Ultralab South Breakfast Presentation - Ultraversity
Gaining a degree qualification without quitting the job you love!
Ba. (Hons) Learning, Technology and Research Anglia Polytechnic University Cohort Pathway Approvals Document
Ultraversity offers a BA. Hons Qualification in “Learning, Technology and Research” and provides access to higher education to people who enjoy their work. The programme both develops students effectiveness in their particular work role, and also aims to help them gain the confidence and skills to influence and improve practice within their work setting.
The Ultraversity degree (from Anglia University in the UK) is delivered totally online and uses students workplace as the research focus of their degree. In his session, Stephen will explain how the degree programme works for groups of students in the UK such as teacher aids, office support staff, and for a wider range of students who are all committed to continual learning, trying new approaches and improving their professional practice.
Project plan
Ultraversity degree programme aims
Ultraversity degree programme characteristics:
- workplace context determines subject discipline
- full-time
- 100% online
- learning facilitators (lecturers), researchers (students), and expert witnesses (both subject and job related) as co-researchers
- online community of enquiry
Learning processes, protocols, and assessment:
- the Ultraversity model
- workplace reflective practice and action enquiry
- assessment through a portfolio of patchwork texts (Professor Richard Winter)
- online community of enquiry
- building towards an ‘exhibition’!
Degree programme scope:
- ist cohort started July 2003 with a cohort 350 researchers
- 2nd cohort started April 2004 with a cohort of 100 researchers
- 3rd cohort planned start January 2005 with a cohort of 250 researchers
Researcher characteristics:
70% qualify for waived tuition fees, large number of mothers with young families, people who felt they had missed the opportunity for Higher Education
Workplace groups:
Teaching assistants, school office staff, special education, information centres, health workers,
Some researcher’s work!:
Ultrastudents unofficial but great!
The technology:
- Portfolio tool
- community software
- Blogs
UV research on the impact of the degree
FOAF
Comment by Gina
And if anyone is interested in research on the impact this programme is having on support staff in schools, please visit our research blog here
http://slartibartfast.ultralab.net/~blogger/tta/
where you can download out reports.
Comment by Wei-Yen
Its great to read you are still around. Its interesting that the course is 100% online. I would be very interested to read about how the communication flows work in practice. Are you back in the UK btw?
Comment by Stephen Powell
Thanks for reminding me Gina.
Hi Wei-Yen, I am in NZ at the moment so will no doubt bump into you in the near future up in Hamilton.
Comment by Richard Millwood
Stephen - what happened to exhibition? I am wondering about the notion of audience for students’ work - how is their skill in communicating what they have learnt to an audience developed over three years or so and what is their eventual aim in terms of capability to communicate and defend ideas to critical audience?
Comment by Stephen Powell
Good point, came ‘out of my mouth’ but does need highlighting under learning processes and protocols. Also I will add a diagram that shows the degree modules.
Comment by Ginny
How to Ultraversity recruit for online facilitators, I’d be intersted in working for ultrversity as a facilititor and i have the experience. NO links on any of the ultraversity sites to point me in the right direction? Grateful any help you can suggest.
Comment by Stephen Powell
I answered Ginny in reply to an email she also sent.
Comment by johnson
At the breakfast presentation this morning Stephen Powell explained how the Ba. (Hons) Learning, Technology and Research degree programme at Anglia Polytechnic University works.
He explained how a key objective of the degree was to provide access to higher education to people who enjoy their work, but want to study in Higher Education and can�t afford to take three years away from work to study. The programme aims to both develop students effectiveness in their particular work role, and also aims to help them gain the confidence and skills to influence and improve practice within their work setting. The Ultraversity degree (from Anglia University in the UK) is delivered totally online and uses students workplace as the research focus of their degree.