ADSHEN – The Northern Group

contact  Bob Burwell  r.burwell@hull.ac.uk

Next meeting will be held York St John University on the Tuesday the 11th of September, 2012.

The theme of the day will be based around the following topics:

  1. Marking policies
  2. Alternative assessment
  3. Individual Tutorial Support – good practice

Review of workshop and meeting  15 March 2012; at University of Sheffield

Hello everyone, this is a summary update on our recent training workshop and meeting.

The workshop was delivered by Rory O’Byrne, from MatchWare Ltd, who provided training on how to use MindView – Mind-mapping software.

Rory has a very engaging style and clearly and concisely explained the software tools and benefits. MindView is increasingly being used by HE institutions and Assessment Centres and we could see why. A key positive feature of the software is the visual style which is suitable for adults in a HE environment. Significantly, the software also has a Microsoft ribbon interface, and therefore is familiar and thus intuitive for students to use. Furthermore, MindView has a ‘Timeline’ tool to enable students to plan a range of tasks, from organising semester deadlines to sequencing an essay.   A personal favourite was the software’s ability to organise and structure students lecture material into a concise and structured and accessible mind-map; Rory coined this great tool as like a ‘Visual Zip-file’ which enables students to organise and access their large volume of work.

After lunch we then moved onto the ADSHE forum business:

Free software project update

Sue Smith and I provided an update on a completed MyStudy Bar Guide. We have finally finished the guide which accompanies the free software tools called MyStudy Bar. We summarised how tutors, assessors and access centres can use the guide with students. We also provided trainees with an A3 laminated copy of the guide. We also gave members an e copy of the guide and the software on a memory stick for them to use in their respective institutions. The feedback was favourable and members seemed to be pleased and enthusiastic about using the guide. This guide will be posted on the ADSHE website shortly under the Assistive Technology Section/resources section; it will also be advertised in the ADSHE Newsletter. Sue and I are also looking to publish to project in the Ability Journal in the near future.

SpLD Tuition – ‘outsourcing’ of staff

This item agenda was in response to recent proposals at Leedsmet to outsource all DSA related staff, including SpLD Tutors. A lively and passionate debate ensued.  Sandra Falshaw was keen to hear other tutors’ experiences of outsourcing in their institutions.  A number of members who have experienced outsourcing were very negative. For example, problems with adequate places to work with students; tutors having a sense of being isolated from liaising with university staff and no opportunities for CPD. Members also requested at ADSHE Jiscmail should not be advertising agency organisations. The general consensus from members was that a move to outsourcing and agency staffing was a retrograde step. They were primarily opposed because it would provide poorer service for student and less favourable working employment conditions for staff in all aspects. Finally, Leedsmet Tutors are vigorously opposing the change to outsourcing and are currently running a campaign via their union UCU.

Tutor workloads

I have been asked by the ADSE Exec to set up a working group to investigate the problem with Tutor workloads. I recommended we set up some clear new guidelines for optimum staff to student support ratios:

In the discussion I asked members their experiences of staffing models, e.g. contracted or part time? I Canvassed views on what would be an optimum level for contracted staff.  I also asked members to gather data on current student to staff ratios from each institution and email me back the data. I will be sending a table template to help them collect this data.

Part time rates of pay for tutors

I recommended ADSHE should press SFE to have a standard scale that applies to all universities and with London weighting where applicable.  The discussion did establish that ADSHE have a working party currently looking into this important issue.

Need to involve more HE institutions in our meetings

Anne Bielby raised this issue as she was concerned about recruiting new members from our region. A number of themes came up; the problems with email contacts and new staff and some parts of the country like East Anglia, having no regional representation. The outcome was to keep working on contacts and use the services of Kassandra as the Recruitment officer to target institutions.

Institutions approach to SpLD and maths provision – who has a math’s specialist?

Carol Deverell raised this issue as students are increasingly needing specialist support in this area. A number of members explained that their institutions had particular tutors who supported students with maths. There was a discussion about the Dyscalculia course at Loughborough which concluded that you did not have to be a maths specialist or even good at maths to be suitable as it is more about teaching specialist strategies, based on good SpLD practice.

How do other people work with academic departments?

Anne Bielby raised this point as she wanted to know if other institutions work in a more structured way with liaising with academic departments. Responses were mixed and there seemed to be no coherent dominant model. However, Aly explained that at Leeds University they have a structure that links their six Disability Coordinators with specific departments and wider faculties; demonstrating a possible useful model for other institutions to consider and adapt.

Review of workshop – The transition from Education to Workplace     13 September 2011; at University of Hull

Hello everyone, this is just a brief update on our recent training day based on the theme: transition of education to the workplace for SpLD students.

  • The main presentation was delivered by Kade Consultancy.  Kade mainly provide diagnostic assessment and guidance for people with an SpLD in the workplace. The talk was very comprehensive and covered a range of topics: a brief outline of a range of SpLDs; the Equality Act; disclosure and its implications; policies and recent funding changes; transferable skills and strategies. They also presented a video clip of dyslexic employees offering their experiences and some advice on how to succeed at work as an SpLD employee.

For me the main message of the day was that we as tutors can play a very positive role in encouraging students to disclose their SpLDs to a future employer, as many students are reluctant to do this. The presentation also equipped specialist tutors with the knowledge to pass onto students the positive news that support and guidance, tailored to their individual work needs, often at a low cost, is available throughout their whole careers.

  • The second talk was presented by Carl Barnes. Carl is a Work Psychologist. He works in Hull as part of ‘Jobcentreplus’, where he provides Work Psychology Employment Assessments for disabled employees, including clients with SpLDs. Carl talk was very relaxed and discursive and there was no ‘death by Powerpoint’! It was interesting to learn what provision was out there for people with SpLDs, who are not students, as our work is so centred around SpLD in a higher education context.

Interestingly, Carl’s employment assessments are not about providing a formal diagnosis but finding out an employees work needs and goals and then offering a bespoke ‘action plan’ to help people, in our case with SpLDs, successfully achieve at work.

  • The training day also included ADSHE forum business.   A couple of main topics were discussed. Anne Bielby raised the issue of assessment reports and the problems of wording for SpLD profiles, e.g. SpLD around ‘timekeeping’. The general consensus from the members was that assessment reports need to be explicit as possible in their terms and explain why they are using terms which may be correct, but need clarification.
  • Furthermore, I introduced our new project based on providing a free software guide for students to use. The ‘Freeware’ guide provides a simple and clear evaluation of the free software tool bar available called ‘My Study Bar’.  It was presented in an A3 laminated format and members seemed to be very positive about using the guide! I will keep you posted once we have finished the project; the main aim is that the guide will be available for all institutions to use with their students.

Finally, as Chair I really enjoyed organising this event at my university. However, I do need your input on future ideas plans and event locations for our next training event, so please be an active member and keep me posted on your suggestions.

Durham University in February 2010. Juliet and Claire Jamieson gave an interesting and well presented talk on ‘Managing Aspergers Syndrome at College or University’ following which were interesting questions and discussion and examples of people’s own experiences and approach to this ever increasing area of specific learning difficulties in HE.  There was also an interesting sharing of experiences in relation SFE….and much common ground!

A well attended and very interesting meeting was held at Leeds Metropolitan University on Thursday September 9th 2010 with many members travelling some distance. We’re delighted Kerry came down from Scotland! Everyone joined in enthusiastically to try out Pat Francis’ many good ideas to inspire Art and Craft students to write. This was followed by a good lunch and then sharing useful and practical favourite resources. Ros updated us on the recent happenings at SFE and a future meetings was planned for January 2011. Even the weather was great!

Previous Discussion Topics
Recent topics discussed have included IT Training, working with dyspraxic and dyscalculic students, coping with waiting lists, pay levels and re-grading.

Professional Development
• Members from the University of Sheffield introduced the online study skill support materials that they were producing for HE students. They presented the thinking behind the material and highlighted some the difficulties in working in a new field with professionals from another area. This project was developed with an Institutional Learning and Teaching Grant and was the result of a successful bid. The materials can now be accessed at http://dyslexstudyskills.group.shef.ac.uk