the undergraduate ambassador scheme at southampton

The Undergraduate Ambassador

Scheme at Southampton

Professor Ray d’InvernoSchool of MathematicsUniversity of Southampton

Plan of Presentation

Transferable Skills Four stage approach Assessment and feedback Selection Partner schools Training and monitoring Outcome Dissemination Second year 2003/4 Third year 2004/5 Issues Conclusion

Transferable Skills

• Communication skills• Understanding the needs of individuals• Interpersonal skills• Staff responsibilities and conduct• The ability to improvise• Giving and taking feedback• Organising skills• Handling difficult situations• Public speaking• Team work• Teaching methods• Lesson preparation• Employability skills• Personal confidence

Four stage approach Classroom observation Classroom assistance Whole class teaching Special project

• Design of an innovative project• Implementation• Evaluation

Other activities• Revision classes• Lunch clubs• After school clubs• Talks on university life• University visit days

Assessment and feedback

• 20% Weekly journal (open)• 30% Final report (2,500 words)• 20% Presentation on Special Project• 30% Teacher assessment

• 15 CATs point unit = 150 hours of study• 20 CATs version available• Written feedback on all 4 assessments• Teacher assessment not moderated

Selection in First Year 21 students applied for selection in semester 1 400 word essay requested on why they wanted to take the unit and what they could offer (1-4 rating) 10 minute structured interview (Paul Cooper/RAd’I)

Selection: 5 -> 10 -> 13

Interview used to place students Unsuccessful candidates given feedback

• What makes a good teacher• Proactivity in classroom• Dealing with pupil blocks• Type of placement preferred• Did they have a car

• 12 mathematicians (9 female, 3 male)• 1 chemist (female)

Five partner schools [Placements]

High achieving girls selective grammar [2] High achieving catholic girls comprehensive

(WP) [4] Low aspiration girls technology college (WP) [3] Mixed ability mixed comprehensive including

catchment area of social deprivation (WP) [2] Boys catholic comprehensive with some

behavioural problems (WP) [2]

Training and monitoring

5 hour “mini-PGCE” training session (Paul Cooper)

“Meet the teachers” session 4 tutorials

Regular email contact Wrap-up meeting (videoed)

• Initial impressions• Journals and planning the Special Project 1• Planning the Special Project 2• Tips on presentations

Training session

One of the two half day workshopsfor 20 students 2004/5

Group exercise on constructing a bridge using paper and scotch tape

Placement requirements

Initial meeting with school to negotiate a timetable

3 / 4 hours a week throughout 12 weeks of semester 2

Minimum of 10 placements required

Outcome

Performance on unit (10 I, 3 IIi) Special projects Teacher questionnaires (5/5) Student questionnaires (11/13) Publications (3) PGCE (12/13 eventually) Development of personal confidence

Special projects Development of revision

materials (x 4) Starters (x 2) Learning styles Fibonacci numbers extension Developing communication

skills in “quiet” pupils Problem solving skills Use of interactive white board

and laptops by staff Use of “Autograph” software Use of “Geometer’s sketchpad”

software

Teacher questionnaires

5.0 Helpful intro to teaching4.8 Student preparation for placement4.7 Working relationships with students4.0 Benefit to school3.8 Demands made on school

5/0 Continuation with scheme

Student questionnaires

4.8 Skills development4.7 Overall rating of unit4.2 School placement experience4.2 Training session relevance4.1 Training session quality4.0 Unit coordinator3.8 University support on placement3.6 Satisfaction with assessment

Dissemination

• Website

• 3 publications (Paul Cooper and RAd’I)• THES article (6/2/04)• TES article• Presentation to engineers• National/Regional UAS conferences• Regional meeting of ILT• 2 internal seminars• National UAS website

www.maths.soton.ac.uk/staff/d’Inverno/UAS

www.uas.ac.uk

Second year 2003/4 Scheme extended to include Chemistry and Physics Schools 27 applicants 22 selected

5 new partner schools (all WP) giving 10 in total

Morning meeting/lunch with link teachers Assessment changes

Tutorials doubled

• 15 mathematicians (11 females 4 males)• 5 chemists (4 females 1 male)• 2 physicists (1 female 1 male)

• 3 sink comprehensive community schools• 1 lower middle class comprehensive community school• 1 boys language college

• Final report 30 -> 30• Weekly journal 20 -> 25• Presentation 20 -> 25• Teacher assessment 30 -> 20

Third year 2004/5 Scheme extended to include Computer Science, Oceanography, Music and Modern Languages 45 applicants 38 selected

7 new partner schools (2 WP) giving 15 in total (2 discontinued)

Assessment changes

Tutorials trebled

• 13 mathematicians (9 females, 4 males)• 3 chemists (1 female, 2 males)• 2 physicists (1 female, 1 male)• 2 computer scientists (1 female, 1 male)• 10 oceanographers (8 females, 2 males)• 7 musicians (6 females, 1 male)• 1 linguist (1 female)

• 2 sixth form colleges• 1 ethnically mixed girls comprehensive school• 3 mixed (1 high achieving) comprehensive schools• 1 boys comprehensive with some behavioural problems

• Final report 30 -> 35• Weekly journal 25 -> 25• Presentation 25 -> 25• Teacher assessment 20 -> 15

Fourth year 2005/6 Scheme extended to include Biological Sciences and Environmental Sciences (9 disciplines total) Geography likely to adopt scheme at next School Education Board Applications (77 total)

All shortage subjects except Music and Biological Sciences No assessment changes planned Unit run by team of 3 academics and 3 Learning and Teaching Coordinators

Interviews/Training/Tutorials/Email support/Assessment Blackboard site being constructed for support Current effort Increase placements within partner schools Recruit new partner schools

• 15 mathematicians (7 females, 8 males)• 1 chemist (1 female)• 6 physicists (6 males)• 8 computer scientists (8 males)• 15 oceanographers (10 females, 5 males)• 9 musicians (9 females)• 5 modern linguists (5 females)• 10 biological scientists (9 females, 1 male)• 8 environmental sciences (7 females, 1 male)

Performance on unit

Year 1: 10 3 0 0 Year 2: 14 6 1 0 Year 3: 20 16 1 1

I IIi IIii III

Student questionnaires

Yr1 Yr2 Yr34.8 4.1 4.4 Skills development4.7 4.2 4.4 Overall rating of unit4.2 3.9 3.8 School placement experience4.2 3.6 3.7 Training session relevance4.1 4.1 4.0 Training session quality4.0 4.2 4.0 Unit coordinator3.8 3.7 3.4 University support on placement3.6 3.8 3.9 Satisfaction with assessment

Issues Academic approval by School boards Teacher assessment not moderated Standard format vs Project format Resource

Course secretary Confusion in schools over various mentoring-type schemes

Student workload

Underperforming students Students with disabilities Convenor not a “champion” of scheme Spreading the scheme internally/externally

• Credit bearing• Paid (UG and PG)• Volunteering

• Initial University grant for WP • UAS initial grant

• Work harder: Yes; • Interfere with other studies: No

University of Southampton acknowledgement of UAS

Honorary Degree awarded to scheme originator Simon Singh

July 2005

• Vice Chancellor’s Award presented to

scheme coordinator Ray d’InvernoSeptember 2005

Conclusions

Flexible scheme Produces PGCE

applicants Develops

employability skills Develops personal

confidence Highly valued by

students