What is the Academic Skills Development Project?
This Academic Skills Development Project aims to integrate opportunities for academic skills development into existing educational provision, so that students encounter these as a normal part of their studies throughout their time at Oxford.
The project has four aims:
- To establish routes to professional and career development for teaching staff, academic skills tutors and others involved in developing students' academic skills
- To enable further integration of academic skills into tutorial teaching and the disciplinary curriculum
- To expand students’ access to specialist Academic English support
- To develop and build capacity for colleges to provide timely advice and guidance on effective academic skills for individual students.
The project establishes a robust, holistic evaluation approach drawing on the strengths of Theory of Change, combining quantitative and qualitative evaluative methods employed at Oxford and in the wider HE sector. The aim of this approach is to investigate which models of academic skills provision are the most efficient and effective and to expand the understanding of how educational experiences of students at Oxford impact on their learning.
Who is delivering the project?
The Centre for Teaching and Learning is leading the Academic Skills Development Project in collaboration with The Language Centre, the Disability Advisory Service and the Student Data Insights team in Education Policy Support.
The project is working in partnership with students (including our Student Experience Interns 2023), the Academic Skills Special Interest Group, the Astrophoria Foundation Year Programme, Bodleian Libraries, colleges and departments, and Opportunity Oxford.
The project is funded by the Access Fund.
What is driving the project?
Integrated academic skills provision is essential for creating inclusive teaching environments for our increasingly diverse student cohorts. It helps reduce awarding gaps and supports students' academic confidence, sense of belonging, wellbeing, and overall success.
However, academic skills development at Oxford is not a new concept, nor is it solely linked to widening participation. Various factors, such as the influence of digital technology on study practices and the COVID-19 pandemic, have made this issue more prominent. For many years, academic skills development has been part of induction, standard tutorial teaching, or pastoral care, handled routinely for cohorts or on an individual basis.
The Academic Skills Development Project builds on previous efforts to support academic transitions particularly those initiated during the pandemic. The project takes a holistic approach to the topic across the collegiate University and understands academic skills development as an integral part of the learning experience for all students. It is firmly rooted in the principle that all taught students across the collegiate University should have equitable access to opportunities for developing the academic skills necessary to thrive at Oxford. This approach is universal, aiming to reach every student and emphasising confidence and belonging over remedying perceived deficiencies.
Who do I contact for further information?
For further information about the Academic Skills Development Project, please contact us at contact@ctl.ox.ac.uk.
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