- ‘Super Tuesdays’ programme targets groups who often ‘miss out’ on adult education opportunities – such as parents of young children, carers, and shift workers
- Opportunities to study more than 20 different topics with expert University of Cambridge tutors for less than £50 per course: no previous qualifications required
The new programme, called ‘Super Tuesdays’, starts on 24 September and is being run by the University’s Institute of Continuing Education (ICE). Each course will provide a three-hour introduction to a specific topic – often seen through the lens of two different academic disciplines - for just £45. They will be open to adults of any age, with no previous qualifications necessary.
The condensed format has been introduced specifically to appeal to groups of people who lack free time and would struggle to attend conventional weekend or evening classes, such as parents with young children, shift workers, or people with caring responsibilities. The staff responsible for managing the programme at ICE – which runs a wide range of short courses and part-time qualifications for the public – say that these groups often miss out on adult learning because it is difficult for them to fit part-time study into their lives.
That echoes national-level research that has similarly called for greater flexibility in adult education to address a decline in the numbers of people engaged in part-time study. Joint research published last year by the Confederation of British Industry and Universities UK, for example, found that not being able to fit study around busy lives was one of the top three reasons why adults chose not to enrol in part-time learning – and the main reason why those who dropped out chose to leave.
Zara Kuckelhaus, from the Lifelong Learning team at ICE, said: “We know that there are some people out there who would love to study at ICE but are simply too busy. The idea behind these courses is to create something very affordable, and to say to those people, you may not have time for a longer course, but if you can manage a short burst of learning over a morning or afternoon, there is no need to miss out.”
The programme will run on Tuesdays throughout the academic year 2019/20 and covers more than 20 topics, including the work of William Shakespeare, the challenges of ‘post truth’ politics, and the social implications of future technologies. Each course will consist of two lectures, given by University academics who are at the cutting edge of research in that particular field.
Two such three-hour sessions will run on most Tuesdays, from 10am to 1pm, and 2pm to 5pm. Both the morning and afternoon courses will be on similar themes, giving students who can stay for the whole day the opportunity to combine them to study a topic in greater depth.
The timing is partly for the benefit of people who do not lead conventional, 9 to 5 working lives – such as those with childcare responsibilities, evening and shift workers, or retirees. “One of the many groups who might benefit is parents who work part-time,” Zara added. “Getting to an evening class is not always easy, but we hope they might be able to make arrangements to attend a morning or afternoon session during school hours.”
The courses are also being deliberately timed to enable people who live within a relatively short journey time of Cambridge – in places such as Newmarket, Saffron Walden, Wisbech, Huntingdon, Peterborough, King’s Lynn, and Bury St Edmunds – to attend without having to leave home early.
The programme is one of several different initiatives that ICE is developing to meet the general need for more flexible adult learning. A new programme of early evening courses is also being rolled out this term, for example, aimed at city-centre workers in Cambridge who feel that they can similarly manage a bite-sized study session once a week, before they head home.
By providing adults with different ways of learning, and at different times, staff hope that they will be able to persuade more people that they can accommodate part-time study into their lives and enjoy its benefits – however busy they may be.
Janet Stow, a retired teacher from Bedfordshire, has attended more than 50 short courses with ICE. She agreed that bite-sized courses are often more suitable for time-pressed adult learners – including those who are past working age.
“It makes sense and I am really looking forward to trying it out,” she said. “I do shorter courses because, although I hope to do some longer courses eventually, I have so much else going on my life that I really don’t have the time. A tremendous number of retired students I meet, for example, are tied up with helping to look after their grandchildren. Shorter courses are better for people in that type of situation and, while it will work well for locals, this programme will also suit people like me, who have a bit further to travel.”
The ‘Super Tuesday’ courses start on 24 September 2019 and run throughout the academic year 2019/20.