Transcript Are A levels a good preparation for university?

Are A levels a good
preparation for university?
Julia Winterson
March 2008
Understanding the transition from school to
university in music and related subjects
• literature review
• interviews with education bodies, teachers and
lecturers
• observation of practice in schools and colleges
• analysis of current specifications and modules
• staff and student questionnaires
• suggesting changes to university curricula and
teaching methods
Are A levels intended to be a
preparation for university?
Curriculum 2000
The aims of the QCA Subject Criteria were that A
levels should
• encourage life-long learning
• help HE institutions and employers know what has been
studied and assessed
Progression to Higher Education is not mentioned
Universities no longer have a role in determining the
content of A level
Interviews with teachers
• league tables mean courses are more exam-driven
• two sets of exams - AS and A2 – cuts down teaching
time
• no time to introduce the kinds of pedagogy that students
will encounter at university
• most teachers interviewed looked for a broadening out of
music degrees
.
Observation of practice in schools and
colleges
• friendly, informal groups unlike large university
lectures
• students well-prepared for their A Level exams spoon fed
• classes teacher dependent and teacher led
• no preparation for independent thinking and
independent study they will encounter at
university.
Generic overview of transition
Problems for students
• study skills
• time management
• independent learning
• large lectures off-putting
• new learning styles
This was clearly reflected in the student survey.
Lectures and seminars
Students in all subjects prefer the smaller
groups and discussions associated with
seminars.
Large lectures were not popular- some
students find it difficult to take all the
information in.
Do high A level grades lead to a
high degree classification?
Entry and exit qualifications
There does not appear to be a correlation
between the total number of UCAS points
and the final degree classification
There does appear to be a correlation
between A level grades for the degree
subject and the degree classification
Are there any aspects of the course that you
have felt particularly well-prepared for?
Music Technology
Music
Recording and aspects
of computer
compositions
Performance
English
Specific modules in
relation to A level
Had A levels prepared the students
for these aspects of their courses?
BTEC ND v A level MT
BTEC students are better prepared for MT degrees
BTEC students
• have more guided learning hours
• a wide choice of options
• spend much more time in the recording studio
• are taught by people from the music industry
Upsurge of popularity in MT has meant that
• schools often unprepared in terms of staff and equipment
• students often left to work on their own and teach themselves
Music outside school
93% of MT students had been involved in extramural activity
72% found that it had helped them with their
university course
Some students blunt about shortcomings of A
Level – e.g. ‘Most of the preparation I had was
from my own learning because I was interested
in music technology.’
National Curriculum in Music
This reflects changes in cultural, social and educational
attitudes
• increased emphasis on accessibility across full ability
range
• jazz, popular, world music and film music are included
alongside Western Classical music
This broader approach is welcomed by most teachers.
Not reflected in university degrees
Which aspects of the course were not what
you expected them to be?
MT students expected
• more recording and performance
• less technical, mathematical or computer based
Music students expected
• more performance
• less musicology
English students expected the degree to be more like A
level
Is there a gulf between student expectations and the reality
of course content?
Questions
At pre-university level there is a huge diversity in
experiences. Given that students have different starting
points would it be better to adopt a clean sheet
approach?
Is there a mismatch between undergraduate music and the
National Curriculum?
. Rather than bemoaning the extent to which students are
prepared at school for university, would it be better to
identify their strengths and modify the university
curriculum accordingly?