Dr Who and the Curriculum Planners: early observations from a longitudinal study of Associate Students’ transition to University

Abstract

This paper explores early observations from a longitudinal study of second year Associate Students studying HNs in colleges prior to making their way to university for third and final year of engineering degree programmes. We consider assumptions about the transfer of learning that underpin the Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF), suggesting that the framework oversimplifies student transitions between different sectors. Three different perspectives on student transitions are used as an entry point to explore data obtained from focus groups, observations and informal interviews. We identify two distinct emerging themes; confidence in curriculum alignment between HN and degree programmes and puzzlement about some of the signifiers of sociocultural differences between college and university.http://www.enhancementthemes.ac.uk/docs/paper/dr-who-and-the-curriculum-planners-early-observations-from-a-longitudinal-study-of-associate-students-transition-to-university.pdf?sfvrsn=6