Upload
diana-quinn
View
1.395
Download
0
Tags:
Embed Size (px)
DESCRIPTION
Session A - RR5-09
Citation preview
Engaging students: encouraging successHelen Johnston, Syed Mahfuzul Aziz, C. Yalçın Kaya & Diana Quinn
New start in Engineering: 2008 at Mawson LakesA new common first year program for Civil,
Mechanical and Electrical Engineering students
• broadened access: Associate degree and non-traditional students
• new courses and increased focus on experiential and project –based learning
• new Teaching Team including– a first year academic director
– all course coordinators
– Learning and Teaching Unit staff: learning advisers, academic developer, online adviser
– Library staff
2
Students’ first 6 weeks at uni
• no bells, no rules• parents in the dark: what they don’t know
about they can’t worry about• new friends, new loves• a job - luvly money
– Another shift? sure, more luvly money• a class: not today thanks!• the Maths quiz? I’ll do next week’s• Census date: OOPS!
3
While it’s a given that programs need to offer
• engaging curriculum
• good teaching
• early assessment
• multiple opportunities to succeed
Students who don’t attend class and/or complete early assessment tasks are unlikely to hear their lecturers’ and tutors’ advice.
4
So there’s a communication and support dilemma: how do we reach students?
The ‘Supporting students at risk’ strategy is • an academically focussed intervention • clearly linked assessment
SSAR offers • early & explicit advice to students to join the
main game i.e. their academic program.
SSAR involves• the Engineering First Year Teaching Team• course coordinators in target courses• Learning Advisers in the Learning and Teaching
Unit5
Academic success is a powerful means of ensuring
• student engagement
• student persistence
6
7
SSAR target courses, March – July ‘081. Sustainable Engineering Practice (SEP):
– an introduction to the profession and how it is practiced within a sustainable context
– develops communication, teamwork and project planning using problem-based learning
2. Mathematical Methods for Engineers (MME1) :– includes topics in calculus in preparation for Mathematical
Methods for Engineers 2. It also includes an introduction to the mathematical software MATLAB
– first year maths is historically challenging: broadened intake: potential for attrition
– attendance and participation in assessment are crucial
3. Enrolment: 200+
8
Course expectations
SEP• A Class contact
– Weekly lectures (1 hr)
– Weekly tutorials (2 hr)
Assessment – 3 tasks
– Individual report, 15%
– Student portfolio, 45%
– Group project report and presentation, 40%
MME1Class contact• lecture (2 hr)• Tutorial (1 hr)• Computer practical (1hr)
Assessment • Assignment 1 10%• Assignment 2 10%• Team project 10%• Tutorial Quizzes (10x1%) 10%• MATLAB test 10%• Exam 50%
9
Two points of contact
Stage 1 lists: before Census date• SEP: based on attendance• MME1: based on attendance and
assessment performance in 2 quizzes in weeks 2 & 3
Stage 2 lists• SEP: based on Assignment 1• MME1: based on continuing quizzes and
Assignment 1
10
How did students respond?
Most students were pleased that someone was taking an interest in them.
Main student responses in late March:• struggling (27)
– with content– with time management, often work related• there’s no problem (15)
• attendance lists must be wrong• everything is fine
• withdrawal a possibility (4)– work-study clash
11
Did students contacted in the SSAR process succeed? Many on the first lists did not stay and
complete the course. Some– had already withdrawn by late March– withdrew before Census date– took leave of absence during the semester– withdrew after Census date.
For this paper we examined the final grades of students who completed the course and either passed or failed.
We have not yet summarised the final status of all listed students.
12
Summary of results by course
SEP• relatively few students were referred and contacted• 14 of those contacted completed the course• 11 Passed: all new in 2008; stage of contact may be not
relevant • 3 Failed: 1 new in 2008, 2 Continuing
MME1• Many more referred and contacted overall• 76 of those contacted completed the course• 18 Passed: stage of contact seems relevant, the majority
contacted in Stage 1• 58 Failed: 39 new in 2008,19 Continuing
13
Final grades in SEP
SEP (students New in 2008 or Continuing) N= 14
Point of contact
Stage 1 list Stage 1 & 2 lists Stage 2 list
Grades 2008 Cont 2008 Cont 2008 Cont
Pass 5 0 1 0 5 0
Fail 0 2 0 0 1 0
Totals 5 2 1 0 6 0
14
Final grades in MME1
MME 1 (students New in 2008 or Continuing) N= 76
Point of contact
Stage 1 list Stage 1 & 2 lists Stage 2 list
Grades 2008 Cont 2008 Cont 2008 Cont
Pass 9 0 0 2 3 4
Fail 4 4 7 9 28 6
Totals 13 4 7 11 31 10
15
Implications
SSAR contact aims to provide information and support to commencing students
SSAR • seems to be most effective in late March, Stage 1
• students (SEP and MME1) appreciative of contact
• students were often successful
But SSAR • seems to be more effective among commencing than
continuing students
• so modified or additional approaches may be needed to support continuing students
16
Other outcomes?
• SSAR provides useful insights into the student experience– commencing students find value in SSAR
– successful students reported acting on advice.
• In MME1 early contact was based on both attendance and quiz participation– MME1 proved as difficult as expected
– quiz participation was crucial to success
– by mid-semester students who were not passing were unlikely to pass the course
– feedback from SSAR supported ongoing course-review by the Course Coordinator
• more support is now provided for under-prepared students
17
Finally
• This small review of SSAR in Engineering– has prompted further study of program and
course specific questions• role and value of student quizzes in learning in MME1?• supporting continuing students?
– has raised questions about how SSAR might be used to inform teaching and learning
• how can SSAR better meet student and course needs?• how might we improve our data collection and evaluation
processes?• What is the value in collecting longitudinal data in courses of
known difficulty e.g. MME1?
18