The Personal Academic Tutoring system at the University of Worcester sits at the heart of the student experience and impacts directly on student retention and attainment. We have been developing a model of PAT referred to as ‘working in partnership’ that we know is founded on best practice. As a result a number of useful resources and case studies have been produced. We have also updated the guidance on the University PAT web pages. There is also a Personal Academic Tutoring Guide with more information.
The web pages include:
* A link to the policy
* Guidance – the role of the PAT; the role of the student; guiding principles; working in partnership; theoretical underpinning of working in partnership model
*Examples of practice, including three short videos by UW staff and a student:
- Maddie Burton, Senior Lecturer, Childhood and Adolescent Mental Health, discussing the development of PAT/tutee relationships through writing retreats
- Paula Gardener, Senior Lecturer and Practice Lead for Paramedic Science and Tom Hancock, Course Leader for Paramedic Science discussing how they have adapted the WiP model to meet the needs of their students
- Karen Bubb, Year 1 Cohort Lead for Primary Initial Teacher Education and Ross Southall, a third year student, discussing the benefits of vertical tutor groups
*Details for other resources – books; links to useful websites; journal articles
Staff are encouraged to revisit the policy and use these resources as part of their efforts to improve retention on courses and also positively add to their wider student experience.