1. Collaboration and partnership:
developing the Academic
Skills Centre at the University
of Birmingham
Rachel Wood, Academic Skills Centre
March 2013

2.  Background
 Benchmarking
– Internal
– External
 What we did based on the benchmarking
 How we collaborated
 How we see the future

3. Background
 Pro-Vice Chancellor for Education review of
academic support for UGs
 University-wide project (team included librarian)
– Implemented in March 2012
 Centre was introduced in September 2012
– Supports mathematics, general academic
skills and writing.

4. Benchmarking: key questions
 What does an ASC
look like?
 What are we already
doing at UoB?
 Where is the best
practice elsewhere?
 What do we need to
do?

5. Benchmarking – Internal
 Questioned 2 groups:
– Academics
– Central support services including library
Subject Advisors
 Key question: what academic skills do you
provide?

6. Benchmarking – Internal academics
 Varied, depending on subject
 Overall, very good
 Challenges: large class sizes, physical and
time resources
 Good practice: embedding study skills into
curriculum, use of peer feedback

7. Benchmarking – Internal central
services
 Central provision varied
 All use blended approach
 Challenges: academic buy-in, embedding into
curriculum
 Good practice: IL in Dentistry

8. Benchmarking – Central services

9. Benchmarking - External
 Survey of other UK universities:
– Focussed on good practice in a variety of
other institutions
– Sample comprised of 17 institutions
(Russell Group and non-Russell Group)

10. Benchmarking - External
 Survey was piloted with two Russell Group
institutions (big thanks to Leeds and Oxford!)
 Used Survey Monkey ® software
 In April and May 2012 a tailored e-mail was
sent to library or academic skills contacts

11. Benchmarking - External
 8 non-Russell Group universities and 6
Russell Group universities responded.
 The survey was followed up with six semi
structured telephone interviews.

12. Benchmarking - External
 Embedding skills is key
 Located with library service
 Good provision of skills through websites
 Scalability
 Ownership – central vs. academic
 Providers – academics, librarians
 Resources
 Evaluation of skills support

13. What we did next: organisation
 Used results to draw up organisation
 Advisory boards
 New division to work alongside librarians
Academic Skills Centre
Skills Development Manager
Rachel Wood
Academic Skills Team
Projects Officer (Skills)
Michael Stanford
Writing Skills Advisor
Helen Cooper
Learning Skills Advisors
Stephen Griffin (p/t)
Beverley Maynard (p/t)
Michael Shoolbred (p/t)

14. What we did: identity
 ASC became part of
Library Services
 Located in Main
Library
 New website with
course bookings
and online
resources

16. What we did
 Developed curriculum based on
external/internal best practice
 Introduced generic workshops for 1st years:
learning in HE, writing, note taking and critical
reading
 Collaborate with library staff to run joint
activities

17. What we didn’t expect to do!
 Supported lots of 2nd and 3rd years
 Re-wrote our administrative systems

18. Collaboration
 Developed joined-up approach with:
– Librarians and other library staff re
Transition Review
– Academics to run sessions on our behalf
(academic writing) and their behalf (group
work)
– Joint Librarian/ASC sessions

19. Collaboration
 Promote via various networks embedding
Information Literacy and Academic Skills for
enhancement – ie support/ development for
all.

20. Future
 Review first year
 Joint development of teaching resources with
librarians
 Work with students for peer to peer learning
 Embed in the curriculum
 Focus on online delivery

21. Further information
 https://intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/as/libraryservices/asc
 Rachel Wood r.wood@bham.ac.uk