmillan, 

London. 

Petty, G. (2006). Evidence Based Teaching. Nelson Thomas, Cheltenham. 

Wenger, E. (1999). Communities of Practice: learning, meaning and identity. 

Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 

28 


Following their Award, what do Award Holders do? 

The personal and professional impact of being a HELP CETL Award Holder is 

considerable. During their Award, college staff have dedicated time to research an area 

of interest, enhance their knowledge and explore their practice. Following their Award, 

they disseminate the findings of their research/knowledge gained during their CPD to a 

range of audiences. Listed below are the dissemination activities Award Holders have 

undertaken. The list is categorised based on the audience, (e.g. their colleges/UPC) and 

the format of the dissemination activity (conference presentation/published articles). As 

is evident, Award Holders have disseminated to a variety of audiences, demonstrating 

the wide ranging impact of the Award Holder Scheme and the benefit of their work to 

the college, UPC and the wider HE in FE/HE community. The additional funding Award 

Holders have received following their Award has also been listed to indicate the ongoing 

research/CPD activities the Award Holders engaged with. Although these lists are 

comprehensive they do not fully convey the impact of the Award Holders’ work on their 

college community, in particular, the experience of students, who in the long term benefit 

from the knowledge gained and the innovations in practice Award Holders make as a 

consequence of their research/CPD activities. 

Presentations/workshops delivered at events organised within Award 

Holders own colleges 

Bardsley, J. (2008). Inclusive research with older people. Presentation given as part of 

the Participatory Research Discussion Group meeting at Cornwall College, Camborne, 

14th May 2008. 

Barnes, R. (2008). Bridging vocational and academic divides. Presentation given at the 

North Devon College HE sharing good practice day, The Park Hotel, Barnstaple February 

7th 2008. 

Codrington, D. (2009). Teaching methodologies for IT in Art & Design. Presentation given 

at City of Bristol Research Conference, College Greek Centre, 6th July 2009. 

Barker, P., Haydae, L. & Cunliffe, S. (2008). Barriers to Progression from level 3 to level 4 

– Forum discussion. City of Bristol College Research Conference, College Green Centre, 

2nd July 2008. 

Foster, K. & Isaac, A. (2008). Exploring barriers to Foundation Degree students’ use 

of online information retrieval. Yeovil College University Research Centre Conference. 

Yeovil College, 27th May 2008. 

Mann, J. & Gomez, S. (2008). Work Based Learning. Presentation given at Cornwall 

College HE Conference, Cornwall College, Camborne 2nd July 2008. 

Osborn, J. (2009). Hidden and misunderstood? Experiences of disability support for 

learners in post-16 education. Presentation given to the HE Unit, City of Bristol College, 

14th July 2009. 

29 


Sansbury, J. (2008). Mathematics within Foundation Degrees. Presentation given at 

the North Devon College HE sharing good practice day, The Park Hotel, Barnstaple 

February 7th 2008. 

Summers, D. (2008). Embedding ESD in the Teacher Education Curriculum. 

Workshop presented at I’m too Busy to Save the World Conference, Somerset 

College, November 2008. 

Woods, T. (2008). Independent Learning: Experiential Learning and independent 

thinking. CPD Programme, South Devon College, July 14th 2008. 

Presentations/seminars delivered at UPC/HELP CETL events 

Bamberger, A., Vosper, J. & Blum, A. (2008). Putting residential fieldtrips on 

the agenda! Presentation given at the University of Plymouth Colleges Summer 

Conference: equipping our students for the future, Robbins Conference Centre, 

University of Plymouth. 8th July 2008. 

Bardsley, J. (2008). How do social work students learn about the service user 

perspective? Presentation given at the University of Plymouth Colleges Summer 



Fitzsimons, J. (2008). Distance Education at Central Washington University, USA. 

Arts Subject Forum Event, The Great Barn, Ashton May 2008. 

Fitzsimons, J. (2008). Distance Education at Central Washington University, USA. 

Presentation given at the University of Plymouth Colleges Summer Conference: 

equipping our students for the future, Robbins Conference Centre, University of 

Plymouth. 8th July 2008. 

Fitzsimons, J. (2009). Video Conferencing, Enterprise Skills and Internationalism. 

Presentation given at the Arts Subject Forum Event, The Great Barn, Ashton, 13th 

May 2009. 

Isaac, A. & Foster, K. (2008). Best practice in induction and portal training. 

Presentation given at the UPC Librarians Day. University of Plymouth, 29th April, 

2008 

Isaac, A. & Foster, K. (2008). Exploring barriers to effective use of online resources 

by Foundation Degree students. Presentation given at the University of Plymouth 

Colleges Summer Conference: equipping our students for the future, Robbins 

Conference Centre, University of Plymouth. 8th July 2008. 

Isaac, A. & Foster, K. (2009). Update on second part of project to explore student 

study skills and use of the University of Plymouth portal. Presentation given at the 

UPC Library Exchange of Experience Day, Rolle Building, University of Plymouth 

30 


11th February 2009. 

Isaac, A. & Foster, K. (2009). Exploring barriers to effective use of online resources by 

Foundation Degree students in three partner colleges. Presentation given as part of the 

UPC/HELP CETL Seminar Supporting HE Learners held at South Devon College 17th 

June 2009. 

Logan, E. (2008). Early Years qualifications: lucky dip or informed guess? Presentation 

given at the University of Plymouth Colleges Summer Conference: equipping our 

students for the future, Robbins Conference Centre, University of Plymouth. 8th July 

2008. 

Mann, J. (2009). Work Based Learning and Foundation Degrees: getting the blend right. 

Presentation given as part of the UPC/HELP CETL Seminar Employer Engagement & 

Work Based Learning held at Cornwall College, Camborne 22nd April 2009. 

McKenzie, L. (2009). The trails and tribulations of interviewing. Presentation given at 

the UPC Joint Social Science & Business, Education and Health & Social Care Subject 

Forum Event, Robbins Conference Centre, University of Plymouth 26th May 2009. 

Osborn, J. (2008). What do HE students really think about accessing and receiving 

disability support services? Presentation given at the University of Plymouth Colleges 

Winter Conference, China Fleet Country Club, Saltash 21st November 2008. 

Osborn, J. (2009). Hidden and misunderstood: experiences of disabled learners in HE. 

Presentation given as part of the UPC/HELP CETL Seminar Supporting HE Learners 

held at South Devon College 17th June 2009. 

Pugh, P. (2008). Student stressors and coping strategies. Presentation given at the 

University of Plymouth Colleges Summer Conference: equipping our students for the 

future, Robbins Conference Centre, University of Plymouth. 8th July 2008. 

Summers, D. (2008). Integrating sustainability into teacher education in the lifelong 

learning sector. Presentation given at the University of Plymouth Colleges Summer 



Thackeray, D. & Atkinson, S. (2009). Collaborative projects and developing students 

research skills. Presentation given at the UPC Joint Social Science & Business, 

Education and Health & Social Care Subject Forum Event, Robbins Conference Centre, 

University of Plymouth 26th May 2009. 

Wilkinson, R. (2008). Creating HE Communities within an FE Environment. Presentation 

given at the Art and Design & Art and Humanities Subject Forum Event, Exeter College, 

8th May 2008. 

Wilkinson, R. & Groucutt, C. (2008). Creating a HE community within an FE college. 


31 




Presentations/workshops delivered at conferences 

Bardsley, J., Collins, A., Best, J., Sampson, T., Waters, G & Eleanor, L. (2008) 

Learning about service user perspectives through a collaborative research group. 

Paper presented at The VC’s Teaching & Learning Conference. Roland Levinsky 

Building, University of Plymouth, 4th July 2008. 

Foster, K. & Isaac, A. (2008). Assessing your IT confidence and comparing this with 

1st year foundation degree learner results. Presentation given at the CETL Student 

Network Conference. Robbins Conference Centre, University of Plymouth 16-17th 

June, 2008. 

Isaac, A. & Foster, K. (2009). Exploring barriers to Foundation Degree students’ use 

of online information retrieval (the University of Plymouth portal/BU portal) at North 

Devon College , South Devon College and Yeovil College, 2007-8 (Specifically 

researching IT confidence). Presentation given at the Librarians Information 

Literacy Annual Conference 2009, University of Cardiff, 30th March – 1st April 2009. 

Mann, J. (2008). Stepping stones to new careers. Presentation given at the 

Plymouth Student Experience: enhancing skills and employability through Skills 

Plus. Robbins Conference Centre, University of Plymouth 25th April 2008. 

Mann, J. (2008). Foregrounding work based learning on a Foundation Degree: 

working towards a blend. Presentation given at ASET Annual Conference, Robbins 

Conference Centre, University of Plymouth, 2nd- 4th September 2008. 

McKenzie, L. M. (2007) The Trials and tribulations of interviewing, workshop session 

presented at UoP Methods Event, Robbins Conference Centre, University of 

Plymouth, March 2008. 

McKenzie, L.M. (2008) Trainee teachers’ experience of reflection: personal and 

social constructions of practice. Paper presented at HEA/ESCALATE conference, 

The Teaching – Research Interface: implications for practice in HE and FE. Stirling 

Management Centre, University of Stirling 29 – 30th April 2008. 

McKenzie, L.M. (2008) Trainee teachers’ experience of reflection: personal and 

social constructions of practice. Paper presented at BERA Annual Conference 

Herriot-Watt University, Edinburgh, 3-6th September 2008. 

McKenzie, L. M. (2009) Engaging with reflective practice workshop session 

presented at the QAA HE in FECs Liaison Group & Higher Education Academy’s 

annual Conference: Furthering Higher Education 2009: Improving the HE in FE 

student experience Aston Business School, Aston University, 30th January 2009. 

32 


McKenzie, L. M. (2009) Engaging with reflective practice, workshop session at South 

West Learning and Skills Research Network Conference Whose Class is it Anyway? 

Dillington House, Ilminster, 10th July 2009. 

McKenzie, L. M. (2009) Perhaps? Exploring possibilities for reflective practice, Paper 

presented at BERA Annual Conference, Manchester University, 2nd- 5th September 

2009. 

Osborn, J. (2009). Improving recruitment, retention and achievement of disabled HE in 

FE learners. Workshop given at the QAA HE in FECs Liaison Group & Higher Education 

Academy’s Annual Conference: Furthering Higher Education 2009: Improving the HE in 

FE student experience Aston Business School, Aston University, 30th January 2009. 

Osborn, J. (2009). Hidden and Misunderstood. Presentation given at Are We There Yet? 

Progression to HE for Disabled Learners, Action on Access 2nd Biennial conference on 

Widening Participant and Disabled Learners. The Crowne Plaza Hotel, Birmingham 10th 

September 2009. 

Pugh, P. (2008). What can we learn from the student experience on the merits of an 

integrated Study Skills and Stress Management module within Foundation Degrees? 

Paper presented at The Teaching – Research Interface: implications for practice in HE 

and FE. Stirling Management Centre, University of Stirling 29 – 30th April 2008. 

Summers, D. (2009). Integrating sustainability into teacher education in the lifelong 

learning sector. Presentation given at the joint NIACE/LSC Sustainability Conference, 

Learn South West, Bishops Hull House, Taunton, 20th February 2009. 

Summers, D. (2009) Using co-operative inquiry to facilitate professional and curriculum 

development. Professional conversation workshop given at the Centres for Excellence in 

Teaching Training National Conference: Just Suppose – sustaining the future of teacher 

Education, The Eden Project, 15th May 2009. 

Summers, D. (2009). Developing the use of non-violent communication approaches to 

classroom management. Professional conversation workshop given at the Centres for 

Excellence in Teaching Training National Conference: Just Suppose – sustaining the 

future of teacher Education, The Eden Project, 15th May 2009. 

Summers, D. (2009). Embedding ESD in the Cert Ed/PGCE/DTLLS/PTLLS programmes. 

Professional conversation workshop given at the Centres for Excellence in Teaching 

Training National Conference: Just Suppose – sustaining the future of teacher Education, 

The Eden Project, 15th May 2009. 

Summers, D. (2009). Outside the green box – embedding Education for Sustainable 

Development in Initial Teacher Education through the use of co-operative inquiry. 

Presentation given at All Our Futures 2: getting real – investing in our future – by design. 

The University of Plymouth, 15th to 17th September 2009. 

Summers, D. (2008). Embedding ESD in the ITE curriculum for the Lifelong Learning 

33 


Sector: Presentation given at the UK ITE Network for Education for Sustainable 

Development/Global Citizenship Annual Conference: Developing a critical 

perspective on ESD/GC in ITE. London South Bank University, 29th July 2008. 

Summers, D. (2008). Embedding Education for Sustainable Development in the 

Initial Teacher Education curriculum for the Lifelong Learning Sector: Presentation 

given at All Our Futures: Education waking to the threat, hopes and possibility. The 

University of Plymouth, 9-11th September 2008. 

Woods, T (2007). Coloured Pewter – a practice based research project. International 

Tin Research Institute, AGM, Pewterers Hall, London, October 5th 2007. 

Woods, T (2007). What are the processes for colouring pewter and their creative 

application – a practice based research project. New Craft, Future Voices 

Conference, Duncan Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee, 

Scotland, July 4th – 6th 

Woods, T (2008). Investigation into possible processes for colouring pewter and 

design applications. The International Tin Industry Conference, Intercontinental 

Hotel, Kowloon, Hong Kong, 16th – 19th April 2008. 

Woods, T. (2008). Collaborative Practices – the alliance of Craft, Science 

and Industry through practice based research into the colouration of Pewter 

Crafticulation and Education International Conference, University of Helsinki, 

September 2008. 

Seminar Presentations 

Osborn, J. (2009). Hidden and misunderstood? Experiences of disability support for 

learners in post-16 education programmes. Presentation given as part of the Higher 

Education Academy’s research seminar series: access for all at City of Bristol 

College, 7th May 2009. 

Osborn, J. (2009). Hidden and misunderstood? Experiences of disability support 

for learners in post-16 education. Presentation given at an Inclusion Seminar at the 

University of the West of England, 2nd July 2009. 

Poster Presentations 

Barnes, R. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. 

Presented at University of Plymouth Summer Conference, Robbins Conference 

Centre University of Plymouth. 8th July 2008. 

Copestake, L. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. 

Presented at University of Plymouth Summer Conference, Robbins Conference 

Centre University of Plymouth. 8th July 2008. 

34 


Cunliffe, S. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. Presented at 

University of Plymouth Summer Conference, Robbins Conference Centre University of 


McKenzie, L. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. 




Ovenden-Hope, T. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. 




Thackeray, D. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. 




Woods, T. (2008). Continued Professional Development Award Overview. 




Contributions to HELP CETL Publications 

Bamberger, A. (2007). Field station links in Europe. HELP CETL Circular, 7, 2. 

Bardsley, J. (2009). My reflection on being involved in the CETL Award Holder Scheme. 

In: R. Turner, J. Hughes & T. Brown (eds.) Putting the I into Identity and other stories: 

scholarly approaches to the professional identity and development of HE practitioners in 

FE colleges 16-19: Joint HELP CETL/ESCalate Publication. 

Fitzsimons, J. (2007). Distance Education at Central Washington. HELP CETL Circular, 

8, 1-2. 

Isaac, A. (2008). Amanda Isaac discusses her experience of being an Award Holders. 

Launch of the HELP CETL Award Holder Scheme 2009-10. 

Isaac, A. (2009). My life as an HE in FE Learning Resources Coordinator, or, the impact 

of the HELP CETL Award on my personal and professional development as HE in FE 

support staff. In: R. Turner, J. Hughes & T. Brown (eds.) Putting the I into Identity and 

other stories: scholarly approaches to the professional identity and development of HE 

practitioners in FE colleges 26-29: Joint HELP CETL/ESCalate Publication. 

Mann, J. (2008). HELP CETL and the experience of teaching HE in FE. In: R. Turner, 

J. Hughes & T. Brown (eds.) Putting the I into Identity and other stories: scholarly 

35 


approaches to the professional identity and development of HE practitioners in FE 

colleges 34-37: Joint HELP CETL/ESCalate Publication. 

McKenzie, L. (2009). Climbing the hill – how the HELP CETL Award has supported 

me. In: R. Turner, J. Hughes & T. Brown (eds.) Putting the I into Identity and other 

stories: scholarly approaches to the professional identity and development of HE 


Osborn, J. (2009). White water rafting through a maze: In: R. Turner, J. Hughes & 

T. Brown (eds.) Putting the I into Identity and other stories: scholarly approaches to 

the professional identity and development of HE practitioners in FE colleges 30-33: 

Joint HELP CETL/ESCalate Publication. 

Osborn, J. (2009). Research project gives learners with a disability a voice. HELP 

CETL Circular, 14, 2. 

Pugh, P. (2008). Penelope Pugh discusses her experiences of presenting at the 

recent ESCalate Conference: the Teaching-Research Interface: Implications for 

Practice in HE in FE. HELP CETL Circular, 10, 1. 

Summers, D. (2008). Denise Summers described her recent trip to India. Launch of 

the HELP CETL Award Holder Scheme 2008-09. 

Wilkinson, R. (2009). Communities of practice: research, re-visions and realities. 

In: R. Turner, J. Hughes & T. Brown (eds.) Putting the I into Identity and other 

stories: scholarly approaches to the professional identity and development of HE 


Woods, T. (2008). My CPD Award… HELP CETL Circular, 9, 2. 

Contributions to Higher Education Academy and other publications 

Fitzsimons, J. (2008). Distance Education at Central Washington University. 

Networks, 4, 7. 

Fitzsimons, J. (2009). HELP CETL and the Gene Genie (Gene Genie, let yourself 

go… Bowie,1972). FACE to FACE, Spring, 20-21. 

Ovendean-Hope, T. (2008). Letters. Times Higher Education Supplement, 1834, 3. 

Summers, D. (2009). Contributed case studies to: Embedding sustainable 

development in the curriculum. Sustainability Online Resource and Toolkit for 

Education, LSC/EAUC. http://www.eauc.org.uk/sorted/embedding_sustainable_ 

development_in_the_curric 

Summers, D. (2009). Contributed case studies to: Creating conditions for 

embedding sustainable development in the curriculum. Sustainability Online 

Resource and Toolkit for Education, LSC/EAUC. http://www.eauc.org.uk/sorted/ 

36 


creating_the_conditions_for_embedding_sustainab 

Contributions to Conference proceedings 

Cook, R., Cutting, R. & Summers, D. (in press). Those who can do, those who can’t teach 

those who will: initial teacher training and the transition to sustainability. In: S. Sterling, P. 

Young & D. Selby (ed). Green Fusions. Centre for Sustainable Futures. 

Summers, D. (2009). Embedding ESD in the ITE curriculum for the Lifelong Learning 

Sector. In S. Inman & M. Rogers (eds.), UK ITE Network for Education Sustainable 

Development/Global Citizenship: proceedings of the inaugural conference 2008: 88-99. 

UK ITE ESD/CG Network, London. 

Woods, T. (2007) “What are the possible processes for colouring pewter and their 

creative applications? – A practice based research project” in Follett, G & Valentine, L 

(eds.) New Craft-Future Voices Conference proceedings Dundee, Duncan Jordanstone 

College of Art and Design, 370-379. 

Additional funding 

Fitzsimons, J. Awarded a HELP CETL Continuity Award (£7,000) through the 2008-09 

Award Holder Scheme. 

Isaac, A. Awarded a HELP CETL Continuity Award (£4,000) through the 2008-09 Award 

Holder Scheme. 

Osborn, J. Awarded AimHigher Funds (£10,000) to develop a short video to highlight the 

experiences of disabled learners in HE. 

Sansbury, J. Awarded a HELP CETL Continuity Award (£7,000) through the 2008-09 

Award Holder Scheme. 

Summers, D. Awarded a Centre Fellowship (£5,500) through the Centre for Sustainable 

Futures. 

Summers, D. Awarded funds from the LSC (£800) to support dissemination of research. 

Woods, T. Awarded a Wingate Scholarship to support creative work of artistic value. 

Woods, T. Awarded a HELP CETL CPD Award (£3,000) through the 2008-09 Award 

Holder Scheme. 

37 



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Plymouth 

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