Caroline Vince and Stian Reimers
More than 50% of the BSc (Hons) Radiography (Radiotherapy & Oncology) year 1 cohort was recruited via Clearing in August 2022. The UCAS tariff points through the regular admissions cycle is 112 (BBC) points; and during Clearing this was reduced to 88 (CCD) points. The project proposes to compare whether those students who entered the programme with 112 tariff points versus those who entered with 88 tariff points perform differently during year 1 assessments, examining overall grade and failure rate. It builds on a body of research in the UK (e.g., King & Aves, 2012; Lambe & Bristow, 2011), US (e.g., Kurlaender & Cohen, 2019) and globally (for a recent review see Aciro et al., 2021), that seeks to understand the predictors of academic performance at university, and identify students who would benefit from more support. Project Objectives:
· Explore assessment performance (across terms 1 and 2) and whether a relationship exists when compared with UCAS tariff points.
· Explore other potentially confounding and mediating factors such that may be relevant to academic success, for example,
o Student attendance using data from SEAtS.
o Student engagement using data from JISC learning analytics system (Data Explorer)
· Review mechanisms of current support in situ, meet with individuals to look at the assessment performance, student attendance and student engagement data to implement support plans.
We are using a small but relatively rich anonymised dataset of around 50 students and will tentatively explore patterns of performance over time and across modules and their correlates.
By understanding who our students are, and creating tailored and personalised support services, we celebrate and empower our students, improve their experience and enhance their learning outcomes.
We have an opportunity to empower students to access support when and how they need it. This project is about ensuring students are at the heart of what we do.
Underpinning this project is the ethos of ‘We care, we learn, and we act’ by early identification of students who are struggling and will allow the academic team to develop tailored student support. This session could provide an opportunity for attendees:
a. To consider whether UCAS tariff points are directly linked to academic success in higher education.
b. To evaluate and consider the development of tailored student support for year 1 students.
c. To consider how we move towards implementing a contextualised admissions approach.
This session will consist of:
1. Introduction and overview of the project – 5 minutes
2. The results and finding – 5 minutes
3. Discussion around the findings and how this relates to the project’s objectives – 10 minutes
Questions
1. When students enter the via Clearing with fewer tariff points does this influence academic success?
2. Do other variables such as student attendance and engagement with learning resources influence academic success?
3. How do we support failing students, what mechanisms can we put in place?
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Open in new tab References
Aciro, R., Onen, D., Malinga, G. M., Ezati, B. A., & Openjuru, G. L. (2021). Entry grades and the academic performance of university students: a review of literature. Education Quarterly Reviews, 4.
King, N. C., & Aves, S. J. (2012). Effect of A-level subject choice and entry tariff on final degree and level 1 performance in biosciences. Bioscience Education, 19(1), 1-11.
Kurlaender, M. & Cohen, K. (2019) Predicting College Success: How Do Different High School Assessments Measure Up?” Policy Analysis for California Education (PACE).
Lambe, P., & Bristow, D. (2011). Predicting medical student performance from attributes at entry: a latent class analysis. Medical Education, 45(3), 308-316.
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