How do I know if my department has awarding gaps?
Each school has an Awarding Gap Representative with privileged access to Access and Participation performance data. Contacting your representative is a recommended means of understanding your local data context.
Is this a question of capability and attitudes?
Awarding gaps are the result of structural inequalities which requires us to reconsider our understanding of ‘ability’ and challenge the deficit model. The ‘hidden curriculum’, demands on time and a lack of belonging are all examples of structural factors which affect student attainment irrespective of attitudes and academic ability.
What are other universities doing about their awarding gaps?
The ‘Access and Participation Plan’ (APP) is a regulatory document which all universities are required to publish, setting out targets and action plans for reducing awarding gaps.
Most APPs appear to show a combination of curricular enhancements (example), amendments to institution-level through bursaries (such as bursary support) and co-curricular interventions (example).
How could teaching strategies be solutions to systemic problems?
Structural inequalities manifest in university life as symptoms which can be proactively addressed. Consider, for example, a student with limited ability to attend in-person classes due to caring responsibilities. Online, recorded lecture materials provide an accessible way to remain engaged.
Are these recommendations ‘inclusion for some’?
By recognising the diverse needs of learners through inclusive teaching we can eliminate barriers to success for all student groups (Schneider and Preckel, 2017). Effective teaching and learning solutions often result in narrowing awarding gaps while raising attainment for both the target and comparison groups.
What if the recommended practices do not apply to my subject area?
The evidence-based curriculum design principles are considered transferrable across all subject areas. For support with adapting the recommendations to your work context please contact CQSD.
Where is a good place to start?
Searching for awarding gap training via UoRLearn or contacting your school’s Awarding Gap Representative are two recommended actions for any academic colleague.
How do I gain recognition for my good practice?
Please reach out to us at outcomes@reading.ac.uk to share your practice or receive support with evaluating impact.