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Engineering relevance and educational practice for student retention. Royal Academy of Engineering workshop 10 July 2009 Ken Smith Reader in Educational Development LSBU. Student issues. Access courses – not A levels for FT Age profile is wide English not first language
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Engineering relevance and educational practice for student retention • Royal Academy of Engineering workshop 10 July 2009 • Ken Smith • Reader in Educational Development LSBU
Student issues • Access courses – not A levels for FT • Age profile is wide • English not first language • Some experienced – some novices • Earn and learn approach • Transferred in with dysfunctional study skills
Technical issues • Developed for B Sc from a research and consultancy driven course elsewhere . • Successful pass rates until 2 years ago • Accredited • Holistic not compartmentalised – like practice
Developmental issues • Reinforce note taking • DVD for non attendees • PBL coursework and 50/50 assessments • Teamwork and presentation skill building • Industrially useful • PBL developments – linked to LEP diversity issues – an ethos – not isolated
Some examples of streetwise student work Drain maintenance, efflorescence and dampness, tree root damage. (Near Waterloo Station and Russell Square respectively)
Sharing the experiences Cracked gas main valve flange and repair –poor backfill and tidal movements – an experienced students inputs
From all over the country Shoring of collapsing wall. A36 Bridgewater Rare
And the common Efflorescence flume from overflow pipe Cause and effect
Home sweet home Student bedroom with leaking services pipe – personal relevance and immediacy
A living laboratory all around us Greenwich foot tunnel corrosion
Conclusion • Assume little • Reinforce skills • Teach those you recruit rather than those you were recruited with decades ago • Make it interesting and relevant • Multimedia • Different students excel in different educational climates – do not carry through academic prejudices and standardise the PBL marks against prior dryly taught academic performances