1. The Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR) The University of Gloucestershire Experience Professor Stephen Hill Dr Phil Gravestock University of Gloucestershire

2. Don’t panic! The way to eat an elephant is to do it in small pieces…..

3. HEAR = Academic Transcript (module marks and grades). Diploma Supplement. Additional information esp. section 6.1 - a ‘richer picture’ of student achievement, verified additional achievements recorded under one of three headings: –University, Professional and Departmental Prizes; –measured or assessed performance in non-academic contexts accredited by, or with external accreditation recognised by the University, e.g. awards concerned with employability; –additional formal roles for which no recognition is provided in terms of academic credit, e.g. Course Representatives or Students’ Union Officers. IN OTHER WORDS…. The HEAR has 2 main bits : –Accredited achievements in the formal curriculum –Verified achievements in the co-curriculum

4. UoG situation Work on the European Diploma Supplement meant that much information required for the HEAR is available Existing transcripts granulated information even to assessment methodologies at assignment level Previously available data: –University prizes –Period of study abroad –Additional awards (e.g. coaching, ECDL) –Student Ambassadors –Student Mentors Working with Students’ Union and Careers to establish process to allow for verification of additional achievement through small non-accredited (ghost) modules Students present claims for verification of achievement Great concern to ensure equity of access

5. First questions What’s already available and in place? How do your transcripts work currently? Where are the data? How far can you granulate student achievements in the formal curriculum? –by year? –by module? –by individual assignment? Who are your stakeholders? –Students and Students’ Union –Staff (academic, support, careers, student records, etc) –Employers –Alumni

6. Barriers and obstacles? Systems? Resources? Allergy to change? Other priorities (e.g. KIS) Keep your enemies close…

7. Get your SU and your employers on board early – they are your most effective advocates.

8. Employers’ reactions: UoG Employability Forum Keep it simple Fairly happy with traditional classification Interested in real-world, co-curricular, non-formal learning as well as academic learning Not greatly interested in drilling down into details of marks In favour of evaluation and articulation of achievement rather than bare lists of activities Want graduates who show that they can think and adapt, with transferable skills Want graduates who can articulate how they did it and why their achievement matters

9. Identify the benefits for students and staff Enhances student experience – more holistic and transparent acknowledgment of achievement Explicit record of employability skills with evidence Encourages students to articulate why they are employable Can be used formatively as scaffold for student development Employers can search for particular types of graduate Can drive enhancement of TLA Encourages students to be reflective and reflexive Supports more strategic approaches to public and community engagement Strengthens links between HEI and SU AND…….

10. Generic Issues How does the HEAR fit into your systems? How much detail about assessment methods can you produce? Key issues for Section 4: –Generation of user-friendly programme specifications (CFR and CogenT – http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/cogent/)http://www.pebblepad.co.uk/cogent/ –Access to programme specifications Key issues for Section 6: –The HEAR is about achievement, not just about activity –What does ‘verification’ look like? Scaling up to work for all you students. What about part-timers, PG students, collaborative provision?

11. Electronic HEAR UoG supported the development of the Gradintel application Gradintel: –is aimed at providing an online resource for students to identify their employability skills –can be searched by employers on the basis of certain criteria to identify appropriate students –provides an e-transcript service –is ‘free’ for students –will be the repository for HEARs for the future

13. Section 6: Key issues –Are we considering experience or achievement? –How do we secure equity of opportunity for all students? –What does ‘verification’ actually look like and how does it differ from assessment or evaluation? –Who will ‘verify’?

14. Student Learning Experience Curriculum: accredited and formal Co-curriculum: not accredited, but verified, can involve application of knowledge and understanding from formal curriculum, or development of graduate attributes which are part of broad programme outcomes Extra-curriculum: not accredited, not verified, but achievement may still contribute to development of graduate attributes

15. PERSONAL STATEMENT OF LEARNING FORMAL INFORMAL work VERIFIED FLEXIBLE ASSESSMENT and PDP UNACCREDITED Learning from training experience conference volunteeringlifesport UNSTRATEGIC STRATEGIC Recognition of Prior Learning for admission Demonstration of employability skills ASSESSMENT and IAG TRADITIONAL EBTA Skills/ employability award RPL EGGS HEAR §6.1 APL Shell Framework Named HE Award Accreditation of Prior Learning for advanced standing or exemption Degree Bite-sized chunks ACCREDITED RANDOM, CO- CURRICULAR Unrecorded or certificate of attendance CertificateDiploma Professional qualification culture In-house training

16. Verified but not accredited: Students complete a brief personal statement in order to claim achievement as suitable for verification. Achievement could be from volunteering, work experience, or other activities. The intention is to be as inclusive as possible in terms of types of achievement in order to provide equitable opportunities for the full, diverse range of students. The Students’ Union will be involved in the verification process. Section 6.1 – Gloucestershire

17. ‘The University of Gloucestershire has adopted the presumption that students should be involved in decisions about whether they wish to have achievement verified for the HEAR, and to what extent. University and departmental prizes would be included by use of existing information sets, and a cross-university group has given consideration to processes of ‘verification’ of achievement outside the formal curriculum, and two approaches are proposed.’ Extracted from paper for the Burgess Implementation Group

18. What did you do? Details of your achievement How much effort was involved? What impact did it have? How would you do it differently next time? Was the activity University-initiated? Do you want the achievement reported in your HEAR? Confirmation by mentor/supervisor Verified by approved member of staff or SU Personal statement of achievement for verification

19. Attributes / skills developed... Application of Numeracy & ICT Business / Social Awareness Communication & Literacy Problem- solving & Creativity Teamwork & Leadership Community Engagement Culture Employment Enterprise Internship Research Sport Sustainability Experience gained through... PSA Communication & Literacy Award =

20. Attributes / skills developed... Application of Numeracy & ICT Business / Social Awareness Communication & Literacy Problem- solving & Creativity Teamwork & Leadership Community Engagement Culture Employment Enterprise Internship Research Sport Sustainability Experience gained through... Employment Award = PSA

21. Attributes / skills developed... Application of Numeracy & ICT Business / Social Awareness Communication & Literacy Problem- solving & Creativity Teamwork & Leadership Community Engagement Culture Employment Enterprise Internship Research Sport Sustainability Experience gained through... Generic Award = PSA

22. Attributes / skills developed... Application of Numeracy & ICT Business / Social Awareness Communication & Literacy Problem- solving & Creativity Teamwork & Leadership Community Engagement Culture Employment Enterprise Internship Research Sport Sustainability Experience gained through... Enterprise Award = Business/Social Awareness Award = PSA

23. Discussion Points 1.The HEAR allows for considerable granulation of information in respect of such things as approaches to assessment and degree content. How much detail is helpful –for students? –for employers? 2.In what ways could the HEAR be used formatively with students before they graduate? 3.What contribution could the HEAR make to promoting graduates’ employability? 4.The HEAR is the major outcome of the Burgess Report Beyond the Degree Classification which raised the issue of the appropriateness of the degree classification as the main indicator of student achievement. Now that the HEAR is live and provides a richer picture of students’ performance, what are your views on the relevance of the UK system of degree classification?

24. ‘An Internship will give me the opportunity to apply knowledge I have learnt in lectures into a real world environment. I can learn from professionals working in industry and have a great opportunity to network. It will also help me assess whether I would like to have a career in this area’ Simon Briley, Level 1 Sports Strength and Conditioning student ‘The degree plus course is a brilliantly conceived project and I hope it proves really successful.’ David Strudley CBE FRSA, Chief Executive, Acorn Children’s Hospice

25. Extending the Student Year Teaching blocks extended by one week to 13 weeks. This allows 2 weeks per year in which activities relating to development of generic graduate skills (employability, information and digital literacy) can be delivered by staff from Careers, LIS, TLI). Content and timing of the weeks will be negotiated between central support units and academic schools. 4 intercalated weeks in which co-curricular and extra-curricular activities can take place, including volunteering, sports events, work placements and internships, training courses, etc. These weeks will be common for all students, and, whenever possible, scheduled to coincide with occasions such as Gold Cup Week. Space at end of academic year for preparation for following academic year, and celebration of student achievement through end-of-year shows and a UoG Festival week. Expectation of student engagement across year, with the achievement of a UoG Skills Award, and various co-curricular activities including the Employability Award which can be reported in the HEAR. –Uses central support resources most effectively; –Causes least disruption to the academic timetable; –Most likely to secure continuous student engagement; –Enables progression and student development most effectively.

27. Student as an Active Learner Student as an Active Partner Student as an Active Citizen The Higher Education Achievement Record (HEAR) Recognition of a richer picture of student achievement including verification of co- curricular learning will enhance Student engagement Student success Graduate employability The student experience Combining a student-driven e-portfolio with an electronic HEAR will enable students to present themselves and their achievements from volunteering, work experience, or life more fully and effectively to potential employers