First Year Experience and Targeted Learning Programmes

Dr Margaret HenleyAcademic DirectorFaculty of Arts First Year Experience Programme

First Year Engagement literatureAustralia• McInnis,C., James,R., Hartley,J., (longitudinal transition studies)• Baik,Naylor &Arkoudis 1994-2014 – most recent Australian Longitudinal study (2015)• Kerri-Lee Krause, Sally Kift• FYHE- First Year Higher Education: Annual conference & academic journal• STARS – Student Transitions, Achievement. Retention and Success

USA• George Kuh• Vincent Tinto • Pascarella & Terenzini

New Zealand• Nick Zepke, Linda Leach et al (Waikato)• John Hattie• Ministries of Education and Pacific Island Affairs• Ako Aotearoa Good Teaching Practice website ; Starpath Programme

Successful first year students• Competent GPA

• High level of engagement on campus (academic and social)

• Goal orientated (know why they are there)

• Competent academic English Language skills

• Good communication skills (not just electronic)

• High cultural capital in family

• Good work/study/life balance

Alternative pathways to UoA study

• CAS: Concessional Admission Scheme: UE but below faculty rank score

• Tertiary Foundation Certificate (TFC) –under 20 yrs (1 year full time) BA/BSc

• Special Admission – over 20 Directed programme including academic reading and writing skills courses

• New Start – over 20 yrs (part time) Cross faculty, linked to Continuing Education Programme

Alternative pathways cont:Māori and Pasifika students•UTAS –provisional entry Year 1 study, UE but below Faculty rank score

•CTACP (Cert in Academic Preparation) Summer School and Semester 1.

•Faculty specific programmes eg. Education & Medical and Health Sciences

•Foundation Certificate (Te Reo) Tohu Tuapapa Matauranga (cross faculty programme)

UTAS/Equity categories

• UTAS scheme includes students with physical, mental and learning disabilities

• Low SES schools (decile 1-3)

• Students from refugee backgrounds

DELNADiagnostic English Language Needs Assessment

•ALL first year and students new to the University are required to undertake a DELNA screening (including PhD students).

•Assesses (under time constraint) academic reading, writing, listening and comprehension skills

•Students with poor reading, writing or listening are directed into academic writing skills courses.

Academic English Literacy Requirement (AELR)

Revised University Entrance Requirement2015: 10 literacy credits Level 2 or above

2016 : 17 literacy credits (minimum)

Predicted that 18% of the 2012 cohort would not have met the 2016 revised standard.

Students under this standard will be required to take academic writing and skills courses.

Mind the Gap• Many students under-estimate the challenge of degree level tertiary

study

• Lower GPE students more likely to under-estimate the time commitment required per course

• Poor time management skills

• Ability to write (or understand the need to write) structured prose variable

• Understanding ‘critical argument’ (evidence based argument)• Integrating reference/resource material

• Underdeveloped or timid interpersonal communication skills

How to Fail• Rarely attend lectures & tutorials• No prep for lectures/tutes• Don’t seek academic assistance• Fail to complete all assessments/meet deadlines• High hours paid employment per week• Spend too little time on campus engaged in

research• Spend too little time on campus• Do not find a social group within classes early in

the semester (before week 4)

Support Programmes(you are not alone!)

• FYE (Arts, Education, Business)

• Uniguides

• Tuākana

• Library Learning Support Services

First Year Experience Aims

• Help manage transition for all students

• Maximise learning

• Enhance engagement

• Reduce attrition rate

FYE MantraHelping to achieve student success is

“everybody’s business” George Kuh (2007)

FYE main strategiesStudent mentor programme

Central activities•Mentor support and contact•Attendance tracking•Assessment submission•Faculty social activities, with Tuākana•Targeted Learning Sessions

Examples of Semestral ‘Campaigns’•Examination DNS rates (partic. Equity students)•Under enrolment

Targeted Learning Sessions: Gaols

1. Address the ‘student swerve’ of tutor office hours2. Address underuse of academic support services3. Refine and scaffold assessment practices4. To encourage students to start assignments early

Impact of poor assessment • Assessment practices have a profound effect on

student behavior (Entwistle, 1991)

• Fosters negative attitudes towards learning (Rust, 2002)

• Believed to be a more powerful influence on student behaviour than teaching (Boud, 2012)

• One of the least sophisticated aspects of T & L in higher education (James, 2010)

“While students can with difficulty escape from the effects of poor teaching, they cannot (by definition if they want to graduate) escape the effects of poor assessment”.

(David Boud, 1995, p 35)

The sobering truth

Impact of poor assessment practice • Disengagement from learning

• a sense of personal inadequacy

• disempowerment

• perceived inability to negotiate the complexities of university culture

• lower retention rates

• Likely to have higher impact on EAL and Equity students

• Likely to have higher impact on Māori & Pasifka & FIF

(adapted from Keithia Wilson, Griffiths University QLD)

 

The Problem – for students• Don’t know where to start• Afraid to go to office hours• Don’t want to appear remedial• Are victims of poor assessment• No roadmap to resources• Help is not discipline specific

The Problem – for academics• Poor understanding of stage one assessment• Unaware of need for assessment scaffold• No help refining assessment• Low access to students• Don’t know where students are stuck• Poor submission rates• Poor pass rates• Need a positive mechanism to encourage students to start assignments earlier so they have time to seek help.

The Problem – for professional staff• Low student numbers seeking help• Marginalised from teaching & learning• Poor understanding of integrated help• Poor communication with academics• Underutilised

The Problem – for the University

• Paying for unused tutor office hours• Paying for underutilised professional staff• Losing money due to poor progression• Losing valuable international students• Losing valuable postgraduate students

Targeted Learning:Why it works for students

• Everyone goes – not remedial• Convenient – one stop

shopping• Targeted – only get the help

they need• Don’t get trapped• Facilitated by peers• Learn value of staff resources

“Everyone is in the same boat”

Why it works for professional staff• Brings students to them• Makes them an integral

part of assessment scaffold• Referral is easy & students

will use it• Saves time answering e-

mail questions• Makes them re-evaluate

their service delivery• Enjoyable

Why it works for academics• A chance to see learning in action• See the value of integrating with student support services• Encouraged to scaffold assessment support and resources• Saves time answering e-mail questions• Ability to see more clearly where assessment is confusing• Advice on better assessment practises• A highly productive use of tutor office hours

We Built it and they Came

Contact

Dr Margaret HenleyAcademic Director

First Year Experience ProgrammeFaculty of Arts

University of Aucklandm.henley@auckland.ac.nz