SOLSTICE & CLT Conference 2013
Planning learning for the needs and interests of
students during transitions in to Higher Education
Dr John Bostock and Jane Wood, Edge Hill
University
5th & 6th June 2013
Supporting transitions into Higher
Education
• We strongly believe that transitions involve much more than
the move from one physical location to another or an age
transition from one school to higher education. We suggest that
transitions are profound periods of change and transformation
in the lives of learners and as such should be studied and
managed to ensure learners are able to grow and thrive during
these difficult phases in their education.
Supporting transitions into Higher
Education
• We do not believe that transitions are always negative
experiences and we propose that they need not be
troubled or problematic. With the help and support of
teachers and support staff at both institutions, they can
be a positive experience of challenge, growth and
achievement.
Supporting transitions into Higher
Education
• Crafter and Maunder (2012) define transitions as being
about a change in self-identity born out of uncertainty
in the social and cultural worlds of the individual. They
suggest that transitions can be best understood by
taking into account the social and cultural situatedness
of human thought and action.
Supporting transitions into Higher
Education
• It is important to understand
from this that transitions are
complex and multi-faceted
and often involve a change in
the very personality of the
person involved. This might
be enhanced by a period of
personal reflection,
development and growth by
the individual learner and will
be different in each case.
Wenger’s Trajectories
Wenger (1998) presents ‘communities of practice’ as a
social theory of learning where social participation in a
community is central for learning to take place. No one
learns in a vacuum. We all need to interact with our
surroundings in order to learn and develop and
Wenger identifies this social ‘situatedness’ as a
community of practice.
Wenger’s Trajectories
The participation in a community of
practice therefore ‘shapes not only what
we do, but also who we are and how we
interpret what we do’ Wenger (1998).
Transition in a community of practice
framework, therefore, refers to the
process of joining and becoming members
of a new community of practice, and the
transition not only happens to the
individual, but also to the community
itself by the very inclusion of new
members. In this way transitions are very
much seen as a two way process that
changes the learner and also the learning
organisation.
Wenger’s Trajectories
• Peripheral trajectories – trajectories which do not lead
to full participation but do involve identity shifts.
• Inbound trajectories – trajectories which suggest the
goal of full participation, even when the participant is
peripheral in the beginning.
• Insider trajectories – even when a full participant,
practice and meaning and so identity can shift.
• Boundary trajectories – those which span a number of
communities of practice, linking them and brokering
practices with them.
• Outbound trajectories – trajectories which clearly
enable participation in a future community of practice.
What does this mean in terms of planning? Both the teacher and the student have
specific but varied and connected roles which converge in the classroom or lecture
theatre
• Effective planning for learning
• Who are the students?
• Teaching strategies are considered which are flexible, adaptive or
‘differentiated’.
A rather formulaic but useful axiom around session plan design for
learning is:
• Aims and Objectives PLUS Teacher and Student Activity PLUS
Assessment = Learning
AND
Another rather formulaic but useful axiom around preparing and
planning for teaching is:
• Scheme of Work PLUS Cohort Analysis PLUS Session Plan=Teaching
Transition to Higher Education (HE)
• Students in higher education are not a homogeneous
group.
• Students in HE comprise increasing numbers of adult
returners rather than just 18 year olds
• Programme teams write module outcomes and then
propose a series of objectives to meet these outcomes
which, in turn, are aligned with appropriate formative and
summative assessment strategies
Transition Focused Approaches
Existing Pedagogical approaches and assumptions about
learners
Transition focused approaches which critically examine the
needs of learners
Learners are dependent on others for educational ideas
Learners are developing capacity to explore issues and ideas
Learners have a narrow understanding of personal problems and
Learners need supported development of social / personal interaction
social issues
and are developing an awareness of the needs of others
Learners demonstrate a readiness to learn that is dependent on the
Learners readiness to learn needs to be nurtured and encouraged
teacher
Learners display a passive acceptance of educational instruction and
authority
Existing Andragogical approaches and assumptions about learners
Learners have an ability to identify and think about educational issues for one’s
self
Learners have an altruistic concern for the welfare of others
Learners bring life experiences to the learning experience and this drives their
readiness to learn
Learners challenge existing instruction and authority and seek
understanding and relevance of rules and regulations before
Learners adopt an individually constructed acceptance and conformity to
instruction and authority
conforming
Learners are motivated extrinsically by external rewards and
Learners are developing a natural curiosity for learning that is slowly
punishment
moving away from extrinsically determined factors
Learners are motivated intrinsically by internal incentives and natural curiosity
Planning is done primarily by teachers with little or no input from
The needs and interests of learners must be considered and used by
learners
the teacher to inform planning
Teaching is didactic and prescriptive
Teaching is creative and incorporates some self directed learning
Teaching is inductive and interactive
Learning is passive and reliant upon the teachers input
Sessions are scaffolded and carefully facilitated to develop
Learning is experiential and enquiry based
Planning is negotiated between the learner and the teacher
independent learning
Assessment is teacher / curriculum driven
Assessment introduces concepts of peer and self assessment
Assessment is driven by learner collected evidence and validated by peers,
facilitators or experts
Questions
• How will you organise your induction period to ensure all
learners make friends and feel secure in the new
organisation?
• How will you develop learners’ resilience and confidence?
• How will you develop your students as autonomous,
independent learners?
• How will you develop partnerships with your feeder schools
/ colleges to ensure smooth transitions for your learners?
• How will you develop life skills and coping skills for your
learners?
Conclusions
• A transitions-focused approach could also be
described as a person-centred approach. That is, we
are conscious of the fact that all students will
experience transitions differently and that the most
important thing we can do for them as teachers is to
support them during these transitions . This means
we must acknowledge the fact that we must focus on
each individual learner.