Professor Peter Shergold may have begun his review of senior secondary pathways well before the onset of the global pandemic. In its shadow though, his recently released key recommendations take on a special urgency.
His proposal for a Learner Profile, to identify a student’s range of skills, knowledge and experiences from inside and outside the classroom, is gladly received by proponents of more inclusive and innovative pathways into higher education and the workforce.
A comprehensive picture of a student’s potential that focuses on modern and relevant criteria for the digital age and the knowledge economy, would, at the very least, establish a more equal admissions process.
At UTS we are already putting these ideas into practice by creating a pathway explicitly premised on general capabilities and 21st century skills. This includes collaboration skills, digital literacy, critical thinking, and problem-solving – competencies usually associated with the ‘soft skills’ that are required to thrive in today's workforce.
To anyone who has analysed the data, the close correlation between ATAR results and high socio-economic family background is a profound indictment on the notion of education as the great equaliser.
The ATAR has always been limited in giving us an accurate picture of a student’s potential. For example, the ATAR does not account for ‘jagged profiles’. That is, where a student excels in certain areas but performs poorly in others. A genius mathematician can do so badly in English that their ATAR is low.
The general capabilities that industry and employers are telling us that they need and want – collaboration skills, critical thinking, and other interpersonal and intra-personal skills – are absent from the ATAR ranking system.
The UTS U@Uni Academy targets students from low-socioeconomic partner schools in South West Sydney who are not on a traditional trajectory to study at university.
Left to assessment through ATAR alone, most of these students would not qualify to study at UTS. But our experience with similar cohorts demonstrates these students can be some of the most successful at university and in the workforce. The 21st-century skills that the program nurtures and assesses throughout Years 10-12 are proven to be robust predictors of student success.
Instead of relying on a single aggregated ranking, we focus on non-traditional indicators of attainment to appraise students’ learning capabilities holistically. Students participate in a series of workshops and their progress is tracked through the CAPRI framework and REVIEW online assessment tool, developed at UTS by Dr Darrall Thompson. Indicators include: whether a student is able to critically evaluate information and its sources (analytic capability); whether a student applies themselves when faced with challenges in assigned tasks (demonstrating diligence); or whether a student encourages others to participate, intervenes to resolve conflict and offers constructive criticism (collaboration skills). Students who successfully complete the program are offered direct entry to UTS, and this will bring an extra 300 students to UTS from our low-SES partner schools every year.
Students who successfully complete the program are offered direct entry to UTS, and this will bring an extra 300 students to UTS from our low-SES partner schools every year.
New ways of assessing aptitude to meet the challenges of the digital age and the knowledge economy could contribute to democratising university access more broadly. Combined with support to prepare for, access, and successfully transition from secondary school to higher education, this approach could reduce social inequality and help break down the barriers of socioeconomic disadvantage.
In a world turned upside down by COVID-19, where post-school education and training will be key to better paid jobs and participation in Australia’s economy, the playing field that is university entrances must be evened out. We welcome the transition.