The Journey Begins: A Holistic Institutional Approach to Reviewing and Enhancing the First Year Ginny Saich (email v.a.saich@stir.ac.uk) Derek Young (email derek.young@stir.ac.uk) University of Stirling
Aims of the Session • to share experiences to date and gain feedback on progress made (at an early stage of development); • to draw upon the experience/expertise of colleagues working in the field; • to enter into a dialogue about the approach being taken and the influence of various contextual components and institutional constraints; • to discuss future potential opportunities for further enhancement and any related requirements (including resources) 19th International Conference 2 on the First-Year Experience
Themes Addressed • Context • Drivers and influential factors • Challenges faced • Approaches taken • Future potential development 19th International Conference 3 on the First-Year Experience
UK Context • Widening Participation Agenda (50% target) • Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) require Progress Files http://www.qaa.ac.uk/academicinfrastructure/progressFiles/guidelines/progfile2001.asp#what – the transcript (record of a student’s learning and achievement) – a student’s personal records of learning and achievements, progress reviews and plans used to clarify personal goals – Personal Development Planning (PDP) – structured and supported processes to develop the capacity of individuals to reflect upon their own learning and achievement, and to plan for their own personal educational and career development • Increasing research on the First Year and Retention eg. commissioned by The Higher Education Academy (HEA) (http://www.hea.ac.uk) • Maturation of HE agenda of widening participation, shifting focus from initial access to student retention and progression 19th International Conference 4 on the First-Year Experience
Scottish Context • Scottish Credit Qualifications Framework (SCQF) ( http://www.scqf.org.uk) – 2001 • QAA in Scotland (http://www.qaa.ac.uk) new Quality Enhancement Framework (QEF): – Public data set – Enhancement-led Institutional Review (ELIR) – Subject level review by institutions – Student participation (national development service - SPARQS – Student Participation in Quality Scotland – http://www.sparqs.org.uk) – Sectoral-wide enhancement themes ( http://www.scottishenhancement.ac.uk) (No ring-fenced funding for enhancement initiatives) 19th International Conference 5 on the First-Year Experience
Scottish Enhancement Themes 2003/4: • Assessment • Responding to Student Needs (Induction, First Year curriculum, Personal Tutoring, Integrating Support Systems) 2004/5: • Employability (including PDP) • Flexible Delivery 2005/6: • Integrative Assessment • The First Year (literature reviews, ‘live’ case studies, institutional events/debates, engagement by the Steering Group with senior management within institutions) 19th International Conference 6 on the First-Year Experience
External Facilitators • Increasing research evidence on the importance of the first year • UK widening participation agenda shifted towards retention and progression • QAA directives and guidance • July 2006 HESA Statistics show 1 in 10 Scottish students drop out of university and college in the first year http://news.scotsman.com/topics.cfm?tid=58&id=1975792005 19th International Conference 7 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Context • Four year honours degree programmes (3 year bachelors and general degrees) • Modular, flexible, degree structure • Campus-based institution (~ 8000 FTEs) • Nearly all students work during semester time (including in their first year) • Active in widening participation – diverse student population (except in ethnicity) • Institutional strategy of internationalisation (emphasising recruitment) • Organisational development – restructuring underway 19th International Conference 8 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Challenges 1. • A ‘first year curriculum’ • Implementation of SCQF → modules largely assigned to levels 8 and 10 • Institutional policy to maximise flexibility within the curriculum to maintain student choice • Resistance to ‘competing’ modules • Few truly interdisciplinary modules • Increasing institutional and departmental emphasis on research • Finances tight - very limited resources for enhancement initiatives 19th International Conference 9 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Challenges 2. • Few rewards for engagement with students and enhancement of the learning experience • Most prestige for honours/postgraduate teaching • Little synergy between pockets of innovation and institutional policy and practice • International students particularly tend towards minimal socialisation – tending to retain cultural groupings (possibly linked to linguistic limitations) 19th International Conference 10 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Facilitators • Pockets of excellence, innovation and expertise • Web Portal with increasingly personalised ‘views’. • New student system (integrating systems) • Highly collaborative ethos institutionally • High level of student participation in institutional activities and decision-making • QAA ELIR in October/November 2006 – reconsidering some of its processes and revisiting structures and processes (including use of SCQF levels and credit rating) – preparation involves critical self-reflection including on engagement with sectoral quality enhancement themes – Institutional debates/consultations (including input from international, external expertise - Betsy Barefoot from the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition in Brevard, South Carolina) 19th International Conference 11 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Developments 1 Institutional consultation/debate – including student voice – issues identified: – Identity and student cohort – Flexibility vs confusion over curriculum – The notion of a ‘programme’ and ‘first year’ – Widening participation, support needs and the need for appropriate support – Internationalisation and related support needs (socialisation/acculturation and support for language development) – Core curriculum components – ‘fitting them in’ Induction/Orientation Working Group 19th International Conference 12 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Developments 2 Enhancing connectivity and collaboration: – integrated student support and reduced ‘referrals’ eg. one-stop shop Information Centre established in the Library, student support services linked under one Director – joint appointments eg. disability and learning support advice, library/IT support – peer support among first year advisors/personal tutors (regular meetings to share/discuss issues) – collaborative curriculum developments (academic staff, support staff and students) 19th International Conference 13 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Developments 3 Enhancing student ‘belonging’ to: • the University and its wider community – Pre-entry visits/assessment/support for students with disabilities (follow-up on entry) – Community service learning and active learning in the community credit- bearing modules (engaging with the local external community) – Developing credit-bearing module on “making the most of your university experience” - reviewing options, critical reflectin, development of personal development plan (PDP) • a cohort of students/peers – Developing credit-bearing module providing relevant training and enabling recognition/reward for student engagement with enhancement of the university experience through • peer tutoring • peer mentoring (international?) • course representation • ambassador roles • personal learning assistants etc. 19th International Conference 14 on the First-Year Experience
Institutional Developments 4 Enhancing student engagement and empowerment through the curriculum: – Improved marketing of learning strategies modules (and the Student Learning Service) to first year students – ESL support sessions (including cultural issues) – Provision of support and reinforcement (not just handbook) on academic expectations and practices eg. plagiarism, attendance at lectures, use of email etc. – PDP Working Group – Staff development opportunities on engaging students with their learning through the use of peer and self assessment Supporting the development of staff expertise with first year students: – Review of advisor of studies scheme – departmental team based approach, regular team meetings to be held – Explore opportunities through the teaching-research nexus for introducing students to the culture of a research university (exploratory, enquiry-based learning etc.) 19th International Conference 15 on the First-Year Experience
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