The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) awards have now been published and JS Group was very encouraged to see that a number of universities had highlighted the positive impact that their Aspire
\nschemes have on student engagement and outcomes.<\/p>\n
Commenting on this, Peter Gray, Chairman and CEO of JS Group, said:<\/p>\n
Our mission is to deliver better educational outcomes for universities and their students. We work with a number of universities who have adopted our Aspire platform either to deliver learning resources directly to students or to manage cashless bursaries. All these Aspire schemes are designed to drive student engagement and to support student learning and it is great to see them highlighted and acknowledged in TEF submissions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Some examples from TEF submissions included:<\/h4>\n
Anglia Ruskin University \u2013 TEF Silver award<\/strong><\/p>\n
Anglia Ruskin offers a number of schemes to support students and an example of this is our Books Plus Scheme. This programme gives every HEFCE countable UG student \u00a3400 per annum to be used
\nvia our partner John Smith\u2019s for study resources, our SU or through Anglia Ruskin Sports for a range of activities. The scheme is designed to provide support for student learning and engagement. Feedback from students showed that 86% felt that they would have struggled to buy texts without Books Plus, and 94% said the scheme helped support their studies. 70% said that the funds were sufficient to purchase all of their learning materials (2015\/16 Books Plus survey).<\/p><\/blockquote>\nCoventry University \u2013 TEF Gold award<\/strong><\/p>\n
Since September 2012, the No Hidden Extras initiative has been a major financial investment by the University to support students in their learning. All new undergraduates joining Coventry
\nUniversity and CU London are provided with a course specific start up package, including relevant textbooks or support materials (e.g. professional subscriptions, software licences etc.) and a large
\nnumber of printing credits. In addition, any mandatory UK site visits and trips are included in the package. We make a commitment to students that they can all benefit from course enrichment
\nactivities including industrial visits, field trips and international visits, irrespective of background. The No Hidden Extras Grant is an additional grant to enable students to undertake an international travel
\nor UK placement during their course of study. We know that these opportunities are beneficial to student success as graduates. In total, we spent just under \u00a36.6m across the group on course specific
\npackages including the No Hidden Extras initiative and international experience grants (\u00a31,455,198). In 2015\/16 the number of students supported to undertake an overseas visit or trip was 3,158 and
\nover 12,000 students engaged in international activities, with the resulting positive impact on their employability outcomes.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nMiddlesex University \u2013 TEF Silver award<\/strong><\/p>\n
During this period LSS has carefully examined the NSS return, including the free text comments, and explored ways of addressing both general concerns and specific issues for groups of students
\nstudying a particular programme. Much of this work has explored the opportunities afforded by technology, including dedicated e-books for all students, as well as a student-focused review of
\nreading lists, including a move to including multi-media, and the availability of free printing for academic purposes. This eTextbook Scheme allows students to access core learning materials where
\nand when they choose by providing a free e-book for life for each module studied. The scheme is supported by a programme developing students’ digital skills and also feeds into the wider student
\nengagement data used by the Progression and Support team (see above). A longitudinal study is underway to compare entry tariff points and final degree outcomes based on engagement with eTextbooks. The scheme was shortlisted for a Times Higher Education Award in 2016.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nUniversity of Worcester \u2013 TEF Silver award<\/strong><\/p>\n
In this academic year, we have piloted the \u2018Reach\u2019 scheme, whereby first year students are provided with a tablet pre-loaded with course core texts and other learning materials. The intention is to
\nsupport student engagement through the development of interactive technology-enhanced learning strategies and online learning communities. The initial pilot of 350 students across three courses is
\nreceiving excellent feedback and having a very positive impact on teaching and learning. As a result, we will extend the scheme to three more large academic cohorts for 2017\/18.<\/p><\/blockquote>\nUniversity of Greenwich \u2013 TEF Silver award<\/strong><\/p>\n
An example of our support for these students once they are part of the University community is our Aspire@Greenwich card which is used to deliver some of our scholarships and bursaries. It is very
\npopular with students: 91% agreed\/strongly agreed that the scheme helped support their studies; 80% advised that it helped them perform better in their modules as they could buy more books; 81% advised that they would have struggled to buy all their textbooks without the scheme; and 89% agreed\/strongly agreed that the funds helped them to get the products that they needed for their studies. UoG provides access to a range of specialised support, a comprehensive range of curricular and extra-curricular opportunities, and, above, all, a learning experience characterised by excellence. This allows mature students, those with disabilities, and those from lower income families to progress as well as their peers at Greenwich.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) awards have now been published and JS Group was very encouraged to see that a number of universities had highlighted the positive impact that their Aspire schemes have on student engagement and outcomes. Commenting on this, Peter Gray, Chairman and CEO of JS Group, said: Our mission is to deliver<\/p>\n