Tracey Coppins

The foundation year at Keele University caters for a diverse cohort of learners, from those who didn’t achieve the grades needed for direct degree programme entry to mature learners who have been out of education for several years. During the last two academic years, being taught in a classroom has been alien to many. Even those who were full-time registered students in the last two years have faced disruption to the ‘normal’ classroom-based teaching methods. At the beginning of the academic year 2021-22, we assumed that students would be glad to be back in the classroom and that we would only face the usual challenge of the transition to higher education.

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It rapidly became clear, that most students either did not want to return, were anxious about the return or felt unprepared for the return. In a reflective portfolio assessment, students expressed concern about their lack of communication skills and dislike of talking to people that they didn’t know. All students on the course plan to work in a healthcare setting therefore skills in communication and teamworking are essential. Because of this, a variety of teaching methods were introduced to foster compassionate group-working skills and to enable students to get to know others in a non-threatening environment both on and offline. Assessment support sessions were added to the timetable to encourage attendance and verbal interaction with staff.