Beginning university during SARS-CoV-2 restrictions: How can the University of Edinburgh meet the needs of students belonging to a Widening Participation group? School: Edinburgh Medical School Team Members: Donna Quinn, Jessie Paterson, Alan Jaap, David Hope Abstract Students belonging to a “Widening Participation” (WP) group are at risk of poorer outcomes in terms of degree attainment compared with students from more traditional backgrounds (Edward Krupat, Stephen R. Pelletier & Jules L. Dienstag (2017) and Higher Education Funding Council for England, 2014). This suggests that whilst such students have met the prerequisite requirements for entry to university, they continue to experience further barriers and inequalities which limit their potential to succeed. We as a team are comprised of a PhD student researching fairness in education, and staff members with a significant body of work in fairness, differential attainment, assessment, and education. We propose to interview students and staff individually to explore what additional support WP students may require throughout and after this period of altered teaching, and then disseminate the findings to the wider university. This project may have a large impact on how the university recognises, identifies, and ultimately manages the challenges faced by WP students during and following the pandemic restrictions. By taking appropriate action now, we can improve the educational experience for WP students. Final Project Report Download the final project report (PDF) Other project outcomes Guidance Notes Learning and Teaching Conference 2022 talk This article was published on 2024-02-26
