What is the Academic Skills Development Project?
This Academic Skills Development Project aims to integrate opportunities for academic skills development into existing educational provision, so that students encounter these as a normal part of their studies throughout their time at Oxford.
The project has four aims:
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To establish routes to professional and career development for teaching staff, academic skills tutors and others involved in developing students' academic skills
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To enable further integration of academic skills into tutorial teaching and the disciplinary curriculum
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To expand students’ access to specialist Academic English support
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To develop and build capacity for colleges to provide timely advice and guidance on effective academic skills for individual students.
The project will establish a robust, holistic evaluation approach drawing on the strengths of Theory of Change, combining quantitative and qualitative evaluative methods employed at Oxford and in the wider HE sector. The aim of this approach is to investigate which models of academic skills provision are the most efficient and effective and to expand the understanding of how educational experiences of students at Oxford impact on their learning.
Who is delivering the project?
The Centre for Teaching and Learning (the Centre) is leading the Academic Skills Development Project in collaboration with The Language Centre, the Disability Advisory Service and the Student Data Management and Analysis team in Student Registry.
The project will also work in partnership with students (including the Centre's Student Experience interns 2023), the Academic Skills Special Interest Group, the Astrophoria Foundation Year Programme, Bodleian Libraries, colleges, departments/schools/faculties, Opportunity Oxford, and the Public Affairs Directorate.
The project is funded by the Access Fund.
What is driving the project?
Building on previous work to support academic transitions which began during the COVID-19 pandemic, this project addresses the need to ensure that all taught students across the collegiate University encounter appropriate opportunities to develop the academic skills necessary to thrive at Oxford. Integrated academic skills provision is a key part of creating inclusive teaching environments for our increasingly diverse student cohorts, and helps to reduce awarding gaps as well as supporting students' academic confidence, belonging, wellbeing and success.
Are you interested in developing students’ academic skills?
If you are interested in developing students' academic skills at Oxford, you can join the Academic Skills Special Interest Group, which offers networking opportunities for colleagues at Oxford.
The Centre also offers an integrating academic skills consultancy service for colleges, divisions, faculties and departments.
Who do I contact for further information?
For further information about this project, please contact us at contact@ctl.ox.ac.uk.
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