19th October 2011

GTA TrainingStudent Support

Dr Elaine Clark

Fellow in Action Learning and Health Care Management

But to begin….

• Your name

• The name of your most memorable teacher?

• Why was that teacher so memorable?

• One thing you are concerned about or would like to know more about in terms of supporting your students?

Student support…what does it mean?

Student support

Provision of environment, feedback, knowledge and skills which enable each

and every student to achieve the maximum that their potential allows!

Objectives

• To provide you with knowledge, skills and resources which will raise your confidence in supporting students to become motivated and engaged in learning.

Outcomes

• Have awareness of the need to, and methods for, planning sessions

• Have awareness of some of the barriers to engagement and how these might be tackled to maximise motivation

• Have awareness of additional sources of support for individual students

Planning…

Lets start at the beginning…

• Consider your course objectives and learning outcomes?

• How does the session you are teaching align with those – is it an introduction, a reinforcement, an exploration, a consolidation?

• What are the various aspects of learning which you are going to cover: knowledge, skills, confidence, etc

Planning your sessions

• Consider– Learning objectives– Learners – level of knowledge, prior

knowledge– Practical requirements – time, venue, etc

Kolb’s learning cycle

• Learning is experiential, which means it involves both theory and practice

• Differences in “learning styles” mean people experience learning differently

• Key aim is to promote reflective practice

I hear and I forget,

I see and I remember,

I do and I understand

Confuscious

Magic 7 (Cottrell, 2001:101)PREPARE• Settle: ice-breaker or brief activity to bring group together• Orientate: Check for previous learning, link to objectives of session, set

qu.s to be answered• Outcomes: clarify what students will be able to do by the end of the sessionINPUT• Active learning: activities/inputs, exploration, appeal to multiple

intelligences (Gardner, 1985)REFLECT• Check for learning: clarification, reflection

explore what sense it makes to the individualRECONFIRM• Futures: indicate how learning will be developed in next session, how does

it relate to assessment!RETAIN• Anchor achievement: ask students for a final comments about where there

are now

Understanding the learner

Barriers to learning…

• Environmental: formal seating • Affective: “I am always useless talking in

groups”, “I cant present!” • Cultural, societal: “I don’t challenge lecturers!”• Content: complex subject, language, missing

sessions• Learning style: types of intelligence• Additional needs: finance, disability

Additional support

• Student guidance centre: confidential advice on any issue relating to study

• Counselling service: confidential help for any personal issues affecting work

• Disability support office: assist students with additional needs, eg dyslexia

• University language centre

Finally…

Any questions, comments or queries?

Elaine Clark

Elaine.clark@mbs.ac.uk

Tel: 0161 275 2921

References

• Cottrell, S (2001) Teaching study skills and supporting learning Palgrave: Hampshire

• Rogers, J (1971) Adults learning OUP: Milton Keynes