Integrating Stage 1 students into university life…

Teaching and Learning conference 2013 Transitions to Higher Education

Dr Jean Hall - CEGS

Why should we do this?

• Over whelming• Anxiety• Depression• Isolated• Homesick• Social pressures• Unmotivated• Failing

• Contented students• Secure in themselves• Not afraid to ask for

help• Engaged with

learning• Engaged with the

wider university• Successful• Fun to teach…….

How do we integrate students?

• Practical considerations

• Short-term• Day 1• Week 1

• Medium term• Semester 1

• Longer term• Whole year

Practical Considerations

• Central Timetabling• Home is where the heart is…..

• Common room • Give the students a hub – Cassie Building

• Deciphering Timetable• Large number of contact hours – students around alot• Timetable complicated to understand – duplicate practicals• Simplify this for clashing weeks for the students (and explain it)

• Active and inclusive Student Societies• CEGSoc• EWB• School and Engineering sports teams

Group NumberWk # 7 9 10 7Day Thurs Thurs Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Tues Thurs Tues Thurs Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri Thurs Fri 1a X X X 14:00 x x X X X1b X X X 14:00 x x X X X2a X X X 14:00 x x X X X2b X X X 15:00 x x X X X3a X X X 15:00 x x X X X3b X X X 15:00 x x X X X4a X X X 14:00 x x X X X4b X X X 14:00 x x X X X5a X X X 14:00 x x X X X5b X X X 15:00 x x X X X6a X X X 14:00 x x X X X6b X X X 14:00 x x X X X7a X X X 14:00 x x X X X7b X X X 15:00 x x X X X8a X X X 15:00 x x X X X8b X X X 15:00 x x X X X9a X X X 15:00 x x X X X9b X X X 14:00 x x X X X10a X X X 14:00 x x X X X10b X X X 14:00 x x X X X11a X X X 15:00 x x X X X11b X X X 15:00 x x X X X12a X X X 15:00 x x X X X12b X X X 15:00 x x X X X13a X X X 15:00 x x X X X13b X X X 16:00 x x X X X14a X X X 16:00 x x X X X14b X X X 16:00 x x X X X15 X external in residence student groups

Key Field

Lab/Practical

Sketching

Tutorials arrival attendance time in box eg 14:00 = 2pmClashings wks

11

CEG1101

Module Code

CEG1301

8 11 12 138 9 10

CEG1709

12 13

CEG1003 CEG1001

11 12

njah19:large group

Practical Group Timetable

Short term

• Day 1• Welcome lecture• Meet your tutors

• Start to break down some barriers of uncertainty

• Week 1• Grinton Lodge

Fieldclass• Practical groups

End of week 1• Have met over 50% of cohort – less anxiety in lecture

room• Have spent a period of time with more than 25% of peers• Practical group timetable allocation

• based on Grinton Challenge groups – familiar faces in practical• Help in deciphering the university timetable – less anxiety about

where the student needs to be• Have met key personnel from school and from CEGSoc• Have met their tutors on at least 2 occasions

• Meet the tutor event on Day 1• Dedicated individual appointment in induction week on 1-1• Tutors attend Grinton to man activities – try and match with

tutees where possible

Medium Term

• Stage tutor also DSES (20 credits) module leader

• Stage tutor sessions• Buddy scheme

implementation

DSES module – core to programme

• Core to programme in all years

• Semester 1 – small group project (Groups are linked back to Grinton experience)

• Semester 2 – large group project (2 small groups combined)

• Module leader also Stage tutor

Modelling and information

systems

Infrastructure systems

Environmental systems

Human systems

Design of Sustainable

Engineering systems

Medium Term

• Stage tutor also DSES (20 credits) module leader

• Stage tutorial sessions• Informally ran events• Weekly slots in timetable• First few weeks cover

practical issues – coursework hand in etc

• Opportunity for students to feedback

• Meet the HoS• Study skills development

• Buddies• Introduced in 2010• Stage 3 and 4 students• Allocated from diagnostic

test results to buddies• Support in Mechanics and

Materials modules (20-25% student failures at 1st attempt)

• Buddies managed by Teaching Fellow in School

• Stage 1 tutor manages feedback on the system

Longer term

• Stage tutorial session• Generally fortnightly• Semester 1 formal feedback session• Careers and CV• Study abroad opportunities• Stage 2 look forward• Stage 1 reflection and feedback

• Buddies still in background for students if required but totally Student-Led

Reflections

• Stage tutor sessions• Reduces staff student

committee issues from Stage 1

• Allows feedback and management of student expectations

• Delivers key university regulations in bite-size chunks

• Widens the student exposure to other activities outside course

• Buddies• Passing results in

CEG1301 improved since scheme in place

• DSES1 semester 1 project allows involvement from Buddies – formal route

• Buddy management – student led increasing in year

How are we doing….. Student perceptions

• Grinton lodge as a highlight of the Stage 1 year (and indeed in future years)

• 69% of Stage 1 students felt the Stage tutor sessions were useful• Buddies regarded as useful with only 7% of a cohort feeling that

they are not required• DSES1 is recognised as being a key module in the development of

transferrable skills and teamwork• Smaller groups – not daunting and reinforce theoretical learning• Larger groups – teamwork, industry-focussed problems, client-engineer

meetings to ensure feedback occurs• Development of reflective learning (group report in Semester 1,

individual in Semester 2)

What do others think?• Buddy scheme implemented and students failing CEG1301 core

modules at the 1st attempt has been significantly reduced (25% (09/10) down to 8%(12/13))

• Student feedback on DSES group makeup – recognition of skills development

• excellent way to integrate the international student into the cohort and to give them confidence to speak out in a group

• ‘I enjoyed this module and feel as though it enhanced the way I look at engineering development as well as improving the way I work with people with very different personalities’

• ‘this module has been very informative and highlighted the importance of teamwork, more so than previous modules, as it has been over a longer time scale’

• Feedback within the JBM accreditation visit report (2012)• The Team was pleased to note the peer assessment within group projects and

the efforts made by the School to select teams, sometimes using Belbin assessments to ensure a range of behavioural strengths and weaknesses.

Happy students?