JISC

Start date: 1 March 2007

End date: 31 March 2009

JISC theme(s): e-Administration, e-Learning

Committees: JISC Learning and Teaching committee

Working Groups: e-Learning capital programme advisory board

JISC has funded a small number of projects to explore how technology can be used to support improved admissions practices. Approaches to be piloted, in partnership with UCAS, include applicants' use of e-portfolios to support the preparation and submission of their application, and the use of structured entry profiles.

See the JISC Briefing Paper

Since HE is a valuable commodity, affecting graduates’ job and salary expectations, it is important that everyone with the requisite ability, skills and desire is given a fair chance to access the course and institution that fits with their learning, career and life goals. Admissions procedures are obviously key in this, and the Schwartz review of admissions found that while admissions in the UK are generally fair, there were still a number of issues which needed to be addressed, including the need for applicants to know how they will be assessed, the need to review admissions practices on courses with high drop-out rates, and the need to recognise non-traditional qualifications and deal fairly with an increasingly diverse applicant group.

The Schwartz review recommended that institutions’ admissions systems should be underpinned by appropriate structures and processes, with clear lines of responsibility. The report welcomes the move by UCAS towards fully online applications, and the potential offered by the electronic application form to include contextual information about an applicant’s economic and educational background, and to use course-specific prompts to help applicants structure their personal statement.

While 98.5% of applications to HE made through UCAS are currently made online and UCAS member institutions receive data electronically, many HEIs rely on printed electronic information in order to manage admissions decisions. JISC and UCAS would like to assist HEIs to make more effective use of electronic information by means of the web services and toolkits now becoming available. Uses of this information recommended by the Schwartz report include recording admissions decisions, providing feedback to applicants and monitoring the process.

Projects funded

Final reports are now available from the three admissions studies, and interim reports are available from the three funded projects. See the relevant project/study page, available under 'projects' near the foot of the page.

Supporting studies

• Improving the provision of feedback to applicants, and the use of technology to support this. Study carried out by UCAS.
• Mechanisms for assessing the fairness and effectiveness of selection processes in admissions to HE. Study carried out by Delyth Chambers.
• Improving support for learners throughout application to and induction in HE, and in the use of technology to support this. Study carried out by the Centre for Recording Achievement.
• Current practices in accreditation and recognition of prior experiential learning. Study carried out by NIACE.

Admissions demonstrators

Admissions domain map

UCAS is a partner on all 3 projects above.