Education Commons^™

Staying The Course: Factors Affecting The Progression Of Access Foundation Students At Technological University Dublin, Annette Forster, Fiona Faulkner, Mark Prendergast

Books/Book Chapters

This study examined the factors affecting the progression of Access Foundation students to undergraduate studies, as there is little research on the progression of such students in the empirical literature. Access education has been developed for marginalized students who are traditionally under-represented in higher education. A pragmatic, mixed-methods approach was used to determine the factors that affect the progression of Access Foundation students at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) over three academic years (2017/18, 2018/19 and 2019/20). Quantitative and qualitative data were collected via a questionnaire and semi-structured interviews. Quantitative data was analysed using a range of descriptive and inferential …

Evaluating A Peer Assisted Learning Programme For Mature Access Foundation Students Undertaking Computer Programming At An Irish University, Nevan Bermingham, Frances Boylan, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Access Foundation Programmes are a widening-participation initiative designed to encourage engagement in higher education among under-represented groups. This includes socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. Mature students in particular enrolled on these programmes experience greater difficulties making the transition to tertiary education, especially when they opt to study disciplines traditionally considered difficult. Computer programming is perceived as a traditionally difficult subject with lower pass rates and progression rates typically than other subjects.

This paper describes the first of a three-cycle action research study examining the perceived effects of a structured Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme for mature students enrolled on a computer …

The 4c’S Of Pal – An Evidence-Based Model For Implementing Peer Assisted Learning For Mature Students, Nevan Bermingham, Frances Boylan, Barry J. Ryan

Articles

Peer Assisted Leaning (PAL) programmes have been shown to enhance learner confidence and have an overall positive effect on learner comprehension, particularly in subjects traditionally perceived as difficult. This research describes the findings of a three-cycle Action Research study into the perceived benefits of implementing such a programme for mature students enrolled on a computer science programming module on an Access Foundation Programme in an Irish University. The findings from this study suggest that peer learning programmes offer students a valued support structure that aids transition and acculturation into tertiary education whilst simultaneously improving their subject-matter comprehension and confidence. An …

Better Access To Academic Literature Towards A New Norwegian Model For Universally Designed Teaching Materials, Kjersti Persdatt Nenseter

Papers

The purpose of this paper is to describe possible approaches to achieving universally designed teaching materials in higher education. In 2016 the Norwegian Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education and Research commissioned a survey on access to academic literature from The Norwegian Library of Talking Books and Braille (NLB) and Universell. This paper will look at key points on important developments in our environment as explored in the report, and present the analysis and recommendations that follow. Finally, the paper will discuss some possible strategies to meet the changes implied in the report. Since this is a process …

Mentoring Case Studies In The Access And Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City, Sinéad Mccann, John Delap

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This is a collaborative paper by staff members working with Students Learning with Communities (SLWC) and the Access Service in the Access and Civic Engagement Office (ACE) at Technological University City (DIT). Through two case studies, this paper examines various types of mentoring operating within these two programmes, as well as identifying; 1) the purpose of each type of mentoring relationship, and its specific structure 2) the desired outcomes of the mentoring relationships and 3) areas in which mentoring relationships can grow. This paper aims to contribute to the development of best practice for mentoring in higher education.

Mentoring Case Studies In The Access And Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City, John Delap, Sinéad Mccann

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Abstract This is a collaborative paper by staff members working with Students Learning with Communities (SLWC) and the Access Service in the Access and Civic Engagement Office (ACE) at Technological University City (DIT). Through two case studies, this paper examines various types of mentoring operating within these two programmes, as well as identifying; 1) the purpose of each type of mentoring relationship, and its specific structure 2) the desired outcomes of the mentoring relationships and 3) areas in which mentoring relationships can grow. This paper aims to contribute to the development of best practice for mentoring in higher education.

Keywords: …

Bridges To Higher Education: A Resource Pack For Guidance Counsellors, Teachers, Access And Community Education Practitioners Working With Young People In Dublin, Access And Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City

Staff Articles and Research Papers

A review of this access work to date as well as consultation with stakeholders, including second-level students and third-level access students, and an analysis of national and international research on access reveals a clear gap in relation to pre-entry work. This gap relates to the more subtle factors affecting participation in higher education for students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly in areas and schools with low levels of participation in higher education. Research shows that these factors include: issues associated with sense of identity and confidence:coping with transition and decision-making:gap between the culture of school and the culture of home …

Bridges To College Presentation 1 (Module 2.3), Access And Civic Engagement Office, Dublin Insitute Of Technology

Staff Articles and Research Papers

This is a presentation to be used with module2.3 of the Bridges to Higher Education Resource Pack.

Bridges To College Presentation 2 (Module 2.4), Access And Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Presentation to be used in conjunction with Module 2.4 of the Bridges to Higher Education Resource Pack.

Bridges To College Presentation 3 (Module 3.8), Access & Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Presentation to be used in conjunction with Module 3.8 of the Bridges to Higher Education Resource Pack.

Bridges To College Presentation 4 (Module 3.8), Access And Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Presentation to be used in conjunction with Module 3.8 of the Bridges to Higher Education Resource Pack.

Bridges To College Presentation 5 (Module 4.8), Access And Civic Engagement Office, Technological University City

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Presentation to be used in conjunction with Module 4,8 of the Bridges to Higher Education Resource Pack.

Bridges To College Presentation 6 (Module 4.8), Access & Engagement Office, Technological University City

Staff Articles and Research Papers

Presentation to be used in conjunction with Module 4.8 of the Bridges to Higher Education Resource Pack.

Where Next? A Study Of Work And Life Experiences Of Mature Students (Incl. Disadvantaged) In Three Higher Education Institutions, Aidan Kenny, Ted Fleming, Andrew Loxley, Fergal Finnegan

Other Resources

This study explores how graduates who entered college as mature students, and ‘disadvantaged’ mature students, view and value Higher Education after graduating with a primary degree. The study highlighted the limited usefulness of the concept of disadvantaged mature student and the findings of the research were not significantly different whether one was a mature student or a disadvantaged mature student. The rationale given by the state for supporting mature students in Higher Education (HE) is that it will yield economic and social benefits for both the students and society. As a consequence a wide range of access policies has been …

Celtic Tiger Found In Education Jungle, Thomas Cooney

Articles

It would not cause too much debate to suggest that Ireland in the late 1950s was a depressing country. It had suffered greatly from decades of poor economic performance and the constant haemorrhaging of its population through emigration. Overcrowded classrooms and poor physical school structures meant that only 10,000 students took their Leaving Certificate in 1957 (Ferriter, 2004). Meanwhile, third-level education remained the preserve of the elite and a total of just 8,653 students were present in all of Ireland’s third-level institutions by the end of the 1950s (Ferriter, 2004).