Integrating Stage 1 students into university life…

1. Integrating Stage 1 students into university life… Teaching and Learning conference 2013 Transitions to Higher Education Dr Jean Hall - CEGS

2. 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…….

3. How do we integrate students? • Practical considerations • Short-term • Day 1 • Week 1 • Medium term • Semester 1 • Longer term • Whole year

4. 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

5. Practical Group Timetable

6. Short term • Day 1 • Welcome lecture • Meet your tutors • Start to break down some barriers of uncertainty • Week 1 • Grinton Lodge Fieldclass • Practical groups

9. 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

10. Medium Term • Stage tutor also DSES (20 credits) module leader • Stage tutor sessions • Buddy scheme implementation

11. 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

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

15. 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)

16. 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.

17. Happy students?