PALATINE Briefing February 2004

Contents:

PALATINE Employability Survey for Students

As part of PALATINE's research into employability issues in HE performing arts, and to accompany the survey for HE staff, (See 2. Below) we now have an online survey to be completed by students.

The format is similar to the one that is currently in circulation for staff to complete (see next item). There are ten questions incorporating a combination of tick boxes and comment boxes.

As a small incentive, the names of all completed entries will be put into a draw, and the first three names to be selected will each win £40.00 of HMV vouchers.

Please inform your students about the survey, and ask them to complete it.

Also, please assure them that all entries will be treated in confidence and that PALATINE guarantees that no personal information will be given to any other individual, organisation or third party.

The student survey is now closed.

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Complete our 'Mapping Employability in HE Performing Arts' Survey (please!)

"Performing Arts is not the same as many other disciplines" is an oft stated cry, and PALATINE is collecting the evidence to prove it, but we need YOU, our colleagues to help us.

Please complete - as soon as possible or within the next three weeks - the relatively short, online survey of employability issues in HE performing arts. (Thank you to those who have already done so). The survey is part of PALATINE's ongoing CAREER project which will be a major resource on employability for performing arts and the creative industries, designed specifically for HE performing arts institutions, staff and students.

We would like to receive at least 100 replies in order to obtain sufficient and valid data... and we're still rather a way short of that goal. We will publish the findings and they will inform further developments on employability in HE performing arts.

The survey is now closed.

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Bids for Centres for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETLs)

On 29 January 2004 HEFCE released the 'Invitation to Bid' www.hefce.ac.uk/Pubs/hefce/2004/04_05/ following a round of consultations.

LTSN Subject Centres such as PALATINE are not permitted to lead bids themselves but are expected to provide close support to bids from within their discipline communities. CETLs will be required to develop close working relationships with relevant Subject Centres and to draw on their expertise during bid preparation and throughout the CETLs' lifetime.

PALATINE is not involved in any bid, and we are therefore able to offer impartial support, advice and guidance on CETLs to all colleagues, departments and institutions within the discipline. If you are involved in or considering a bid, please contact us.

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Higher Education Statistics: performing arts... could do better?

We recently received some statistics for all UK higher education from the Higher Education Statistics Agency. Unlike previous years, when the data was based on HESA's own categorisation of subject areas, this time the data is based on the 24 subject areas covered by the LTSN Subjects Centres such as PALATINE.

The statistics reveal that Performing Arts has one of the higher drop-out rates (9.5%) compared with a 8.6% national average. The subject area with the lowest drop-out (by far) is Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Medicine 3.6%. This is followed by:

2. Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences 5.7%;
3. History Classics and Archaeology 6.0%
4. Languages, Linguistics & Area Studies 6.7%
5. Law 7.1%
6. English 7.2%

At the other end of the table:

18. Performing Arts 9.5%
19. Engineering 10.5%
20. Built Environment 10.5%
21. Education 10.6%
22. Information & Computer Sciences 10.8%
23. Social Policy & Social Work 11.9%
24. Hosp. Leisure, Sport & Tourism 12.9%

Performing Arts is way ahead at the top of one table... BUT it is for the highest rate of transfer to another course (5.8%). The next subject area is English (3.9%) followed by Engineering (3.8%). The average transfer rate is 3.2%.

(A colleague suggested that one reason for the high transfer rate is that whilst recruitment to Performing Arts courses is undertaken with rigour and integrity, a relatively large number of students discover that the subject area is harder, tougher and more rigorous than they imagined. Comments on this are welcome.)

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JISC 'war on cheats' outlined in Times Higher Education Supplement

Workshops recently run by the JISC-funded Plagiarism Advisory Service (PAS) have attracted the attention of Times Higher journalist Olga Wojtas. In her article 'JISC in hi-tech war on cheats (Times Higher Education Supplement, January 16th, 2004) Ms Wojtas explains how the service is helping institutions in the UK to implement anti-plagiarism strategies. "Key to combating plagiarism was unambiguous, consistent policies, with students clearly informed of what was expected of them", said PAS.

The Service has recently published a very clear, easy to use guide on how to use the JISC Plagiarism Detection Service.

For details of the Plagiarism Advisory Service.

For details of the Plagiarism Detection Service.

(Our thanks to JISC for permission to re-print the above. We don't want to be accused of plagiarising the plagiarism service!)

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Call for Presenters: VLEs and e-learning in HE performing arts

PALATINE workshop, 5 May 2004, Liverpool Hope University College

This workshop will explore and share practice in the development and use of VLEs and e-learning to support learning and teaching in HE performing arts. PALATINE invites colleagues with experience of developing/using these technologies to contribute to this workshop.

Send outline proposals to palatine@lancaster.ac.uk

(Subject heading 'VLE workshop') or telephone Ralph Brown 01524 593545

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Forthcoming FREE workshops.

Dealing with Difference: widening participation issues in HE music
Wednesday 18 February ABRSM, Central London

Versatile Musicians: making your music students employable
Friday 5 March Birmingham Conservatoire

VLE's and e-learning in HE Performing Arts
Wednesday 5 May Liverpool Hope University College

Details of all workshops and workshop reports are on the PALATINE website: www.palatine.ac.uk/palatine/introduction/

To book contact Barbara Hargreaves: palatine@lancaster.ac.uk 01524 592614

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"Start spreading the news..."

We're always interested to hear of new, innovative and interesting developments in learning and teaching in HE performing arts. We often come across colleagues engaged in work that we know others colleagues would be interested in. So please drop us a line to tell us what you're doing and how you're doing it.

***From such small beginnings... etc. etc.

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Published by PALATINE 2004