Minding the gaps

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In May, QAA published a major new resource which, by charting key points through the student journey, flags key materials to support educators in implementing effective measures to close awarding gaps.

Awarding gaps represent the variations in final attainment averages achieved by different demographic groups. Although providers’ initiatives and interventions have in recent years demonstrated real progress in addressing some of these gaps, these ongoing challenges remain central to access and participation work across the UK.

This resource identifies sets of guidance materials on supporting students through all stages of their studies, from those crucial points of entering higher education and across its levels, through advice on the design of inclusive curricula and assessments, all the way to strategies to underpin the success of new graduates as they prepare to enter the world of work.

This autumn, we have now published a special edition of our Awarding Map resource which offers colleges a bespoke guide to materials and strategies designed to address awarding gaps.

This resource selection has been curated specifically for colleges to use across a wide range of provision and many of the resources can be adapted to meet identified needs of college students, irrespective of subject of study or student characteristic.

It flags a range of resources which cover approaches to transition support, ways to shape classroom cultures and the development of assessment readiness. It emphasises such themes as inclusivity, belonging, optionality, supporting neurodiversity, the experience of BAME students and strategies to address racial inequalities.

We at QAA hope that colleges will find this focused resource valuable in their work to close attainment gaps. It is of course vital that gaps in learner attainment are addressed in all areas of the sector and at all levels of the student journey, to improve access to and achievement in the educational opportunities to which so many people aspire both in the immediate wake of compulsory education and indeed throughout their lives.

This focus reflects clear national priorities for both further education and higher education – to ensure that the success of all those in tertiary education and their future careers is not limited by background or determined by degrees of social or economic advantage – and that everyone has a fair opportunity to shine.

 

The full link to the QAA item is at: https://www.qaa.ac.uk/news-events/news/mapping-awarding-gaps-for-college

Article by Dr Ann Cotterill, Quality Manager, QAA

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