Digital Education Week: Access to Masters (AToM) Project

The Project

The AToM project has developed a platform that allows candidates to assess their suitability for their selected masters programme and where required provides them with self study resources to help them prepare prior to their application.

Resources

Presentation slides | Session recording

Session Outline

Although limited, in relation to undergraduate study, there is an increasing body of work which has explored students' preparedness to study at Postgraduate level (Baker 2010; Tobbell & O’Donnell 2013). There is a recognition that unarticulated and unclear expectations are leaving students feeling unprepared and anxious about studying at PGT (Bamber et al. 2017). Even when students do feel prepared for their study, they are not fully aware of what it entails. Beeler (1991) describes a framework based on Maslow’s four stages of learning, which suggests that students are commonly in a stage of ‘unconscious incompetence’ when they first enter their PG programme. Morgan’s (2013) study of PGT students reveals that, although many students feel they have a strong skill base, this does not necessarily reflect their ability in that particular skill area.

At UHI, we have been working with PGT students for the past 10 years, and have found that the research echoes the experience of our students. Often they are not cognisant of what is expected of them, or are aware of the terminology:  ‘apply critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to forefront issues, or issues that are informed by forefront developments in the subject/ discipline/sector’ (SCQF 2012, 13) but really do not know what that actually means.

Therefore, EDU and ourselves, together with the University of Boras and the University of Alcala, have been involved in a European Project to create an online self-assessment tool - AToM - for prospective students on the MSc Leadership and Management and the M.Ed. Tertiary and Higher Education to evaluate their level of skill within a range of criteria, and this then produces a diagram which shows where they may need further development. We have then developed a range of learning resources which they can then access to improve their skills knowledge in these areas. The tool has been available to students for the past year, and we are now able to provide some interesting analysis of both our own learning and understanding during the project, and what the students have attained from completing the self-assessment process. This will form the basis of our presentation and discussion.

Presenters

Tara Morrison, Programme Leader MSc Human Resource Management, Inverness College UHI

Tara has been working in Higher Education for over 20 years, and has designed, developed and delivered a range of high calibre postgraduate programmes. Her areas of expertise in leadership, human resource management and organisational behaviour have been important in shaping curriculum within UHI. As a Programme Leader for the MSc Leadership and Management, and now the MSc Human Resource Management, she has helped to grow postgraduate provision within the Business, Leisure and Management Subject Network.

She has carried out a wide range of research projects including collaborating with international universities (University of the Arctic; University of Strathclyde); local and national agencies (Highlands and Islands Enterprise; Rural Gateway; Citizens’ Online; Ofcom; Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations; Skills Development Scotland); and charitable trusts (Carnegie UK Trust; The Royal Society of Edinburgh).

Her pedagogical interests have been in the development of effective online learning. She has advised universities on their development and delivery of online learning materials (University of Edinburgh; University of Strathclyde); and co-authored the book entitled: ‘E-learning and Social Networking Handbook, 2nd ed’ (2013); and  presented at international conferences on the importance of creating ‘learning spaces’ within online and blended modules, and understanding the importance of the social presence. She has won the HISA Student Award for Most Engaging Online Tutor on four occasions (2010; 2011; 2016; 2017), and Best Research/Dissertation Supervisor (2018) as well as being nominated in several other categories. She is currently working on a funded European project to develop introductory materials for students wishing to assess their suitability for postgraduate study.

Gareth Davies, Lews Castle College UHI.

Dr Gareth Davies is originally from Wales and he did his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees there.  He moved to the Western Isles in 2007 and first worked for Lews Castle College UHI in the Stornoway campus in 2009.  Gareth was elected to Court as a Staff Governor.

He leads and teaches on the UHI Master of Education degree programmes in Tertiary & Higher Education and Digital Pedagogy as well as the postgraduate certificate in Research Methods.  He also lectures on a range of degrees including B.Sc. Psychology; B.A. Child & Youth Studies; and M.A. Health & Wellbeing.  Gareth has an M.Sc. in Rural Resources Management and has taught on the B.Sc. Sustainable Development degree and has supported the B.Sc. Geography degree.  Gareth’s teaching experience includes both further and higher education.

Gareth is a Chartered Psychologist, a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

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