FYE – transition to university

Vic Teach presentation

Wednesday 11th February 2015

Facilitator Suzanne Boniface

Introduction – Associate Professor Allison KirkmanVice-Provost (Academic and Equity)

1 Background to Transition /First year

experience

• International research

• Impact of NCEA

• Emergent adulthood - implications for higher

ed.

Discussion

2. Good practice examples at Victoria

Discussion and sharing of ideas

3. Action strategies/ Wider University

implications

Why focus on FYE?Student Engagement

• academic engagement / social engagement• link to retention and achievement

Student engagement is defined as:

…..students’ involvement in activities and conditions that are linked with high-quality learning. A key assumption is that learning outcomes are influenced by how an individual participates in educationally purposeful activities. While students are seen to be responsible for constructing their own knowledge, learning is also seen to depend on institutions and staff generating conditions that stimulate student involvement.From the Australasian Survey of Student Engagement (AUSSE), 2009.

Professor Vince Tinto linking FYE/transition to retention goals

‘Students who find support for their learning, receive frequent feedback about their learning and are actively involved in learning, especially with others, are more likely to learn and in turn more likely to stay.’ (http://advisortrainingmanual.pbworks.com/f/Tinto_TakingRetentionSeriously.pdf)•  

Whose business is the first year experience? Professor Sally Kift, Queensland University of Technology

Keynote address FYHE conference, 2008

“connecting students to somebody or something worthwhile is everyone’s business”

Kuh, George, D., (2007). How to Help Students Achieve, Chronicle of Higher Education, Vol 53, Issue 41, pB12-B13. Retrieved 6 April, 2011, from

http://www.sjsu.

FYE approaches• Ist generation FYE

Co-curricular activities – outside of the classroom

• 2nd generation FYE

Curriculum focus support, engage and build capability through the student learning experience via pedagogy, curriculum design & L&T practices

• 3rd generation FYE1st and 2nd generation – integrated, embedded, quality assured and seamless across institution (academic & professional partnerships)

Kift & Nelson (2005)

http://conference.herdsa.org.au/2005/pdf/refereed/paper_294.pdf

Common elements that support transition James Cook University FYE project report 2008

• Sense of purpose • Student engagement • Building resilience • Quality teaching

The First Year in Higher Education: Where to from here?

Professor Karen Nelson

Keynote address at 2013 FYHE conference

• Lesson 1: Focus on curriculum design, assessment, pedagogies and teaching practices that engage students in learning.

• Lesson 2: Proactively monitor students’ engagement in learning and make timely interventions to normalise concerns, raise confidence and promote help seeking behaviours.

• Lesson 3: Big data should be used judiciously - learning analytics and and its use in HE.

• Lesson 4: We need to move away from thinking about life and learning support as being adjunct to the curricula content and think about support for learning as an integral part of programmes of study.

First year Curriculum PrinciplesSally Kift Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at James Cook University

• Be consistent and explicit in assisting student transition from their previous education to the nature of learning in higher education

• Recognise learning needs of students in transition. Look at their backgrounds, needs, experiences and patterns of study and avoid assumptions about existing knowledge and skills.

• Provide foundation and scaffolding for first year learning success.• Offer engaging, active and collaborative learning, teaching and assessment

approaches.• Include regular formative evaluations early in their programme to aid learning

and provide feedback about progress and achievement.• Curriculum design is evidence based with regular evaluation to improve

student learning. • Strategies to monitor students’ engagement and provide support when needed

should be embedded in curriculum design.

Practical Suggestions from the research (based on the FYE research)

• Use curriculum time to discuss expectations and responsibilities – including just-in-time transition information over the course during the first trimester

• Be aware of the unevenness of entering academic skills and embed scaffolded learning opportunities in class materials and curriculum time

• Make learning meaningful by contextualising with practical examples and/or current issues

• Provide active learning opportunities where students learn to take responsibility for their own learning

• Keep workload manageable• Encourage students to work collaboratively

Practical suggestions continued …..

• Provide examples of different levels of achievement of assessment criteria

• Provide early formative assessment/feedback• Ensure assessment expectations are clear• Use course evaluations to identify key areas for

improvement• Have strategies in place for monitoring and

responding to students who are not engaging.

Some preliminary findings…• Coached learning • Credit based • NCEA is well resourced but teachers have a narrow exposure

to academic texts• Little development of critical literacy and information skills at

school • NCEA not exclusive preparation for tertiary study - is aimed at

developing students across the board

Emerson, L, Kilpin, K and Feekery, A. (2014). Enabling academic literacy: Smoothing the transition to tertiary learning. Research in Progress Colloquium IV, 10-12 July 2014. Wellington: Ako Aotearoa The National Centre for Tertiary Teaching Excellence.

New Zealand NCEA limitations and constraints

Victoria student views on transition from NCEA to University [Focus group discussion 2014 ]

NCEA Uni• If you miss class or don’t complete an

assignment some one chases you up• Achievement students are worth

about same amount of credits • Help is there to prevent you from

failing usually the teacher

• Diff styles of writing acceptable • Reading is limited

• Assignment work done in class • Endorsement is for the full year

• No chasing up- No assignment no mark

• Assignments weighted by % and need to be looked at

• Need to actively seek help it does not come to you. Too many students to follow up

• Writing is formal and academic • Reading is the core of the expectation

in most courses • Assignment done in non class time

and independently of teaching staff • Final grade made up of a no of

assessments adding up to 100%