Computing Students: Group Mentors - Influencing and Embedding the Curriculum

1. Computing Students:Group Mentors -Influencing and Embedding the Curriculum Group Mentors: Daniel Devlin, Adrian Hannigan, Carrie-Lyn Kane, David McFaul Staff: Janet Allison, Michaela Black, Martin McKinney

2. Set the Scene • Learner centred teaching: Gamification • Problem Based Learning • Employability Focused with PDP embedded • Feed Forward Assessment

3. Year 1 Transition • Common first year • Building blocks of knowledge and good professional practice • Strong focus on • Groups • 2 group assignments • Team Skills • Peer Support • Group Mentors • Personal Development & Planning (PDP) • Embedded within core modules • Self Analysis: Strengths & areas of improvement • Lab Preparation: Problem solving & design • Lab Reflection • Employability Skills

4. Gamification SIX factors contributing to effective engagement in games • FUN: engagement is easier if the experience is enjoyable • SOCIAL: engagement is reinforced by the social support of others going through the same experience • IDENTITY: engagement can be encouraged if everyone has a visible role in the learning environment • CHALLENGE: engagement can build on human competitive drive, enhanced by social pressure • STRUCTURE: engagement is more likely if objectives and constraints are clear and acceptable • FEEDBACK: engagement is reinforced by making achievement explicit and timely

5. GEL: Game Enhanced Learning Tool • Group based competition • Individuals earn points for their group • Game offers mixture of student centred compulsory and optional challenges wrapped around a module: • Attendance • Answering/Asking questions in class • Presentations • Group Dynamics • Bonus Programming Challenges • Exceptional Good Practice • Quizzes • CV • Course/School Ambassador

6. Social Identity & Feedback of Groups

7. Improvements • Better retention • Better results across all modules • More focused and engaged students • Improved student feedback

9. Role of Group Mentors • Students engaging students • Active partners in learning

11. New for 2012-13 • Group mentors became part of teaching team • Interviewed applicants • Induction training session • Including curriculum design workshop • Periodic review sessions • Feedback students experience and progress • Continue curriculum design workshops to enhance sessions • Review student feedback via quiz (77 respondents)

12. Proposals from Group Mentors • Split up large group assignment • Smaller practice group assignments which are linked • Smaller groups • Leaders design range of group assignments • Real world problems • Teaching group review and approve • White boards in all tutorials • Improve problem solving and sharing good practice • Student groups design and create quiz questions for tutorial

16. Have you any suggestions for improving the Group Support Model? • Nope, the group system was top notch • The only possible suggestion would be to let the students choose their own groups.  • No I think the model is good as it is and has helped me greatly. • have a timetabled class for group work, as its difficult to get a time that suits all. • No it's very good • Have everybody learning at the same level so its equal and others aren't further ahead than everyone else • Have outside class meetings with group leader

19. Have you any suggestions for improving the Lab Support Model? Have more meetings outside class on a one to one basis Perhaps having more mentors there , at times it was very hard to get help when needed when you have a lot of students asking the same mentor for help. The mentor could provide more support

22. Student Leaders & Staff Views