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SUPI Spotlight News, views and learning from the School-University Partnerships Initiative
ISSUE 04 Winter 2014
WHAT’S IN IT FOR… UNIVERSITIES?
PROFESSOR TIM O’BRIEN AND ROZ WEBSTER, UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER HOSTED SUPI
this issue
What’s in it for universities? P.1 Tips of the Term P.2
Aberystwyth SUPI Spotlight P.3 Southampton SUPI Spotlight P.5
Out and About & News P.6
The most obvious link between universities and schools is that schools produce our valuable raw material: new
undergraduates that we welcome onto our degree programmes. True of course, but working closely with schools on a
project like SUPI has benefits far beyond recruitment….
Broadening horizons
The work that we do with school students, particularly those in
Year 12, allows us to present them with a wider range of options as
some subjects are well known, but others less so. Working closely
with a researcher or undergraduate can broaden horizons, not just
in initial subject choice but also in laying foundations for
postgraduate study and careers in research or industry. School
pupils are also very receptive to our undergraduate student
ambassadors who help to translate the research-led content of
sessions. They are closer in age and experience and help to bridge
the gap on event days.
There are also broader societal implications, for example, in
widening participation, gender balance, or BME (Black and Ethnic
Minority) representation and achievement. The recent report
‘Women in Engineering: Fixing the talent pipeline’ (Institute for
Public Policy Research, Sep 2014) shows that women account for
only 7 per cent of the professional engineering workforce in the
UK, and less than 4 per cent of engineering technicians – far less
than in other European countries. By linking our engineering
researchers with pupils at a stage when they are considering their
future careers we can hope to address these imbalances.
Networks
Being part of SUPI has resulted in the development of informal
networks with teachers, which have a number of benefits to the
university. These include sharing best practice about teaching
methods, improving our knowledge of entry level skills, discussion
of issues affecting schools including changes to the curriculum, and
helping to sustain links for the future.
A ‘Celebrating Genomics Day’ for Biology A-Level pupils at the Nowgen Centre
A BBSRC PhD students works with A-Level pupils
2
Tips of the Term Projects share what’s been working well for them
As our SUPI is based centrally in our Widening Participation team
rather than in an academic School or Faculty, this has also helped
internal networking across the University. Having a central point of
contact means we have found out more about what’s already
happening across the University (a lot!), made connections, and
helped bring interested researchers out of the woodwork.
These cross-disciplinary connections also benefit the researchers
who take part in our training programmes and activities. This in
turn helps the academic departments, as the researchers apply new
skills to their own work and develop new projects, which wouldn’t
have been possible otherwise.
REF and Impact
Universities have recently emerged from the 2014 Research
Excellence Framework (REF), which assesses the quality of our
research and determines future funding. For the first time this
included an assessment of the impact of our research on wider
society. A number of REF impact case studies from Manchester
incorporated our work with schools. Since the SUPI programmes
specifically address current research, they will be ideally placed to
contribute to future impact. Here one challenge will be to continue
development of appropriate evaluation.
Summary
SUPI has been a great project for our university, as we’re sure it has
for others, in part because it incorporates all three of our core goals:
world-class research; outstanding learning and student experience;
and social responsibility. Universities are not ivory towers – our
work with schools not only enhances the impact of our research and
improves the quality of our teaching and learning, but it’s also an
important focus for our wider community engagement.
The Open University/Denbigh Teaching School
Alliance SUPI has found it useful to assess our
activities in relation to the number of people in-
volved, which provides a measure of reach,
against the number of hours they were engaged
in a given activity—this gives a measure of the
significance of the intervention.
Open University SUPI
Getting Schools Involved: Make it impossible for them to say no! Follow up letters and emails with phone calls and
visits. Approach a variety of staff, don’t give up if the Head is not interested, but try other staff including Heads of Year,
Heads of Department, or keen subject teachers.
To create a successful blended learning environment we had the University E-learning team on the Advisory Board
so they ‘bought in’ to the project from its conception.
Aberystwyth University SUPI
Don’t underestimate the value of undergraduate students. We
have used them effectively in a number of activities to help
translate the research-led content of sessions. Pupils are
almost always more receptive to UG students as they are closer
in age and experience, so help bridge the gap on event days.
University of Manchester SUPI
Make sure that University research
staff and students are made aware of
school term dates, in-service days,
exam dates and holiday dates to make
it easier to plan activities.
University of Strathclyde SUPI
LifeLab (a SUPI sub-project and a project in its own
right) has shown us the importance of building a
profile. LifeLab was officially opened by the Countess
of Wessex this year, but has been working with local
schools for approximately 5 years. Knowledge of the
project is now so widespread and its reputation so
positive amongst teachers and managers in local
schools that all the schools in Southampton have
signed up to take their pupils to visit the facility.
Creating a ‘buzz’ around a project in this way can
only happen if it is allowed time to develop.
University of Southampton SUPI
2
Good simple events, such as lectures, can provide school
teachers with confidence in the quality of the University’s
activities and lead to deeper partnerships; lectures also provide
young people with an experience that is not available in school.
Cardiff University SUPI
What benefits do you see for universities working with schools?
Are you using SUPI in REF impact case studies? Share your
views via SUPI@jiscmail.ac.uk
3
Aberystwyth University hosted SUPI Blended Learning Environments for Active Engagement: How Online Resources Can Help
Schools and Universities to Collaborate
Dr Paula Hughes
Pro
ject S
po
tligh
t
Background to the SusNet project
The Sustainability Network Wales (SusNet) project enables Sixth
Form students in Ceredigion to engage with a range of exciting,
research-led academic modules, delivered by departments across
Aberystwyth University. Although diverse in content, each module
shares the common theme of sustainability and/or social responsi-
bility. The modules differ in format, but each uses a blended learn-
ing environment for delivery that combines face-to-face and online
learning activities (providing a total of 10 hours ‘contact’ time).
The online activities are delivered through the university’s Virtual
Learning Environment (VLE), Blackboard, which is available 24/7
and creates an accessible and flexible working environment for
pupils and researchers. The use of online submission tools and
resources has proved invaluable as many Ceredigion pupils live in
rural communities. Examples from the biology and geography
modules, both now in their second year of delivery, show how
these online resources work in practice.
Drug Resistance in Nematode Worms
Designed by Dr Joanne Hamilton and Dr Elizabeth Hart, this
award-winning module* investigates the concept of drug re-
sistance in parasitic nematode worms. Face-to-face sessions are
scheduled after school and provide students with experience of
microscopy, experimental design and execution, molecular biology
and bioinformatics. Being practical in nature, this module has a
relatively high proportion of face-to-face contact time with a total
of six 1-2 hour sessions. There are also tours of world-class research
facilities such as the National Phenomics Centre, Next Generation
Sequencing and Advanced Bioimaging, which require the students
to visit the University.
Blackboard supports each session with additional material such as
experimental protocols, links to research papers, video clips and A-
Level revision notes (see figure 1); we have also made short videos
of some of the tours for students who are unable to attend in per-
son. Students submit their assignments via Turnitin and receive
feedback from tutors electronically. Pupils commented that it
was a ‘fun, fantastic opportunity’ to do research.
Sustainable Water Resources: Barriers and Solutions
This academic unit was designed and delivered by Dr Hywel
Griffiths of the Department of Geography and Earth Sciences
(DGES). During the introductory session students are encouraged
to explore web-based, open-access data sources and tools available
to address some of the barriers to water sustainability. Students are
also shown how to use a simple soil-vegetation-atmosphere model
(SimSphere) in order to attempt to forecast climatological and hy-
drological variables. This is supported with material on Black-
board, including video clips, instructions on how to access and use
SimSphere, and links and instructions so that students can con-
struct their own flood chronology using sources such as the Na-
tional Library of Wales’ Welsh Newspapers and the British Hydro-
logical Society’s Chronology of British Hydrological Events. The
introductory session is recorded (both audio and video) using soft-
ware called Panopto and made available to the students on Black-
board. This provides an excellent resource for the students to re-
view the session and makes it possible for absent pupils to get in-
volved later on. After the online tasks are completed, a field trip to
Cwymystwyth allows students to construct a lichen growth curve
and uses geomorphological mapping and lichenometry to date
boulder berms associated with large historical floods.
Benefits to pupils and researchers
Engaging with Blackboard and Turnitin provides the students with
training and experience of using a VLE; raises issues of citation and
plagiarism;
builds pupil con-
fidence; and pro-
vides a taste of
real University
Student Experi-
ence.
The VLE also
facilitates more
effective com-
munication with
the students:
Dr Griffiths with teachers and Geography A-Level students attending the
Welsh-medium introductory session in DGES
From the start, the Aberystwyth SUPI team realised that teaching time for the A-Level students they wanted to work with
would be at a premium; Paula Hughes explores how online resources helped overcome this problem by creating a
sustainable mechanism for researcher-pupil interaction.
* Dr Hart received a commendation for the design of this module at the 2014 Aberystwyth University Exemplary Course Awards
We have found that the project has
benefited the school in a number of
ways: pupils have been able to use lab
equipment that is not available in
school; they have gained a taste of
university study… they have been able
to try courses beyond the subjects on
offer in school and in several cases have
realised that university study is not
beyond their reach... Sarah Payne,
Head of Sixth Form, Penglais School
4
staff can send email updates and announcements directly to pupils
registered on specific modules, or to everyone taking part in the
SusNet programme. Turnitin provides added flexibility and con-
venience because students can submit assignments or access
marks and feedback from anywhere without being restricted by
office hours. Staff can mark when most convenient for them, with
the ‘Quick Marks’ feature in Turnitin making this process as effi-
cient as possible (figure 2).
Challenges encountered
During the first year of the project there were problems in ensur-
ing that all pupils could access Blackboard, which stemmed from
the way that Information Services (IS) required SusNet students to
activate their accounts and set passwords. Working closely with
IS, we now have a system in place where our students complete a
specific SusNet IS access form and then have their username and
password sent to the project co-ordinator to be passed to schools.
This has resulted in all students having access to Blackboard dur-
ing a module and has increased the submission of final assess-
ments.
SusNetability: Plans for the future
The key to creating successful blended learning environments has
been to have our Blackboard and E-learning team on board from
the start. This team forms part of our SusNet Advisory Board and
‘bought in’ to the project from its conception. In the first year we
piloted the project with our lead school and are now actively
growing our SusNetwork both in terms of schools participation
and the number of academic departments contributing units.
What started out initially as a vision mainly for STEM subjects has
grown to include nine academic departments (as diverse as Inter-
national Politics and Theatre, Film and Television Studies) and
involves key non-academic departments such as the Centre for
Widening Participation and Social Inclusion, Schools and Colleges
Liaison, and Information Services. During the coming year SusNet
will have a portfolio of 12 modules and now have all schools in
Ceredigion involved and have expanded the programme to inter-
ested schools in neighbouring Powys.
Keys to making it work
Aligning modules with the A-Level exam syllabus (a
reflective, iterative process with teachers and researchers
to add value and extend the curriculum)
Introducing pupils to university-style research skills
(breaking down negative perceptions and barriers and
building confidence)
Offering English and Welsh-medium courses
(learning is most effective when it takes place in the
language of choice)
The final mark can be entered here
and synchronised so that it appears
in the Gradebook
Figure 1: Screenshot from Blackboard showing learning resources to
support practical sessions on the biology module
Figure
2: Scre
en
sho
t sho
win
g an e
xamp
le su
bm
ission
in th
e
Turn
itin
staff in
terface
The script can be annotated using
‘Quick Marks’ to highlight the parts
of the text being commented upon
The marker can also create their
own ‘Quick Marks’ so that these can
be quickly added to particular types
of assignment
Additional written or audio
feedback can be added here by
clicking on the ‘speech bubble’ icon
5
Southampton hosted SUPI Increasing the effectiveness of partnerships
Lindsay Wager
Pro
ject S
po
tligh
t
The challenge
One of the key issues arising from the project is finding ways that
partnerships can be maintained when a key individual leaves either
the university or a particular school. This can be a significant prob-
lem and is largely due to the fact that involvement in projects of
this nature tends to be on a voluntary basis rather than a specific
part of a job role. This also causes difficulties in communication
between individuals who already have extremely busy workloads,
which can make arranging face-to-face meetings or agreeing the
content of a given activity very difficult.
The ‘Discover Oceanography’ project
One of the Talk to US! sub-projects is ‘Discover Oceanography’,
which has been running at the National Oceanography Centre
(NOC) for several years. The project has funded a number of
schools to take part in a programme that involves going out on a
research vessel with university staff to collect samples. This sub-
project has been very successful in enabling pupils and teachers to
gain a real insight into the research that happens at the NOC and
the range of subjects that are covered.
One of the schools
we are working with
has put together a
scheme of work
based on the ac-
tivities that pupils
carry out on the boat
and was keen to im-
plement this across
Year 8. Unfortunate-
ly, in the first year there were some teething problems be-
cause the material covered on the boat trip did not entirely fit the
content of the scheme of work that was written. However, in Year 2
a Senior Research Assistant was employed within the Oceanogra-
phy Department whose role included responsibility for coordinat-
ing and developing the ‘Discover Oceanography’ programme. This
has enabled the teacher involved in planning the scheme of work to
thoroughly discuss the content of the lessons and boat trip with a
member of academic staff who understands both the science be-
hind what is being covered and the practicalities involved in taking
school students out on the boat.
Traditionally ‘Discover Oceanography’ sessions have only included
the sampling techniques on the boat, but schools have requested
that visits last for a whole day to
justify the admin involved in
bringing pupils out of school.
Planning these extra sessions
has been a bit ‘hit and miss’ in
the past, but having an internal
contact who is familiar with the
rooms, sessions and expertise
available has proven invaluable.
Building sustainable part-
nerships for the future
We are now planning laboratory
sessions and lectures that will
take place in the Oceanography
Centre. This will enable us to
split classes between the boat
and the Centre and improve the
pupil experience. Having time to think about and execute ideas has
also led to further extension of the project, including the produc-
tion of an accompanying teacher booklet, and funding for hard to
reach schools to take part in the project as part of the research ves-
sel’s 10 year anniversary celebrations.
As the permanent appointment of the Senior Research Assistant is
independent of the project, any resources or planning that happens
as part of Talk to US! will be sustainable after the funding has fin-
ished. As both the teacher and researcher involved have engage-
ment and/or planning written into their job descriptions the part-
nership itself will continue once the project has finished. If either
individual leaves their position then their replacements will have a
clear framework to continue this work and an incentive to do so.
With the exception of LifeLab, ‘Discover Oceanography’ is the only
Talk to US! sub-project with dedicated staff and independent fund-
ing streams. However, if the desired culture change is achieved
then it is more likely that appointments of this nature will be made
in other departments.
Lindsay Wager reflects upon some of the mechanisms through which the Talk to US! SUPI sub-project, ‘Discover Ocean-
ography’, enabled partnerships between local schools and the university’s National Oceanography Centre to thrive.
The benefits to mixed-ability pupils in
terms of their motivation and self-
esteem are clear. The first group,
involved over a year ago, still talk
about it now… they got to see science
in a different light and thought being
out on the oceanography boat was
amazing. Zoe Sterland, teacher
from Wyvern College, Eastleigh
A pupil identifies the plankton he
has collected
Keys to making it work
Making the support and development of school-university
activities part of job specifications
Clearly communicating the nature and parameters of an
activity i.e. through a teacher booklet
6
Out and About NCCPE Project Officer, Claire Wood, reflects on recent SUPI activities
Cla
ire W
oo
d
In my first four months as SUPI Project Officer at the NCCPE, I’ve really enjoyed getting to know you and your projects
better and have particularly valued the opportunity to visit several SUPIs and see some fantastic activities first-hand,
including:
University of Manchester Networking Event (Oct 2014)
This event brought together researchers and teachers, allowing
individuals to identify opportunities for collaboration during a twi-
light session. Initially there was a welcome presentation, which
explained the aims of SUPI and featured five short testimonials
from teachers and researchers about the benefits of the project.
This was followed by a fair, at which the teachers could browse
researcher stalls and discuss the sort of activities that might work
in their settings. It was fantastic to see the range of disciplines rep-
resented and hear more about the museum-based education ses-
sions available through the ‘Culture Collective’, as well as engaging
in interactive activities with a science busker.
For further details see Roz Webster’s write-up of the first Networking
Event in the Spring 2014 Spotlight and
www.supi.manchester.ac.uk
University of Bristol EPQ Mentoring Fair (Nov 2014)
I was invited to attend an EPQ Mentoring Fair, which brought to-
gether 11 mentors in different subject areas with 40 students from
St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School. Over the course of an hour,
the mentors helped the pupils to refine their project ideas, as well
as offering further reading suggestions and research tips. Some of
the students’ EPQ projects sounded amazing!
Open University’s Science Matters Lectures (Dec 2014)
I joined local secondary school pupils to hear 4 fascinating talks
that explored cutting edge research in the Physical and Environ-
mental Sciences, from the mysteries of Mercury to the study of
microfossils, the Rosetta comet landing, and water inside the
moon. In the Q&A that followed, the students had a chance to hear
more about different research career pathways and posed some
tricky questions to the speakers...
You can view some of the talks and find out more about the projects
at the OU’s Engaging Research blog www.open.ac.uk/blogs/per/
I’m looking forward to visiting other SUPIs and seeing the
rich diversity of project activities. Please get in touch if there
are any events coming up that you would like to share, as this
will help to shape RCUK and the NCCPE’s sense of how the pro-
gramme is developing and how we can support its sustained suc-
cess.
Pro
f. Ro
the
ry, OU
, de
liverin
g his le
cture
.
Ph
oto
: Kate
Brad
shaw
SUPI News Annual Reports
Congratulations to all SUPI projects on completing your Annual
Reports! Feedback will follow after the meeting of the SUPI Adviso-
ry Board in March and we’ll be drawing together the learning that
is taking place at the coordination meeting and through the devel-
opment of new online resources.
Upcoming SUPI coordination meeting 21 April 2015, NCVO
Building, London
The next SUPI coordination meeting for project coordinators and
core members of SUPI teams will take place 10am-4.30pm on 21
April 2015 at the NCVO Building, London. The meeting will focus
on exploring challenges and solutions at an airing of ‘dirty laundry’
and discussion laundrette, and sharing some of the steps we’re put-
ting in place to make SUPIs more sustainable. The session will also
include the chance to put questions to Dr Saffron Townsend
(RCUK) about SUPI going forwards, and to inaugurate the SUPI
Swap Shop so that we can start to build a bank of school-university
partnership resources. If you’re travelling the day before, there will
also be the opportunity to get to know SUPI colleagues better at an
informal meal.
SUPI Members’ Area now online!
You can now find material relating to previous coordination meet-
ings, newsletters, and contact details available online in a private
SUPI Members’ Area. Go to www.publicengagement.ac.uk/work
-with-us/current-projects/supi-members-area and enter the
following details:
Username: SUPI Member Password: SuPiMemb!
You’ll also find a growing number of SUPI case studies on the
NCCPE website. Go to www.publicengagement.ac.uk/case-
studies and tick the ‘SUPI Project’ box.
7
About the School-University Partnerships Initiative (SUPI)
Funded by Research Councils UK, the School-University Partnerships Initiative (SUPI) supports 12 universities to work in
partnership with local schools to develop more effective engagements between researchers and pupils. SUPI projects are
seeking to inspire a broader range of pupils to develop inquiring minds, by engaging them in a diversity of exciting hands-on
research related activities. Researchers and teachers also benefit by sharing their expertise and resources, and through op-
portunities to enhance and develop their skills. As well as enriching the curriculum, the ultimate aim of SUPI is to motivate
young people to be excited about research and raise their aspirations for further study and future lives.
More information about the 12 SUPI projects is available at www.publicengagement.ac.uk/SUPI
About Research Councils UK (RCUK)
RCUK is the strategic partnership of the UK’s Research Councils, which annually invests around £3 billion in
research.
RCUK’s focus is on excellence with impact, nurturing the highest quality research as judged by international
peer review, providing the UK with a competitive advantage. Global research requires sustaining a diversity of funding
approaches, fostering international collaborations, and providing access to the best facilities and infrastructure, and
locating skilled researchers in stimulating environments.
RCUK research achieves impact—the demonstrable contribution to society and the economy made by knowledge and
skilled people. To deliver impact, researchers and funders need to engage and collaborate with the public, business,
government and charitable organisations.
More information is available at www.rcuk.ac.uk
About the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE)
Based in Bush House in central Bristol, the NCCPE was established in 2008 as part of the
Beacons for Public Engagement Initiative. Funded by the four UK Higher Education Funding
Councils, Research Councils UK and the Wellcome Trust, and jointly hosted by the University of Bristol and the University
of the West of England, the NCCPE helps inspire and support universities to engage with the public. You can find out more
at www.publicengagement.ac.uk
The NCCPE is funded by RCUK to coordinate communication and learning between and beyond the 12 SUPI projects, and
to link SUPI to other relevant initiatives.
Large print copies of the SUPI Spotlight are available on request from claire6.wood@uwe.ac.uk
Staying in touch...
Don’t forget that you can use the SUPI
Jiscmail list to share events, successes,
questions and challenges, drawing on
the network’s collective wisdom.
Contributions to the Newsletter or
NCCPE blog are also very welcome -
contact Claire Wood with your ideas!
claire6.wood@uwe.ac.uk Discussions at the SUPI Gathering in November 2014