measuring the social good through a widening access approach: an analysis of bewehl suzannah evans...

Measuring the social good through a widening access

approach:

An analysis of BeWEHL

Suzannah EvansBeWEHL Initiative at

The University of Wales, Newport

An analysis of BeWEHLBettering Wellbeing, Education, Health and Lifestyle

• Widening Access

• Overview of BeWEHL Initiative

• BeWEHLs approach and curriculum

• Progression pathways

• Increased wellbeing

• Ripple effect on children

The University’s mission is to:

“Inspire and enable individuals, organisations, and communities to succeed through innovation in high quality learning, research and enterprise”

University of Wales, Newport

Widening Access Aims

1. To provide accessible and appropriate engagement and progression

opportunities in communities, workplaces and on campus, prioritising

Community First areas, under-represented groups and those with protected

characteristics

2. To provide flexible responsive curriculum offers grounded in identified need

3. To achieve clear progression pathways to and within Higher Education,

ensuring that our offer is accessible and focused on meeting Welsh

Government and Institutional Equality and Diversity objectives

BeWEHL

• Overview

▫ Developed from social action research in 2000

▫ Students are co-researchers

▫ Empowering goal of enhancing self-esteem

and confidence

▫ To take active roles within own communities

“It’s like this whole massive world has opened up that I didn’t evenknow existed – someone let me out of my box”

BeWEHL• Approach and support

▫ Informal feel to sessions, particularly within the community

▫ Support and guidance relating to, for example, finances, housing,

depression, disability, childcare, Social Services and information on

careers and courses

▫ Students receive personal tutorial support tailored to meet their

needs

▫ Range of support needs, for example. Dyslexia, lack of IT

experience, study skills, lack of confidence

“It’s like this whole massive world has opened up that I didn’t evenknow existed – someone let me out of my box”

BeWEHL - Curriculum

• Group Research Skills Developed to provide ‘non-traditional’

students with preparatory research, group

and communication skills that are essential

for successfully conducting small scale

group research projects

Research an issue of importance to them

Learners control the pace and direction

Research gathered is presented to relevant

authority so action can be taken

“It’s like this whole massive world has opened up that I didn’t evenknow existed – someone let me out of my box”

BeWEHL - Curriculum▫ Research Skills

The Research skills model encourages students to discuss what they

feel is important to their own research by being encouraged to:

identify an area of interest and aims of the work

to apply appropriate research methods

plan and carry out a small scale research project

evaluate and reflect on the research approach

analyse the data collected

disseminate their findings as appropriate

▫ Examples of topic areas:

Post natal depression, gender equality, domestic violence, Communities First

“It’s like this whole massive world has opened up that I didn’t evenknow existed – someone let me out of my box”

BeWEHL - Curriculum ▫ Community Development

Familiarise with policy, principles and practice of community development

Identify an area if community interest

Organise and conduct a community event

Evaluate and reflect on practice

Present results of the effectiveness of their community engagements

▫ Examples of topic areas:

Healthy eating, debt advice, awareness of substance misuse, young peoples sexual health, improving

education achievement

▫ Some of the subject areas undertaken:

“It’s like this whole massive world has opened up that I didn’t evenknow existed – someone let me out of my box”

BeWEHL

•Progression:▫ HE study

Community Work, English and Creative Writing, Early

Years, Psychology and Counselling, Criminal Justice,

Philosophy and Religious Studies, Sports Studies,

Medicine, Nursing

▫ FE study

CACHE Childcare, Midwifery

▫ Several students are now studying at Masters level

“The project gives you a better perspective on life; it gives you the opportunity to reflect andencourages you to do what you want to do”

BeWEHL

•Progression:▫ Voluntary roles and community engagement

Setting up of support groups

Active role at Local Partnership Boards and community

organisations

▫ Employment

▫ Development officers and workers, community support

workers, parent advisor at local county voluntary council,

working within schools, researchers, voluntary support

“[I have gained] motivation, friends. I wouldn’t go back to being at home now if the project finished.I have been ‘empowered’, and now have enough motivation to continue”

BeWEHL• Wellbeing:

▫ Reducing isolation▫ Empowerment through collective action▫ Improving confidence and self-esteem▫ Increased sense of wellbeing▫ Raising aspirations▫ Engaging in education and training▫ Volunteering and community involvement▫ Career development

• Children:▫ Ripple effect▫ Breaking down perceptions of HE▫ Viewing HE as an option and the ‘norm’

“BeWEHL made me realise how important the community is where we are……and getting involved. There’s more I want to do for it now”

BeWEHL• Students and educators are part of a learning journey that

contributes significantly to an intergenerational concept of the

social good

• We undertake personal statements at the start, during and end

of their journey with BeWEHL

• Annual focus groups

• Quantitative research is on-going but provisional results show

that participation has broken down the perceptions and barriers

to HE with children having aspirations to study at degree level

• In fact, of the students, who was with the initiative from the

start, is now studying Medicine at University

“The project gave me the opportunities to see myself in a different light,to see that I could do other things”

Outcomes• BeWEHL learners have without doubt benefited from the academic skills training as

well as work experience built in to much of its delivery

• On leaving the project many take up work for the first time

• 92% of Research Skills Training participants achieve 20 credits at level four

• More than half of the students continue to further education at either HE or FE

• Former BeWEHL researchers have obtained BA degrees

• 20% of BeWEHL learners remain active in their local community 5 years after

participation with the project

• Each learner will conduct a community based research project on a subject within

their community. Many of these have provided data for bidding proposals and

community development

“The BeWEHL project increases your self-awareness about whatyou want for yourself as an individual”

BeWEHL

• Ongoing support once have moved on, such as:

▫ Professional development support

▫ Welfare advice

• Social Events:

▫ Annual family summer trips

▫ Christmas and Summer social evenings

▫ Attending International Women Day dinners

“Support, encouragement, friendship, understanding…they’re all things the project has given me, definitely”

BeWEHL

• How are these experiences useful in terms of

informing other strategies towards a widening

access agenda?▫ It is about the whole experience and not just the qualifications

▫ Gaining self confidence to undertake the study

▫ Bite size learning supports progression towards HE and employability

How does your institution support widening access?

Within an output driven environment how can we support the softer outcomes?

Suzannah EvansBeWEHL Initiative

The University of Wales, NewportSuzannah.Evans@newport.ac.uk

Thank you

Questions?

Suzannah EvansBeWEHL Initiative

The University of Wales, NewportSuzannah.evans@newport.ac.uk