Glasgow Caledonia UniversityTEAN 2010 Conference

Delivering Wider Access to students in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland

Ian Minty Lindsay Nicol

UHI Millennium Institute

The context (1)

• Responding to changing patterns of provision

• Fitting into a 1 yr ft PGDE structure• Partnership with the University of

Strathclyde• Gaining local authority support• Using locally-based staff to deliver• Gaining institutional and national approval

The Context (2)

• Scottish Executive’s Stage 2 Review of Initial Teacher Education, (2005) “….. accessing initial teacher training is problematic for potential students living in remote areas……”

• Currently 20 ITE students studying in 3 separate UHI locations (5% of the total enrolment on the 09-10 cohort of 427 Strathclyde PGDE Primary students)

•Lews Castle College

•Inverness College

•Moray College

•Argyll College

PGDE Structure

• 2 semesters of 18 weeks each• 18 weeks taught • 18 weeks school practice (9 wks P4-7, 2 wks nursery

and 7wks P1-3• Semester 1 Primary 5-7 (8-11 yrs), including modules on

language, maths and educational studies• Semester 2 Early Years (3 – 8 yrs), including Expressive

Arts and RME.• Planning Effective Teaching and Learning (PETL) runs

throughout the course• PETL delivered simultaneously in Gaelic to UHI and

Glasgow for Gaelic pathway students

The Laptop Initiative

• Laptops for every PGDE student

• Use of 1st Class virtual learning environment (VLE)

• Blended learning delivery

• Students gaining computer skills

• Lectures video-streamed

• Intensive use of video-conferencing

Gaelic and English Pathways

2003-04 Just 2 Gaelic students

2008-09 34 (2 Gaelic and 32 English) in 4

locations

2009-10 20 (3 Gaelic and 18 English) in 3

locations

Total so far of 125 students

32 Gaelic pathway

93 English pathway

Local Authority benefits

• Use of experienced teachers to carry out teaching practice supervision

• Involvement in interviews

• Learning new technology skills

• Building their own CPD profiles

The Challenges (1)

• Failure of graduates to land permanent jobs

• Lack of movement amongst older teachers

• Scottish Govt commitment to a guaranteed probationary year

• Reduction by Sc Govt of ITE numbers in 09-10. Drop from 521 to 427

• 75% reduction for 10-11

Challenges (2)

• Small schools and student teachers

• Rollout of the widening access model to other remote locations, eg Dumfries and Galloway

• Equity of experience between the Glasgow Jordanhill students and the UHI students

• Is this a sustainable model, and if so what’s the future for TEIs ?

UHI and Strathclyde staff research activity

• Mary Welsh, Strathclyde, Impact of the Laptop Initiative

• Donald Gillies, Strathclyde, Widening Access

• Ian Minty, UHI, and Lynda Keith, Strathclyde, The Student Experience

Flora’s Story

If you want to contact us:

ian.minty@lews.uhi.ac.uklindsay.nicol@moray.uhi.ac.uk