scholarly journals Building capabilities for higher education prior to entry

2019 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 5-31
Author(s):  
Karen MacFarlane
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
First Generation ◽  
The Body ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
University Environment ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Participation In Higher Education ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting ◽  
The Capability Approach

Inequality of participation in higher education persists despite a wealth of research and interventions. This has led to calls to rethink what it means to be university ready , especially for learners from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of whom are first-generation students. This paper explores the efficacy of a unique widening participation model based on immersing learners in the university environment prior to entry to HE in Scotland. Data from interviews with 30 students who participated in the programme are mapped to Wilson-Equitable Transitions to University (2016) which is based on the Capability Approach. Capability theorists contend that an appropriate approach to widening participation would address what students need to be able to do and to be (their capabilities) to successfully make the transition to HE. Evidence from this study suggests that the experience of studying HE level qualifications within a university setting whilst still at school provides learners from disadvantaged backgrounds with the capabilities for an equitable transition to university. A key finding is that when capabilities for equitable transitions are fostered prior to entry, learners identify as university students. The paper contributes to the body of knowledge at the nexus of widening participation, transition and capabilities.

Web Accessibility of the Top Research-Intensive Universities in the UK

SAGE Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 215824402110566
Author(s):  
Sophia Alim
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Web Accessibility ◽  
The Body ◽  
Web Pages ◽  
Wcag 2.0 ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
Text Content ◽  
The Uk ◽  
Future Technologies ◽  
The University

Although the web accessibility of universities around the world is well documented, much remains unknown about this aspect of higher education institutions in the UK. Using three automated web accessibility tools (TAW, WAVE and EIII Page Checker), this study explores the accessibility of the homepages of 66 research-intensive universities with respect to the WCAG 2.0 checkpoints. The results show that the most common checkpoint violations involve the provision of text alternatives for non-text content, contrast errors and the need to increase the computability of webpages with future technologies and tools. The results show that there are variations between UK universities, and there is some evidence of consistent compliance amongst the university homepages. However, when evaluated against results from similar studies of web accessibility in other countries, these web pages perform well. Overall, this study adds to the body of knowledge on web accessibility in higher education in the UK.

scholarly journals Extended Science: a powerful tool in widening participation

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
David John Harwood
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Qualitative Data ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Critical Importance ◽  
Familial History ◽  
Is Success ◽  
University Curriculum ◽  
History Of ◽  
Participation In Higher Education ◽  
The University

Year zero courses, as part of extended degree programmes, offer a robust and efficacious means of increasing participation in science and other areas of the university curriculum where graduate shortages have been identified, STEM subjects for example. This 23-year longitudinal study investigates the efficacy of this approach at one university and identifies the features which contribute to its success and may be transferable to other institutions and models. Quantitative and qualitative data are analysed and discussed. A particular feature of this approach is success in attracting, retaining and graduating mature returners as well as those with no prior familial history of participation in higher education. The critical importance of establishing a higher education learning culture also emerges.

Creating Conditions for Student Success: Social justice perspectives from a South African university

2021 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
South African ◽  
Capabilities Approach ◽  
University Environment ◽  
Education Environment ◽  
Success In Higher Education ◽  
Social Theories ◽  
The Rich ◽  
The University ◽  
University Setting

The various chapters of this book have brilliantly provided perspectives on creating conditions for success in higher education from a wide variety of stakeholders within a university environment. The rich content comes from varying fields of study as well as academic development and student affairs directorates within the institution. This is what is exciting about the book. The diversity of focus in chapters makes the book relevant to anyone with interest in higher education matters. From the opening to the closing chapter, students are making a contribution on what the university has done or is doing for them to succeed or what it should consider doing to improve its service to students. This touches on every environment that students find themselves in a university setting, from residences, to the classroom to commuter or off-campus students. The book’s extended use of the capabilities approach and critical social theories has enabled it to provide nuances on not only the success of students, but, more importantly, about how the higher education environment can transform itself to practices relevant for the sector today. The various research studies in this book can benefit similar university contexts nationally and internationally.

The Role of Counselling in Programmes for Gifted Disadvantaged Students

2005 ◽  
Vol 20 (3) ◽  
pp. 369-379
Author(s):  
Jacqui Akhurst
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Higher Education ◽  
Disadvantaged Students ◽  
University Environment ◽  
Kwazulu Natal ◽  
Potential Applications ◽  
Participation In Higher Education ◽  
The University ◽  
Counselling Interventions

This article reflects on the provision of counselling for gifted disadvantaged students, which has been embedded into two access programmes on the Pietermaritzburg campus of the University of KwaZulu Natal Students who would not normally gain entry into degree studies are selected to these programmes from hundreds of applicants, and from the inception of the programmes, counselling has been an integral part of the curriculum. Because all students on the programmes are from disadvantaged backgrounds, they face many challenges to their mental health, particularly in adjusting to the university environment. The types of problems faced by the students and the variety of counselling interventions provided are described. The counsellors' roles and experiences of the work are outlined, and the students' responses are noted. The broader potential applications of counselling in the education of the gifted are then discussed, with particular reference to calls to widen participation in Higher Education.

‘I don’t want to go to a crummy little university’: social class, higher education choice and the paradox of widening participation

2009 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tina Byrom
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Social Class ◽  
Young People ◽  
Working Class ◽  
Summer School ◽  
Widening Participation ◽  
Education Choice ◽  
School Based ◽  
Institutional Habitus ◽  
Participation In Higher Education

Whilst there has been growing attention paid to the imbalance of Higher Education (HE) applications according to social class, insufficient attention has been paid to the successful minority of working-class young people who do secure places in some of the UK’s leading HE institutions. In particular, the influence and nature of pre-university interventions on such students’ choice of institution has been under-explored. Data from an ESRC-funded PhD study of 16 young people who participated in a Sutton Trust Summer School are used to illustrate how the effects of a school-based institutional habitus and directed intervention programmes can be instrumental in guiding student choices and decisions relating to participation in Higher Education.

Quality assurance systems: enemies or allies of innovation in higher education institutions?

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariana Ferreira de Mello Silva ◽  
Eduardo Raupp de Vargas
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Quality Assurance ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Higher Education Institutions ◽  
University Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Body Of Knowledge ◽  
The University ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Innovation In Higher Education

Purpose This study aims to examine the extant literature to analyze the relationship between quality assurance (QA) and innovation in the higher education context. Design/methodology/approach This study selected 63 articles through a systematic literature review in Scopus and Web of Science databases and performed a descriptive and thematic synthesis-analysis on the sample. Findings The research identifies several perspectives discussed on QA systems covering experiences, criticisms and practice implications. The literature review shows there is no clear consensus on whether innovation in higher education institutions (HEIs) is fostered or hindered by QA processes. However, it seems that the likelihood of innovativeness and positive QA outcomes are directly linked to how these processes are managed in universities. Research limitations/implications This review highlights the university management concerns that emerge with QA issues as it is not yet clear to what extent innovation is actually promoted in scenarios where QA is applied. Hence, this literature review could be considered comprehensive but not exhaustive. Further studies are recommended to improve the understanding of how HEIs can both innovate and ensure quality at the same time. Originality/value The paper contributes to the existing body of knowledge by advancing the opportunities and challenges that HEIs face due to QA system features.

scholarly journals Performance Anxiety in Western Classical Music: A Malaysian Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-230
Author(s):  
Rita Mardhatillah Binti Umar Rauf ◽  
Faezah Hamdan
Keyword(s):  
Classical Music ◽  
Performance Anxiety ◽  
The Body ◽  
Stage Fright ◽  
Important Relationship ◽  
The University ◽  
Western Classical Music ◽  
University Setting ◽  
Symptoms And Signs

Although performance anxiety is a common problem in life, there are only a few studies on this subject in Malaysia. This article presents the expansion to the body of literature on this important relationship between performance anxiety in Western Classical Music. Millions of people suffer and may experience from performance anxiety, which commonly called as ‘stage fright’. Worst of all, it may prevent a musician from doing what they enjoy or quit from performing which can effect the career. The knowledge affecting to symptoms and signs anxiety during adolescence among students could help if possible areas can be highlighted for the mediating and prevention on the subjects which may assist Malaysian youths in the university setting so they can control the emotions and reduce the anxiety

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