Best Practice in HN/degree Articulation
Caroline MacDonald
PVC Student and Community Engagement
SFC review of widening participation policy
Learning for All recommended that we should:

Minimise the time it takes learners who wish to
progress to achieve their goals (by eliminating
unnecessary delay and repetition);

Make transitions between learning environments
easier;

Support the development of more effective articulation
routes between colleges and HEIs; and

Work collaboratively to match qualifications along the
routes learners are most likely to take.
GCU Mission
To provide a high quality accessible, inclusive and
flexible learning and teaching environment
which is enhanced by curiosity–driven research
and which applies its knowledge and skills for
the social and economic benefit of the
communities it serves in Scotland and around
the world.
Key Objectives
 To become an international leader in learning innovation
 To enhance the student experience and access to learning
 To ensure our programmes are designed to enhance students’
employability and their capacity for civic engagement
 To ensure our student support services align with our innovative
approach to learning and teaching
Articulation is a significant
activity for GCU - 1
In 2005-2006
735 students entered GCU on a full time
course into year 2 or 3 with an HNC/D or
equivalent
Represented 29.3% of total for Scotland
(excludes OU – Data from Articulation for All)
Articulation is a significant
activity for GCU - 2
Articulation provides a substantial proportion of our
entrants
Entrants to year 2/3 with HNC/D
735
Total full time 1st degree entrants
3766
Articulating students as a % of all
19.5%
(2005-06 data from Articulation for All)
Across the sector articulation represents about 7% of
entrants to first degrees in Scotland
Key challenges for the sector

Maximise opportunities for articulation that are
available to students

Ensure staff and potential students are aware of
the opportunities

Make transition between college and university as
smooth as possible
• Curriculum match
• Support to students

Improve success rates in terms of percentage of
HN students who graduate with a degree
Approaches taken by GCU
Maximise opportunities available

Improve links between colleges and university (College Partnership
Board)

Strategic Change Grant project looking at links between city centre
colleges and GCU & University of Strathclyde

Audit of links and opportunities being proposed by Articulation Hub
Advisory Group

Appointment of Development Officers to work with colleges to identify
opportunities

Call for proposals to develop new routes or enhance existing links
Approaches taken by GCU
Ensure staff and potential students are
aware of the opportunities
 Open Evening for college applicants (20
November 2008)
 Special supplement to the prospectus for
college students
 Staff briefings
 Information on web
Approaches taken by GCU
Make transition between college and university as smooth as
possible
 2+2 programmes
 College staff teach on programmes (interior design)
 Ensure students understand what university is like before they
Come (On-Track project)
 Support students when they arrive (college mentoring project)
 Clarity about what support is available – single access point
(Saltire Base)
 Involvement of Students Association
 Information at appropriate time (just in time not all at once)
 Specific focus on students with disabilities to understand and
enhance their experience
Approaches taken by GCU
Improve student success rates
 Offer opportunity to come to university to as many
qualified students as possible
 Track students progress and provide support in form
of discipline-specific support (ADTs) and central
(Learner Support)
 Summer school programme
 Enhanced induction
 Peer support scheme
What more could be done

More co-ordination between Schools and Central
Student Services

More flexibility in programme choice

Better formative feedback: Timing, quality, quantity

Learn from good practice elsewhere (QAA
Benchmarking Project)
QAA Benchmarking project –
supporting student success

To consider how best to provide for the needs and
expectations of the increasingly diverse range of HE
students

To identify key challenges in the provision of student
support

To identify and learn from leading international
developments and practice
Activities and outputs of project

Workshop in June 2008

Conference in November 2008

Report early 2009

Web resource

Dissemination at QAA conference in March 2009
Listen to Student Views

Internal module and programme evaluation

National Student Satisfaction Survey

International student views – i-barometer

Act on feedback
e.g. on amount of feedback to students

Communicate
You said, we did ……
How will we know when we
have got better?
Key performance indicators
 Number of applications from HN students
 Progression, retention and completion rates
 Student satisfaction
Internal, NSS, i-barometer
 Employability
DLHE
Employer feedback