Skills for Further Study Diploma
Overview
This course is designed for students who wish to prepare for the Access to HE programmes within Gower College Swansea.
This programme is for students who have basic literacy and numeracy needs as well as those who lack confidence for the one year Access programme which, with the introduction of grading in 2009, has become challenging.
This course is full time for one year and fully prepares students for the demands of Access education. Throughout the year students will have one to one interviews with the Head of Access Education to ensure that they are on the right track and to support them in their academic development.
The course is assessed using examinations, essays, presentations, seminars, reports and in class timed assessments. The units are liable to change as requirements for students and Higher Education institutions change.
The course is delivered using lectures, guest speakers, clinical demonstrations/observations as well as informal question and answer sessions to support students with their progress. The full time course has 14.5 hours a week of study over three days, one hour is given to tutorial time to support learners and pastoral care.
Key information
This programme is for all students who are able to cope with Level 2 study, applications will be assessed using online, written and verbal assessment to ensure the student is placed on the right programme of study.
Students should be mature applicants with clear evidence of life experience.
This is a breakdown of the units to be studied:
| Title | Level | Credits |
| Factual writing | 2 | 3 |
| Calculations: Fractions, decimals, percentages | 1 | 3 |
| Integrated project | 2 | 6 |
| Using calculations: whole numbers, fractions, decimals and percentages | 1 | 3 |
| Punctuation | 1 | 3 |
| Presentation skills | 2 | 3 |
| Study skills: Note taking | 1 | 3 |
| Plagiarism | 2 | 1 |
| Number and calculation | 1 | 3 |
| Presentation of research project | 2 | 6 |
| Reading and comprehension | 2 | 3 |
| Written communication | 2 | 3 |
| Essay writing | 2 | 2 |
| Sociology of crime and deviance | 2 | 3 |
| Social work practice | 2 | 3 |
| History of the Welfare State to 1950 | 2 | 3 |
| Introduction to sociology | 2 | 3 |
| Awareness of protection and safeguarding... | 1 | 3 |
| Psychology | 2 | 3 |
| Social psychology | 2 | 3 |
| Counselling and communication skills | 2 | 3 |
| Counselling skills | 2 | 3 |
| Introduction to children and young people's development | 1 | 3 |
Students will be able to progress to the Access courses within the college with successful completion or onto other Level 3 programmes within the college.
Students if not currently employed within the health field will be expected to gain work experience suitable to the progression route they have chosen, students are also given the opportunity to visit local HE institutions throughout West Wales to meet the admission teams with a small cost to cover travel.