What they have in common is group rather than individual activity. Examinations are often based on testing such competencies. Depending on the approach adopted at school, college or workplace, students vary considerably in their expectations of how much control they will have of their study programmes. During the first term at Brighton, the class is given a broadly defined group task requiring the active involvement of the whole year, requiring them to take initiatives. These activities highlight the need for planning, briefing, teamwork and obtaining consensus.
Direction describes the preparation and briefing phases, where staff have ownership.
Academic coaching and guidance then takes over. This also reduces progressively during the early part of the project. Direction reappears, sometimes briefly, at key points of development and assessment. The third phases is support, confirming satisfactory progress, assisting with literature, monitoring details, but avoiding lading or directing. Clearly support varies between student groups even when they are undertaking the same project.