Journal articles and publications
Evaluation
Extra-curricular activities in higher education: enhancing the student experience
This study explores the relationship between extra-curricular opportunities offered by a UK higher education institution and participants' subsequent educational and occupational trajectories.
- Authors: Michael Kerrigan and Amy Manktelow
- Journal: Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning - 2021
- OfS evaluation standard: Type 2
Undergraduate student role models: reinforcing the higher education message?
This study draws upon previous research to establish if ‘low cost, high volume’ university outreach interventions change subsequent application behaviour.
- Author: Michael Kerrigan
- Contributor: Grace Harvey
- Journal: Journal of behavioural public administration - 2021
- OfS evaluation standard: Type 3
The effectiveness of learning analytics for identifying at-risk students in higher education
In this article we investigate the effectiveness of learning analytics for identifying at-risk students in higher education institutions using data output from an in-situ learning analytics platform.
- Authors: Ed Foster and Rebecca Siddle
- Journal: Assessment and Evaluation in Higher Education - 2019
- OfS evaluation standard: Type 2
Sandwich placements: negating the socio-economic effect on graduate prospects
This study combines a large-scale analysis of graduate employment outcomes with qualitative data from recent widening participation (WP) graduates, focusing specifically on the impact of a full 'sandwich' year within a course.
- Authors: Michael Kerrigan. Amy Manktelow and Eunice Simmons
- Journal: Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning - Nov 2018
- OfS evaluation standard: Type 2
Research
Diversifying peer mentors: working collaboratively with under-presented groups
This case study describes a project undertaken to increase the representation of traditionally under-represented groups of students within our student peer mentoring scheme.
- Authors: Amy Kyte, 2024
- Journal: Student Engagement in Higher Education Journal, 2024
A qualitative investigation into opportunity structures and disjuncture in the education-employment transition: ‘it’s scary, innit?’
This study explores young people's transition from education to employment, revealing mismatched perceptions with adults on aspirations, work readiness, and industry links, highlighting systemic barriers that limit equitable opportunities.
- Authors: Chris Rolph, Samuel Williams and David Woolley
- Journal: The Journal of Education and Works - April 2025
Acquiring school attainment data to evaluate widening participation activity: issues and solutions
The Office for Students (OfS) has prioritised attainment improvement in schools as a key objective in Higher Education Provider (HEP) outreach provision. Part of this challenge is to accurately gather attainment and/or proxy measures to evidence impact. This methods briefing will highlight the issues, challenges, and ways forward that the Centre for Student and Community Engagement (CenSCE) at Nottingham Trent University (NTU) has experienced in developing greater sophistication in its (attainment) data gathering approach with partner schools.
- Authors: Zsannet Agnes Biscák, Jonathan Hoskin-Campion
- Journal: Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, Nov 2024
Inter-institutional examination of partnership structures and tools: Critical friends as catalysts
Two universities (in the UK and US) collaboratively examined community-campus partnerships adapting elements of the Transformational Relationship Evaluation Scale (Tres: Kniffen et al., 2020).
- Authors: Andy Coppins, Harriet Raby, Becca Berkey and Patti Clayton
- Journal: Advances in Theory and Methodology - Dec 2024
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Lived ethics in an ethics process: moving towards the use of experimental evaluation design within widening participation outreach
- Authors: Jon Hoskin-Campion, Peter Crowson, Laura Guiver, Laura Hope, Michael Kerrigan and Rebecca Siddle- 2024
- Journal: Widening Participation and Lifelong Learning, Volume 26, Number 2
A particular issue within widening participation (WP) outreach is the limitation of studies that can make robust causal claims. We propose that ethical issues related to Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) implementation are problematic and need to be addressed.
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Embedding ‘Black Lives Matter’: a self-directed, research-informed, staff development programme
Capitalising on a cultural 'unfreeze' following the death of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, a group of staff within the Centre for Student and Community Engagement (CenSCE) at Nottingham Trent University organised, developed and delivered an internal-facing 'race matters" programme.
- Authors: Peter Crowson
- Journal: Journal of Higher Education Research - 2021
It's all about the intervention: reflections on building staff capacity for using learning analytics to support student success
If learning analytics are to be used effectively by institutions to improve student success, it needs enmeshing into the pedagogical context of the institution. This chapter centres on the challenges associated with building staff capabilities needed to act on data provided from learning analytics, assuming a model where staff provide remedial support to individual students.
- Authors: Ed Foster, Rebecca Siddle, Pieterjan Bonne and Peter Crowson
- Journal: Adoption of Data Analytics in Higher Education Learning and Teaching - August 2020