Proposal
We have researched into what students already know about the Additional Support services offered by the college, and have done interviews with several main people who offer support - Steve Newman, Karen Mayfield, Oz Ozbourne, and Vivienne Ridpath,. This has helped us to understand the service. We still have to interview some other people like Janet Waters, Bob Smith and Vera Baney.
We also surveyed about 50 students by asking them questions about the Additional Support Service. We have found out a number of interesting facts about levels of awareness of the service amongst students:
We found that over a third of students were not aware of any additional support services in the college. (60.4 % of students were aware of the student support services at the college and 39.6 were not).
More students (40%), had not seen any advertising about the services.
Out of those who had seen advertising, the majority of the students said that they had noticed posters.
We also asked what students thought would be the best way to be told about the additional support services. The majority said posters, but other ideas were the daily bulletin, on screens around the college, college intranet, emails and induction.
We also asked if they thought there were students that wanted to use the services but were too embarrassed most of the students said yes (79 %). However, the number of students that said they would seek support was more than the people that said they wouldn’t. (64%)
We asked students if they knew who to go see for different issues, and most of them didn’t know who to see.
Also most students didn’t know how to make an appointment to see any of the members of additional support.
After doing this research we started to work out our ideas for the video we want to produce. Our idea is to produce one version for the tutor programme and the internet, and another version, without sound, for the screens around college.
We’d now like to present our proposal for you, and ask for your opinion of it, and any suggestions you have about how we could improve it.
SHOW STORYBOARDS
Title screen appears with the question “Do you know?” “That your College offers” “additional support for many different things?”
Then a group of friends are shown in the common room round a table all discussing their personal problems. Camera focuses on one person to begin with, this person then tells us their problem. Let’s say they are worried about money. The camera then fast tracks to the room of the Student Support Officer, perhaps with a dissolve to a map of the college where we see a red line travelling from the common room to the office. She then explains who she is and what areas she can help with. The camera then dissolves back to the table in the common room and the person who was before feeling down tells us how the service helped him or her “Yeah, I was really in trouble but she helped me sort out my EMA and my Access application and she even came with me to the Housing Department. She was brilliant!”
The camera then focuses on another student who says something like “I wish my problem could be sorted like yours….” Then the same thing happens. We follow the same structure until we get through each person and their
individual problems. Not only does this show the effectiveness of the service but it also explains what the service offers and shows it’s not an embarrassing thing to do because the group of friends discuss the service so openly.
We have a variation of this idea. Instead of a group discussing their problems, we start with a pan around a busy room, like the common room, or the library, and the camera picks out one person, sitting alone, and we hear their thoughts in a voiceover. The rest would be the same, but this way, each person with a problem starts off alone, but then ends up in a group, explaining how college would help them. We would also be able to show the route to the right office from different starting points.
Monday, 15 December 2008
The Pitch Meeting with John O' Leary on Friday 12th December
The pitch went quite well with John O' Leary we researched all of the ideas, planned all the story boarding, finnished the questionnaire and the graphs for the questionnaire. We had been working for two weeks to get all the information and John seemed to like our ideas of the film. We had two ideas for the film.
We had idea 1. a group of people talking about their problems. Then the camera would fast track its way around college and go to a member of student support staff. The same thing would happen for all of the actors then it would have them in one room talking about the help they have recieved.
idea 2. is to have one person in a room then go to a member of student support staff and then the same thing will happen to all of the other actors then at the end all of the actors are i one room talking about the help they have recieved. They're quite similar only that the start is different.
We forgot to ask John which idea he preffered but luckily are teacher Sean asked John on a conversation which idea he preffered, John preffered idea 2.
We had idea 1. a group of people talking about their problems. Then the camera would fast track its way around college and go to a member of student support staff. The same thing would happen for all of the actors then it would have them in one room talking about the help they have recieved.
idea 2. is to have one person in a room then go to a member of student support staff and then the same thing will happen to all of the other actors then at the end all of the actors are i one room talking about the help they have recieved. They're quite similar only that the start is different.
We forgot to ask John which idea he preffered but luckily are teacher Sean asked John on a conversation which idea he preffered, John preffered idea 2.
Jonjo's interview with Karen Mayfield
This is a summary of the main points made by Karen Mayfield Student support officer in my interview with her on Friday 5th December
What role do you play in the Colleges support Services ?
my role in the college is to support students emotionally, point them in the right direction,give them Counceling.
What sort of problems do people come to you with ?
its varied majority financial, students left home living on there own, people also come to me with relationship problems, sometimes they have no money, sometimes they feel they've picked the wrong courses.
so what financial help is available for students ?
Acces fund which is run through the college gives people money for trips and equipment. E.M.A some people are not aware they are able to get e.m.a. And Emergency fund for students who are in desperate needs.
what housing help can you offer for students ?
conexion officers speak to them people. And we sometimes take them to Burgh council if the situation is urgent and they need housing that day.
how would you commonly handle a situation such as a student becoming homeless ?
If its there choice its difficult because sometimes the state wont back them up. If they decided they don't want to live at home because of an argument theres not much they can do unless they have money to rent somewere. It really depends on the circumstances.
do you have any advice for students with problems, who are afraid to approach a member of the support service ?
My advice would be, I know sometimes it can be difficult we are seen as figures of authority sometimes. talk to your tutors and they can always come along with you to meet any of the support team and once they get through the door they will see we are only here to support.do you believe in anyway the additional support service in college could be improved?I do believe it could be improved, I think more money is required to get some additional members of staff to help the students as much as possible.
What role do you play in the Colleges support Services ?
my role in the college is to support students emotionally, point them in the right direction,give them Counceling.
What sort of problems do people come to you with ?
its varied majority financial, students left home living on there own, people also come to me with relationship problems, sometimes they have no money, sometimes they feel they've picked the wrong courses.
so what financial help is available for students ?
Acces fund which is run through the college gives people money for trips and equipment. E.M.A some people are not aware they are able to get e.m.a. And Emergency fund for students who are in desperate needs.
what housing help can you offer for students ?
conexion officers speak to them people. And we sometimes take them to Burgh council if the situation is urgent and they need housing that day.
how would you commonly handle a situation such as a student becoming homeless ?
If its there choice its difficult because sometimes the state wont back them up. If they decided they don't want to live at home because of an argument theres not much they can do unless they have money to rent somewere. It really depends on the circumstances.
do you have any advice for students with problems, who are afraid to approach a member of the support service ?
My advice would be, I know sometimes it can be difficult we are seen as figures of authority sometimes. talk to your tutors and they can always come along with you to meet any of the support team and once they get through the door they will see we are only here to support.do you believe in anyway the additional support service in college could be improved?I do believe it could be improved, I think more money is required to get some additional members of staff to help the students as much as possible.
Jess' interview with Oz Osbourne
This is the transcript from the interview I had with Oz Osbourne.
1. What exactly do you do in college?
I work on the additional support team and my role is to help students with emotional help & well being.
2. What sort of help do you offer students?
When it comes to people's emotional health it can cover anything but effectively if a student is having any kind of difficulties that perhaps are not neccesarily learning related it might be due to the stress & pressure of work, it might be to do with family life or friends but anything that's causing them to be in less than good emotional help & well being. They can come along & it's just for an informal chat & we take it from there.
3. What sort of problems do students come to you about?
It really is a completely wide range. It might be that someone is struggling with their work load, but obviously tutors & personal tutors can help with those things as well so it tends to be when it's having a greater than usual effect on how they're thinking & feeling about things & their general experience of things. So I think it's fair to say that all students at times, particularly with exams, work load & coursework, can struggle with some things but I think it's when it becomes almost unmanagable that they might come along & start off with a informal chat then we see what route they can go from there to get more help & support.
4. What would you want to say to a student who wanted to talk to you but felt too embarrassed?
I think it would probably be that it's, in the time that I've been in college, it's the number of students & the range of students that come to see me, it's certainly no embarrassment to say that everybody, at some point in our lifes, however well we appear to coping to other people it's ok every now & again to ask for help. And it's certainly not a weakness & infact by asking for help you can deal with things more quickly than if you let them run on then perhaps that's a sign of strength & there wouldnt be people in the college like myself & other student support officers if a lot of students didn't need the help & support that we offer.
5. What do you enjoy about your job?
I think it's certainly the range of challenges that we have, but I guess it's just knowing that sometimes a student will come to see myself or one of the other additional support members & perhaps go on & achieve a little bit more than they thought they were able to because they were able to deal with some of the problems & barriers that may have prevented them from achieving that way.
6. How many students do you see a week?
That varies, I'm only in for about six hours a week & sometimes I'll have appointments all day so that would be a maximum of 5 or 6 students. Some weeks there's only 1 or 2, sometimes there are students I see over a long term & will see every week, sometimes students will just drop when they need help. On top of one to one sessions I also have offered work shops around exam stress so in those weeks it might be that I've run a couple of work shops & they've been attended by 8-10 people in those weeks it could be up to 20 students. But generally it's 4-5 a week on average.
7. Is there anything you would like us to use to promote you in the video?
The space we see people in because we try to make it a neautral space & things, is probably quite good. I hope that students can see that any of the additional support team look reasonably normal & welcoming.
8. Do you think there’s any way of improving the support service in college?
I think that it'd be naive to think that there werent ways of improving & I guess things like additional resources but we all know that there's so many things that colleges need to pay for & have resources for. So I think that we're all grateful & hopefully some of the students are that we're here. I think what you're doing is a good thing & lots of students dont know that we're here, the more ways to promote is good.
1. What exactly do you do in college?
I work on the additional support team and my role is to help students with emotional help & well being.
2. What sort of help do you offer students?
When it comes to people's emotional health it can cover anything but effectively if a student is having any kind of difficulties that perhaps are not neccesarily learning related it might be due to the stress & pressure of work, it might be to do with family life or friends but anything that's causing them to be in less than good emotional help & well being. They can come along & it's just for an informal chat & we take it from there.
3. What sort of problems do students come to you about?
It really is a completely wide range. It might be that someone is struggling with their work load, but obviously tutors & personal tutors can help with those things as well so it tends to be when it's having a greater than usual effect on how they're thinking & feeling about things & their general experience of things. So I think it's fair to say that all students at times, particularly with exams, work load & coursework, can struggle with some things but I think it's when it becomes almost unmanagable that they might come along & start off with a informal chat then we see what route they can go from there to get more help & support.
4. What would you want to say to a student who wanted to talk to you but felt too embarrassed?
I think it would probably be that it's, in the time that I've been in college, it's the number of students & the range of students that come to see me, it's certainly no embarrassment to say that everybody, at some point in our lifes, however well we appear to coping to other people it's ok every now & again to ask for help. And it's certainly not a weakness & infact by asking for help you can deal with things more quickly than if you let them run on then perhaps that's a sign of strength & there wouldnt be people in the college like myself & other student support officers if a lot of students didn't need the help & support that we offer.
5. What do you enjoy about your job?
I think it's certainly the range of challenges that we have, but I guess it's just knowing that sometimes a student will come to see myself or one of the other additional support members & perhaps go on & achieve a little bit more than they thought they were able to because they were able to deal with some of the problems & barriers that may have prevented them from achieving that way.
6. How many students do you see a week?
That varies, I'm only in for about six hours a week & sometimes I'll have appointments all day so that would be a maximum of 5 or 6 students. Some weeks there's only 1 or 2, sometimes there are students I see over a long term & will see every week, sometimes students will just drop when they need help. On top of one to one sessions I also have offered work shops around exam stress so in those weeks it might be that I've run a couple of work shops & they've been attended by 8-10 people in those weeks it could be up to 20 students. But generally it's 4-5 a week on average.
7. Is there anything you would like us to use to promote you in the video?
The space we see people in because we try to make it a neautral space & things, is probably quite good. I hope that students can see that any of the additional support team look reasonably normal & welcoming.
8. Do you think there’s any way of improving the support service in college?
I think that it'd be naive to think that there werent ways of improving & I guess things like additional resources but we all know that there's so many things that colleges need to pay for & have resources for. So I think that we're all grateful & hopefully some of the students are that we're here. I think what you're doing is a good thing & lots of students dont know that we're here, the more ways to promote is good.
Sophie's interview with Steve Newman
Question 1.
What is your role in college?Answer- I see the councilors role is to provide emotional support to both students and staff if wanted.
Question 2.
What sort of problems do students come to you with?Answer- Mainly relationship issues boyfriends and girlfriends. Workload issues especially around the college can i cope? can i get my qualifications?. It can be a bit of a step up from school at times they struggle with that. There are some other difficulties but they are now coping. People come in with selfharm issues, eating disorders, low self-esteem that really does make a difference to a person and how they engage with others.
Question 3.
What additional help is available for students?Answer- Well after seeing the students if we think that theres specific help needed we might refer them to external agencies. We also have karen mayfield who is the welfare officer whos very active within the college, whos very knowledgable on additional help.
Question 4.
Roughly how many students come to see you in a week?Answer- It varies on a weekly basis. 20 sessions available a week shared out by three of the councilors, half of theses sessions are reguarly used. During peak times its almost like theres no spaces.
Question 5.
What would you say to a student who wanted to come talk to you but felt too embarassed?Councilors arent here to judge you and that we as human beings all have moments where we feel inadequate and struggle and by sharing those feelings within the safety of the counciling enviroment.
Question 6.
Is there anything you would like us to use to promote your services in our video?A dance troop.
Question 7.
What do you enjoy most about your job?For me it would be watching a person emotionally develop and take direction in thier lives. Taking the reins of life but they dont become a victim of it. The biggest challenge is to live life and not be worn down by it.
What is your role in college?Answer- I see the councilors role is to provide emotional support to both students and staff if wanted.
Question 2.
What sort of problems do students come to you with?Answer- Mainly relationship issues boyfriends and girlfriends. Workload issues especially around the college can i cope? can i get my qualifications?. It can be a bit of a step up from school at times they struggle with that. There are some other difficulties but they are now coping. People come in with selfharm issues, eating disorders, low self-esteem that really does make a difference to a person and how they engage with others.
Question 3.
What additional help is available for students?Answer- Well after seeing the students if we think that theres specific help needed we might refer them to external agencies. We also have karen mayfield who is the welfare officer whos very active within the college, whos very knowledgable on additional help.
Question 4.
Roughly how many students come to see you in a week?Answer- It varies on a weekly basis. 20 sessions available a week shared out by three of the councilors, half of theses sessions are reguarly used. During peak times its almost like theres no spaces.
Question 5.
What would you say to a student who wanted to come talk to you but felt too embarassed?Councilors arent here to judge you and that we as human beings all have moments where we feel inadequate and struggle and by sharing those feelings within the safety of the counciling enviroment.
Question 6.
Is there anything you would like us to use to promote your services in our video?A dance troop.
Question 7.
What do you enjoy most about your job?For me it would be watching a person emotionally develop and take direction in thier lives. Taking the reins of life but they dont become a victim of it. The biggest challenge is to live life and not be worn down by it.
Monday, 8 December 2008
Interview With Vivienne Ridpath
1.) My role is to support students with their studies, to support anybody with a disability and students with specific learning difficulties, indeed students who are struggling anyway with their studies. If a disabled student applies to the college then they can declare their disability and we can get everything organised for them, whatever their needs are whether it is wheelchair access or visual impairment hearing impairment we can organise supportive technology and or extra support staff
2.) When students come to see me I talk to them about how they find their studies and ask them how they think I can help them. Very often extra time in exams is helpful takes a lot of stress away. I also direct them to one-to-one support if they need it and generally we discuss their barriers to learning accessing the curriculum and talk through ways of helping them.
3.) Usually students are reffered to by a member of staff, a few students come on their own. Usually it is about reading and writing, very often it is about being behind in their assignments, very often the student might have a lack of organisation, thats one thing that comes about. Very often some induviduals just feel like they are dyslexic but nobody has ever told them they just feel like they are so again, come with any problem we will talk it through and find sollutions to it.
4.) I really enjoy meeting the students and liaison with the staff.
5.) I see between four and seven, seven would be a good week
6.) If you feel that you are struggling at all with your studies or having trouble with your curriculum come and see me or tell someone do not suffer in silence.
7.) No answer
2.) When students come to see me I talk to them about how they find their studies and ask them how they think I can help them. Very often extra time in exams is helpful takes a lot of stress away. I also direct them to one-to-one support if they need it and generally we discuss their barriers to learning accessing the curriculum and talk through ways of helping them.
3.) Usually students are reffered to by a member of staff, a few students come on their own. Usually it is about reading and writing, very often it is about being behind in their assignments, very often the student might have a lack of organisation, thats one thing that comes about. Very often some induviduals just feel like they are dyslexic but nobody has ever told them they just feel like they are so again, come with any problem we will talk it through and find sollutions to it.
4.) I really enjoy meeting the students and liaison with the staff.
5.) I see between four and seven, seven would be a good week
6.) If you feel that you are struggling at all with your studies or having trouble with your curriculum come and see me or tell someone do not suffer in silence.
7.) No answer
Monday, 1 December 2008
Interview questions with Vivienne Ridpath
1. What is your role in college?
2. What help do you provide to students?
3. What sort of problems do students come to you about?
4. What do you enjoy about your job?
5. How many students do you see a week?
6. What would you want to say to encourage students to see you?
7. Is there anything that you would like to see in the video?
2. What help do you provide to students?
3. What sort of problems do students come to you about?
4. What do you enjoy about your job?
5. How many students do you see a week?
6. What would you want to say to encourage students to see you?
7. Is there anything that you would like to see in the video?
Initial interview with John O' Leary, head of Student Support
Additional support is for students who have particular problems whether it be dyslexia or physical disabilities, it is extra help for students with what they get from the classroom.
Karen Mayfield is the Student Support Officer she helps out with welfare issues so it could be students hoaving housing problems or relationship problems etc.
Vivienne Ridpath helps students with word blindness so people with dyslexia, dyspraxia and physical disabilities.
Janet Waters helps students with literacy problems and helps with organisation.
Alex Splading helps students with their paper work,
Vera Baney is the exams officer EMA and transport officer.
Oz Osbourne Helps students with mental health issues
Terri Kemp helps students who are hard of hearing, also Terri is trained in sign language.
Councellors help out students confidentially
Peer Supporters listen to students and give help on where to go and see which people.
Bob Smith gives students maths support
John O' Leary is the coordinator and tries to keep the whole lot together.
There are eight or nine students a week asking for additional suport but that does not include students who go to see Karen Mayfield or councellors this specifically for students with accademical needs. The most common additional support service need is literay and accademic needs.
Additional support is not advertised very well around the college. The really well known supporters are the councellors, but literacy and numeracy help are not really known so more advertising on literacy and numeracy support.
The promotional video we are making should not take more than three and a half minutes.
The main thing they want us to include in the promotional video is that any difficulties any student has just speak to any of the supporters above and make the students not feel scared and let them know that the supporters are friendly. Also include the people who give services like Karen Mayfield, Vivienne Ridpath, Oz Osbourne etc. but do not focus on the suppport services as much.
Vivienne Ridpath is in college Mondays and Thursdays
Karen Mayfield is full time
Alex Spalding is Wenesday afternoons
Oz Osbourne is Mondays and Thursdays
Things not to include are students names because of confidential reasons.
Karen Mayfield is the Student Support Officer she helps out with welfare issues so it could be students hoaving housing problems or relationship problems etc.
Vivienne Ridpath helps students with word blindness so people with dyslexia, dyspraxia and physical disabilities.
Janet Waters helps students with literacy problems and helps with organisation.
Alex Splading helps students with their paper work,
Vera Baney is the exams officer EMA and transport officer.
Oz Osbourne Helps students with mental health issues
Terri Kemp helps students who are hard of hearing, also Terri is trained in sign language.
Councellors help out students confidentially
Peer Supporters listen to students and give help on where to go and see which people.
Bob Smith gives students maths support
John O' Leary is the coordinator and tries to keep the whole lot together.
There are eight or nine students a week asking for additional suport but that does not include students who go to see Karen Mayfield or councellors this specifically for students with accademical needs. The most common additional support service need is literay and accademic needs.
Additional support is not advertised very well around the college. The really well known supporters are the councellors, but literacy and numeracy help are not really known so more advertising on literacy and numeracy support.
The promotional video we are making should not take more than three and a half minutes.
The main thing they want us to include in the promotional video is that any difficulties any student has just speak to any of the supporters above and make the students not feel scared and let them know that the supporters are friendly. Also include the people who give services like Karen Mayfield, Vivienne Ridpath, Oz Osbourne etc. but do not focus on the suppport services as much.
Vivienne Ridpath is in college Mondays and Thursdays
Karen Mayfield is full time
Alex Spalding is Wenesday afternoons
Oz Osbourne is Mondays and Thursdays
Things not to include are students names because of confidential reasons.
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