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Developing the Tools of the Trade: Reconciling vocational
and academic demands
John English & Chris Ireland
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Outline• The issues• The students• The problems
– Student perception of Accountancy– Embedding PDP– Academic Skills
• Possible solutions• Evaluation
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What are the issues?
1) What are the main problems your new students have?
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Cohort Issues
• Ethnic mix/Cultural issues
• Age mix
• Male domination
• Entry qualifications
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ETHNICITY 04/05 05/06 06/07
White 23 36 29
Asian 38 28 36
Black 3 6 6
Other 2 2 1
Not Given 7 5 2
TOTAL 73 77 74
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AGE 04/05 05/06 06/07
<19 50 55 56
20-24 16 18 13
>25 7 4 5
TOTAL 73(68%) 77(71%) 74(76%)
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SEX 04/05 05/06 06/07
Male 52 54 40
Female 21 23 34
TOTAL 73 77 74
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Qualifications 04/05 05/06 06/07
Non A-Level 19 18 14
A-Level 54 59 60
TOTAL 73 77 74
Of these A-level students
=< 200 UCAS 29(53%) 30(51%) 26(43%)
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Issues in AccountancyFE Issues
Attendance
Independent learning – reading and writing
Commitment & participation - what’s the point of this?
Family issues
Feedback on work
Generally understanding what is expected of them
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2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7YEAR
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Management & Marketing Accountancy Business Studies Law Other Schools
Students Attending HUBS ASU
Business School
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2004/5 five classes at 16.15 Thursday
Week Topic Attendance
1 Reading 50
2 Note-taking 5
3 Assignment Writing 20
4 Plagiarism 15
5 Reflection 15
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2005/6 six classes at 16.15 Thursday
Week Topic Attendance
1 Note-taking 78
2 Reading 56
3 Academic Writing 48
4 Assignment Planning 50
5 Reflection 30
6 Reflection 20
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BA Accountancy & Finance
Needs to satisfy academic standards
Needs to satisfy ACCA/CIMA requirements
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BA Accountancy & Finance
Needs to satisfy academic standards
Needs to satisfy ACCA/CIMA requirements
Difficult maybe - but not impossible unless we have another criteria:
Graduate Employers!
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What do Graduate Employers require?
From your perspective what do employers in your field require of your graduates?
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Problem – Perception of Accountancy
Accountancy is all about numbers
WRONG
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Accountancy is not all about numbers
Accountants have to : -– produce financial statements– provide information for decision makers– be critical thinkers– write lengthy reports– present to clients– meet the competencies required by graduate
employers
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Problem – Skills and development
Year 1 counts as far as ACCA are concerned
Less traditional academic writing in Year 1
No dissertation but plenty of traditional academic writing by Year 3
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Question around 2005Is there a solution?
Develop a 1st year module to-Embed academic and vocational skills-Utilise formative assessment-Provide early contact with professional bodies-Enhance Personal Tutor/Student relationship-Include Personal Development
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Which Academic Skills should be addressed?
Writing? Listening?Speaking? Research?Numeracy? Group work?Presentation? Reflection?Reading? (Time Management)?(Learning Styles)? …..
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Is Skills the right word?
Students’ attitude – negative
Key Skills – 7, 11 etc
Basic Skills
Skills, skills and yet more skills
They “think” they have enough
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Is employability better?CIHE’s checklist for students • Cognitive Skills• Generic Competences• Personal Capabilities• Technical Ability• Organisation Awareness• Practical and Professional Elements
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We needed a dynamic vehicle for embedding academic & vocational
skills aka employability
Accountants in
Organisations
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Accountants in Organisations
Relevant topics – Structure, orgs etc
Addresses Employability Competencies
Reinforce PT system
Introduce PDP & Life-Long Learning
Formative Assessment
Induction Week Programme
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How does it work?
Grad Co. Ltd – a placement organisation
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How does it work?Applying for a placement – covering letter, CV,
diagnostics,
Doing the basics on the job – meetings, problem solving, data analysis and reflection
Professional Body Business game - role play, pricing exercise, presentations.
Are you up to the job – evidenced by a portfolio
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Cross-years & modules
Feeding into short, medium and long-term
It’s what Accountants would do anyway!
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PDP
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Academic Writing
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How does academic skills provision fit in?
Deficit Model Developmental Model
Pragmatic Critical
Detach Embed
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It started as a perceived deficit …
with even the national press noting the skills deficiency.
Firstly, in the Sunday Times 12 December 2002 Chris Woodhead responded to the following letter:
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It started with a perceived deficit
Huddersfield University is advertising for “academic support tutors” to help students “with grammar” and “to read academic books”. How have we arrived at a state where universities are recruiting remedial teachers to help students with basic reading and writing skills?
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It started with a perceived deficit
Woodhead responded by explaining academic support tutors as the “inevitable consequence” of widening participation.
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Academic Writing
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Year 3 many students continue to have writing related difficulties.
Therefore Year 3 continues to largely follow a deficit model
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Academic Writing
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Academic Skills
Year 1 largely developmental.
Formative Assessment
Time Management
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Academic Skills within the Module
Writing - assignment submission in mid-October
Various sessions of preparation but in recognition of learning styles some will need the experience of having tested the water (Pragmatists & Activists).
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Academic Skills within the Module
Presentations – four opportunities
Term 1 Purely formative – only +ve feedback
Term 2 formative +/-ve feedback
After Easter formative - summative
The final presentation includes a mark for practicing in the ASU and using feedback in the final version.
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Evaluation
When students who have studied AIO reach the 3rd Year. 2008/9 & 2009/10 (placement)
Placements (Employability competencies)
Use of the Academic Skills Unit
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0
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2003/4 2004/5 2005/6 2006/7YEAR
Stu
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Management & Marketing Accountancy Business Studies Law Other Schools
Students Attending HUBS ASU
Business School
www.hud.ac.uk/hubs
The way forwardMore creative engaging sessionsReactive to internal & external influences/ideasEvaluation over 3 year period and beyondResearch areas: -
• Writing• Retention progression• Embedding issues• BMAF • Conference
