Well said Ian: I also find the us of the term "study skills" confusing
as this is exactly what all students receive...either as personal
tuition, workshops or via the intranet. I do think this should be
challenged as the next step might be to say that HEIs are responsible
for "study skills" tuition for all students, disabled and non-disabled.

What is frustrating is that there doesn't appear to be a well-signposted
forum for us, as a sector not as individuals, to discuss and challenge
the new guidelines....consultation by SLC would have been helpful.

ATB

Claire  


Claire Wickham
Senior Disability Officer
Disability Resource Centre
University of the West of England
Frenchay Campus
Coldharbour Lane
Bristol BS16 1QY
 
Tel: 0117 328 3737
Textphone: 0117 32 83644
Fax: 0117 32 82935
 
Please note that this e-mail was written using speech input and may
contain some small voice recognition errors.

-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion list for disabled students and their support staff.
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Ian F.
Sent: 16 September 2008 02:23
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Study Skills FAQs - for info

Guidelines on how DSA should be administered are aimed at the bodies
involved in its administration. Some of these bodies even produce their
own guidelines to try to make the administration of the DSA fit in with
their own systems (e.g. demanding multiple quotations for equipment,
support or even taxis). Irrespective of any guidance, the legislation
remains the same and it's up to us as assessors and DOs to ensure it is
properly implemented even if this means guidance needs to be challenged.
I suspect that should it come to court, just claiming we were following
guidelines  wouldn't really wash considering we're supposed to be the
specialists rather than the administrators.

In the case of 'study skills', it's really hard to work out a precise
formula to identify just how much assistance a student might need,
especially when they haven't even started the course yet. For some
reason, there were concerns raised about allowing the student, DO and
specialist tutor to set the number of hours needed from the start. Hence
the "up to 10 sessions then review" guidance, which was never supposed
to be set in stone as a regulation, it just seemed a sensible
compromise.

Assessors and DOs should continue to make recommendations for the number
of sessions they feel is appropriate, whether it's 1, 10, 20 or 30  but
rather than having to carefully justify their recommendations in each
case (as was the case prior to this guidance) it would appear should now
just take extra care to justify their recommendations when suggesting
more than ten sessions are required. I don't really have a problem with
the "up to 10 sessions" 
guidance because I know it wouldn't actually stand up in court, if
challenged.

I have more of a problem with the use of the phrase "Study Skills" to
describe this type of support. Many universities provide 'study skills' 
support to all students, some even offer it on a one-to-one basis. The
type of assistance we're talking about is specialist non-subject based
learning support aimed at helping the student address the effects of
specific learning difficulties on participation in the course. Referring
to it as 'study skills' seems, to me, patronising both to the student
and to the person who we're assuming has undergone specialist training
in order to provide this specialist assistance.  Referring to this as
'study skills' to me demonstrates a fundamental misunderstanding of the
nature of, and justification for, this assistance.

Ian Francis


----- Original Message -----
From: "A Velarde" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 4:33 PM
Subject: Re: Study Skills FAQs - for info


Manda. "should" may be read as a compulsory suggestion. Particularly
when
univesities also provide disabled students suport for students who do
not
'qualify' for goverment fundings. Some students may need on session,
some
others 300. the number 10 is only indicative. Perhaps we should look at
this
in a different perspective. Would be acceptable is deaf people are given
10
hours of sinig language or blind people a certain amount of 'accessible
material'? Andy
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Amanda Kent" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Monday, September 15, 2008 7:51 AM
Subject: Re: Study Skills FAQs - for info


Probably worth pointing out that the FAQ Study Skills should be read in
conjunction with the 19 08 08 document 'Completing the SLC DSA
Assessment
of Needs report', section C3 'Personal Support Non Medical Helpers'.
http://www.dsa-qag.org.uk/content.asp?ContentID=77

The 'Completing' document is where the initial 10 sessions is
stipulated: "SLC will accept recommendations of up to ten one hour
sessions
of individual non subject specific study skills support made in the DSA
Need Assessment report." (p12) and it includes the instruction that "The
DSA Needs Assessment report should recommend that study skills tuition
is
undertaken by a suitably qualified tutor."(p15)

Amanda Kent
DSA needs assessor



On Sun, 14 Sep 2008 17:21:57 +0100, Elaine Shillcock
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>Dear All
>
>
>
>See below the text of a FAQ document released on 12 Sep - available for
>download from the DSA QAG website
>
>
>
>Elaine Shillcock
>
>The University of Manchester
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Study skills - Frequently Asked Questions
>
>
>
>
>
>1              How does the SLC define 'study skills'?
>
>The SLC requires all 'study skills' funded by DSA to be in accordance
with
>the DIUS guidance document as follows:
>
>Study skills tuition to help manage difficulties within higher
education,
>language and numeracy through the more effective use of dyslexic
thinking
>styles. Individual study support sessions may be required because
>generalised advice offered by a department may not take into account
>different learning skills. DIUS has not set a ceiling on the number of
hours
>of study skills support that may be provided through the DSAs. However,
the
>aim of such support should be to impart generic skills which, together
with
>any specialist equipment that has been provided, will allow the student
to
>become an independent learner. Therefore, any study skills support
>recommended should be tailored to the student's individual
>
>needs, setting out clear goals and timescales for achieving those goals
>(Para 96).
>
>2              Should 'Study Skills' be on a one-to-one basis?
>
>The SLC requires that each study skills session should be on a
one-to-one
>basis in line with the DIUS guidance document.
>
>DSAs may be used only where a student is obliged by reason of his
disability
>to incur costs in receiving specialised individual support. Some
students
>will require additional support to develop appropriate learning
strategies
>because of their disability, for example dyslexia or a mental health
>condition. The aim of this support is to maximise their ability and
remove
>the barriers caused by the impairment. The costs of extra tutorial
support
>to improve his study skills (e.g. in essay construction and writing,
>examination techniques, revision skills) would be appropriate for DSAs
(Para
>135).
>
>3          When is an Individual Learning Plan [ILP] required?
>
>
>
>SLC expects all study skills support provided to students to be
directed by
>an Individual Learning Plan (ILP).  Working with the study skills
provider,
>students identify goals and targets related to his / her individual
learning
>needs and styles.  These should be monitored and reviewed jointly and
>recorded regularly in the ILP.  The aim is that students develop
strategies
>for independent learning which enable them to access their course (in
>accordance with DIUS guidance).
>
>
>
>
>
>
>4              What constitutes an ILP?
>
>SLC expects all ILPs to indicate:
>
>* Goals and timescales for achieving these;
>* Goals achieved (ascertained through formative and summative
>assessment);
>* Additional individual needs;
>
>
>
>The ILP should also evidence student attendance at study skills support
>sessions, for example, a signed attendance timesheet.  DSA QAG will be
>commissioned by the SLC to carry out annual audits. ILPs should be
available
>on request to DSA-QAG auditors when the auditing of NMH begins.
>
>5              What if the assessment of need is being undertaken on
behalf
>of a funding body other than SLC e.g. a local authority?
>
>SLC notes that ILPs are already being compiled by the majority of study
>skills providers and are an example of good practice and having sought
>advice from LA officers have agreed that this should become standard
>practice.
>
>
>
>6              In the event of a student being assessed for the second
time
>on the basis of SpLD (e.g. undertaking a PG course), should the DSA
assessor
>recommend the standard 10 sessions with an ILP?
>
>SLC views study skills provision under DSA in the same light as the
>provision of any previous strategies either technological or
human-based.
>The number of study skills sessions received should be noted in the
>assessment of need report.  Further funding for study skills should be
>consolidated with a request for an ILP from the provider concerned.
The
ILP
>will form the basis for any further recommendations for funding.
>
>
>
>7          What if it is not possible for an ILP to be obtained for
study
>skills previously awarded?
>
>
>
>SLC views that the assessment of need report should detail why this is
not
>possible with respect to the supplier concerned.  In the light of there
>being no means of obtaining an ILP, the DSA assessor should resort to
the
>recommendation of 10 sessions with an ILP for all future study skills
>sessions.
>
>8          If a request for further study skills support is made by a
>supplier with respect to a student that has already been awarded study
>skills in previous years, should an assessor ask for a further 10
sessions?
>
>
>
>SLC feels that an ILP will suffice in this case and the assessor should
>inform the student that any request for further study skills support
can be
>made once this has been provided to him/her by the supplier concerned.
>
>
>
>
>9              Who should keep a copy of the ILP?
>
>SLC feels that the student, the study skills provider and the funding
body
>concerned should all have copied of the ILP.  These should be available
on
>request to DSA-QAG auditors when the auditing of NMH begins.
>
>
>
>Student Loans Company Ltd.
>
>12th September 2008.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> 


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