This presentation summarises our findings investigating the support needed by Degree Apprenticeship (DA) students during their first year of studies. This initial study primarily focussed on the first cohort of English Digital and Technology Solutions students within the School of Computing and Communications. The theory module TMX130 (Computing Technologies) and the work based learning module TXY122 (Career Development and Employability) are the first case studies included at this stage. Results of students’ surveys as well as feedback from practice tutors and subject-specific tutors will be presented and contrasted.
We analyzed the student performance on the module and the open comments on both surveys. The aim was to explore whether there were any issues both in the learning and in the support that should be addressed in the coming presentations.
Results from the data analysis suggest that support from subject-specific tutors is very good and students are very motivated. However, some assessment methods are more relevant than others and we should consider how to customise these assessments so they relate more closely to the students’ work environments.
In our future works we plan to conduct further research via surveys and interviews, with both students and tutors as the initial cohort of English students was very small.
In the longer term, it is worth considering the inclusion of Scottish and Welsh apprentices, alongside English apprentices in the research, as well as contrasting our findings with apprenticeship initiatives across the UK nations
